Home // Monthly Archive for January, 2006
Obesity Caused by Virus? January 31, 2006
New study results bolster the controversial hypothesis that certain cases of obesity are contagious. Over the last 20 years, some research has suggested that certain strains of human and avian adenoviruses – responsible for ailments ranging from the chest colds to pink eye – actually make individuals build up more fat cells. Having antibodies to one strain in particular, ...
Sticky Fingers for Wal-Mart Vice Chairman January 31, 2006
A former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. vice chairman who was a protege of founder Sam Walton pleaded guilty to fraud and tax charges Tuesday, admitting that he stole money, gift cards and merchandise from the world's largest retailer.
Police quiz Moss over ‘drug use’ January 31, 2006
Detectives have questioned supermodel Kate Moss under caution at a police station in central London about allegations that she used cocaine.
The 32-year-old reported voluntarily to police. Scotland Yard said that she was not arrested or cautioned and inquiries were continuing.
Moss entered a rehabilitation clinic after pictures of her allegedly using the drug were published in September.
She also ...
Senate confirms Alito for Supreme Court January 31, 2006
The Senate confirmed Judge Samuel Alito to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court. The final tally was 58 "Aye" votes and 42 "No" votes.
Exxon profit tops $10 billion, capping record year January 31, 2006
Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly traded oil company, on Monday reported a quarterly profit of $10.7 billion, capping a year of record earnings dominated by surging oil and gas prices.
The results pushed up Exxon's profit for the year to a staggering $36.13 billion – bigger than the economies of 125 of the 184 countries ranked by ...
EMC’s DMX-3, World’s First Petabyte Storage Sys ... January 31, 2006
Don’t know if there are any Fortune 500 CTOs reading this site. Just in case though, listen up. Company EMC just announced the world’s first petabyte storage array: the Symmetrix DMX-3. That’s peta, as in 1,024 terabytes. As in over a million gigabytes.
The machine is physically large, featuring up ...
DOD to expand e-health record system functionality January 31, 2006
The Defense Department is adding functionality to its new Web-based electronic health record system, even as it continues rolling it out to military facilities around the world.
The Tricare military health system should complete deployment of the outpatient version of its Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA) by the end of the calendar year, said William ...
Panel recommends renewable energy goal January 31, 2006
A government task force on Monday recommended the state set a goal for utility corporations to produce 10 percent of their electricity by 2020 through renewable energy sources, such as wind.
ISU Supercomputer to Help With Corn Genome January 31, 2006
Scientists at Iowa State University are using one of the nation's 10 most powerful computers to help decipher the corn genome, a project that could allow them to expand the plant's uses in plastics, fuel and fiber.
P2P licensed premiere movie download service to lau ... January 31, 2006
Once more indicating the digital entertainment industry is evolving more quickly in Europe than anywhere else, a new P2P download service for licensed, and purportedly secure, movies, is gearing up for a March launch for customers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Australian utility to build country’s biggest ... January 31, 2006
Australian Gas Light Company (AGL) announced that it would build the country's largest wind farm as part of efforts to meet its legal obligation to invest in renewable energy.
Stumbling Tourist Smashes Rare China Vases January 30, 2006
A visitor to a British museum tripped on his shoelace, stumbled down a stairway and fell into a display of centuries-old Chinese vases, shattering them into "very small pieces," officials said Monday.
New Tape of Kidnapped Journalist Airs January 30, 2006
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman says the U.S. military is engaged in its own hunt for journalist Jill Carroll, who appears in a new video today on al-Jazeera.
Brokeback defeated at film awards January 30, 2006
Brokeback Mountain has been beaten by Crash to the main prize at this year's Screen Actors Guild awards in LA.
Racial drama Crash won the prestigious best ensemble cast prize - the equivalent of a best film award.
Capote's Philip Seymour Hoffman and Walk The Line's Reese Witherspoon won best actor and actress. UK star Rachel Weisz took best ...
Annan links aid to Hamas conduct January 30, 2006
UN chief Kofi Annan has said future aid to the Palestinian Authority will depend on the performance of the Islamic militant group Hamas.
Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Deaths of Kids January 30, 2006
A mother who left New York for a small Arkansas town to give her three children a safer home pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of killing them.
