State of the Union: Obama Pushes Job Creation

Pursuing an aggressive and diverse early second-term agenda, President Obama turned his focus Tuesday night squarely to the economy, using his State of the Union address to unveil new government initiatives aimed at creating jobs.The defining duty of the new Congress and new administration is to "reignite the true engine of America's economic growth -- a rising, thriving middle...

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Arctic sunshine cranks up threat from greenhouse gases

IT'S a solar double whammy. Not only does sunlight melt Arctic ice, but it also speeds up the conversion of frozen organic matter into carbon dioxide. The amount of carbon in dead vegetation preserved in the far northern permafrost is estimated...

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Benedict's resignation renews calls for an African pope

LAGOS: Pope Benedict XVI's resignation has sparked calls for his successor to come from Africa, home to the world's fastest-growing population and the front line of key issues facing the Roman Catholic Church.Around 15 per cent of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics live in Africa and the percentage has expanded significantly in recent years in comparison to other parts of the world.Much...

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Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen: 'I don't want to kill ads'

Dish Network founder and Chairman Charlie Ergen (Credit: Dan Farber)DANA POINT, Calif.--You might think that Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen wants to kill TV advertising. With the introduction of the Dish Hopper with Sling HD DVR nationwide this week, the company ironically launched a new series of commercials to promote the latest version of its ad-skipping product. In one commercial, the "Boston...

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Kumbh Mela: Pictures From the Hindu Holy Festival

Holy BathPhotograph by Roberto Schmidt, AFP/Getty ImagesThe Hindu festival known as Kumbh Mela, often referred to as the world’s largest gathering of humanity, peaked on Sunday at...

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North Korean Tremor Raises Fear of Nuke Test

A large tremor measured at magnitude 4.9 was detected in North Korea and governments in the region scrambled to determine whether it was a nuclear test that the North Korean regime has vowed to carry out despite international protests.Japan's prime minister has called an urgent security meeting, according to chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, and South Korea raised its...

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Liver cancer survival time tripled by virus

The virus used in the vaccine that helped eradicate smallpox is now working its magic on liver cancer. A genetically engineered version of the vaccinia virus has trebled the average survival time of people with a severe form of liver cancer, with only mild, flu-like side effects. ...

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First Singaporean nominated for Grammy falls short

LOS ANGELES - The first Singaporean to be nominated for a Grammy came up short on Sunday, with guitarist Arun Shenoy losing out to top veteran trumpeter Chris Botti for best pop instrumental album.Shenoy, who was born in the southern Indian state of Karnataka before moving to Singapore, received a Grammy nomination for his debut album "Rumbadoodle," which he recorded during live performances...

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Twitter bumps the price of Promoted Trends to $200K

In a sign that suggests healthy demand for Twitter's advertising, the microblogging site has reportedly increased the daily price of its Promoted Trends to $200,000.The new price, which is a 33 percent increase over the previous price, went into effect earlier this year, according to an All Things D report. The price has increased 150 percent since the program launched in 2010 with a daily price of...

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Year of the Snake: The Serpent Behind the Horoscope

On February 10, people all around the world will ring in the Lunar New Year with paper lanterns and firecrackers. At the heart of it all sits the snake, a slithery reptile feared for its sharp fangs and revered for its undeniable charm. (Watch videos of some of the world's deadliest snakes.)Those born in the Year of the Snake are said to be intelligent and quick thinking, but they can...

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