'Danger Mice' bred to detect landmines

US scientists have bred mice that they think could be used to detect landmines.

The mice have an increased sense of smell and a chip planted under their skin to alert humans when they come across TNT.

Although using rodents to detect landmines is nothing new, the rats that currently help in Tanzani and Mozambique take nine months to train and cost significantly more than mice to keep.

These mice have been genetically modified so that their sense of smell is five times stronger than normal and when they sniff TNT the chip under their skin will alert professionals who can step in and disarm the explosives.

With more than seventy countries thought to be contaminated by landmines, the mice could provide a huge help with eradicating these mementos of war.

Powerful quake strikes near Solomon Islands

Powerful quake strikes near Solomon Islands

A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands in the western Pacific on Monday, triggering panic and causing some damage but no major tsunami, officials said.

Several houses collapsed, leaving a number of people homeless, and some tourists reportedly suffered minor injuries, disaster officials said, after a series of tremors shook the area.

The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the biggest quake was about 103 kilometres from the earthquake-prone island town of Gizo, measured at a depth of about 30 kilometres (19 miles).

It was the largest of a swarm of tremors centred on the area, ignited by a 6.5 magnitude quake early on Monday and followed several hours later by aftershocks of magnitude 5.3 and 5.2 and 5.7

On the tiny island of Rendova, near Gizo, several houses collapsed but there were no other reports of damage, Julian Makaa of the National Disaster Management Office told AFP.

"The earthquake caused a small wave, and a few people suffered minor injuries as they ran away from the shore in panic," he said.