
Life is growing harder in the Syrian capital, President Bashar al-Assad’s stronghold, as residents complain about electricity rationing, shortages of food and gas, and soaring prices.
Jobless Rate Falls to 8.3%, Altering Face of CampaignTwo dueling realities — an improving economy that remains very weak — create serious political risks for top advisers to President Obama and Mitt Romney.
As Clashes Continue, Egypt Soccer Riot Becomes Metaphor for Government FailureFive people were killed on the second day of clashes between protesters and the police as demonstrators questioned the ruling military council’s ability to run the country.
F.B.I. Admits Hacker Group’s EavesdroppingThe group known as Anonymous listened in on a call between the bureau, Scotland Yard and other foreign police agencies about their joint investigation of the group and its allies.
In Beijing, Razing of Historic House Stirs OutrageThe demolition of a historic house in the imperial city, once home to famous architects who championed preservation, was a cruel blow to Chinese conservationists.
Nuclear Inspection Visit to Iran Deemed a FailureThe assessment came as Iran’s supreme leader lashed out at the United States, vowing to retaliate against oil sanctions and threats of military action.
Activists Fight Green Projects, Seeing U.N. PlotSuspicious of government initiatives, protesters linked to the Tea Party are denouncing all manner of measures they equate with a 1992 United Nations resolution, Agenda 21.
Komen Reverses Stance on Planned Parenthood GrantsThe Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation apologized for its decision to cut grants to Planned Parenthood for cancer screening and said it would restore the funding.
Cold Weather Kills Children in Afghan Refugee CampsIn the past month, at least 22 Afghan children under the age of 5 have frozen to death in refugee camps in Kabul, prompting deep concerns among aid workers.
Putin Aide Says Foreign Hands Are Behind ProtestsThe aide said that Russian intelligence services previously reported plans for the outbreak of street protests, implying that a blueprint for unrest was drawn up in Washington.
Syrian Government Said to Kill 200 in Attack in HomsThe reports could not be independently confirmed, but the attacks Friday night in Homs appeared to be the bloodiest episode in the nearly 11-month-old uprising, opposition activists said.
U.N. Says Somalia Famine Has Ended, but Crisis Isn’t OverA bumper harvest and a surge in emergency food aid have ended a famine in Somalia that killed tens of thousands of people, the United Nations said on Friday.
World Briefing | The Americas: Ecuador: Chevron Will Not Apologize for Pollution, Even to Save $8.5 BillionChevron said Friday that it had no intention of apologizing for the environmental damage to the Amazon rain forest for which an Ecuadorean court ruled it responsible.
This Land: Maine Resident Struggles to Heat His HomeCuts in a federal energy-assistance program have left some families struggling to pay for oil to heat their homes.
In Silicon Valley, Socks Make the Tech EntrepreneurIn Silicon Valley, wearing flashy socks is more than an expression of your personality. It signals that you are part of the in crowd.
Cultural Studies: Open Marriage’s New 15 MinutesAn allegation by Newt Gingrich’s second wife provides an unexpected publicity bounce for advocates of open marriage.
Reuters.com is your source for breaking news, business, financial and investing news, including personal finance and stocks. Reuters is the leading global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions to the world's media, financial institutions, businesses and individuals.
language: en-usLAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Republican front-runner Mitt Romney surged on Friday toward an apparent easy win in Nevada, with a new poll showing him beating rival Newt Gingrich by a 2-to-1 margin on the eve of the state's presidential nominating contest.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States created jobs at the fastest pace in nine months in January and the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to a near three-year low, giving a boost to President Barack Obama.
BEIRUT (Reuters) - More than 200 people were killed in shelling by Syrian forces in the city of Homs, activists said on Saturday, as the U.N. Security Council prepared to vote on a draft resolution backing an Arab call for President Bashar al-Assad to give up power.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - It's the year's hottest initial public offering, but some wealth managers find themselves having a hard time recommending Facebook to their clients.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation backed down from its decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and birth control services, following a massive outcry by supporters of the world's largest breast cancer charity.
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - With the enemy at the gates, Bashar al-Assad was dining out.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An $80 billion marriage of commodities trader Glencore and miner Xstrata could lead to a new round of takeovers in iron ore, creating a goliath eager to muscle its way onto one of mining's richest and most closely guarded sectors.
BOISE, Idaho/SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 3 - Micron Technology Inc Chief Executive and Chairman Steve Appleton died in a small plane crash on Friday, a major loss for a U.S. memory chipmaker already struggling with sluggish computer sales and declining prices.
ZURICH (Reuters) - The first indictment of a Swiss private bank over hiding untaxed money for wealthy Americans has heightened tension among private bankers fearful of being next in the firing line.
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader threatened on Friday to retaliate against the West for sanctions, a day after a U.S. newspaper said defense secretary Leon Panetta believed Israel was likely to bomb Iran within months to stop it building a nuclear bomb.
CNN.com delivers up-to-the-minute news and information on the latest top stories, weather, entertainment, politics and more.
language: en-usAnother teacher has been arrested at Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles on allegations of lewd acts on young pupils, authorities said.
More than 200 people were killed in Homs on Friday night, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. In New York, the U.N. prepared for a Saturday vote.
Pfc. Bradley E. Manning, who is suspected of leaking thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, will be court martialed on charges that could lead to a sentence of life in prison, the Army said Friday in a statement.
The foundation reversed its decision after a deluge of opposition, including pressure from lawmakers.
If you travel to the island of Delos in Greece, you might be surprised to visit ruins dominated by statues of gigantic stone penises. Even in its ancient, mythological context, it's jarring to see such a disembodied representation of the human form. Women, of course, are perhaps a bit more accustomed than men to being reduced to a collection of body parts. Even so, it was startling to hear earlier this week that one of America's largest and wealthiest advocates of women's health appears to be fixated on breasts, rather than on the women to whom they are attached.
Three of the four Republican candidates for president will make a flurry of campaign appearances across Nevada on Friday as they seek to get out the vote just a day before the state's caucuses.
In the 1,257 GOP debates we have had to sit through, poverty and the poor have rarely come up, so it was no surprise that Mitt Romney would be dismissive of them in an interview this week with CNN's Soledad O'Brien.
Gay rights advocates in South Africa hailed a judge's sentencing of four men to 18 years each in prison for brutally slaying a 19-year-old lesbian.
A Florida man pleaded guilty Friday to kidnapping, molesting and murdering a 7-year-old girl more than two years ago, making the admission after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Zalman King, a one-time actor who went on to produce and direct numerous films including "Wild Orchid," died Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer, his son-in-law said.
The latest stories from the World section of the BBC News web site.
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The UN Security Council is expected to vote on Saturday on a resolution backing an Arab peace plan for Syria, amid fresh reports of mass killings in Homs.
FBI probes Anonymous phone hackThe FBI investigates how activists linked to Anonymous obtained a recording of a phone call between US and UK police on their operations against hacking.
Europe hit by Russia gas shortageFreezing weather sweeping across Europe is causing a shortage of vital Russian gas supplies to several countries, officials say.
Wikileaks suspect to face trialAlleged Wikileaks suspect Bradley Manning, charged with leaking thousands of documents, will face a court martial, says the US Army.
Saigon fall reporter dies at 79George Esper, who reported on the fall of Saigon for the Associated Press during the last days of the Vietnam war, dies at the age of 79.
Cairo clashes over football angerAt least four people are killed in clashes between Egyptian protesters and police, amid ongoing anger over deaths after a football match.
Anger over NY police Muslim memoCivic groups from around the US are urging New York's attorney general to investigate the New York Police Department surveillance operations.
Obama urges 'keep recovery going'US President Barack Obama challenges Congress to keep the economic recovery going as new data shows unemployment is down to its lowest rate in three years.
Lance Armstrong team probe closedUS prosecutors close an investigation into allegations of criminal conduct over doping claims in a cycle team partly owned by Lance Armstrong.
