Hwange, Zimbabwe (AFP) Dec 21, 2023 Storm clouds are finally gathering over Zimbabwe’s biggest animal reserve, but it has come too late for more than 110 elephants that have died in a searing, extended drought. There is little that Simba Marozva and other rangers at the Hwange National Park can do except cut the tusks off the rotting corpses before poachers find them. With the … Continue reading Heartbreak in Zimbabwe park: elephants’ desperate hunt for water

Washington DC (SPX) Dec 21, 2023 Researchers in Chile have designed an indoor air purification prototype which uses microorganisms to capture and degrade pollutants, with efficiencies above 90%. In the study, published in SCI’s Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, the scientists demonstrated that the system could operate for 8 months without any loss in efficiency. As the demand for better insulation anhttp://dlvr.it/T0R0b7 Continue reading Fresh Research for Fresh Air: Harnessing microbes for removing indoor pollutants

Jishishan, China (AFP) Dec 21, 2023 Chinese earthquake survivors recovered in hospital as rescue teams rushed to deliver supplies on Thursday, the third day since the country’s deadliest quake in years killed 135 people. The toll rose from the previous day’s 134, state news agency Xinhua said, as rescuers continued to search for victims buried as the soil liquified in northwestern Qinghai Province. Almost 1,000 … Continue reading China quake survivors recover in hospitals as toll rises to 135

Beijing (AFP) Dec 21, 2023 More low temperature records tumbled across China on Thursday, as the country endures a persistent cold snap that has crowned a year of extreme weather. The national weather office said in a social media post that more than 20 stations posted all-time December lows in the early hours of Thursday. They included Hohhot, capital of the northern Inner Mongolia region, … Continue reading More records tumble as China cold snap persists

Jishishan, China (AFP) Dec 20, 2023 Survivors of China’s deadliest earthquake in years huddled in makeshift aid tents despite freezing temperatures on Wednesday, too scared to return to homes made dangerous by the disaster. State broadcaster CCTV said at least 134 people were killed in northwestern Gansu province and neighbouring Qinghai after a shallow tremor on Monday night damaged thousands of buildings. Almost 1,000 wehttp://dlvr.it/T0QMMQ Continue reading Survivors brave freezing cold after China quake kills 134

Simon’S Town, South Africa (AFP) Dec 20, 2023 Hundreds of firefighters on Wednesday battled a wildfire that has spread across a mountain near Cape Town and threatened South Africa’s biggest naval base. Five out of more than 300 firefighters deployed for the operation on hills overlooking Simon’s Town have been injured, authorities said. “Currently three choppers are water bombing the area while over 300 staff … Continue reading Hundreds battle wildfire threatening S. Africa naval base

Campeche, Mexico (AFP) Dec 15, 2023 Mexico’s Maya tourist train glided into action on Friday, promising prosperity for one of the country’s poorest regions, but tainted by allegations of environmental devastation. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hailed his flagship project as a “magnum opus” built in “record time” ahead of the inauguration, during which he boarded one of its green-and-white cars for the train’s first … Continue reading Mexico’s Maya Train underway, despite environmental concerns

New Delhi (AFP) Dec 20, 2023 At least 10 people were killed in floods after intense rainfall in southern India, local media reported Wednesday, weeks after a cyclone triggered intense flooding in the same areas. Hundreds are stranded in the state of Tamil Nadu as water submerged roads, with the airforce dropping 10 tonnes of emergency supplies to those stranded. Footage from news agency Press … Continue reading Ten dead as heavy rains hit south India

United Nations, United States (AFP) Dec 19, 2023 The United Nations raised the alarm on Tuesday over fighting raging near the former safe haven of Wad Madani in Sudan where the population had swelled to more than 700,000. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on Sunday set up a base near Wad Madani, where their offensive has sent thousands fleeing Sudan’s second city and former aid … Continue reading Fighting near Sudan aid hub; UN agrees to early withdrawal of DRC peacekeepers

Haidong, China (AFP) Dec 19, 2023 Rescuers in remote villages of northwest China dug through the rubble of collapsed homes on Tuesday after China’s deadliest earthquake in years killed at least 118 people and injured hundreds more. Officials in impoverished Gansu province said the shallow tremor just before midnight had caused the deaths of at least 105 and injured almost 400 as of Tuesday morning. … Continue reading At least 118 dead in northwest China earthquake