AFP Technology

Massive storm surges that statistically threaten New York City once a century could occur at intervals from three to 20 years by 2100, according to estimates by US scientists published Tuesday. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Princeton University built a computer model that simulated tens of thousands of storms under different scenarios for global warming. In the model, intense storms become more frequent by the period from 2081 to 2100, a finding that...Read Full Story

A pencil-slim rocket is scheduled to lift into space from South America on Monday, carrying a billion-dollar bet that Europe can grab a juicy slice of the market to place satellites in low orbit. The maiden flight of Vega culminates a decade-long plan to turn Europe's space base in Kourou, French Guiana, into the world's most versatile launch platform. The launcher 30 metres (100 feet) long and three metres in diameter is designed to hoist loads ranging from 300 kilos (660 pounds) to 2.5...Read Full Story

A rhino died at a South African park after having an anti-poaching tracking device placed inside its horn, the owner of a private reserve said Thursday. Spencer the rhinoceros had been sedated so that a microchip could be placed in his horn, but he died when veterinarians at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve injected him with drugs to wake him up. The animal was suspected to have had an underlying condition that triggered heart failure, the Sapa news agency reported. "He responded very well...Read Full Story

Poland's prime minister said Friday that Warsaw would put on ice plans to ratify a controversial international online anti-piracy accord after massive off-and-online protests in his country. "I consider that the arguments for a halt to the ratification process are justified," Donald Tusk told reporters. "The issue of signing of the ACTA accord did not involve sufficient consultation with everyone who is part of the process," Tusk said, adding that he would hold broad talks on what to do next...Read Full Story

The oldest known species of crocodile had an armor-plated head and a body half the length of a subway car, according to research released Tuesday by US scientists who identified the now-extinct creature. Nicknamed "Shieldcroc" for its impressive head plate, the aquatic reptile swam in the waters of Africa some 95 million years ago and is the newest discovery of an ancient crocodile species, said the study in the journal PLoS ONE . University of Missouri anatomy professor Casey Holliday...Read Full Story