New York, United States | AFP | Paintings and sculptures from the collection of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen were auctioned off for a historic $1 billion Wednesday, Christie’s auction house said, with records set for works by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, Seurat and Klimt. Five paintings entered the exclusive club of works of art sold for more than $100 million at auction, the New York auction house said, in a sign that the art […]
Life
Thinning Greenland ice sheet may mean more sea level rise: study
by Jenny VAUGHAN Agence France Presse Paris, France (AFP) — Part of Greenland’s ice sheet is thinning further inland than previously believed, which will likely lead to greater sea level rise by the end of this century, a new study found Wednesday. The findings pertain to a northeast section of the giant ice block covering, but the trend is likely happening elsewhere on Greenland and Earth’s other ice sheet, in Antarctica. The implications are worrying, […]
Facebook owner Meta to lay off 11,000 staff
by Juliette MICHEL with Joseph BOYLE in Paris Agence France Presse New York, United States (AFP) — Facebook owner Meta will lay off more than 11,000 of its staff in “the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history,” boss Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday. He said the cuts represented 13 percent of the social media titan’s workforce and would affect its research lab focusing on the metaverse as well as its apps, which include […]
India at 75: Melting glaciers, heatwaves and climate crisis
by Bhuvan BAGGA Agence France Presse India (AFP) — From prime ministers and millionaires to labourers and ascetics, Hindu faithful dream of trekking at least once in their lives to Gaumukh, where the waters of India’s holiest river, the Ganges, emerge from a Himalayan glacier. But the ice at the end of the arduous journey is receding rapidly and portends an increasingly dry future for a country of 1.4 billion people facing existential challenges from […]
Oil and gas emissions up to three times what is reported: monitor
by Stéphane ORJOLLET and Kelly MACNAMARA Agence France-Presse SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt (AFP) — Planet-heating emissions from oil and gas production could be three times higher than reported, according to a satellite monitoring project launched Wednesday that the UN chief said made it harder to “cheat”. The new tool — unveiled at United Nations COP27 climate talks in Egypt — has pinpointed more than 70,000 sites spewing emissions into the atmosphere. The project, run by […]
Climbers at odds over far-right dogwhistle route names
by Julia ZAPPEI wih Pia OHLIN in Stockholm Agence France Presse Wiener Neustadt, Austria (AFP) –Just outside Vienna, climbers scramble up “Fortress Europe”, one of the routes up an impressive rockface towering over fields and forests. But the name — and others like it that some climbers see as racist or sexist dog whistles — is raising hackles in Austria and elsewhere. “The usage of these names leads to a normalisation of right-wing extremist propaganda […]
Timelapse video of the total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8, 2022
Here’s a timelapse video of the total lunar eclipse on Nov. 8, 2022. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical services Administration (PAGASA), the lunar eclipse started at 5:19 PM (moonrise), and the totality of the eclipse began at 6:59 PM, and ended at 9:58 PM. Astrophotography enthusiasts gathered in various places to catch this rare event. This celestial event is expected to occur again sometime in the year 2025. Courtesy: Duane Dizon – […]
Eco warriors: S.Africa school puts green issues at heart of teaching
by Gersende RAMBOURG Agence France Presse Paarl, South Africa (AFP) — The sound of chirping birds drowns out the noise of passing cars near a school on the southern tip of Africa, where pupils plant cabbages, mix compost and climb trees. South Africa’s first “green school” aims to raise a new generation of environmentally-conscious citizens, fostering children’s creativity and resilience in the face of climate disruption. Founder Alba Brandt, said she came up with the […]
Rare Canaanite inscription found on ivory comb in Israel
Tel Lachish, Israel (AFP) — A rare inscription that sheds new light on the use of Canaanite language some 3,700 years ago has been discovered on an ivory comb in southern Israel, archaeologists said Wednesday. The comb was found at the Tel Lachish site in 2017, but the letters were not noticed until earlier this year following further examination, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement. The artefact provides “direct evidence” of the […]
Disney+ gains 12 mn subscribers but losses accumulate
Washington, United States (AFP) — The Disney+ streaming service saw its subscriber ranks jump by 12 million users compared to June, results showed on Tuesday, as the home to “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Black Panther” continued to defy a souring economy. The gain beat analyst expectations, but the California-based group’s streaming services, which include Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, more than doubled their year-to-year operating losses to $1.47 billion for the July to September period, the results […]
Hackers leak Australian health records on dark web
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Hackers on Wednesday began leaking sensitive medical records stolen from a major Australian health insurer that had earlier refused to pay the group’s ransom demand. Medibank told investors and customers that a “sample” of data from some 9.7 million clients had been posted on a “dark web forum”. Names, birth dates, addresses, passport numbers and information on medical claims were among the sensitive personal data posted anonymously early Wednesday. Medibank said […]
Pictures: Last Total Lunar Eclipse until 2025
(NASA) On November 8, 2022, the Moon passed fully into Earth’s shadow and produced a total lunar eclipse. Totality took place between 5:17 a.m. and 6:42 a.m. EST (10:17 and 11:42 UTC), with the partial and penumbral phases of the eclipse continuing until 8:50 a.m. EST (13:50 UTC). The next total lunar eclipse will occur on March 14, 2025 – though we will continue to see partial and penumbral lunar eclipses during that time. […]
