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China's cabinet approved new measures to combat air pollution on Friday, in the latest step by China's new leadership to address the country's enormous environmental problems, with pollution a key source of rising social discontent in China . _0"> The government also promised to support China's troubled solar power industry, despite problems with overcapacity and ongoing trade disputes with the United States and Europe. In a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, the State Council approved 10 anti-pollution measures, the council said in a statement posted on its website late Friday. In particular, the State Council promised to: - Accelerate the installation of pollution control equipment on small, coal-fuelled refineries. - Curb the growth of high-energy-consuming industries like steel, cement, aluminum, and glass.   - Reduce emissions per unit of GDP in key industries by at least 30 percent by the end of 2017. - Improve indicators used to evaluate the

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck on Saturday off the Pacific coast of the central American nation of Nicaragua, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage. _0"> "Thank God, so far we haven't heard of any damage," government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo told local television and radio stations. The quake, which was initially reported by the USGS as being magnitude 6.6, was felt as far away as El Salvador, according to a Reuters witness. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami warning but said there was no need for action. "Based on all available data a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii," it said. The USGS reported the quake's location at about 31 miles west of the Nicaraguan beach town of Masachapa. (Reporting by Ivan Castro in Managua and Will Dunham in Washington; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Eric Walsh)

Crews battling a deadly wildfire that is the most destructive on record in Colorado have contained almost half of the 15,000-acre (6,070-hectare) blaze that has incinerated nearly 500 homes outside Colorado Springs, authorities said on Saturday. Cooler temperatures, calmer winds and a rainstorm that moved over the burn area on Friday allowed fire managers to increase the containment of the fire to 45 percent from 30 percent the day before.   "Last night, there was no growth and no more structures lost," incident commander Rich Harvey of the U.S. Forest Service told a news conference. But the number of homes confirmed destroyed by the so-called Black Forest Fire jumped to 473 overnight as assessment crews combed through areas that have cooled, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said. Maketa said the bulk of the homes were lost in the first 24 hours of the blaze, and voiced optimism the threat from the fire was diminishing. "I think we're getting the upper hand

Authorities battling the deadly wildfire outside Colorado's second-largest city said on Sunday that firefighters were getting the upper hand on the blaze that ranks as the state's most destructive on record. The so-called Black Forest Fire, smoldering on the outskirts of Colorado Springs, is 65 percent contained, incident commander Rich Harvey of the U.S. Forest Service said at a news conference.   Harvey said subsiding winds, cooler temperatures and some rain over the burn area have aided firefighting efforts over the last two days. (There is) "not a lot of active flame," Harvey said. Fire managers reduced the size of the fire from 15,500 acres to 14,198 acres due to more precise mapping. Assessment teams increased the number of homes destroyed to 485, the highest property loss total from a wildfire on record in Colorado. The fire broke out on Tuesday in the rolling hills northeast of Colorado Springs, and high winds stoked the flames that ripped through the

President Barack Obama has vowed to tackle climate change in his second term, but so far has not acted to strengthen a tool that does not require backing from Congress - the National Environmental Policy Act. NEPA, a statute that dates to the Nixon administration, calls on officials to weigh whether projects such as highways, dams or oil drilling could harm the environment.   While it does not have the power to block development, NEPA forces officials to consider the environment before approving federal projects, and the White House has proposed that climate change should rank high among those concerns. In early 2010, the White House suggested it would make an update to NEPA that would require counting greenhouse gas emissions among the impacts worthy of a NEPA review. But those standards have been on ice ever since they were written. "We are taking the time necessary to carefully consider all input from the public, stakeholders and federal agencies," said Taryn Tuss, a

News that a bear mauls a man is scary, but when you hear that the man had given the bear food, you realize perhaps he got too close to the beast. According to a June 17 ABC News report , the man had given the bear barbecue meat before it mauled him at the Alaska campground. Authorities do not believe that this black bear is a threat to other people in the area. Apparently the man got drunk, and went for a bike ride. He carried some barbecue along with him for his ride, and when he saw the bear, he gave it a piece of meat, and then offered it another. Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said, "That's when it kind of went ballistic.The bear was pretty much goaded into this." Ultimately, the bear mauled the drunken man, and now the man faces possible charges of illegally feeding wildlife. So far authorities have not located the bear, and they were unable to get a clear story out of the man who is recovering from his puncture wounds and scratches.

WWE Payback results : WWE Payback was full of surprises and intense battles last night. The WWE event saw the return of a former champion and the crowning of a new one. Who won and who lost? Read on for full results. The main event, of course, was the "Three Stages of Hell" match featuring champion John Cena and Ryback. The two battled one another in only the fourth match of its kind. Ryback appeared to have an advantage based on brute strength alone, but when 30 Superstars surrounded the ring, Ryback found himself in trouble. In a final Tables Match, Cena claimed the victory. "Cena proved that he is [the real] WWE Champion. The champ is here," commented WWE.com reader Omar Mohmed. According to Christianpost "John Cena won! It's very good for me because John Cena [is] one of my favorite wrestlers," added Oleksiy Olkesandr. Former champion CM Punk made his return to the WWE Universe in a match against Chris Jericho. He easily won the mat