24/7 News Coverage
December 15, 2023
FLORA AND FAUNA
A new force of nature is reshaping this planet



Baltimore MD (SPX) Dec 15, 2023
In a compelling synthesis of interdisciplinary research, Erle Ellis, Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), provides a comprehensive overview of how human cultural practices have evolved to remarkably transform and scale up ecological systems. Ellis's work, which spans across archaeology, ecology, anthropology, and evolutionary theory, elucidates the journey of human societies in developing capabilities that have significantly reshaped the ... read more

SHAKE AND BLOW
A hurricane-proof town? Florida community may be a test case
Babcock Ranch, United States (AFP) Dec 15, 2023
When Hurricane Ian churned past her home in southwest Florida last year, Mary Frisbee shrugged off worries. She watched TV and surfed the internet. ... more
EARTH OBSERVATION
ESA forges ahead with Destination Earth
Paris (ESA) Dec 15, 2023
The second phase of the European Union's Destination Earth initiative has been approved at ESA Council. Destination Earth, also known as DestinE, will build digital models of Earth allowing greater ... more
EARTH OBSERVATION
Sidus Space enhances geospatial data processing with AI integration in LizzieSat
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 13, 2023
Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU), a leader in satellite technology, has recently announced significant advancements in its integration of Edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into i ... more
ICE WORLD
Tropical ice cores offer deeper insights into Earth's temperature record
San Francisco CA (SPX) Dec 15, 2023
A new study suggests ice recovered from high tropical mountains can reveal key insights about Earth's past climate changes. Led by scientists at The Ohio State University, the study showed that oxyg ... more
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FARM NEWS


Once the enemy, majestic condor wins hearts of Colombian farmers

TECH SPACE
US begins review that could spell trouble for PVC
Washington (AFP) Dec 14, 2023
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday announced a review that could eventually lead to the end of PVC plastic production - impacting everything from records to rubber ducks. ... more
CARBON WORLDS
COP28 fails to regulate the Wild West of carbon credits
Paris (AFP) Dec 15, 2023
Two weeks of relentless negotiating at COP28 failed to produce an agreement on carbon credit sales, relieving non-profits that had opposed the proposals on the table while stoking fears the regulatory void could escalate greenwashing. ... more
ROBO SPACE
Snail-inspired robot could scoop ocean microplastics
Ithaca NY (SPX) Dec 05, 2023
Inspired by a small and slow snail, scientists have developed a robot protype that may one day scoop up microplastics from the surfaces of oceans, seas and lakes. The robot's design is based o ... more
FLORA AND FAUNA
US-Mexico border wall threatening rare wildlife
Sasabe, United States (AFP) Dec 15, 2023
Jaguars don't understand borders, but where the United States meets Mexico, they are having to adapt to them. ... more
ENERGY NEWS
Asia's climate activists lukewarm on COP deal that 'falls short'
Manila (AFP) Dec 14, 2023
Far from the standing ovation delivered by delegates in Dubai, activists in some of Asia's most climate-vulnerable nations responded to the COP28 agreement with disappointment on Thursday. ... more

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ENERGY NEWS


China, climate in focus at Japan-ASEAN summit

DEMOCRACY
US, UK hit out at Hong Kong bounty offers for 5 wanted activists
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 14, 2023
Hong Kong police offered bounties on Thursday for information leading to the capture of five overseas activists accused of national security crimes, drawing prompt rebukes from the United States and Britain. ... more
ENERGY NEWS
'Where is the money?' COP28 deal throws spotlight on funding
Paris (AFP) Dec 14, 2023
After COP28's landmark call for the world to move away from fossil fuels, experts say the pressure is on to fast-track - and fund - the global energy transition. ... more
ABOUT US
To counter effect of facial biases in legal system, researchers suggest new training
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 14, 2023
Researchers at Columbia University are recommending a new form of training to eliminate facial biases that could lead to more severe punishments for defendants with "untrustworthy" features. ... more
WATER WORLD
Debt-laden UK utility giant Thames Water names new boss
London (AFP) Dec 14, 2023
Struggling UK utility firm Thames Water on Thursday announced that Chris Weston, a former senior executive at British Gas owner Centrica, will be the new boss charged with solving its financial problems. ... more
ROBO SPACE
DeepSouth: Western Sydney University Unveils Neuromorphic Supercomputer
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 13, 2023
Researchers at the International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems (ICNS) at Western Sydney University have unveiled a groundbreaking development in computational technology: DeepSouth, the world's fi ... more
AFRICA NEWS


Dozens killed in jihadist attack in central Mali: Local sources

AFRICA NEWS
Rwanda relaxes curbs on bars, clubs for festive season
Kigali (AFP) Dec 14, 2023
Rwanda's government announced on Thursday that restrictions on trading hours for bars and other entertainment venues imposed to control "noise pollution" would be relaxed for the festive season. ... more
EXO WORLDS
Earth may have had all the elements needed for life within it all along
Knoxville TN (The Conversation) (SPX) Dec 15, 2023
For many years, scientists have predicted that many of the elements that are crucial ingredients for life, like sulfur and nitrogen, first came to Earth when asteroid-type objects carrying them cras ... more
EARTH OBSERVATION
NASA Sensor Produces First Global Maps of Surface Minerals in Arid Regions
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 12, 2023
NASA's EMIT mission has created the first comprehensive maps of the world's mineral dust-source regions, providing precise locations of 10 key minerals based on how they reflect and absorb light. Wh ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Australian disaster crews tally damage from Cyclone Jasper
Cairns, Australia (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
Disaster-response teams fanned out across northeastern Australia on Thursday, counting the cost of a tropical cyclone that flooded major highways, uprooted trees, and left 40,000 without power. ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Winter rain compounds suffering of displaced Gazans
Rafah, Palestinian Territories (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
Cold winter rains lashed war-battered Gaza on Wednesday, compounding the suffering of Palestinians forced from their homes and now huddling in flooded tents. ... more
SINO DAILY
Philippines deports 180 Chinese detained in anti-trafficking raid
Manila (AFP) Dec 14, 2023
The Philippines deported 180 Chinese nationals on Thursday after they were detained in a raid on a suspected sex-trafficking and online scam operation in the capital Manila, officials said. ... more
WATER WORLD
Xi says China, Vietnam must oppose attempt to 'mess up Asia-Pacific'
Hanoi (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
China and Vietnam should oppose any "attempt to mess up Asia-Pacific", President Xi Jinping said Wednesday during a trip to Hanoi, as Beijing seeks to counter expanding US influence with the communist nation. ... 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
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 ... 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
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
CLIMATE SCIENCE
'Living dead': Tunisian villages suffer drought, climate change
Ouled Omar, Tunisia (AFP) Dec 13, 2023
Tunisian villager Ounissa Mazhoud ties two empty jerry cans to a donkey and cautiously descends a stony hill towards the last local source of water. ... more
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