VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has won over many hearts and minds with his simple style and focus on serving the world's poorest, but he has devastated traditionalist Catholics who adored his predecessor, Benedict XVI, for restoring much of the traditional pomp to the papacy. Francis' decision to disregard church law and wash the feet of two girls — a Serbian Muslim and an Italian Catholic — during a Holy Thursday ritual has become something of the final straw, evidence that Francis has little or no interest in one of the key priorities of Benedict's ...
Friday, March 29, 2013
Singer India.Arie laughs off skin-lightening talk
NEW YORK (AP) — India.Arie is laughing off talk that she may have lightened her skin. The R&B songstress is known for singing about being authentic and celebrating one's true self. But some accused India.Arie of lightening her skin when a publicity photo for her song "Cocoa Butter" released this week made it look as though she were several shades lighter than her dark brown complexion. But India.Arie took to Twitter on Friday to deny the accusations, saying she has no desire to bleach her skin because she loves herself and her brown skin "more ...
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Nokia’s map app boss quits following worldwide collapse in the charts
Last November, Nokia's (NOK) HERE map app had a big debut by becoming a top 5 iPhone application in America on its launch day. The last three months have been cruel, however. Following mixed reviews from major tech sites, the HERE app plunged in the app charts across the world. Google (GOOG) Maps became a smash hit on iOS devices across the world. Today, Nokia's biggest map app success is found in Mozambique, where it reigns at No. 526 in the iPhone download chart. Finns may still carry a torch for Nokia, but they aren't dumb — HERE is just at No. 663 on ...
GM to produce next-generation electric car in South Korea: executive
General Motors Co (GM) will produce its next-generation electric cars in South Korea, the head of its South Korean unit told Reuters on Thursday, as the U.S. carmaker tries to revive momentum for the stalling vehicle technology. Sergio Rocha, CEO of GM Korea, gave no time frame for the launch of the new vehicles, but said they would be slightly bigger than the Spark small car and use a thoroughly new design, unlike the Spark EV which was based on an existing gasoline engine model. GM will continue working with South Korea's LG Chem Ltd to supply batteries ...
Nations close to deal on U.N. arms trade treaty: envoys
United Nations members on Wednesday were close to a deal on the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional arms trade, though delegates and rights groups said India, Iran or others could still block agreement. Arms control campaigners and human rights groups say one person dies every minute worldwide as a result of armed violence and a treaty is needed to halt the uncontrolled flow of arms and ammunition they say fuels wars, atrocities and rights abuses. United Nations member states began meeting last week in ...
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
'Journey' sweeps Game Developers Choice Awards
"Journey" arrived on top at the Game Developers Choice Awards. The artsy video game developed by thatgamecompany topped the 13th annual ceremony Wednesday with six wins, including game of the year and the innovation award. The downloadable PlayStation 3 title was also honored for best audio, game design and visual arts, and as best downloadable game. Selected by a jury of game creators, the Game Developers Choice Awards honor the best games of the past year. Other winners at the Moscone Convention Center ceremony included Ubisoft's "Far Cry 3" for ...
Friday, March 15, 2013
House-warming improvements linked to better health
In a review of existing evidence on the health value of fixes to housing, researchers say that improving buildings to enhance "thermal comfort" - with central heating or insulation, for instance - pays off in both physical and mental wellbeing. "I think the main message is that housing improvement can improve health, especially if it's warmth and energy improvements targeting people with respiratory illnesses," said Hilary Thomson, the study's lead author from the Medical Research Council in Glasgow, UK. Several studies have tied poor housing conditions ...
Christo fills former natural gas tank in Germany
Artist Christo has unveiled his latest spectacular creation: a balloonlike installation that fills the inside of a former natural gas storage tank in Germany's industrial Ruhr region. Christo's "Big Air Package," an inflatable envelope made of translucent white polyester, rises 295 feet (90 meters) from the floor of the Gasometer in Oberhausen. It will be open to the public from Saturday through Dec. 30. Christo's structure is kept upright by air fans. Visitors enter through airlocks. Christo says the effect is to leave visitors "virtually swimming ...
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Seeing failed CPR of loved one may help coping
When family members were allowed to watch emergency personnel try but fail to resuscitate a loved one, the relatives were less likely to have post traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety or depression months later, in a new French study. The researchers, who published their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine, also found that allowing the family to witness the rescue attempts did not increase stress on the health care workers, influence whether the victim survived or result in more lawsuits. "Family presence during CPR was associated with positive ...
