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South African Researchers Develop New Method to Clean Mining-Polluted Water
A South African researcher has developed a way to remove contaminants from water used in mining that could help clean up the dirty industry. The award-winning ion exchange method not only cleans the water but captures polluting metals that can then be re-purposed. At a Johannesburg laboratory, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand have developed a way to clean acid mine drainage (AMD). AMD is the runoff of pollutants like sulfuric acid and heavy metals that secrete into waterways, affecting wildlife and rural mining communities. AMD is often found at gold and coal mines, which are plentiful in South
THE MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS AND TRADE: Minister Ian Borg attends the last Foreign Affairs Council for this year
EU Foreign Affairs Ministers met with their counterparts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine as part of the Eastern Partnership. The aim of this meeting was to reaffirm the European Union’s commitment to the Eastern Partnership. Ministers discussed ways to strengthen engagement with the region and to make the partnership tailored to the needs of these countries. Foreign Affairs Minister Borg stressed the importance of further investment to strengthen the security and resilience of the region, together with countering disinformation. Minister Borg also highlighted that stepping up investments in connectivity and increased efforts to enable the transfer of
Franco-US Satellite Set for Unprecedented Survey of Earth’s Water
A Franco-U.S. satellite is due for launch this week on a mission to survey with unprecedented accuracy nearly all water on Earth’s surface for the first time and help scientists investigate its impact on Earth’s climate. For NASA and France’s space agency CNES, which have worked together in the field for 30 years, it’s a landmark scientific mission with a billion-dollar budget. French President Emmanuel Macron went to NASA’s Washington headquarters at the end of November alongside U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. He highlighted the liftoff — scheduled for early Thursday on the U.S. West Coast — of the Surface
Explainer: Why Fusion Could Be a Clean-Energy Breakthrough
The Department of Energy planned an announcement Tuesday on a “major scientific breakthrough” at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of several sites worldwide where researchers have been trying to develop the possibility of harnessing energy from nuclear fusion. It’s a technology that has the potential to one day accelerate the planet’s shift away from fossil fuels, which are the major contributors to climate change. The technology has long struggled with daunting challenges. Here’s a look at exactly what nuclear fusion is, and some of the difficulties in turning it into the cheap and carbon-free energy source that scientists believe
THE NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE Report by the Auditor General on the Public Accounts 2021
Today, the Auditor General, Charles Deguara, presented to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anġlu Farrugia, the Annual Audit Report on the Public Accounts for 2021. It comprises 36 audit reports on the operations of several public sector entities. This publication also includes an analysis of the Financial Report 2021, as well as an overview of the Statements of Arrears of Revenue for the same year, as submitted to Treasury by the respective ministry, department, and entity. The National Audit Office has judiciously analysed the level of compliance of various expenditure and revenue items with prevailing rules and regulations.
Top China Expert Says COVID ‘Spreading Rapidly’ After Rules Easing
One of China’s top health experts has warned of a surge in COVID-19 cases, state media said Sunday, in the wake of the government’s decision to abandon its hardline coronavirus strategy. Shops and restaurants in Beijing are deserted as the country awaits a spike in infections following the decision to reduce the scope of mandatory testing, allow some positive cases to quarantine at home and end large-scale lockdowns. Top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan told state media in an interview published Sunday that the Omicron strain of the virus prevalent in China was highly transmissible and could lead to a surge