Indonesian officials unveil a deal to protect forests. All 10 provincial governors of the island of Sumatra agreed to a deal to protect endangered forests, a move that could help control planet-warming emissions, Indonesian authorities have announced at a global conservation conference. — International Herald Tribune

Garden gurus at mill loggerheads. TV and radio identity Peter Cundall has savaged former Burke’s Backyard presenter Don Burke over his new role as an advisor to Gunns on its proposed $2 billion project. — Mercury

Has solar’s time arrived? After years of optimistic projections and false starts, it looks like solar’s moment is here at last. Analysts say a pattern of rapid growth, techonolical breakthroughs, and falling production costs has put solar power on the brink of becoming the world’s dominant energy source. — Scientists confirm shark’s ‘virgin birth’. Scientists have confirmed the second case of a “virgin birth” in a shark. In a study reported Friday in the Journal of Fish Biology, scientists said DNA testing proved that a pup carried by a female Atlantic blacktip shark in the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center contained no genetic material from a male. — MSNBC

Peter Fray

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