by Kaouthar Oudrhiri Agence France-Presse MEKNES, Morocco (AFP) – Recycling in Morocco may be in its infancy, but the North African kingdom is making steady progress, helped by a Swiss firm that specialises in processing organic waste. “Nothing’s thrown away here: everything is transformed,” says Mohamed El Kabous proudly, crumbling a fistful of compost produced by Elephant Vert (EV — Green Elephant) in the central city of Meknes. Established in 2012 as EV’s largest such […]
Life
End of an era nears for Berlin’s coal stoves
by Raphaelle LOGEROT Agence France-Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – Alban Nikolai Herbst’s Berlin apartment is covered in dust, his precious record collection included, thanks to a coal-powered stove he still uses to heat his home like thousands across the city. Germany’s new government is set to extinguish the at-home heat source from a bygone era as part of its ambitious climate plans, as it looks to cut harmful emissions linked to climate change. But Herbst […]
Beneath La Palma volcano, scientists collect lava ‘to learn’
by Rosa Sulleiro Agence France-Presse EL PASO, Spain (AFP) – As soon as he heard that La Palma’s volcano had erupted, Australian geologist Matt Pankhurst loaded his microscope into his car and raced to catch a ferry to the Spanish island. Like other scientists around the world, he was eager to get a first-hand look at the rare and valuable data spilling out of the Cumbre Vieja volcano off Africa’s northwest coast. “It’s a huge […]
Pfizer to test third vaccine shot for under-fives
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Pfizer announced Friday that it wants to test a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in the under-fives, as the low dosage such small children can handle may not offer the same protection that older children enjoy from just two shots. The company does not expect the change to affect its plans to file for emergency use authorization in the United States in the first half of next year. […]
Vast study confirms rare heart risk from Moderna jab
PARIS, France (AFP) — The Moderna Covid jab carries a slight risk of usually non-serious heart problems a study of the entire population of Denmark found Friday. Incidences of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart) after mRNA jabs from Pfizer and Moderna had been noted in vaccine safety reports and small-scale studies. These reports led France, Denmark and other countries to advise against the jab for […]
Operator of leaking California pipeline charged with negligence
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The operators of a California pipeline that leaked crude oil onto beaches south of Los Angeles in early October were charged Wednesday with negligence by federal prosecutors. The charges were leveled against Amplify Energy, a Texas company operating the pipeline off Huntington Beach, and two of its subsidiaries — Beta Operating Co. and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co., according to the prosecutor’s statement. The authorities accuse them of not […]
Mayan Train, the president’s pet project exposing Mexico’s cracks
by Alexander MARTINEZ Agence France-Presse CAMPECHE, Mexico (AFP) – A proposed Mayan tourist train in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula has divided residents in one of the country’s poorest regions, known for its indigenous uprisings. “The train will no longer come through here,” rejoiced Guadalupe Caceres, 64, at news that the original route was being modified and would no longer pass through her home. “We’ve lost, goodbye modernity,” responded locksmith Ruben Angulo, 49, who was hoping to […]
Operator of leaking California pipeline charged with negligence
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) – The operators of a California pipeline that leaked crude oil on to beaches south of Los Angeles in early October were charged Wednesday with negligence by federal prosecutors. The charges were leveled against Amplify Energy, a Texas company operating the pipeline off Huntington Beach, and two of its subsidiaries — Beta Operating Co. and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co., according to the prosecutor’s statement. The authorities accuse them of […]
Estonia’s wood pellet industry stokes controversy
by Polina KALANTAR Agence France-Presse IMAVERE, Estonia (AFP) – Estonia’s thriving wood pellet industry is pitting environmentalists who warn it increases logging and harms biodiversity against supporters who say it makes good use of wood that would otherwise go to waste. The subject is particularly sensitive in the tiny Baltic state once ruled by Moscow, whose forests cover more than half the surface area and are very much part of the national identity. But, at […]
Europe ramps up Covid vaccine drive for children as Omicron rampages
by Daniel Silva with AFP bureaus MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Europe stepped up vaccinations of children aged five to 11 against Covid-19 Wednesday, as the EU’s health agency warned immunization alone would not stop the rapid rise of the Omicron variant. Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Spain were among those opening up their inoculation drives to younger kids, with other nations still weighing their approach. South Africa — where Omicron was first detected — and […]
WHO sees unprecedented Omicron spread, ‘probably’ in most countries
by Agence France Presse bureaus GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization warned Tuesday Omicron was spreading at an unprecedented rate and urged countries to act, as drug maker Pfizer said its coronavirus pill was effective against the variant. Dutch primary schools will close early as Europe battles a fresh wave of infections and hospital admissions, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a major parliamentary test seeking to impose fresh Covid curbs. […]
Illegal but essential, migrants recycle Istanbul’s waste
by Anne CHAON Agence France-Presse ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – Shrouded by acrid smoke, a young Afghan crouches sorting waste he has pulled from the trash bins of Istanbul, anxious that Turkey will soon strip him of even this subsistence. “I start at eight in the morning and finish at eight at night,” said Issam Raffur, who has spent four of his 20 years in Turkey. “It is very hard and poorly paid, but I have […]





