International

The shine of a new iPad and Apple's record profits come at a steep cost: the health of the Chinese workers who make them possible.

"Japan's energy minister admitted on Tuesday that no records were kept of top level discussions in the critical early days on how to respond to the world's worst nuclear disaster in 25 years."

"The sun is bombarding Earth with radiation from the biggest solar storm in more than six years with more to come from the fast-moving eruption."

"Food is getting elbowed out of the discussion on climate change, which could spell disaster for the 1 billion people who will be added to the world's population in the next 15 years. That's the word today from scientists wondering why food and sustainability get such short shrift when it comes to thinking about how humans will adapt to climate change."

"The rapid increase in the number of cities home to more than 10 million people will bring huge challenges … and opportunities."

"Carbon emissions from cement are set to grow explosively as developing countries such as India create a 'first-world' infrastructure. Scientists and entrepreneurs are struggling to push alternative technologies out of the lab and onto the street."

"A weaker sun over the next 90 years is not likely to significantly delay a rise in global temperature caused by greenhouse gases, a report said Monday."

"The bombardment is expected to reach us Tuesday morning, but the threat to satellites and power grids appears to be low."

"Leading climate scientists have given their support to a Freedom of Information request seeking to disclose who is funding the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a London-based climate sceptic thinktank chaired by the former Conservative chancellor Lord Lawson."

"ONAMI, Japan -- In the fall, as this valley’s rice paddies ripened into a carpet of gold, inspectors came to check for radioactive contamination."

"Onami sits just 35 miles northwest of the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which spewed radioactive cesium over much of this rural region last March. However, the government inspectors declared Onami’s rice safe for consumption after testing just two of its 154 rice farms.