Kathmandu (AFP) June 17, 2024 Millions of people dependent on Himalayan snowmelt for water face a “very serious” risk of shortages this year after one of the lowest rates of snowfall, scientists warned Monday. Snowmelt is the source of about a quarter of the total water flow of 12 major river basins that originate high in the region, the report said. “This is a wake-up … Continue reading Low snow on the Himalayas threatens water security: study

Abidjan (AFP) June 15, 2024 Flooding and landslides have killed eight people in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s biggest city, after heavy downpours, an updated report published by the fire service said Saturday. Roads were cut off as rain fell on Thursday afternoon in most areas of the city with a population of six million. In its latest statement, the fire brigade said 18 people were evacuated … Continue reading Eight dead after heavy rains hit Ivory Coast

Vina Del Mar, Chile (AFP) June 15, 2024 It was meant to be paradise on earth: a luxury apartment building standing just a few meters away from the beach with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. However, intense rains that have lashed Chile in recent days caused a giant sinkhole to open underneath this high-end property in the resort city of Vina del Mar, prompting … Continue reading Sinkholes threaten luxury property in Chile’s resort city

Washington (AFP) June 14, 2024 Vast areas of the central and eastern United States are bracing for a sweltering heat wave next week, with temperatures expected to be unseasonably high for June. “Temperatures will soar next week from the Midwest to the Northeast, where several dozen record afternoon high and record warm morning lows are set to fall,” the National Weather Service said on social … Continue reading US braces for crushing heat wave; as Acropolis shut again as heat claims first Cyprus victim

Washington (AFP) June 14, 2024 The US Supreme Court ruled on Friday that a ban introduced by ex-president Donald Trump’s administration on bump stocks – devices which allow semi-automatic rifles to fire like a machine gun – is unconstitutional. The case stems from the worst mass shooting in US history, in October 2017, when a man fired on a crowd attending an outdoor music concert … Continue reading US Supreme Court strikes down ban on gun ‘bump stocks’

Reykjavik (AFP) June 14, 2024 The head of Iceland’s sole whaling company said Friday he was unlikely to hunt whales this year despite obtaining a government-issued licence this week for the 2024 season. Iceland, Norway and Japan are the only three countries that allow commercial whaling despite fierce opposition from animal rights activists. On Tuesday, Iceland’s Fisheries, Food and Agriculture Minister Bjarkey Olsenhttp://dlvr.it/T8K06m Continue reading Iceland’s only whaler says unlikely to hunt this year

Kinshasa (AFP) June 14, 2024 Lawyers for 51 defendants on trial over an alleged coup attempt in DR Congo, including three Americans, alleged Friday that suspects in the case had been mistreated in detention. They urged the court to annul evidence from earlier hearings involving their clients, alleging irregularities such as the absence of interpreters. The alleged coup bid struck on May 19 when armed … Continue reading DRC ‘coup’ trial suspects mistreated: lawyers

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 11, 2024 Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a provider of daily data and insights about Earth, announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to enhance onboard processing capabilities for its Pelican-2 satellite. Planet will use the NVIDIA Jetson edge AI platform for its next-generation high-resolution mission and will fly the technology on its Pelican-2 satellite, launching later this year. NVIDIA GPU acceleratehttp://dlvr.it/T8DK1s Continue reading Planet Labs Teams Up with NVIDIA for Enhanced Satellite Insights

Boston MA (SPX) Jun 13, 2024 As you travel your usual route to work or the grocery store, your brain engages cognitive maps stored in your hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. These maps store information about paths you have taken and locations you have been to before, so you can navigate whenever you go there. New research from MIT has found that such mental maps also … Continue reading Just thinking about a location activates mental maps in the brain

Anahuac, Mexico (AFP) June 13, 2024 Thousands of fish have died as a lagoon in northern Mexico partly dried up amid a crippling drought plaguing the country. The Bustillos lagoon was below 50 percent of its normal water level, local authorities said Wednesday, meaning pollutants were more concentrated and hazardous to the species that inhabit it. Dead fish started piling up in the lake bed’s … Continue reading Thousands of fish dead as lake dries in Mexican drought