Oil spurs Canadian PM China visitCanadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit China next week to discuss the future of Canada's oil products.
Colombia emerald tsar faces probeInfluential Colombian emerald dealer Victor Carranza is investigated for alleged links with paramilitary groups in the 1990s.
Striking galaxy image from HubbleThe Hubble space telescope captures an image of a "barred spiral" galaxy that could help us better understand our own Milky Way.
Monkeys fed wine 'to fight flu'A zoo in Kazakhstan, where overnight temperatures have dipped to nearly -40C, is giving monkeys a wine concoction as a remedy against flu.
Fireman stands in for air controlA fireman guides a plane to land at an airport in India after air traffic controllers fail to turn up for work, it emerges.
Cancer charity in funding U-turnA major US breast cancer charity reverses a decision to cut funding to reproductive health group Planned Parenthood, after a furious outcry.
Micron's Appleton dies in crashSteve Appleton, the chief executive of memory-chip maker Micron, has died in a plane crash near Boise, Idaho.
Cuban blogger denied travel visaA Cuban woman who writes a blog critical of the Communist authorities says she will not be able to travel to Brazil after Cuba refused her an exit visa.
Brazilian cities minister resignsBrazilian cities minister Mario Negromonte becomes the latest minister in President Dilma Rousseff's cabinet to resign amid allegations of corruption.
Many die at S Sudan peace meetingAt least 37 people have been killed in South Sudan following a shoot-out at a peace meeting aimed at ending recent violence, officials say.
Ghana boosted by Annan resolveDespite the loss of his mother Ghana midfielder Anthony Annan is determined to continue playing at the Africa Cup of Nations in her memory.
Life term for Khmer Rouge jailerCambodia's UN-backed genocide court rejects an appeal by Khmer Rouge jailer Duch and increases his sentence to life imprisonment.
Nepal former rebels leave campsThousands of former Maoist fighters in Nepal begin the process of demobilisation, five years after they ended their armed revolt.
French air workers to hold strikeUnions representing French pilots and aircrew plan to strike from Monday to Thursday.
UN faults Italy over WWII claimsThe UN's highest court rules that Italy was wrong to allow its courts to make claims for compensation against Germany for Nazi war crimes.
BBC accuses Iran of intimidationThe BBC's Director General, Mark Thompson, accuses the Iranian authorities of intimidating those working for its Persian service.
Sinai gunmen release US touristsTwo US women tourists and their Egyptian guide who were kidnapped in the south of Egypt's Sinai peninsula have been released, security sources say.
Arrests at Syrian embassy protestFive people were arrested after gaining entry to the Syrian embassy in London during a protest against the Syrian regime, Scotland Yard says.
Much of Britain braced for snowHeavy snow is forecast for most of England and Wales later, with warnings of likely disruption to rail services and on the roads.
US job numbers show strong growthThe US economy created 243,000 jobs in January, while the unemployment rate fell to 8.3%, official figures show.
New Virgin staff pay for checksVirgin Atlantic is forcing successful job applicants to pay for their own criminal record checks, Radio 4's Money Box reveals.
Hungarian airline Malev collapsesHungarian airline Malev ceases trading after 66 years after being ordered by the EU to repay state aid it has received.
Terry stripped of captaincy by FAJohn Terry is stripped of the England captaincy, the Football Association has confirmed.
Robshaw relishing Scotland battleChris Robshaw says England's young side will not be daunted by Saturday's Six Nations opener at Murrayfield.
Anderson denies confidence crisisJames Anderson says there is no crisis of confidence in the England batting line-up, despite another stuttering display against Pakistan.
Poster 'threat' to Dujardin OscarMovie billboards in Paris featuring The Artist actor Jean Dujardin might affect his chances of winning an Academy Award, according to French press.
King's Speech premieres on stageAlmost a year after the film reigned supreme at the Oscars, the stage version of The King's Speech has its world premiere.
Gospel singer David Peaston diesR&B and gospel singer David Peaston, best known for the tracks Two Wrongs (Don't Make it Right) and Can I?, dies aged 54.
VIDEO: Cardboard Ayatollah lampoonedA cardboard cut-out version of the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution is mocked online after touring Tehran.
VIDEO: More demonstrations expected in MoscowMore demonstrations are expected in Moscow on Saturday as part of ongoing protest against fraud in December's parliamentary elections in Russia.
VIDEO: Heavy rains cause havoc in AustraliaSevere flooding is threatening parts of New South Wales and Queensland in eastern Australia, with towns cut off and thousands of residents evacuated.
VIDEO: Son on Libyan diplomat's 'torture'The Libyan authorities are being urged to investigate the death of a former ambassador who, it is believed, was tortured in custody.
VIDEO: Khmer Rouge chief gets life sentenceAppeal judges at a UN-backed tribunal in Cambodia have rejected a claim by the man who ran a notorious Khmer Rouge detention centre, that he was not responsible for the crimes.
VIDEO: Cairo clashes over football angerProtesters have gathered on the streets of Egypt's capital Cairo amid calls for more rallies over the deaths of 74 fans at a football match on Wednesday.
VIDEO: Rolls-Royce to open Singapore plantRolls-Royce will open a new half a billion dollar plant in Singapore later this month.
VIDEO: Oldest woman in Cuba turns 127The oldest woman in Cuba and possibly the world celebrates her 127th birthday this week.
VIDEO: One-minute World NewsWatch the latest news summary from BBC World News. International news updated 24 hours a day.
Do the dead outnumber the living?Do the dead outnumber the living - or is it the other way round?
The 'new homeless' of GreeceHow poverty is changing the face of Greece's poor
Vote rigging fears ahead of Russian pollActivists enraged by Putin party's 'dirty tricks' in election
Week in pictures: 28 January-3 FebruaryA selection of news photos from around the world this week
Can the US Army embrace atheists?Can the US Army bring itself to accept atheists?
SmartMoney - Homepage Feed
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We blitz through the hype of America's favorite sporting event.
Real-Time Advice: New data on Friday morning shows unemployment is falling. But which sectors are driving the increase? We take a look at five.
A new books says financial windfalls don't necessarily make your life better.
Video: There's no rhyme or reason behind the so-called Super Bowl Indicator, but the results are hard to argue with.
WSJ corporate deputy bureau chief Spencer Ante analyzes Facebook's IPO filing.
Video: Small print has become a giant menace, costing consumers a $250 million a year.
Video: Some tips to get the most for your money when picking a tax pro.
How so-called tactical-allocation funds try to zero in on the markets' big swings.
Zweig: Has the icon's newsletter guru exaggerated some of his investing results?
Hough: Here are four reasons even risk-adverse investors should favor the sector.
Hoenig: Venture and private equity investors who funded Facebook and other successful companies in their early stages are being unfairly targeted.
Forget Rehoboth Beach. Here are three less-pricey retirement options.
Tech news and business reports by CNET News. Focused oninformation technology, core topics include computers, hardware, software,networking, and Internet media..
language: en-usThe correlations between classic arcade games like Centipede and popular mobile games like Angry Birds are undeniable: they're simple, fun, and addictive. Seamus Blackley has hired a slew of old-school game developers to try to cash in on that fact with his company Innovative Leisure.
Firefox 11 to get add-on syncChanges are a-foot again for Firefox. The beta channel can now sync add-ons, the Aurora channel completes a smoother update process, and work on the faster native UI for Android continues.
iPhone 5 rumor roundupCNET tracks all the iPhone 5 rumors--from the likely to the crazy--that we've heard so far in 2011 and 2012.
Military, government officials could get secure Android phonesCNN reports that U.S. civilian and military officials are testing the use of secure Android smartphones that could be capable of transmitting confidential documents.
Apple cleans App Store of high-profile lookalike appsApple has quietly removed a number of iOS games that could readily be mistaken for their popular counterparts and that had climbed up the charts as a result.
A hydrogen fueling station powered by the windBy building a wind turbine to power a hydrogen production and fueling station, a little hamlet in Long Island is positioning itself a bellwether for carbon-neutral transportation.
