Corals, trees and marine sediments, among others, are direct evidence of the climate of the past, but they are not the only indicators. A team led by Spanish scientists has interpreted records written in Iraq by Arabic historians for the first time and has made a chronology of climatic events from the year 816 to 1009, when cold waves and snow were normal.

Fresh water supplies are unlikely to keep up with global demand by 2040, increasing political instability, hobbling economic growth and endangering world food markets, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment released on Thursday.

The report by the office of the Director of National Intelligence said that areas including South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa will face major challenges in coping with water problems that could hinder the ability to produce food and generate energy.

India has the worst air pollution in the entire world, beating China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, according to a study released during this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos.

Of 132 countries whose environments were surveyed, India ranks dead last in the ‘Air (effects on human health)’ ranking. The annual study, the Environmental Performance Index, is conducted and written by environmental research centers at Yale and Columbia universities with assistance from dozens of outside scientists. The study uses satellite data to measure air pollution concentrations.

Tehran is considering a twofold increase in power exports to neighbouring Turkey after a new electricity transfer line between the two countries becomes operational.

Iran is currently exporting about 230 kilovolt per day(kV/d) of electricity to Turkey and the new transfer line will increase that capacity to 400 kV/d.

Health authorities in Hong Kong are urging residents to take steps to ensure personal hygiene, and the city remains on high alert following the bird-flu-related death of a man in mainland China.

Renewed fears in Hong Kong came as Chinese authorities said preliminary tests showed the Shenzhen man, who died Saturday and whose case was China's first reported human case of bird flu in 18 months, was infected with the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus—as was a dead bird found in Hong Kong's New Territories before the holidays.

Exxon Mobil Corp., BP PLC and Eni SpA will spend around $100 billion to upgrade three oil fields in southern Iraq, an Iraqi official said.

Thamer Ghadhban, the top energy adviser to Iraq's prime minister, said about $50 billion would be spent to upgrade the big West Qurna Phase 1 oil field which is being developed by Exxon Mobil. The remaining $50 billion will be spent by BP and Eni to upgrade the Rumaila and Zubair oil fields, respectively, he said Wednesday on the sidelines of an Iraqi energy conference here.

ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), may invest over $1.5 billion in exploring for oil in a block that was awarded to it by the erstwhile Saddam Hussein regime.

"We are nearing finality on the contract for Block-8. It is likely to be signed in next six months," an official said.

Before the rebellion broke out in February, Libya exported 1.3 million barrels of oil a day. While that is less than 2 percent of world supplies, only a few other countries can supply equivalent grades of the sweet crude oil that many refineries around the world depend on. The resumption of Libyan production would help drive down oil prices in Europe, and indirectly, gasoline prices on the East Coast of the United States.

Oil prices rallied more than $3 a barrel on Wednesday, recovering all the losses triggered by last week’s decision by rich consuming nations to release strategic oil stocks.

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