EARTH

U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday as mounting fears about Japan's escalating nuclear crisis sparked sell-offs in financial markets around the world, but positive remarks from the Federal Reserve helped the indexes rebound from the day’s lows.

As Japan continues to reel under the after effects of the powerful earthquake that struck the country's Pacific Coast on Friday afternoon, the world still stands aghast at the devastation caused by the quake and the consequent tsunami. As the rescue, rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts start, the country is under severe threat of a nuclear disaster as the plants continue to report explosions and fires.

The aftermath of Japan's disastrous earthquake and tsunami could temporarily ease the rise in rare earth prices, but overall demand is likely to continue to outstrip supply for the next few years, an industry executive said.

The Japanese earthquake shook the Earth so violently that it likely moved it from its axis and shortened the day.

Earth has been shifted on its axis by almost 4 inches (10 centimeters) during the Japan earthquake, and according to some reports, the cataclysmic incident has a moon connection.

Four nuclear power plants closest to Friday's powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck off Japan's northeastern coast have been safely shut down, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

A powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake has struck off Japan's northeastern coast Friday, triggering a tsunami as high as 10 metres, leaving at least five people killed and several injured, early reports said.

Tsunami warnings have been issued in most of the 'Pacific Ring of Fire' countries on Friday after a powerful earthquake jolted Japan's Fukushima prefecture.

Data from NASA satellites shows both the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are melting faster, and making them a bigger contributor to sea level rise.

Will there be chaos, a flurry of natural disasters and extreme weather on March 19 when the moon will come close to Earth? The full moon at lunar perigee, the closest approach during its orbit, can wreak havoc on Earth, according to astrologers. But the scientific community doesn't see reason for hiding under the table and stocking up supplies though it doesn’t rubbish the impact of the phenomenon altogether.

China's largest metals trader has called for government to consolidate the rare earth industry and nurture competitive domestic firms in the sector, the Xinhua reported today.

NASA said its Glory mission launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Friday at 5:09:45 a.m. EST failed to reach orbit.

Oxus Gold (OXS.L) laid the ground for a legal battle with the government of Uzbekistan over the future of its ill-fated investment in the central Asian state, wiping out more half of its market value on Thursday.

Asia is the perfect backdrop for adventure travelers seeking expeditions in lands with rich cultural history and diverse landscape - ranging from mountains, to deserts, beaches and more.

NASA explained the mystery behind the decreased solar activity during the Sun's 11-year cycle, linking it to the changing speeds of plasma inside the Sun.

Marauding human impact on fragile eco systems could spawn a deadly scenario of species becoming extinct one after another, leading to the possible extinction of life on Earth, according to scientists.

In wake of the recent attention and international developments on rare earth minerals, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed its first review of China's rare-earth industry.

China has worked on tougher regulations for rare earth minerals by setting stricter emission limits on miners, which 60% of the local industry would struggle to meet.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has warned students to avoid visiting Mexico for the Spring Break in the wake of fresh killings and drug-related violence in the country.

Scientists say Earth could be on the brink of its sixth mass extinction.

NASA said it has rescheduled a media teleconference to Wednesday 2 p.m. EST to discuss the first computer model that explains the recent period of decreased solar activity during the Sun's 11-year cycle.