A rare solar eclipse will sweep across parts of Africa, Europe and the United States on Sunday as the moon blocks the sun either fully or partially, depending on the location.

The round shape of the Earth explains why some viewers in west Africa will see a total eclipse, while others in the United States and Europe will only see the sun partly obscured.

France's Socialist government bowed to public pressure on Tuesday by suspending plans for an environmental tax on trucks, in its latest climbdown on a controversial tax hike.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the new "ecotax" on commercial road transport, due to take effect on January 1, would be suspended after protests at the weekend in western France's Brittany turned violent.

The United States said Tuesday it would end most financing of coal projects overseas, taking a potentially significant step to curbing carbon emissions blamed for climate change.

The decision puts into action a pledge in June by President Barack Obama to pursue more climate-friendly development policies. The World Bank, where the United States holds the most voting power, also stated after Obama's pledge that it would stop most financing for coal, among the dirtiest forms of energy.

A line of mini-sharks thought to have perished in Earth's "Great Dying" event some 250 million years ago, in fact lived another 120 million years, said researchers Tuesday who found samples of their miniscule fossil teeth.

The strange creature, which measured no more than 30 centimeters (12 inches) in length and likely sported a hook-like protrusion in place of a dorsal fin, may have survived the calamity by hiding away in the deep seas, the research team wrote in the journal Nature Communications.

Australia launched a probe Wednesday into the agency responsible for protecting the Great Barrier Reef after some board members were urged to resign over alleged conflicts of interest related to the mining industry.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt ordered an investigation after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired allegations that coal and gas industry ties had seen the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) relax its stance on industrial development.

California's gold rush may long be over, but mercury-contaminated soil from mining activities in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada continues to flow downstream, impacting fish and the environment, a new study suggests.

The heavy metal tends to be loosened during major floods that occur about once a decade and likely will continue unless something is done to prevent mercury-laden sediment from eroding and ending up in the state's agricultural heartland, according to the study published online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Ever wonder why snakes inspire such fear? A new study on monkeys out Monday says the brain has specific cells that fire off rapid warnings when confronted with slithery danger.

Certain neurons respond "selectively" to images of snakes, and they outpace comparable neurons that react to visuals of faces, hands or geometric shapes, the researchers said.

NASA said Monday it is on track to launch its Maven probe to Mars next month to find out why the Red Planet lost much of its atmosphere.

The unmanned spaceship is scheduled to leave Earth on November 18 at 1:38 pm (1739 GMT).

Meteorologists may have found a way to predict some killer heat waves up to three weeks in advance. Now, the best they can do is about 10 days.

An earlier warning would help cities prepare for the heat wave, arrange to open up cooling centers and check on the elderly, said Gerald Meehl, co-author of a study that describes the forecasting clue.

An expedition to a remote part of northern Australia has uncovered three new vertebrate species isolated for millions of years, with scientists Monday calling the area a "lost world".

Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University and a National Geographic film crew were dropped by helicopter onto the rugged Cape Melville mountain range on Cape York Peninsula earlier this year and were amazed at what they found.