Air Canada suspends restart plans after union defies return to work order
By The Associated Press TORONTO — Air Canada said it suspended plans to restart operations on Sunday after the union representing 10,000 flight attendants said it will defy a return to work order. The strike was already affecting about 130,000 travelers around the world per day during the peak summer travel season. The Canada Industrial […]
Scientific American Is Older Than the Discovery of Neptune
The UniverseFridays One Year after Scientific American’s First Issue, the Solar System Grew by a Planet Neptune’s discovery was a race that ended not long after this magazine came to be By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings The planet Neptune, as seen by NASA’s Voyager 2 probe during a flyby in August of 1989. […]
Cosmic Tornado from Star’s Birth Whirls in Dazzling JWST Image
Cosmic Tornado from Star’s Birth Whirls in Dazzling JWST Image This telescope has revealed the whipped-up dust from the birth of a star—and a shining background galaxy—more clearly than ever before By Gayoung Lee edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Join Our Community of Science Lovers! When a star is born, the process leaves behind a […]
Vibrio pectenicida Identified as Cause of Sea Star Wasting Disease Affecting Billions
Mysterious Illness Decimating Sea Stars Finally Identified A devastating bacterium has decimated populations of sunflower sea stars, predators that play a crucial role in their environment By Andrea Tamayo edited by Andrea Gawrylewski A giant sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) walks across the reef underwater in Point Dume State Beach, California. Join Our Community of Science […]
What Are Light Echoes, and Why Do They Matter?
The UniverseFridays Echoes of Light Illuminate the Cosmos Bizarre phenomena called light echoes create strange, shifting shapes seen in some telescopic images, and help astronomers chart the heavens above By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings Captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in February 2004, this image is part of a sequence showing the celestial […]
Playing to Win: How a First Nation Turned Around Its Fortunes
Newsletter Steered by an entrepreneurial chief, Membertou First Nation in Nova Scotia led the largest investment by Indigenous people in Canada’s seafood industry. By Vjosa Isai The trip through Cape Breton Island, on the northeastern tip of Nova Scotia, promised scenic driving views. The island regularly appears in travel guides for the world’s best road…
Your Best Advice of 2024
Newsletter As we start to look ahead, here’s the best advice that readers of The Morning received this year. By Melissa Kirsch The piece of wisdom I repeated the most this year came from a reader of The Morning who answered my call for advice last December: “We are all juggling so many balls. Differentiate…
Three migrants die attempting to cross Channel
Three people have died attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Sunday morning, the French coastguard says. People ended up in the water after trying to board a boat off the coast of Sangatte, near Calais, at about 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT). The three people later declared dead were recovered…
Three people die and 48 rescued near Calais attempting to cross Channel
The deaths make 2024 the deadliest year on record for small boat Channel crossings Three people have died after falling from an overcrowded small boat trying to cross from France to the UK, as 2024 became the deadliest year on record for perilous sea crossings. The boat ran into trouble at about 6am on Sunday…
Alleged WA cocaine importing ring used small plane, remote airstrip and night-vision goggles
Two men from Victoria and South Africa are charged with trafficking the drug into Australia Two men are accused of trafficking 200kg of cocaine into Australia in a clandestine plot involving a small aircraft, a remote airstrip and night-vision goggles. Australian federal police arrested a Victorian man, 48, and a South African national, 44, in…
Georgia’s pro-west president says she remains ‘only legitimate president’ as new leader sworn in
Salome Zourabichvili tells protesters she will leave presidential palace as far-right successor Mikheil Kavelashvili takes power Georgia’s pro-western president, Salome Zourabichvili, has said she will leave the palace but remain the country’s legitimate officeholder, after refusing to hand over the keys to her successor in the wake of a controversial general election. Zourabichvili spoke as…
Syria’s New Government Steps Up Pursuit of Assad Loyalists
Syria’s Civil War Finding the remnants of the old dictatorship and bringing them to justice has emerged as a top priority for the new administration in Syria. By Adam Rasgon Syria’s new administration has stepped up its campaign to track down and arrest members of the ousted Assad dictatorship, signaling that it would act with…
Nigeria celebrates ‘Africa’s biggest street party’
Christmas revellers descended on Nigeria’s southern port city of Calabar this weekend for its festive carnival dubbed “Africa’s biggest street party”. The glitzy parade had floats and dancers from many of Nigeria’s different ethnic groups taking part. A month of celebrations in December draws many partygoers to Calabar, the capital of Cross River state and…
