| U.N. Rejects Export Ban on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Delegates at a conference on endangered species in Doha, Qatar, rejected the U.S.-backed measures.  Safety Issues Linger as Nuclear Reactors Shrink in Size Some environmentalists said the nuclear industry would be risking its green record if it adapted smaller nuclear reactors, like those once used in submarines, to light a city. Barcelona-Madrid Journal: High-Speed Rail Gains Traction in Spain The Alta Velocidad Española, or AVE, has made train travel in Spain the way to go, both environmentally and in comfort and convenience. China Drawing High-Tech Research From U.S. American companies with factories in China are now building high-tech research labs there as well. National Briefing | Northwest: Alaska: Aerial Wolf Hunt Begins State employees began an aerial wolf hunt on the Yukon border in what officials describe as an effort to preserve caribou for shooting by hunters. Court Ruling Lets Farms Harvest Modified Sugar Beets A federal judge said that the economic impact would be too great if the sugar beet crop were to be destroyed. World Briefing | Asia: China: Scores Found to Have Lead Poisoning At least 94 people living near a lead factory in Sichuan Province, 88 of them children, tested positive for lead poisoning, the official Xinhua News Agency said. ABE, Robot Explorer of the World’s Oceans, Is Lost at Sea The autonomous underwater vehicle, which had come out of semi-retirement to help researchers study the seafloor off the coast of Chile, was lost at sea. Observatory: In Climate Change Fight, Iron Enrichment at Sea Could Be Toxic A study suggests that promoting the growth of certain organisms could result in the harmful production of a neurotoxin. Bees in the City? New York May Make Hives Legal The honeybee’s bad rap — and the days of urban beekeepers facing $2,000 fines — may be over this week. Hurdles Remain in New York for Ground Zero Settlement At least 95 percent of the workers who sued the city for health damages must accept the deal for it to take effect. Climate Change Threatens Migratory Birds, Report Says For the first time, an Interior Department report adds climate change to other factors threatening bird populations. Talks to Address Trade in Tuna and Ivory Negotiations on protecting endangered species will open in Qatar with tensions over efforts to ban trade in bluefin tuna and to reopen exports of elephant ivory. Winter Games Yield Forecasting Insights A system used at the Games is part of a program to improve the accuracy of winter storm forecasting. Board Extends Deadline for Everglades Land Deal A vote kept alive a deal to pay $536 million for land from United States Sugar, but officials said they continued to struggle with whether the agency could afford it. News Wizard |