Washington, Apr. 23 : Former U. S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been out of the spotlight, earning up to 150,000 dollars for speaking engagements and lunching with celebrities like American Idol judge Randy Jackson.

But the political spotlight is turning toward her again through a 232-page report released this week by the Senate Armed Services Committee that says Rice and several other Bush administration officials approved the use of water boarding and other interrogation techniques.

Washington, April 23 : A new research has revealed that plants absorb more carbon dioxide (CO2) under polluted skies than in a cleaner atmosphere.

The research team included scientists from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the Met Office Hadley Centre, ETH Zurich and the University of Exeter.

According to lead author Dr Lina Mercado, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, “Surprisingly, the effects of atmospheric pollution seem to have enhanced global plant productivity by as much as a quarter from 1960 to 1999.”

Washington, April 23 : Hugh Jackman does not know whether or not to deny gay rumours about him because the actor says he isn’t homosexual, but he also does not want his fans to think there is anything shameful about being one.

The Aussie stunner has been slamming rumours questioning his sexuality for years and wishes they would simply vanish into thin air.

Washington, April 23 : A team of researchers led by Mayo Clinic scientists has found that hormone therapy use is linked to a significantly lower colorectal cancer risk.

However, the mechanisms for the apparent protective association are still unclear.

The study was designed to look at possible links between estrogen exposure and colon cancer molecular subtypes, to determine how these hormones might function as anti-cancer agents.

Washington, April 23 : Want to shed those extra pounds? Well, then focus more on what you drink than what you eat, a new study suggests.

Liwei Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, is the lead author of study, which has shown that weight gain and obesity are more linked to an increase in liquid calories, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages, than calories from solid food.

Washington, April 23 : A team of British scientists has created chemicals that have the potential to kill the most deadly malaria-causing parasite, Plasmodium falciparum - including those resistant to existing drugs.

Researchers at the University of Leeds say that the compounds work by preventing the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) - essential to the growth of the parasite - from working, which results in its death.