US News
17-yr-old becomes youngest to win Miss America in 90 yrs
Washington, Jan 17: A 17-year-old from Nebraska has become the youngest ever to be crowned Miss America in 90 years.
Teresa Scanlan won a 50,000 dollar scholarship and a yearlong run with the crown at the competition at the Planet Hollywood casino-resort in Las Vegas, giving the Cornhusker State its first-ever win at the pageant, reports Fox News.
She is the youngest Miss America since the pageant''s first competition in 1921, when Margaret Gorman of the District of Columbia won at age 15.
Michael Reagan calls half-brother Ron an ‘embarrassment’
Washington, Jan 17 : The controversial claim by Ron Reagan in his forthcoming book ‘My Father at 100’ that his father and former US President Ronald Reagan suffered the early stages of Alzheimer''s disease while in office has now descended into sibling rivalry.
Ron''s conservative half-brother Michael Reagan has called him ‘an embarrassment’ and has asked the public to ‘pray for his brother’, reports the Politico.
“Ron, my brother was an embarrassment to his father when he was alive and today he became an embarrassment to his mother," Michael posted on Twitter.
He also accused Ron of selling out his father to sell books.
Shot Congresswoman Giffords’ condition upgraded from ‘critical to serious’, says husband
Washington, Jan 17 : The husband of shot Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords has claimed that she has been upgraded to serious from critical.
Mark Kelly spoke publicly for the first time on Sunday while attending a memorial service for Gabriel Zimmerman, Giffords’ aide, who was killed in the shooting.
Addressing hundreds of mourners gathered in the courtyard at the Tucson Museum of Art, he said that his wife was “improving a little bit each day. She’s a fighter.”
Hindus, Jews Ask Pope to Abandon Double Standards on Roma Apartheid
Nevada (US), Jan 17:Hindus and Jews claim that Pope Benedict holds double standards on the issues of Roma (Gypsy) apartheid in Europe.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed; and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA; in a statement in Nevada today, said that despite their repeated requests, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI had not come out openly to support the 15-million European Roma who faced apartheid conditions. But in a message for "19th World Day of the Sick, 2011", posted on Holy See''s website on January
Aaron Sorkin wins best screenplay Golden Globe for 'The Social Network'
Los Angeles, Jan 17 - Aaron Sorkin bagged the best screenplay - motion picture award for writing "The Social Network" at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards.
Directed by David Fincher, the blockbuster is about the founding of the social networking website Facebook and its resulting lawsuits. (IANS)
Hindus upset with Jim Carrey, NBC for mocking Lord Ganesh
Nevada (US), Jan 17 : Hindus are disturbed over the portrayal of Lord Ganesh as a sex act on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) and want apologies from all those responsible for it, including actor Jim Carrey and NBC.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Lord Ganesh was highly revered in Hinduism and was meant to worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely in reimagined versions for dramatic effects in TV series for mercantile greed. Such absurd depiction of Lord Ganesh with no scriptural backing was hurtful to the devotees.
Woman who trained Obama family dog Bo dies aged 52
Washington, Jan 16 : The woman who trained US President Barack Obama's pooch Bo has passed away at a Virginia hospital.
Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz died Wednesday of respiratory failure, her ex-husband Paul Stasiewicz said Saturday.
The 52-year-old started training Bo, the Portuguese water dog, at the suggestion of Vicki Kennedy, the wife of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.
The Kennedys had previously trusted Sylvia-Stasiewicz with training their dogs.
Sylvia-Stasiewicz initially had no idea the dog that arrived at her Virginia home two years ago was destined for life at the White House.
‘Unpacking the Nano’ exhibition preview for media on Jan. 19
Washington, Jan 16 : The media has been issued a preview invitation to the "Unpacking the Nano" exhibition at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art.
At the exhibit, to be held January 19, reporters and photographers will see two Nano automobiles from Tata Motors, India.
One is completely assembled and the other has been taken apart, suspended in air in its 2,000 constituent parts, and assigns weight, price, and environmental impact to the 1,400-pound car.
The exhibition also features a concept vehicle consisting of two used motor scooters welded together.
US Congress for revoking visas of supporters of Taseer assassin
Washington, Jan 16 : The United States Congress has requested the US government to revoke the visa of anyone supporting Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of late Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer.
In its letter addressed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Congress termed Taseer's assassination an "unspeakable tragedy" and a "heinous crime", stating that he was a strong advocate of religious tolerance, pluralism and democracy in Pakistan.
The Governor was cut down by the bullets of an assassin, who opposed changes to statutes against religious minorities, the letter added.
Growing hatred against Tunisian President Ben Ali portrayed in Wikileaks
Tucson (Arizona, US), Jan 16 : US diplomatic cables released by the whistleblower website `Wikileaks' have portrayed a deepening ambivalence toward the rule of Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, focussing not only on the corruptions of the country's first family, but also praising Ben Ali's cooperation against terrorism and the stability he long imposed.
In the recent weeks, the revelations helped fuel the anger on the streets that eventually forced Ben Ali to flee the country, which he ruled for 23 years.
