Arctic sunshine cranks up threat from greenhouse gases

IT'S a solar double whammy. Not only does sunlight melt Arctic ice, but it also speeds up the conversion of frozen organic matter into carbon dioxide. The amount of carbon in dead vegetation preserved in the far northern permafrost is estimated...

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Australia central bank sells scandal-hit note firm stake

SYDNEY: Australia's central bank on Tuesday announced the sale of its stake in scandal-hit note printing firm Securency and said an independent governance review had cleared it of "inappropriate" insight.The Reserve Bank of Australia sold its 50 per cent holding in Securency, accused of taking bribes to win contracts in Asia, to British venture partner Innovia Films for A$65 million (US$66.7...

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Two charged in death of girl who performed at inaugural

By Steve Almasy and Ted Rowlands, CNNupdated 9:31 PM EST, Mon February 11, 2013Michael Ward, 18, and Kenneth Williams, 20, were charged in the killing of Chicago honor student Hadiya Pendleton.STORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: Killer was on probation for gun crime, police sayNEW: Shootings were a case of mistaken identity in street gang feudHadiya Pendleton was shot to death a week after she performed in WashingtonFirst...

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Army Sgt. shares story behind Medal of Honor

(CBS News) PENTAGON - President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to former Army Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha on Monday. In 2009, with U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan under Taliban attack, a wounded Romesha ducked enemy fire to rescue other wounded soldiers and recover bodies of the fallen. Army staff sergeant receives Medal of Honor for actions during Afghanistan war battle You have to see...

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Benedict's Legacy Marred by Sex Abuse Scandal

When Pope Benedict XVI resigns at the end of this month, he leaves behind a Church grappling with a global fallout from sex abuse and a personal legacy marred by allegations that he was instrumental in covering up that abuse.As the sex abuse scandal spread from North America to Europe, Benedict became the first pope to meet personally with victims, and offered repeated public apologies...

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Liver cancer survival time tripled by virus

The virus used in the vaccine that helped eradicate smallpox is now working its magic on liver cancer. A genetically engineered version of the vaccinia virus has trebled the average survival time of people with a severe form of liver cancer, with only mild, flu-like side effects. ...

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Missing 13-year-old-boy found

SINGAPORE: The 13-year-old boy who went missing on Friday has been reunited with his parents.Aminiasi Tiritabuanira Shaw, a student of the Singapore American School (SAS), was found on Sunday night.The school had earlier said that it's believed the boy had left on his own accord after a disagreement with his parents. In its update on Monday, the school said: "The Shaw family would...

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Almost famous: See celebs' early roles

By Henry Hanks, CNNupdated 5:05 PM EST, Thu February 7, 2013Stars who started out like GoDaddy's geekJesse HeimanSylvester StalloneJohn TravoltaKeanu ReevesCourtney CoxMatt LeBlancTina FeyRainn WilsonMegan FoxDean Wint...

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Clive Davis Gala goes on year after Houston's death

A year after Whitney Houston's death, music executive Clive Davis remembered her in words -- and video. Houston died last year at the age of 48 just hours before the annual Clive Davis Gala was set to start. On Saturday, Davis said his world continues "to be so shattered by her passing" and that Houston's death still feels "unreal." At the gala, Davis played what he called a rare performance of Houston...

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$1M Reward for Capture of Fugitive Ex-Cop Dorner

A $1 million reward was offered today for information leading to the arrest of Christopher Dorner, as authorities in Big Bear, Calif., scaled back their search for the disgruntled ex-cop, who is suspected in three revenge killings."This is the largest local reward ever offered, to our knowledge," Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said at a news conference today. "This is...

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