Garry Blight and Sheila Pulham

Ever since a man in Tunisia burned himself to death in December 2010 in protest at his treatment by police, pro-democracy rebellions have erupted across the Middle East. Our interactive timeline traces key events

Source: reuters // Reuters

LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - "Mega-heatwaves" like the one that hit Russia and other parts of eastern Europe last year are up to 10 times more likely to occur over the next 40 years and could have serious consequences, scientists said on Thursday.

Keith Bradsher

A Chinese farmer on dry farmland on the outskirts of Rizhao, Shandong Province, in January.

Ucilia Wang

March 10, 2011   

Michael McCarthy

Thursday, 10 March 2011

Sidney Draggan

Earth's Sixth Mass Extinction: Is It Almost Here?

A burst of gamma rays reaching Earth may have caused
an extinction 440 million years ago. Credit: NASA

Richard Black

Environment correspondent, BBC News

The Greenland ice sheet is losing its mass faster than its southern counterpart

Andrew Jacobs

Published: February 28, 2011

Megan Treacy

Mon Jan 31, 12:42 pm ET

14 February 2011 

 BBC News

Japan's economy was worth $5.474 trillion (£3.414 trillion) at the end of 2010, figures from Tokyo have shown. China's economy was closer to $5.8 trillion in the same period.