Mozilla preps the Web to pushMozilla's gestating a new project that takes its cues from the mobile world: site-specific push notifications. Could this be a next-generation RSS?
Cryoscope lets you feel your forecastRobb Godshaw, an industrial design student at Rochester Institute of Technology, demonstrates a haptic weather forecaster called the Cryoscope.
Anti-SOPA forces have ISP snooping bill in their crosshairsAn Internet outcry forced Rep. Lamar Smith to delay a vote on SOPA. Opponents of Smith's ISP snooping bill are hoping they can repeat the process.
Reporters' Roundtable: What's Facebook going to do with that money?Facebook plans to raise $5 billion in an IPO. What will Facebook do with the money? This week on the Roundtable, Rafe discusses Facebook's future with Josh Constine from TechCrunch and Shervin Pishevar from Menlo Ventures.
Wheels. Legs. This robot has bothRobots are evolving faster than humans. Check out a wheeled robot that can also sprout legs and walk on some serious terrain.
EU officials want Google to suspend privacy policy changeDespite request, Google tells concerned European Union advisers that it will stick to its March 1 date for privacy policy modifications.
Explained: Apple's not-so-secret favorite patent argumentWhat the heck is "frand"? No, not "fraud" but "frand." CNET breaks down what this obscure legal term means, and why it's so important to companies such as Apple and Samsung.
Microsoft withdraws one patent claim against Barnes & NobleThe software giant narrows its claims against Barnes & Noble, saying it hoped to streamline its case before hearings on the dispute begin on Monday.
Apple tweaks fine print behind iBooks Author softwareApple has changed a controversial section of its iBooks Author end user license agreement, saying that users who want to sell outside of Apple's digital stores can do so, as long as they save in a different format.
Crab dinner inspires cancer-removing robotResearchers in Singapore create a robot that can remove early-stage stomach cancer, and it's all thanks to a chili crab dinner.
Anonymous hacks lawyers for Marine accused of Iraq massacreIn a string of attacks today, members of the digital activist group Anonymous apparently hacked into the Web site of defense lawyers for a U.S. Marine accused of leading a civilian massacre in Iraq, and have reportedly acquired e-mails exchanged by attorneys in the case.
Smartphone shipments top all PCs for the first timeTablets see most growth, but PC category overall can't compete with nearly half a billion phones shipped worldwide in 2011, according to a research firm's estimates.
iPhone 4S sales resume online in China, shipments by March 2Ater implementing a lottery system for ordering the iPhone 4S, Apple's online store has resumed selling the device online and will ship by March 2.
Micron CEO Steve Appleton dies in plane crashAppleton, a Micron Technology veteran of three decades and its chief executive officer since 1994, died today in a plane crash in Boise, Idaho.
Top Stories
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AP - In a long-awaited surge of hiring, companies added 243,000 jobs in January — across the economy, up and down the pay scale and far more than just about anyone expected. Unemployment fell to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years.
AP - In a barrage of mortar shells, Syrian forces killed 200 people and wounded hundreds in Homs in an offensive that appears to be the bloodiest episode in the nearly 11-month-old uprising, activists said Saturday.
AP - To many people, breast cancer screening means a mammogram. But for millions of poor, mostly young women who visit Planned Parenthood, it is usually just a physical exam by the only health professional they may ever see.
AP - Ben Gazzara, whose powerful dramatic performances brought an intensity to a variety of roles and made him a memorable presence in such iconic productions over the decades as the original "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" on Broadway and the film "The Big Lebowski," has died at age 81.
AP - The case against Lance Armstrong is closed. His legacy as a seven-time Tour de France champion endures.
AP - Trading jokes and swapping leads, investigators from the FBI and Scotland Yard spent the conference call strategizing about how to bring down the hacking collective known as Anonymous, responsible for a string of embarrassing attacks across the Internet.
AP - The most powerful storm of the winter season pounded Colorado and parts of neighboring states on Friday, creating whiteout conditions on the eastern plains, cancelling more than 600 flights in Denver and closing hundreds of miles of highway between major Colorado cities and the Kansas border.
AP - The head of memory chip maker Micron, long known for taking risks in stunt piloting, died Friday when a small experimental plane he was piloting steeply banked, stalled and crashed near an Idaho runway.
AP - Thirty-three civil rights groups from around the country complained to the New York attorney general Friday about police documents that showed the New York Police Department recommending increased surveillance of Shiite mosques based on their religion.
AP - Competitive-eating champ Takeru Kobayashi (tah-kah-roo koh-bee-yah-shee) conquered Philadelphia's annual gustatory gorge-fest by eating 337 chicken wings in a half-hour before a crowd of nearly 20,000 at Wing Bowl XX.
Reuters - Republican front-runner Mitt Romney surged on Friday toward an apparent easy win in Nevada, with a new poll showing him beating rival Newt Gingrich by a 2-to-1 margin on the eve of the state's presidential nominating contest.
Reuters - The United States created jobs at the fastest pace in nine months in January and the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to a near three-year low, giving a boost to President Barack Obama.
Over 200 people killed in Syria's Homs before U.N. vote (Reuters)
Reuters - More than 200 people were killed in shelling by Syrian forces in the city of Homs, activists said on Saturday, as the U.N. Security Council prepared to vote on a draft resolution backing an Arab call for President Bashar al-Assad to give up power.
Reuters - It's the year's hottest initial public offering, but some wealth managers find themselves having a hard time recommending Facebook to their clients.
Komen reverses move to cut Planned Parenthood funding (Reuters)Reuters - The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation backed down from its decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and birth control services, following a massive outcry by supporters of the world's largest breast cancer charity.
Insight: Syria's Assad set for long conflict (Reuters)
Reuters - With the enemy at the gates, Bashar al-Assad was dining out.
Reuters - An $80 billion marriage of commodities trader Glencore and miner Xstrata could lead to a new round of takeovers in iron ore, creating a goliath eager to muscle its way onto one of mining's richest and most closely guarded sectors.
Micron CEO dies in plane crash, industry stunned (Reuters)
Reuters - Micron Technology Inc Chief Executive and Chairman Steve Appleton died in a small plane crash on Friday, a major loss for a U.S. memory chipmaker already struggling with sluggish computer sales and declining prices.
The Christian Science Monitor - This Super Bowl Sunday, the most important factor determining whether the New England Patriots or New York Giants walk away with the Lombardi trophy might not be a quarterback, a coach, or a defense. It might be the health of a tight end.
Money pours into Planned Parenthood. Was Susan G. Komen misunderstood? (The Christian Science Monitor)The Christian Science Monitor - Within 48 hours of news breaking that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation was cutting grants to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America for its breast-cancer screening program, PPFA has more than made up for the $680,000 in funds lost.
Msnbc.com is a leader in breaking news and original journalism.
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The U.N. Security Council plans to vote on a much-negotiated resolution backing an Arab peace plan for Syria on Saturday, a day after government forces reportedly killed more than 200 people in Homs.
In an apparent reversal of Susan G. Komen For the Cure's funding cuts to Planned Parenthood, the founder and CEO of the nation's largest breast-cancer advocacy agency said Friday that the group would amend the criteria that sparked a firestorm.
Fierce controversy over a policy that cut -- then apparently restored -- funding for Planned Parenthood by the Susan G.
By msnbc.com news services The U.S. economy produced another solid month of job gains in January, offering a hopeful sign for hiring in the year ahead. Employers added a net 243,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department reported Friday.
The actor died Friday of pancreatic cancer, The New York Times reported. The star of films and plays such as "Anatomy of a Murder" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was 81.
By msnbc.com staff and wire Steve Appleton, Chairman and CEO of Micron Technology, has passed away in a small plane accident in Boise, Idaho, the company said Friday.
Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, and LeBron James had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Miami Heat to a 99-79 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.