‘Du bist Deutschland’ Leader Mocks Blog ... January 30, 2006
This is an interesting story, something from Germany that most of us english speakers probably never hear about. But now we certainly will, thanks to the Guardian.
Apparently there is a campaign afoot in Germany to make Germans more cheery, by the head of the leading German advertising company Jung von Matt, Jean-Remy von Matt. His campaign, 'Du bist Deutschland' ...
Iraqi Girl Dies of Bird Flu January 30, 2006
An Iraqi girl has died from the H5N1 form of bird flu, the first known case in the country, officials said today. The 15-year-old lived in a Kurdish area near the border with Turkey and Iran and died on January 17 after contracting a severe lung infection.
Her hometown, Ranya, is just north of a reservoir that is a stopover ...
NASA Tried to Silence Climate Expert? January 29, 2006
From the NY Times:
The top climate scientist at NASA says the Bush administration has tried to stop him from speaking out since he gave a lecture last month calling for prompt reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
The scientist, James E. Hansen, longtime director of the agency's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in an interview ...
Baby found floating in bag in lake January 29, 2006
A baby girl remained hospitalized in good condition Sunday after being thrown into a lake in Brazilian park wrapped inside a plastic bag, doctors said. The baby, apparently 2 months old, was rescued Saturday afternoon by a couple who heard her crying in the Pampulha Lagoon in Belo Horizonte, a city about 500 kilometers (300 miles) northeast ...
ABC anchor, cameraman in Iraq seriously wounded January 29, 2006
ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously injured Sunday in an explosion while reporting from Iraq, the network said Sunday.
Deadly bird flu found in Cyprus January 29, 2006
The lethal H5N1 bird flu strain has been detected in birds in northern Cyprus, the European Commission says, the first cases on the island.
The commission has ordered an immediate freeze on the transfer of live animals or animal products across the island's Green Line border or to the EU.
Neighbouring Turkey has been battling with an outbreak ...
NYC Officer Shot after Mistaken Identity January 28, 2006
A New York City police officer is in critical condition after another officer mistook him for an assailant and shot him three times.
LG Philips units files for bankruptcy January 28, 2006
Dutch and a German subsidiary of LG Philips Displays filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, the maker of cathode ray tubes said on Friday.
Holland pleased with Euro 2008 draw January 28, 2006
Dutch commentators announced themselves pleased with the list of opponents the Holland eleven will face in the qualification rounds for the 2008 European Cup.
The draw was held by UEFA in Montreux, Switzerland on Friday. The Netherlands faces Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Albania, Belarus, Luxembourg in Group G. The Dutch head the group and managed to avoid meeting Germany and Italy.
Holland ...
Cingular Wireless Obtains Temporary Restraining Ord ... January 28, 2006
Cingular Wireless has won another battle in its fight against websites that offer cell phone records for sale. The U.S. District Court in Atlanta, GA, has approved a Consent Temporary Restraining Order that halts the ability of eFindOutTheTruth.com to obtain and sell Cingular customer records. Among other things, the Order prohibits employees and agents of ...
Hamas Leader Promised Iran an Embassy in Ramallah January 28, 2006
The promise, indicating that Hamas was not surprised by its victory at the Jan 25 poll, was delivered at a secret meeting in Damascus on Jan. 20. On that day, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmanidejad interviewed 11 Palestinian terrorist leaders based in the Syrian capital with cameras flashing. Not so, Mashaal’s half-hour absence for a secret down-to-earth discussion with the ...
FDA Approves First Inhalable Form of Insulin January 28, 2006
Pfizer, Inc. said Friday that Exubera Inhalation Powder has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Exubera was found in clinical trials to be as effective as short-acting insulin injections, and to significantly improve blood sugar control when added to diabetes pills.
Clinton to support Alito filibuster January 28, 2006
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday announced she'll join potential 2008 presidential rival John Kerry in voting to filibuster against Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, just as top Democratic leaders predicted the effort is likely doomed.
Ann Coulter Jokes About Poisoning Justice Stevens January 27, 2006
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, speaking at a traditionally black college, joked that Justice John Paul Stevens should be poisoned.
Coulter had told the Philander Smith College audience Thursday that more conservative justices were needed on the Supreme Court to change the current law on abortion.
Stevens is one of the court's most liberal members.
"We ...
