China-India energy rivalry in spotlight as Modi visits Nepal
KATHMANDU, August 2, 2014 (AFP) – Energy will be high on the agenda when India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Nepal on Sunday, eager to …
Environment
Giant crater in Russia’s far north sparks mystery
MOSCOW, July 26, 2014 (AFP) – A vast crater discovered in a remote region of Siberia known to locals as “the end of the world” is causing a …
Flipkart battles Amazon for India e-shopping dominance
NEW DELHI, June 4, 2014 (AFP) – India’s online retailers are bulking up on acquisitions and funding as they battle the world’s biggest …
Extinct bat found in Papua New Guinea
SYDNEY, June 4, 2014 (AFP) – A big-eared bat which was thought to be extinct has been found in a forest in Papua New Guinea, highlighting the unique …
13 dead as rains lash Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, June 2, 2014 (AFP) – Unusually heavy monsoon rains have flooded Sri Lanka’s capital and neighbouring districts where mudslides killed at …
Sri Lanka elephants migrate from Canada to US
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2014 (AFP) – Three female Asian elephants took up residence at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington on Friday after a …
Fossils of ‘largest’ dinosaur found in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, May 17, 2014 (AFP) – Paleontologists in Argentina’s remote Patagonia region have discovered fossils of what may be the largest …
Preglacial landscape found deep under Greenland ice
WASHINGTON, April 18, 2014 (AFP) – US geologists said Thursday they have uncovered a preglacial tundra landscape preserved for 2.7 million years far …
Morning light could be secret to healthy weight
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2014 (AFP) – Being slimmer could be as simple as waking up early for some morning sunshine, US researchers suggested on Wednesday. …
UN’s IPCC issues dire warnings amid 15-year pause in global warming
Mar 31, 2014 (LBO) – A UN panel on climate change has warned of dire consequences ranging from hunger to war from climate change amid a 15 year plus …
Sri Lanka monk demands capture of wild elephants for temples
COLOMBO, March 26, 2014 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk led a procession of elephants Wednesday, demanding authorities capture wild pachyderms from …
India minister asks people to vote twice
NEW DELHI, March 24, 2014 (AFP) – An Indian cabinet minister found himself at the centre of a vote-rigging row Monday, after he asked supporters to vote …
Python’s homing trick stuns scientists
PARIS, March 19, 2014 (AFP) – The Burmese python has a built-in compass that allows it to slither home in a near-straight line even if released dozens of …
Sri Lanka capital to get wetland and beach parks
Mar 11, 2014 (LBO) – Wetland’s in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo will be preserved and a educational wetland park is also being built, under a …
E-cigarette use linked to higher smoking odds
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2014 (AFP) – E-cigarette use among US youths doubled in just one year, and those who tried the unregulated devices were more likely …
Spain’s farmland returns to the wild
CAMPANARIOS DE AZABA, March 6, 2014 (AFP) – In an oak wood spanning the border of Spain and Portugal, an ancient sight unfolds: wild horses, not saddled …
Los Angeles bans e-cigarettes in public places
LOS ANGELES, March 5, 2014 (AFP) – Los Angeles lawmakers voted Tuesday to ban e-cigarette use in public places where tobacco smoking is prohibited, …
Modern cigarettes more dangerous than ever: US health report
WASHINGTON, January 17, 2014 (AFP) – Smoking cigarettes can cause even more health problems than lung cancer, including blindness, diabetes, erectile …
Rescue underway for Russian ship trapped by Antarctic ice
SYDNEY, December 26, 2013 (AFP) – Three icebreaking ships were Thursday hurrying to reach a Russian vessel carrying 74 people on a scientific expedition …
Neanderthals cared for elder, burial site shows
WASHINGTON, December 17, 2013 (AFP) – New findings at an old Neanderthal burial ground in France have bolstered the notion that cavemen cared for their …