Australia floods fail to dampen big cotton crop
By James Regan SYDNEY | Tue Feb 7, 2012 1:03am EST SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s projections for a bumper cotton crop remain on track despite a week-long deluge in major growing regions that forced thousands of residents from their homes and left rivers dangerously swollen. Australia is the world’s third-largest cotton and sugar exporter, fourth-largest [...]
Nepal’s vulture "restaurants" for endangered birds
By Gopal Sharma PITHAULI, Nepal | Tue Feb 7, 2012 6:12am EST PITHAULI, Nepal (Reuters) – In the village of Pithauli, surrounded by ripening mustard fields, a woman hauls a cow carcass on a trolley, drops it in an open field, then runs and hides in a nearby hut as dozens of vultures swoop down. [...]
Australian floods force thousands from their homes
By Rebekah Kebede PERTH | Sun Feb 5, 2012 11:40pm EST PERTH (Reuters) – Thousands of Australians were forced from their homes on Monday because of floods that have risen to record levels in some areas and killed one person, and authorities issued warnings for more than a dozen rivers in Queensland and New South [...]
Chinese airlines are complying with carbon scheme: EU
BRUSSELS | Mon Feb 6, 2012 6:52am EST BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union is confident Chinese airlines will comply with its law forcing them to pay for carbon emissions on flights in and out of EU airports, a Commission spokesman said on Monday. China earlier said it was barring its airlines from participating in [...]
Romania rescues children as Europe’s freeze deepens
By Ioana Patran BUCHAREST | Fri Feb 3, 2012 6:53pm EST BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Nine Romanian children were taken into care after a baby died in an unheated house, joining at least 189 others killed by a Siberian front which strengthened its hold over Eastern Europe on Friday and spread further west. Temperatures plummeted to [...]
Europe’s cold snap claims more victims, travel hit
By Richard Balmforth and Michael Holden KIEV/LONDON | Sun Feb 5, 2012 6:41am EST KIEV/LONDON (Reuters) – Bitterly cold weather sweeping across Europe claimed more victims on Sunday and brought widespread disruption to transport services, with warnings that the chilling temperatures would remain into next week. Hundreds have lost their lives in eastern Europe as [...]
Canada, Alberta seek to assuage oil sands critics
By Jeffrey Jones and Scott Haggett CALGARY, Alberta | Fri Feb 3, 2012 6:07pm EST CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – Canada will set up a new environmental monitoring system for the northern Alberta oil sands as it seeks to fend off harsh international criticism following revelations that oversight of the huge petroleum development has been insufficient. [...]
Bill would block export of Keystone fuels
By Ayesha Rascoe WASHINGTON | Fri Feb 3, 2012 5:02pm EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats unveiled legislation on Friday that would block export of any oil transported by the Keystone XL pipeline, as they challenged claims that the delayed project would boost U.S. energy security. TransCanada’s $7 billion Keystone pipeline has become a political lightning [...]
Somali regions no longer famine stricken: U.N.
By Katy Migiro NAIROBI | Fri Feb 3, 2012 2:00am EST NAIROBI (Reuters) – An exceptional harvest after good rains and food deliveries by aid agencies have ended famine in Somalia although conditions remain fragile and could worsen, the United Nations said on Friday. The U.N. declared famine in two parts of southern Somalia last [...]
Villagers scramble for fuel in Europe’s big chill
By Marton Dunai FARKASLYUK, Hungary | Thu Feb 2, 2012 4:21pm EST FARKASLYUK, Hungary (Reuters) – Hungarian villagers were scavenging for coal with their bare hands on Thursday as a blast of Siberian air killed scores in Eastern Europe and looked set to keep its icy grip on the continent for another week. At least [...]
