6 September 2013 Last updated at 07:14 GMT
G20 'divided' on Syria as Power criticises Russia
G20 leaders remain divided over the Syrian conflict as they enter the final day of their Russian summit.
Italian PM Enrico Letta said the splits were confirmed during a working dinner in St Petersburg on Thursday.
A spokesman for the Russian presidency said a US strike on Syria would "drive another nail into the coffin of international law".
At the UN, the US ambassador accused Russia of holding the Security Council hostage by blocking resolutions.
Strange tail in Netherlands as rats scurry past dogs in crime fighting’s world order
Police in Rotterdam are to become the first to use rats to investigate shootings
Peter Cluskey
Police in the Dutch port of Rotterdam, a major staging point for drugs being imported into Europe, are to become the first in the world to use rats to investigate shootings because of their ability to detect traces of gunpowder.
While they may not be as lovable as man’s best friend, the new sniffer-rats are certainly the cheaper option in these days of tight budgets, say the police authorities, costing less to “recruit”, less to train, and less to look after than the dogs traditionally used to sniff out drugs.
They also have an even more highly developed sense of smell than dogs, says trainer Monique Hamerslag, who first came across rats being trained to sniff out landmines while she was travelling in Africa, and decided to try them out on the criminal underworld at home.
WATER
Bangalore leads the way in water harvesting
The populous Indian city of Bangalore could be running out of groundwater. A rain harvesting park shows how the growing population, especially its poorer residents, can help fill the gap.
India's third-most-populous city is known for its booming tech industry and cosmopolitan culture. But poor planning and inadequate infrastructure has set Bangalore on a trajectory that could leave its residents lacking the most basic amenity: water.
The pending crisis has pushed the city to action, and public officials, businesses and households have turned to an innovative solution: The Sri M. Visvesvaraya Rain Water Harvesting Theme Park educates and informs Bangalore residents about issues surrounding water scarcity.
The 5 strangest targets of China's anti-corruption campaign
September 6, 2013 - 10:35AMKatelyn Fossett
In the aftermath of the Bo Xilai scandal, the Communist leadership in China has scrambled to push back against the party's reputation of widespread corruption. Once known for lavish banquets and bribery so widespread that it propped up whole luxury markets, the party is taking on a wide range of reform efforts, some of which have been commendable and effective. But it has also been been aiming at some odd targets - with this week's ban on mooncakes, a popular pastry, being a prime example.
Here are some of the strangest parts of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign.
Peruvian homeowners' nightmare: My house is built on a cemetery!
As Peru's real estate booms, land traffickers are 'selling' state-owned, protected historical sites – complete with ancient ruins – to unsuspecting home builders.
When Flor Gómez moved to Lima with her mother in 2007, they lived in a single rented room, far from the city center. But Ms. Gómez, who supports herself and her mom selling bus tickets, quickly realized they couldn’t afford to rent for long. So, when she came across a piece of land for less than a hundred dollars, she bought it.
“Maybe it was a bit of a mistake on my part, for not having really done research on the area first,” says Gómez. “But I did it because of our finances, and because we didn’t have anywhere else to go.” She soon discovered she’d been sold an illegal lot – on top of a pre-Hispanic cemetery.
There are 13,000 ruins, known here as huacas, scattered across Peru – such as Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines – with more than 400 located in the capital. As Peru's economy has grown in recent years, real estate boomed in Lima, creating a market for so-called “land traffickers,” who take advantage of working class people like Gómez, desperate to find affordable housing.
At last! LEGO creates a female scientist minifigure
This LEGO minifigure isn’t wearing pink, and she isn’t showing any skin. Her wardrobe consists of a crisp white lab uniform and glasses, and her little claw hands grasp two itty-bitty Erlenmeyer flasks.
The “Scientist” just hit stores on Sept. 1 as part of LEGO’s Minifigure Series 11, and she’s already being hailed as a stereotype-busting hero of the toy aisle. Those who have kept a wary eye on LEGO’s pastel-hued, cleavage-heavy, hair-salon-loving minifigures for girls say the Scientist is a big, big deal and the first of its kind.
“Let us hope that this is only the beginning,” science editor and writer Maia Weinstock declared in an in-depth blog post for ScientificAmerican.com.
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