Environment

Endangered tree kangaroo born at UK zoo

Conservationists at a UK zoo have captured the moment a rare tree kangaroo popped out of its mother's pouch for the first time, part of research aimed at helping the endangered species survive in the wild.. "By having these endangered species in our care we can learn so much about them and this sort of information that we are gathering is a small part preserving them in the wild," he told AFP. Since little is known about their development, scientists hope capturing the process on camera will improve conservation practices and help other similar species in southeast Asia survive in the wild.

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 1 mins read

Environment

Asteroid to come 'extraordinarily close' to Earth: NASA

A truck-sized asteroid will pass near Earth on Thursday in one of the closest approaches to our planet ever recorded, NASA said, emphasising that it poses no danger.. "In fact, this is one of the closest approaches by a known near-Earth object ever recorded."

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 1 mins read

Environment

Activists slam appointment of UAE oil boss to lead climate talks

Hundreds of campaign groups on Thursday condemned the appointment of an oil boss to lead UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirate, saying it threatened the meeting's "legitimacy".. NGOs and civil society organisations from around the world said in an open letter Thursday the "decision threatens the legitimacy and efficacy of COP28.

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 2 mins read

Environment

Rich EU consumers 'outsource' environmental impact to poorer neighbours

Consumption patterns in wealthy European Union countries are having detrimental environmental impacts in poorer EU nations, a study Thursday found, exposing harmful inequalities on the continent.. They found that wealthier European nations saw a positive GDP impact, while "outsourcing" environmental impact to places providing consumer goods. 

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 1 mins read

Environment

Climate tipping points in Amazon, Tibet 'linked': scientists

Climate extremes in the Amazon rainforest are directly affecting those in the Tibetan Plateau, scientists said Thursday, warning that the Himalayan region crucial for the water security of millions was close to a potentially disastrous "tipping point".   . But can one tipping point have a domino effect on another region?

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 1 mins read

Environment

French aristocrat's golden dental secret revealed 400 years on

Scientists have discovered the long-buried secret of a 17th-century French aristocrat 400 years after her death: she was using gold wire to keep her teeth from falling out.. The gold wires would have needed repeated tightening over the years, further destabilising the neighbouring teeth, the researchers said.

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 2 mins read

Environment

Egypt unveils ancient 'secret keeper' tomb, golden mummy

Egypt unveiled Thursday a gold-laced mummy and four tombs, including of an ancient king's "secret keeper", discovered in the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo.. Egypt has unveiled many major archaeological discoveries in recent years.

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 2 mins read

Environment

Myanmar opium farming booming after coup: UN

Opium poppy production in Myanmar ramped up dramatically following the 2021 military coup, the UN's drugs office said Thursday, as political and economic turmoil drove farmers to cultivate the crop.. The area of land used for opium poppy cultivation expanded by a third to just over 40,000 hectares in 2021-22 -- the first full growing season since the coup -- according to a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report released Thursday.

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 2 mins read

Environment

UAE astronaut says not required to fast during Ramadan on ISS

Emirati astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi said Wednesday that he will not be required to fast during Ramadan while on his upcoming space mission.. In September 2019, Hazzaa al-Mansoori spent eight days on the ISS. The NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonaut were also asked at the Johnson Space center Wednesday whether any of the political tensions on Earth, over Ukraine for example, spilled over into space.

Wed, Jan 25, 2023 2 mins read

Environment

UK's Royal Opera House ends 33-year BP funding deal

The UK's Royal Opera House announced on Wednesday that it had ended its 33-year sponsorship deal with energy giant BP following pressure and protests from environmentalists.. The London cultural institution said in a statement to AFP that it was "grateful to BP for their sponsorship over 33 years... but agreed that the partnership would not extend beyond December 2022, when BP's contract came to an end".

Wed, Jan 25, 2023 1 mins read