EPA OKs more hazardous waste for Calif. toxic dump blamed by residents for birth defects

EPA OKs more hazardous waste for Calif. toxic dump

Russia to start testing Angara rocket in 2013

Moscow, July 15 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Test launches of Russia’s new booster rocket Angara are to start in 2013, the rocket designer said Thursday.

No rain again, Delhi remains hot and humid

NEW DELHI - Rains eluded the capital again Thursday as the mercury soared upwards, making it a hot and humid day. The weather will remain the same Friday too, the weatherman said.

Freed Cuban prisoners tell of cells with rats, roaches and disease outbreaks

Cuba prisoners shared cells with rats, roaches

Spirit AeroSystems pays $132,500 to settle hazardous waste allegations at Wichita plant

Spirit AeroSystems pays hazardous waste penalty

New research improves odds of finding diamonds

LONDON - New research led by a University of Houston professor could help improve the odds of finding diamonds by focusing future searches in particular areas.

Footloose glaciers cracking up

WASHINGTON - Glaciers that lose their grounding on the seafloor and begin floating behave very erratically, producing larger icebergs than their grounded cousins, says a new study.

Britain, France, Germany urge 30 percent EU carbon emission cuts by 2020

Britain, France, Germany urge EU emissions cuts

Soon, colour e-readers for richer reading experience

WASHINGTON - E-readers may soon have colour displays, thanks to new advances in display technology.

Boffins develop tool to bridge knowledge gap in digital realm

WASHINGTON - Japanese researchers have come up with a tool that works in parallel with the Instant Messaging protocols for carrying text chat back and forth between connected IM programs on the internet, bridging the so-called “semantic gap” in the digital realm.

Experts work to excavate 32-foot-long ship hull found buried at World Trade Center site

Experts work to free buried ship hull at WTC site

Space observatory briefly blinded by record-breaking x-ray blast

WASHINGTON - A blast of the brightest X-rays ever detected from beyond our Milky Way galaxy’s neighbourhood temporarily blinded the X-ray eye on NASA’s Swift space observatory earlier this summer, astronomers have revealed.

Using domestic spoons to give kids medicine ups overdose risk

WASHINGTON - Scientists have warned parents that using domestic spoons to give children medicines could lead to overdoses.

Is dark matter cooling off sun’s core?

LONDON - Dark matter is cooling off the core of our sun, according to two research groups.

While the insight doesn’t significantly affect the sun’s overall temperature, a cool core would shed new light on the way heat is distributed and transported within the sun.

Workers excavating at WTC site unearth 32-foot-long hull of ship likely buried in 18th century

Ship buried in 18th century unearthed at WTC site

‘Nanotube speakers’ pave way for silent stealth submarines

WASHINGTON - Scientists have created speakers made from carbon nanotube sheets, with properties that make them ideal for submarine sonar to probe the ocean depths and make subs invisible to enemies.

‘Ultimate’ solvent for nanotubes paves way for armchair quantum wire

WASHINGTON - In what could be called a breakthrough that brings the creation of a highly conductive quantum nanowire closer than ever, researchers at Rice University have found the “ultimate” solvent for all kinds of carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

How climate change caused war, upheaval in Ancient China

LONDON - Climate change, especially periods of cooling, led to wars, disasters and upheaval in ancient China, new research reveals.

Medici family death case finally solved

WASHINGTON - Solving a more than 400-year-old cold case, forensic scientists have revealed that malaria, not murder, was responsible for the deaths of two members of the clan that dominated the Florentine Renaissance.

The gut’s ‘friendly’ viruses discovered

LONDON - Microbiologists have discovered a new world of bacterial viruses in human intestines.

Calif. lawmakers consider scrapping state rock designation for mineral that contains asbestos

Calif may dump ’state rock’ that contains asbestos

Behavioural economic analysis may help understand craving for booze

WASHINGTON - Behavioural economic analysis may lead to an improved understanding of craving for alcohol and other drugs, suggests new research.

Triceratops, Torsaurus same dino at different stages of growth

WASHINGTON - A new American study has debunked over a 100 years of thought regarding the dinosaurs known as Triceratops and Torosaurus. Both the reptiles are actually the same dinosaur at different stages of growth, according to the research.

Key Alzheimer’s risk gene causes alterations in shapes of brain protein deposits

WASHINGTON - Using a newly discovered class of biomarkers, researchers have found that the shape of brain protein deposits is different in people with Alzheimer’s who have the highest-risk gene type than in those with the condition who have a neutral risk gene type.

What makes a bee grow up to be a queen?

WASHINGTON - Putting a new piece into the puzzle of what makes a bee grow up to be a queen, researchers have found that a key protein in the insulin signaling pathway plays a strong role in caste development among bees.

Massive stars are born the same way as their smaller counterparts

LONDON - Researchers have managed to obtain the first infrared image of a compact disc closely encircling a massive young star-a strong evidence that massive stars form in the same way as their smaller brothers.

Salsa may help elderly dance their way to better health

WASHINGTON - A University of Illinois at Chicago researcher is conducting a pilot study to find out if salsa can improve the health of elderly Latinos who have limited mobility and face elevated risks of disability.

New text ‘app’ could make typing on touchscreen mobiles 50pc faster

LONDON - Typing on touchscreen mobiles could soon get fifty percent faster, thanks to a new text and email programme for smartphones.

Individuals with alcohol problems find comfort in speaking to clergy

WASHINGTON - A new study indicates that individuals find comfort in confessing their alcohol problems to the clergy.

Brain fitness program improves visual memory in older adults

WASHINGTON - A commercial brain fitness program has been shown to improve memory in older adults, at least in the period soon after training.

Dementia in diabetics differs from dementia in nondiabetics: Study

WASHINGTON - Researchers say that the cause of dementia in diabetic patients is different from that in non-diabetics.

Here’s why we dream

MELBOURNE - Scientists may have finally uncovered why we dream - it could be a crucial tool for sorting and filing information and discarding mental trash, says an Australian researcher.

Fossil find puts face on last common ancestor of apes and monkeys

LONDON - The discovery of a skull in Saudi Arabia is providing new insights into what the last common ancestor of apes and monkeys may have looked like and when the two lineages went their separate ways.

Special retinal cells allow blind mice to ’see’

WASHINGTON - Mice can see light as well as patterns and images without rod and cone cells, thanks to special photosensitive cells in their retinas, new research reveals.