Life

Rising seas set to double coastal flooding by 2050: study

by Marlowe Hood Agence France Pesse PARIS, France (AFP) — Rising sea levels driven by global warming are on track to dramatically boost the frequency of coastal flooding worldwide by mid-century, especially in tropical regions, researchers said Thursday. A 10-to-20 centimeter (four-to-eight inch) jump in the global ocean watermark by 2050 — a conservative forecast — would double flood risk in high-latitude regions, they reported in the journal Scientific Reports. Major cities along the North […]

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Microsoft withheld update that could have slowed WannaCry: report

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — American software giant Microsoft held back from distributing a free security update that could have protected computers from the WannaCry global cyber attack, the Financial Times reported Thursday. In mid-march, Microsoft distributed a security update after it detected the security flaw in its XP operating system that enabled the so-called WannaCry ransomware to infiltrate and freeze computers last week. But the software giant only sent the free security update — […]

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Volvo Cars moves into fast-growing Indian market

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — Swedish carmaker Volvo said Thursday it will start assembling cars in India this year in a move into a fast-expanding market where it has had only a small presence until now. Volvo Cars said in a statement that it was teaming up with truck manufacturer Volvo Group to build cars at the latter’s existing plant in Hoskote near Bangalore. While sharing the Volvo name, Volvo Cars has not actually been part of […]

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UK survey finds 28,000 plant species for medical use

by Maureen Cofflard Agence France-Presse More than 28,000 species of plants around the world have a medical use but poor documentation means people are not making the most of the health benefits, according to a survey released on Thursday. Britain’s Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London recorded 28,187 species in its latest annual survey and said it was probably a “very conservative figure.” New plants discovered over the past year include nine species of […]

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Scientists discover coral that could beat climate change

(Reuters) — Coral reefs in the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba are able to tolerate rising sea temperatures, which could mean they could be used to reseed dying reefs elsewhere in the world, according to a new study. As sea temperatures rise as a result of global warming, coral reefs are deteriorating on a massive scale. When the seawater is too warm, coral expels the algae on which it depends, causing calcification and turning the […]

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Mobile internet next target of cyber attack: insiders

  The cyber attack seems to be no longer far from ordinary people’s lives, as global authorities are busy handling the latest wave of ransomware attack. Insiders warned that the mobile network will be the next target of hackers. The ransomware, called WannaCry, which exploited the vulnerabilities in older Microsoft computer operating systems, encrypted data on the computers, demanding certain amount of payments to restore access. It is reported that the WannaCry cyber attack has […]

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World close to ‘serious digital sabotage’: Dutch spy chief

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — The world may be close to a “serious act of digital sabotage” which could trigger unrest, “chaos and disorder,” Dutch spy chief Rob Bertholee warned Tuesday. Sabotage of critical infrastructure “is the kind of thing that might keep you awake at night,” Bertholee told a timely cyber security conference in The Hague, as global experts grapple with the fallout of a massive cyberattack over the past days. Digital threats “are […]

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Open SESAME: science center inaugurated in Jordan

AMMAN, Jordan (AFP) – Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday formally launched an international research center whose members include experts from around the world including arch-rivals Iran and Israel. The International Center for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, known by the acronym SESAME, “is the first research center of its kind in the region,” said the royal court. SESAME council president Chris Llewellyn Smith said the center, located in Balqa […]

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Afghan woman seeks to become youngest to make solo round-the-world flight

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) – An Afghan pilot hoping to become the youngest woman in history to complete a solo round-the-world flight was preparing Monday to start the Transatlantic leg of her journey. Shaesta Waiz, 29, was born in a refugee camp at the end of the Soviet war in Afghanistan before immigrating with her family to the United States in 1987. There, she discovered a passion for flying and obtained her pilot’s license — becoming […]

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SpaceX launches Inmarsat communications satellite

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — SpaceX on Monday launched a communications satellite for Inmarsat, marking its first launch for the London-based mobile broadband company. The Inmarsat-5 F4 satellite, built by Boeing, blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 7:21 pm (2321 GMT). “We’ve had confirmation of spacecraft separation,” said a SpaceX commentator about 30 minutes after launch, signaling that the satellite was successfully deployed to a distant, geostationary orbit. “We’ve […]

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Risk of heart attack spikes after flu, pneumonia: study

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Coming down with the flu, bronchitis or pneumonia can dramatically raise the risk of a heart attack — up to 17-fold — in the days and weeks following the infection, researchers said Monday. The findings confirm earlier research that pointed to an apparent link between respiratory infection and cardiac crises, scientists at the University of Sydney reported. “A respiratory infection can act as a trigger for a heart attack,” said […]

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Kenya developers fit homes and buildings with solar technology

MACHAKOS COUNTY, Kenya (Reuters) — Greenpark, a residential estate located about 20 kilometers south of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, is one of a handful of housing developments promoting solar powered homes in the country. Founded in 2006 the 150-acre estate has 400 units all fitted with solar panels for water heating. Developers are currently working on the fifth phase of the scheme. The panels are made locally and fitted by Steelstone Kenya, which has been contracted […]

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