The story behind sending valentines on February 14
Washington, Jan 16 : Did you know the American tradition of sending valentines originated with a young graduate of Mount Holyoke College?
Esther Howland (1828-1904) who graduated from what was then the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1847 was inspired by an ornate English valentine sent to her by a family friend to create her own elaborate renditions of the greeting card.
Each year, the Mount Holyoke Archives and Special Collections displays its collection of valentines in honour of the Worcester, Ma., native.
Israel''s Stuxnet Worm tests delay, not destroy Iran''s nuke plans
New York, Jan. 16 : Israel's decision to test the Stuxnet Computer Worm in the Dimona complex in the Negev Desert appears to have wiped out roughly a fifth of Iran's nuclear centrifuges and helped delay, though not destroy, Tehran's ability to make its first nuclear arms.
Though American and Israeli officials refuse to talk publicly about what goes on at Dimona, the operations there, as well as related efforts in the United States, are among the newest and strongest clues suggesting that the virus was designed as an American-Israeli project to sabotage the Iranian program, the New York Times reports.
Earth's hot past indicates much hotter future
Washington, Jan 16 : Earth's hot past indicates a much hotter future than projected if the pace of greenhouse emissions continues unabated.
The study warns that if CO2 emissions continue at their current rate through the end of this century, atmospheric concentrations will reach levels that existed about 30 million to 100 million years ago.
Building on recent research, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Jeffrey Kiehl examined the link between global temperatures and high levels of CO2 tens of millions of years ago, reports the journal Science.
Global temperatures then averaged about 29 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels, according to an NCAR statement.
Disney cartoons promote ‘what-is-beautiful-is-good’ stereotype
Washington, Jan 16 : Appalachian State University psychology professors have conducted a study in which they ask: "Do animated Disney characters portray and promote the beauty-goodness stereotype?"
Doris Bazzini, Lisa Curtin and Denise Martz analysed the effect viewing an animated movie that portrays "beauty as good" has on children, male and female, ages 6 to 12.
Remains of oldest fruit trees found in Iberian Peninsula
Washington, Jan 16 : Researchers have found that the seed samples gathered over the years at medieval archaeological sites in the historic old quarter of Hondarribia are the remains of the oldest fruit trees in Southern Europe.
The town of Hondarribia lies on the coast of the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain.
The research was undertaken by the archaeobiology research team from the CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas) under the direction of Doctor Leonor Pena-Chocarro.
This research has enabled the recording of numerous fleshy fruits such as plums of various types, cherries, peaches, sloes, grapes, apples, figs, quince and medlar and, in a token manner, olives, reports Archeology News.
‘Liquid pistons’ could lead to new advances in camera lenses, drug delivery
Washington, Jan 16 : Engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed liquid pistons, which could lead to new devices like micro displacement pumps and liquid switches, to adaptive lenses and advanced drug delivery systems.
The oscillating droplets of ferrofluid precisely displace a surrounding liquid and the pulsating motion of the ferrofluid droplets, which are saturated with metal nanoparticles, can be used to pump small volumes of liquid. The entire device is situated in a chamber filled with water.
Military advisory committee to urge Obama to allow women to serve on front-line
Washington, Jan 16 : A military advisory committee is urging US President Barack Obama and the Congress to allow women to serve on the front-line.
According to The New York Daily News, the Military Leadership Diversity Commission is expected to send its report in the spring.
The paper quoted members of the panel as saying that through their report, they are urging the Obama administration to repeal the combat-barring policy in order to "create a level playing field for all qualified service members."
Cuban-American lawmakers criticise Obama’s US-Cuba travel restriction plans
Washington, Jan 16 : American Republican lawmakers of Cuban descent have criticised President Barack Obama's plans to ease US citizens'' travel restrictions to Cuba that would allow educational and religious groups to visit the communist country, saying that the changes would benefit the Castro regime rather than average citizens.
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., Senators Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, expressed their disappointment with Obama''s easing of Cuba travel restrictions.
Shot congresswoman Giffords taken off ventilator in Arizona
Tucson (Arizona, US), Jan 16 : US Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was in critical condition after being shot in Tucson, has reportedly been taken off a ventilator.
Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, and 18 others were shot last Saturday by a gunman outside a supermarket where Giffords was meeting with her constituents.
The BBC quoted hospital officials as saying that a tracheotomy tube has been inserted in her windpipe to protect her airways, freeing her from the breathing tube.
New website lets one rank co-workers, see how others rank them
Washington, Jan 15 : A new website that lets people rank their co-workers and then view how others rank them has come up in the form of Cubeduel.
The site ranks a person’s current and former co-workers by placing them in head-to-head match-ups and then letting the person vote for their favourites, and if the person votes on enough duels, the site also reveals how others have rated them.
“It’s a light, fun way to express feedback on people that isn’t necessarily mean,” ABC News quoted co-founder Tony Wright, a Seattle-based former start-up CEO who built the site with fellow Seattleite and entrepreneur Adam Doppelt, as saying.