Rusty rocks reveal ancient origin of photosynthesis

SUN-WORSHIP began even earlier than we thought. The world's oldest sedimentary rocks suggest an early form of photosynthesis may have evolved almost 3.8 billion years ago, not long after life appeared on Earth. A hallmark of photosynthesis in plants is that the process...

Read More..

Iran won't go beyond nuclear obligations: envoy

TEHRAN: Iran said Saturday it will not go beyond its obligations nor accept anything outside its rights under the non-proliferation treaty, ahead of talks with major powers over its disputed nuclear drive."We will not accept anything beyond our obligations and will not accept anything less than our rights," said the Islamic republic's top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, quoted by ISNA...

Read More..

White House to Supreme Court: End marriage law

Edith Windsor (shown with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in December), is at the center of the upcoming Supreme Court case.STORY HIGHLIGHTSThe Justice Department files first in a series of legal briefs involving two big casesSupreme Court will hear arguments next month on Defense of Marriage Act Lawyers for House GOP say they should be able to defend the marriage law in courtU.S. still deciding...

Read More..

Pentagon grounds F-35 fleet after engine crack found

Updated 9:03 PM ET WASHINGTON The Pentagon on Friday grounded its fleet of F-35 fighter jets after discovering a cracked engine blade in one plane. The problem was discovered during what the Pentagon called a routine inspection at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., of an F-35A, the Air Force version of the sleek new plane. The Navy and the Marine Corps are buying other versions of the F-35, which...

Read More..

Cyberattacks Bring Attention to Security Reform

Recent accusations of a large-scale cyber crime effort by the Chinese government left many wondering what immediate steps the president and Congress are taking to prevent these attacks from happening again.On Wednesday, the White House released the administration's Strategy on Mitigating the Theft of U.S. Trade Secrets as a follow-up to the president's executive order. The strategy...

Read More..

Spidey-sense suit tingles when someone gets too close

FOR Peter Parker, it was a tingling sensation that alerted him to an imminent threat. Now anyone can pretend to be Spider-Man by simply donning a suit that lets you feel how close you are to a nearby object. It can even let the wearer navigate with their eyes closed. ...

Read More..

Spate of blasts killed 83 in Damascus' deadliest day

DAMASCUS: A spate of bombings across Damascus killed at least 83 people in the deadliest day for the capital since Syria's war erupted, a watchdog said Friday, as the opposition discussed a plan for peace talks with the regime.Thursday's biggest bombing, which both the regime and its opponents blamed on "terrorists", killed 61 people and left a trail of destruction in the city centre,...

Read More..

Teens get strippers; mom arrested

By Jack Maddox, CNNupdated 11:32 PM EST, Wed February 20, 2013STORY HIGHLIGHTSAlbany-area woman is accused of hiring strippers for her son's 16th birthdayJudy Viger, 33, is charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a childPhotos posted on Facebook alerted the parents of teens who attended(CNN) -- An upstate New York mother is accused of hiring strippers for her son's 16th birthday party...

Read More..

Georgia executes man lawyers claimed was mentally ill

JACKSON, Ga. A 38-year-old inmate convicted of killing two college students in 1995 was executed in Georgia on Thursday, apologizing to the families of both victims before being injected at a state prison. Andrew Allen Cook was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m., about 14 minutes after he was injected with the sedative pentobarbital. He was the first inmate to be executed since the state changed its...

Read More..

Arias Challenged On Pedophilia Claim

Accused murderer Jodi Arias was challenged today by phone records, text message records, and her own diary entries that appeared to contradict her claim that she caught her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, looking at pictures of naked boys.Arias had said during her testimony that one afternoon in January 2008, she walked in on Alexander masturbating to pictures of naked boys....

Read More..

Tobacco giant wants to help you quit smoking

British American Tobacco aims to turn electronic cigarettes into medicines in the UK. It's a welcome move, but leaves a bitter taste in the mouth BACK in the 1950s, when the dangers of smoking were becoming clear and the tobacco industry was panicked, cigarette-makers came up with a wheeze: safer smokes. Filter-tipped, low-tar and...

Read More..

Malaysian driver, Myanmar national arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint

SINGAPORE: A Malaysian driver and a Myanmar national have been arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint.They were caught at about 12.25am on Thursday after immigration officers checked a Malaysian-registered car that was leaving Singapore.When the driver opened the car boot, the officers found a man hiding inside. The driver, 26, and the Myanmar national, 62, were arrested and are being investigated.The...

Read More..

Pistorius case investigator accused of attempted murder

STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: A branch of South Africa's ruling party says Oscar Pistorius is getting special treatmentA decision in the bail hearing could come as soon as ThursdayCharges against investigator stem from 2009 incident, spokesman saysBotha and other officers fired at a minibus they were pursuing, he says(CNN) -- The sensational case of Oscar Pistorius took a new turn Thursday when police said...

Read More..

Sequestration could mean across-the-board pain

(CBS News) WASHINGTON - The entire economy is headed for trouble in just eight days -- when massive across-the-board cuts in the federal budget are scheduled to kick in automatically. The cuts were designed to be so deep and harmful, that they would force the president and Congress to find a better way. But they haven't. Just for example, there would be $46 billion cut from the Defense Department...

Read More..

Arias Leaves Stand After Describing Killing, Her Lies

Jodi Arias stepped down from the witness stand today after mounting an emotional effort to save herself from death row, insisting to the Arizona jury that an explosive fight with ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander led to his death, and that her lies about killing him masked deep regret and plans to commit suicide.Arias, 32, will now face what is expected to be a withering cross-examination...

Read More..

Today on New Scientist: 19 February 2013

Doctors would tax sugary drinks to combat obesity Hiking the price of fizzy drinks would cut consumption and so help fight obesity, urges the British Academy of Medical Royal CollegesSpace station's dark matter hunter coy about findings Researchers on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, which sits above the International Space Station, have collected their first results - but won't reveal them...

Read More..

Pistorius "fought non-stop" with girlfriend on night of killing

PRETORIA: "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius returned to court Wednesday to hear explosive allegations that he fought "non-stop" with his slain girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on the night of her killing.With the South African sporting hero already facing a tough fight to win bail, the prosecution presented police evidence to flesh out the charge he deliberately murdered the cover girl on Valentine's...

Read More..

Prosecutors dub Pistorius a flight risk, mull more charges

Photos: 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius 'Blade Runner' Oscar...

Read More..