News OF THE world
AUSTRALIA
Millions of Australian vineyards are being destroyed amid a wine glut, and tens of millions more will have to be ripped out as farmers try to rein in overproduction.
Falling consumption of wine worldwide has hit particularly hard Down Under, threatening the livelihoods of growers and wine makers. Global production hit a 60-year low last year but the glut is persisting as demand plummets.
ENGLAND
Seedlings from the rescued seeds and twigs of the famed Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland have sprouted.
England’s 2016 “tree of the year” was mysteriously chopped down in September in an apparent act of vandalism. A National Trust conservation team cultivated about 45 seedlings from the site near Hadrian’s Wall, and now green shoots are poking up from the soil.
The location is one of the most photographed in the country and was featured in the 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.”
MOROCCO
Morocco is closing its famous public baths three days a week amid a years-long drought. The need to conserve water comes as the country’s reservoirs are shrinking and less rain is falling.
Restrictions will also be placed on car washes but some want to see more rations in high-end hotels and among the agriculture industry, which soaks up much of the country’s water.
THAILAND
Thai customs officials arrested six people headed for Mumbai with 87 different wild animals packed in their luggage. Lizards, birds, snakes, a cotton-top tamarin monkey and a red panda were among the Indian nationals’ checked baggage at a Bangkok airport.
Thailand is a major hub for illegal wildlife smuggling, with species being sold primarily in China and Vietnam but increasingly trafficked to India in recent years.
PANAMA
Water levels in the Panama Canal are the second-lowest they have been in 110 years. A lack of rain and the El Nino weather phenomenon have contributed to an historically dry year.
Water-saving measures have been implemented but mean 33% fewer ships can pass through the trade hub each day, from 36 to 24.