Astronauts could stop burning underwear in Nasa plans to make first space detergentSam MeadowsNovember 27, 2020·2 min readThe International Space Station seen from space – NasaThe International Space Station seen from space – NasaAstronauts could stop burning their underwear every three days in space in a move that could revolutionise washing on Earth.Nasa, the American space agency, has signed an agreement with consumer goods firm Procter and Gamble to develop the first laundry detergenor washing clothes in space, according to a report in the New Scientist.Scroll to continue with contentAdAvocado Organic Latex MattressNo washing machine has been developed for use in zero-gravity and currently astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) wear their clothes for “as long as it is tolerable to the crew based on smell and crustiness”, according to a Nasa report from 2013.This is typically three days for underwear and a week or two for other items. After this point they are either returned to Earth to be scrapped or ejected into space to burn up in the atmosphere.The Space Agreement Act, which was signed in August, will see the firm develop systems for cleaning clothes on the station which will reportedly use little-to-no water and could even harness the vacuum of space.The Agreement states that it will “provide additional benefits to humanity”, suggesting that the “low-toxicity” detergents or reduced water usage could have applications on our planet.The New Scientist quoted Bergita Ganse, a space expert at Manchester Metropolitan University, as saying that the energy and water used by washing machines would cause “big issues” on the ISS.She added: “It would also have to be isolated from the rest of the ISS to avoid vibration problems.”A Nasa spokesman told the magazine: “We are conducting studies on what a laundry strategy would look like in space, starting with a base on the moon or Mars, where we would benefit from a partial gravity environment.”
Fifteen pro-democracy lawmakers resigned this month in protest at China’s new rules
China has strongly rebuked the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada after being accused of a concerted effort to silence critics in Hong Kong.
The countries, which form the Five Eyes alliance, criticised China’s imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman responded that if countries “dared harm China’s sovereignty, they should beware that their eyes could be blinded”.
“The Chinese never stir trouble , but they aren’t afraid of trouble either,” Zhao Lijian told journalists in Beijing on Thursday, saying it did not “matter if they had five or 10 eyes”.
Last week, Hong Kong expelled four pro-democracy lawmakers from its legislature after Beijing passed a resolution allowing the city’s government to dismiss politicians deemed a threat to national security.
The dismissal of the four lawmakers was viewed by many as the latest attempt by China to restrict Hong Kong’s freedoms, something Beijing denies.
Foreign ministers from the Five Eyes group urged China to reinstate them, saying the move was a clear breach of Beijing’s legally binding commitments to protect the territory’s freedoms and autonomy.
They also accused Beijing of undermining the rights of people in Hong Kong to elect their representatives.
Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing alliance of the five Anglophone countries set up during the Cold War and initially developed to monitor the USSR and its allies.
Tension over Hong Kong’s national security law
Earlier, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong said any attempt by foreign states to threaten or pressure Beijing to make concessions was “doomed to fail”.
Hong Kong was returned to China under the “one country, two systems” principle, which allowed it to retain more rights and freedoms than the mainland until 2047.
As a Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong was to have its own legal system, multiple political parties, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech.
But in late June China passed a controversial, far-reaching national security law in the territory after years of pro-democracy and anti-Beijing protests, which reduced Hong Kong’s autonomy and made it easier to punish demonstrators. It criminalises “secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces”.
Beijing says the law will return stability to the territory, but western governments and human rights groups say it effectively curtails freedom of speech and protest. After the law was introduced, a number of pro-democracy groups disbanded out of fears for their safety.
