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☆ Mysterious tremors on the moon have been traced back to an unexpected source
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Data showed a mysterious quake happening every lunar morning, and scientists weren't sure why. A new study has found morning tremors are coming from the Apollo 17 lunar lander base. They discovered that some of the tremors were being produced by the descent stage of the Apollo 17 lunar module, left behind on the lunar surface 51 years ago. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut each morning, scientists also saw bizarre waves popping up every few minutes. By triangulating the signal, they were able to figure out the source of the mysterious tremors.

Persons: Allen Husker, —, seismometers, Harrison H, Schmitt It's, Husker, Francesco Civilini, Renee Weber, it's, It's Organizations: Service, NASA, California Institute of Technology, Caltech, NASA Marshall Space, CalTech Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ India's moon lander is the first to study the lunar south pole region up close. Here are 5 scientific discoveries it's already made.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In August, India became the first country to successfully land near the moon's south pole. Since touchdown, the moon lander and rover have already made some important discoveries. Both the mission's Vikram lander and its adorable dog-sized Pragyan rover wasted no time in studying the lunar south pole region with the suite of scientific instruments they brought with them. Temperature changes undergroundVikram has also measured the soil temperature near the lunar south pole both on the surface and underground, for the first time. There's still a lot to be learned about the moon's south pole region.

Persons: Vikram, Pragyan, it's, ILSA, There's Organizations: Service, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, Planetary Society, Langmuir Locations: India, Wall, Silicon

☆ How search and rescue teams pull survivors from the rubble after earthquakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), a network of countries and organisations under a U.N. umbrella, helps facilitate coordination between international search and rescue teams that deploy in such disasters. The survey helps to identify possible resources and hazards, as well as the main priorities for search and rescue teams. The disaster area is often then drawn into sectors to allocate command and to assign search teams. Often debris must be removed by hand to avoid crushing survivors by using heavy equipment.Below are some of the smaller types of rescue equipment that may be used by rescue teams. Search and rescue teams will work day and night in cold, wet weather while also facing the threat of aftershocks.

Organizations: Advisory, Rescue, Workers Locations: Caribbean, Haiti, Jandaris, Syria

☆ Hengli Petrochemical subsidiary eyes nearly $2 bln restructuring
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Under the restructuring, Kanghui will effectively become a separately listed company via transactions involving power and heating firm Dalian Thermal Power (600719.SS), which will buy 100% of Kanghui for 10.15 billion yuan ($1.39 billion) in shares. This will optimize Kanghui's structure and expand its funding channels, Hengli said in a filing to the Shanghai stock exchange. Hengli also said it will become indirect controlling shareholder of Kanghui after the transaction, retaining its control over the firm. Dalian Thermal will issue 2.3 billion shares to Hengli and a unit of the company which makes chemical fibre, said the filing. The transactions will change Dalian Thermal's controlling shareholder from a firm backed by the state asset regulating authority in the city of Dalian to Hengli Petrochemical, Dalian Thermal said.

Persons: Kanghui, Hengli, Roxanne Liu, Ella Cao, Kane Wu, David Holmes Organizations: Hengli Petrochemical, Technology, Dalian Thermal Power, Dalian Thermal's, Dalian, Thomson Locations: Dalian, Kanghui, Shanghai

If you want to save money and reduce your contribution to the climate crisis, passive cooling helps. Passive cooling a home that's already built comes with some extra costs, but it can pay off over time. The tenets of passive coolingThe best passive cooling systems utilize a few different approaches, David said. Passive cooling doesn't have to be all-or-nothingThe idea of totally kicking air conditioning can be intimidating, especially as temperatures rise. But even just reducing your reliance on air conditioning can have benefits for your wallet and the environment.

Persons: Tim David, David, David said, Mark Buskuhl, Buskuhl Organizations: Service, Ninebird Locations: Wall, Silicon, Alabama, South, Dallas

☆ A second Nikola electric semi-truck caught fire during tests to determine the cause of another blaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Nikola electric semi-truck caught fire during a battery test outside its Phoenix headquarters. It comes after another Nikola Tre truck caught alight this week in Tempe, Arizona. The electric vehicle maker was testing why a battery pack on another of its trucks caught fire this week when the incident occurred. The semi-truck was undergoing a "battery fire investigation and testing" when it caught alight in its second fire incident this week, the company told Bloomberg in an email. In the first fire, a Tre battery-electric vehicle caught alight in Tempe, Arizona, Reuters reported.

