December 14, 2024 report This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Bob Yirka , Phys.org A team has found via testing from airplanes that landfill work faces tend to be responsible for the biggest share of methane emissions in U.S. landfills. Their findings are published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology . The researchers are from Carbon Mapper, a California nonprofit dedicated to finding ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Arizona State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The primary gas causing climate change is carbon dioxide. This is due mainly to the sheer volume of the gas being pumped into the atmosphere. Methane actually insulates more heat than carbon dioxide but has received less attention due to lower overall emissions. Still, environmentalists have been growing more concerned about the gas as more sources of it have been found in recent years. In this new effort, the research team focused their efforts on methane emissions from landfills. Landfills tend to release methane through the decay of plant-based material, usually discarded food waste . To learn more about methane released from landfills, the researchers chartered planes and flew as low as possible over 217 landfills in 17 states, using air-quality measuring devices. They found measurable amounts of the gas from half of them. The research team found a surprising source—most of the emissions they detected were coming from so-called work faces—the parts of a landfill where fresh waste is dumped. Very little came from other parts of the landfills. The researchers also found most of the landfills using gas-capturing technology were still emitting measurable amounts of the gas into the air. This, they suggest, is because these landfills are usually the largest and therefore emit the most methane. Despite efforts to capture it, substantial quantities are emitted into the atmosphere. The team was also surprised by the high number of landfills that were not emitting any measurable amounts of methane at all. More information: Tia R. Scarpelli et al, Investigating Major Sources of Methane Emissions at US Landfills, Environmental Science & Technology (2024). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c07572 Journal information: Environmental Science & Technology , Environmental Science and Technology © 2024 Science X Network
O n the edge of a new year, the Readers’ Editor column goes both backward and forward – no, don’t worry, it isn’t your regular `this-was-the-year-that-was’ and `what to expect in 2025’ kind of article. Instead, it will focus on two very different aspects of ThePrint’s news content in 2024: first, it will look back at the value of good old-fashioned reporting in coverage of the Manipur crisis. Then, it will turn to what the future may look like as you see more and more visually interactive storytelling on the platform – a graphic representation of the news, the kind that brought to life a river in spate and the subsequent landslides in Wayanad , which left at least 250 people dead. These stories represent the blend of solid ground reporting and newer technological tools, which help ThePrint to offer journalism that is accurate, credible, and as engaging as possible. ThePrint’s reporting on Manipur, a state torn apart by ethnic violence since May 2023, has been recently recognised by the International Press Institute (IPI). The jury commended “...the media’s collective effort to bring out various facets of the human tragedy caused by the civil strife.” The IPI appreciation is well-deserved. I say this, not just as Readers’ Editor at ThePrint, but as a journalist and writer who has been dismayed by the indifference of most news media platforms—especially broadcast news—toward the civil unrest in the northeastern state. It is unconscionable. At least eight journalists from ThePrint have been to Manipur since the Meitei-Kuki conflict flared up in May 2023. That’s a lot of journalists for a small news website. The art of visual storytelling is a recent introduction. Over the past few months, ThePrint has been using the Shorthand platform to build stories with multi-media tools. Just go through the Wayanad story: you see the rain, the water cascading down the hills to the inhabited area. Or, see the gold being smuggled into India. At the tap of the finger, you discover how the yellow metal makes its way in baby diapers or as gold dust in sanitary pads. You can track its journey from country to country before arriving in India with colour coding. It’s wow. “We are leveraging visuals for storytelling...it has moving graphics, videos, sound – normally text and photograph stories are static. Viewers respond to this format,” said Nisheeth Upadhyay, Editor (Operations). “We will try to do this for more and more ground reporting.” Exciting times ahead—welcome to 2025 at ThePrint. Many other news organisations, across the world, use Shorthand such as BBC , Financial Times , and NBC . This report from a Spanish website shows you how you can tell a visualised story – and we can understand it without knowing the language. The format is ideally suited to ThePrint’s in-depth reporting. “We don’t do superficial journalism,” said Soham Sen, who led the graphics team. “We want to give it the treatment and presentation it deserves. This shows you things you don’t otherwise get to see.” Nisheeth Upadhyay said it lends “flexibility” to telling stories. Personally, I found the format to be a revelation – the visualisation makes it easier for the readers to absorb the information. Also, it directs your attention to specific aspects, one by one. The photographs in the ground report on dancing women jump out at you and tell you so much about the women’s lives. In the investigation into spam calls , the diagrams allow you to see the modus operandi . Senior Associate Editor, Ananya Bhardwaj’s ‘I witness’ report on her travels through Dhaka is tracked in maps and photographs. Praveen Jain, Editor (Photography), is “very excited” by the possibilities of the format. “I like it, the style of presentation is very good—and it surprises the reader,” he said. Obviously, this process of creating and presenting a story takes time and cannot be used for all stories. “You don’t use it for a regular news report,” said Upadhyay, “We have begun thinking Shorthand, now it will pick up.” Also read: In Manipur, Army seizes Starlink device made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Manipur has fallen off the map of mainstream news media. It is remembered only when there are violent protests or incidents. Watch television news channels or YouTube