World News Australia - North America

Google shows off Chrome operating system

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:20:00 +1100

Google Inc is opening its much-anticipated Chrome software to external developers, as the search giant prepares to expand its reach into operating systems.

Bong bust leaves crims crackers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:07:11 +1100

Customs officials in the US have uncovered 316,000 smoking bongs disguised as Chrstmas ornaments.

Bong bust leaves crims crackers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:48:33 +1100

Los Angeles customs officials have uncovered 316,000 bongs disguised as Christmas crackers.

Cinema popcorn 'a nutritional horror'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:31:45 +1100

Forget Freddy Krueger or flesh-eating zombies: the real villain of a night at the movies could be lurking in a bag of popcorn or drinks carton, according to a new US study.

Oprah Winfrey calls time on TV show

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:14:13 +1100

Talkshow queen Oprah Winfrey is set to announce the end of her hugely successful TV program, calling it a day after 25 seasons.

Human stem cell trials a step closer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:32:07 +1100

Embryonic stem cell therapy has got a step closer, after US researchers filed a request for government approval of human trials.

Santa's helpers banned from writing to kids

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:06:47 +1100

Children around the world are busy writing letters to Santa, but this year they may have to go without a reply - after one of his helpers was identified as a sex offender.

US army to blame for New Orleans floods

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:19:14 +1100

The deadly levee failures that led to the flooding of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina were due to negligence by US army engineers, a judge has ruled.

US economy rebounds 'but at heavy cost'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:56:02 +1100

The US economy is recovering much faster than expected but with heavy toll on public finances, the OECD has warned.

Fed officials play down impact of weak dollar

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:05:01 +1100

Federal Reserve officials on Thursday downplayed the consequences of the falling U.S. dollar, underscoring that deflation is still a threat, especially with commercial real estate prices falling.

Study offers hope of reversing Down Syndrome

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:16:39 +1100

Boosting a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine in sufferers of Down Syndrome could help reverse the condition, which is the most common cause of mental retardation in children, a study showed Wednesday.

Greyer, thinner Obama 'doesn't blame job'

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:13:53 +1100

Barack Obama concedes he has lost weight and gone greyer during his first year as US president, but insists he remains healthy despite the relentless demands of his job.

Fortune left at shrine 'for safe-keeping'

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:36:49 +1100

A US woman left her life-savings - $40,000 in rare coins - at a Catholic shrine so the Virgin Mary would watch over them while she was out of town.

Obama to miss Guantanamo closure deadline

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:14:41 +1100

Barack Obama has admitted for the first time that the US will miss the January 2010 deadline he set for closing the "war on terror" prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Girl, 10, tasered in shower row

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:26:57 +1100

A US policeman used a taser stun gun on a 10-year-old girl because her mother was angry that she would not take a shower before going to bed.

Clinton admits to 'crush' on British FM

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:42:18 +1100

Talk about Washington and London's special relationship: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has admitted she has a 'crush' on Britain's Foreign Minister David Miliband.

SMS reminders help people get sun savvy

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:30:09 +1100

Researchers found people who got text messages each morning with a weather report and prompt to use sunscreen were twice as likely to use sunscreen.

NASA, Microsoft take Web surfers to Mars

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:40:43 +1100

NASA and Microsoft has launched an interactive website that allows Web surfers to become Mars explorers.

Annual mammogram benefit questioned

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:38:31 +1100

New US health guidelines question the benefit of annual screening for breast cancer in women aged 40-49, recommending biennial mammograms for women over 50 instead.

Time-traveling browsers search web's past

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:25:35 +1100

Finding old versions of web pages could become far simpler thanks to a "time-traveling" web browsing technology, New Scientist's Paul Marks writes.