Federal prosecutors dropped their investigation of Lance Armstrong on Friday, ending a nearly two-year effort aimed at determining whether the seven-time Tour de France winner and his teammates participated in a doping program.
A powerful winter storm moving across Colorado forced the state Department of Transportation to close portions of Interstate 70 and Interstate 25 on Friday.
A major blizzard is bearing down on Colorado, Nebraska and nearby states, providing a reminder that winter is far from over. The Weather Channel’s Mike Seidel reports. (TODAY)
U.S. citizen Jamal Tarhuni went to his native Libya to conduct aid work and now finds himself prevented from flying home by American officials for mysterious reasons.
Bradley Manning, the Army private accused in the WikiLeaks scandal, was ordered Friday to face a general court martial on charges he released thousands of documents of classified information.
Protesters laid siege to Egypt's Interior Ministry on Friday, pushing their protest against the military-led government in a show of anger triggered by the country's worst soccer disaster.
A rare snowfall covers Rome and its landmarks in snow
Two Americans and their Egyptian guide were kidnapped in South Sinai, Egypt, by Bedouins, police said Friday.
A sensitive conference call between the FBI and Scotland Yard was recorded by the very people they were trying to catch, the hacking group known as Anonymous claimed Friday.
We already know that one key way to make more money and stay employed is to get more education.
A surge in hiring last month boosted stock prices Friday, with the technology sector hitting an 11-year high as the data boosted hopes the world's largest economy has turned a corner.
It was one of those cases that seemed straight out of pulp fiction, a noir mystery written by one of those hard-boiled scribes who liked to surround damsels in distress with mobsters and movie stars. Yet it was real life.
Irmela Mensah-Schramm has embarked on her very personal "combat mission" almost daily for 26 years. Her weapons? A scraper, nail-polish remover, a camera and lots of courage. NBC News' Andy Eckardt reports.
A U.S. judge is weighing whether to hold a woman accused of paying a hit man to behead three witnesses in a North Carolina terrorism case.
A search is under way in waters near Mexico for a British cruise ship passenger who apparently went overboard.
Planning an international trip? For Americans who still need to obtain a passport, or renew an existing one, the cost is going up.
 Daniel Radcliffe admitted he was drunk while filming some scenes for the "Harry Potter" movies during a period in his life where he was drinking "nightly," the young star said in an interview. "I have a very addictive personality. It was a problem.
Flagging down a black cab on London's streets may prove a little harder during this year's Olympics after taxi drivers had a request to raise fares by 22 percent turned down.
A Wisconsin woman has been charged with theft over accusations she tried to profit from Facebook's much-anticipated plans to go public by selling fake stock in the social media giant.
John Terry was removed as England captain Friday as he awaits trial for racial abuse, but the Chelsea defender will remain eligible to play for the national team at the European Championship.
According to new data from the Congressional Budget Office, U.S.-based companies paid only 12.1 percent in taxes on profits earned domestically. This is the lowest rate in four decades.
The retailer is turning its back on One Million Moms, a group which called for the talk show host to be dumped as national spokeswoman because she is gay.
The average Facebook user gets more from their friends on Facebook than they give to their friends. Why? Because of a segment of "power users," who specialize in different Facebook activities and contribute much more than the typical user does, a Pew survey finds.
Protesters hold the authorities responsible for deaths of 74 people in soccer disaster.
A nonfiction book on the mysterious heiress Huguette Clark and her family is being written by an msnbc.com reporter and one of Clark's cousins.
While other corporations wring their hands over the decision to pay an average of $3.5 million on a 30 second Super Bowl ad in a down economy, The King of Beers continues to spend.
![]() New York Times | Jobless Rate Falls to 8.3%, Altering Face of Campaign New York Times WASHINGTON — The burst of job growth in January gives President Obama a fresh — but tricky — opportunity to revise the grim economic narrative of his presidency while offering Mitt Romney a choice: embrace a new optimism or campaign against a sinking ... Unemployment report: January job gains have economists rethinking outlooks Jobless rate falls to 8.3 percent Obama unveils a jobs plan to train post-9/11 servicemembers |

![]() New York Times | Jobless Rate Falls to 8.3%, Altering Face of Campaign New York Times WASHINGTON — The burst of job growth in January gives President Obama a fresh — but tricky — opportunity to revise the grim economic narrative of his presidency while offering Mitt Romney a choice: embrace a new optimism or campaign against a sinking ... Unemployment report: January job gains have economists rethinking outlooks Jobless rate falls to 8.3 percent Obama unveils a jobs plan to train post-9/11 servicemembers |
![]() msnbc.com | Anti-Assad protesters break into Cairo, Berlin embassies Jerusalem Post By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL AND REUTERS 02/04/2012 06:55 Both buildings vandalized; Rallies against Syrian president also held in United States, Britain; Assad loyalist forces kill more than 200 in Homs; UNSC due to vote on Syria resolution Saturday. Arrests at Syrian embassy protest Syrian embassies in London and Cairo attacked over Homs massacre At least 200 reported killed in Syrian city of Homs |
![]() The Guardian | Web Fury Spurs Komen Reversal, $3 Million for Planned Parenthood BusinessWeek By Elizabeth Lopatto and Drew Armstrong Feb. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc., riding a powerful wave of Internet indignation, raised $3 million in reaction to Susan G. Komen for the Cure's decision, reversed yesterday, ... Internet Fury Sparks Komen Reversal, $3 Million for Planned Parenthood Komen foundation revises policy that barred Planned Parenthood funding Komen foundation reverses decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood for ... |
![]() New York Times | Will Nevada give Romney a second straight victory? CNN International By Paul Steinhauser, CNN Political Editor Las Vegas (CNN) -- Mitt Romney has a chance on Saturday to do what no Republican presidential candidate has done so far this cycle: win two contests back to back. Coming off a 14-point victory over former House ... Romney Looks to Solidify Front-Runner Status in Nevada Caucuses Gingrich blasts Romney ahead of caucuses today Big Mormon turnout for Mitt Romney expected in Nevada caucus vote |
![]() Fox News | Army officer orders court-martial for WikiLeaks suspect Fox News WASHINGTON – An Army officer ordered a court-martial Friday for a low-ranking intelligence analyst charged in the biggest leak of classified information in US history. Military District of Washington commander Maj. Gen. Michael Linnington referred all ... Nation Digest: WikiLeaks court-martial ordered; Obama unveils veterans job ... Army orders court-martial in WikiLeaks case Manning to face full court-martial in WikiLeaks case |
![]() Telegraph.co.uk | Death toll climbs as protests escalate in Egypt CNN International Cairo (CNN) -- Nine people died over two days in clashes between Egyptian police and protesters amid reports of inadequate security at a soccer match that devolved into a riot in which 79 fans were killed, officials said Friday. 5 killed in Egypt clashes over deadly soccer riot Egypt protesters battle police in Cairo streets, Tahrir Square Seven dead as street battles rage on in Egypt |
![]() Daily Mail | Nation News of the Day From Across the Nation - San Francisco Chronicle 1 Winter storm: A powerful storm swept across Colorado on Friday, forcing the cancellation of about 600 flights at Denver's airport and closing parts of Interstate 70. The storm brought blizzard warnings to eastern Colorado and dumped 3 feet in some ... Major storm hits Colorado moving east; flights canceled, lawmakers adjourn ... Heavy snowstorm hits Colo. on its way east Heavy snowstorm hits Colorado on its way east |
![]() CTV.ca | Israel's profound choice on Iran Los Angeles Times In the end it will come down to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His senior officials will make their cases, but he alone will have to make one of the most critical decisions in Israel's history: whether to attack Iran's nuclear program. UN Nuclear Inspectors' Visit to Iran Is a Failure, West Says Israeli defense minister says he sees widening global support for possible ... Iran vows retaliation as nuclear tension grows |
![]() Tampabay.com | As bill dies, future of mega-casinos remains uncertain MiamiHerald.com The debate over Las Vegas-style casinos has ended in defeat for supporters, who now have to wait until next year to try again to revive the gambling legislation. By Mary Ellen Klas TALLAHASSEE -- A statewide television ad campaign, glitzy architectural ... Florida Mega-Casino Bill Is Withdrawn Plan for mega-casinos dies in Florida House Florida casino gambling bill is dead for 2012 |
![]() BBC News | Cold snap spreads across Europe BBC News More than 100 people have been killed by the cold in Ukraine. Temperatures plummeted as low as -27C in the capital Kiev. In parts of Poland temperatures have dropped to as low as -35C. The harsh conditions have also spread to Serbia and as far south as ... More than 220 dead as Europe freezes Russia Curbs Europe Gas Supplies As Europe Shivers, Russia and Ukraine Point Fingers Over Natural Gas Supply to ... |
Read the front page stories of csmonitor.com.