news channels and you will note the absence of the state from their content. It’s as if Manipur doesn’t exist. In the words of Moushumi Das Gupta, Deputy Editor, who reported from the state several times for ThePrint, “Manipur is forgotten”. In June 2023, I wrote a Readers’ Editor column about ThePrint’s efforts to convey the enormity of the events that divided the state and their impact on its people. Karishma Hasnat, Special Correspondent in Guwahati, had warned of tensions in Manipur from early 2023. Even before the violence began, Hasnat noted the increasing uneasiness between the communities and how government actions had aggravated the situation. Besides Hasnat, ThePrint has sent reporters and photojournalists to Manipur from Delhi. In the last 18 months, we have continued to track events there. Have things changed on the ground for reporters? Moushumi Das Gupta had visited in November 2024, soon after the homes of MPs and MLAs were attacked. She went to Manipur in May 2023 soon after the first clashes broke out there. “It’s been a challenging assignment, throughout. Now, it’s more complicated because people don’t want to speak. They’re cagey.” She found the divide between the communities had grown and there was “a hopelessness” among the people. Frustration has increased and they’re not as welcoming of the news media. “They see it as conflict tourism,” explained Gupta. Here are some of her reports on the current situation in the state— BJP is a divided house , trade hub turns ghost town , Sangh workers live in fear . Another ThePrint editor who has been to Manipur several times, Ananya Bhardwaj, said that while sources are more accessible because she now knows the civil and security officials, what’s difficult is that different agencies tell different versions of the same incident. “They’re not on the same page,” said Bhardwaj. “So which agency are you to believe?” The other obstacle reporters face is misinformation, especially through social media. Both sides, the Meiteis and Kukis, have their own sources of information, which they use to promote their version of events. Bhardwaj said they show you videos from their own “intelligence sources”. She agreed with Gupta that the people are disillusioned: “They have accepted the fact that it will be like this,” she said. Had the national media kept Manipur in the headlines in the last 18 months, perhaps the authorities would have worked harder to find a settlement and restore peace. I believe the news media has by and large failed to highlight the faultlines in Manipur and demand accountability. That’s what makes ThePrint’s efforts all the more important. That’s it for this year. Before I leave you, a big thank-you to all our readers—especially to those who took the trouble to write to The Print with their valuable feedback. We hope you will continue to engage with us in 2025. Shailaja Bajpai is ThePrint’s Readers’ Editor. Please write in with your views, complaints to readers.editor@theprint.in (Edited by Ratan Priya) var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );
BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government placed sanctions on seven companies on Friday in response to recent U.S. announcements of military sales and aid to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory. The sanctions also come in response to the recent approval of the U.S. government’s annual defense spending bill, which a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said “includes multiple negative sections on China.” China objects to American military assistance for Taiwan and often imposes sanctions on related companies after a sale or aid package is announced. The sanctions generally have a limited impact, because American defense companies don’t sell arms or other military goods to China. The U.S. is the main supplier of weapons to Taiwan for its defense. The seven companies being sanctioned are Insitu Inc., Hudson Technologies Co., Saronic Technologies, Inc., Raytheon Canada, Raytheon Australia, Aerkomm Inc. and Oceaneering International Inc., the Foreign Ministry statement said. It said that “relevant senior executives” of the companies are also sanctioned, without naming any. Any assets they have in China will be frozen, and organizations and individuals in China are prohibited from engaging in any activity with them, it said. U.S. President Joe Biden last week authorized up to $571 million in Defense Department material and services and military education and training for Taiwan. Separately, the Defense Department announced that $295 million in military sales had been approved. The U.S. defense bill boosts military spending to $895 billion and directs resources toward a more confrontational approach to China. It establishes a fund that could be used to send military resources to Taiwan in much the same way that the U.S. has backed Ukraine. It also expands a ban on U.S. military purchases of Chinese products ranging from drone technology to garlic for military commissaries. Zhang Xiaogang, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson, said earlier this week that the U.S. is hyping up the “so-called” threat from China to justify increased military spending. “U.S. military spending has topped the world and keeps increasing every year,” he said at a press conference. “This fully exposes the belligerent nature of the U.S. and its obsession with hegemony and expansion.” The Foreign Ministry statement said the U.S. moves violate agreements between the two countries on Taiwan, interfere in China’s domestic affairs and undermine the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Taiwan’s government said earlier this month that China had sent dozens of ships into nearby seas to practice a blockade of the island, a move that Taiwan said undermined peace and stability and disrupted international shipping and trade. China has not confirmed or commented on the reported military activity.
World News | PM Modi Reminisces About Historic Guyana Visit, Shares HighlightsExternal Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has called for a dynamic foreign policy geared towards a 'Viksit Bharat,' reflecting India's aspirations to become a developed nation by 2047. Speaking at the launch of India's World magazine, Jaishankar stressed that India's foreign policy must evolve in response to significant international changes, including intensified globalization and technological advancements. He urged a strategic, open approach, emphasizing the need for ambitious planning and adaptability as India seeks to expand its global footprint in an increasingly volatile world. (With inputs from agencies.)
