Arctic sunshine cranks up threat from greenhouse gases

IT'S a solar double whammy. Not only does sunlight melt Arctic ice, but it also speeds up the conversion of frozen organic matter into carbon dioxide. The amount of carbon in dead vegetation preserved in the far northern permafrost is estimated...

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White House warns Republicans on Hagel, Brennan votes

WASHINGTON: The White House said Monday a top Republican was harming national security by delaying confirmation of new Pentagon and CIA chiefs in a row over the US consulate attack in Benghazi.Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned Sunday he would block Chuck Hagel's Senate confirmation as defence secretary and John Brennan's as CIA director, unless the White House offered more information...

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Charge your smartphone, become a cyberspy

Don't charge it where you keep your secrets, OK?(Credit:U.S. Army)There's just never enough battery life on your smartphone, is there?You need it for so many things, like informing yourself, informing others and informing some mythical creature that you're about to kill it.This might be especially true if, say, you happen to be in a U.S. Army garrison in South Korea.Everyone in South Korea is on smartphones...

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Kumbh Mela: Pictures From the Hindu Holy Festival

Holy BathPhotograph by Roberto Schmidt, AFP/Getty ImagesThe Hindu festival known as Kumbh Mela, often referred to as the world’s largest gathering of humanity, peaked on Sunday at...

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Benedict's Legacy Marred by Sex Abuse Scandal

When Pope Benedict XVI resigns at the end of this month, he leaves behind a Church grappling with a global fallout from sex abuse and a personal legacy marred by allegations that he was instrumental in covering up that abuse.As the sex abuse scandal spread from North America to Europe, Benedict became the first pope to meet personally with victims, and offered repeated public apologies...

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Liver cancer survival time tripled by virus

The virus used in the vaccine that helped eradicate smallpox is now working its magic on liver cancer. A genetically engineered version of the vaccinia virus has trebled the average survival time of people with a severe form of liver cancer, with only mild, flu-like side effects. ...

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Colombia quake damaged 100 houses, injured 15

BOGOTA: A strong earthquake that shook Colombia over the weekend destroyed 100 houses and damaged nearly 2,000 others, authorities said Sunday. Only 15 people were injured, none seriously, they said.The National Risk Management Unit said all areas affected by Saturday's quake had been reached, and the toll was definitive."A total of 15 people injured, 100 houses destroyed, 1,896 houses...

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Did Google Earth error send murderer to wrong address?

Dennis and Merna Koula.(Credit:CBS News.com Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)Sometimes, even after a murder conviction, some see reasonable doubt that the conviction was a righteous one.Such is the case in the murder of Dennis and Merna Koula in La Cross, Wisc, a quiet community.Their son Eric was found guilty and is currently serving two consecutive life-sentences for the murder of the wealthy...

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Year of the Snake: The Serpent Behind the Horoscope

On February 10, people all around the world will ring in the Lunar New Year with paper lanterns and firecrackers. At the heart of it all sits the snake, a slithery reptile feared for its sharp fangs and revered for its undeniable charm. (Watch videos of some of the world's deadliest snakes.)Those born in the Year of the Snake are said to be intelligent and quick thinking, but they can...

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$1M Reward for Capture of Fugitive Ex-Cop Dorner

A $1 million reward was offered today for information leading to the arrest of Christopher Dorner, as authorities in Big Bear, Calif., scaled back their search for the disgruntled ex-cop, who is suspected in three revenge killings."This is the largest local reward ever offered, to our knowledge," Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said at a news conference today. "This is...

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