3xwy Blog

Researchers believe that humanity’s extraordinary ability to adapt to different environments and build tools was in part the result of drastic shifts in the Earth’s climate. From centuries of drought to devastating monsoons, humans found a way to adjust to nearly everything.

AP – An Australian executive and three other employees of mining giant Rio Tinto went on trial Monday on charges of stealing secrets and offering bribes in a case viewed as a barometer of China’s handling of foreign business.

AP – Alice remains the queen of the box office.

Reuters – Credit Suisse said it is restricting bankers’ travel to Germany after authorities there said they had launched 1,100 tax evasion probes against the bank’s clients and were investigating staff on suspicion of aiding evasion.

Saturday was the vernal equinox, the first moment of spring, and a time when the periods of light and dark in the day are equal. Last year, Donna Henes greeted the spring equinox in a snowstorm at around four in the morning. But this Saturday was different.

The strongest sandstorm so far this year hit the country’s north, delaying some flights at Beijing’s airport and prompting a dust warning for South Korea’s capital. China’s expanding deserts now cover one-third of the country because of deforestation, urban sprawl and drought.

AP – Thousands of protesters rallied Saturday in several cities across Russia to protest the government’s economic policy and demand more political freedoms.

The Christian Science Monitor – Americans feel something seismic about to happen this weekend in Washington as Congress takes up a massive healthcare reform bill that will rejigger one-sixth of the US economy.

AP – India’s central bank has unexpectedly hiked key interest rates a quarter of a percentage point, as the bank tries to cool high inflation amid a faster-than-expected economic rebound.

AP – Regulators on Friday shut down seven banks in five states, bringing to 37 the number of bank failures in the U.S. so far this year.