In The News

Genetic Sequence of New Virus in China: STAT

Helen Branswell January 10, 2020
Global health officials monitor reports of a new lung disease infecting about 60 people near Wuhan, China, a city of 11 million people. Researchers suspect that an animal species transmitted the virus, and researchers in China “generated a full genetic sequence… a key step in efforts to learn more about the cause of an outbreak of unusual pneumonia,” reports Helen Branswell for STAT News. “The...

Massive Floods: Jakarta Post

Kharishar Kahfi January 3, 2020
Jakarta, home for more than 9 million people, is prone to flooding with two-fifths of the city under sea level. The city with 13 rivers is increasingly swampy and rapidly sinking. Extreme rainfall with the start of 2020 is described as the worst in a decade, causing severe flooding. Indonesia’s weather agency, BMKG, suggested more than 370 millimeters, or about 15 inches, of rain fell in a...

Young Urge Climate Action: Sydney Morning Herald

Alexandra Smith January 2, 2020
Fire conditions in Australia are horrific, and the rest of the world questions a strategy that relies on a largely volunteer firefighting force and poor examples of leadership, allowing a massive fireworks display to welcome the New Year. More than 12 million acres have burned. Tens of thousands have evacuated, hundreds of homes destroyed, and roads are closed with infrastructure under threat....

A Hong Kong Generation Criminalized: CNN

James Griffiths and Jessie Yeung December 24, 2019
More than 6,000 people have been arrested for protesting in Hong Kong. That number could climb as authorities review surveillance recordings. The protests began in June over a bill allowing extradition of accused to China. “The early demonstrations were legally-approved marches, however, almost everyone who has attended protests in recent months has been at an event deemed unlawful,” reports CNN...

Kangaroos Killed for Pet Food Exports: DW

Georgina Kenyon December 23, 2019
The kangaroo is an iconic symbol of Australia, and the government issues licenses to hunters to cull herds and sell meat. The annual hunts divide Australia. Greg Keightley volunteered for a wildlife NGO and documented some hunts. The government and meat companies urge shooters to fire at animals’ heads, but kangaroos are not easy targets. Some hunters wound kangaroos, cutting off their legs to...

World’s First Liquid Hydrogen Ship: Bloomberg

Dan Murtaugh December 15, 2019
Kawasaki Heavy Industries launched the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier, the Suiso Frontier, a step in “tapping the carbon-free energy potential of the lightest element,” reports Dan Murtaugh for Bloomberg. “Hydrogen can be produced using water and electricity, and then stored and shipped and re-used to generate power, allowing countries with little space for wind and solar equipment to...

Regime-Change Merchants: South China Morning Post

Teddy Ng December 12, 2019
Candidates who support democratic rights for Hong Kong swept district elections in November, and protesters continue to remind the government about their expectations. More than 800,000 marched on December 8. China wants to bring Hong Kong under its control and blames foreign interference, with diplomats expressing frustration. The Chinese vice foreign minister spoke at a human rights forum: “...