Copenhagen (AFP) Aug 18, 2020 The Arctic sea ice is melting faster than climate models had predicted, researchers at the University of Copenhagen warned on Tuesday. Until now, climate models have predicted a slow and steady increase of Arctic temperatures, but a new study shows the warming is occurring at a more rapid pace. “We have been clearly underestimating the rate of temperature increases in … Continue reading Arctic sea ice melting faster than forecast

Washington (AFP) Aug 17, 2020 Mei Xiang, the female giant panda at the National Zoo in Washington, is pregnant and could give birth in the next few days, the zoo announced on Monday. “Keep your paws crossed!” the US capital’s zoo said on its Twitter feed. It said that veterinarians had detected a fetus during an ultrasound of the 22-year-old giant panda. “Her fetus was … Continue reading ‘Keep your paws crossed!’ US National Zoo giant panda pregnant

Amazon is huddling with the largest mall owner in the United States to turn anchor stores into fulfillment centers, and possibly retail outlets. The deal with Simons Property Group would give Amazon access to space formerly occupied by Sears and J.C. Penney, both of which have filed for bankruptcy.http://dlvr.it/Rf11Tm Continue reading Amazon Eyeing Mall Anchor Stores as Fulfillment Centers

London (AFP) Aug 16, 2020 British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Sunday additional navy personnel and aircraft were being sent to help tackle a sharp rise in migrant crossings of the Channel. The deployment of “specialist personnel from the Royal Navy” and a third air force plane to conduct surveillance followed a request for support from the interior ministry. “These dangerous crossings ultimately put … Continue reading UK deploys extra navy, air assets to stop Channel migrants

Addis Ababa (AFP) Aug 18, 2020 Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office announced Tuesday that he was replacing his defence minister, a fellow ethnic Oromo and former close ally who has recently been openly critical of Abiy’s political reforms. The ouster of Lemma Megersa, announced on Twitter as part of a broader cabinet reshuffle, underscores tensions between Abiy and other high-profile politicians from his Oromo … Continue reading Ethiopia defence minister replaced after criticising Abiy

Novo Progresso, Brazil (AFP) Aug 18, 2020 It takes a little over half an hour for the flames to devour Pedro Gomes’s field at the edge of the Amazon rainforest, clearing the land for him to plant crops. Agricultural fires like this are burning through the world’s biggest rainforest at an alarming rate, according to environmentalists using satellite data from Brazil’s space agency, INPE, to … Continue reading As Amazon burns, farmers defend lighting fires to clear land

Addis Ababa (AFP) Aug 16, 2020 Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia agreed Sunday to present draft proposals over the management of Addis Ababa’s massive and controversial Nile dam within two days, Sudan’s water ministry said. “After lengthy discussions, the attendees decided to resume negotiations on Tuesday… to work on unifying the texts of the agreements submitted by the three countries,” the ministry said in a statement.http://dlvr.it/Rds4Ww Continue reading Talks on Ethiopia’s mega-dam pushed to Tuesday

Rivesaltes, France (AFP) Aug 14, 2020 Just when it seemed the year could not get more awful for French winemakers, it has got worse. With coronavirus lockdowns sending sales plummeting, some have had to turn their unsold stock into alcoholic hand disinfectant. This is all the more depressing because 2019 was a vintage year in many of the country’s wine regions. But 2020 has also … Continue reading Climate change sours French winemakers’ bitter harvest

As consumers get more acquainted with shopping and banking digitally, it seems logical that more people would be inclined to pay their bills online. A recent survey of more than 3,000 adult consumers shows that nearly 70 percent prefer digital payment options, such as website and mobile app channels, to pay their one-time bills.http://dlvr.it/Rdpt7M Continue reading More Consumers Buying Into Digital Payments

Port Louis, Mauritius (AFP) Aug 15, 2020 A ship that has leaked more than 1,000 tonnes of oil in pristine waters off the Mauritius coast appeared to be breaking apart Saturday. The Japanese-owned MV Wakashio struck the reef on July 25 and began oozing oil one week later, threatening a protected marine park boasting mangrove forests and endangered species. Mauritius declared an environmental emergency last … Continue reading Mauritius braces for split of oil-oozing ship off coast