Hong Kong (AFP) July 11, 2022 Macau casino shares plunged on Monday as the Chinese city embarked on a week-long lockdown to curb its worst coronavirus outbreak while neighbouring Hong Kong said it was mulling a mainland-style health code system. Share prices of six gaming conglomerates – Sands China, Galaxy Entertainment, SJM Holdings, Melco International, MGM China and Wynn Macau – dropped by between six … Continue reading Macau lockdown begins, Hong Kong mulls health code app

Buenos Aires (AFP) July 10, 2022 More than 400 people, including tourists and truckers, were stranded Sunday by a fierce snowstorm in the Andes mountains near the Argentina-Chile border, with temperatures plunging well below freezing, local officials said. On the Argentinian side, 120 people were rescued early in the day by police and military personnel, but another 200 remained stranded at an altitude of more … Continue reading Blizzard strands hundreds, prompts evacuations Andes mountains

Menlo Park CA (SPX) Jul 08, 2022 UCLA materials scientists and colleagues at the nonprofit scientific research institute SRI International have developed a new material and manufacturing process for creating artificial muscles that are stronger and more flexible than their biological counterparts. “Creating an artificial muscle to enable work and detect force and touch has been one of the grand challenges of science and ehttp://dlvr.it/STdgqd Continue reading UCLA scientists develop durable material for flexible artificial muscles

Buffalo NY (SPX) Jul 06, 2022 The fossil record tells us about ancient life through the preserved remains of body parts like bones, teeth and turtle shells. But how to study the history of soft tissues and organs, which can decay quickly, leaving little evidence behind? In a new study, scientists use gene expression patterns, called transcriptomics, to investigate the ancient origins of one organ: … Continue reading How placentas evolved in mammals

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jul 06, 2022 Synspective Inc., a SAR satellite data and analytic- solution provider, announced that it has successfully acquired its first image from its second SAR satellite, “StriX-ss”. “StriX-ss” was launched by Rocket Lab’s Electron from New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula launch site on March 1, 2022 (JST) and put into target orbit at an altitude of 561km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). … Continue reading Synspective releases First Image from its Small SAR Satellite “StriX-ss” that captures 3 cities around the world

Los Alamos NM (SPX) Jul 06, 2022 A new analysis of observed temperatures shows the Arctic is heating up more than four times faster than the rate of global warming. The trend has stepped upward steeply twice in the last 50 years, a finding missed by all but four of 39 climate models. “Thirty years is considered the minimum to represent climate change,” said Petr … Continue reading Arctic temperatures are increasing four times faster than global warming

Johannesburg (AFP) July 6, 2022 Three poachers suspected of killing several rhinos in South Africa’s Kruger National Park were arrested after they were tracked down by sniffer dogs, park officials said on Wednesday. Rangers flying over the park grounds spotted a carcass and an injured rhino on Friday morning after being alerted by a tourist who reported hearing gunshots, South African National Parks said in … Continue reading Rhinos killed, poachers arrested in S.Africa’s Kruger Park

Stroe, Netherlands (AFP) June 22, 2022 Thousands of tractor-driving farmers demonstrated in central Netherlands on Wednesday, causing widespread traffic chaos as they protested against the government’s far-reaching plans to cut nitrogen emissions. In one of their largest-ever demonstrations, the farmers demanded the scrapping of recently announced plans by the Hague-based government, which could see a 30-percent reduction in livehttp://dlvr.it/SSjHQp Continue reading Dutch farmers protest livestock cuts to curb nitrogen

Geneva (AFP) June 22, 2022 The United Nations’ humanitarian agency said Wednesday it was scrambling to get emergency shelter, trauma care and food aid to the scene of a deadly earthquake in Afghanistan. The earthquake struck a remote border region of Afghanistan overnight killing at least 1,000 people and injuring hundreds more, with the toll expected to rise. The UN Office for the Coordination of … Continue reading UN working to get shelter, trauma care to Afghan quake scene

Sharan, Afghanistan (AFP) June 23, 2022 Desperate rescuers battled against the clock and heavy rain Thursday to reach cut-off areas in eastern Afghanistan after a powerful earthquake killed at least 1,000 people and left thousands more homeless. Wednesday’s 5.9-magnitude quake struck hardest in the rugged east, downing mobile phone towers and power lines while triggering rock and mudslides which blocked mountain roads. “Gettinhttp://dlvr.it/SSjHQk Continue reading Rescuers scramble to reach Afghan quake survivors as foreign aid arrives