Today on New Scientist: 19 February 2013

Doctors would tax sugary drinks to combat obesity Hiking the price of fizzy drinks would cut consumption and so help fight obesity, urges the British Academy of Medical Royal CollegesSpace station's dark matter hunter coy about findings Researchers on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, which sits above the International Space Station, have collected their first results - but won't reveal them...

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Kerry to visit Europe, Mideast on first trip

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit nine countries in Europe and the Middle East starting Sunday as he undertakes his first foreign trip as top diplomat, the State Department said Tuesday.Kerry will visit Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar through March 6, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told...

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Apple: Employee computers were hacked in targeted attack

Apple's Cupertino campus.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Apple today said it too was targeted as part of the string of hacking efforts on companies and news agencies. The iPhone and Mac maker today told Reuters that hackers targeted computers used by its employees, but that "there was no evidence that any data left Apple."In a statement, Apple said it discovered malware that made use of a vulnerability...

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New Ancient Members of Whale Family Found

Jane J. Lee in Boston The ancestors of modern baleen whales—including the ancient forbears of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae)—just got four new relatives.Scientists announced Sunday that they have discovered the new species thanks in large part to a construction crew in southern California.The researchers discovered 11 whale species...

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Oscar Pistorius Describes 'Sense of Terror'

Olympian Oscar Pistorius today denied that he willfully killed his girlfriend, telling a South African court that he shot the woman through his bathroom door because he believed she was an intruder.Pistorius, 26 and a double-amputee Olympian, was charged today with premeditated murder, or a Schedule 6 offense, which under South African law limits his chances for parole if convicted."I...

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Today on New Scientist: 18 February 2013

One-Minute Physics: Are unknowns part of the universe? Watch an animation that examines the contents of the universe as described by physics - does it contain everything that is, including the unknown?Traces of life on Mars may have been bleached away Bleach-related compounds in a Mars meteorite from Antarctica suggest that chemical reactions may have destroyed organics - at least on Mars's surfacePredict...

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French horsemeat scandal firm resumes work as ban eased

PARIS: The French firm that sparked a Europe-wide food scandal by allegedly passing off 750 tonnes of horsemeat as beef was allowed Monday to resume production of minced meat, sausages and ready-to-eat meals.But Spanghero, whose horsemeat found its way into 4.5 million "beef" products sold across Europe, will no longer be allowed to stock frozen meat, Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll...

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Burger King Twitter account hacked, defaced

Burger King's hacked Twitter account (click to enlarge).(Credit:Screenshot by Steven Musil/CNET)The Twitter account associated with the fast-food chain Burger King was suspended after an apparent hacking that defaced the page with messages that the account had been sold to rival McDonald's.The @BurgerKing account name was changed today to "McDonalds" and the Golden Arches' familiar logo was added...

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Confirmed: Dogs Sneak Food When People Aren't Looking

Many dog owners will swear their pups are up to something when out of view of watchful eyes. Shoes go missing, couches have mysterious teeth marks, and food disappears. They seem to disregard the word "no."Now, a new study suggests dogs might understand people even better than we thought. (Related: "Animal Minds.")The research shows that domestic dogs, when told not to snatch a piece of...

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Dr. Drew: McCready Was 'Fearful of Stigma'

Troubled country singer Mindy McCready was "devastated" after the January death of her boyfriend and "fearful of stigma and ridicule," according to Dr. Drew Pinsky, who treated her in 2009 on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew."McCready died Sunday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at her Arkansas home, police said. She was 37.The country singer who soared to the top of...

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