Washington, Nov 27: A new research by geochemists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has suggested that plate tectonics may have started more than 4 billion years ago, which is much earlier than scientists had believed.

The Earth is 4.5 billion years old. While some scientists think plate tectonics started 3.5 billion years ago, others say that it began even more recently than that.

The research is based on their analysis of ancient mineral grains known as zircons found inside molten rocks, or magmas, from Western Australia that are about 3 billion years old.

Washington, Nov 27: You might not be keeping a check on the amount of calories you’re consuming during a party, but your brain will, say Yale University researchers, who have identified a molecule that tells brain that the stomach is full – and signals it''s time to say no to a second piece of samosa and push back from the dining table.

In a study on rodents, the researchers have discovered that one type of lipid produced in the gut, called N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines or NAPEs, rises after eating fatty foods.

Washington, Nov 27: Scientists have discovered the oldest known turtle fossil in China, estimated at 220 million years old, which has given them a clearer picture of how the turtle got its shell.

With hard bony shells to shelter and protect them, turtles are unique and have long posed a mystery to scientists who wonder how such an elegant body structure came to be.

Since the age of dinosaurs, turtles have looked pretty much as they do now with their shells intact, and scientists lacked conclusive evidence to support competing evolutionary theories.

Washington, November 27: General Motors has fired ace golfer Tiger Woods as its spokesman, in a bid to cut costs.

Issuing a statement in this regard, the company said that the parting was amicable.

The automaker said that while it wanted to reduce costs, Woods wanted to spend more time with his family.

A representative for Woods hinted that the golfer would sign a deal with another carmaker anytime soon.

He, however, revealed that Woods would not appear alongside a golf bag with the Buick logo anymore.

Washington  - The US government has warned against a possible terrorist plot targeting the New York subway system during the holiday season, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security sa

Washington, Nov. 26 : In May 2007, at the start of the troop "surge" that is credited with quelling much of the violence in Iraq, the U. S. Congress had established 18 benchmarks that it would use to determine whether America was succeeding there.

Now, a year and a half later, there is a mixed reaction to whether those benchmarks have been met.

Fox News quotes White House officials as saying that Iraq has met most of the goals, rendering the benchmarks irrelevant, but others say Iraq still has a lot of work to do.