Earlier this month, a reporter who helped investigate suspected police involvement in a violent attack on protesters last year was arrested, in what journalists said was a tactic to discourage reporting.Story continueshttps://s.yimg.com/rq/darla/4-6-0/html/r-sf.html
Products burn at a supermarket Carrefour in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 20, 2020 on Black Consciousness Day during a protest against racism.Products burn at a supermarket Carrefour in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 20, 2020 on Black Consciousness Day during a protest against racism.Sao Paulo (CNN)Brazilians outraged by the death of a Black man after being beaten by supermarket security guards have been protesting in major cities across the country, chanting a phrase familiar to Americans: “I can’t breathe.”Security camera footage from a Carrefour supermarket in the southern city of Porto Alegre obtained by the Brazilian news program Fantástico shows two security guards escorting João Alberto Silveira Freitas out of the store on November 19. Freitas, for reasons unclear, appears to punch one of the men.The guards then beat him, including with blows to his head, knocking him to the ground and pinning him face-down with a security guard’s knee bearing into his back and neck. After several minutes immobilized by the guard, during which numerous shoppers, employees and other guards appear to stand by as Freitas moans and struggles, he stops moving.The police chief investigating the killing said Freitas appeared to have died from suffocation, according to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil. A preliminary analysis by the state’s General Institute of Forensics said the death was due to asphyxiation, the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported. Freitas’ father has called the death a “murder” in interview with CNN Brasil and demanded justice.Read MoreNews for you’Saturday Night Live’ returns with Jason Bateman hostingPresidential pardon investigation involves Kushner lawyer and GOP lobbyist, sources sayPelosi defiant over handling of stimulus: Rejecting previous Republican proposals was ‘not a mistake’Building a Cabinet that looks like America is harder than it looksPentagon and Veterans Affairs preparing to get and administer Covid vaccineRudy Giuliani erupts over Michigan lawmaker’s pardon questionPAID CONTENT54 Rare Historic Photos That You Probably Haven’t Seen Before54 Rare Historic Photos That You Probably Haven’t Seen BeforeSponsored: DefinitionLast Week Highlights30/11 MONThe Black battalion that rescued Tony Blinken’s stepfatherThe Black battalion that rescued Tony Blinken’s stepfatherThe Wuhan filesThe Wuhan filesAssassinated Iranian nuclear scientist shot with remote-controlled machine gun, news agency saysAssassinated Iranian nuclear scientist shot with remote-controlled machine gun, news agency says05/12 SATVirat Kohli put the birth of his first child before cricket. That sends a strong message to Indian men about fatherhoodVirat Kohli put the birth of his first child before cricket. That sends a strong message to Indian men about fatherhoodExpect big things from Kamala HarrisExpect big things from Kamala HarrisIs it safe to visit family, friends? Here’s what health experts sayIs it safe to visit family, friends? Here’s what health experts say04/12 FRIMike Pence is going to put the seal on Donald Trump’s defeatMike Pence is going to put the seal on Donald Trump’s defeatAs white sharks gather in Monterey Bay, scientists grab the chance to study them up closeAs white sharks gather in Monterey Bay, scientists grab the chance to study them up closePamela Brown: ‘It felt like I never had a bigger enemy to fight’Pamela Brown: ‘It felt like I never had a bigger enemy to fight’03/12 THUThe UAE and Israel’s whirlwind honeymoon has gone beyond normalizationThe UAE and Israel’s whirlwind honeymoon has gone beyond normalizationThe day I woke up to find my industry had vanishedThe day I woke up to find my industry had vanishedJustin Trudeau didn’t foresee this potentially catastrophic political crisisJustin Trudeau didn’t foresee this potentially catastrophic political crisis02/12 WEDFor Joe Biden, a key challenge in Central AmericaFor Joe Biden, a key challenge in Central AmericaChina has promised millions of coronavirus vaccines to countries globally. And it is ready to deliver themChina has promised millions of coronavirus vaccines to countries globally. And it is ready to deliver themTeeth reveal details about a Neanderthal who fell down a wellTeeth reveal details about a Neanderthal who fell down a well01/12 TUEBiden’s genius moveBiden’s genius moveTo win in 2020 and beyond, Democrats need to face 1990s truthsTo win in 2020 and beyond, Democrats need to face 1990s truthsChina lands probe on surface of the moon and collects lunar soilChina lands probe on surface of the moon and collects lunar soil30/11 MONThe Black battalion that rescued Tony Blinken’s stepfatherThe Black battalion that rescued Tony Blinken’s stepfatherThe Wuhan filesThe Wuhan filesAssassinated Iranian nuclear scientist shot with remote-controlled machine gun, news agency saysAssassinated Iranian nuclear scientist shot with remote-controlled machine gun, news agency says05/12 SATVirat Kohli put the birth of his first child before cricket. That sends a strong message to Indian men about fatherhoodVirat Kohli put the birth of his first child before cricket. That sends a strong message to Indian men about fatherhoodExpect big things from Kamala HarrisExpect big things from Kamala HarrisIs it safe to visit family, friends? Here’s what health experts sayIs it safe to visit family, friends? Here’s what health experts sayMan Who Predicted 2020 Crash Says “Now Is The Time”Sponsored: TheLegacyReport.comBodies of rich man and slave discovered within Pompeii ruinsBodies of rich man and slave discovered within Pompeii ruinsBodies of rich man and slave discovered within Pompeii ruinsCNNBuildings collapse in Arlington, Texas, as severe storms cause major damage….