Jeju Air crash: all but two presumed dead in South Korea’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster
Footage appears to show Boeing 737-800 skidding along runway at Muan airport before hitting wall and catching fire All but two of 181 people onboard a plane that crashed while landing at an airport in South Korea are presumed to have died, in the country’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster. Officials said they had confirmed…
Jimmy Carter gave Panama control of the canal. It’s one of his most controversial achievements
Rolando Arrieta Officials sign the Panama Canal treaties Sept. 7, 1977, at the Pan American Union in Washington, D.C. From left: President Jimmy Carter; Organization of American States Secretary-General Alejandro Orfila; and Panama’s head of government Omar Torrijos. It was a territory known to some who lived there as a tropical utopia. The Canal Zone…
Shigeko Sasamori, Hiroshima Survivor Who Preached Peace, Dies at 92
Severely disfigured when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, she spent her life warning others about the dangers of nuclear war. By Richard Sandomir Shigeko Sasamori, who was severely burned at 13 when a nuclear bomb exploded over Japan and later, in the United States, championed peace and found comfort in helping…
Italian journalist’s arrest in Iran alleged to be reprisal for detention of suspected arms dealer
Cecilia Sala, 29, was detained in Tehran three days after US warrant used to hold Swiss-Iranian businessman in Milan The arrest of a renowned Italian journalist in Iran is reportedly in retaliation for the detention of a Swiss-Iranian businessman and suspected arms dealer in Italy three days earlier, according to media reports quoting the US…
Chlamydia could make koalas extinct. Can a vaccine save them in time?
On the table, unconscious and stretched out on a pillow, Joe Mangy looks deceptively peaceful. The koala’s watery, red-rimmed eyes are the only sign of the disease at war with his body. Tubes snarl out of a mask covering his face as a vet tech listens to his chest with a stethoscope. He is not…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Have Prostate Removal Surgery
Middle East Crisis The prime minister was diagnosed with an infection from a “benign enlargement of his prostate.” By Eve Sampson Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel will undergo surgery to have his prostate removed Sunday after he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection earlier in the week, his office said in a statement…
Youth pastor identified as man who died after shark bite off Queensland coast
The 40-year-old school chaplain was bitten by the shark while fishing with family in waters off Keppel Islands on Saturday A youth pastor and school chaplain described as an inspirational leader has been identified as the man who died after being bitten by a shark while on holiday with his family in Queensland. Emergency services…
South Korea’s Acting President Has Only Been in Office Since Friday
South Korea Plane Crash After two impeachments of leaders in two weeks, the country is deep into a political crisis. By Choe Sang-Hun The plane crash is the first major test for South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, who was appointed the interim leader only on Friday, as the country grapples with a political crisis…
Notes from the field: Protecting forests to benefit people
It’s easy to feel discouraged about the state of the planet. Though the headlines seem bleak, the fight to protect nature and the climate is being won in the field — through small triumphs that don’t make the news. Here are three conservation successes you should know about. In the Indonesian province of West Java,…
Concerning Bird Flu Virus Mutations Found in Severely Ill Patient
Concerning Bird Flu Virus Mutations Found in Severely Ill Patient Samples from a hospitalized patient in Louisiana show changes that could make the H5N1 virus spread more easily between humans By Tanya Lewis edited by Dean Visser Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Viral samples from a patient in Louisiana who was hospitalized with severe…
Renewed bushfire warnings for NSW, Victoria and WA as heat forecast to return for new year
BoM says light winds are expected to temper the fire danger despite high temperatures, especially inland Scorching temperatures and elevated fire dangers are forecast for the coming week as Australia rings in the new year – but light winds could protect towns from blazes becoming too severe. Perth was the first hit by the heatwave,…
Jimmy Carter, Who Died at Age 100, Spared Millions of People from Guinea Worm, a Debilitating Parasite
Jimmy Carter, Who Has Died at Age 100, Spared Millions of People from Guinea Worm Former president Jimmy Carter’s charity has helped transform Guinea worm from a disease that used to infect millions to one that infects fewer than a dozen By Charles Schmidt edited by Tanya Lewis Former president Jimmy Carter was touring villages…
Matthew Gaudreau’s Wife Welcomes Their First Baby After His Death
The wife of late hockey player Matthew Gaudreau, brother of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, has given birth to her and her husband’s first baby four months after the siblings died in a road accident. The wife of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau‘s brother Matthew Gaudreau has given birth to their first baby, four months after the siblings…
