Britain suspends exploratory drilling of Antarctic lake

LONDON (Reuters) – An ambitious British plan to search for minute forms of life in an ancient lake beneath Antarctica‘s ice has been suspended because of technical problems, the scientist leading the project said on Thursday.In a move that clears the way for U.S. and Russian teams to take the lead, Professor Martin Siegert said technical problems and a lack of fuel had forced the closure on Christmas...

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Sen. Harry Reid: U.S. poised to go off 'fiscal cliff'

Rana Foroohar, Time magazine's assistant managing editor for...

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Syria envoy calls for political change to end conflict

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The international envoy seeking a solution to Syria's 21-month-old conflict said on Thursday political change was needed to end the violence which has killed 44,000 people, and called for a transitional government to rule until elections. Speaking in Damascus at the end of a five-day trip during which he met President Bashar al-Assad, Lakhdar Brahimi did not spell out...

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Wall Street flat ahead of "cliff" talks restart

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were little changed on Wednesday ahead of the resumption of negotiations over the "fiscal cliff". President Barack Obama, after vacationing in Hawaii, is due back in Washington early Thursday for a final effort to negotiate a deal with Congress to avert or at least postpone the cliff, a series of tax increases and government spending cuts set to begin next...

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James leads Heat over Thunder in Finals rematch

MIAMI (AP) — Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined to score 54 points, more than any set of teammates had managed in a game against Miami all season.Oklahoma City needed them to score at least three more.That didn't happen, and an NBA Finals rematch went just as last year's title series did — to the Heat.LeBron James had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 21, and...

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Teens More Likely to Face Sexual Harassment on the Job

Teens working in some low-paying positions are more likely to be sexually harassed while on the job, new research shows.Adolescent employees in low-opportunity jobs, such as working in retail or a restaurant, are more likely to be sexually harassed by older co-workers than adult employees, an Illinois State University study shows.The study of 116 high school teens discovered that 54 percent of females...

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Climate change: No consensus needed

Lake Cachet II in Aysen, Chilean Patagonia, disappeared because of rising temperatures driven by climate change, experts say.STORY HIGHLIGHTSTseming Yang: Result of Doha climate change conference less than desirableYang: It's time to abandon the myth that a consensus solution is the best approach He says the 25 major carbon emitters should work out an agreement among themselvesYang: Smaller, focused...

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Tornadoes, snow hit the South

A heavy snowstorm that blanketed Texas and Oklahoma is moving northeast on Wednesday. Gulf Coast states are recovering from heavy winds and twisters. (Dec. 26) ...

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Syria to discuss Brahimi peace proposals with Russia

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sent a senior diplomat to Moscow on Wednesday to discuss proposals to end the conflict convulsing his country made by international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, Syrian and Lebanese sources said. Brahimi, who saw Assad on Monday and is planning to hold a series of meetings with Syrian officials and dissidents in Damascus this week, is trying...

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Yen on defensive on U.S. fiscal worry, helps Nikkei

TOKYO (Reuters) - Uncertainty over whether U.S. lawmakers will strike a deal by an end-of-year deadline to avert a severe fiscal retrenchment undermined the yen and bolstered Japanese shares on Tuesday in low volume, with many participants away on Christmas holiday. The dollar rose to a 20-month high of 84.965 yen early on Tuesday in Asia, as Japanese markets caught up with global investors...

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