Lance Armstrong doping case closedLance Armstrong was gratified to learn that the investigation into his alleged doping has been closed.
The FBI and Scotland Yard said no systems were breached, which suggests Anonymous might have hacked an e-mail account and stolen information to listen to a conference call.
With Russia balking at even a watered down Syria resolution and the Arab League concerned by the UN text's weakening, Hillary Clinton is set to meet with Sergei Lavrov in Germany.
Antiabortion activist Randall Terry, a write-in candidate for president, demanded that a Chicago station run an ad showing aborted fetuses during the Super Bowl. The FCC ruled against him.
No single person, outside the candidates themselves, has had more raw impact on the presidential election than casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, via his donations to a pro-Gingrich 'super PAC.'
'Hunger Games' debuts a new trailer ahead of the March 23 opening. This Hunger Games trailer includes more of actor Stanley Tucci as an unctuous interviewer, and Lenny Kravitz as stylist Cinna
The expectation is that Mitt Romney will win Saturday's Nevada caucuses handily. But where there are high expectations, can disappointment be far behind?
P.D. James' "Death Comes to Pemberley" – set in the fictional world of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" – was a critics' darling and one of 2011's great word-of-mouth literary successes. It was also one more example of a sequel based on an older classic. Many authors have taken a beloved fictional work and written a sequel – or sometimes a prequel – based on their imaginings of what might have happened outside the pages of the original. Some had permission from the author (or more often, the author's estate), and some didn't. Some got great reviews – and some didn't. Here are 10 novels based on famous literary works written by other people.
How well do you stay up with the news – from the mainstream to the semi-ridiculous? Take our news quiz and find out!
The biggest game in the 2011 NFL season almost didn't happen, due to a players lockout by owners over the summer. Now, it's time to crown a champion.
A drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest in three years propelled the Dow Jones industrial average Friday to its highest close since before the 2008 financial crisis. The Dow jumped 156 points to close at 12862.
The announcement by Roseanne Barr has given the Green Party the flash of media spotlight it has been lacking as the GOP candidates slog through their primaries.
Gold prices are heading up again, but why is everything but gold prices going down?
A Christian Science perspective: What watching the Super Bowl might have to do with spirituality.
NASA has released two striking hi-res images of our planet, which the agency has dubbed the 'Blue Marble.' Here is how the photos were captured.
Sheryl Sandberg, the No. 2 person at Facebook, pulled in a sterling salary last year. Even Mark Zuckerberg made only a small fraction of Sheryl Sandberg's total 2011 earnings.
Obama in America and Cameron in Britain have spoken of how their Christian faith influences their approach to shaping society. The US presidential campaign is also skirting church-state issues. How much should religion and politics mix?
Conditions for the long term unemployed were mixed in January. Comparatively, they're still epically distressed.
British thriller 'Kill List' is not for the squeamish as the ‘surprises’ keep coming.
The Hubble Space Telescope has detected a galaxy that is strikingly similar to our own Milky Way, but there's no reason to believe that it's evil.
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, who signed a deal with Hyperion for two new books, will release the first this May in e-book form only.
Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.
As another Super Bowl comes on Sunday, it's a good time to remember one of the football greats. From a moment of showing off that may have cost him college football offers to driving with Paul Newman, here are 10 memorable Payton stories from the new biography 'Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton' by Jeff Pearlman.
Myra Kraft's good works inspire Patriots football players and the New England region.
A thoroughly researched, frank, and deeply engaging biography by Jeff Pearlman sheds new light on the player who was the heart and soul of the Chicago Bears.
The FCC is expected to rule on whether an NBC affiliate in Chicago must run a graphic ad during the Super Bowl by antiabortion activist Randall Terry, who has declared himself a candidate for president.
David Choe, the artist commissioned to paint a mural in Facebook HQ in 2005, is about to become a very rich man indeed – all thanks to some graffiti murals and the Facebook IPO.
Gmail Man is here, and he's looking at your private messages. Microsoft's new ad takes some humorous jabs at Google's free mail service.
Too bad you can't patent a football tactic. If that were the case, the San Francisco 49ers could sue any team that used the "shotgun" formation (see below). But coaches and players can – and do – quickly adopt successful strategies. Among them are the following.
Iranian state news reported that the Iranian Space Agency has successfully launched a 110-lb. satellite into orbit Friday, in what is being hailed as a huge achievement for the country's space program.
Proposed EU laws on Internet privacy will target a critical money-maker for Internet companies such as Facebook: their wealth of personal data on users.
Our tax system is a mess and unless we send a clear signal to Congress to do something about it, it’s just going to get messier and messier.
Time for Kids' new book shows kids how to solve science mysteries, Karimba's new CD makes listeners want to get up and dance, Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical 'Phantom of the Opera' records a performance for its anniversary, and more top picks.
Have you ever seen a mansion wasting away? Or a family business close after several generations? For as long as records have been kept, it seems, 9 in 10 families fail to hold onto their assets – and their family unity – for more than three generations. It doesn't have to be that way. There is a formula for sustaining wealth from one generation to the next, and it has little to do with investment strategies or legal structures and everything to do with building family relationships. In our work with The Heritage Institute, which helps successful families pass on their wealth and unity, we have broken down this formula into five essential elements. Whether you're trying to preserve a $50 million estate or a $50,000 inheritance, these five elements can help you build family lasting unity around shared goals:
'Chronicle' stands out from the found-footage crowd with a creative story and a cast of likable actors
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, amid a flurry of controversy, decided to resume grants to Planned Parenthood. Critics say Komen pulled the grants to appease abortion foes.
Fred Goodwin, the former head of the Royal Bank of Scotland, was stripped of his knighthood for his role in the bank's 2008 crisis. But it's not clear hefty bonuses will get similar treatment.
It could become harder for Republicans such as Mitt Romney to blame President Obama for a lack of jobs. In January, the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since February 2009.
Aid groups say that improved harvests and food donations have ended risk of starvation, but warn that ongoing war in Somalia could still reverse gains made.