Maggie Smith, Liam Payne and the other famous people who died in 2024
The producer of the world’s bestselling LP, an Oscar-winning British actress who conquered screen and stage, a fearless Russian opposition politician and one of Ireland’s greatest novelists – here are some of the well-known faces no longer with us. Among those we remember are acting legend Dame Maggie Smith, former teen star Shannen Doherty, and…
The Public Distrusts Scientists’ Morals, Not Their Science
Opinion The Public Distrusts Scientists’ Morals, Not Their Science Reaction to a recent Pew survey on the public’s trust in science shows that the scientific community is not ready to address the real problem By John H. Evans edited by Daniel Vergano Our overlapping Trump and COVID eras have seen a fairly sharp downturn in…
Inside a Syrian ‘reconciliation centre’ where Assad’s soldiers give up their weapons
On the night of 6 December, Mohammed el-Nadaf, a soldier in the Syrian army, was at his position in Homs. As rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) pushed into the city, days after they had seized control of Aleppo and Hama in a lightning offensive, Mohammed decided he didn’t want to fight. “We had…
Plane That Crashed in South Korea Was a Boeing 737-800, a Precursor to the 737 Max
South Korea Plane Crash Nearly 200 airlines use the 737-800, which makes up about 15 percent of the world’s fleet of aircraft. By Niraj Chokshi and River Akira Davis The Jeju Air plane that crashed in southwestern South Korea was a Boeing 737-800, a model that is used widely around the world. There are about…
‘Protecting nature, building peace’: Indigenous activist wins prestigious award
From the deserts of Chad to the halls of the United Nations, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim has been a tireless advocate for indigenous peoples in the fight to solve the climate crisis. In recognition of her unrelenting efforts, Ibrahim, Conservation International’s Senior Indigenous Fellow, was recently awarded the 2019 Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award presented by…
The strange story of how one researcher’s photo made it onto a banknote
Everyone has a hobby. Trond Larsen’s is photography. As the Rapid Assessment Program director at Conservation International, Larsen spends his days organizing international teams of scientists to find and document wildlife in far-flung locales. His camera goes with him to the wild, and his photos — predominantly of the animals he encounters in the field…
How are race, environment linked? Start here
The protests that swept across America — and the globe — in recent weeks laid bare the deep racial inequality permeating society. And as Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan said recently, “the conservation community is not exempt from this legacy.” With that in mind, here is a list of books, podcasts and more recommended by…
How are gender, environment linked? Start here
Environmental issues and the climate crisis affect women disproportionately: They’re 14 times more likely to die during a disaster and constitute 80 percent of all climate refugees. But women are also powerful forces in the fight to halt climate change and prevent environmental collapse. With that in mind, here is a list of books, podcasts…
New science: protecting high seas hotspots, wildlife and more
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts. More than 60 percent of the world’s oceans lie beyond the jurisdiction of any nation — an area commonly known as the “high seas.” However, only about 1 percent of this vast and largely unexplored expanse is protected. …
For these women, sustainable business is buzzing
Industrious and indispensable, bees are nature’s “essential workers.” Their pollination powers entire ecosystems and food systems — with more than 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants and a third of all crops relying on bees and other pollinators to reproduce. Yet bees are declining at alarming rates. Mass die-offs have been linked to pesticides,…
Monday Briefing: A Plane Crash in South Korea killed 179
Plus, Falun Gong’s money engine. By Gaya Gupta A Boeing 737-800 plane operated by Jeju Air crashed while landing at an airport in South Korea yesterday, killing 179 of the 181 people on board. It was the worst aviation disaster involving a South Korean airline in almost three decades, officials said. The flight, which had…
Cause of South Korea plane crash unclear as officials focus on bird strikes
Experts say bird strikes are relatively common and should not have been enough to cause landing gear failure No one knows for certain what caused Jeju Air flight 2216 to crash, killing all but two of its 181 passengers and crew. As darkness fell at Muan international airport in South Korea and officials fielded questions…
Defending champion Luke Humphries knocked out of World Darts Championship
Luke Humphries was number one seed but the bookmakers’ second favourite for the tournament behind teenager Luke Littler Defending champion Luke Humphries is out of the PDC World Darts Championship in the fourth round after an astonishing performance from former winner Peter Wright. Humphries was far from his fluent best and was eventually beaten 4-1…
How to Manage Holiday Grief in Yourself and Others
How to Manage Holiday Grief in Yourself and Others The holidays can be a difficult time for people who are grieving. Here’s how to get through it or support a loved one By J. Kim Penberthy & The Conversation US The holidays can be an especially difficult time for those grieving a loss. The following…