North Korean hackers suspected of targeting vaccine maker AstraZeneca in cyberattack, Reuters reportsBy Nada Bashir, Chris Liakos, Yoonjung Seo, Sophie Jeong and Angus Watson, CNN
Trump blasts georgia governor ahead senate runoff rally diamond dnt lead vpx_00000730Trump heads to Georgia as attacks on officials continuePelosi defends her handling of stimulus: ‘Not a mistake’Krebs responds to Trump lawyer’s threat: We’ll talk in courtA shopper wears a face mask and he walks past a store displaying a hiring sign in Wheeling, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020. More than 65,000 unemployment claims were filed statewide last week due to COVID-19 in Illinois. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)US job recovery continues to slowPublic school enrollment plummets during pandemicJewish doctor opens up about treating patient with Nazi tattoosKamala Harris: ‘I will be a full partner’ with Joe BidenSAN FERNANDO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 2: A healthcare worker holds a specimen bag at a walk-up Covid-19 testing site on December 2, 2020 in San Fernando, California. California reported 20,759 new coronavirus cases today, a one-day record for the state, amid a new limited stay-at-home order in Los Angeles County. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)California issues stay-at-home order to battle Covid-19 surgeBiden will ask Americans to wear masks for his first 100 daysIn this undated photo issued by the University of Oxford, a researcher in a laboratory at the Jenner Institute in Oxford, England, works on the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Monday Nov. 23, 2020, that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90% effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of its rivals. (University of Oxford/John Cairns via AP)
Shenmue Anime Announced for Crunchyroll and Adult Swim
By Matt T.M. Kim
During the digital Crunchyroll Expo, the anime streaming company announced it is teaming up with Adult swim to produce an anime adaptation of Shenmue.Shenmue will be a 13 episode series is based on the video game franchise where protagonist Ryo Hazuki sets out to get revenge for his father’s murder. The beloved Sega video game series became a cult classic for its slice-of-life storytelling and fleshed out world.Crunchyroll and Adult Swim are also working with the game’s creator Yu Suzuki, who will serve as executive producer.”The world of Shenmue is Fascinating and unique and we are so excited to partner with Yu Suzuki to bring his epic creation to anime – and make kick-ass martial art epic!,” said Adult Swim vice president Jason DeMarco in a statement.Sakurai Chikara (season two of One Punch Man) will direct the Shenmue series animated by Telecom Animation Film. The series will stream on Crunchyroll and air on Adult Swim.
The plot for the anime appears to mirror the story of the Shenmue video game series. Spanning three games Shenmue 3 was officially released in 2019, almost 20 years after the second game. Read IGN’s Shenmue 3 review here.Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.Was this article informative?YESNOIn This ArticleShenmue: The AnimationSummary:Shenmue: The Animation is an anime adaptation of the classic video game franchise.Franchises:ShenmueGenres:Action, AnimePlatforms:On-DemandNetworks:Crunchyroll, Adult SwimRelease Date:TBA 2021
Why are a bunch of soccer stars rebelling against the FIFA video game?
