SEOUL — Five years ago, South Korea mapped out a plan to transform its education system into the world’s most cutting-edge. The country would turn itself into a “knowledge powerhouse,” one government report declared, breeding students “equipped for the future.” These students would have little use for the bulky textbooks familiar to their parents. Their textbooks would be digital, accessible on any screen of their choosing. Their backpacks would be much lighter. Read full article > >

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In South Korean classrooms, digital textbook revolution meets some resistance

PARIS — More than 30,000 cheering supporters gathered at the Bastille, the icon of the French Revolution, to cheer Jean-Luc Melenchon as he shouted out his promises of a new dawn. He will lead them into another insurrection, he pledged, waving his arms and laughing in delight, to upend the political system, to rewrite the bourgeois constitution, to bridle the gnomes of predatory capitalism. Read full article > >

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Ahead of French vote, the left of the left gains ground

Turkey’s Syrian refugees try to keep revolution alive

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Syria rebellion encroaches on Turkey

It’s good to be a cat these days, thanks in no small part to Internet culture. Besides revolutionizing porn, news and teenage gossip, the Internet reversed a long-held ambivalence toward felines, amounting to hours and hours of cat videos. Read full article > >

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‘Must Love Cats’: Hello again, kitty

NORFOLK, Va. — In 1913, Navy Secretary Josephus Daniels issued a revolutionary order: no more alcohol on board ships. According to official Navy myth , sober sailors mocked their boss by nicknaming their coffee — the strongest drink still allowed on board — a “cup of Joe.” Read full article > >

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Navy to place breath-test machines on all its ships

TEHRAN — Iran’s Supreme Court ordered a retrial for a former U.S. Marine who initially was sentenced to death for spying, the country’s national prosecutor said Monday. Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, 28, an Iranian American who was sentenced in January to be hanged , waited more than a month for the Supreme Court to decide whether he would be the first U.S. citizen to get the death penalty in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Born in Arizona, Hekmati served in the Marine Corps from 2001 to 2005 and fought in Iraq in 2004. He later worked as a contract translator in Afghanistan. He holds an Iranian passport as well as an American one. Read full article > >

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Iran orders retrial for former U.S. Marine sentenced to death for spying

Sifrhippus, which lived 56 million years ago, shrank from about 12 pounds to about eight and a half pounds as the climate warmed over thousands of years, researchers report.

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Side Effects: Sifrhippus, the First Horse, Got Even Tinier as the Planet Heated Up

Last month, Wadah Khanfar, erstwhile Director General of Al Jazeera and now President of the Sharq Forum, an independent think tank dedicated to developing long-term strategies for Mideast development and social justice, visited London. Appearing at the Frontline Club , Middle East monitor , London School of Economics and the Chaltham House , Khanfar discussed the Arab Spring, Al Jazeera, and political Islam.

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Wadah Khanfar Discusses The Arab Spring, Al Jazeera, and Political Islam

Scotland is set to benefit from a digital revolution right across the country, Infrastructure Secretary Alex Neil predicts.

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Scotland set for ‘digital boost’

The first Republican revolution had a short, sharp battle plan: the “ Contract with America .” Ten big ideas. Three pages of text. The second Republican revolution — the one now struggling for oxygen on Capitol Hill — did it differently. Its “ Pledge to America ” noodles on for 48 pages. It contains less ambitious ideas but has glossy photos of 42 GOP congressmen. Read full article > >

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Gingrich campaign brings up comparison of Republican revolutions

Amid all the political commentary these days, Joanne Bamberger is noticing more female voices in the pundit chorus. They may not be the best known analysts or in the “Meet the Press” crowd, but these women have large followings, expansive networks and are discussing the political issues of the day. They come from the ranks of female writers often called “mommy bloggers.” Read full article > >

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PunditMom breaks down the political evolution of mommy bloggers

Amir Hekmati, a 28-year-old former Marine, was sentenced to death for espionage on Jan. 9 by Iran’s Revolutionary Court. In December, Iran released videos in which Hekmati in both Persian and English gave his history and “confessed” to being trained to become a double agent by the CIA. Read full article > >

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An American is caught in Iran’s spy game

Amir Hekmati, a 28-year-old former Marine, was sentenced to death for espionage on Jan. 9 by Iran’s Revolutionary Court. In December, Iran released videos in which Hekmati in both Persian and English gave his history and “confessed” to being trained to become a double agent by the CIA. Read full article > >

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An American is caught in Iran’s spy game

What disgusts humans is proving irresistible to researchers exploring the evolutionary value of revulsion.

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Disgust’s Evolutionary Role Is Irresistible to Researchers

CAIRO — The political wing of Egypt’s most historic Islamist party won by far the largest number of seats in the first post-revolutionary parliament, final results confirmed Saturday, and is now poised to play a dominant role in the drafting of a new constitution. Read full article > >

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Final results confirms Islamists winners in Egypt’s elections