Tokyo (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 A “very strong” typhoon buffeted Japan’s Pacific coast with fierce winds and heavy rain on Friday, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and trains in the Tokyo area and leaving over 2,000 homes without power. Located about 170 kilometres (105 miles) south of Tokyo, Typhoon Ampil was packing gusts of up to 216 kilometres per hour as it headed … Continue reading ‘Very strong’ typhoon buffets Japan’s Pacific coast

Ankara (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 Turkish authorities evacuated scores of buildings in the Aegean resort of Izmir on Friday as a forest fire touched residential districts of the city. Authorities said 16 buildings had been damaged by fire, while Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said at least 87 houses and 44 businesses and offices were ordered emptied because of the looming flames. A refuge for stray … Continue reading Forest fire forces evacuations in Turkish resort

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 14, 2024 Global agricultural land is expected to expand by 3.6 percent by 2030, leading to a two percent increase in agricultural production. This projection, made by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), signals potential environmental challenges. A research team led by Dr. Florian Zabel and Prof. Dr.http://dlvr.it/TC00RQ Continue reading Global Agricultural Expansion Poses Significant Risks to Climate and Biodiversity

Wellington (AFP) Aug 15, 2024 The president of Palau has accused China of “weaponising tourism” in a bid to get his Pacific nation to break ties with Taiwan. Palau is one of just 12 states worldwide that diplomatically recognise self-ruled Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory. Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Nauru have all switched allegiance from Taiwan to China in recent years, and … Continue reading Palau president accuses China of ‘weaponising tourism’

Kampala (AFP) Aug 14, 2024 Six more bodies, including those of two children, were recovered on Wednesday from the site of a massive garbage landslide in the Ugandan capital Kampala, bringing the death toll so far to 30, police said. Several dozen people are also still missing, police said, after the collapse at the landfill in the northern district of Kiteezi on Saturday that buried … Continue reading Uganda garbage landslide death toll rises to 30

Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 15, 2024 Even with two electric fans whirring, retired janitor Chun Loi was sweating profusely in her windowless, one-room flat that swelters during Hong Kong’s humid summer. Her 50-square-foot room is partitioned with well-worn planks from four other small rooms, commonly known as sub-divided units. It is a sweaty but low-cost option that has proliferated across Hong Kong, one of the … Continue reading Scorching heat magnifies housing crunch for Hong Kong’s elderly

Dadu, Pakistan (AFP) Aug 16, 2024 As monsoon rains were about to break over Pakistan, 14-year-old Shamila and her 13-year-old sister Amina were married off in exchange for money, a decision their parents made to help the family survive the threat of floods. “I was happy to hear I was getting married… I thought my life would become easier,” Shamila told AFP after her wedding … Continue reading ‘Monsoon brides’: Extreme weather fuels Pakistan child marriages

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 14, 2024 Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU), a leader in precision space infrastructure solutions, has secured a contract with Xiomas Technologies to provide its FeatherEdge onboard computing system for a high-altitude fire detection initiative. This project, involving Sidus Space, Xiomas Technologies, NASA, and Harvard University, aims to enhance rapid fire detection using stratospheric balloon platforms equipphttp://dlvr.it/TBxk01 Continue reading Sidus Space to Supply FeatherEdge System for Infrared Fire Detection Project with Xiomas Technologies

Tokyo (AFP) Aug 15, 2024 Japan lifted on Thursday a warning that a “megaquake” potentially causing colossal damage and loss of life could strike, with the government telling people to “go back to normal”. The week-old alert that such a catastrophe might hit the archipelago of 125 million people prompted thousands to cancel holidays and stock up on essentials, emptying shelves in some stores. “The … Continue reading Japan lifts ‘megaquake’ warning, tells people to ‘go back to normal’

Tarawa, Kiribati (AFP) Aug 15, 2024 Kiribati’s pro-China president retained his parliamentary seat in a landslide, according to the first results on Thursday of an election that hinged on worries about the cost of living, rising sea levels and closer ties with Beijing. Results posted by the Pacific nation’s Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs showed Taneti Maamau won his Onotoa seat with almost 83 … Continue reading Kiribati poll results show pro-China leader retains parliamentary seat