Four Georgia men arrested this week in connection with a scheme to conduct an attack with explosives and a deadly toxin were partly inspired by an online novel, according to court documents. But their plans, experts said, may not have ever escaped the realm of fantasy. From al-Qaeda to neo-Nazis, numerous groups have imagined carrying out a deadly terrorist attack using the highly lethal extract of the castor bean known as ricin. None has succeeded. Read full article > >

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Ricin plot drew from fiction, court papers say

From al-Qaeda to neo-Nazis, numerous hate groups have fantasized of pulling off a deadly terrorist attack using the highly lethal extract of the castor bean known as ricin. None has ever succeeded in carrying out such plans. The four Georgians arrested this week in connection with an alleged terrorist plot may have been capable of advancing further than most amateur weaponeers, given their access to professional labs. (One had previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control, another for the Department of Agriculture.) But their chances for truly creating a weapon of mass destruction were tiny at best, biodefense experts say. Read full article > >

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Alleged ricin plot in Georgia was a long shot

LONDON — A dozen British banks and the governments of Italy and Spain were hit with fresh credit downgrades Friday in the latest blow to a European economy struggling to keep its footing amid accumulating signs of a slowdown. Belgium — which had avoided the attention given to other highly indebted countries — was also put on notice that its credit standing may be cut in the future. Read full article > >

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More downgrades hit Europe: Italy, Spain and a dozen British banks

Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, faced a barrage of questions from lawmakers Wednesday about whether his company’s search engine stifles competition as he insisted it has not violated its famous “don’t be evil” motto. Schmidt, who had never testified on Capitol Hill, began his highly anticipated testimony by invoking the memory of Microsoft’s Bill Gates, who walked the same gantlet before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel during the 1990s. Read full article > >

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Google chairman faces Capitol Hill heat for first time

Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, faced a barrage of questions from lawmakers Wednesday about whether his company’s search engine stifles competition as he insisted it has not violated its famous “don’t be evil” motto. Schmidt, who had never testified on Capitol Hill, began his highly anticipated testimony by invoking the memory of Microsoft’s Bill Gates, who walked the same gantlet before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel during the 1990s. Read full article > >

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Google chairman faces Capitol Hill heat for first time

Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, faced a barrage of questions from lawmakers Wednesday about whether his company’s search engine stifles competition as he insisted it has not violated its famous “don’t be evil” motto. Schmidt, who had never testified on Capitol Hill, began his highly anticipated testimony by invoking the memory of Microsoft’s Bill Gates, who walked the same gantlet before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust panel during the 1990s. Read full article > >

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Google chairman faces Capitol Hill heat for first time

Under intense scrutiny from congressional critics and a probing inspector general, current and former Securities and Exchange Commission officials have been lawyering up, sometimes at their own expense. The practice reflects the highly charged atmosphere at the SEC and one of the costs of government service when investigations can put careers, reputations and more on the line. Read full article > >

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SEC officials ‘lawyering up’

The Saudi Arabian government is moving quickly to put down a budding protest of women claiming the right to drive. Manal al-Sharif, one of the organizers, was arrested on Sunday and is being held for up to five days. Her arrest follows two other highly…

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Saudi Women Arrested for Driving

This could be a case of schadenfreude. After rumors of a Bill Clinton cameo in the highly anticipated film sequel The Hangover Part II proved false, now comes word that Liam Neeson’s cameo as a Bangkok tattoo artist in the film has been cut, according…

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Liam Neeson Cut from The Hangover Part II

This incisive biography takes a psychological approach to describing the highly complex man who unified Germany and dominated European diplomacy during the late 19th century.

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Otto von Bismarck, Master Statesman

The past couple of days have yielded some great fan-made mash-ups. We present to you a super-sized edition of Fun Finds. First off, is a mash-up of Wile E. Coyote in the James Franco arm-severing drama

The detection of the highly radioactive elements cesium-137 and iodine-131 outside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant heralds the beginning of an ecological and human tragedy. The open question is whether it will be limited, serious or catastrophic.

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Ultimate impact of damage to Japan nuclear reactors still unknown

The detection of the highly radioactive elements cesium-137 and iodine-131 outside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant heralds the beginning of an ecological and human tragedy. The open question is whether it will be limited, serious or catastrophic.

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Ultimate impact of damage to Japan nuclear reactors still unknown

Plans to let players control Taliban fighters in the highly anticipated “Medal of Honor” video game have been scrapped amid harsh criticism from military officials and others.

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Game axes ‘fight as Taliban’ option

This is a departure for America’s Sweetheart: Jennifer Aniston may appear in the highly anticipated Arrested Development movie. Mitch Hurwitz, creator of the popular show, which was cancelled in 2006, has recently confirmed that he has begun working on…

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Aniston May Appear in Arrested Development Movie