24/7 News Coverage
January 08, 2024
EARLY EARTH
Evolution of photosynthesis expanded with discovery of oldest thylakoids in a fossil cyanobacteria



Liege, Belgium (SPX) Jan 08, 2024
Researchers at the University of Liege (ULiege) have identified microstructures in fossil cells that are 1.75 billion years old. These structures, called thylakoid membranes, are the oldest ever discovered. They push back the fossil record of thylakoids by 1.2 billion years and provide new information on the evolution of cyanobacteria which played a crucial role in the accumulation of oxygen on the early Earth. This major discovery is presented in the journal Nature. Catherine Demoulin, Yannick La ... read more

WATER WORLD
Groundwater is vital to the health of our planet: A call for greater protection
Mainz, Germany (SPX) Jan 08, 2024
Water is the basis of all life on Earth. However, the crucial role of groundwater in sustaining both humanity and biodiversity over the long term is frequently neglected. In a recently published pap ... more
WOOD PILE
Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon halved in 2023
Rio De Janeiro (AFP) Jan 5, 2024
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by half last year, according to figures released Friday, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government bolstered environmental policing to crack down on surging destruction. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
New WMO head says top priority is helping climate-vulnerable countries
Geneva (AFP) Jan 4, 2024
Argentina's Celeste Saulo, the first woman to head the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said on Thursday her top priority is to help the most vulnerable countries cope with climate change and extreme weather. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Japan quake death toll jumps to 161, 103 missing: authorities
Suzu, Japan (AFP) Jan 8, 2024
The death toll from Japan's New Year's Day earthquake has jumped to 161 from 128 overnight, authorities said Monday as snow complicated rescue efforts. ... more
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FLORA AND FAUNA


Africa's large birds of prey facing 'extinction crisis': study

FLORA AND FAUNA
Australian police bust native reptile smuggling ring
Sydney (AFP) Jan 8, 2024
An Australian-based criminal syndicate plotted to smuggle hundreds of native reptiles into Hong Kong as part of a murky trade in live animals, police alleged Monday. ... more
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Amsterdam 'fashion library' takes aim at clothes waste
Amsterdam (AFP) Jan 5, 2024
Ikram Cakir hands over a multi-coloured blue and white blouse and selects a similar item, this time in hot pink. Welcome to Amsterdam's "fashion library". ... more
WHITE OUT
Heavy snowfall, cold cause traffic jams in Nordics
Stockholm (AFP) Jan 4, 2024
Hundreds of cars were stuck along highways in southern Sweden and Denmark on Thursday, authorities said, with heavy snowfall behind the gridlock as a cold snap hit the region. ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Japanese villages wait for help after quake
Shiromaru, Japan (AFP) Jan 6, 2024
Twenty-five minutes after the New Year's Day earthquake, a tsunami several metres high barrelled into Shiromaru, leaving a trail of destruction for the Japanese coastal community's mostly elderly residents. ... more
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Ruin and rescue dogs in quake-ravaged Wajima
Wajima, Japan (AFP) Jan 5, 2024
Joining soldiers and firefighters in the desperate search for survivors after a huge earthquake in central Japan was rescue dog Elsa, described by her trainer as "the best of the best". ... more

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SHAKE AND BLOW


Still standing: unique houses survive quake in Japan village

WHITE OUT
Winter storm threatens travel chaos on US east coast
New York (AFP) Jan 5, 2024
Forecasters warned on Friday that a deluge of snow and wintery conditions could bring travel chaos to the US northeast this weekend, with some 25 million people subject to a storm warning. ... more
DEMOCRACY
Erdogan backs former environment chief to win back istanbul-600-hg.jpg
Istanbul (AFP) Jan 7, 2024
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday entrusted a former environment minister to run for mayor of Istanbul and avenge the worst political defeat of the Turkish leader's two-decade rule. ... more
DEMOCRACY
Foreign govts paid Trump firms millions while president: report
New York (AFP) Jan 5, 2024
Former US president Donald Trump's businesses received at least $7.8 million from foreign governments including China during his time in the White House, a congressional report claimed Thursday. ... more
PILLAGING PIRATES
India navy rescues Arabian Sea crew after hijack attempt
New Delhi (AFP) Jan 5, 2024
India's navy said Friday it had rescued 21 crew members from a vessel in the Arabian Sea after a hijacking distress call, the latest attack on commercial shipping in the region. ... more
DEMOCRACY
Indonesia's presidential hopefuls face off in debate
Jakarta (AFP) Jan 7, 2024
Indonesia's presidential candidates held a second debate on Sunday, where they discussed defence, geopolitics, and diplomacy. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW


