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| Amazon, hot and dry Water levels in the Manaquiri river, a tributary of the Amazon flowing through Brazil, flows at its historical low causing the death of tonnes of fish and alligators. The mass death has contaminated the water, leaving thousands of people without drinking water supply. The worlds biggest rainforest Amazon is suffering a severe drought preceeded by a rainy season that caused the worst flooding in a century. |
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudds hopes of passing a climate change bill before the Copenhagen summit are dashed after the senate rejected it for a second time. Rudd said he would reintroduce the bill that aims to reduce emissions by up to 25 per cent. Tanzania is to import 32 rhinos from South Africa to boost the rhino population in Serengeti National Park. The sanctuary is left with only 30 rhinos due to poaching. Rhinos were originally taken from Tanzania to South Africa. Egypts first solar power plant is ready to go online by early 2010. Cairo said it wants to export solar power but cant do so because of high costs involved. Wildlife criminals are stripping Madagascars national parks of rare rosewood and ebony, worth US$800,000 every day. They also poach exotic wildlife, said green groups. The island nation is in the throes of a political turmoil. Zimbabwe has called back its military from diamond fields after global watchdog Kimberley Process threatened to expell it from the international diamond market. The troops have killed 200 miners since 2008. South Korea has reported the first case of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu. The total number of such cases across the globe has reached 75 since the first one in the US in April, said who. | HEAT EXCHANGE | |
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A day-long torrential rains caused flash floods in Saudi Arabias port city Jeddah and killed 106 people. King Abdullah blamed it on the citys poor infrastructure to handle the rainfall. He has ordered a probe. A Chinese court has started hearing lawsuits seeking compensation for last years melamine-tainted milk scandal. At least six children died and 30,000 fell sick after consuming the milk. Indonesia plans to stop importing shrimp broodstock from the US to promote indigenous varieties. This would save domestic farms from alien diseases and double their profit, the government said. To diminish Ukraines influence over natural gas supply from Russia, France has joined the South Stream pipeline project that would bring gas to southern Europe. Croatia has also intensified talks with Russia to join the project. Dutch farmers are ready to commercially milk genetically engineered rabbits to produce a drug for angioedema, an allergy. Over 200 Mexican farmers were arrested while blocking roads in end November. They were demanding insurance cover and subsidies for crops lost in drought, the worst in 40 years. A reactor at the Cruas nuclear power station in France was shut down following a lapse in the cooling system. The nuclear safety agency said the lapse was due to a high level of debris in the river blocking water intake by the cooling system. Sweden will allow its first wolf hunt in 45 years. Wolves had gone extinct in Sweden in the 1970s, but their number is rising due to conservation measures. Canada has started work on the worlds largest CO2 pipeline in the state of Alberta. The 240 km pipe would carry 40,000 tonnes of compressed CO2 a day from an industrial area to aging oilfields, which will then be pumped into the rigs to revive oil production. The authorities of US city of Chicago poisoned 10 km streatch of the Chicago drainage canal linking the Mississippi river with the Great Lakes to keep invasive Asian carp out of the lake. We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
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