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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Australian PM Gillard reshuffles cabinet ahead of poll

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Saturday denied that her government was in chaos, after the resignation of two of her most senior ministers prompted a cabinet reshuffle ahead of a national election.Saturday's announcement that the two ministers had quit came only three days after the Labor leader said elections would be held in September, an unusual step in Australia where...

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Parole board: Release member of 'Manson family'

By Michael Martinez and Kyung Lah, CNNupdated 8:33 PM EST, Fri February 1, 2013Bruce Davis was sent to prison on April 21, 1972, for the 1969 first-degree murders of two men.STORY HIGHLIGHTS"He earned it," defense attorney says of recommendationCalifornia parole board formally recommends parole for Bruce Davis, 70Governor must modify, affirm or reverse the recommendation in 30 daysDavis is serving...

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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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Arias Trial Puts Mormon Sex Rules in Spotlight

The murder trial of Jodi Arias has been filled with salacious details of phone sex, graphic text messages, and an erotic sexual relationship between her and her devout Mormon ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander.Arias, 32, converted to Mormonism when she began to date Alexander, then 29, in 2006. Though they were both outwardly devout, they immediately developed a sexual relationship.The...

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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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8 injured in KJE accident

SINGAPORE: An accident at Kranji Expressway (KJE) early Friday morning left eight people injured and triggered massive traffic congestion.Police said they received a call requesting for assistance at 5.30am.On arrival, police established there was an accident involving two private buses.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), which also received a call for assistance, said the location...

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14 killed in blast at offices of Mexican state oil company

By CNN Staffupdated 8:28 PM EST, Thu January 31, 2013STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: 14 people were killed and at least 100 are injured, interior minister saysNEW: Mexico's president says he is heading to the scene to coordinate rescue effortsRescuers are searching for people trapped in the building, one of the city's tallestWitness: "People were screaming. ... You could see pieces of the wall falling"Mexico...

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14 dead, 80 injured in Mexico oil company blast

Updated 8:25 PM ET MEXICO CITY An explosion at the main headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company in the capital killed 14 people and injured 80 on Thursday 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...

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Arias' Ex-Boyfriend Kept Affair Secret

Accused murderer Jodi Arias was kept away from the Mormon friends of her lover Travis Alexander and their torrid sex affair was kept secret by Alexander, even as he sent lewd photos of himself to her online, according to court testimony today.The testimony in Arias' trial for killing Alexander in 2008 was intended to bolster the defense's argument that she killed him in self...

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