Maryland inches closer to decision time on hydraulic fracturing

As states in the Mid-Atlantic lined up for the jobs and tax revenue that would come with drilling deep into the shale to release gas, Maryland held back. Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and other state officials said no thanks, wary that poisonous chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing could contaminate groundwater in rural areas where it matters mo...

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China's inflation rises to 2.0 percent in November

BEIJING: China's inflation rate accelerated slightly to 2.0 percent in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Sunday.It is the first increase in the consumer price index since August. Inflation stood at 1.7 percent in October.The result compares with a median 2.1 percent forecast for November in a survey of 12 economists by Dow Jones Newswires.Producer prices -- which measure...

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India misguided, paranoid over China: Guha

MUMBAI: A good half-hour into the discussion on 'India, China and the World', historian Ramachandra Guha issued a disclaimer—all the three members on the panel had been to China only once. "We should learn their language, promote quality research, and have a panel on China driven by Chinese scholars," he said. And that was the general tenor of the debate—that the Indian attitude to China was influenced...

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Plants Grow Fine Without Gravity

When researchers sent plants to the International Space Station in 2010, the flora wasn't meant to be decorative. Instead, the seeds of these small, white flowers—called Arabidopsis thaliana—were the subject of an experiment to study how plant roots developed in a weightless environment.Gravity is an important influence on root growth, but the scientists found that their space plants didn't...

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Gay Marriage: Will Justices Follow Popular Opinion?

The Supreme Court's announcement that it would hear two cases challenging laws prohibiting same-sex marriage has reinvigorated one of the most hotly contentious social debates in American history, a debate that has been fueled by a dramatic change in attitudes.With some states taking significant steps towards legalizing gay marriage, the hearings come at a critical moment.This...

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In Michigan, heart of organized labor, Republicans push to limit union power

Republicans in Michigan are acting swiftly to adopt broad limits on the ability to organize workers, as the war over organized labor moves into the state that gave rise to modern industrial unions. Unbowed by their party’s thumping at the polls nationally in last month, Republicans who control Michigan’s legislature approved measures in the lame-duck session this week that would make Michigan...

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Thailand's 'War Elephants' face Malaysia test

KUALA LUMPUR: Thailand have impressively swept into the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-finals but the "War Elephants" face a stern test against Malaysia as they bid to end a 10-year Southeast Asian title drought.The three-time champions, twice losing finalists since last lifting the trophy in 2002, edged the Philippines 2-1, thumped qualifiers Myanmar 4-0 and then dismissed Vietnam 3-1 during their...

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India misguided, paranoid over China: Guha

MUMBAI: A good half-hour into the discussion on 'India, China and the World', historian Ramachandra Guha issued a disclaimer—all the three members on the panel had been to China only once. "We should learn their language, promote quality research, and have a panel on China driven by Chinese scholars," he said. And that was the general tenor of the debate—that the Indian attitude to China was influenced...

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Plants Grow Fine Without Gravity

When researchers sent plants to the International Space Station in 2010, the flora wasn't meant to be decorative. Instead, the seeds of these small, white flowers—called Arabidopsis thaliana—were the subject of an experiment to study how plant roots developed in a weightless environment.Gravity is an important influence on root growth, but the scientists found that their space plants didn't...

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Baby Gabriel's Mother Sentenced to Prison

Elizabeth Johnson -- who at one point admitted to killing her son, the missing infant Gabriel Johnson, before saying she gave him away -- told a judge she "deserved the maximum" sentence, before receiving a prison term of 5.25 years, half of the max.In October, Johnson, 26, was found guilty of custodial interference and unlawful imprisonment stemming from the disappearance of...

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New Orleans U.S. attorney resigns amid scandal over anonymous online postings

The U.S. attorney in New Orleans, who built a reputation for prosecuting public officials, resigned Thursday in the midst of a federal investigation into two top deputies who used the Internet to anonymously attack people their office was investigating. Jim Letten, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, was appointed by George W. Bush in 2001 and is the longest-serving...

