African countries are adopting two houses of parliament to boost democracy. But that"s not always what happens
At independence, most African states had two legislative chambers—a lower and upper chamber—in their parliament. African leaders saw that as a colonial legacy and as inefficient, so most states removed the upper chambers. Before 1990, only two st.....»»
Air pollution from fires linked to 1.5 million deaths a year
Air pollution caused by fires is linked to more than 1.5 million deaths a year worldwide, the vast majority occurring in developing countries, a major new study said on Thursday......»»
Fossil fuel supply: The elephant in the room at climate change conferences
"Natural resources … are a gift from God. Every natural resource, whether it's oil, gas, wind, sun, gold, silver, copper, they are all natural resources. Countries should not be blamed for having them, and should not be blamed for bringing these re.....»»
These two Apple products are popular gifts, but two others lack holiday bump
The holiday season is upon us, and Apple would have you believe that its products make the perfect gifts for your loved ones. A new CIRP report reveals, however, which Apple products tend to get gifted and which ones miss out on a holiday boost......»»
UN climate talks face a credibility crisis as countries disengage
In Baku, Azerbaijan, the so-called "finance COP" was a disappointment. Now, the UN's framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) is facing a credibility crisis......»»
China experiences reduction in food system inequality and carbon footprint alongside economic development
Humans have persistent food needs that trigger considerable greenhouse gas emissions, varying significantly by region. However, the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint and inequality in the food system are not well assessed within countries......»»
Thailand to return nearly 1,000 trafficked lemurs, tortoises to Madagascar
Thailand is sending almost 1,000 highly endangered lemurs and tortoises back to their home in Madagascar, in what both countries called their biggest ever operation against wildlife trafficking......»»
COP29 Agreement Says Someone Should Pay to Help Developing Countries, but Not Who
Rich countries have agreed to pay developing nations $300 billion a year to help them with their climate actions—but the agreement doesn’t say who specifically should contribute or how......»»
Smart agriculture technology attaches directly to underside of leaves for monitoring plants
With growing concerns over climate change and overpopulation, we urgently need to boost agricultural productivity. With the goal of creating a way to easily tell whether a plant is thriving or dying, a leaf-mounted sensor was created by researchers a.....»»
Authorities disrupt major cybercrime operation, 1000+ suspects arrested
Authorities across 19 African countries have arrested 1,006 suspects and dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks thanks to a joint operation by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL against cybercrime. Results of the operation (Source: INTERPOL) Ope.....»»
iPhone 16 ban: Apple offers $100M investment in Indonesia, govt wants more [U]
Apple has responded to an iPhone 16 ban in Indonesia by offering a ten-fold boost to its manufacturing investments in the country – from $10M to $100M. Update: The Indonesian government has said that it expects more – see the end of the piece......»»
Tap to Pay on iPhone now available in one more country following recent expansion
Following a recent expansion of Tap to Pay on iPhone to more countries in Europe, Apple this week announced that it is bringing the feature to yet another country this year. As of today, users in New Zealand can count on the feature that turns the iP.....»»
Fuji apple study finds genetic mechanisms behind high-yield trees
Apples rank among the world's most valuable fruit crops, with production spanning more than 100 countries. Some apple trees naturally develop into what farmers call "spur-type" varieties—compact trees that are more productive and easier to maintain.....»»
Why some countries are more likely to believe nuclear war won"t happen to them
The war in Ukraine has just edged up another notch. It has not been going well for Ukraine in recent months, and this week Joe Biden's administration made the decision to allow Ukraine to fire US-supplied army tactical missile systems (Atacms) long-r.....»»
Milestone legal case from 35 years ago holds important lessons for how courts deal with scientific evidence today
This month marks 35 years of DNA evidence being used in Australian legal cases. But unlike DNA firsts in other countries, Australia's is perhaps the most significant legal milestone that is practically unheard of......»»
$300 billion pledge at COP29 climate summit a “paltry sum”
Poorer countries reluctantly accept package from wealthy nations. The world’s most important climate talks were pulled back from the brink of collapse after poorer countries rel.....»»
SpaceX wants to significantly boost number of Starship launches in 2025
SpaceX could significantly increase the number of Starship launches in 2025 as it readies the vehicle for crew and cargo trips to the moon and beyond......»»
World approves UN rules for carbon trading between nations at COP29
New rules allowing wealthy polluting countries to buy carbon-cutting "offsets" from developing nations were agreed at UN climate talks Saturday, a move already raising fears they will be used to greenwash climate targets......»»
Time is running out for a treaty to end plastic pollution—here"s why it matters
On March 2, 2022, delegates to the UN environment assembly adopted an ambitious resolution to develop the text of a new treaty by the end of 2024 to end plastic pollution. With 24 days of formal negotiation between almost 200 countries completed, spr.....»»
COP29 braces for new deal after poorer nations reject climate offer
Fierce bargaining at UN climate talks in Azerbaijan dragged into Saturday after a $250 billion a year offer from rich nations was flatly refused by developing countries hardest hit by Earth's rapid warming......»»
Algorithmic management raises concerns over worker autonomy
In more and more workplaces, important decisions aren't made by managers but by algorithms which have increasing levels of access to and control over workers. While algorithmic management can boost efficiency and flexibility (as well as enabling a ne.....»»