Cuba tightens net
Cuba is set to make it more difficult for people in the country to use the internet. From 24 January, only those who pay their phone bills in US dollars rather than Cuban pesos will be able to access the net freely. Communications minister Ignacio Gonzalez claims the measures will help combat 鈥渇raudulent, non-authorised use鈥� of the internet.
Richer, fatter, unhappier
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Around 1.7 billion people are now members of the 鈥渃onsumer class鈥�, adopting diets, transportation systems and lifestyles that were once the preserve of Europeans, North Americans and Japanese. China leads the way, with 240 million new consumers. But according to a Worldwatch Institute report released on 8 January, this excessive consumption is leading to higher levels of obesity, personal debt and a degraded environment.
Show of strength
The Yongbyon nuclear plant in North Korea was, on 10 January, opened to outside scrutiny for the first time since UN inspectors were kicked out in 2002. US delegates were invited to tour the facility, a move that may be intended as a threatening display of the country鈥檚 nuclear capability, rather than a reassuring gesture.
Leaky space station
Air leaking out of the International Space Station was escaping though a faulty hose between two window panes, the two-man crew announced on 11 January. The leak, which caused a small drop in air pressure, was found in Destiny, a US-built module that houses science experiments.
China in rat race
After killing thousands of civet cats in an attempt to prevent another outbreak of SARS, authorities in China鈥檚 southern province of Guangdong are turning their attention to rats. Tonnes of poisoned grain have been laid down in the capital Guangzhou, following fears the animals also carry the disease.