It comes amid uncertainty about the future of the United States' own sixth-generation fighter initiative – known as the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Programme. Projected costs for each of the future US aircraft are estimated to reach hundreds of millions of dollars, and the Air Force in November decided to defer key decisions about the project's direction to the incoming Trump administration. CHINESE 6TH-GEN AIRCRAFT SOARS IN HISTORIC MAIDEN FLIGHT The cutting-edge aircraft model is named "White Emperor" (Baidi in Chinese) and has been developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of #China (AVIC) . As of now, no country has an operational... pic.twitter.com/OMQFlLKeKv — NexDef (@nex_def) December 26, 2024 The Chinese display of new military technology also follows criticism from Elon Musk – whom President-elect Donald Trump has tasked with advising on budget cuts – regarding the F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet programme, which has been saddled with faulty technology and cost overruns. Musk called the F-35 builders, Lockheed Martin, "idiots" and suggested that manned fighter jets should be replaced with drones. "It seems quite intentional that [the Chinese military] wanted us to see this aircraft flying. I would think personally that the timing on this is really curious because they're aware of this debate and it almost seems designed to influence that debate," said Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center. Amid uncertainty over the manned fighter project, Pentagon officials have said they want to create an unmanned "hellscape" of drones to defend Taiwan. "[China] might be more worried about the United States Air Force going in that direction," Grieco said. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on the... Cate Cadell
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World News | PM Modi Reminisces About Historic Guyana Visit, Shares HighlightsWild return to the ice rested and, they hope, a little healthierAP Sports SummaryBrief at 1:40 p.m. EST
Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. ( NYSE:PDM – Free Report ) by 72.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 148,046 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock after acquiring an additional 62,233 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Piedmont Office Realty Trust were worth $1,519,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Piedmont Office Realty Trust by 34.8% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 4,809 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,241 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in Piedmont Office Realty Trust by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 46,090 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $334,000 after buying an additional 1,311 shares during the last quarter. abrdn plc boosted its position in Piedmont Office Realty Trust by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. abrdn plc now owns 24,341 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $246,000 after buying an additional 1,366 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Piedmont Office Realty Trust by 51.3% in the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 4,916 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 1,666 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Piedmont Office Realty Trust by 15.1% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 12,772 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $129,000 after acquiring an additional 1,678 shares during the period. 84.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Piedmont Office Realty Trust from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Piedmont Office Realty Trust Stock Performance Shares of PDM stock opened at $8.81 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -14.21 and a beta of 1.20. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $9.61 and a 200 day moving average of $9.10. Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. has a 52 week low of $5.93 and a 52 week high of $11.11. The company has a quick ratio of 2.22, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. Piedmont Office Realty Trust ( NYSE:PDM – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by ($0.46). Piedmont Office Realty Trust had a negative net margin of 13.47% and a negative return on equity of 4.61%. The company had revenue of $139.29 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $143.56 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. will post 1.49 earnings per share for the current year. Piedmont Office Realty Trust Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.68%. Piedmont Office Realty Trust’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -80.65%. Piedmont Office Realty Trust Company Profile ( Free Report ) Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc (also referred to herein as "Piedmont" or the "Company") (NYSE: PDM) is an owner, manager, developer, redeveloper and operator of high-quality, Class A office properties located primarily in major U.S. Sunbelt markets. The Company is a fully-integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") with local management offices in each of its markets and is investment-grade rated by Standard & Poor's and Moody's. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PDM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. ( NYSE:PDM – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Piedmont Office Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Piedmont Office Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) authors on Friday announced a drive to ensure that the worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Mecca receive the best Zamzam water. The authority distributes 12,090 refrigerated containers and 4,556 non-refrigerated containers throughout the Grand Mosque, in addition to providing over 3 million cups, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The authority’s laboratory department verifies the quality and safety of Zamzam water by collecting 15 samples for laboratory testing using the latest devices and techniques in water analysis. The process aims to achieve the highest levels of quality and safety, ensuring that Zamzam water is provided to Umrah performers and worshippers at the Grand Mosque on Fridays. The Zamzam water goes to the worshippers at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque through several stages, taking into consideration the highest standards to preserve its quality, ensuring it reaches them in the best condition. The Zamzam well is located in Makkah al-Mukarramah, 21 meters east of Kaaba. It has an ancient history dating back to thousands of years. Being 30 meters deep, it holds a high spiritual value for Muslims who drink it, based on the hadiths of the Prophet saying that “Zamzam water is for what he drank.” Zamzam water is of great value to Muslims and they usually drink it in the hope of overall wellbeing. The water sourced from a well, is transported to the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque by pumping at 360 cubic meters per hour through two giant pumps. The water is then transported to the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Zamzam Water Project for storage, disinfection, and distribution to the Zamzam tank station and King Abdulaziz sabil station. It is transported using a network of 4 kilometres of stainless steel pipelines, equipped with air chambers, cleaning chambers, and control systems.