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LAKEPORT, California (AFP) — Thousands of firefighters were struggling Thursday to contain two vast wildfires in California, one of which has become one of the most destructive blazes in the state’s history. The Carr Fire has scorched 126,00 acres (51,00 hectares) of land since July 23, when authorities say it was triggered by the “mechanical failure of a vehicle” that caused sparks to fly in tinderbox dry conditions. The fire has also razed 1,465 buildings, […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP)–Australia Thursday vowed to “vehemently” oppose a new push by Japan to undermine a global moratorium on commercial whaling, and urged like-minded nations to stand firm against Tokyo. Japan has regularly sought an easing of the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) prohibition on commercial whaling and continues to kill the animals under what it calls a “scientific research” programme despite international criticism. At September’s IWC meeting in Brazil, Tokyo has said it plans to […]
TAMPA, United States (AFP) – Need another reason to hate plastics piling up in the environment? A study in the journal PLOS ONE on Wednesday found that degrading plastics emit powerful greenhouse gases like methane and ethylene, and are a previously unaccounted-for source of these heat-trapping pollutants. Plastic water bottles, shopping bags, industrial plastics and food containers were all tested as part of the study. The “most prolific emitter” was polyethylene, which is used in […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – Powerful storms have forced a Frenchman attempting to become the first person to swim cross the Pacific Ocean to suspend his bid, nearly two months into the mammoth undertaking. Ben Lecomte set off on June 5 from Choshi in Japan, planning to swim across the ocean in six to eight months. But after nearly two months swimming eight hours a day, severe storms forced the 51-year-old to head back to port […]
by Glenn Chapman Agence France-Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP)–Tesla shares revved on Wednesday on news the electric car maker is on the road to being profitable this year despite losing more money than analysts expected in the recently ended quarter. Tesla shares raced up more than 9 percent to $328.01 in after-market trades that followed release of earnings figures and a call in which chief executive Elon Musk patiently fielded questions and expressed regret […]
BAGO, Myanmar (AFP) – Fears that embankments could burst under fresh rains mounted Wednesday in flooded southeastern Myanmar, where more than 130,000 people have been forced from their homes and a dozen people killed. A vast area of farmland across four provinces lies under muddy water with rescue teams trying to reach villages by boat to provide food to those who are unable or refuse to leave their homes. Above the town of Madauk in […]
by Ammar Karim Agence France-Presse BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — As the stultifying summer heat sends Iraqis in search of cool spots, restaurateur Ali Hussein provides sanctuary — even though it means hooking up to an expensive generator. “The clients must be comfortable when they eat,” said Hussein, who stakes his reputation on ensuring customers are constantly blasted by air conditioning. Outside, temperatures at this time of year can reach 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit), sending […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Earth’s neighboring planet, Mars, is closer than it has been in the past 15 years, offering unusually bright views of the Red Planet’s auburn hues. “The Red Planet and Earth haven’t been this close since 2003, and won’t be again until 2035,” NASA said. Astronomers around the world trained their telescopes on the sky on July 31, when the Red Planet was 35.8 million miles (57.6 million kilometers) away. […]
YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — Nearly 120,000 people have been displaced after floods submerged a vast swathe of southeastern Myanmar, killing 11 people and sending panicked residents fleeing for dry ground with children perched on their shoulders and few belongings in tow. An official told AFP Tuesday over 118,000 people have taken refuge in 285 camps so far, as the toll climbed to 11 dead — including three solders — with more deaths feared. Swirling, muddy […]
by Gianrigo MARLETTA Agence France Presse REDDING, United States (AFP) — A young boy pleaded for rescue before he died along with two others in a California wildfire, an anguished relative recounted Monday, while other shaken survivors told of their flight from a “tornado” of fire. Thousands of firefighters in California made some progress against several large-scale blazes that have turned close to 200,000 acres (80,940 hectares) into an ashen wasteland, destroyed expensive homes, and […]
by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The planet’s largest colony of king penguins has declined by nearly 90 percent in three decades, alarmed researchers said Monday. The last time scientists set foot on France’s remote Ile aux Cochons — roughly halfway between the tip of Africa and Antarctica — the island was blanketed by two million of the flightless birds, which stand about a meter (three feet) tall. But recent satellite […]
by Paulina ABRAMOVICH © Agence France-Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP)–Easter Island is known for its unique Moai monumental statues carved by the Rapa Nui people, believed to have arrived on the remote landmass in the southeastern Pacific Ocean in around the 12th century. Despite its isolated location some 3,500 kilometers (2,000 miles) from the coast of Chile, the island is a popular tourist destination, not least due to its remarkable collection of around 900 tall human […]
