Reports

Over 296,800 people died in 373 natural disasters in 2010, Around 208 million others were affected by this disasters, which cost nearly US$110 billion. The figures have just been released by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). The January 12 earthquake in Haiti was the deadliest disaster of the year, kiling over 222,500 people. The quake had measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, and was followed by over 50 aftershocks over the next two weeks. The second most fatal...

Global warming is already affecting the earth in a variety of ways that demand our attention. Now, research carried out at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem indicates that many tree species might become extinct due to climate change if no action is taken in time. According to the research, trees which disperse their seeds by wind, such as pines and maples, will be unable to spread at a pace that can cope with expected climate changes. The research, which focused on the ecological consequences...

An official complaint has been filed against oil giant Shell for breaches of basic standards for responsible business set out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth International on Monday claimed that Shell’s use of discredited and misleading information to blame the majority of oil pollution on saboteurs in its Niger Delta operations has breached the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The complaint was...

Critics of the Indian government's liberation policies and globalisation watchword now have some more numbers to nail the government with. India lost $104 billion in illicit financial flows between 2000 and 2008, according to a groundbreaking report which used World Bank and IMF data to estimate the quantity and patterns of illicit financial flows coming out of developing countries. The figures are from Global Financial Integrity (GFI)'s Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries 2000...

The three-day Flashpoint Human Rights Film Festival, which brings together eight extraordinary films from around the world that deal with human rights issues, gets under way in New Delhi on Thursday. The films urge people to reflect, react, revolutionalise and act as a ‘flashpoint’ to usher in change. The festival has already been held in Mumbai from December 8-10, 2010. The New Delhi edition would include special focused thematic screenings and panel discussions. The eight documentaries to be...

The Brazilian floods that has claimed over 600 lives is deadliest natural disaster to have hit the country. This comes barely months after an unprecedented drought afflicted the Amazon region when water levels in the river's tributaries fell drastically. Torrential rains inundated a heavily populated, steep-sloped area about 40 miles north of Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday and Wednesday, triggering flash floods and mudslides. The disaster had claimed 610 lives at the last count. About 12 inches...

Archaeologists never make predictions. But the world's best known Egyptologist says the tomb of King Tutankhamun’s wife, the Great Pyramid’s secret doors, and the final resting place of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony may well be discovered in 2011. Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) has told Discovery News that these potential discoveries could well be on the cards this year As of now, the emphasis of Dr Hawass and his team is on the Valley of Kings. In all...

Six missing pieces from the colossal double statue of the 18th Dynasty King Amenhotep III and his wife Queen Tiye have been discovered at the king’s mortuary temple on Luxor’s west bank. The fragments were recently discovered during excavation work by a team of Egyptian archaeologists working under the direction of Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). According to an announcement made by Dr Hawass on his blog, the pieces from Amenhotep III's statue that...

A year after the earthquake that killed over 230,000 people, women and girls living in Haiti’s makeshift camps are facing an increasing risk of rape and sexual violence. The January 2010 devastating earthquake was the beginning of a nightmare. For Guerline, her travails only began with the death of her husband and home in the quake. In March 2010, her 13-year-old daughter was raped by four men. She was threatened with dire consequences if she spilled the beans to the police. Scared even to take...

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has released a list of species that are Critically Endangered. Mentioned in the list are seven species of birds, one mammal and four amphibians/reptiles. There is also a sub-list of 22 species which are not endemic to India, but are Critically Endangered here. Conservation efforts often focus on large and charismatic animals such as the tiger and the elephant that are undoubtedly in urgent need of protection. However, there are a host of species that...