Natural Disasters

Storm Barry heads for Mexico Gulf coast oil installations

MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Barry, the second of the Atlantic hurricane season, strengthened as it churned toward Mexico on Wednesday, threatening to bring heavy rains to oil and power installations near the country's Gulf coast.

Storm Barry heads for Mexico Gulf coast oil installations

MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Barry, the second of the Atlantic Hurricane season, churned toward Mexico on Wednesday, threatening to bring heavy rains to key oil and power installations near the country's Gulf coast.

Environment, 19 Jun 2013

Germany agrees financing of 8 billion euro flood aid fund

BERLIN - Germany has agreed the financing of an 8-billion euro fund to help repair damage caused by the worst flooding in a decade, with both the federal government and states footing the bill, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.

World, Germany, 19 Jun 2013

Mayors aim for resilience to weather, energy challenges

WASHINGTON - U.S. mayors pledged Monday to make their communities more resilient to increasingly severe floods, droughts, extreme storms and wildfires, which they said was more efficient and cost-effective than disaster clean-up afterwards.

U.S., Environment, 17 Jun 2013

Second Alaska Peninsula volcano spurts ash, lava and steam

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Two volcanoes are erupting on the Alaska Peninsula in the southwestern part of the state's mainland but the sputtering emissions of ash and lava at the different sites are unrelated, scientists said.

U.S., 16 Jun 2013

Czechs hope wealth-destroying floods can lift growth

PRAGUE - Floods that have caused billions of euros in damage across central Europe may actually provide an economic boost for the Czech Republic, a country struggling to shrug off its longest recession in more than two decades.

Environment, 13 Jun 2013

Violent storm spawns Midwest tornadoes, heads east

CHICAGO - A violent storm swept across the upper Midwest on Wednesday and headed toward the U.S. East Coast, spawning several tornadoes as well as damaging hail and high winds, but skirted Chicago without doing major damage.

Environment, 12 Jun 2013

Looting arrests after May tornado reach 17 in Oklahoma city

OKLAHOMA CITY - Officials in tornado-stricken Oklahoma cities are now dealing with looters who are stealing items ranging from copper wire to jewelry.

U.S., 12 Jun 2013

U.S. Midwest, Chicago area, brace for violent storms

CHICAGO - Severe weather of violent thunderstorms and possibly tornadoes hit parts of the upper Midwest on Wednesday, causing flights to be canceled and baseball games to be postponed in Chicago, the nation's third-largest city.

Environment, 12 Jun 2013

Record floods reach Budapest, Suzuki halts plant

BUDAPEST - The river Danube was set to reach record levels in Budapest on Sunday night and dikes have been strengthened at critical points to protect the capital from flooding, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

World, 09 Jun 2013

Ethiopia and Eritrea: An elusive peace on the cards?

Ethiopia and Eritrea are still at each others’ throats. The two neighbours fought hammer and tongs in sun-baked trenches during a two-year war over a decade ago, before a peace deal ended their World War I-style conflict in 2000. Furious veRed Sea, UNrbal battles, however, have continued to this day.