24/7 News Coverage
December 13, 2023
EARTH OBSERVATION
New NASA Satellite To Unravel Mysteries About Clouds, Aerosols



Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 13, 2023
Some of the same properties of light and optics that make the sky blue and cause rainbows can also help scientists unlock mysteries about cloud formation and the effects of tiny particles in our air. NASA's upcoming PACE mission will offer important insights on airborne particles of sea salt, smoke, human-made pollutants, and dust - collectively called aerosols - by observing how they interact with light. With PACE data, scientists will provide better answers to key questions such as how aerosols ... read more

EARTH OBSERVATION
Spire Global secures major EUMETSAT contract for satellite weather data
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Dec 13, 2023
Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR), a leader in space-powered data and analytics, has been awarded a significant contract by EUMETSAT, the European meteorological satellite agency. This multi-million e ... more
ICE WORLD
New study sheds light on how much methane is produced from Arctic lakes and wetlands
Providence RI (SPX) Dec 13, 2023
When it comes to greenhouse gases, methane is one the biggest contributors. Not only is it massively abundant - it's about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Dubai climate summit adopts world-first 'transition' from fossil fuels
Dubai (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
Nearly 200 nations meeting in Dubai on Wednesday approved a first-ever call for the world to transition away from fossil fuels, tackling the top culprit of climate change after years of avoidance although at-risk countries said far more action was needed. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Automated system teaches users when to collaborate with an AI assistant
Boston MA (SPX) Dec 08, 2023
Artificial intelligence models that pick out patterns in images can often do so better than human eyes - but not always. If a radiologist is using an AI model to help her determine whether a patient ... more
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CLIMATE SCIENCE


'Living dead': Tunisian villages suffer drought, climate change

FARM NEWS
Jordan's mission to save its ancient olive trees
Ajlun, Jordan (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
Every morning, Jordanian farmer Ali Saleh Atta swallows two cloves of garlic with a cup of olive oil before heading out to check on his ancient olive trees. ... more
FROTH AND BUBBLE
UK watchdog probes Unilever on 'greenwashing'
London (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
Britain's competition and markets watchdog on Tuesday said it would probe claims made by consumer-goods giant Unilever regarding the environmental friendliness of products. ... more
FARM NEWS
Canada maple syrup production plummeted in 2023: data
Montreal (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
Canada - the world's largest supplier of maple syrup - saw production of the sweet, sticky stuff plummet more than 40 percent due to unfavorable weather, according to data released Tuesday. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Cyclone Jasper makes landfall in Australia
Palm Cove, Australia (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
Tropical Cyclone Jasper hit northeast Australia Wednesday, leaving thousands of people in coastal communities without power and preparing for potentially "life-threatening" floods. ... more
SINO DAILY
China blasts UK's 'malicious intentions' after Cameron meets Hong Kong dissident
Beijing (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
China on Wednesday accused Britain of having "malicious intentions" toward Hong Kong after British Foreign Secretary David Cameron met with the son of jailed pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai. ... more

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DEMOCRACY


Swiss lawmakers set to elect defence minister as president

FLORA AND FAUNA
Singapore bids farewell to China-bound panda cub
Singapore (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
Singaporeans bid farewell to a two-year-old panda cub on Wednesday as authorities prepared to send him to China where he will join the country's breeding program. ... more
ABOUT US
Smoking shrinks brain, says study linking cigarettes to Alzheimer's, dementia
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 12, 2023
Researchers have found a new reason to quit smoking. Not only does smoking destroy the heart and lungs, it also shrinks the brain. ... more
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Brazil caimans fight to survive in polluted Rio waters
Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
Intrepid as Crocodile Dundee, Brazilian biologist Ricardo Freitas catches a caiman in the dark of night with a snare pole, then hoists it into his small wooden boat. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Philippines records fewer storms, faces worst drought in decades
Manila (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
The Philippines has so far endured fewer storms in 2023 than in any of the past 25 years and now faces potentially the worst drought in decades, officials said Tuesday. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
Niger says all French troops will have left by December 22
Niamey, Niger (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
The ongoing withdrawal of French troops participating in an anti-jihadist mission in Niger will be complete by December 22, the Sahel country's army said Tuesday. ... more
WEATHER REPORT