Search dog finds elderly woman trapped after Japan quake, but hope fading fast

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Hundreds cut off after Japan quake that killed 78
Nanao, Japan (AFP) Jan 4, 2024
More than 50 people were reported missing Thursday as Japanese rescuers battled to reach hundreds still cut off from help three days after a devastating earthquake left at least 78 dead. ... more
ABOUT US
Study reveals dietary adaptation of large herbivores to human impact in Anthropocene
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 04, 2024
In a recent study conducted by a team of scientists led by East China Normal University (ECNU) and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sci ... more
WHITE OUT
Sweden sees coldest weather in 25 years
Stockholm (AFP) Jan 3, 2024
Sweden on Wednesday recorded its coldest January night in 25 years, with a reading of minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north as a cold snap hit the Nordics. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Turkey opens first major trial into earthquake deaths
Istanbul (AFP) Jan 3, 2024
Turkey on Wednesday opened the first major trial linked to the construction of buildings that crumbled in two massive February 2023 earthquakes that claimed more than 50,000 lives. ... more
WEATHER REPORT
Storm Henk causes flooding and travel disruption in UK
London (AFP) Jan 3, 2024
Hundreds of flood warnings were in place in the UK on Wednesday, after strong winds and rain lashed large parts of the country, hitting travel and cutting power. ... more
THE PITS
Fears in Wales over legacy of its coalmining past
Tylorstown, United Kingdom (AFP) Jan 3, 2024
It was nearly four years ago but the memory of the landslip that sent 60,000 tonnes of old mining debris sliding down a Welsh hillside still haunts former miner Jeff Coombes. ... more
CARBON WORLDS
Max-Planck-Institute Breakthrough: Integrating Synthetic CO2 Fixation in E. coli
Marburg, Germany (SPX) Jan 03, 2024
Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology have achieved a significant milestone in synthetic biology by developing a novel biochemical pathway that converts carbon dioxide ... more
SOLAR DAILY
Innovative catalyst achieves continuous CO2 conversion regardless of weather conditions
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 01, 2024
In a significant advancement in the field of sustainable technology, a joint team from the Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, ... more
FARM NEWS
High-nutritional crops needed in Africa as population increases
Washington DC (UPI) Jan 2, 2024
According to a new University of Leeds study, farmers across sub-Saharan Africa will have to move away from maize, towards new species of food crops with higher nutritional values if it hopes to feed a rapidly growing population. ... more
SHAKE AND BLOW
Japan quake toll rises to 62 as weather hampers rescuers
Wajima, Japan (AFP) Jan 3, 2024
Japanese rescuers scrambled to search for survivors Wednesday as authorities warned of landslides from heavy rain after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 62 people. ... more
CLIMATE SCIENCE
2023 set to be UK's second-hottest year: Met Office
London (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
Last year is set to be the UK's second warmest on record, according to provisional figures released on Tuesday by the country's national meteorological service. ... more
AFRICA NEWS
Tuareg separatists reject 'inter-Malian' peace dialogue
Dakar (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
Separatist Tuareg forces on Tuesday rejected the idea of a direct inter-Malian dialogue for peace and reconciliation put forward by the country's military rulers, after months of hostilities between rebels and the army. ... 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
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
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. ... 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
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
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
SHAKE AND BLOW
Quake measuring 4.1 hits Los Angeles
Los Angeles (AFP) Jan 1, 2024
A 4.1 magnitude earthquake rattled the Los Angeles region Monday as the New Year began, the US Geological Survey reported, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. ... 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
AFRICA NEWS
Chad military leaders appoint former opponent PM
N'Djamena (AFP) Jan 1, 2024
Chad's transitional president General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on Monday appointed one of his leading opponents, who recently returned from exile, as prime minister. ... more
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