Persons: Nikola Tre, Nikola, Steve Girsky, Michael Lohscheller, Girsky, Nikola didn't Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Reuters, Street, General Motors Locations: Phoenix, Tempe , Arizona, Wall, Silicon

☆ Morocco earthquake: Foreign offers of aid arrive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sept 10 (Reuters) - Following are some of the offers of aid and support from foreign governments following the powerful earthquake that struck Morocco late on Friday. A unit from the Spanish Emergency Military Unit (UME) was set to fly to Morocco, Spanish television RTVE reported. FRANCEFrance stands ready to help Morocco but the government there has not yet requested it, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday. Separately, the Foreign Ministry said it was activating a fund of local government contributions to support solidarity actions. TAIWANTaiwan’s fire department said on Saturday it had put a team of 120 rescuers on standby to go to Morocco the moment they get instructions from Taiwan’s foreign ministry.

Persons: Jose Manuel Albares, Albares, ISRAEL Israel's Magen David Adom, Magen David Adom, Algeria's, Nawaf Al, Ahmad Al, Jaber, Frances Kerry, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Interior, Catalunya Radio, Moroccan, Spanish Emergency Military Unit, Foreign Ministry, Orange, Crescent, Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces, Sunday, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Morocco, TUNISIA Tunisia, SPAIN, Spain, Spanish, FRANCE France, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moroccan, ALGERIA Algeria, TURKEY, AFAD, Turkish, Turkey, KUWAIT, Jaber Al, Sabah, TAIWAN

☆ ComBio wants industrial players to use sustainable biomass instead of fossil fuels for heat generation. Check out the 9-slide pitch deck it used to raise $90 million in growth capital.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Brazilian company ComBio wants industrial players to swap out fossil fuel boilers for biomass. Founded in 2008, ComBio has developed biomass-based systems to remove the need to use oil and gas when generating heat. The company sources biomass from agricultural and forestry waste, which it said is sustainable and would typically have no other use. "If you look at the energy transition on heat, on thermal, you have quite limited options and by far the best one is biomass," Filho said. Check out the 9-slide pitch deck the company used to raise the funds below.

Persons: Lightrock, ComBio, Paulo Skaf Filho, Filho Organizations: Capital, Renewables, US International Trade Administration Locations: London, Brazil, Europe

☆ India’s Chandrayaan lunar lander goes to seep
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the lunar surface on August 23. The Chandrayaan-3 lander is captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is currently in orbit around the moon. The day after landing, the ISRO confirmed that the Chandryaan-3 lander had successfully deployed the six-wheeled lunar rover that had ridden to the surface tucked inside the spacecraft’s body. pic.twitter.com/1g5gQsgrjM — ISRO (@isro) August 26, 2023Together, the lander, which weighs about 1,700 kilograms (3,748 pounds), and the 26-kilogram (57.3-pound) rover are packed with nearly a dozen scientific instruments. Else, it will forever stay there as India’s lunar ambassador,” the ISRO posted on X.

Persons: Narendra Modi, NASA's, —, Luna, ove Organizations: CNN, Soviet Union, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, Arizona State University, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO Locations: India, United States, China, Chandryaan, Russia

CNN —Moscow’s forces have started covering some of their attack aircraft with car tires, in what experts say could be a makeshift attempt to protect them from Ukrainian drone strikes that have had increased recent success in targeting Russian military airports. Satellite imagery from Maxar of Engels Airbase, deep inside Russia, shows two Tu-95 strategic bombers with car tires on top of the airframes. The move may have limited effect, according to Francisco Serra-Martins of drone manufacturer One Way Aerospace whose drones have been used by Ukrainian forces. A satellite image shows car tires on a Russian aircraft. Video Ad Feedback Both Russia and Ukraine are using drones.

