He notes that is an optimistic figure. Economic figures recently released by the Russian Federal Statistics Service show the GDP declined in the first quarter of this year by 9.5 percent.

VOA: standard.2009.05.25

Statistics from Australia's National Tidal Center show sea levels have increased by 8.6 millimeters a year off Perth and by 8.1 off the tropical Kimberley region over the past two decades.

VOA: standard.2009.11.09