Please Don’t Take Moral Advice from ChatGPT
Opinion Please Don’t Take Moral Advice from ChatGPT Before turning to a large language model for ethical counsel, consider what makes for good advice By Ana Gantman edited by Daisy Yuhas Should I tell my friend their boyfriend is cheating on them? Should I intervene when I hear an off-color joke? When faced with moral…
Lost city found by accident and a fly’s brain mapped: 2024’s scientific wins
A total solar eclipse seen by millions, a lost jungle city discovered by accident and hope for the almost extinct northern white rhino – science has given us a lot to get excited about this year. One of the biggest news stories was about making space travel cheaper and easier, with Elon Musk’s Starship making…
Tres ahogamientos durante el fin de semana se suman al creciente número de víctimas en Australia mientras los socorristas piden precaución
Drowning deaths in 2024 were overwhelmingly male, accounting for 22 of the 29 lives lost Another three people have drowned in Australian waters as the summer death toll continues to climb during the festive period. Police said on Sunday that two tourists were unable to be revived after a group of swimmers were pulled from…
Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. President, Is Dead at 100
Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) Rising from Georgia farmland to the White House, he oversaw the historic Camp David peace accords, but his one-term presidency was waylaid by troubles at home and abroad. transcript “Mr. President, 50 years from now, 100 years from now, what do you want your legacy to be?” When Jimmy Carter was sworn…
Long silenced, an African park roars back to life
EDITOR’S NOTE: Few places on Earth are as evocative — or as imperiled — as the vast grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa. In a new Conservation News series, “Saving the Savanna,” we look at how communities are working to protect these places — and the wildlife within. BEIRA, Mozambique — Werner Myburgh couldn’t shake the feeling…
Report issues ‘sobering reality check’ for world’s oceans
As global leaders head to the U.N. Biodiversity Conference next week, a new report issued a stark warning: The world is falling short of its pledge to protect 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. Despite ambitious goals set two years ago at the last biodiversity conference, only 8.3 percent of marine areas are currently…
Caught on camera: New study reveals a refuge for rare wildlife
“Before, we were working blind”: A new Conservation International study gives scientists an unprecedented view into a remote tropical forest. The Central Cardamom Mountains are some of Southeast Asia’s most pristine expanses of wilderness — long considered a refuge for rare species. Now, a new study from Conservation International and the Cambodian government provides an…
Amid a vanishing savanna, new corridor a ‘big win’ for wildlife
Conservation International is helping recover a savanna habitat nearly twice the size of Manhattan. Brazil is home to a vast, but overlooked, tropical savanna called the Cerrado. This sprawling patchwork of open grassland and scattered woodlands covers almost a quarter of the country — an area about the size of Greenland — providing habitat for…
In Kenya, global crisis sparked ‘a new way to do conservation’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Few places on Earth are as evocative — or as imperiled — as the vast grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa. In a new Conservation News series, “Saving the Savanna,” we look at how communities are working to protect these places — and the wildlife within. MARA NORTH CONSERVANCY, Kenya — Under a fading sun, Kenya’s…
How cool are forests? A hot new study has answers
A new study from a Conservation International scientist measures the cooling effects of forests against extreme heat — with eye-opening results. The shade of a tree can offer instant relief from the heat. But how much can forests buffer scorching temperatures during an extreme heat wave? A lot, according to a new study. During the…
Climate change charts a dangerous course for the world’s largest fish
A Conservation International scientist shares what can be done to prevent an ‘outright alarming’ future for whale sharks. Warmer oceans are putting two giants of the sea on a collision course. Even at the size of a school bus, whale sharks — the world’s largest fish — are no match for cargo ships in busy shipping…
New study reveals seaweed’s hidden climate benefits
Humble seaweed is having a moment. It’s been heralded as a sustainable superfood, a biodegradable replacement for plastic packaging and a feed supplement to cut cows’ methane emissions. Now, new research shows that seaweed forests — such as massive underwater towers of kelp — may play a bigger role in fighting climate change than previously…
Amid Israel-Hezbollah Crossfire, Fish Farmers Stay Put
Middle East Crisis Israel dispatch The war with Hezbollah has cleared out the north of the country — save for a hardy few and their thousands of prized fish. By Jack Nicas Jack Nicas traveled to the Israel-Lebanon border to speak with caviar producers. He also joined them in taking shelter from Hezbollah fire. Shrapnel…
As Putin reaches 25 years in power, has he ‘taken care of Russia’?