Persons: CNN —, Francisco Serra, Martins, ”, Steffan Watkins, CNN Watkins Organizations: CNN, Aerospace, Ukrainian, Maxar Technologies, NATO Locations: Engels Airbase, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Pskov, Estonian

☆ BlackRock voted against Glencore's climate progress report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A specialist trader works at the post where BlackRock is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 21, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies BlackRock Inc FollowGlencore PLC FollowLONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Major Glencore shareholder BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) was among investors to reject the mining giant's (GLEN.L) climate progress report at its annual meeting in May, citing inconsistencies, a voting disclosure page on the asset manager's website shows. BlackRock allows many clients to cast their own votes at companies' annual general meetings. The page also showed BlackRock did not back a shareholder resolution seeking more disclosure on progress in scaling back thermal coal production, which got 29% support, without saying why. But BlackRock in August reported a further decline in its support for shareholder resolutions on environmental and social themes, citing corporate progress on the areas and poorly crafted measures.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Glencore, company's, Clara Denina, Simon Jessop, Josie Kao Organizations: BlackRock, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, BlackRock Inc, BIS, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Paris

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:Aug. 31The Washington Post on sexism in the U.S. militaryNearly eight years ago, the United States opened up all military combat roles to women, clearing a pathway for female service members to join the most elite military forces. Women at multiple military bases reported that other soldiers would bang on their doors in the middle of the night. Even a program that once represented the highest ideals of the United States — its compassion, its expertise and its resources — is becoming a casualty of the country’s most destructive and divisive forces. Lack of adequate cooling during hot summers has plagued Southern states for decades, but climate change has now made it a problem in Northern states as well — Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Indiana. Ukraine received the first batch of uranium munitions from the United Kingdom in March to use in its UK-made Challenger 2 tanks.

Persons: Soldiers, “, ”, George W, Bush, Anthony Fauci, Mark Dybul, PEPFAR, Henry Hyde, Dave Weldon, H.I.V, Hyde, Weldon, Biden, MAGA, Biden’s, Mr, Chris Smith of, Smith, Roe, Wade, Tommy Tuberville, Susan B, Anthony Pro, ” Nyserda, Don’t, Louisianans, it’s, commissaries, Joe Arpaio, let’s, perceptibly Organizations: Washington, Green, Ranger Regiment, Green Berets, Army Rangers, Special Operations, Army Special Operations Command, Special Forces, Army, Command, New York Times, Democrats, Republicans, Catholic Church, Republican Party, AIDS Relief, Republican, Heritage Foundation, Biden, Mr, PEPFAR, America, Family Research, United, New York State Energy Research, Development Authority, Alliance, Clean Energy, Alliance for Clean Energy, Developers, Micron Technology, Los Angeles Times, Staff, Prisons, US State Department, US Locations: United States, U.S, Afghanistan, Africa, Illinois, Florida, Chris Smith of New Jersey, Alabama, New York, Ukraine, California , Connecticut, Hawaii , Indiana , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts, Michigan , New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Louisiana, Angola, Texas, Southern, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota , Indiana, Maricopa County, Ariz, Los Angeles, California, Corcoran, Tulare Lake, China, Russia, United Kingdom, Moscow, Belarus, Washington, Europe, Asia, Brazil, Indonesia

Hedge funds and other money managers purchased the equivalent of 19 million barrels in the NYMEX and ICE U.S. crude (WTI) futures and options contracts over the seven days ending on August 29. Bearish short positions in the premier NYMEX WTI contract had been reduced to just 49 million barrels, down from 136 million. Total commercial crude inventories had fallen into line with the prior ten-year average on August 25 while stocks at Cushing had depleted to almost 30% below the average. Hedge fund managers have been trying to get bullish towards U.S. gas prices, and the inventory surplus inherited from 2022 has been shrinking. Related columns:- Depleting U.S. crude inventories lift oil prices (August 31, 2023)- Prospect of strong El Niño weighs on U.S. gas prices (August 30, 2023)- Crude oil prices stalled as hedge funds sold (August 29, 2023)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

Persons: Richard Carson, John Kemp, Mike Harrison Organizations: Department of Energy, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, REUTERS, ICE, Cushing, U.S . diesel, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Freeport , Texas, U.S, Cushing, Oklahoma, Brent, Washington, Illinois, Maine

