World News

An explosion in a cow shed in the German town of Rasdorf yesterday afternoon (Monday 27 Jan) was caused by a build-up of flatulent gas, German police have said. The blast caused damage to the shed’s roof and left one of the cows with injuries. Police believe that the shed became filled flammable methane gas released by the flatulence and belches from the 90 cows.

It is then though that a small static electrical spark then caused the gas to ignite and explode.

Emergency services attended the farm and took gas readings to test for the risk of further blasts, said local media...

Five British members of the Arctic 30 are to return from Russia today after three months of imprisonment.

Three of those returning- Kieron Bryan, Iain Rogers and Alex Harris- are originally from Devon and were granted amnesty alongside several prominent political prisoners including members of the band Pussy Riot. Before departing Alex Harris, 27, a communications officer for Greenpeace said: “We’re leaving Russia, it’s over, we’re finally truly free.

“It feels like the moment I’ve been waiting for, and my family too, but also for millions of people around the world who...

Crowds have gathered in South Africa to mourn the death of Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa. Mr Mandela 95 was a world-wide hero whose struggle for freedom against Apartheid and later leading the nation to re-build and reconcile after decades of injustice was an inspiration to millions. In a statement on South African national TV last night, South African president Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela, had "departed" and was at peace. "Our nation has lost its greatest son," Mr Zuma said. He said Mr Mandela, who preached reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years,...

India has successfully launched a spacecraft hoping to make the 300 day journey to Mars. This morning the Mars Orbiter Mission launched from the Satish Dhawan space centre after a 56 hour countdown to launch. The craft known as the MOM or Mangalyaan (translates to Mars-craft) will, if all goes to plan orbit the Red Planet taking readings on its atmosphere. These readings could tell us something about the planets history as Mars is thought to have once had a far stronger envelope of surrounding gas. At (£45m), the mission is comparatively cheap, as instead of burning a very large amount of...