Infineon releases first one-chip EDGE and WCDMA sol ... January 27, 2006
Infineon has announced the SMARTi3GE, the world’s first one-chip six-band WCDMA and quad-band EDGE solution. The chip combines the architecture of the SMARTiPM, a quad-band GSM/EDGE transceiver and the SMARTi3G, a six-band WCDMA transceiver with HSDPA capabilities. The inclusion of HSDPA support means the chip can offer data rates up to 7.2 Mbps in WCDMA downlink.
Government provides $119 million for hydrogen resea ... January 27, 2006
The U.S. government has given research into hydrogen vehicles a big boost. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announced that the Department of Energy has earmarked $119 million for hydrogen fuel cell research.
Bolivan President Halves His Own Pay January 27, 2006
The Bolivian new left-wing President, Evo Morales, has cut his salary by more than a half to a little over $1,800 (£1,012) per month.
The decision means that the salaries of all Bolivian public sector employees will be reviewed, as no official can earn more than the president.
Mr Morales said the money saved would be used to increase the numbers ...
Britons unconvinced on evolution January 26, 2006
More than half the British population does not fully accept the theory of evolution, according to a survey.
Furthermore, more than 40% of those questioned believe that creationism or intelligent design should be taught in school science lessons.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI for the BBC's Horizon series.
Its latest programme, A War on Science, looks into the attempt ...
First solar-powered nano motor January 26, 2006
An international team of scientists has created the first molecular motor powered solely by sunlight. By acting like pistons that move back and forth, these motors, which are only nanometers or billionths of meters across, could help read out data as ones and zeroes "for molecular photonics and electronics, two rapidly ...
Village People member’s destiny could be the ... January 26, 2006
After failing Tuesday to show up in court for a second time, the Village People's ex-cop, Victor Willis, is destined for J-A-I-L.
Vt. Judge Increases Sex Offender’s Penalty January 26, 2006
A judge vilified as soft on crime by bloggers, TV commentators and politicians for giving a child molester just 60 days in jail increased the sentence Thursday to three to 10 years behind bars.
Time changes modern human’s face January 26, 2006
Researchers have found that the shape of the human skull has changed significantly over the past 650 years. Modern people possess less prominent features but higher foreheads than our medieval ancestors.
Writing in the British Dental Journal, the team took careful measurements of groups of skulls spanning across 30 ...
Intel makes first chip at tiny new scale January 26, 2006
Intel Corp. said Wednesday it had made the world's first microchip using tiny new manufacturing methods that promise to let the world's top chipmaker make more powerful, efficient processors.
UK to deploy 5,700 troops to Afghanistan January 26, 2006
A peak of 5,700 British troops will be deployed in Afghanistan over the coming months, the defence secretary, John Reid, announced today.
The bulk of the forces will be deployed in the lawless south of the country, where they will be involved in redevelopment and counter-narcotics operations as part of a mission costed at £1bn over five years but being ...
Palestinian Prime Minister Quits January 26, 2006
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has announced his resignation, saying Hamas must form the next government following the parliamentary elections.
It comes as the militant Islamic group appeared to be heading for a shock win.
With counting still under way, officials from the ruling Fatah party said Hamas had won a majority. Official results are due at 1900 (1700 ...
ID theft again tops list of FTC complaints January 25, 2006
For the sixth year in a row, identity theft tops the annual list of consumer complaints collected by Federal Trade Commission. The list is strikingly similar to last year, with online auction fraud, sweepstakes, and advance-fee loans also in the top 10. But the number of consumers victimized via wire transfer has skyrocketed, tripling in the ...
Jackson Spotted Wearing Veil & Abaya January 25, 2006
Pop star Michael Jackson was spotted shopping in a Bahrain mall on Wednesday, hiding his face behind a veil and donning a black robe traditionally worn by women in the Gulf.
His was with three children, apparently his own, who also had their faces covered by dark scarves. An unidentified woman accompanied ...
Pope talks of love, charity in first encyclical January 25, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday in his first encyclical that the Roman Catholic Church has no desire to govern states or set public policy, but can’t remain silent when its charity is needed to ease suffering around the world.
Decline in Oil Output Dims Iraq’s Recovery January 25, 2006
Iraqi oil production fell by 8% last year, calling into question the nation's ability to support itself and fund reconstruction efforts as U.S. assistance is scaled back.
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