Botany and zoology

Major Breakthrough in Deciphering Bread Wheat's Genetic Code

2012-11-29 06:52:25

Scientists, including Professor Keith Edwards and Dr Gary Barker from the University of Bristol, have unlocked key components of the genetic code of one of the world's most important crops. The first analysis of the complex and exceptionally large bread wheat genome, published today in Nature, is a major breakthrough in breeding wheat varieties that are more productive and better able to cope with disease, drought and other stresses that cause crop losses.

Economic

House speaker Boehner optimistic can avert fiscal crisis

2012-11-29 06:50:30

House Speaker John Boehner voiced optimism that Republicans could broker a deal with the White House to avoid year-end austerity measures, saying on Wednesday that Republicans were willing to raise revenues if Democrats agreed to spending cuts.

Economic

U.S. bans BP from new government contracts after oil spill deal

2012-11-29 06:48:55

The U.S. government banned BP Plc on Wednesday from new federal contracts over its "lack of business integrity" in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, possibly imperiling the company's role as a top U.S. offshore oil and gas producer and the No. 1 military fuel supplier.

Geology and ecology

Sea Levels Rising Faster Than IPCC Projections

2012-11-29 06:47:05

Sea levels are rising 60 per cent faster than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) central projections, new research suggests.

Economic

New York lobbies for $42 billion in Sandy disaster aid

2012-11-29 06:44:41

New York state is seeking $42 billion in aid to deal with damage from superstorm Sandy, but there is no assurance Congress will move quickly as it grapples with a budget crisis, officials from the state said on Wednesday.

Political and Social

Tunisians wounded in Siliana clashes over unemployment

2012-11-29 06:42:43

More than 200 people have been wounded in a second day of clashes in the Tunisian town of Siliana, medical officials have said.

Political and Social

Chinese police plan to board ships in disputed seas

2012-11-29 06:39:51

Police in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan will board and search ships which enter into what China considers its territorial waters in the disputed South China Sea, state media said on Thursday, a move which could raise tensions further.

Political and Social

Rebels begin withdrawal in eastern DR Congo

2012-11-29 06:37:39

M23 spokesman says the group is doing a phased pullout from territory they have captured, starting south of Goma.

Political and Social

Al-Qaeda urges Mali to reject foreign troops

2012-11-29 06:35:48

In a taped message, the head of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb warns Malians against "foreign invading crusaders".

Geology and ecology

Carbon drop in snail shell shock

2012-11-29 05:59:02

Free-swimming snails show shell damage in water conditions that are likely to become more prevalent as the climate

Botany and zoology

Plant fertilization protein found

2012-11-29 05:57:26

Fertilization in flowering plants is dependent on a protein that is secreted by the egg cell and activates

Technological

Time's arrow in B mesons

2012-11-29 05:56:10

A cornerstone of theoretical particle physics أ¢â‚¬â€‌ the idea that not all processes run in the same way forwards

Intellectual Articles

Science should be ready to jump off أ¢â‚¬ثœthe cliffأ¢â‚¬â„¢

2012-11-29 05:55:28

Researchers can find plenty to like in a US budget scenario that scientific societies are comparing to the apocalypse

Astronomy

NASA ponders new missions for spare spy telescopes

2012-11-28 09:23:07

NASA is looking for new ideas on what to do with two space telescopes left over from a once-secret U.S. spy satellite program.

Health

Use of Stem Cells in Personalized Medicine

2012-11-28 09:16:33

Johns Hopkins researchers report concrete steps in the use of human stem cells to test how diseased cells respond to drugs. Their success highlights a pathway toward faster, cheaper drug development for some genetic illnesses, as well as the ability to pre-test a therapy's safety and effectiveness on cultured clones of a patient's own cells.

Political and Social

White House expected to seek billions in Sandy disaster aid

2012-11-28 09:13:22

The White House is expected in the coming days to send Congress a multi-billion dollar request to fund recovery from Superstorm Sandy, which caused an estimated $71 billion in damages in New York and New Jersey.

Intellectual Articles

The 2011 Arab Revolution

2012-11-28 09:05:35

Summarily, the revolution sweeping the Arab world is as much a revolt against the absence of ethics in business and political life as it is a longing for democracy and transparent governance. Corruption saps the initiative of a people and fosters the division of a society into two classes: a vast underclass dominated by a corrupt upper class which seeks to maintain its privileges through coercion. South Asia is headed in the same direction.

Political and Social

Obama promotes tax agenda, Congress in stand-off

2012-11-28 08:53:44

President Barack Obama on Tuesday launched a public relations push for his bid to raise taxes on wealthy Americans, but U.S. lawmakers remained deadlocked over dramatic, year-end tax increases and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff."

Others Assortment

New Research Shows Just How Well the 2012 Games Were Run

2012-11-28 08:51:22

Unique research conducted by a University of Huddersfield professor confirms just how successfully the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics were designed, organised and delivered. His findings will reveal to planners of the 2016 Games in Brazil just what they must do to meet or exceed the standards set by London.

Economic

Hedge funds face profit headache in 2013

2012-11-28 08:44:59

Hedge funds' glory days seem a long way off as they head into a tricky 2013, with bumper profits likely to remain elusive in markets now dominated by political and central bank action.

Astronomy

Do Missing Jupiters Mean Massive Comet Belts?

2012-11-28 08:21:54

Using ESA's Herschel space observatory, astronomers have discovered vast comet belts surrounding two nearby planetary systems known to host only Earth-to-Neptune-mass worlds. The comet reservoirs could have delivered life-giving oceans to the innermost planets.