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Australian police seize US$81 million of cocaine

SYDNEY: Australian police Friday said they had seized cocaine shipped from Chile worth up to A$77 million (US$81 million), the third global drug syndicate busted in as many weeks.The 135-kilogram (298-pound) seizure followed a three-month Australian Federal Police investigation and led to the arrest of five men -- three Australians, one Italian and one Mexican."The Australian Federal Police...

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Tribal women wage war against IMFL

SHIMLA: Tribal women in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur district have waged a unique war to curb social inequality, especially during marriages and other social functions. In a bid to curb show of wealth, women have come up with unique idea of banning the use of English liquor and those defying ban are being imposed heavy penalty.Liquor is an important part of tribal customs and social get together are incomplete...

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Space Pictures This Week: Lunar Gravity, Venusian Volcano

Cassiopeia’s BubbleImage courtesy T.A. Rector, UAA/WIYN/NOAO/NSFA new camera called the One Degree Imager, located at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, is responsible...

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Not 'Wild West': Talking Cyber Ops at Iran's Backdoor

Robert Clark, the operational attorney for U.S. Cyber Command, stood in a grand ballroom with gold flaked ceilings and sparkling chandeliers to address an audience that included men in flowing white robes and veiled women and tried to hammer home a single point: cyber warfare is not the "Wild West."Clark, who emphasized that he was speaking only in a personal capacity and not on...

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Rubio, Ryan look to the future during award dinner speeches

Two high-profile Republican members of Congress who stand at the forefront of the effort to rebuild the party after a stinging presidential defeat delivered speeches Tuesday night aimed at turning the page with a fresh emphasis on inclusion and a renewed focus on growing the middle class. “Nothing represents how special America is more than our middle class. And our challenge and our opportunity...

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US sends offers aid after deadly Typhoon Bopha

WASHINGTON: The United States offered disaster relief and sent condolences Wednesday to the Philippines and Palau in the wake of Typhoon Bopha, which left hundreds dead.At least 325 people were killed and hundreds remain missing in the Philippines following the deadliest typhoon to hit the country this year, the Philippines civil defence chief said in Manila."The United States offers condolences...

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A 2020 Rover Return to Mars?

NASA is so delighted with Curiosity's Mars mission that the agency wants to do it all again in 2020, with the possibility of identifying and storing some rocks for a future sample return to Earth.The formal announcement, made at the American Geophysical Union's annual fall meeting, represents a triumph for the NASA Mars program, which had fallen on hard times due to steep budget cuts....

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Fiscal Cliff: Do You Trust the Polls?

Dec 5, 2012 4:49pm National polls show that Republicans would take the brunt of the blame for a dive over the so-called fiscal cliff.  A Washington Post/Pew Research Survey released this week found that a majority of the public (53 percent) would point the finger at Republicans if Congress fails to reach a deal on taxes and government spending. Just 27 percent...

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Armey’s exit from FreedomWorks highlights tea party’s post-election turmoil

Former House majority leader and consummate insider Richard K. Armey always seemed like an odd fit as the titular head of FreedomWorks, the Washington-based political group that fashioned itself as part of the tea party revolution against the Republican establishment. Now Armey, who served in Congress from 1985 to 2003, is parting ways with FreedomWorks, with a reported $8 million pay...

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Philippines rescuers scramble as 82 dead in typhoon

MANILA - The death toll from a powerful typhoon that ravaged the southern Philippines rose to 82 Wednesday, as rescuers battled to reach areas cut off in flash floods and mudslides.Typhoon Bopha churned across the island of Mindanao, toppling trees and blowing away homes on Tuesday before weakening overnight as it headed towards the South China Sea.It was however expected to dump more...

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India urges Israel to speed up defence projects

NEW DELHI: India has asked Israel to speed up crucial bilateral defence projects, including the around Rs 13,000 crore development of two advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems to arm Indian armed forces against hostile aircraft, drones and helicopters. This came at the 10th joint working group on defence cooperation here, co-chaired by defence secretary Shashikant Sharma and Israeli defence...

