Environment

First 'dormant' stellar black hole discovered by debunking team

A team of astrophysicists known for debunking previous supposed black holes announced a discovery of their own on Monday: the first "dormant" stellar-mass black hole spotted orbiting a star in a nearby galaxy.. "We found a quite massive star, that weighs 25 times the mass of our Sun, that is orbiting around something that we do not see," Shenar told AFP. They believe the blue star, which is in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy that neighbours our Milky Way, is locked in a death dance with a black hole that has nine times the mass of our Sun.

Mon, Jul 18, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Climate change's fingerprints on ever hotter heatwaves

Hotter, longer, more frequent.. "It's pure physics, we know how greenhouse gas molecules behave, we know there are more in the atmosphere, the atmosphere is getting warmer and that means we are expecting to see more frequent heatwaves and hotter heatwaves."

Mon, Jul 18, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Malaysia seizes animal parts worth $18 mn

Malaysian customs officials said Monday they seized a stash of rare animal parts worth $18 million thought to have come from Africa, including elephant tusks, rhino horns and pangolin scales. . Animal parts such as elephant tusks and pangolin scales are popular in countries where they are used in traditional medicine, including China and Vietnam.   

Mon, Jul 18, 2022 1 mins read

Environment

Europe's hottest summers

Europe's increasingly frequent heatwaves are back under the spotlight over devastating wildfires and with sweltering temperatures forecast to hit record highs in Britain and France this week.. - 2022: Double trouble - A heatwave engulfing western Europe, the second in a month, sparks huge wildfires and threatens to smash records in Britain and France.

Mon, Jul 18, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Sudan's gold rush wreaks havoc on health

Sudanese mother Awadya Ahmed has long wondered why her youngest child Talab was born blind and unable to walk; now she suspects the piles of poisonous waste left by gold miners.. "Since we saw these waste deposits appear, children have been born with deformities, and there have been still-births," Abdelaziz said, noting 22 children had been born in the village with deformities including blindness and brain damage.

Mon, Jul 18, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

France on alert as forest fires rage in scorching southwest Europe

France was on high alert on Monday as the peak of a punishing heatwave gripped the country, while wildfires raging in parts of southwest Europe showed no sign of abating.. The heatwave is the second to engulf parts of southwest Europe in weeks, and blazes burning in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain have destroyed thousands of hectares of land and forced thousands of residents and holidaymakers to flee.

Mon, Jul 18, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Pacific Islands ask international court to rule on climate

Climate-threatened Pacific islands called on Monday for the International Court of Justice to rule on countries' legal duties to stop climate change, a move designed to ratchet up pressure on polluting nations.. The islands -- many low-lying and already buffeted by climate change -- hope the move will introduce a heightened level of legal jeopardy for high carbon-emitting countries and spur action.

Sun, Jul 17, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

France braces for record temperatures

France was bracing Monday for the peak of the heatwave gripping the country, with crushing temperatures expected from the Mediterranean as far up as Brittany in the northwest.. "In certain zones in the southwest, it will be an apocalypse of heat," forecaster Francois Gourand of Meteo-France told AFP. Temperatures across France are expected to be over 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) but between 38 and 40 degrees in the western half of the country.

Sun, Jul 17, 2022 2 mins read

Environment

'Water police' patrol drought-hit Los Angeles streets

Damon Ayala patrols the streets of drought-stricken Los Angeles every day, inspecting the sidewalks.. "We've been in serious drought situations in the past in the city of Los Angeles, and its citizens responded," he said.

Sun, Jul 17, 2022 3 mins read

Environment

Tory rivals turn up the heat at fractious UK debate

Barbs flew and derisive laughter rang out as the Conservative contenders battling to succeed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson clashed in a live TV debate Sunday, heading into a pivotal week for the acrimonious race.. - 'Nonsense' - Badenoch and Mordaunt angrily clashed at the ITV debate about transgender rights. 

Sun, Jul 17, 2022 3 mins read