BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — Videographic on artificial rain. Thailand is set to deploy rainmaking planes to seed clouds in an effort to tackle the pall of pollution that has shrouded the capital Bangkok in recent weeks.
Life
Australian towns among hottest spots on Earth as heatwave sizzles
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australian towns were among the hottest places on Earth this week as a severe heat wave hit the continent’s southeast, with forecasters warning of more record-breaking temperatures before the weekend. The past four days were among the country’s top 10 warmest on record, with temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in some spots, the Bureau of Meteorology said Wednesday. “With South Australia breaking some all-time records yesterday, it would […]
DR Congo Ebola death toll tops 400
KINSHASA, DR Congo (AFP) — The death toll from the latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed the 400 mark in the east and northeast, health authorities said Tuesday. “Since the start of the epidemic, the total number of cases is 658 — 609 confirmed and 49 probable. In total there have been 402 deaths” in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, a health ministry bulletin stated. Health authorities […]
#Pasyalan: Whale shark watching sa Oslob, Cebu
(Eagle News) — Isa ang bayan ng Oslob sa lalawigan ng Cebu ang dinarayo ngayon ng mga bakasyonista kahit hindi pa summer. Ang dahilan ay ang maganda nitong tanawin at ang inaabangang whale shark watching. Dito, pwede mong makita nang malapitan ang mga butanding at lumangoy kasama ng mga ito. At sa dami ng mga gustong makakita ng butanding, alas-singko pa lamang ng umaga (5:00 AM) ay marami nang pumipila sa beach para magkaroon ng […]
Romeo and Juliet: the last hopes to save Bolivian aquatic frog
by José Arturo CÁRDENAS Agence France Presse LA PAZ, Bolivia (AFP) — Almost a year after conservationists sent out a plea to help save a species of Bolivian aquatic frog by finding a mate for the last remaining member, Romeo, his very own Juliet has been tracked down deep inside a cloud forest. Not only did the wildlife conservation team return with a potential mate for Romeo, who had been 10 years a bachelor, but […]
‘Zebra’ tribal bodypaint cuts fly bites 10-fold: study
by Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Traditional white-striped bodypainting practiced by indigenous communities mimics zebra stripes to reduce the number of potentially harmful horsefly bites a person receives by up to 10-fold, according to new research published Wednesday. Tribes in Africa, Australia and southeast Asia have practiced bodypainting in cultural ceremonies for generations. Traditionally mixed from clay, chalk, ash and cattle dung, the white or grey paint is widely thought to […]
Cottoning on: Chinese seed sprouts on moon
BEIJING, China (AFP) — A small green shoot is growing on the moon in an out-of-this-world first after a cotton seed germinated on board a Chinese lunar lander, scientists said Tuesday. The sprout has emerged from a lattice-like structure inside a canister since the Chang’e-4 lander set down earlier this month, according to a series of photos released by the Advanced Technology Research Institute at Chongqing University. “This is the first time humans have done […]
S.Africa’s neighbours slap import bans over foot-and-mouth disease
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Countries neighbouring South Africa have banned the import of cloven-hoofed animals and their products over a foot-and-mouth disease breakout in the northern Limpopo province, government said Monday. On Monday Agriculture Minister Senzeni Zokwana confirmed the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), first identified a week ago in Vhembe district near the border with Zimbabwe. The outbreak prompted the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to lift the FMD-free status that the […]
Hong Kong scientists claim ‘broad-spectrum’ antiviral breakthrough
by Jerome TAYLOR Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong scientists claim they have made a potential breakthrough discovery in the fight against infectious diseases — a chemical that could slow the spread of deadly viral illnesses. A team from the University of Hong Kong described the newly discovered chemical as “highly potent in interrupting the life cycle of diverse viruses” in a study published this month in the journal Nature Communications. […]
Fixing the environment: when solutions become problems
by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — In a world where climate change, air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, ozone depletion, and other environmental problems overlap, a fix in one arena can cause trouble in another. Here are a few examples of what might be called Earth’s “zero-sum” dilemma in the 21st century. Water vs. ocean pollution A study released Monday shows for the first time that more than 16,000 […]
Desalination produces more toxic waste than clean water
by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — More than 16,000 desalination plants scattered across the globe produce far more toxic sludge than fresh water, according to a first global assessment of the sector’s industrial waste, published Monday. For every litre of fresh water extracted from the sea or brackish waterways, a litre-and-a-half of salty slurry, called brine, is dumped directly back into the ocean or the ground. The super-salty substance is made […]
A good yarn: Russia’s Insta-grannies take knitting skills online
by Marina KORENEVA Agence France Presse SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) — Elderly women across Russia are often seen selling their hand-knitted wares on pavement corners for a few rubles to supplement meagre pensions. Now a new Instagram project aims to change the public perception of their homely skills by promoting “granny chic” and help the women sell their knitted mittens, socks and other items online. Grandmother and participant Nina Lozhkova said she’d long wanted to […]