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Scientific Results From Challenger Deep

Jane J. Lee The spotlight is shining once again on the deepest ecosystems in the ocean—Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench (map) and the New Britain Trench near Papua New Guinea. At a presentation today at the American Geophysical Union's conference in San Francisco, attendees got a glimpse into these mysterious ecosystems nearly 7 miles (11 kilometers) down, the former visited by filmmaker...

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Tasting DNA-Altered Salmon That May Hit US Plates

Deep in the rain forests of Panama, in a secret location behind padlocked gates, barbed-wire fences and over a rickety wooden bridge, grows what could be the most debated food product of our time.It may look like the 1993 hit movie "Jurassic Park," but at this real-life freshwater farm scientists are altering the genes not of dinosaurs -- but of fish.They are growing a new DNA-altered...

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GOP fiscal cliff plan would freeze federal pay for a total of five years

The Republican plan to avoid a year-end fiscal cliff of budget cuts and tax increases is like an old, out-of-tune song to federal workers, at least the stanza that mentions them. They’ve heard it repeatedly and didn’t like it the first ti...

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British press 'delighted' but anxious over royal baby

LONDON: Britain's press on Tuesday celebrated the "delightful" news that Prince William and his wife Catherine are to have a baby, but the expectant mother's bout of morning sickness tempered spirits.The couple announced on Monday they are expecting their first child, ending fevered speculation about a baby destined to become Britain's monarch whether it is a boy or a girl.But the former...

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Burney writes to Pak PM, president condemning temple demolition

AMRITSAR: Pakistan's former federal minister for human rights Ansar Burney has shot off letters to Pakistan's prime minister and president seeking immediate action against the real estate builder on whose behest the century-old Sri Rama Pir temple in Karachi was demolished on Saturday.Talking to TOI over phone from Karachi, Burney said that it was a case of blasphemy and government of Pakistan should...

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Mars Rover Detects Simple Organic Compounds

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has detected several simple carbon-based organic compounds on Mars, but it remains unclear whether they were formed via Earthly contamination or whether they contain only elements indigenous to the planet.Speaking at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in San Francisco, Curiosity mission leaders also said that the compound perchlorate—identified...

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Suspect Allegedly Told Cops He Traveled to Kill

A man charged in the death of a teenage barista in Alaska told police that he traveled the country with the sole purpose to kill strangers because he "liked to do it," prosecutors said today.Vermont and federal prosecutors detailed the meticulous and cold-blooded murder of Bill and Lorraine Currier in Essex, Vt., last year and said the information came from Israel Keyes before...

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Retired military officers’ letter seeks to amend gun law to help battle suicides

A group of senior retired generals and admirals are calling for Congress to amend a recent law that they say “dangerously interferes” with the ability of commanders to battle the epidemic of suicides among members of the military. Legislation added to the 2011 defense authorization bill at the urging of gun-rights advocates prohibits commanders from collecting any information about weapons...

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SMRT bus driver pleads guilty to starting strike

SINGAPORE: A SMRT bus driver from China has pleaded guilty to starting an illegal strike on 26 November.Bao Feng Shan, 38, admitted that he committed the offence, shortly after he was charged on Monday with starting the strike between 6am and 7am on 26 November at Woodlands Dormitory.He also apologised to SMRT, the government of Singapore and his family.He is the first of five SMRT drivers...

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FDI in retail to safeguard international market mafias' interest: BJP

ANI Dec 1, 2012, 03.28PM ISTNEW DELHI: India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said retail reform is a step taken by the Congress led-federal government to safeguard the interests of the international market mafias at the cost of national interest. BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Saturday that voting inside the parliament would decide as to who is in favour of national...

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Photos: Kilauea Lava Reaches the Sea

Into the Sea Photograph by Hugh Gentry, ReutersA spectacular natural phenomenon was on display early this week as lava from a vent in Hawaii's Kilauea volcano flowed into...

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