The Delhi High Court sought response from the Centre and the Delhi government on a PIL seeking its direction to de-concretise pavements in the capital.

The petition pointed out that trees on the pavements have become weak due to concretisation as roots were not getting sufficient nourishment.

Taiwan's cabinet approved a special T$100 billion ($2.9 billion) budget on Thursday for typhoon reconstruction after the worst storm in 50 years killed about 500 people and left destruction across the island's south.

The cabinet passed the three-year reconstruction budget to cover rebuilding damaged areas, where farm and factory-related losses have amounted to some T$15 billion.

The Maldives on Wednesday said a budget crisis will keep its president from attending landmark U.N. climate talks, the results of which could have a huge effect on the future of the low-lying archipelago.

To support and restore damage caused by the recent flood and storm that hit Bhutan on May 26, the Indian government granted a cheque of Nu 100m to Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley yesterday.

The cheque was handed over by the Indian ambassador to Bhutan, Pavan K Verma, in the presence of the home minister Lyonpo Minjur Dorji and a few dzongdas from flood affected dzongkhags.

Hong Kong: Dust clouds generated by a huge dust storm in China

The amount of carbon locked away in frozen soils in the far Northern Hemisphere is double previous estimates and rapid melting could accelerate global warming, a study released on Wednesday says.

Large areas of northern Russia, Canada, Nordic countries and the U.S. state of Alaska have deep layers of frozen soil near the surface called permafrost.

patent Human genes create stir in US About 100,000 cancer patients, doctors, researchers and lawyers sued the US government for granting patents for two human genes. They said the patents deny women with breast and ovarian cancer the benefit of new tests and possible treatment. A company or an institution that owns patents for genes has specific rights to their use, which may

Tens of thousands of mobile users in Bangladesh's flood and cyclone-prone areas will now receive advance warning of an impending natural disaster through an alert on their cell phones, a government official says.

It's wheat sowing season on Argentina's Pampas plains, but farmers are biding their time -- praying for rain and a government defeat in Sunday's mid-term election.

ANIRBAN CHOUDHURY
The blockade on the Kalchini-Hasimara road on Wednesday. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Alipurduar, June 10: A woman was killed today, when a freak storm hit the Kalchini block early this morning, damaging more than 100 houses and a school building.