Haiti's Cité Soleil is the most notorious slum in the Western Hemisphere, but local residents are picking up shovels and brooms to transform their neighborhood.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
language: en-GBIf all goes according to plan, Facebook founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's share of the profit in his company's upcoming initial public offering will result in him facing a tax bill of around $1.5bn for 2011.…
Study links dim wits to conservative ideologyBritish and American children who are less intelligent are more likely to grow up to be conservative and/or bigots, according to new research published in Physiological Science.…
Micron CEO Appleton dies in plane crashSteven Appleton, the long-time CEO at memory chip maker Micron Technology, died this morning in a crash of an experimental plane in the company's hometown of Boise, Idaho. He was 51 years-old and one of the youngest CEOs and chairman in the Fortune 500.…
Opinion poll: Anti-regulatory 'hype' unwarrantedOne advocacy group has published a survey it says proves that US small-business owners aren't unduly concerned with government regulations. Another group says that the first group's opinion poll is tainted by bogosity.…
Facebook post-IPO: Free not fee will make Zuck a buckOpen ... and Shut No sooner did Facebook file its S-1 in preparation for an IPO than speculation kicked into high gear on how Facebook could possibly sustain its $75bn to $100bn valuation. After all, despite its hugely impressive revenue and profit numbers, key components of its revenue model – like advertising revenue – are decelerating. So should we expect Facebook to impose a paywall on some or all of its users, as MyLife.com chief executive Jeff Tinsley suggests it could?…
European revolt over ACTA treaty gains groundThe Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) treaty, signed by most European countries last week, may not be a done deal after all, as governments across the continent face a storm of protest.…
US adds more jobs than expected in JanuaryThe US economy added 243,000 net new jobs in January and the unemployment rate has ticked down two-tenths of a point, according to statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.…
Apple iPhones, iPad back in German online storeA German court has suspended the injunction that required Apple to remove its iPhone 4 and 3Gs, and iPad Wi-Fi + 3G from its online store in that country.…
Biz urged to blast DNSChanger Trojans before safety net comes downHalf of all Fortune 500 companies still contain computers infected with the DNSChanger Trojan, weeks after a FBI-led takedown operations targeting the botnet's command-and-control infrastructure.…
Dead gamer sat unnoticed for nine hours in net cafeA Taiwanese gamer sat dead in a chair at an Internet cafe for up to nine hours before fellow players noticed the poor guy had popped his clogs.…
Mother charged with selling fake Facebook stockA Wisconsin woman has been charged over claims she tried to sell $1m worth of Facebook shares that she didn't own.…
Steve Jobs sighted in Taiwan flogging Android tabletsIn the cut-throat tablet market, a Taiwanese company has found one way to make its product stand out: paying an actor to dress up as Steve Jobs and make tasteless jokes about how he's dead.…
Anonymous hackers leak Scotland Yard-FBI conference callMembers of Anonymous have released an intercept of a conference call between investigators at the FBI and Scotland Yard during which operations against hacktivist group were discussed.…
IBM snatches back SPC-1 benchmark crownIBM's SAN Volume Controller has done the benchmark business, again, and passed the half million SPC-1 IOPS mark using Storwize V7000 storage.…
US tweet deportation: Chilling behind-the-scenes photosThe story earlier this week on the deportation from the US of A of two Brits who ill-advisedly tweeted they were off to "destroy America" left a few readers pretty shaken up at the way the Department of Homeland Security handles potential terrorist threats.…
Gun controlled lamp hits the spotlightOne Taiwanese manufacturer took aim at traditional light switches this week and unveiled a lamp that can be turned on and off with the shot of a gun-shaped remote.…
Sysadmins: Don't get in your own waySysadmin blog I remember the first time I saw these automated supermarket tills. They intrigued me. Yet I was also afraid of the things. I was afraid that despite all of my knowledge and training I wouldn't be able to figure it out and I would end up looking like a fool. I avoided them for three years; the basis of this avoidance nothing more than irrational fear of that which I might not understand.…
ARM rains on x86 as smartphones outship PCsNetbooks are so yesterday's technology. Shipments of the small, not-so-cheap computers plunged during 2011 by 25 per cent, figures from market watcher Canalys show.…
IBM bit-twiddlers want point releases for big ironThe bit-twiddlers took over IBM's server business a year and a half ago, and it appears that they are starting to think about systems as if they were code, as if they could do dot releases in a nearly steady stream and keep their revenues from spiking up and crashing down all the time.…
Sony throws smartphone party with BillabongSony has gone surf-tastic, announcing a partnership with Aussie outdoors outfitter Billabong, which sees its Xperia Active handset branded with the extreme-sports logo and pitched towards the cool-dude generation.…
Troubled Game wins reprieve on debt, mulls axing more storesGame Group has been given a reprieve by its lenders, but the retailer may have to sell its overseas stores to secure it.…
iPhones yanked from German shelves in Motorola patent warApple has removed the iPhone 4 and 3Gs from its stores in Germany, almost certainly in response to Motorola's December action rather than today's patent win.…
BT reveals ultra-fast cable blowing plan for homes, bizBT is talking up plans to bring its ultra-fast fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband network to more of its customers in early 2013.…
Apple FileVault cracked in under an hour by forensics bizApple's FileVault disk encryption can be circumvented in less than an hour, according to a computer forensics firm.…
Nokia pours oil on burning SymbianExclusive Nokia is said to be hastening the demise of its legacy Symbian platform, cancelling the development of all but one new Symbian-based device. Although Nokia Belle updates will continue to ship to existing customers, only one new model – a successor to the N8 high-end camera phone – will reach the market, the Register understands.…
Boffins crack superconducting graphene's melting mysteryScientists in Manchester appear to have solved a problem with graphene that has plagued the super-material's fans since it was sliced into being in 2004.…
Fibre-gobbling punters help BT deposit solid profitBT reported this morning that its sales had fallen 5 per cent for the three months ended 31 December, however earnings and cash generation remained steady, the company added.…
Understanding the make-up of information managementOn demand On January 25th, Regcast presenter Jon Collins was joined by Freeform Dynamics’ Martha Bennett, Jason Frost from Blueprint, and Will Thompson from Microsoft for our very first live event of 2012.…
Euro watchdog asks Google to HALT privacy tweakA European Union watchdog has written to Google boss Larry Page asking him to explain how personal data will be safeguarded when the search giant puts its revised privacy policy into effect on 1 March.…
Apple iPad beats Amazon Kindle Fire in satisfaction surveyiPad owners are happier with their tablets than folk with other fondleslabs are with theirs, recent research reveals.…
Satellite phones lift skirt, flash cipher secrets at boffinsResearchers at the Ruhr-University Bochum have managed to extract the secret encryption algorithmns used by satellite phones, and discovered that it's a lot less secure than one might hope.…
Toshiba Regza 40RL858 40in LED TVReview Toshiba is a bit of a wild card when it comes to TVs. While some of its screens are genuinely exciting, others are merely bargain bin fillers. Buying a cheaper Tosh is a classic case of caveat emptor.…
RIM shot at Android: Free PlayBooks for devsRIM is offering a free PlayBook tablet to developers who submit an Android application to RIM's App World before Valentine's Day, though the T&Cs have yet to be revealed.…
TV tuner maker intros mobile Freeview pick-upTV tuner maker Hauppauge has introduced a mobile gadget that streams Freeview content to you phone, tablet or computer over its own wireless network.…
Apple Europe poaches Xbox PR mastermindApple has poached Microsoft's top product marketing bod in the UK to front up its app store in Europe.…
Samsung 'Galaxy 4S' pic postedThe Samsung Galaxy S II Plus, the smartphone the South Korean giant is said to be unveiling at this month's Mobile World Congress (MWC) show in place of the Galaxy S III, will be a skinny white boy.…
Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 DNA splice is on - reportWindows 8 and Microsoft's next major phone operating system will merge, if reports are correct.…
Next-gen Asus Eee Pad Transformer spiedA previously unseen Asus tablet has surfaced on the web prompting speculation that the Taiwanese company is working on the successor to the Eee Pad Transformer Prime.…
100 MEEELLION .com domains now registeredThere are now over 100 million .com domain names on the internet.…
Brit space agency sends up 1st satelliteSo far, the UK space agency hasn't gone in for any of that headline-grabbing stuff like landing people on the Moon or launching Martian probes that get stranded in orbit before plummeting back to Earth – it leaves that sort of stuff to NASA and Roscosmos.…
Fujitsu out bog standard 7in tab for big bizFujitsu has outed a non-descript 7in Android tablet that it'll be pitching at big business when the gadget goes on sale later this month.…
'We're totally in LA pissing people off'Quotw This was the week when Facebook finally filed for its IPO.…