☆ Hundreds of millions pledged for African carbon credits at inaugural climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Companies Climate FollowVitol SA FollowNAIROBI, Sept 4 (Reuters) - An initiative to boost Africa's carbon credit production 19-fold by 2030 drew hundreds of millions of dollars of pledges on Monday as Kenyan President William Ruto opened the continent's first climate summit. In one of the most anticipated deals, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) committed to buying $450 million of carbon credits from the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI). "There hasn't been any success for an African country in attracting climate finance," said Bogolo Kenewendo, a United Nations climate adviser and former trade minister in Botswana. Many African campaigners have opposed the summit's approach to climate finance, and about 500 people marched in downtown Nairobi on Monday to protest. They say carbon credits are a pretext for continued pollution by wealthier countries and corporations, who should instead pay their "climate debt" through direct compensation and debt relief.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Bogolo Kenewendo, Bogolo, Kevin Kariuki, Patricia Scotland, Esa Alexander, we've, Hassan Ghazali, Britain, Sultan Al Jaber, COP28, Duncan Miriri, Simon Jessop, Jefferson Kahinju, Aaron Ross, Hereward Holland, Angus MacSwan, Susan Fenton Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Africa Carbon Markets, United, African Development Bank, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Climate Asset Management, HSBC Asset Management, Debt, Green, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, UAE, Nairobi, Africa, United Nations, Botswana, Muloza, Mozambique, Blantyre, Malawi, Liberia, Tanzania, Germany, Kenya

REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Coal India Ltd FollowSINGAPORE, Sept 4 (Reuters) - India has stepped up the use of coal to generate electricity in a bid to stop outages caused by lower hydroelectricity output, and as an increase in renewables is struggling to keep pace with record power demand. Demand typically peaks in May, when Indians crank up air-conditioners to beat the heat, and industries operate without rain-related disruptions. Coal's share in power output rose to 66.7% in August - the highest for the month in six years, according to a Reuters analysis of government data. The government has repeatedly defended the use of coal citing lower per capita emissions compared with richer nations, and rising renewable energy output. India's peak demand - the maximum capacity required during any time of the day - rose to a record 243.9 gigawatts (GW) on Aug. 31, the Grid India data showed, exceeding available capacity by 7.3 GW.

Persons: Adnan Abidi, Sudarshan, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Coal India, India, Grid, Thomson Locations: Delhi, India, China

☆ Photos show 6,000 octopuses in one spot. It's the largest known gathering ever found and a mystery that scientists only just solved.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After five years, scientists have solved the mystery of the octopus garden. © 2021 MBARINormally, deep sea octopuses have to work really hard to reproduce. The rest of their life, you'll find them drifting amongst the muddy bottoms of the deep sea, scavenging, the study said. So, there could be many other ingenious pods of cephalopods doing similar things across the sea, Berry said. "As we explore more of the deep sea, we find more and more that it's not just a homogeneous, deep, sort of mud-covered pit.

Persons: Jim Berry, Berry, you'll Organizations: Service, Aquarium Research Locations: Monterey, Davidson, Central California, Monterey , California, UNESCO

☆ Music and light shows bring new energy to derelict Hungarian power plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Krisztina Than | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Festivalgoers attend the INOTA music and visual arts festival at an abandoned thermal power plant in Varpalota, Hungary, August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Marton Monus Acquire Licensing RightsVARPALOTA, Hungary, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A derelict power plant in Hungary came back to life on Thursday, powered by music and light shows as thousands of festival-goers marvelled at its three huge cooling towers dominating the starry late summer sky. The INOTA coal-fired thermal plant, built in the 1950s during the Communist era and once one of the country's largest industrial sites, was shut down in 2001. Hilda Carlsson, 33, said she and her friends travelled from Sweden largely to see Frahm at the INOTA festival. The INOTA plant featured in the epic 2017 American dystopian movie "Blade Runner 2049", starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, which was partly filmed in Hungary.

Persons: Marton Monus, marvelled, Nils Frahm, Hilda Carlsson, Carlsson, Daniel Avery, Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Daniel Besnyo, Besnyo, Akos Marencsak, Krisztina, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Varpalota, Hungary, Berlin, Sweden, United Kingdom, Lebanon Hanover, Hungarian

Thermal coal insurance rates rose more than 20% last year, it said, above the 7.3% rise in the benchmark Marsh Global Insurance Market Index. Insurance companies can be active in both primary insurance and reinsurance and have differing commitments on ESG for different parts of their business. "Establishing a mutual fund for the coal industry is a matter for the coal industry," a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Treasury said. "I'm talking about going beyond your normal UK-based markets and looking into Asia for funders and insurance cover," she added. Coal prices hit record highs in September last year as European countries scrambled to replace Russian gas, sending coal miners' profits soaring.

