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Scientists react as they stand in front of a screen at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) control center of the ATLAS detectors during the restart of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva. Two circulating beams produced the first particle collisions in the world's biggest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider, three days after it was restarted, scientists announced.(AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)

First atoms reported smashed in Large Hadron Collider

10 minutes ago

GENEVA (AFP) - Two circulating beams on Monday produced the first particle collisions in the world's biggest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), three days after it was restarted, scientists announced.

  • Smoke rises from an incineration plant in Amsterdam. The United States plans to join other developed nations in presenting an emissions target at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen, a senior administration official said Monday.(AFP/File/John D McHugh)
    US to present emissions target at Copenhagen 1 hour, 43 minutes ago

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States will present an emissions target at upcoming UN climate change talks in Copenhagen, a senior official said Monday, as President Barack Obama mulled whether to attend the conference.

  • A handout photo from the Census of Marine Life shows a "bush" of a tube worm in the Gulf of Mexico. Thousands of animal species thrive in the ocean depths beyond the reach of sunlight, between 200 to 5,000 meters below the surface, an international team of scientists has reported after nearly 10 years of research.(AFP/HO/File/CENSUS OF MARINE LIFE)
    Murky ocean depths hide abundance of life Mon Nov 23, 6:09 AM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Thousands of animal species thrive in the ocean depths beyond the reach of sunlight, between 200 to 5,000 meters below the surface, an international team of scientists has reported after nearly 10 years of research.

  • File photo shows an iceberg pictured off the New Zealand Coast. More than 100, and possibly hundreds, of Antarctic icebergs are floating towards New Zealand in a rare event which has prompted a shipping warning, officials have said.(AFP/HO/Getty Images/File)
    Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand: official Mon Nov 23, 2:08 AM ET

    SYDNEY (AFP) - More than 100, and possibly hundreds, of Antarctic icebergs are floating towards New Zealand in a rare event which has prompted a shipping warning, officials said on Monday.

  • Workers leave the Suncor oil sands extraction facility near the town of Fort McMurray in Alberta, in October 2009. Greenhouse gas emissions have kept increasing, reaching a record level since the pre-industrial era, the UN climate agency warned Monday, just weeks before a crucial climate change summit.(AFP/File/Mark Ralston)
    Greenhouse emissions reach 'record' level: UN 23 minutes ago

    GENEVA (AFP) - Greenhouse gas emissions have kept increasing, reaching a record level since the pre-industrial era, the UN climate agency warned Monday, just weeks before a crucial climate change summit.

  • A man looks out over Monrovia, Liberia, from a building providing shelter, but no electricity, in 2005. Tackling climate change should also include providing low-carbon energy to the poor, UN agencies said Monday, pointing out that almost one third of the world?s population remains in the dark at night.(AFP/File/Olivier Laban-Mattei)
    Climate action should boost energy access for poor: UN 12 minutes ago

    PARIS (AFP) - Tackling climate change should also include providing low-carbon energy to the poor, UN agencies said Monday, pointing out that almost one third of the world?s population remains in the dark at night.

  • Backdropped against the horizon of Earth, astronauts Mike Foreman and Randy Bresnik (centre) are seen during the second space walk on November 21. Astronauts from the US space shuttle Atlantis have ventured into open space on the third and final spacewalk of their mission to maintain and install more high-tech equipment on the International Space Station.(AFP/NASA/File/Ho)
    Atlantis astronauts begin third and last spacewalk Mon Nov 23, 8:44 AM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Astronauts from the US space shuttle Atlantis ventured into open space early Monday on the third and final spacewalk of their mission to maintain and install more high-tech equipment on the International Space Station.

  • Wind turbines off the coast of Spain. The European Commission said Monday that the biggest changes in working patterns across the 27-member EU may be yet to come -- with the transition to a low-carbon economy over the next decade expected to force a radical realignment of tasks for many workers.(AFP/File/Jose Luis Roca)
    Climate holds key to post-crisis jobs recovery: EU Mon Nov 23, 11:24 AM ET

    BRUSSELS (AFP) - European labour markets have seen employment gains since 2000 virtually wiped out by the economic crisis of the past two years, a European Commission report said Monday.

  • File photo shows people evacuating a village close to Havana following Hurrican Ike. Flooding in the world's major port cities caused by melting icecaps could cause up to 28 trillion dollars (18 trillion euros) in damage in 2050, environmental group WWF said in a report Monday.(AFP/File/Adalberto Roque)
    Melting icecaps to damage major port cities: WWF Mon Nov 23, 1:56 AM ET

    GENEVA (AFP) - Flooding in the world's major port cities caused by melting icecaps could cause up to 28 trillion dollars (18 trillion euros) in damage in 2050, environmental group WWF said in a report Monday.

