Typhoon slams into China

A typhoon has slammed into the southeast coast of China, sparking the evacuation of over half a million people. The typhoon, which first passed over Taiwan without causing major damage, has struck mainland China's Fujian province. It brought winds of up to 120 kilometres per hour. Fujian was already reeling from a storm on July 14th that killed more than 600 people and left some 200 missing across southern, eastern and central China.

Alps could be ice-free within 100 years

If global warming isn’t halted, all the ice on the alps could have disappeared in 100 years. A group of Swiss scientists have issued the warming, after analysing the size of the apline glaciers. In the last 150 years, the glaciers have shrunk to half their size. And the particularly hot summer in 2003 alone, contributed to the glaciers losing 5 – 10% of their ice.

Glaxo has bird flu 'breakthrough'

UK drugs firm GlaxoSmithKline believes it has developed a vaccine for the H5N1 deadly strain of bird flu. The vaccine has proved effective at two doses of 3.8 micrograms during clinical trials in Belgium. And this size of dosage is highly significant, Glaxo says, because firms want the smallest effective dose so they can get the maximum number of shots out of a quantity of vaccine. Glaxo said that governments could order the vaccine for delivery and stockpiling in early 2007.

Rare Middle East bald ibis tagged

Three members of a bird species thought to be extinct in the Middle East until four years ago, have been satellite tagged to aid conservation efforts. Scientists will track the migration of the birds as they leave their breeding sites near Palmyra in south-east Syria. The northern bald ibis was revered by the Egyptian Pharaohs and was once widespread across the Middle East, northern Africa and the European Alps. But there are now only 13 left in Syria and 100 breeding pairs in Morocco.

South Africa to Burn Beached Whale Carcass

South African conservationists have burned the carcass of a 15-metre whale that washed ashore near Cape Town. The dead 34-tonne southern right whale washed up onto a quiet beach 40 kilometres south of Cape Town last week, but it is unclear how it had died. The area has been closed off to the public, because of the massive black smoke created by the burning fat and oil.

Global warming puts 12 most famous US national parks at risk

Global warming is putting the 12 most famous US national parks at risk. Environmentalists say the future could herald Glacier National Park without glaciers and Yellowstone Park without grizzly bears. All 12 parks are located in the American West, where temperatures have risen twice as fast as in the rest of the United States over the last 50 years. The report, released by the council and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, stressed the connection between global warming and environmental damage at the parks, including the loss of specific wildlife, and called on the US government to cut greenhouse gas emissions significantly in 10 years.

Short of Space, Monaco Wants to Expand Into Sea

Running out of living space, the tiny principality of Monaco has decided to enlarge itself by expanding into the sea. The world's second-smallest state after the Vatican wants to build an artificial peninsula jutting into the Mediterranean from near the Monte Carlo district's landmark casino. The new land will support residential buildings as well as shops, a school, a large museum, a beach and mooring space for yachts. The successful bidder for the 275,000 square metre project would have to meet strict environmental standards to limit damage to flora and wildlife.