Officer Dies After Dorner Shootout; Cabin on Fire

The remote California mountain cabin in which fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner has barricaded himself in tense standoff with police is on fire, following a shootout with police in which one officer was killed and another wounded.Once the fire started, a single shot was heard from inside the cabin and then flames and a large column of black smoke were seen rising above the...

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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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American Express card users can shop at Twitter

SAN FRANCISCO: American Express began letting users of its payment cards make purchases with messages fired off at Twitter as the popular social network dabbles with making money from e-commerce.American Express announced that members who synchronize their cards with Twitter can take advantage of offers "tweeted" by the financial services company.American Express will promote products...

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Tesla's Elon Musk lambasts New York Times article

Tesla's Model S.(Credit:Tesla)Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has become incensed over a critical news article about the all-electric car that was published in The New York Times last week. "I do not think this is a he said, she said situation," Musk told Bloomberg West in an interview today. "It is really black and white. The facts are the facts." The tussle got started after New York Times reporter John Broder...

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Kumbh Mela: Pictures From the Hindu Holy Festival

Holy BathPhotograph by Roberto Schmidt, AFP/Getty ImagesThe Hindu festival known as Kumbh Mela, often referred to as the world’s largest gathering of humanity, peaked on Sunday at...

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Who's Next? A Look at Likely Successors to Benedict

With 1 billion Catholics worldwide, the face of the church is changing.It's something the cardinal electors may keep in mind when the conclave to elect a new pontiff begins in late March, said Matthew Bunson, general editor of the Catholic Almanac and author of "We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI."RELATED: Pope Benedict XVI Resigns: The StatementThe 117 cardinals who are eligible to vote for the new...

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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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Music stars ooze sex appeal on Grammys red carpet

LOS ANGELES - US television network CBS may have warned stars not to show too much skin on stage Sunday at the Grammys, but A-listers tested the limits on the red carpet in body-conscious, revealing gowns.Jennifer Lopez, whose plunging barely-there green Versace gown at the 2000 Grammys provided a red carpet moment for the ages, pushed the dress code to the edge with a daring black dress...

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Did Google Earth error send murderer to wrong address?

Dennis and Merna Koula.(Credit:CBS News.com Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)Sometimes, even after a murder conviction, some see reasonable doubt that the conviction was a righteous one.Such is the case in the murder of Dennis and Merna Koula in La Cross, Wisc, a quiet community.Their son Eric was found guilty and is currently serving two consecutive life-sentences for the murder of the wealthy...

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Year of the Snake: The Serpent Behind the Horoscope

On February 10, people all around the world will ring in the Lunar New Year with paper lanterns and firecrackers. At the heart of it all sits the snake, a slithery reptile feared for its sharp fangs and revered for its undeniable charm. (Watch videos of some of the world's deadliest snakes.)Those born in the Year of the Snake are said to be intelligent and quick thinking, but they can...

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