Washington - Caterpillar Inc, the world's largest maker of earth-moving equipment, Monday reported a 34-per-cent increase in second-quarter profits, riding high on increased sales in Asia and the Middle East.

Net income increased to a record 1.11 billion dollars, from 823 million dollars a year earlier. Sales increased 20 per cent to 13.6 billion dollars.

Washington - United Parcel Service Inc Monday reported a 21- per-cent drop in profits, caused by rising fuel costs and a slowing economy, which have affected both domestic and international package segments.

UPS, the world's largest package-delivery company, reported net income of 873 million dollars, compared with a profit of 1.1 billion dollars last year.

Revenue rose 6.7 per cent to 13 billion dollars, according to a company statement.

Washington  - The US military continued rescue efforts for the crew of a B-52 bomber that crashed off the coast of Guam, but it was increasingly unlikely survivors will be found, the US Air Force said Tuesday.

The B-52 crashed about 40 kilometres off Guam's northwest coast on Monday while it was preparing to participate in a ceremony recognizing the island's liberation. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

The bodies of two of the six crew were found on Monday and the other four remained missing.

Washington, July 22: NASA’s Spitzer space telescope has spotted a particular zone around a pinwheel galaxy where organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are present throughout most of the galaxy, suddenly disappear.

The fluffy-looking galaxy, officially named Messier 101, is dominated by a mishmash of spiral arms. In Spitzer’s new view, in which infrared light is color coded, the galaxy sports a swirling blue center and a unique, coral-red outer ring.

A new paper appearing in the Astrophysical Journal explains why this outer ring stands out.

Washington, July 22 : Archaeologists have discovered a Roman spa of monumental proportions in downtown Prokuplje in southern Siberia.

According to a report by B92, the spa was found during works to reconstruct the parochial seat of the local church of Sv. Prokopije in this southern Serbian town.

Roman spas were the equivalent of today’s fitness centers, frequented by the wealthiest and most respected residents of the ancient Hameum, as a matter of prestige, experts explained.

Archeologist Julka Kuzmanovic-Cvetkovic said that the discovery is important because it will put Prokuplje on Serbia’s map of ancient Roman sites, known as the Trail of Roman Emperors.

Washington, July 22: Researchers have determined that the process of nitrogen control is not effective in controlling the problem of cultural eutrophication, which is the addition of nutrients to a body of water due to human activity that often causes huge algal blooms, fish kills and other problems in lakes throughout the world.

The researchers were from the University of Alberta, University of Minnesota and the Freshwater Institute.

The dramatic rise in cultural eutrophication has resulted from increased deposits of nutrients to lakes, largely from human sewage and agricultural wastes.