I will never forget New Year’s Eve 1999. I was working as a producer in the BBC’s Moscow bureau. Suddenly there was breaking news: Russia’s President Boris Yeltsin had stepped down. His decision to resign took everyone by surprise, including the British press corps in Moscow. When the news broke there was no correspondent in…
In climate fight, ‘nature vs tech’ a false debate
How much can — or should — humanity rely on nature to help solve the climate crisis? That’s the question at the center of a new study, and the study’s conclusions have some scientists scratching their heads. As the United Nations climate talks recently concluded (with disappointing results), the study calls for a focus on…
Doctors without biodiversity? New plan prescribes actions linking human health, nature
If you read only the news headlines, you’d have learned that last month’s global summit on biodiversity — known as “COP16” — was not a success: “COP16 fizzles out as rich countries block global nature fund” “The COP16 biodiversity summit was a big flop for protecting nature” “COP16 ends in disarray and indecision despite biodiversity breakthroughs”…
Upon reflection: Study gauges grasslands’ climate-fighting powers
Plant more trees, cool the climate: It’s a message that readers of this website know well. But new research confirms that this “rule” doesn’t apply everywhere. Take southern Africa: In some places, grasses are far more effective climate allies than trees. Why? Grasses better reflect the sun’s radiation than darker, woody vegetation. This effect, called…
Meet the scientist helping women find their voice
In a community center in rural Madagascar, Kame Westerman noticed something that changed her career. As the men debated the closure of an octopus fishery, the women — who stood to gain or lose the most from the decision — were silent. “They either weren’t included in the decision-making or didn’t feel comfortable engaging in…
2024 in review: Amid hottest year on record, nature takes center stage
As 2024 comes to a close, global temperatures are at an all-time high — topping the previous hottest-year on record: 2023. As the rising temperatures fuel extreme weather around the world, communities are left to grapple with catastrophic floods, severe droughts and devastating wildfires. Yet amid this backdrop, new research consistently shows nature is a…
2024 in review: Turning the tide for the world’s oceans
It was a year of rough seas for the world’s oceans. Despite some progress on both fronts, overfishing and pollution persisted, while waters continued to warm at a rate that scientists “cannot fully explain,” according to Johan Rockström, chief scientist at Conservation International. But that didn’t stop conservationists and communities from working to protect the…
2024 in review: Amid crisis, victories for nature emerge
Alarm bells screamed for nature in 2024. Each week seemed to bring fresh warnings of the loss of wildlife, habitat destruction and the escalating impacts of climate change. But amid the gloom, quiet victories emerged, as ordinary people made extraordinary progress for nature. This year, Conservation News highlighted unlikely partnerships bringing wildlife back from the…
South Korea in mourning after plane crash kills all but two onboard
Flight data and cockpit voice recorders recovered from wreckage of Jeju Air flight 2216 at Muan airport Distraught family members gathered at Muan international airport in South Korea on Sunday after a plane carrying 181 people from Bangkok crashed, killing all but two people onboard, in the country’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster. Officials said…
Los incendios forestales amenazan la astronomía y lo peor está por venir
Opinion Wildfires Are Threatening Astronomy, and the Worst Is Yet to Come As wildfires grow in severity and frequency, they’re not only threatening lives but also our visual connection to the cosmos By Peter McMahon edited by Lee Billings & Daniel Vergano An aerial photo shows wildfire smoke rising over Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada…
Church in Kenya for L.G.B.T.Q. Africans Thrives Despite Attacks
The congregation in Nairobi, Kenya, has been forced to move to 10 different locations over 10 years, and yet it has survived as a sanctuary in an increasingly hostile environment. Pastor Caroline Omolo.Kang-Chun Cheng for The New York Times By Sarah Hurtes Reporting from Nairobi For nearly a decade, Kenya’s only church led and attended…
Did bird strike contribute to South Korea plane crash? What we know so far
More than 170 people have died after a plane crashed as it was landing in South Korea on Sunday morning. The Jeju Air plane came off the runway before colliding with a wall at Muan International Airport in the south west of the country. The plane, which was returning from Bangkok, in Thailand, was carrying…