Trade panel delays decision on Apple, Samsung patent fight
The U.S. International Trade Commission said on Wednesday that it would delay a decision on allegations that Apple infringed upon patents owned by Samsung Electronics in making the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad. An administrative law judge at the ITC had said in a preliminary ruling in September that Apple did not infringe the patents. The full ITC said it would review the matter. If the full ITC reversed its internal judge and found Apple guilty of infringement, the ITC could order its products banned from the U.S. market. The ITC said it would now ...
Sean Penn's Haiti charity receives $8.75 million
An aid group run by Hollywood actor Sean Penn announced Tuesday it is getting $8.75 million from the World Bank to help move Haitians off a golf course where many have been living since the January 2010 earthquake. A statement from a public relations firm for Penn said the money will go for rent subsidies or for new housing units. Some 14,000 people still live at the Petionville Club in plywood shacks. Sixty thousand sheltered there at one point. The people are to be moved out by early 2014. Penn is an ambassador-at-large for Haiti. He uses ...
Monday, March 11, 2013
Accused Colorado gunman could be medicated for psychiatric exams
Accused Colorado theater gunman James Holmes could be given "medically appropriate" drugs during psychiatric interviews and possibly face a polygraph test if he chooses to raise an insanity defense, the judge in the case said on Monday. The ruling by Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester came a day before Holmes is scheduled to enter a plea in the case and over the objections of defense lawyers who have argued that Holmes should not be drugged while undergoing examinations by court-appointed psychiatrists. Holmes, 25, is accused of multiple ...
Florida researchers develop medically safer hybrid grapefruit
Grapefruit fans who gave up the fruit to avoid potentially dangerous interactions with their prescription medications may soon be able to indulge in the tangy fruit without risk. Tests on a new hybrid grapefruit developed in Florida found very low levels of the organic chemical compounds implicated in what is known as the "grapefruit juice effect," said Fred Gmitter, a University of Florida citrus researcher and breeder. More than 85 drugs may interact with standard grapefruit, 43 with serious side effects, and the number is growing, according to ...
Iran blocks use of tool to get around Internet filter
Iranian authorities have blocked the use of most "virtual private networks", a tool that many Iranians use to get around an extensive government Internet filter, Iranian media quoted an official as saying on Sunday. A widespread government Internet filter prevents Iranians from accessing many sites on the official grounds they are offensive or criminal. Many Iranians evade the filter through use of VPN software, which provides encrypted links directly to private networks based abroad, and can allow a computer to behave as if it is based in another ...
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Elizabeth Olsen to play Juliet off-Broadway
Elizabeth Olsen will soon be a star-crossed lover — she'll star in an off-Broadway version of Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet." Classic Stage Company said Thursday that the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen will help will kick off its 2013/2014 season. There's no word yet on who will play Romeo. The actress, who has gotten good notices for the films "Silent House" and "Martha Marcy May ...
Even for sperm, there is a season
time of year most associated with bumper crops of new babies, and according to an Israeli study there may be a scientific reason for it: human sperm are generally at their healthiest in winter and early spring. Based on samples from more than 6,000 men treated for infertility, researchers writing in American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found sperm in greater numbers, with faster swimming speeds and fewer abnormalities in semen made during the winter, with a steady decline in quality from spring onward. "The winter and spring semen patterns ...
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Why Rats Sniff Each Other
Without being able to talk to each other, rats use sniffing as one way to answer key questions about strangers. Is that a female? Can I mate with her? Is this one sick? What did he eat? — All of this information can be learned through odor cues. But new research shows that the act of sniffing itself might serve its own social function, allowing rats to reaffirm their hierarchical status and maintain order. Daniel Wesson, a neuroscientist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, studied how pairs of rats sniffed each other when they ...
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Coaster Cushion Back Dining Chairs, Cappuccino, Set of 2
Coaster Cushion Back Dining Chairs, Cappuccino, Set of 2 * Dining and Kitchen Contemporary Style Cappuccino Finish Solid Wood Dining Chairs. Finish: Cappuccino. Material: Solid Hardwood Wood Veneer. Contemporary style dining chairs. Clean Lines and Contemporary. This entire featured collection is finished in rich cappuccino. Constructed of solid hardwoods and ...
Splashy A-B ads tackle lawsuit over watery beer
The maker of Budweiser is using splashy newspaper ads to poke fun at a lawsuit that alleges its beer is watered down. In full-page ads in 10 U.S. newspapers on Sunday, including The New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Anheuser-Busch InBev shows one of the 71 million cans of drinking water it has sent to the American Red Cross and other relief organizations responding to disasters. "They must have tested one of these," the ad says. The class action lawsuit, filed in several states, accuses the brewer of cheating consumers out of the stated alcohol ...
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