International

• Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Zero-emission, energy self sufficient Antarctic base

  

  Belgium opened a new 20 million Euro “zero emissions” polar science station in Antarctica on Sunday, returning to the continent to study climate change 42 years after closing its first base there.

• Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  A Falklands area ice-block breaks off in Antarctica

  

  A 14.000 square km ice block, almost the area of the Falkland Islands (12.173 sq. km.), has broken off Antarctica's Wilkins Ice Shelf and fragmented into smaller icebergs reported on Tuesday the Spanish National Research Council, CSIC.

• Wednesday, February 18th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Knighted billionaire faces “Ponzi-wicket” fraud charges

  

  Billionaire financier and cricket entrepreneur Sir Allen Stanford has been charged by US regulators over an alleged multi-billion dollar fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint in a Dallas Court against Sir Allen and three of his companies for “orchestrating a fraudulent, multi-billion dollar investment scheme”.

• Tuesday, February 17th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Cruise vessel runs aground in Antarctica; pax, crew, all safe

  

  CRUISE vessel M/V Ocean Nova grounded at Marguerite Bay, west of Debenham Island in Antarctica today, Feburay 17, but all onboard are safe. The vessel grounded two kilometers from the Argentine research station San Martin. An initial assessment of damage indicated that there was no imminent danger and no threat to lives.

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Climate change will force fish species towards poles

  

  The world's fish stocks will soon suffer major upheaval due to climate change, scientists have warned. Changing ocean temperatures and currents will force thousands of species to migrate polewards, including cod, herring, plaice and prawns. By 2050, US fishermen may see a 50% reduction in Atlantic cod populations.

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Japan's economy contracts 3.3% in last quarter of 2008

  Japan's economy shrank at its sharpest pace in over three decades in the final quarter of 2008. The global financial storm and languishing overseas demand dealt a stunning blow to the export-driven economy and the world's second largest.

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Marine species common to both polar regions discovered

  At least 235 marine species are living in both Polar Regions despite being 12,000km apart, a census has found. Scientists were surprised to find the same species of “swimming snails” at both poles, raising questions about how they evolved and became so dispersed.

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  CBI says British economy will shrink 3.3% this year

  

  The British government will have to borrow almost £100 billion more than previously forecast as it tries to bring a deeper-than-expected UK recession under control, business leaders warned.

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Royal Navy confirms nuclear armed subs mid Atlantic collision

  

  The Royal Navy has confirmed that a British nuclear submarine collided with a French one in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The crash between HMS Vanguard and France's Le Triomphant - both carrying atomic weapons - is believed to have occurred on February 3 or 4.

• Monday, February 16th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  UN enthusiastic about greening funds in stimulus plans

  

  Investing one-third of the roughly 2.5 trillion US dollars planned stimulus funds in “greening” the global economy will give a large boost to efforts to lift the world out of recession, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released Monday.