Ancient cave yields clues to Chinese history

WASHINGTON (AP) — A stalagmite rising from the floor of a cave in China is providing clues to the end of several dynasties in Chinese history. Slowly built from the minerals in dripping water over 1,810 years, chemicals in the stone tell a tale of strong and weak cycles of the monsoon, the life-giving rains that water crops to feed millions of people.

Dry periods coincided with the demise of the Tang, Yuan and Ming dynasties, researchers report in Friday’s edition of the journal Science.

In addition, the team led by Pingzhong Zhang of Lanzhou University in China noted a change in the cycles around 1960 which they said may indicate that greenhouse gases released by human activities have become the dominant influence on the monsoon.

The Wanxiang Cave is in Gansu Province, a region where 80 percent of the rainfall occurs between May and September.

Blockbuster posts third quarter loss, lower sales

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Blockbuster Inc posted a third quarter loss on Thursday due to seasonal factors, but narrowed its loss from a year ago with the help of more consumer products and cost reductions at its stores.

The nation’s leading DVD rental company said its third quarter net loss narrowed 48.3 percent to $17.8 million, or 11 cents per share, from a net loss of $34.4 million, or 20 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items, Blockbuster posted a loss of 8 cents, which was better than analysts’ consensus forecasts of a loss of 15 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Third quarter revenues fell 2.7 percent, reflecting the closure of dozens of stores from the year earlier, to $1.2 billion from $1.24 billion.

“It was a good report. When you look at the top line, they’re operating fewer stores, but they’re making more money on a per store basis,” said Stern Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia.