Russia's Valley of Geysers reappears after landslide

A valley full of rare geysers and thermal vents in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula disappeared on June 3 after an entire mountainside collapsed only to reappear few days later after a drop in the water level in the lake, formed by the landslide. The Valley of the Geysers is one of the few places in the world where geysers occur naturally. More than 20 large jets and 200 smaller thermal springs burst through the Earth's crust in this 7-sq km area.

Uzbek farmers face criminal charges for not growing cotton, wheat

Farmers in eastern Uzbekistan are likely to face criminal charges for growing fruits, vegetables and other crops that they can sell instead of cotton and wheat demanded by the state. The agriculturists, in theory, belong to the private sector but in practice are tied to Soviet-style rules binding them to grow cotton and grain and to sell it to the state at artificially low prices. Uzbekistan was a part of the former Soviet Union. The prosecutor's office in Kuva district in the densely-populated Fergana valley is investigating farmers suspected of having breached contracts

Estonia accused Russia of waging a cyber war

Estonia has recently accused Russia of waging a cyber war against it. It said the country's websites were under attack, which came from networks hosted by Russian state computer servers. Head of it security at Estonia's defence ministry, Mikhail Tammet, said the attacks affected the functioning of the government since the country heavily relies on online administration. Estonia took the matter to the eu-Russia summit held on May 13. But Moscow has denied the charges.

G8, developing countries launch Potsdam Initiative

in a recent meet in Germany's Potsdam city on March 16-17, 2007, g8 countries and five other major developing countries agreed to launch the Potsdam Initiative aimed at preventing biodiversity loss due to climate change.

Frozen lakes home for influenza virus

The influenza virus can survive for thousands of years in frozen lakes and might be picked up and carried by birds to reinfect animals and people. After their release, these viruses can cause new infections and spread pandemics, researchers recently reported in the Journal of Virology.

International group to secure energy for future

an international consortium of countries, including India, has signed an agreement on November 21, 2006, to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor to meet the future energy need of the world The multi-billion-dollar (about us $12 billion) project called iter has the eu, the us, Japan, Russia, South Korea and Chin

IN SHORT

yes, radio: On November 17, 2006 the government approved an expansion of community radio stations by non-profit organisations. Applicants need to have a standing of at least three years. Individuals, political parties or their affiliates and trade unions will not be allowed to operate stations. Stations should serve a well-defined local community and have management structure reflective of the community they seek to serve. This radio will not include newscasting and current affairs programmes.

Russia denies permit to LNG project

Russian authorities have withdrawn a key permit to the world's largest liquefied natural gas (lng) project off the coast of Sakhalin Island on environmental grounds. Energy analysts, however, interpret the move as an attempt by Russia to wrest back control of its natural resources from large oil multinationals.

Bordering countries agree to protect Caspian Sea

Five nations bordering the Caspian Sea have reached an agreement to safeguard the waterbody and also pave the way for an equitable sharing of its resources. The treaty, called the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, came into force on August 12, 2006, following a meeting in Tehran, Iran.

Oil leak triggers crisis in Russia

An oil spill has occurred in one of Russia's largest export pipelines, polluting about 10 sq km of forests and contaminating local water sources. The country's ministry of natural resources has termed the accident a potential ecological disaster, say media reports. The leak was the result of a crack in a joint on the Druzhba pipeline that delivers oil from Russia to its European neighbours. The 4,000-km pipeline is 42 years old and runs through the western province of Byransk, near the country's border with Ukraine and Belarus.