Persons: Philip Mostert, Seriti, Doug Gain, Gain, Ben Davis, Willis Towers Watson, Thungela, China's, Russia's, Switzerland's Chubb, Chubb, Russia's SOGAZ, Peter Bosshard, Nombasa Tsengwa, Tsengwa, Exxaro, Clara Denina, Sarah McFarlane, Nelson Banya, Elaine Hardcastle, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, Seriti, Thungela Resources, International Energy Agency, Reuters, Marsh Global Insurance, Whitehaven Coal, Whitehaven, Allianz, Swiss, Germany's Allianz, Insuramore, Australian Department of Treasury, South, Thomson Locations: American, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, South, Ukraine, Whitehaven, Munich, Australia, Asia, Europe

☆ 6 cruise passengers have gone overboard in 3 months. Here's why most ships still don't use detection tech for rescues.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

An average of 19 people go overboard on cruise ships every year, industry data has found. Less than two months after Peale fell overboard, 30-year-old Jaylen Hill also went overboard a Carnival cruise ship. In total, at least five passengers have gone overboard cruise ships this summer, including Hill. The incidents occurred on the cruise ships Carnival Elation, Spectrum of the Seas, Emerald Princess, Mariner of the Seas, and Wonder of the Seas. A Coast Guard spokesperson said there are no regulations preventing cruise lines from installing MOB detection systems on their vessels.

Persons: Ronnie Peale Jr, Peale, Linda Peale, —, Travis Heggie, Hill, Eric Rodriguez, Princess, Joe Perez, Ross Klein, Paul McConnell, Jamie Barnett, James Michael Grimes, Grimes, CLIA, it's, Mike Collier, MOBtronic, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Collier, Blumenthal, Linda Peale Jennilyn Blosser, Blosser, didn't, Barnett, Jim Walker Organizations: US Coast Guard, Carnival, Coast Guard, Bowling Green State University, Cruise Lines International Association, Jacksonville , Florida . U.S . Coast, Washington Post, Carnival Corporation, U.S . Coast Guard, Getty, Cruise Vessel Security, Safety, Guard, International Cruise Victims Association, Line International Association, USA, Royal Caribbean, International, Organization Locations: Virginia's Shenandoah, Connecticut, Hill, Jacksonville , Florida . U.S, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, MOBtronic

Reuters GraphicsCOAL, CRUDESimilar to iron ore, China's imports of seaborne coal are also expected to be robust in August, with Refinitiv estimating arrivals of 31.2 million tons, while Kpler expects 34.3 million. Coal imports have been strong since March as the country turned to thermal generation to make up for weaker-than-usual hydropower. Whether China maintains strength in crude imports will largely depend on whether its refiners continue to export large volumes of diesel and gasoline. The rally in crude prices since June should start to show up in China's crude imports from September onwards, given the lag between when cargoes are arranged and delivered. Overall, it appears that factors other than the strength of China's economy are behind the still solid imports of iron ore, coal and crude oil.

Persons: China's, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Iron, Reuters Graphics, Kpler, Refinitiv Oil, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Qingdao, Shandong province, China, Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Indonesia, OPEC, Saudi Arabia

☆ They quit their jobs and sold the house. Now this family of four is touring the US in an RV
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Since leaving their jobs last year, the couple has sold their home and is now living in a comfy 45-foot RV as they tour the US. Before setting out on the road, the family trialed camper life for a full year in Phoenix to allow the children to finish elementary school. Coming home late from work every day, she says she was no longer able to spend quality time with her family. They are now spending much less than when they had a house, roughly $1,200 per month for gas, food and basic needs. We have no schedule, no agenda.”Last stop: Latronico, ItalyAfter their RV adventures come to an end, the family plans to head for the Italian village of Latronico, where they purchased an old house.