Second 'Blue Marble' NASA sat pic apes Apollo 17's stunnerAfter popular demand NASA's Suomi NPP satellite has beamed down another "Blue Marble" vision of the Earth in high definition.…
Facebook's Googly IPO delivers on Sun man's visionHistory may record Scott McNealy as a straight-dealing leader of a major Silicon Valley tech company.…
BT Vision throws Microsoft Mediaroom under a bus for LinuxUK hybrid TV service BT Vision plans to be the first customer to discard Microsoft's Mediaroom software, almost imminently, after at least a year-long effort to put in completely new software building blocks to rejuvenate the service.…
Orange San Francisco 2Review The Orange San Francisco was the smartphone bargain of 2011. For £99 you got a solid little handset with a 3.5in 480 x 800 screen, Android 2.1 and a 3.2Mp camera. The fact it was falling-off-a-wet-log easy to root and change ROMs – even I managed it – was the icing on the cake.…
Judges retire to consider Assange’s last chance on extraditionThe UK Supreme Court judges have retired to consider their verdict in Julian Assange’s last shot at escaping extradition to Sweden, with a final verdict possible within weeks.…
SpaceX successfully tests SuperDraco rescue rocketsSpaceX has confirmed the successful test of its SuperDraco rocket engine, which will form the backbone of safety and landing systems for its Dragon spacecraft.…
Riverbed virtualizes Cascade network monitor applianceRiverbed Technology upgraded a whole bunch of its appliances this week, including its Cascade Shark network-monitoring products and its Steelhead WAN optimizers.…
AMD doubles down on existing Opteron server socketsAs El Reg anticipated earlier this week, the new upper management at AMD has come to its senses and figured out that moving to a new core and two new sockets for its Opteron line in 2012 was not a particularly good idea for its own finances, or those of the server makers who it wants to peddle Opteron-based iron. And so, that plan has been scrapped.…
News for nerds, stuff that matters

ananyo writes "One in five academics in a variety of social science and business fields say they have been asked to pad their papers with superfluous references in order to get published. The figures, from a survey published in the journal Science (abstract), also suggest that journal editors strategically target junior faculty, who in turn were more willing to acquiesce. The controversial practice is not new: those studying publication ethics have for many years noted that some editors encourage extra references in order to boost a journal's impact factor (a measure of the average number of citations an article in the journal receives over two years). But the survey is the first to try to quantify what it calls 'coercive citation,' and shows that this is 'uncomfortably common.' Perhaps the most striking finding of the survey was that although 86% of the respondents said that coercion was inappropriate, and 81% thought it damaged a journal's prestige, 57% said they would add superfluous citations to a paper before submitting it to a journal known to coerce. However, figures from Thomson Reuters suggest that social-science journals tend to have more self-citations than basic-science journals."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Ask Slashdot: Are Daily Stand-Up Meetings More Productive?__roo writes "The Wall Street Journal reports that an increasing number of companies are replacing traditional meetings with daily stand-ups. The article points out that stand-up meetings date back to at least World War I, and that in some place, late employees 'sometimes must sing a song like "I'm a Little Teapot," do a lap around the office building or pay a small fine.' Do Slashdot readers feel that stand-up meetings are useful? Do they make a difference? Are they a gimmick?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Doctors 'Cheating' On Board CertificationsMaximum Prophet writes "After taking board exams, doctors have been routinely getting together to remember and reproduce as much of the exam as they can. These notes are then bound and reproduced. According to the American Board of Dermatology, the exams are protected by copyright laws, and any reproduction not approved by the board is illegal. While I have no doubt that the Board believes this, and pays lawyers to believe it as well, I don't think they understand copyright. Perhaps they should invest in better testing methods."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Yes We Can (Profile You): a Brief Primer On Campaigns and Political DataAn anonymous reader writes "In the Stanford Law Review Online, Professor Daniel Kreiss discusses 'the history of political data, focusing on the recent proliferation in voter data and development of new voter-modeling techniques,' and how 'these data practices undermine privacy and democratic practice, even as they increase participation and voter turnout.' He writes: 'Underlying all of this is a vast data infrastructure that has made targeted online advertising and marketing possible, and has contributed to a revival of field campaigning over the last decade. Online advertising and field campaigning rely on voter modeling based on hundreds of data points culled from surveys, public records, and commercial information sources such as credit histories. This data details the location, demographics, political affiliations, social networks, behavior, and interests of citizens.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Apple Clarifies iBooks Author Licensingbonch writes "After drawing criticism over iBooks Author's licensing language, Apple has modified it in a software update to make clear that Apple is claiming rights to the .ibook format itself and not the content therein: '[The license restriction] does not apply to the content of such works when distributed in a form that does not include files in the .ibooks format.' In other words, the content may be sold on competing book stores as long as it is not packaged using iBooks Author."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Satellite Phone Encryption CrackedNew submitter The Mister Purple writes "A team of German researchers appears to have cracked the GMR-1 and GMR-2 encryption algorithms used by many (though not all) satellite phones. Anyone fancy putting a cluster together for a listening party? 'Mr. Driessen told The Telegraph that the equipment and software needed to intercept and decrypt satellite phone calls from hundreds of thousands of users would cost as little as $2,000. His demonstration system takes up to half an hour to decipher a call, but a more powerful computer would allow eavesdropping in real time, he said.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Canada's Internet Among Best, Report Sayssilentbrad writes "Canadians enjoy among the fastest, most widely available and least expensive broadband Internet in the developed world, says a report released Thursday. The report, based on the results of 52 million speed tests of broadband users across the G7 countries and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) membership, was produced by Montreal-based consulting firm Lemay Yates Associates Inc. on behalf of Rogers Communications Inc., the country's largest broadband service provider. It disputes the OECD's own report, published in July, that ranked Canada's high-speed Internet offerings significantly below those of other countries. The report comes days after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission revealed a sharp jump in the number of complaints it has received regarding Internet traffic-management practices, or 'throttling' in recent months." And it's about to get a little better — reader ForgedArtificer points out that Rogers has promised to end all throttling over their network by the end of the year.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
83-Year-Old Woman Gets New 3D-Printed Titanium Jawarnodf writes "The University of Hasselt (in Belgium) announced today (Google translation of Dutch original) that Belgian and Dutch scientists have successfully replaced an 83-year-old woman's lower jaw with a 3D-printed model. According to the researchers, 'It is the first custom-made implant in the world to replace an entire lower jaw. ... The 3D printer prints titanium powder layer by layer, while a computer controlled laser ensures that the correct particles are fused together. Using 3D printing technology, less materials are needed and the production time is much shorter than traditional manufacturing. The artificial jaw is slightly heavier than a natural jaw, but the patient can easily get used to it."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Seattle Library Lets Man Watch Porn On Computers Despite ComplaintsThe Lake City library is making news for their staunch position on the First Amendment, censorship, and the right to watch porn in the library. The problem started when library patron Julie Howe found a man watching some questionable material and asked him to move to another computer. The man refused and the librarian also refused to intervene when asked saying that the library doesn't censor content. "We're a library, so we facilitate access to constitutionally protected information. We don't tell people what they can view and check out," Seattle Public Library spokeswoman Andra Addison told Seattle PI. "Filters compromise freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment. We're not in the business of censoring information."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Web Guru To the Blindthe_newsbeagle writes "Chieko Asakawa went blind at age 14, learned to program mainframe computers by sense of touch, and has spent her 27 years at IBM-Tokyo bringing personal computing and the Internet to the blind. From the article: 'By 1997 she had developed a plug-in that worked with the Netscape browser, mapping Web navigation commands to the computer keyboard's number pad and using text-to-speech technology to read out content. Computer stores around the world sold IBM's Home Page Reader, and Asakawa says its effect on the blind community was immediate, electric, and sometimes touching. ... Other browsers for the blind followed IBM's groundbreaking efforts, and Asakawa moved on to addressing a deeper problem: the fact that designers were unintentionally creating inaccessible websites. She and her team wrote a program called aDesigner ... to allow designers to experience a site as blind users do and to suggest ways to improve navigation for audio browsers.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Steve Appleton, Micron CEO, Dies In Plane CrashCR0WTR0B0T writes "Micron CEO Steve Appleton was killed in a plane crash around 9AM on Friday, February 3rd. He was flying an experimental fixed-wing single engine Lancair, which crashed in between two runways at the Boise airport."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
