Environment

Emperor Charles V's secret code cracked after five centuries

A team of researchers has cracked a five century-old code which reveals a rumoured French plot to kill the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain Charles V. Charles was one of the most powerful men of the 16th century, presiding over a vast empire that took in much of western Europe and the Americas during a reign of more than 40 years.. So much so that one nugget of information revealed was the rumour of an assassination plot against Charles V that was said to have been brewing in France, Desenclos said.

Thu, Nov 24, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Wildlife summit to vote on 'historic' shark protections

A summit on the international trade in endangered species will decide Thursday whether to ratify a "historic" proposal to protect sharks, a move that would drastically restrict the lucrative global shark fin trade.. The proposal would place dozens of species of the requiem shark and the hammerhead shark families on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Thu, Nov 24, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

European Space Agency to vote on record budget, name new astronauts

The European Space Agency will vote on Wednesday on whether to spend billions more euros to keep up with rising competition in space, as well as unveiling its much-anticipated new crop of astronauts.. The project is mostly funded by the EU, which has different member states than the ESA -- most notably the UK.  - New astronauts - Once the budget is adopted, the ESA plans to unveil its latest crop of astronauts -- the agency's first new recruits since 2009. 

Wed, Nov 23, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Grief-stricken goodbye for Indonesia father killed in quake

When Husein's body arrived to be lowered into the ground, his grief-stricken relatives broke down, some in wails so loud they echoed through the undulating hills of West Java's Cianjur.. His family's wails broke an eery silence that had descended on the town in the quake's aftermath.

Wed, Nov 23, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Indonesia quake survivors appeal for supplies as rescuers trawl rubble

Survivors of an Indonesian earthquake that killed at least 268 people appealed for food and water Wednesday, as rescuers picked through devastated villages with hopes of finding anyone alive fading.. In February, an earthquake in West Pasaman on Sumatra killed several people and left the area's soil unstable and prone to rains that would cause landslides weeks later.

Tue, Nov 22, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Report lays bare Australia's 'sobering' climate challenge

Rising temperatures are fuelling widespread environmental degradation across Australia and supercharging natural disasters, according to a government report released Wednesday in the wake of flash floods on the country's east coast.. An east coast flooding disaster in March -- caused by heavy storms in Queensland and New South Wales -- claimed more than 20 lives.

Tue, Nov 22, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

Who will become history's first 'parastronaut'? 

The first astronaut -- or astronauts -- with a physical disability could be announced as soon as Wednesday, according to the European Space Agency.. The ESA is expected to name between four to six new European astronauts -- without disabilities -- during its ministerial council in Paris on Wednesday.

Tue, Nov 22, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Power out as 7.0 quake hits Solomon Islands

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Solomon Islands on Tuesday, with eyewitnesses reporting violent shaking that hurled items to the ground and knocked out power in parts of the capital Honiara.. An AFP reporter in Honiara said the shaking lasted for around 20 seconds. 

Mon, Nov 21, 2022 1 mins read

Environment

Health or jobs: Peruvian mining town at a crossroads

The Peruvian mining city of La Oroya, one of the most polluted places in the world, is seeking to reopen a heavy metal smelter that poisoned residents for almost a century.. - A lifetime of disease - In 2011, La Oroya was listed as the second-most polluted city on Earth, falling into fifth place two years later, according to the Blacksmith Institute, an NGO which works on pollution issues.

Mon, Nov 21, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Bacterial infections the 'second leading cause of death worldwide'

Bacterial infections are the second leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for one in eight of all deaths in 2019, the first global estimate of their lethality revealed on Tuesday.. "These new data for the first time reveal the full extent of the global public health challenge posed by bacterial infections," said study co-author Christopher Murray, the director of US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Mon, Nov 21, 2022 1 mins read