Japan's Abe declares peace goals in historic Australia visit
Sydney (AFP) July 08, 2014 -
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Tuesday declared his determination to pursue peace in Asia, as he strengthened defence ties with Australia and signed an ambitious free-trade agreement.
Abe used an historic address to a joint sitting of Australia's parliament to say that Japan "is now determined to do more to enhance peace in the region and peace in the world".
"It is to put that deter ...
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China, US vow to end old rivalries
Beijing (AFP) July 08, 2014 -
China and the US geared early Wednesday for high-stakes talks on a slew of thorny issues, as American officials warned against rising tensions caused by Beijing's "problematic" claim to swathes of the South China Sea.
The maritime disputes, as well as US fears over cybersecurity and Chinese hacking, were raised Tuesday in preparatory talks involving civilian diplomats as well as top military ...
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The JBEI GT Collection: A New Resource for Advanced Biofuels Research
Emeryville CA (SPX) Jul 05, 2014 -
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have unveiled the first glycosyltransferase clone collection specifically targeted for the study of the biosynthesis of plant cell walls. The idea behind what is being called "the JBEI GT Collection" is to provide a functional genomic resource for researchers seeking to extract the sugars in plant biomass and s ...
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Solar panels light the way from carbon dioxide to fuel
Princeton NJ (SPX) Jul 05, 2014 -
Research to curb global warming caused by rising levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, usually involves three areas: Developing alternative energy sources, capturing and storing greenhouse gases, and repurposing excess greenhouse gases.
Drawing on two of these approaches, researchers in the laboratory of Andrew Bocarsly, a Princeton professor of chemistry, collabo ...
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Switzerland gets the edge on EU with China trade deal
Basel, Switzerland (AFP) July 06, 2014 -
Switzerland has one-upped its European Union neighbours with a free trade deal with China that its politicians and business sector say is crucial to boosting ties with the world's second-largest economy.
The free trade agreement (FTA), in force since Tuesday, is China's first with a mainland European country and was sealed in 2013 after two years of talks.
"We look to the huge Chinese ma ...
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Etiquette gets reboot for digital age
Washington (AFP) July 05, 2014 -
The digital age has created a host of new etiquette dilemmas.
What should you do when your boss sends a Facebook friend request? Is it OK to take and share smartphone pictures at a friend's wedding? When should you take off Google Glass, rather than just turn it off?
Etiquette mavens say the book on manners must be rewritten, literally, to take into account new technologies and social me ...
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China president heading to South America for BRICS summit
Beijing (AFP) July 07, 2014 -
China's President Xi Jinping will visit South American nations including Brazil next week, where he will meet India's new prime minister for the first time before heading to Communist ally Cuba.
Xi will co-chair the BRICS meeting of leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa which begins in Brazil on July 15, Chinese vice foreign minister Li Baodong told reporters.
He will ...
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