ACTA's EU Future In Doubt As Poland Suspends Ratificationsuperglaze writes "Poland has suspended its ratification process for ACTA, throwing the copyright crackdown into doubt for the whole European Union. ACTA is being handled as a 'mixed agreement' in the EU due to its criminalization clauses, so if a single EU member state (such as Poland) fails to ratify it, it is null and void across the entire union. If that were to happen, at least six of the remaining international signatories would have to ratify ACTA for it to apply anywhere in the world. Outside the EU, only eight countries — including the U.S. — have signed."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Firefox's Web Push Notification System Announcedeldavojohn writes "Describing Notifications as 'somewhere between email and IM,' Mozilla has announced this push technology as a way to receive notifications from websites without having to keep them open in your browser — as well as receiving them on your mobile device. A JavaScript API reveals early interface ideas by the team. This core concept is not new — both Google and Apple have their own push notification systems for Android and iOS respectively. However, 'It's important to note that this push notification system is distinct from the existing desktop notification mechanisms that are already defined in pending standards. The desktop notifications that websites like GMail and Seesmic Web display to Chrome users, for example, will only work when the website is left open in a tab. Mozilla's push notification system moves beyond that limitation.' Mozilla is attempting to take push notifications to the entire web for any website to use."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Did North Korea Conduct Secret Nuclear Tests?gbrumfiel writes "In May of 2010, North Korea made the bizarre claim that it had achieved nuclear fusion. Many, many commentators (including faithful Slashdot readers) mocked the dear leader for his outlandish boast, but could there have been a kernel of truth in the claim? Apparently some odd radioactivity was spotted by detectors surrounding the North just days after the announcement. Now, a new analysis by a Swedish scientist suggests that the radiation may have leaked from covert experiments into boosting fission warheads. The evidence is tentative at best, and many are skeptical, but it does seem that something odd was up on the Korean peninsula that spring."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Windows Phone 8 Detailed, Uses Windows 8 KernelMrSeb writes "Thanks to a leaked video — a video that Microsoft made for Nokia — we now have lots of details about Windows Phone 8 (WP8). From deep Windows 8, Skype, and SkyDrive integration, through to the addition of NFC 'wallet' payments and BitLocker encryption, it sounds like Windows Phone 8 will be close to iOS and Android in terms of features. The interesting stuff is under the hood, though: WP8 will have the Windows 8 kernel instead of the Windows CE kernel of its predecessors. Through the Win 8 kernel, WP8 will support native code and multi-core processors. It will also have the same network stack, security, and multimedia support as Windows 8. While Win 8 apps won't be directly compatible with Windows Phone 8, Windows Phone manager Joe Belfiore says developers will be able to 'reuse — by far — most of their code.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Top Stories
published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:01:00 GMTNews from across the show-biz spectrum-TV, movies, music and celebrities
language: en-us
The FCC won't be the only one keeping a close watch on Madonna this Sunday.
As we all wait to see whether or not the fiery singer's halftime show at the Super Bowl will contain...
Surprise!
ABC is adding a whole lotta woman to the already female-heavy show Last Man Standing (we're sure Tim Allen doesn't mind) by having Kim Kardashian guest star on next...
Maybe you knew him from Roadhouse, The Big Lebowski or the John Cassavetes canon, but chances are you knew, and recognized, Ben Gazzara.
Gazzara, the always-working actor who specialized...
In Demi Moore's case, the kids look all right.
Tallulah Willis turned 18 today and invited pals to celebrate over at dad Bruce Willis' home, where she's been staying since...
It was kind of disheartening to see Jessica Biel with a naked ring finger at W magazine's Best Performances Issue party and at the Golden Globes, and she probably got that vibe, because...
Griffin O'Neal had to face the music eventually.
The eldest son of Ryan O'Neal was sentenced to 16 months in prison today for a DUI crash last summer that left the other driver...
And then there were 16.
Our annual TV's Top Couples tournament is really catching fire now (sorry, we have Hunger Games on the brain), and we can't wait to see how this round...
Miley Cyrus has had to defend her share of photographs over the years.
But she honestly didn't expect the backlash that occurred last summer when she tweeted a picture of an equals...
Review in a Hurry: Daniel Radcliffe is sent to a remote village to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric who lived in a spooky old mansion. There, he sees a whole lotta dead...
This probably isn't the best week that Drake's ever had.
The child actor turned hip-hop heavyweight was sued yesterday by a woman who claims not only to be Drake's...
Rumors have been circulating that Kim Kardashian has a new man in her life: New York Jets player Mark Sanchez.
So has the E! reality star, who filed for divorce from Kris Humphries in...
Ever think Denise Richards and Selma Blair were spitting images of each other?
Yeah, us neither!
Selma has officially joined the cast of FX's new Charlie Sheen comedy Anger...
Will (Matthew Morrison) finally put a ring on it, but how long are we going to have to wait before we get a Glee wedding? Glee fans are not known for being patient, though one could argue that...
Don't close the book yet on Bridget Jones' famous diary!
Rumors of trouble have swirled around Bridget Jones's Baby, the third installment in the big-screen adventures of the...
Tim Tebow missed out on this Sunday's Super Bowl with a playoff loss, but that's not stopping John Legend from offering up a special ditty in his honor.
Turning up on...
Finally. It's the day we've been waiting for—new Snow White and the Huntsman photos have popped up on the movie's official Facebook page and we get a close-up look at Snow White...
Ethan Zohn is a survivor in more ways than one!
He was the winner of Survivor: Africa back in 2001, and now he's working to defeat Hodgkin's Lymphoma. As he prepares to undergo...
This is certainly something to sing about!
Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb told BBC Radio 2 on Friday that he has made a "spectacular" recovery from a serious illness. (This past...
Demi Moore has had a rough few months, so it seems hard to believe that she's ready to starting dating again—especially when the supposed target of her affections is nine years younger...
"Heart Like Mine" singer Miranda Lambert's heart just keeps breaking.
On the heels of her father-in-law (Blake Shelton's dad, Dick) passing away and the death of a...
Top Breaking News Stories from CBSNews.com
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Hundreds also wounded in Syrian city of Homs as Assad regime extends crackdown of 11-month-old uprising
Prosecutors end two-year inquiry into seven-time Tour de France champ's alleged use of performance enhancing drugs
Freezing temperatures could reduce the number of demonstrators participating in a protest against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday
The economy created 243,000 jobs in January -- a lot more than economists or Wall Street were expecting
Interstates shut down as winter storm warnings go into effect in Colo., Wyoming, Neb.; 600 flights cancelled in Denver Photos
Check out Super Bowl ads that have the most online views -- and a couple more from 2012 Full coverage: Super Bowl XLVI
Officer ordered a court-martial for Bradley Manning charged in the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history
Spc. Michael Wagnon had been charged with the unlawful killing of one Afghan civilian in February 2010
Teacher arrested on suspicion of lewd acts upon two girls; Same school had another teacher arrested for committing lewd acts on 23 children
Prosecutors said they plan to file 2 more murder charges against ex-Marine accused of killing 4 homeless men in California
Anger over deadly soccer riot spilled over into 2nd day of street violence that left at least 5 dead and over 1,500 injured
At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women get will get infected with human papillomavirus at some point, according to CDC
Current owners of the dangerous wildlife would be allowed to keep them as pets if they meet strict new requirements
Jim Irsay tweets that star QB has not passed team physical or been cleared to play despite OK from doctor
"Harry Potter" actor, who says he used to drink nightly, revealed he would go to work on the "Potter" set while still drunk
Presidential candidate says a lot of important statistics are excluded from the jobs numbers
Five-year-old pet rabbit wasn't trained to herd sheep, but probably picked it up from watching dogs do the task
As part of our continuing series "On the Road," Steve Hartman tells the story of Jim O'Hara and his iron-willed campaign for the governorship of Montana.