Earth Changes
WE ARE consuming the Earth's resources faster than they can be replenished, at least according to US think tank Global Footprint Network. It declared 9 October "overshoot day" - the point in each year when our ecological allowance for that year is spent.
Sitting at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the ancient city of Istanbul has seen thousands of years of trade, battles and invasions. Now it is the scene of one of the most audacious engineering projects in the world.
The Marmaray Rail Tube Tunnel, due to open in 2010, will not only be the deepest underwater tunnel ever constructed. It willalso pass within 16 kilometres of one of the most active geological faults in the world. A major earthquake is not only expected, but imminent. No wonder the Turkish government is calling it the project of the century.
The Marmaray Rail Tube Tunnel, due to open in 2010, will not only be the deepest underwater tunnel ever constructed. It willalso pass within 16 kilometres of one of the most active geological faults in the world. A major earthquake is not only expected, but imminent. No wonder the Turkish government is calling it the project of the century.
THE upper layers of Earth's oceans have cooled significantly over the past two years, even though the planet as a whole is warming up. While this may just be part of the natural variation of oceans, climatologists are still confounded by the massive, unaccountable loss of heat.
For about a decade now, cosmic rays have been thought to affect the formation of clouds, but no one had come up with any evidence for an exact mechanism. Now, a Danish experiment has shown that subatomic debris created when these high-energy particles collide with the atmosphere could be behind some of our cloud cover.
HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle issued a disaster declaration for the entire state about four hours after a strong earthquake rumbled throughout its Big Island at 7:07 a.m. (1:07 p.m. ET) Sunday.
The quake knocked out power at many homes across the island chain and caused at least one landslide on a major roadway on the island of Hawaii, known as the Big Island, according to Hawaii's KITV. Officials said a state of emergency had been declared on the Big Island.
Authorities told KITV they have not received news of any fatalities from the strong quake, which was measured by the National Earthquake Information Center as 6.6 in magnitude.
The quake knocked out power at many homes across the island chain and caused at least one landslide on a major roadway on the island of Hawaii, known as the Big Island, according to Hawaii's KITV. Officials said a state of emergency had been declared on the Big Island.
Authorities told KITV they have not received news of any fatalities from the strong quake, which was measured by the National Earthquake Information Center as 6.6 in magnitude.
South Africa has invited experts of the World health Organization (WHO) to brainstorm on a virulent strain of tuberculosis that has claimed 70 lives, local media inform Friday.
Such encounter, scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday on Johannesburg, aims at finding a formula to fight multi-drug resistant (MDR) and the extremely-drug resistant (XDR) tuberculosis.
Such encounter, scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday on Johannesburg, aims at finding a formula to fight multi-drug resistant (MDR) and the extremely-drug resistant (XDR) tuberculosis.
The Brazilian electoral campaign continues Friday with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at10 percent more votes than social-democrat Geraldo Alckmin.
However, most refrain from opinion because results may still change two weeks before the elections on October 29.
However, most refrain from opinion because results may still change two weeks before the elections on October 29.
Hugo Rafael Chavez Fr
ST. ANDREWS (Reuters) - Britain and Ireland put the final touches on Friday to their own plans for reviving Northern Ireland's assembly after three days of talks were set to end without a deal between pro-British and pro-Irish parties.
Hardliners are deadlocked over who should compromise first to get the power-sharing administration back up and running.
Hardliners are deadlocked over who should compromise first to get the power-sharing administration back up and running.
The European Commission ordered France on Thursday to change a law that steps up protection against company takeovers from abroad because of concerns it may block investors from other EU countries.
"The commission is concerned that some of the provisions of this decree could discourage investment from other member states, in contradiction with EU ... rules on the free movement of capital and the right of establishment," it said in a statement.
"The commission is concerned that some of the provisions of this decree could discourage investment from other member states, in contradiction with EU ... rules on the free movement of capital and the right of establishment," it said in a statement.