  • Handout picture shows workers at the Statkraft Osmotic power plant prototype in Tofte, south of Oslo, in October 2009. After wind, sun, currents and tides, a company is preparing to make clean electricity by harnessing another natural phenomenon, the energy-unleashing encounter of freshwater and seawater.(AFP/Statkraft/File)
    Harnessing the power of salt, Norway tries osmotic power Sun Nov 22, 6:54 PM ET

    OSLO (AFP) - After wind, sun, currents and tides, a company is preparing to make clean electricity by harnessing another natural phenomenon, the energy-unleashing encounter of freshwater and seawater.

  • The shore of Deception Island in Antarctica, in 2008. The East Antarctic icesheet, once seen as largely unaffected by global warming, has lost billions of tonnes of ice since 2006 and could boost sea levels in the future, according to a new study.(AFP/File/Martin Bureau)
    Antarctic ice loss vaster, faster than thought: study Sun Nov 22, 1:33 PM ET

    PARIS (AFP) - The East Antarctic icesheet, once seen as largely unaffected by global warming, has lost billions of tonnes of ice since 2006 and could boost sea levels in the future, according to a new study.

  • Cars and people are seen passing near wind power turbines in Dali, in the China's southwestern Yunnan province. In energy-hungry Yunnan, power is being produced at wind farms, dams and garbage dumps as the Asian giant adopts more "green" technology thanks to carbon trading.(AFP/File/Liu Jin)
    China harnesses mountain wind power Sun Nov 22, 2:25 AM ET

    DALI, China (AFP) - In the mountains above the southwestern Chinese town of Dali, dozens of new wind turbines dot the landscape -- a symbol of the country's sky-high ambitions for clean, green energy.

  • British Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks during a presser after a European Union summit at the European Council headquarters on November 19, in Brussels. Brown warned fellow world leaders on Sunday that they "cannot afford to fail" to strike a substantial deal on climate change in Copenhagen next month.(AFP/File/John Thys)
    Brown warns leaders on climate change Sun Nov 22, 3:28 PM ET

    LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned fellow world leaders on Sunday that they "cannot afford to fail" to strike a substantial deal on climate change in Copenhagen next month.

  • Tourists love to watch herds of elephants trekking across Botswana's famed Okavango Delta, but nearby farmers watch in dismay when the animals trample their crops, leaving them little to eat.(AFP/File/Roberto Schmidt)
    Botswana tries spicy solution to keep elephants at bay Sun Nov 22, 6:22 PM ET

    GABORONE (AFP) - Tourists love to watch herds of elephants trekking across Botswana's famed Okavango Delta, but nearby farmers watch in dismay when the animals trample their crops, leaving them little to eat.

  • This NASA TV image shows Atlantis astronaut Bobby Satcher during a planned spacewalk on November 19. Shuttle Atlantis astronauts on Saturday completed the second of their mission's three spacewalks to maintain and install more high-tech gadgets on the International Space Station.(AFP/NASA TV/File)
    Atlantis astronauts install gadgets on second spacewalk Sat Nov 21, 6:52 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Shuttle Atlantis astronauts on Saturday completed the second of their mission's three spacewalks to maintain and install more high-tech gadgets on the International Space Station.

  • This handout image released on the Nasa Earth Observatory website and taken on November 19 shows a thick plume of smoke billowing from the southern part of the Western Australia coast. Australia has issued "catastrophic" alerts after record-breaking temperatures and wild lightning storms sparked more than 100 fires across the country.(AFP/NASA/File/Modis)
    Australia issues 'catastrophic' alerts as fires rage Sat Nov 21, 11:00 AM ET

    SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia has issued "catastrophic" alerts after record-breaking temperatures and wild lightning storms sparked more than 100 fires across the country, officials said Saturday.

  • View of a damaged national road in the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in 2008. Central American nations will demand 105 billion dollars from industrialized countries for damages caused by global warming, the region's representatives said on Friday.(AFP/File/Orlando Sierra)
    Central America demands billions in climate damages Sat Nov 21, 2:41 PM ET

    GUATEMALA CITY (AFP) - Central American nations will demand 105 billion dollars from industrialized countries for damages caused by global warming, the region's representatives said on Friday.

  • Monarch butterflies in the Mexican state of Michoacan. The mysterious Monarch butterfly, which migrates en masse annually between Canada and Mexico, is now facing a new peril: another insect thriving in Western Mexican forests.(AFP/File/Mario Vazquez)
    Tree-eating bugs threaten Monarch butterfly in Mexico Sat Nov 21, 11:47 AM ET

    MORELIA, Mexico (AFP) - The mysterious Monarch butterfly, which migrates en masse annually between Canada and Mexico, is now facing a new peril: another insect thriving in Western Mexican forests.

