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Eyeing the Stars: Ethiopia's Space Programme

High above the crowded streets of Addis Ababa, among fields where farmers lead oxen dragging wooden ploughs, sits Ethiopia's space program.

Perched on the top of the 3,200-meter (10,500-foot) high Mount Entoto, two metal domes house telescopes, each a meter in diameter.

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Micro-Sensors Stuck to Honey Bees to Help Solve Mass Deaths

Australian scientists revealed Tuesday they are using micro-sensors attached to honey bees as part of a global push to understand the key factors driving a worldwide population decline of the pollinators.

There has been a sharp plunge in the population of honey bees, which pollinate about 70 percent of global crops, or one-third of food that humans eat including fruits and vegetables, raising fears over food security.

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U.S. Zoo: Newborn Panda Twins Vocal, 'Very, Very Active'

Twin cubs born to a rare giant panda called Mei Xiang were doing well Sunday, vocal and "very, very active" after the surprise back-to-back births at the Smithsonian National Zoo, her handlers said.

The cubs were successfully swapped out early Sunday after being closely monitored through the night by experts concerned about their mother's ability to care for both offspring at the same time.

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Mexico Says it is Committed to Reducing Sea Turtle Deaths

Mexico is objecting to a U.S. decision to negatively certify it for not doing enough to reduce the deaths of endangered sea turtles in fishing nets.

Mexico said it "regrets" the U.S. decision, which could lead to a ban on some Mexican sea products if it doesn't bring protections up to U.S. standards.

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Australians Set Stargazing Record

An Australian university said Saturday it had set a world record for the most people stargazing from one place, with hundreds of professional and amateur astronomers turning to the heavens.

Organizer Brad Tucker said more than 1,800 people were officially counted as having taken part in the event at the Australian National University campus in Canberra on Friday evening, after initially forecast poor weather held off.

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It's a Titi! New Monkey Species Found in Peru

For nearly a century the carcass of a small, reddish-brown monkey from South America gathered dust in a windowless backroom of the American Natural History Museum in New York City.

Like a morgue corpse in a drawer with the wrong toe tag, it was a victim of mistaken identity. No one realized during all those years that it was, in fact, a specimen of an unknown species.

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U.S. Scientists: World Breaks New Heat Records in July

The world broke new heat records in July, marking the hottest month in history and the warmest first seven months of the year since modern record-keeping began in 1880, US authorities said Thursday.

The findings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed a troubling trend, as the planet continues to warm due to the burning of fossil fuels, and scientists expect the scorching temperatures to get worse.

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Human 'super-predators' should change hunting, fishing habits

Humans are super-predators that upset the natural balance on Earth by killing far too many adult animals and fish, scientists said Thursday, urging a focus on catching fewer and smaller creatures.

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Marksmen Kill Endangered Species in New Zealand Bird Cull

A bird cull on a New Zealand island has been abruptly halted after marksmen killed four rare takahe, an endangered species with only 300 known to exist, officials said Friday.

The deaths were "deeply disappointing", Conservation Department director Andrew Baucke said in a statement. 

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Greenpeace Demands Swiss Shut World's Oldest Nuclear Plant

Greenpeace said Thursday it had launched legal action to demand that Switzerland shut down Beznau, the world's oldest commercial nuclear plant, for security reasons.

The plant, located in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau, near the German border, has been running for 46 years.

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