24/7 News Coverage
December 28, 2023
FARM NEWS
Electronic "soil" enhances crop growth



Linkoping, Sweden (SPX) Dec 27, 2023
Barley seedlings grow on average 50% more when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new cultivation substrate. In a study published in the journal PNAS, researchers from Linkoping University have developed an electrically conductive "soil" for soilless cultivation, known as hydroponics. "The world population is increasing, and we also have climate change. So it's clear that we won't be able to cover the food demands of the planet with only the already existing agricultural method ... read more

WOOD PILE
In Colombia, illegally felled timber repurposed to help bees
Socorro, Colombia (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
In northeast Colombia, police guard warehouses stacked high with confiscated timber with a noble new destiny: transformation into homes for bees beleaguered by pesticides and climate change. ... more
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Oil spill blackens part of Venezuela's western coast
Puerto Cabello, Venezuela (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
An oil spill is sloshing tarry ooze onto beaches in the state of Carabobo along Venezuela's western coastline, several environmental groups said on Wednesday. ... more
FIRE STORM
Forest fires: a record year
Paris (AFP) Dec 27, 2023
As the deadliest year this century for forest fires comes to a close, attention is turning to how to prevent such infernos happening again. ... more
WEATHER REPORT
Storms and flood pound eastern Australia, Thailand and South Africa
Sydney (AFP) Dec 27, 2023
Nine people have died after Christmas storms pounded Australia's eastern seaboard, authorities said Wednesday, including two women who were washed through a stormwater drain. ... more
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SPACE TRAVEL


Insect compasses, fire-fighting vines: 2023's nature-inspired tech

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Morocco faces sixth consecutive year of drought: minister
Rabat (AFP) Dec 21, 2023
Morocco is heading towards its sixth consecutive year of drought as rising temperatures lead to decline in rainfall, the North African country's water minister said on Thursday. ... more
FLORA AND FAUNA
New reptile species, Calotes wangi, discovered in China
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 27, 2023
A new iguana species discovered in China received an official designation Wednesday. ... more
WAR REPORT
China asks citizens to leave Myanmar border district, citing security
Yangon, Myanmar (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
China's embassy in Myanmar on Thursday asked its citizens to leave a northern district along the countries' shared border, citing heightened security risks as ethnic minority armed groups battle the junta. ... more
DEMOCRACY
Jailed, unseated, exiled: Hong Kong opposition party shuts its doors
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
Six lapel pins bearing the Civic Party's founding date are all Hong Kong veteran politician Alan Leong kept when the once-prominent opposition group cleared its headquarters and shuttered its doors days before the new year. ... more
WAR REPORT
Gaza deaths soar in Israel-Hamas war as WHO warns of 'acute hunger'
Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories (AFP) Dec 27, 2023
The Hamas-run Gaza Strip's health ministry said Wednesday war with Israel has killed more than 21,000, as Israel kept pounding the besieged territory with air strikes and shelling. ... more

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WEATHER REPORT


At least 15 dead in east DR Congo landslides

DEMOCRACY
Russian pro-peace candidate, barred from vote, will create own party
Moscow (AFP) Dec 27, 2023
Russian former city councillor and pro-peace politician Yekaterina Duntsova vowed to form a political party on Wednesday after authorities confirmed she would not be able to run in the elections in 2024. ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Indonesian workers protest after deadly blast at nickel plant
Jakarta (AFP) Dec 27, 2023
Hundreds of Indonesian workers protested Wednesday against conditions at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant where an explosion killed at least 18 people and injured dozens more over the weekend. ... more
FAST TRACK
French city makes public transport free for residents
Montpellier, France (AFP) Dec 21, 2023
The French city of Montpellier on Thursday became the latest European metropolis to allow all its residents to ride public transport for free. ... more
DEMOCRACY
Three Hong Kong students jailed over 'terrorist' bomb plot
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
Three Hong Kong students were jailed Thursday for up to six years over their roles in a conspiracy to blow up government buildings, with one pleading guilty to "terrorist activities" under the national security law. ... more
TECH SPACE
Second-hand clothes finally take off in Japan
Tokyo (AFP) Dec 19, 2023
A second-hand pop-up store in Tokyo by casual clothing giant Uniqlo was a first for the Japanese firm, but also a sign that a local aversion to used garments may finally be fading. ... more
FROTH AND BUBBLE