Leander SchaerlaeckensLeander Schaerlaecke
November 25, 2020·4 min
What?Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s tweet came entirely out of the blue. We were all still busy marveling about the fact that at 39 the Swedish superstar remains capable of dragging teams into title contention all by himself. On Sunday, this staggering durability had manifested itself in two of AC Milan’s three goals in a victory over Serie A rivals Napoli.And then.Scroll to continue with contentAdUpgrade with like-new favoritesThen, Wales and Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale chimed in.“What is FIFPro?”What?- ADVERTISEMENT -Surely both men know FIFPro is the global union of soccer players. Ibrahimovic and Bale have both been named to FIFPro’s prestigious World XI team five times. Equally absurd is the notion that they didn’t know that their images were used in the video game mega-franchise FIFA by EA Sports, which has sold almost 300 million copies over its three-decade lifespan. Players publicly obsess over the ratings ascribed to them by the game. Bale was even featured on its cover. Ibrahimovic has posed specifically for several promotions for the video game.Per The Athletic, lots of other well-known players are planning to follow suit. While FIFA and FIFPro claim to have a mandate to license the players’ image rights to EA Sports for the purposes of the game, players are now suddenly refuting that claim en masse.So what’s going on here?According to The Guardian, the players are pursuing potential proceeds from licensing fees that they feel entitled to. But Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, may have given up the game in a quote that he gave to the paper.“At the moment, the players don’t get paid,” he told The Guardian. “Our big gripe is that FIFA are coming out with lots of rules and regulations saying that they are looking after the best interests of players but obviously they don’t.”Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suddenly pressuring FIFPro to investigate image rights related to the FIFA video games. But there might be a seedy reason behind it.Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suddenly pressuring FIFPro to investigate image rights related to the FIFA video games. But there might be a seedy reason behind it. (Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty Images)MoreIt isn’t at all clear how the two things are related; what, exactly, the players not getting a cut from EA Sports has to do with new FIFA rules and regulations. Because image rights of star players are complex, and lots of them are covered by the contracts they sign directly with their clubs. Those clubs, in turn, tend to negotiate contracts for the depiction of their entire teams with video games and such….Story continues at Yahoo.com
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Legislators from Taiwan’s main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party threw pig guts and exchanged punches with other lawmakers in parliament on Friday as they tried to stop the premier taking questions, in a bitter dispute over easing U.S. pork imports.
President Tsai Ing-wen announced in August that the government would, from Jan. 1, allow imports of U.S. pork containing ractopamine, an additive that enhances leanness but is banned in the European Union and China, as well as U.S. beef more than 30 months old.
While welcomed in Washington, and removing a roadblock to a long sought after U.S. free trade deal for Taiwan, the KMT has strongly opposed the decision, tapping into public concern about food safety after several high-profile scandals in recent years.
Since the latest session of parliament began in mid-September the KMT has protested against the pork decision by blocking Premier Su Tseng-chang from delivering regular reports and taking questions by occupying the podium where he speaks.
Fed up with the paralysis, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) decided they were going to ensure Su could speak on Friday, and formed a protective barrier around him as he made his way in, as KMT lawmakers blew whistles, held banners and sounded air horns.
As Su began speaking, KMT lawmakers threw buckets of pig guts his way, and some exchanged blows, with a short but vicious encounter between a group of KMT legislators and Chen Po-wei from the small Taiwan Statebuilding Party.
Su soon withdrew, but later got back up to try and take questions, his words drowned out by KMT lawmakers.
The DPP condemned the protests, saying in a statement the throwing of the pig guts was a waste of food that “stank up” the parliament floor and was “disgusting”, calling for a return to rational debate.
The KMT says the pork decision has been rushed through and is a health threat, charges the DPP denies.
“In order to protect people’s health and protect the bottom line of food safety, the opposition party cannot but resist,” the KMT said of Friday’s protest.
Taiwan is a rambunctious democracy and fighting is not uncommon in parliament.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)In this article
California will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks in 15 years, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday, establishing a timeline in the nation’s most populous state that could force U.S. automakers to shift their zero-emission efforts into overdrive.
The plan won’t stop people from owning gas-powered cars or selling them on the used car market. But in 2035 it would end the sale of all new such vehicles in the state of nearly 40 million people that accounts for more than one out of every 10 new cars sold in the U.S.https://3e32f638725522a94542e437214c71c9.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html?n=0Advertisement
California would be the first state with such a mandate while at least 15 other countries have already made similar commitments, including Germany, France and Norway.
Newsom used the hood of a red, electric-powered Ford Mustang Mach-E to sign an executive order directing state regulators to develop new regulations to meet the deadline. He urged Californians to “pull away from the gas pumps” and encouraged other states to join California for the good of the environment and public health.