Persons: Wendy McGrath, – Brady, Ainsley –, Steve McGrath “, ”, Steve, “ Wendy, ” Wendy, they’ve, it’s, We’ve, Steve McGrath, Brady, Ainsley, Wendy, “, ” Brady, Little Ainsley, McGrath, Shephard, Latronico, “ It’s Organizations: CNN Locations: Phoenix , Arizona, German, Phoenix, They’ve, Maine, American, Illinois, Italy, Latronico, Italian, Basilicata, Germany, iPhones

☆ An elite team of Ukrainian snipers dubbed 'Devils and Angels' is taking out top Russian commanders to demoralize troops: 'We work quietly, we are invisible'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian snipers are focused on taking out high-profile Russain targets and demoralizing troops. A sniper unit training near Bakhmut calls itself "Devils and Angels," The Wall Street Journal reported. The team of snipers has dubbed itself the "Devils and Angels," according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The snipers training near Bakhmut told the outlet that in addition to their marksmanship, they're training to be even more elusive in the field. AdvertisementAdvertisementAlso in June a Ukrainian sniper picked off Vladimir Andonov, a Wagner Group member known at "The Executioner" and one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most notorious mercenary fighters.

Persons: Robert Scales, Bakhmut, Fisher, Mark Cancian, Insider's Ryan Pickrell, Vladimir Andonov, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Street Journal, Military, Service, Devils, Street, Ukraine Ukrainian, CNN, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Wagner Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia

☆ US LNG projects win higher processing fees as interest rates climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Curtis Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Snow covered transfer lines are seen at the Dominion Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Lusby, Maryland March 18, 2014. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHOUSTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Long-term buyers of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) are willingly agreeing to higher liquefaction fees at newer export projects, according to analysts and developers familiar with the matter. The U.S. emerged in 2022 as the world's second largest LNG exporter on plentiful supplies of natural gas and relatively low processing costs per metric ton of LNG. But rising interest rates and higher construction costs have pushed up liquefaction fees, also known as tolling fees. Other developers are turning to increased equity investment in new projects to reduce the impact of higher interest rates on finance costs, said Poten's Feer.

Persons: Snow, Gary Cameron, Lyle Hanna, Jason Bennett, Baker Botts, Bennett, it's, Jason Feer, NextDecade, Feer, Poten's Feer, Curtis Williams, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Commonwealth LNG, LNG, U.S, Henry, Poten, Partners, Reuters, of Fossil Energy, Carbon Management, Cheniere Energy, Thomson Locations: Lusby , Maryland, U.S, Ukraine, Rio Grande, Houston

Since March, seaborne imports of thermal coal have exceeded 28 million metric tons every month, except for the 27.63 million from June, according to Kpler. In 2022, seaborne imports of thermal coal only once breached the 24 million metric tons level, in November, and were below 20 million for eight of the 12 months. China's July coal production was 377.54 million metric tons, which was down 6.3% from June, with the lower output coming as China increases mine safety inspections. China thermal coal imports from Australia, Indonesia and RussiaAUSTRALIAN IMPORTSChina has returned to buying Australian thermal coal after Beijing ended its unofficial ban on such imports, imposed in mid-2020 amid a political dispute with Canberra. China's imports of Australian thermal coal are estimated at 4.89 million metric tons in August, down from a three-year high of 5.41 million.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Stephen Coates Organizations: Huawei, REUTERS, Rights, Newcastle Port, Argus, Indonesia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shenmu, Yulin city, Shaanxi, China, Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Qinhuangdao, India, Indonesia, Russia AUSTRALIAN, Beijing, Canberra, Newcastle, Kpler

☆ Hundreds join largest Loch Ness monster hunt in 50 years in Scotland
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Volunteers get ready to take off in the Loch Ness Project Research Vessel, Deep Scan, as they take part in the largest Loch Ness Monster hunt for 50 years in Scotland, Britain, August 27, 2023. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne Acquire Licensing RightsLOCH NESS, Scotland, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Hundreds of hopeful volunteers joined a two-day hunt for Scotland's fabled Loch Ness monster on Saturday and Sunday, in what organisers described as the biggest search for the elusive "Nessie" in more than 50 years. The Loch Ness Centre, which partnered with voluntary research team Loch Ness Exploration to organise "The Quest", said they would be using surveying equipment that had not previously been tried at the loch, including thermal drones. "We all got a bit excited, ran to go make sure the recorder was on and it wasn’t plugged in." "I chose the Loch Ness monster as my essay assignment, and I thought, 'oh 20 years later it comes full circle so I might as well come and join the hunt' since I heard it was happening," she said, adding that so far they had not found any evidence.

Persons: Russell Cheyne, Alan McKenna, St Columba, Caroline McNamara's, Nessie, Kylie MacLellan, Giles Elgood Organizations: Volunteers, Research, REUTERS, Loch, Thomson Locations: Loch Ness, Scotland, Britain, NESS, London

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