A look at economic developments and activity in stock markets around the world Wednesday

A look at economic developments around the globe

Ancient web-footed creature shows early step in evolution toward seals, sea lions, walruses

NEW YORK — Scientists say they’ve found a “missing link” in the early evolution of seals and walruses — the skeleton of a web-footed, otter-like creature that was evolving away from a life on land.

Cities tackle backyard pools that become green-shrouded mosquito havens in foreclosure

NEW ORLEANS — Mosquito control workers can measure the recession by the number of green, cloudy swimming pools they see — algae-covered havens for mosquitoes dotting neighborhoods hit by the foreclosure crisis.

Elmo the ‘Elmonaut’ takes astronomy to preschoolers at Washington’s Smithsonian planetarium

WASHINGTON — Elmo the “Elmonaut” donned a space suit Tuesday as the Muppet star of a planetarium show that will take children on an imaginary ride into space. And Big Bird even gets a chance to fly, joining cuddly Elmo and a Chinese Muppet named Hu Hu Zhu on the voyage.

Scientists unveil “extraordinary” discovery: Earth-sized planet outside our solar system

HATFIELD, England — In the search for Earth-like planets, astronomers zeroed in on two places that look awfully familiar to home. One is close to the right size. The other is in the right place. European researchers said they not only found the smallest exoplanet ever, called Gliese 581 e, but realized that a neighboring planet discovered earlier, Gliese 581 d, was in the prime habitable zone for potential life.

4 new pharaonic temples found in Sinai possibly designed to impress foreigners visiting Egypt

CAIRO — Archaeologists exploring an old military road in the Sinai have unearthed four new temples amidst the 3,000-year-old remains of an ancient fortified city that could have been used to impress foreign delegations visiting Egypt, antiquities authorities announced Tuesday.

Elmo the cuddly ‘Elmonaut’ launches astronomy show for youngsters at Smithsonian planetarium

WASHINGTON — Elmo is reporting for duty at the National Air and Space Museum, ready for a trip into outer space.

Study shows decline in flow of many major rivers, which scientists blame on climate change

WASHINGTON — The flow of water in the world’s largest rivers has declined over the past half-century, with significant changes found in about a third of the big rivers.

Researchers use stroke patient’s own stem cells for first time

WASHINGTON - A stroke patient intravenously received his own bone marrow stem cells, as part of a new research trial in the US.

Stem cells from human corneas may normalise vision

WASHINGTON - Stem cells from human corneas restored transparency when injected into eyes that were scarred and hazy, without triggering rejection, according to experiments on mice.

Maytas seeks more time for Metro Rail financial closure

HYDERABAD - Maytas Infra Ltd, a company owned by the family of former Satyam Computers chairman B. Ramalinga Raju, Tuesday sought more time for achieving financial closure for Rs.122-billion (Rs.12,200 crore) Hyderabad Metro Rail project.

Researchers for natural approach to HIV vaccine

WASHINGTON - For the past 25 years, researchers have tried and failed to develop an HIV vaccine, their entire focus being on a small number of engineered ’super antibodies’ to fend off the virus before it takes hold.