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...

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Hollande wants proper labels on meat meals

PARIS: France's president said Saturday he wanted to see proper labelling of meat in ready-made meals to avert a repeat of the scandal over horsemeat being passed off as beef."I want there to eventually be mandatory labels on the meat contained in prepared meals," Francois Hollande said while visiting an agricultural show in Paris."Until then, I will support... all initiatives for voluntary...

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Water tank body still mystery

STORY HIGHLIGHTSCause of death deferred, pending further examinationTests show hotel water is free of harmful bacteria, health department saysCanadian university says woman not registered in classes this yearWater "had a very funny, sweety, disgusting taste," one guest saysLos Angeles (CNN) -- Two days after the grisly discovery, the case of the Los Angeles hotel water tank corpse is a mystery with...

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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...

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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...

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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. ...

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"Argo" vs "Lincoln" in knife-edge Oscars race

HOLLYWOOD: Ben Affleck's Iran hostage drama "Argo" goes into Oscars weekend a whisker ahead of Steven Spielberg's presidential "Lincoln", but the race is one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.Veteran director Spielberg, bidding for his first best picture Oscar since "Schindler's List" in 1994, tops the nominations with 12 nods -- but "Argo" has cleaned up in Hollywood's awards...

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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...

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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...

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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....

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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...

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Taiwan's ex-VP to meet China's Xi Jinping

TAIPEI: Taiwan's former vice president Lien Chan will meet China's Communist Party chief Xi Jinping in Beijing next week in the highest-level cross-straits meeting since Xi took office, it was announced on Thursday.Lien, leading a delegation of some 30 politicians and business leaders on a four-day trip, will leave on Sunday and meet Xi the following day at the latter's invitation, said...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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Pope advised to limit air travel: report

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI is nearly blind in one eye and was advised by his doctor to limit air travel because of his high blood pressure, the website Vatican Insider reported on Wednesday.The report also said the 85-year-old pontiff often has problems sleeping and has fallen out of bed several times in recent years on foreign trips, making him tired in public appearances.The report...

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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...

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