News From Around The World

Hurricane Earl closes in on East Coast

HATTERAS ISLAND, North Carolina (Reuters) - Hurricane Earl began to strafe North Carolina's barrier islands with dangerous surf and winds on Thursday as it spun parallel to the U.S. East Coast on a northward trek toward New England and Canada.

Openness urged on UK's emissions

The government's chief environment scientist calls for more openness in admitting the UK's cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are an illusion.

EPA to issue more rules in climate fight

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will roll out more regulations on greenhouse gases and other pollution to help fight climate change, but they will not be as strong as action by Congress, a senior administration official said.

Fuel tanker runs aground in Arctic

A fuel tanker has run aground in Canada's far north, carrying 9 million litres of diesel fuel that risks spilling into the Arctic waters, the Canadian Coast Guard said this morning.

Nations meet on climate cash, UN sees long haul

GENEVA (Reuters) - About 45 nations met on Thursday to seek ways to raise billions of dollars in aid to help the poor combat climate change as the United Nations warned them of a long haul to slow global warming.

Test shows water problem near natgas drill site

Jon Hurdle, Reuters

U.S. government officials urged residents of a Wyoming farming community near natural gas drilling sites not to use private well water for drinking or cooking because of chemical contamination. "Sample results indicate that the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons and other chemical compounds in groundwater represents a drinking water concern," the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement about tests of 19 water wells around the town of Pavillion. The Wyoming investigation precedes a national study by the EPA into the safety of the drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking", in response to concern in Congress and in some communities near gas rigs in many states that human health is threatened by the process.

Japanese fishermen begin annual dolphin hunt

A controversial annual dolphin hunt that was depicted in an Oscar-winning documentary has begun in Japan.

American Samoa approves plastic-bags ban

American Samoa will make it illegal for stores to hand out plastic bags once a new law takes effect early next year.

American Samoa - Oceania - Law - Plastic bag - Government

Greatest free-kick 'was no fluke'

Physicists explain one of football's most spectacular free-kicks, showing that Roberto Carlos's 1997 "impossible goal" was not a fluke.