Noise pollution negatively influences bird populations

WASHINGTON - A new University of Colorado at Boulder study shows the strongest evidence yet that noise pollution negatively influences bird populations.

Illinois brothers charged in bombing that injured black official had ties to supremacists

PHOENIX — One of two Illinois brothers charged in a 2004 bombing that injured a black city official in a Phoenix suburb had extensive ties with white supremacist groups and once was deported from Canada because of his activities.

Australian PM promises action over attacks on Indians (Roundup)

SYDNEY/NEW DELHI - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Monday vowed to punish attackers of Indian students as the police freed 18 students detained following massive anti-racism protests.

GOP dilemma: How to take on high court nominee Sotomayor without hurting GOP election hopes

WASHINGTON — Republicans are divided over how aggressively to go after Sonia Sotomayor, a family feud about the tone of the debate over confirming the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court.

Ex-President George W. Bush calls Bill Clinton ‘his brother’ in appearance together in Toronto

TORONTO — Former President George W. Bush called former President Bill Clinton “his brother” and the two rarely disagreed in their first-ever appearance together on stage. The Republican and Democratic ex-presidents defended each other at a Toronto forum on Friday, disappointing some in the crowd of 6,000 who expected a more heated debate.

“Snowball Earth” may not be responsible for mass extinction of early life on Earth

WASHINGTON - New fossil findings discovered by scientists have challenged the prevailing views about the effects of “Snowball Earth” glaciations on life, which is presumed to be responsible for widespread die-off of early life on Earth.

Prominent industry experts tackled changing role of CIOs at CIO Strategies India Forum

BANGALORE - naseba, a leading business information firm specializing in organizing high profile conferences and events, announced the successful conclusion of the third annual ‘CIO Strategies India Forum’ that took place in Mumbai.

How flowering plants originated about 130 million years ago

WASHINGTON - A new study is helping shed light on the mystery of the sudden origin of flowering plants about 130 million years ago, with information about what the first flowers looked like and how they evolved from non-flowering plants.

Investing in islands crucial for saving most species in the world

LONDON - The first worldwide analysis of the importance of different regions for maintaining global biodiversity has determined that an island is about nine times as valuable as an equally large piece of mainland, which makes investing in islands crucial for saving most species in the world.

Hindus want elite universities of USA to be more inclusive

Hindus have urged “elite” universities of USA to be more “inclusive” rather than “exclusive”.

Martin Luther King III promotes tolerance and unity among Bosnia’s segregated youth

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Martin Luther King III is telling young people in Bosnia that the country’s ethnic and religious diversity can be converted from a weakness into a strength.

Working on Third Front’s common policy: Karat

KOLKATA - The Left parties are working to formulate a common policy within the Third Front, taking into account the political culture of its constituents, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat said here Saturday.

Feds: Mountain-dwelling pika may go on endangered species list because of climate change

SALT LAKE CITY — A tiny mammal that can’t handle warm weather could become the first animal in the lower 48 states to get Endangered Species Act protection primarily because of climate change.

Reaction to Justice Souter’s plans to retire from Supreme Court, nominee selection

Some reaction to Supreme Court Justice David Souter’s plans to retire and the upcoming selection of a nominee to the court:

Obama says he hopes to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter by October

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Friday he will replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter with someone who shares the president’s respect for “constitutional values” and hopes to have “him or her” seated on the nation’s highest court by the start of the next term in October. In a dramatic flourish, Obama interrupted spokesman Robert Gibbs’ daily press briefing to announce that he had just talked to Souter.

Justice Souter tells president he will retire when court leaves for summer

WASHINGTON — Justice David Souter is telling President Barack Obama he plans to retire from the Supreme Court this summer.

First lady Michelle Obama to help honor abolitionist Sojourner Truth with bust at Capitol

WASHINGTON — Sojourner Truth, a former slave who met with Abraham Lincoln and was an early crusader for women’s right to vote and an end to slavery, is the first black woman to be honored with a bust at the Capitol.

Hindus ask Australia to urgently develop a “bill of rights”