The United States launched its latest Earth observation satellite Monday, enhancing an array of orbiting eyes that help with everything from climate change study to urban planning.

The satellite was launched into space atop an Atlas rocket fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA said.

The remains of Julia Pastrana, a Mexican who was paraded in fairs and circuses as the "ape woman" in 19th century Europe, have returned home from Norway 153 years after her death.

Pastrana suffered from a rare disease -- congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis, or CGHT -- that covered her face and body with thick hair and gave her fat lips and gums.

"Cassius" has reclaimed his crown as the world's biggest crocodile in captivity after his rival for the title died, with the huge reptile's handler in Australia saying Tuesday it will boost business.

The 5.48-metre (17 ft 11ins) crocodile, kept in a park on an island off Australia's Queensland, held the record until "Lolong", a 6.17-meter suspected man-eater, was caught in the Philippines 17 months ago.

Senior politicians on Monday launched an independent panel into management of the world's oceans, which are facing unprecedented overfishing, pollution and habitat loss.

The Global Ocean Commission is spearheaded by former British foreign secretary David Miliband, ex-Costa Rican president Jose Maria Figueres and South African cabinet minister Trevor Manuel.

World solar power capacity passed the 100 gigawatt mark for the first time to 101 GW, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) said on Monday.

"This global capacity to harness the power of the sun produces as much electricity energy in a year as 16 coal power plants or nuclear reactors of one GW each," the association said in a statement

Jane Goodall greets the audience by imitating a chimpanzee, then launches into an hour-long talk on her relationship with apes and how, from being a primatologist, she became an activist to protect them.

At 78, Goodall, who has 53 years of studying chimps behind her, is still criss-crossing the planet to raise the awareness of populations and their leaders on the fate of the apes and the need to protect the environment.

French police investigating a series of rapes in the southern city of Marseille are confounded after tracing DNA evidence to a set of twins but not knowing which one may be to blame.

With telling the difference between the twins' DNA extremely difficult and expensive, police have in the meantime charged both men, 24-year-old identified only as Elwin and Yohan, and are holding them without bail.

Scientists said they are a step closer to proving the death blow for dinosaurs 66 million years ago was a gigantic comet or asteroid that struck near Mexico.

Although a catastrophic impact has long been thought to be involved earlier work left doubts about just when the object, estimated at some six miles (10 kilometers) in diameter, struck in relation to when dinosaurs disappeared.

A new Earth-observing satellite is set to provide another watchful eye over our planet's glaciers, forests, water resources and urban sprawl.

If all goes as planned, the Landsat satellite will be launched into orbit Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Hold on to your hats: an asteroid will zoom within spitting distance of Earth next week, in what NASA said Thursday is the closest flyby ever predicted for an object this large.

The 2012 DA 14, discovered by chance by astronomers after passing nearby last February, will be just around 17,200 miles (27,700 kilometers) above Earth's surface when it speeds by, the U.S. Space Agency said.