In Virginia and North Carolina, rain caused problems for counties using optical-scan paper ballots after water dripping off of wet voters rendered the ballots unreadable by scanners.

CNN: Movie star among voters running into problems

In the 2011 Budget, the government committed to using public expenditure to support households who face problems paying for their water, and households in areas with particularly high water charges.

BBC: Water Bill will 'correct inequality' - minister

The lack of progress has led a number of Baltic countries to consider technological interventions, or so-called "geoengineering" ideas (large-scale solutions to environmental problems), such as pumping oxygen into the water, and using chemicals to bind pollutants in sediments, in a bid to save the Baltic.

CNN: Can oxygen pump breathe life into ocean 'dead zone?'