Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany (SPX) May 11, 2022 Many people in Africa are at risk from natural hazards – particularly in towns and cities that are growing rapidly and in an unplanned way. Here, the consequences of floods, storms or earthquakes can have a particularly devastating impact. But where are cities growing rapidly right now? Have new settlements been built in vulnerable areas? And how many people … Continue reading DLR data shows where people are at risk from natural disasters

Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 11, 2022 When the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted on Jan. 15, 2022, it sent atmospheric shock waves, sonic booms, and tsunami waves around the world. Now, scientists are finding the volcano’s effects also reached space. Analyzing data from NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, mission and ESA’s (the European Space Agency) Swarm satellites, scientists found that in the hours after … Continue reading Tonga volcanic eruption effects reached space

Geneva (AFP) May 10, 2022 China’s flagship zero-Covid strategy to defeat the pandemic is unsustainable, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, adding that it had told Beijing so and called for a policy shift. China has imposed draconian measures, trapping most of Shadnghai’s 25 million people at home for weeks as the country combats its worst outbreak since the pandemic began. The Shanghai lockdown has … Continue reading WHO says China’s zero-Covid strategy unsustainable

Vienna, Austria (SPX) May 10, 2022 Individual traits seem to drive our learning success: for instance, conscientious individuals often show higher academic performance. A group of cognitive and behavioural biologists from University of Vienna conducted personality assessments and a battery of learning tests with common marmosets and found that such a link, intertwined with family group membership, exists in these monkeys, too. Thhttp://dlvr.it/SQ3qg5 Continue reading Bolder marmoset monkeys learn faster than shy ones

Accra (AFP) May 9, 2022 Ghanaian authorities said Monday they had rescued 15 people from a sinking trawler off the country’s coast while at least 11 others were still missing, including a Chinese national. The Ghana-owned but Chinese-operated ship known as MV Comforter II sank on Friday during a storm south of Ghana’s second port city Takoradi, 220 kilometres (135 miles) from the capital Accra. … Continue reading Eleven fishermen missing after Ghana vessel sinks

Beijing, China (SPX) May 10, 2022 In the climate science community, the 2015/16 El Nino is considered the first extreme El Nino of the 21st century. Climatologists have put forth great effort studying this anomalous season. This event still sparks research interests because of the large geographic region of warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies along the equator, but also because several major characteristics are … Continue reading El Nino nuance: A distinct difference between 1997-98 and 2015-16 extreme seasons

Geneva (AFP) May 9, 2022 There is an even chance that global temperatures will temporarily breach the benchmark of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in one of the next five years, the United Nations warned Tuesday. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change saw countries agree to cap global warming at “well below” 2C above levels measured between 1850 and 1900 – and 1.5C … Continue reading Even chance world will breach 1.5C warming within 5 years: UN

Perth, Australia (SPX) May 10, 2022 A cutting-edge new tool developed by Minderoo Foundation has identified thousands of waste sites across 25 countries for the first time using advanced satellite data technology and machine learning to measure piles of plastic waste from space. Global Plastic Watch (globalplasticwatch.org) is a tool which combines earth observation with artificial intelligence to create the first-ever near-http://dlvr.it/SQ3qNG Continue reading Satellite eyes pinpoint waste from space to reduce ocean pollution

Niamey (AFP) April 22, 2022 Niger MPs on Friday voted in favour of allowing the deployment of foreign forces fighting jihadists in the impoverished Sahel nation. After several hours of debate, the members of parliament voted 131 in favour and 31 against. Some activists have been campaigning against the presence of foreign troops, branding them occupiers who threaten national sovereignty. However, the outcome ofhttp://dlvr.it/SP8NFq Continue reading Niger parliament votes in favour of foreign troop presence

Nairobi (AFP) April 24, 2022 More than 500 UN peacekeepers from Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region have refused to return home, citing fears for their safety and highlighting deepening ethnic fissures as they request political asylum in Sudan. Until last year, Ethiopian forces accounted for the vast majority of the around 4,000-member peacekeeping mission in Abyei (UNISFA), a disputed border region between Sudan and Southttp://dlvr.it/SP8NFh Continue reading Ethiopian peacekeepers from Tigray seek asylum in Sudan