China landslide death toll rises to 31
Beijing (AFP) May 9, 2016 -
The number of bodies recovered from a landslide that engulfed workers at a Chinese construction site rose to 31 on Monday with seven people still missing, authorities said.
Heavy rain at the weekend buried a temporary shed used by workers at a hydropower station construction site in Fujian province, in the southeast, under 100,000 cubic metres of mud and rock, the official Xinhua news agenc ...
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Chile fishing crisis traps tourists, empties markets
Ancud, Chile (AFP) May 9, 2016 -
A fishing ban sparked by mass deaths of sea creatures in Chile has left tourists stranded and markets empty on an island cut off by protest blockades.
In the south of the world's second-biggest salmon-producing country, fishermen have blocked roads with burning tires. They have cut off access to the island of Chiloe in the picturesque Los Lagos region.
They are furious at what they say i ...
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UN warns of 'bleak' outlook for drought-hit Zimbabwe
Harare (AFP) May 9, 2016 -
Zimbabwe faces a growing food supply crisis, with a $290 million shortfall in funding desperately required to feed up to 4.5 million people in need by next year, the United Nations warned Monday.
A regional drought worsened by the El Nino weather phenomenon has hit Zimbabwe hard, with Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi also affected as thousands of cattle die, reservoirs are depleted and crops de ...
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Study reveals genetic origins of carrots' orange color
Madison, Wis. (UPI) May 9, 2016 -
In sequencing the genome of the lowly carrot, researchers have revealed several of the vegetable's secrets - including the genetic origins of its orange color.
Researchers credit a gene called DCAR_032551 with enabling the carrot's accumulation of carotenoids, which is responsible for the carrots rich vitamin content as well as its bright yellow and orange colors.
"The accumulat ...
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Haiti preparing for major earthquake, tsunami
Cap-Haitien, Haiti (AFP) May 8, 2016 -
A school gymnasium fills with hundreds of students seeking shelter from an earthquake and tsunami, with whistles at the ready in case they are trapped by rubble and need to be rescued.
It was only a drill but the exercise Friday is part of the Haitian government's efforts to improve its capacity to respond to natural disasters, six years after an earthquake in the capital Port-au-Prince kill ...
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Religion goes green in Taiwan pollution battle
Taipei (AFP) May 9, 2016 -
Smoke billows daily from temples across Taiwan as visitors burn incense and paper money to bring luck and prosperity - but that familiar fragrant haze could be a thing of the past as concerns grow over ritual pollutants.
The potential damage to the environment and to the health of devotees from staggering levels of dangerous particles in the air is leading some temples and festivals to seek ...
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Mexican military vet defends torture he oversaw
Mexico City (AFP) May 8, 2016 -
The Mexican military veteran recalls overseeing interrogations during which his men beat suspects, wrapped their faces in plastic bags to cut off their oxygen and jolted them with electric shocks.
Although the screams still haunt the retired service member long after he left the military, he remains unapologetic about using torture to find drug lords and rescue kidnapping victims.
It was ...
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