Fresh Research for Fresh Air: Harnessing microbes for removing indoor pollutants

TECH SPACE
Polar bear fur-inspired fibers offer exceptional thermal insulation, tested in a sweater
Hangzhou, China (SPX) Dec 22, 2023
Inspired by the structure of polar bear fur, researchers present a knittable aerogel fiber with exceptional thermal and mechanical properties. The fibers are washable, dyeable, durable, and well-sui ... more
CARBON WORLDS
Cosmic Bling: The Science of Extraterrestrial Diamonds
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Dec 22, 2023
Diamonds have long captivated humanity with their brilliance and rarity, symbolizing wealth, power, and romance on Earth. However, beyond our planet, in the vast expanse of space, diamonds take on a new role, offering clues to the mysteries of the cosmos. ... more
FLORA AND FAUNA
Researchers find reindeer sleep while chewing their cud
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 22, 2023
How can Santa's eight tiny reindeer get all around the world in one night? ... more
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Researchers: Fragrant allure of live Christmas trees can affect indoor air quality
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 22, 2023
Live Christmas trees can affect indoor air quality, which for a small percentage of people leads to watery eyes and noses, new research found. ... more
WEATHER REPORT
Australia storm cuts power to 110,000 homes, kills one
Sydney (AFP) Dec 26, 2023
Christmas night thunderstorms and strong winds cut power to 110,000 homes in eastern Australia and toppled a tree that killed one woman, officials said Tuesday. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Iceland's volcano eruption no longer visible: met office
Reykjavik (AFP) Dec 22, 2023
Icelandic authorities said Friday they could no longer observe volcanic activity at a site were an eruption started Monday. ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Indonesia nickel plant explosion death toll rises to 18
Jakarta (AFP) Dec 26, 2023
The death toll after an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia over the weekend has risen to 18 with dozens still being treated in hospital, a police official said Tuesday. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Tens of thousands affected as floods hit Thai south
Bangkok (AFP) Dec 25, 2023
Floods caused by intense rainfall have affected tens of thousands of people in Thailand's deep south, officials said Monday, with some roads and railway lines forced to close. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
ECOWAS delegation in Sierra Leone after 'coup' attempt
Freetown (AFP) Dec 23, 2023
A West African delegation led by the leaders of Senegal and Ghana were in Sierra Leone on Saturday to lay the groundwork for a "security mission" in the wake of an alleged coup attempt in November. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
Four dead, about 20 missing, after storms in eastern DRCongo
Bukavu, Dr Congo (AFP) Dec 25, 2023
Storms in eastern DR Congo killed at least four people, with another 20 others missing, after a river in spate swept away a building, officials said. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
Last French troops bow out of Niger
Niamey, Niger (AFP) Dec 22, 2023
The last French troops withdrew from Niger on Friday, in the latest blow to more than a decade of French anti-jihadist operations in west Africa's Sahel region. ... more
FIRE STORM
Second Cape Town wildfire forces evacuations
Cape Town (AFP) Dec 22, 2023
South African firefighters on Friday battled two major wildfires on mountains near Cape Town that have forced the evacuation of scores of families, authorities said. ... more
DEMOCRACY
Taiwan detains one for 'fabricated' election polls
Taipei, Taiwan (AFP) Dec 23, 2023
Taiwan's authorities have detained one person for "fabricating" opinion polls, which prosecutors said Saturday were intended to influence next year's elections. ... more
WHITE OUT
The science behind snowflakes
Salt Lake City UT (SPX) Dec 21, 2023
Tim Garrett has devoted his scientific career to characterizing snowflakes, the protean particles of ice that form in clouds and dramatically change as they fall to Earth. Now the University o ... more
EARLY EARTH
Mysterious fruit shown to be the oldest known fossils of the Frankincense and Myrrh family
Gainesville FL (SPX) Dec 21, 2023
Early in the 1970s, a paleontologist working on the outskirts of an Indian village found small, bead-like fossils embedded in the gray chert dotting the surrounding fields. The site was notorious fo ... more
FLORA AND FAUNA
Study uncovers major hidden human-driven bird extinctions
Bailrigg UK (SPX) Dec 21, 2023
Humans have wiped out around 1,400 bird species - twice as many as previously thought - with major implications for the ongoing biodiversity crisis, a new study has found. Many of the world's ... more
ICE WORLD
As the Arctic warms, its waters are emitting carbon
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 22, 2023
When it comes to influencing climate change, the world's smallest ocean punches above its weight. It's been estimated that the cold waters of the Arctic absorb as much as 180 million metric tons of ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Fleeing drought, vulnerable populations face flood risk in most African countries
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 22, 2023
In 80% of African countries, moved toward rivers and into cities during drought, increasing the number of people living in flood-risk areas in recent decades, according to a new study. This resettle ... more
WATER WORLD
Egypt, Ethiopia trade blame over failed dam talks
Addis Ababa (AFP) Dec 20, 2023
Ethiopia and Egypt have traded blame for the failure of a fourth round of negotiations aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over a controversial mega-dam built by Addis Ababa on the Nile. ... more
ICE WORLD
Antarctic octopus DNA reveals ice sheet collapse closer than thought
Washington (AFP) Dec 21, 2023
Scientists investigating how Antarctica's ice sheets retreated in the deep past have turned to an innovative approach: studying the genes of octopuses that live in its chilly waters. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
China earthquake death toll rises to 148
Beijing (AFP) Dec 22, 2023
The toll from China's deadliest earthquake in years rose to 148 on Friday, state media reported, as authorities turned their attention to resettling thousands of people displaced by the disaster. ... more
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