World News
Bed Bath & Beyond quarterly profit falls
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Home furnishings retailer Bed Bath & Beyond reported a lower quarterly profit, hurt by the soft U.S. economy and a major rival's liquidation, and forecast earnings for the current period below Wall Street estimates. [Link]
U.S. scientists learn how to levitate tiny objects
CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. scientists have found a way to levitate the very smallest objects using the strange forces of quantum mechanics, and said on Wednesday they might use it to help make tiny nanotechnology machines. [Link]
Daniel Craig takes break from Bond
LONDON (Reuters) - British actor Daniel Craig has taken a break from playing James Bond with World War Two drama "Defiance," based on the true story of Jewish brothers who fled the Nazis and formed a partisan group. [Link]
Sun Times says will accept investor decisions
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper urged shareholders to reject an effort by a dissident investor to replace its board, but said on Wednesday it would accept whatever decision they make. [Link]
Netflix and Vizio to stream films to high-def TVs
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc said on Wednesday it reached a deal for viewers to watch movies from Netflix on Vizio high definition televisions through Vizio's "Connected HDTV" Platform. [Link]
Union gears up for negotiations with GM, Chrysler
DETROIT (Reuters) - United Auto Workers bargaining teams are arriving this week in Detroit as the union gears up for negotiations with General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC, which are mandated to cut labor costs under a $17.4 billion federal bailout. [Link]
Breast cancer in men often detected late
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One in every hundred breast cancers or so occurs in men, and such tumors are often detected at a late stage. Furthermore, these cancers can appear benign on mammography, according to a report in the American Journal of Roentgenology. [Link]
Groups seek Syncrude charges over 500 duck deaths
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Environmental groups took the first step on Wednesday to convince a court to charge Canada's largest oil sands producer with the deaths of 500 ducks, an incident that brought worldwide attention to the ecological impact of the huge energy resource. [Link]
Nadal, Federer and Murray through to quarter-finals
DOHA (Reuters) - Top three seeds Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray continued their serene progress at the Qatar Open on Wednesday, reaching the quarter-finals with straight-sets victories. [Link]
Salmonella outbreak sickens 388 across U.S.: CDC
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday. [Link]
Union gears up for negotiations with GM and Chrysler
DETROIT (Reuters) - United Auto Workers bargaining teams are arriving this week in Detroit as the union gears up for negotiations with General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC, which are mandated to cut labor costs under a $17.4 billion federal bailout. [Link]
Toshiba to launch Cell chip-powered TV in 2009
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba Corp will launch an advanced TV powered by its Cell high-performance microchip this year, to better compete with larger rivals like Samsung Electronics Co. [Link]
New approaches sought for troop substance abuse
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. government experts are seeking new ways to treat a flood of American troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with substance abuse problems compounded by conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. [Link]
Salmonella outbreak sickens 388 across U.S.: CDC
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning has made 388 people sick across 42 states, sending 18 percent of them to the hospital, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday. [Link]
Maple Leafs get May from Ducks for draft pick
TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Maple Leafs added some grit to their line-up by acquiring Brad May from the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday for a conditional sixth round pick in the 2010 NHL draft. [Link]
Ravens defeat helped kickstart Eagles season, says Reid
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that a mid-season defeat and his benching of quarterback Donovan McNabb helped the Eagles soar into Sunday's playoff clash against the New York Giants. [Link]
Lidstrom headlines Western conference all-star additions
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom earned his 11th all-star selection on Wednesday when the Stanley Cup champion's Swedish captain was named to the Western Conference roster. [Link]
Specialty chains see dismal December: SpendingPulse
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. retailers experienced a dismal December, as a year-long recession and winter storms kept many potential shoppers at home, according to data released on Wednesday by SpendingPulse. [Link]
Black holes may precede galaxies, astronomers say
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Black holes — those massive, invisible objects that suck in everything around them — may have appeared before the galaxies that host them, astronomers said on Wednesday. [Link]
Monsanto seeks FDA approval for drought-tolerant corn
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Monsanto Co said Wednesday it filed for U.S. regulatory approval for what could be the world's first drought-tolerant corn, a product that agricultural companies around the globe are racing to roll out amid fears of global warming and the needs of a growing population. [Link]
