International

• Saturday, August 28th 2010 - 07:08 UTC

  UK most powerful attack submarine HMS Astute officially commissioned

  

  The UK’s most powerful attack submarine, HMS Astute, was welcomed into the Royal Navy on Friday. In a Commissioning ceremony overseen by the boat's patron the Duchess of Cornwall, Astute officially became 'Her Majesty's Ship'.

• Saturday, August 28th 2010 - 06:32 UTC

  Russian gas tanker making history sailing through the Arctic Northeast Passage

  

  A Russian gas tanker is making history as the famed Arctic Northeast Passage receding ice opens up an elusive trade route from Asia to the West sought for centuries by explorers.

• Saturday, August 28th 2010 - 06:12 UTC

  Surprise performance of UK economy, “but don’t get carried away”

  

  The UK economy grew by more than initially thought in the second quarter of 2010, boosted by a strong performance by the construction sector. The economy grew by 1.2% in the quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, revising up its initial estimate of 1.1% growth.

• Thursday, August 26th 2010 - 00:55 UTC

  Several countries petitioning Mediterranean diet be listed as cultural heritage

  

  The Mediterranean nations of Italy, Greece, Morocco, and Spain are petitioning to have their staple diet listed as a cultural heritage item by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

• Tuesday, August 24th 2010 - 05:07 UTC

  Russia admits crop loss of 38%; self sufficient in 2010 but no reserves for 2011

  

  Russia has enough grain to cover its domestic needs after harvesting this year 38% less than the previous crop, a senior official said Monday. However markets believe Russia could be forced to import several million tons to ensure grain reserves until the following 2011 harvest

• Tuesday, August 24th 2010 - 05:01 UTC

  China ready to celebrate 30 years of economic success, admits “social debt”

  

  Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called for implementation of political reform measures during a tour in Shenzhen, the nation's first special economic zone (SEZ) which thirty years ago opened the way for the economic reforms that have helped China become a world power.

• Sunday, August 22nd 2010 - 04:24 UTC

  Plastic debris in the Atlantic Ocean seems to have peaked, say US scientists

  

  A study has measured the amount of plastic debris found in a region of the Atlantic Ocean over a 22-year period. US researchers, writing in Science, suggest the volume of plastic appeared to have peaked in recent years.

• Sunday, August 22nd 2010 - 04:23 UTC

  Massive loss of pilot whales stranded on New Zealand beach

  

  Only nine of the 63 pilot whales which were found stranded on a beach of New Zealand’s northern island on Friday are believed to have survived. Thirteen whales were re-floated Saturday but four of them got back into difficulty and NZ Department of Conservation staff made the tough decision to euthanize them.

• Friday, August 20th 2010 - 02:44 UTC

  Giant “Terror Birds” Used Their Heads Like Hatchets

  

  Phorusrhacids have been extinct for millions of years, yet the so-called terror birds just got a bit more frightening. The flightless birds stood up to three meters tall and had hook-beaked heads the size of horse heads. Now a new study has apparently deciphered how the birds used those fearsome skulls—employing a fighting style like that of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.

• Friday, August 20th 2010 - 02:40 UTC

  China diversifying forex reserves to Asian currencies (South Korea and Japan)

  

  China is increasingly looking to its Asian neighbours' currencies to lessen its reliance on the US dollar, both for investment and trade. Slowing the pace at which it amasses US Treasury papers, China has started buying more South Korean and Japanese government bonds.