Earth Changes
WASHINGTON - Talk about animal magnetism, cows seem to have a built-in compass. No bull: Somehow, cattle seem to know how to find north and south, say researchers who studied satellite photos of thousands of cows around the world.
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Cat owners who feed their pets with fish are contributing to overfishing, which is threatening fish stocks worldwide, a scientist at an Australian university said.
Dr Giovanni Turchini of Deakin University said the global cat food industry each consumes 2.48 million metric tons of forage fish - small, rapidly breeding fish that are eaten by larger fish - each year.
The Scottish government has declared war on increasingly aggressive urban seagulls.
The initial battle will be joined in the southwestern town of Dumfries during next spring's breeding season when a special anti-gull "task force" will seek to destroy nests and drive out the birds.
The initial battle will be joined in the southwestern town of Dumfries during next spring's breeding season when a special anti-gull "task force" will seek to destroy nests and drive out the birds.
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A total of 19 giant panda cubs have been born in captivity in southwest China's Sichuan Province since the May 12 earthquake, state news agency Xinhua cited researchers as saying.
Zhang Zhihe, a leading national panda expert, said nine pandas were born in the devastated region of Wolong and 10 in the provincial capital, Chengdu. The cubs, including eight sets of twins, were born from July onwards.
Giant panda Guo Guo gave birth to twins in mid-July, becoming the first giant panda to give birth since the disaster, the agency said.
First came a deafening bang and an unnerving rattle, followed moments later by the distinctive smell of smoke.
Two homeowners in the Fishers area described identical experiences today hours after lightning strikes peppered property throughout the region.
Two homeowners in the Fishers area described identical experiences today hours after lightning strikes peppered property throughout the region.
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| ©John Tuohy / The Star |
| Michael Marcum, who lives in Fishers' Spyglass Falls neighborhood, examines a 5-by-5 foot hole today in his 15-year-old son's bedroom after firefighters extinguished a lightning-sparked fire at his home. |
Manila -- A 5.7-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of the Visayas and northern Mindanao of the Philippines on Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
A strong earthquake, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, has shaken the Hawke's Bay region.
GeoNet Science reports the quake, which struck at 11.25pm and was centred 10km southwest of Hastings could be felt over a large area.
GeoNet Science reports the quake, which struck at 11.25pm and was centred 10km southwest of Hastings could be felt over a large area.
New Delhi - A strong earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude struck Tibet on Monday, but no immediate loss of life was reported, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the tremor at 6.3 magnitude, centered near the China-Nepal border at a depth of 21.7 miles. The quake was felt in the Indian capital New Delhi, where witnesses said buildings swayed.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the tremor at 6.3 magnitude, centered near the China-Nepal border at a depth of 21.7 miles. The quake was felt in the Indian capital New Delhi, where witnesses said buildings swayed.
Lewiston, Maine - People worried about the high cost of keeping warm this winter will draw little comfort from the Farmers' Almanac, which predicts below-average temperatures for most of the U.S.
"Numb's the word," says the 192-year-old publication, which claims an accuracy rate of 80 to 85 percent for its forecasts that are prepared two years in advance.
The almanac's 2009 edition, which goes on sale Tuesday, says at least two-thirds of the country can expect colder-than-average temperatures this winter, with only the Far West and Southeast in line for near-normal readings.
"This is going to be catastrophic for millions of people," said almanac editor Peter Geiger.
The almanac predicts above-normal snowfall for the Great Lakes and Midwest, especially during January and February, and above-normal precipitation for the Southwest in December and for the Southeast in January and February. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions will likely have an unusually wet or snowy February, the almanac said.
In contrast, the usually wet Pacific Northwest could be a bit drier than normal in February.
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| ©AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach |
| Peter Geiger, editor of the Farmers' Almanac, poses outside his company in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008. The 192-year-old publication, which claims an accuracy rate of 80 to 85 percent for its forecasts that are prepared two years in advance is predicting below-average temperatures for most of the U.S. this coming winter. |
"Numb's the word," says the 192-year-old publication, which claims an accuracy rate of 80 to 85 percent for its forecasts that are prepared two years in advance.
The almanac's 2009 edition, which goes on sale Tuesday, says at least two-thirds of the country can expect colder-than-average temperatures this winter, with only the Far West and Southeast in line for near-normal readings.
"This is going to be catastrophic for millions of people," said almanac editor Peter Geiger.
The almanac predicts above-normal snowfall for the Great Lakes and Midwest, especially during January and February, and above-normal precipitation for the Southwest in December and for the Southeast in January and February. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions will likely have an unusually wet or snowy February, the almanac said.
In contrast, the usually wet Pacific Northwest could be a bit drier than normal in February.
Tornadoes touched down just outside Denver amid stormy weather on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, the US National Weather Service said.
The service issued tornado warnings for four counties immediately south and east of Denver, but not for the city itself.
"Numerous trained weather spotters reported several tornadoes between Parker and Castle Rock," two towns south of Denver, the National Weather Service said in a bulletin.
It reported a large tornado in southern Arapahoe county, east of Denver, at 5:47 pm (2347 GMT).
Local television channel KUSA showed a huge funnel cloud touching ground in relative open country around Parker, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of downtown Denver.
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| ©Jeff Smith |
The service issued tornado warnings for four counties immediately south and east of Denver, but not for the city itself.
"Numerous trained weather spotters reported several tornadoes between Parker and Castle Rock," two towns south of Denver, the National Weather Service said in a bulletin.
It reported a large tornado in southern Arapahoe county, east of Denver, at 5:47 pm (2347 GMT).
Local television channel KUSA showed a huge funnel cloud touching ground in relative open country around Parker, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of downtown Denver.
