GRONINGEN -- The Dutch have opened the hunt on the giant, amphibious beaver rat, which was imported into northern Europe from the subtropical regions of South America. It now thrives because of milder winters.

A windmill-laden Dutch freighter is braving the piracy-haunted sea lanes of the Gulf of Aden-- accompanied by a Russian and a Dutch frigate.

Somali pirates hijack another ship: this time a chemical tanker. Indian crew members were captured and three British security guards rescued.

This will be interesting. Greenland, one of the biggest separate land masses on Earth, has voted for self rule, which is autonomy, not actual independence. The vote comes at a time when the Arctic is being considered a new frontier for resources.

To prevent bike thefts and reclaim stolen bikes, many cities are using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology on bikes. The bikes will now be able to identify the owner of the bike and also communicate with the authorities when it is stolen.

Transparency International’s 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) scores show Somalia and Iraq are the most corrupt countries in the world, with Denmark being the least corrupt.

At least 4,146 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March of 2003 according to an Associated Press count.

As housing costs soars along with energy costs, maybe it's time to think about better ways to acquire a home into today's housing market.

Instead of the current energy sources, a tiny rectangular solar paneled area in Sahara desert capturing 0.3 per cent of falling sunlight could power the entire needs of Europe.

Apple has announced its next-generation iPhone, the iPhone 3G, has been an enormous success, with one million phones sold in the first three days on the market. The company has also sold more than 10 million applications via its App Store.