British research reveals heavy-metal fans tend to lack self-belief while classical music fans have high self-esteem and are creative, unlike pop music lovers who are not. Country listeners are hard-working; hip hop fans have outgoing personalities.

In a study published in the journal Science, American scientists have unveiled new evidence that confirms the link between an immunity gene and the production of neutralizing antibodies that could lead to an HIV vaccine.

Bloggers from all around the world share the pain of the Haitian population struck by hurricanes and heavy rain.

After Greenland's glaciers, Canada's ice shelves are the next to feel the heat. This summer, Serson, one of Canada's five Arctic glaciers, lost 60% of its mass, equivalent to 122 square kilometers.

Bloggers react to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's landmark visit to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad. Also in today's programme: verdicts vary on the choice of Sarah Palin as the US Republican camp's VP candidate.

The strongest tropical cyclones are becoming even stronger as global warming make the world's oceans warmer, a climate study released by the London weekly Nature confirmed.

Google, Inc. introduced its own Web browser on Tuesday, in a move that will rival Microsoft’s omnipresent 'Internet Explorer'. 'Google Chrome' will be initially launched in beta version in 100 countries, according to Google's official blog.

Researchers reveal in the medical journal Pediatrics that infants with permanent hearing loss still benefit in terms of language development from being enrolled very early in intervention programs.

Chinese authorities announced Olympic efforts against pollution had given Beijing the best air in 10 years. Main pollutants were down 50 percent from normal levels during the Beijing Olympics, according to official Chinese figures.

The Xbox 360 Arcade model will see a price cut of 30% in Japan, according to Microsoft, in a new effort to compete with locally made Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PS3.

Americans are using the Internet to prepare for Hurricane Gustav, with numerous websites offering forecasts and advice. Also on the Web: a Human Rights Watch report highlights the plight of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon.

British explorer and environment activist Lewis Gordon Pugh has embarked on a kayak expedition from Norway to the North Pole in a bid to persuade world leaders about the dramatic effects of climate change on the Arctic.

A French team of neurosurgeons claims top have successfully tested a combination of new techniques, including fibre-optic lasers, in treating brain cancer through ultra-keyhole surgery.

A Belgium nuclear medicine institute has confirmed that a radioactive leak in the region of Fleurus has forced authorities to restrict consumption of milk and vegetables in a five-kilometre radius around the site.

The Canadian government has stopped short of safeguarding the country's polar bears, contrary to the advice of a scientific panel, saying more research was needed. However, it did announce the creation of a national round-table on the issue.

Anti-government protests are mobilising Thailand's bloggers, with postings of dozens of amateur videos of the demonstrations. Also on the Web: John McCain's 72nd birthday relaunches the debate on his suitability for office.

Since the beginning of August the Arctic polar cap has shrunk by 2.06 million square kilometres, according to US scientists. At this speed, summer 2008 could become a new melting record since measurements started 30 years ago.

Launched last June, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, formerly known as GLAST, has officially begun its mission of mapping the universe. NASA scientists hope the high-tech telescope will enable them to better understand the cosmos.

Czech electricity giant CEZ announced a 1.1 billion euro investment to establish Europe's largest land-based wind farm, capable of producing 600 megawatts, in Romania, after having bought two national wind energy projects.