24/7 News Coverage
January 02, 2024
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
'Helpless': Japan earthquake shatters New Year calm



Shika, Japan (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
Waiting in the cold, hundreds of residents of the earthquake-hit Japanese town of Shika stood in a queue to get rations of a suddenly scarce, but vital, commodity: drinking water. The line snaked out the door and around the town hall building, past paving stones jutting out of the ground that were forced upwards by the powerful series of tremors on New Year's Day. Taps ran dry in many homes as dozens of aftershocks rocked Shika and other towns in the central Ishikawa region following a 7.5-magni ... read more

SHAKE AND BLOW
Thousands evacuated following Indonesia volcano eruption
Maumere, Indonesia (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
More than 2,000 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters amid heightened volcanic activities in a volcano in eastern Indonesia, a local official said Tuesday. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Major Japan quake kills six, triggers tsunami waves
Kanazawa, Japan (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
At least six people died in a major earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year's Day, triggering tsunami waves over a metre high, damaging homes and sparking a major fire that wreaked destruction overnight, authorities said Tuesday. ... more
WEATHER REPORT
China saw hottest recorded year in 2023
Shanghai (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
China's average temperature in 2023 was its hottest since records began, state media said citing officials Tuesday, capping a year of extreme weather events for the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. ... more
TIME AND SPACE
Fireworks, war and quakes as world tumbles into 2024
Paris (AFP) Jan 1, 2024
Fireworks lit up skies across the world as crowds gathered to welcome 2024, but airstrikes marred the year's earliest hours in Gaza, Israel and Ukraine, while a powerful earthquake triggered tsunami warnings in Japan. ... more
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AFRICA NEWS


Chad military leaders appoint former opponent PM

DEMOCRACY
Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to national security crimes
Hong Kong (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai pleaded not guilty Tuesday to "sedition" and "collusion" charges in a high-profile national security trial that could see him jailed for life. ... more
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Vietnam's Ha Long Bay losing its hue
Ha Long, Vietnam (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
Vietnam's Ha Long Bay is losing its famous turquoise hue as pollution and over-development threaten its wildlife and picture-perfect image. ... more
WATER WORLD
Breakthrough in hydrate-based desalination technique unveiled
Ulsan, South Korea (SPX) Jan 01, 2024
A research team, led by Professor Yongwon Seo in the Graduate School of Carbon Neutrality at UNIST has unveiled a highly efficient method for desalinating seawater using hydrate-based desalination ( ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Macron urges fresh push to fight climate change, poverty
Paris (AFP) Dec 29, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East should not distract the world from tackling climate change and poverty. ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Race against time after deadly Japan quake
Wajima, Japan (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
Japanese rescuers battled against the clock and powerful aftershocks Tuesday to find survivors of a major earthquake that struck on New Year's Day, killing at least 30 people and causing widespread destruction. ... more

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SHAKE AND BLOW


Quake measuring 4.1 hits Los Angeles

EARTH OBSERVATION
China Launches Land Surveyor Satellites, Bolstering Earth Observation Network
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 01, 2024
China has made a significant advancement in its space capabilities with the formal commencement of operations of the Land Surveyor 1-01A and 1-01B satellites. The China National Space Administration ... more
WATER WORLD
Surf's up: Big waves pound US West Coast
Los Angeles (AFP) Dec 29, 2023
Huge surf was battering the US West Coast on Friday, with forecasters warning of more danger ahead after a rogue wave swept pedestrians off their feet and swamped a hotel. ... more
TECH SPACE
L-SAR 01 Satellite Group Begins Operations, Enhancing China's Disaster Response
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 01, 2024
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has announced the official commencement of operations for the L-SAR 01 satellite group, following the successful completion of in-orbit tests. This sig ... more
TAIWAN NEWS
China says Taiwan 'hyping up' election interference claims
Beijing (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
China's defence ministry on Thursday accused Taiwan's leadership of "hyping up" claims that Beijing is interfering in the self-ruled island's upcoming presidential election. ... more
EARTH OBSERVATION
Rocket lifts four satellites into orbit
Beijing (XNA) Jan 01, 2024
China launched a Kuaizhou 1A carrier rocket on Wednesday afternoon from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country's northwestern Gobi Desert, placing four satellites in orbit, China Aerospa ... more
WATER WORLD


In coastal communities, sea level rise may leave some isolated

AFRICA NEWS
UN mission ends decade of deployment in Mali
Bamako (AFP) Dec 31, 2023
The UN mission in Mali ended a decade of deployment in the crisis-wracked country on Sunday, meeting a December 31 deadline agreed after Mali's military leaders ordered it to leave. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Scholz visits flood-hit northern Germany
Berlin (AFP) Dec 31, 2023
Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled Sunday to parts of northern Germany hit by floods after days of heavy rains, urging the nation "to close ranks" in the face of the challenges posed by nature. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
DR Congo's Tshisekedi wins second term in landslide victory
Kinshasa (AFP) Jan 1, 2024
DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi has won a second term in office with a landslide victory, according to provisional results announced Sunday, in a vote opposition leaders have dismissed as a "sham". ... more
FARM NEWS
Lula vetos part of Brazil's controversial pesticide bill
Brasilia (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday vetoed key parts of a controversial law that is set to loosen the rules around the use of pesticides in the country. ... more
FARM NEWS
Chinese appetite for Australian barley is back
Sydney (AFP) Dec 30, 2023
Three years after steep Chinese tariffs halted imports of Australian barley as tensions between the two countries ratcheted higher, the grain is once again flowing freely. ... more
WEATHER REPORT
Three dead as Storm Gerrit batters Britain
London (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
Three people died on Thursday after their car fell into a river in northern England, local police said, as Storm Gerrit battered much of the UK. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Eurostar cancels trains due to flooded UK tunnels
London (AFP) Dec 30, 2023
At least 14 Eurostar trains were cancelled on Saturday after flooding in tunnels in southern England, stranding thousands of passengers just ahead of New Year's Eve. ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Bangladesh's 'tiny houses' tackle giant flood challenge
Char Shildaha, Bangladesh (AFP) Dec 29, 2023
An award-winning architect in Bangladesh, one of the nations most at risk from flooding driven by climate change, has developed an ingenious two-floor housing solution to help people survive what scientists warn is a growing threat. ... more
DEMOCRACY
Pro-Iran parties win big in Iraq provincial vote: results
Baghdad (AFP) Dec 28, 2023
Pro-Iran Shiite parties won the majority of council seats in most of Iraq's provinces, the final results from December 18 elections released by the electoral commission showed on Thursday. ... 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
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
WAR REPORT
Israel's Hamas attack survivors find solace underwater
Eilat, Israel (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
Deep under the Red Sea, a passing Israeli warship could barely be heard as Yamit Avital held her breath and dived, her mind briefly cleared of the trauma of the October 7 Hamas attacks. ... 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
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
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
WEATHER REPORT
At least 15 dead in east DR Congo landslides
Bukavu, Dr Congo (AFP) Dec 27, 2023
At least 15 people have been killed in landslides in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said on Wednesday, after torrential rains in the region. ... 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
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