Fewer but more intense hurricanes may form in the Atlantic Ocean as the globe warms toward the end of this century, according to a new study that counters predictions of more frequent cyclones due to climate change. The study, published on Sunday in Nature Geoscience, adds fuel to a fierce scientific debate over whether human-produced greenhouse gases have contributed to a recent rise in hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin and whether tropical cyclones are becoming stronger.

Cyclone Nargis may have done more than just wreck Burma's cities. It may also spell doom for the government.

BANGKOK: At risk of disease, abuse and forced recruitment into the armed forces, children are the most vulnerable survivors of the cyclone that hit Myanmar, many of them orphaned or lost, fending for themselves.

The junta lets a bit more aid in

China has shown up Myanmar's generals. But it is not too late for outsiders to help the Burmese Eyevine

Myanmar said Friday more than 133,000 people were dead or missing in the cyclone disaster, nearly doubling the toll from the worst disaster in the country's history, which hit two weeks ago. Even as the regime again rejected calls for international aid workers to help direct the massive relief effort, state media acknowledged that the scope of the disaster had prevented confirmation of the figures. State television said 77,738 were dead and 55,917 missing

The May 12 earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, in China's south-western Sichuan province has taken a confirmed toll of over 19,500 lives. It is feared that the number of dead could be above 50,000. The toll would have been higher but for the quick and efficient response by the government and the diligence shown by the rescue machinery. Amidst the gloom of many people buried under debris, beyond all help, there are moving accounts of children, women, and t he elderly being rescued. Even rare giant pandas have survived in reserves.

Most victims of Myanmar's cyclone remain without emergency food supplies two weeks after the catastrophe, experts said yesterday, with one calling it the worst disaster response in recent memory. Critical supplies are slowly making their way to survivors, but not nearly enough for the up to 2.5 million people who the United Nations says were severely affected by the storm.

Unable to reach out to their families and friends in cyclone-hit Myanmar, and unhappy with the pace of rescue work in the country, Burmese nationals living in Delhi have begun collecting money and garnering support to help the affected people. These Burmese nationals, some of whom have been living in the city for over a decade now, are collaborating with the monks and celebrities who are involved in the aid work back in Myanmar.

Large-scale destruction of mangroves contributed heavily to the damage inflicted by cyclone Nargis in Myanmar last week, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Myanmar, home to the eighth largest mangrove area in the world, has lost large swathes of mangroves over the last four decades. FAO estimates from 2005 put the loss at around 70,000 hectares between 1972 and 2005, but 2008 estimates suggest this could be much higher.