Two worms, same brains – but one eats the other

IF TWO animals have identical brain cells, how different can they really be? Extremely. Two worm species have exactly the same set of neurons, but extensive rewiring allows them to lead completely different lives. Ralf Sommer of the Max Planck Institute...

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Hollande gets hero's welcome in a Mali fearful of future

BAMAKO: President Francois Hollande received a rapturous welcome in Mali on Saturday as he promised that France would stay as long as necessary to continue the fight against Islamist rebels in the country's north.As troops worked to secure Kidal, the last bastion of radicals who occupied the vast desert north for 10 months before the French army's surprise intervention, Hollande told Malians...

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Judge forces L.A. archdiocese to release abuse documents

STORY HIGHLIGHTS"Not once over these past years did you ever raise any questions," retired Mahony tells successorDespite discipline, retired archbishop is "in good standing" and can vote for popeLos Angeles prosecutor is reviewing newly released files on priest abuseDiscipline against archbishop is unprecedented but "meaningless," activist saysLos Angeles (CNN) -- In what activists describe as unprecedented,...

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Turkey: U.S. Embassy bomber known for terror ties

Updated at 4:35 p.m. ET ANKARA, Turkey The suicide bomber who struck the U.S. Embassy in Ankara spent several years in prison on terrorism charges but was released on probation after being diagnosed with a hunger strike-related brain disorder, officials said Saturday. The bomber, identified as 40-year-old leftist militant Ecevit Sanli, killed himself and a Turkish security guard on Friday, in what...

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Body of Missing Mom Reportedly Found in Turkey

The body of an American woman who went missing while on a solo trip to Turkey has been pulled from a bay in Istanbul, and nine people have been held for questioning, according to local media.Sarai Sierra, 33, was last heard from on Jan. 21, the day she was due to board a flight home to New York City.The state-run Andolu Agency reported that residents found a woman's body today...

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Astrophile: A scorched world with snow black and smoky

Astrophile is our weekly column on curious cosmic objects, from the solar system to the far reaches of the multiverse Object: Titanium oxide snowLocation: The hot-Jupiter planet HD 209458b There is something magical about waking...

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Football: Fergie surprised by Beckham's PSG move

LONDON: Alex Ferguson admits he was surprised to see his former Manchester United star David Beckham sign for Paris St Germain.Beckham had been looking for a new club since leaving LA Galaxy in November and snubbed interest from several Premier League clubs and other lucrative offers from around the world to join the French outfit on transfer deadline day.Ferguson didn't think Beckham...

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Attorney: Slain prosecutor brought gun to work

By Michael Martinez and Mariano Castillo, CNNupdated 7:29 PM EST, Fri February 1, 2013STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Slain Texas prosecutor began carrying a gun to work daily, friend saysNEW: Mark Hasse used a different courthouse exit every day, the attorney tells CNNNEW: Prosecutor didn't explain why he was fearful, she saysNEW: Sheriff's chief deputy says he hadn't heard of fears and the gun carrying(CNN)...

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Katrina spurs transformation of New Orleans schools

(CBS News) NEW ORLEANS -- It was August 2005 when New Orleans nearly drowned. Hurricane Katrina broke through levees in 53 places, flooding 80 percent of the city. More than 1,100 people died. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu/CBS News But in catastrophe, there was opportunity. One of the biggest was recreating a school system from scratch. We asked Mayor Mitch Landrieu about that Friday. SCOTT...

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Hillary Clinton Says Goodbye...Until 2016?

Feb 1, 2013 6:48pm Image Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP PhotoAfter four years, nearly a million miles traveled and 112 countries visited, Hillary Clinton stepped down as the 67th secretary of state on Friday. But even on this, her final day as America’s top diplomat, she could not escape the questions about what she’ll do four years from now.Many of the 1,000 employees...

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Swarm-mongering: Brainless blobs flock together

Birds of a feather flock together and now so do brainless, inanimate blobs. Made of microscopic particles, the artificial swarms could shed light on the mysterious mechanisms behind the natural swarming seen in fish and birds. They might also lead to materials with novel properties like self-healing. ...

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14 dead in Mexico City skyscraper blast: government

MEXICO CITY: At least 14 people died and 80 were injured in a blast that rocked the Mexico City skyscraper that houses the headquarters of oil giant Pemex on Thursday, Mexico's interior minister said."We have 13 dead at the scene and one more at the hospital. There are more than 80 wounded and we continue to look for survivors in the debris," Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong...

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14 killed in blast at offices of Mexican state oil company

By CNN Staffupdated 7:55 PM EST, Thu January 31, 2013STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Witness: "People were screaming. ... You could see pieces of the wall falling"Fourteen people were killed in the blast, Mexico's interior minister saysAt least 80 people were injured, he saysSome people are trapped in building's basement, the CNN affiliate saysMexico City (CNN) -- An explosion rocked the offices of Mexico's...

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14 dead, 80 injured in Mexico oil company blast

Updated 7:52 PM ET MEXICO CITY An explosion at the main headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company in the capital Thursday killed 14 people and injured 80 as it heavily damaged three floors of the building, sending hundreds into the streets and a large plume of smoke over the skyline. There were also reports that as many as 30 people were trapped in the debris from the explosion, which occurred...

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What If Undocumented Immigrants Had Voted?

If every undocumented immigrant had cast a vote for President Obama in 2012, he would have won Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, and he would have beaten Mitt Romney by nearly 11 percentage points nationally, instead of three.Only citizens can vote, however, and 11.2 million unauthorized residents didn't get the chance.But with immigration overhaul on the table, legalizing...

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Today on New Scientist: 30 January 2013

Timbuktu's precious scientific texts must be saved Islamist militants in Mali have burned documents that attest to science in Africa before European colonisation - what remains must be protectedThink that massage feels good? Try adding drugs Nerve bundles that respond to stroking have been identified and chemically activated in miceHow Obama will deliver his climate promise The US is set to...

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Japan December factory output up 2.5% on-month

TOKYO: Japan on Thursday said the nation's factory output for December rose 2.5 per cent from the previous month thanks to brisk production of cars and semiconductors.The gain -- still worse than a 4.0 per cent expansion expected by the market -- came as Japan's new government under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vows to breathe new life into the world's third-largest economy with huge stimulus...

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Interstate littered with cars after North Georgia tornado

STORY HIGHLIGHTSMuch of the affected region sees huge temperature extremesA Georgia TV news crew sees tornado form; damage is reported in AdairsvilleNearly 20 are injured in Georgia; several are trapped for a time A Tennessee man dies when a tree falls on his home, emergency managers sayIs there severe weather near you? Share your photos and videos on iReport, but stay safe.(CNN) -- Powerful winds...

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Storm system moves into Ga., blamed for 2 deaths

Updated 6:45 p.m. ETADAIRSVILLE, Ga. A massive storm system raked the Southeast on Wednesday, spawning tornadoes and dangerous winds that overturned cars on a Georgia interstate and demolished homes and businesses, killing at least two people. The storm system tossed vehicles on Interstate 75 in Georgia into the air, onto their roofs and into the grassy shoulder. The highway was closed for a time,...

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