  • Greenpeace activists rally against deforestation in Jakarta. Hundreds of Greenpeace activists rallied in support of a commitment by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation.(AFP/Adek Berry)
    Greenpeace rallies to stop deforestation in Indonesia Sat Nov 21, 2:29 PM ET

    JAKARTA (AFP) - Hundreds of Greenpeace activists rallied Saturday in support of a commitment by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by deforestation.

  • Maciej Nowicki, Polish Enviroment Minister and President of UN Climate Change Conference is pictured during a World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) event to warn public about Global warming in 2008. Poland is to sell 15 million euros' (22 million dollars) worth of carbon credits to Ireland, the Polish environment minister said Saturday.(AFP/File/Wojtek Radwanski)
    Poland to sell Ireland 15 million euro carbon credits Sat Nov 21, 2:15 PM ET

    WARSAW (AFP) - Poland is to sell 15 million euros' (22 million dollars) worth of carbon credits to Ireland, the Polish environment minister said Saturday.

  • Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini talks to the press on November 9. Frattini on Saturday warned world leaders their credibility could suffer if they failed to make concrete commitments at next month's Copenhagen climate summit.(AFP/File/Hrvoje Polan)
    Italy FM warns leaders ahead of climate summit: reports Sat Nov 21, 2:22 PM ET

    ROME (AFP) - Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini on Saturday warned world leaders their credibility could suffer if they failed to make concrete commitments at next month's Copenhagen climate summit.

  • A view of a superconducting solenoid magnet at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva. The world's biggest atom-smasher, shut down after its inauguration in September 2008 amid technical faults, restarted on Friday, a spokesman for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research said.(AFP/File/Fabrice Coffrini)
    CERN atom-smasher restarts after 14-month hiatus: official Fri Nov 20, 5:20 PM ET

    GENEVA (AFP) - The world's biggest atom-smasher, shut down after its inauguration in September 2008 amid technical faults, restarted on Friday, a spokesman for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research said.

  • Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during an agreements signing ceremony with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas (out of frame) at Mercy Museum in Salvador, Bahia State. Lula is calling a meeting of eight Amazon countries next week to forge a common stand ahead of next month's key climate talks, officials said Friday.(AFP/Evaristo Sa)
    Amazon countries to hold climate talks Fri Nov 20, 4:22 PM ET

    BRASILIA (AFP) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is calling a meeting of eight Amazon countries next week to forge a common stand ahead of next month's key climate talks, officials said Friday.

  • An Indian farmer with his cattle in the village of Kamalasagar. India, a stronghold of vegetarianism where the cow is a sacred animal for the majority Hindu population, has urged the rest of the world to give up eating beef to help reduce global warming.(AFP/File/Strdel)
    Shun beef to stop climate change, says India Fri Nov 20, 4:39 AM ET

    NEW DELHI (AFP) - India, a stronghold of vegetarianism where the cow is a sacred animal for the majority Hindu population, has urged the rest of the world to give up eating beef to help reduce global warming.

  • A view of a superconducting solenoid magnet at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva. The world's biggest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider, began firing beams of protons in opposite directions on Monday, with scientists describing initial progress as an "enormous success."(AFP/File/Fabrice Coffrini)
    Atom-smasher aims sharp increase in power next year 2 hours, 22 minutes ago

    GENEVA (AFP) - The world's biggest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider, began firing beams of protons in opposite directions on Monday, with scientists describing initial progress as an "enormous success."

  • Smoke rises from a garbage incineration plant in Amsterdam. The UN's top climate official Yvo de Boer has voiced optimism that some kind of agreement could be salvaged at world talks on global warming next month, sensing US President Barack Obama will come with a target and financing.(AFP/File/John D McHugh)
    UN climate chief expects 'specific' climate deal Mon Nov 23, 9:46 AM ET

    BRUSSELS (AFP) - The UN's top climate negotiator voiced optimism Monday that a deal can be salvaged next month at world talks on global warming, but said US President Barack Obama must offer a target and financing.

  • A view of a superconducting solenoid magnet at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva. The world's biggest atmom smasher began firing beams of protons in opposite directions as it builds up to the power of up to five trillion mosquitos by next year.(AFP/File/Fabrice Coffrini)
    Atom-smasher restart a 'success': scientists Mon Nov 23, 9:39 AM ET

    GENEVA (AFP) - Scientists on Monday hailed the restart of the the Large Hadron Collider as an "enormous success," as two beams began circulating simultaneously in the world's biggest atom-smasher.

  • UN climate chief expects 'specific' deal Mon Nov 23, 8:31 AM ET

    BRUSSELS (AFP) - The UN's top climate negotiator voiced optimism Monday that a deal can be salvaged next month at world talks on global warming, but said US President Barack Obama must first get on board.

  • Atlantis astronauts begin final spacewalk Mon Nov 23, 8:30 AM ET

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Astronauts from the US space shuttle Atlantis began the third and final spacewalk of their mission aimed at building the International Space Station, NASA reported on Monday.