“If you want to reduce asthma, if you want to mitigate the rise of sea level, if you want to mitigate a loss of ice sheets around the globe, then this is a policy for other states to follow,” Newsom said.
While environmental groups cheered the announcement, the oil industry panned it and the automakers’ industry group sought a middle ground, saying it’s committed to increasing zero-emission vehicles but through cooperation among governments and businesses, not by mandates.
Meantime, White House spokesman Judd Deere said flatly: “President Trump won’t stand for it.” And Larry Kudlow, Trump’s economic adviser, labeled it a “very extreme” position that he doesn’t think other states will follow.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign didn’t comment directly on Newsom’s plan. But spokesman Matt Hill said Biden believes electric vehicles can create “good-paying union jobs, dominate a fast-growing market worldwide, and meet the demands of the climate crisis.”
Tailpipe exhaust from cars, pickups, tractor-trailer rigs and other transportation are the single largest source of air pollution, and California has by far the most cars on the road than any other state.
In 2017, the federal government said California emitted 266.5 million tons (241.8 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide from the burning of petroleum. That’s about the same as the total emissions from Egypt, which has 2.5 times the population.
Newsom says his order will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35%. But he stressed the benefits went beyond the environment, saying electric cars and trucks are “the next big global industry and California wants to dominate it.”
California is already home to 34 electric vehicle manufacturers – including Tesla, the world’s top-selling maker – and accounts for about half of all electric vehicle sales in the U.S.
Some auto industry analysts warned the timeline could be too fast for technology to catch up to customer’s expectations. Battery life and manufacturing costs are still issues that haven’t been resolved, said IHS Markit principal analyst Stephanie Brinley, who studies the North and South American auto markets.
On Tuesday, Tesla announced plans for cheaper batteries with higher energy density, but they are well into the future, she said.
“Even if you get a battery like Tesla is talking about, it’s going to take time and money to get there,” Brinley said.
Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at the Edmunds.com auto pricing site, said Newsom’s announcement “does seem like this is a significant shot fired against” the internal combustion engine that is likely to trigger high-level meetings at all the auto companies, which were moving toward electric vehicles but didn’t expect a zero-emissions mandate in 15 years.
Ford Motor Company said it agreed with Newsom that it’s time to take action to address climate change. But the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents Ford and most other automakers, said markets can’t be built with mandates and bans.
The oil and gas industry, meanwhile, criticized Newsom for holding a news conference on Wednesday in front of nearly $200,000 worth of electric cars “as he told Californians that their reliable and affordable cars and trucks would soon be unwelcome in our state.”
“Big and bold ideas are only better if they are affordable for us all,” said Cathy Reheis-Boyd, president of the Western States Petroleum Association. “Our industry and the energy we provide will be the part of any solution.”
Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources board tasked with writing regulations for the plan, said electric vehicles will be more affordable in 15 years and everyone will benefit from cleaner air.
California already has some of the most progressive climate laws in the country, putting it at odds with the Trump administration and it’s more relaxed regulatory approach to environmental policy. The federal government has tried to end California’s authority to set emission standards for cars and trucks, a move the state is fighting in court.
About a dozen states follow California’s lead on auto emissions standards that are more restrictive than federal rules. If those states follow suit on zero-emission vehicles, it could have a huge impact on the U.S. automobile industry.
Governors from many of those states appeared with Newsom at an event on Wednesday sponsored by the U.S. Climate Alliance. They praised California’s move, but they gave no immediate indication they would join it.
“We’re going to be with you, the auto industry is going to be with you, as we move to zero emissions vehicles,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said.
Newsom’s order on Wednesday also targeted medium and heavy duty commercial trucks, saying he wants those to be 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2045 “where feasible.”
On the oil production side, Newsom called on the state Legislature to end new fracking licenses by 2024. Fracking is a technique that allows energy companies to extract huge volumes of oil and gas from shale rock deep underground. It involves injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sand or gravel and chemicals into rock. Fracking opponents says the chemicals involved threaten water supplies and public health.
“Newsom can’t claim climate leadership while handing out permits to oil companies to drill and frack,” said Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute. “He has the power to protect Californians from oil industry pollution, and he needs to use it, not pass the buck.”Advertisement