5 children killed in east DR Congo lightning strike

FARM NEWS
China lifts bar on Australian red meat exporters
Sydney (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
China on Tuesday lifted suspensions targeting three of Australia's biggest red meat exporters, winning praise from Canberra as the trading partners mend a strained relationship. ... more
WEATHER REPORT
At least 15 killed in landslides in DR Congo
Bukavu, Dr Congo (AFP) Dec 11, 2023
At least 15 people have died in landslides in the city of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said Monday. ... more
ICE WORLD
Warmest Arctic summer caused by accelerating climate change
Washington (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
The Arctic saw its warmest ever summer in 2023, the result of accelerating human-caused climate change that is pushing ecosystems and the people that depend on them into uncharted territory, according to an official report Tuesday. ... more
FLORA AND FAUNA
Colombia steps up to hold UN biodiversity talks
Dubai (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
Colombia on Tuesday offered to hold next year's UN talks on biodiversity after Turkey backed out, citing the need to recover from earthquakes. ... more
WATER WORLD
Thames Water says needs more time for financial turnaround
London (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
Struggling UK utility firm Thames Firm needs more time to turn around its fortunes after announcing a slump in profits and mounting debt, one of its bosses said Tuesday. ... more
WEATHER REPORT
Spain sees December heat record with 29.9 Celsius in Malaga
Madrid (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
Spain recorded Tuesday its highest temperature ever for a December after the southern city of Malaga saw thermometers reach 29.9 degrees Celsius (85.8 Fahrenheit), the Aemet national weather service said. ... more
EPIDEMICS
Chinese laud 'great' Gao Yaojie, dissident doctor and AIDS whistleblower
Beijing (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
A dissident doctor who became China's most outspoken AIDS campaigner was praised in her home country on Tuesday, days after she died in self-exile in the United States at age 95. ... more
WHALES AHOY
Sperm whale dies after rare foray into shallow Australian waters
Sydney (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
A sperm whale has died in Western Australia days after it was filmed in shallow waters among dozens of delighted beachgoers, authorities have said. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
UN mission in Mali officially ends after 10 years
Bamako (AFP) Dec 11, 2023
The United Nations mission in Mali officially ended its 10-year deployment in the country on Monday, in a pullout ordered by Mali's military leaders. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Exposure to soft robots decreases human fears about working with them
Vancouver WA (SPX) Dec 07, 2023
Seeing robots made with soft, flexible parts in action appears to lower people's anxiety about working with them or even being replaced by them. A Washington State University study found that ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
At least 100 elephants dead in Zimbabwe drought: welfare group
Johannesburg, South Africa (AFP) Dec 11, 2023
At least 100 elephants have died in Zimbabwe's biggest national park as water holes have dried up, an international animal welfare group said Monday. ... more
PILLAGING PIRATES
Australian, American charged with running crypto Ponzi scheme
Washington (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
An Australian man and a US national have been charged in California with operating a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme, the Justice Department said Tuesday. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Trimble to provide new positioning system to Sabanto for RoboTractors
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 08, 2023
In a strategic partnership aimed at revolutionizing the agriculture industry, Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) and Sabanto have teamed up to integrate advanced positioning systems into Sabanto's autonomy solu ... more
SOLAR SCIENCE
When is an aurora not an aurora
Berkeley CA (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
The shimmering green, red and purple curtains of the northern and southern lights - the auroras - may be the best-known phenomena lighting up the nighttime sky, but the most mysterious are the mauve ... more
STELLAR CHEMISTRY
Northeastern Australia prepares for 'destructive' cyclone
Cairns, Australia (AFP) Dec 12, 2023
The northeastern Australian cities of Cairns and Port Douglas readied Tuesday for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which is expected to bring "destructive" winds and flash flooding. ... more
FARM NEWS
Building a better indoor herb garden
Boston MA (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
Randall Briggs '09, SM '18 didn't set out to build indoor gardens when he arrived at MIT. The winner of the 2010 2.007 robot competition class, he was excited to work on designing fighter planes one ... more
EARLY EARTH
Evidence that ancient Tethys Ocean influenced Earth's past environments
Beijing, China (SPX) Dec 11, 2023
This study, led by geologist Bo Wan from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geology and Geophysics, connects the Tethyan plate tectonic movements to changes in Earth's surface environment ... more
WATER WORLD
Australia, Papua New Guinea announce security deal
Sydney (AFP) Dec 7, 2023
Australia clinched a security deal with Papua New Guinea on Thursday, bolstering ties with a Pacific state that has been courted persistently by China. ... more
FLORA AND FAUNA
Climate change, human activity add nearly 2,000 species to threatened list
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 12, 2023
Climate change and human activity are threatening global biodiversity more than ever, according to a report released Monday at the COP28 UN climate conference in the United Arab Emirates, which shows the list of species threatened with extinction growing by nearly 2,000 new species over last year. ... more
WATER WORLD
Freshwater fish swim into trouble as climate change increases threat: IUCN
Dubai (AFP) Dec 11, 2023
A quarter of freshwater fish species worldwide are at risk of extinction, according to an update to the global red list of threatened species on Monday, highlighting the escalating impacts of human-caused climate change on the planet's wildlife. ... more
DEMOCRACY
Hong Kong election sees lowest-ever turnout with dissent banned
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 11, 2023
Hong Kong's first district elections for "patriots" saw a turnout of 27.5 percent, the government said Monday, a record low for a race that had shut out all opposition candidates. ... more
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