Merkel: Russian recognition 'not acceptable'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned Russia's recognition of Georgia's two breakaway territories Tuesday as "absolutely not acceptable," but insisted Europe must still keep channels of communication open with Moscow.

The European Union said the decision by President Dmitry Medvedev, backed by the Russian parliament, to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent was "contrary to the principles of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

A statement released by the office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, says the 27-member union will examine the consequences of the …

A seasonal walk for the whole family ; Nigel Vile goes for a seasonal walk that is flat, easy to follow, has pubs and tea shops along the way and a firm surface suitable for buggies so the whole family can go along

It is that time of year again - friends and family have arrived,the allure of seasonal television specials will soon have evaporatedas will the interest engendered by that much-anticipated gift.

Days stretch ahead until the new year and, with excesses to walkoff, there will be the inevitable clamour for some fresh air andexercise.

Time for an old favourite - a walk that is flat and easy tofollow, with pubs and tea shops along the way and with a firmsurface that is suitable for buggies so that the whole family cancome along. Time to head off to Bradford on Avon and the Barton FarmCountry Park.

The picturesque Wiltshire town of Bradford grew up around a"broad …

Stocks Slip but Show Signs of Stability

NEW YORK - Stocks fell slightly but showed more signs of stability Wednesday as investors sifted through new economic data and found little reason to resume last week's heavy selling pace.

The stock indexes wavered in a narrow range, reacting little to comments from Chicago Fed President Michael Moskow that inflation remains stubborn and that interest rate increases might be needed to contain costs. The stock market was similarly unimpressed by data showing a weaker jobs picture and sluggishness in some areas of the country.

Investors in the past week have harbored concerns about a global economic slowdown and have been looking at data to try to determine whether the U.S. …

Australia beats South Africa by 175 runs in 2nd test

Australia beat South Africa by 175 runs in the second test at Kingsmead on Tuesday to lead 2-0 in the three-match test series:

Scores:

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Australia: 352 (Phillip Hughes 115, Simon Katich 108, Michael …

Conde Nast shakes up top ranks in search of growth

Publisher Conde Nast is shuffling its top ranks as it looks to boost growth amid a deep advertising slump across the magazine industry.

Among other changes, the company said Friday that it will split up the roles of President and CEO. Robert Sauerberg, previously head of the company's consumer marketing …

Direct radiative effect of aerosols

Aerosols help cool the climate by reflecting solar radiation back to space. Because the concentrations of these tiny suspended particles vary greatly in the atmosphere, however, global distributions of their physical and radiative properties are highly uncertain. Satellite measurements of aerosols provide the most reliable means of reducing these uncertainties and offer vital information for verifying global climate model simulations involving aerosols.

Using measurements from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument on board the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft, we recently studied the top-of-atmosphere direct radiative effect of …

Miami Dolphins beat Baltimore Ravens in overtime for 1st win, 22-16

The Miami Dolphins finally won. They ended a 16-game losing streak since last season by beating the Baltimore Ravens 22-16 in overtime on Sunday.

With their first victory since Dec. 10, 2006, the Dolphins avoided matching the worst start in NFL history. They'd started this season losing their first 13 games.

Baltimore's Matt Stover missed a 44-yard field goal in the extra period, and Miami's Greg Camarillo turned a short completion into a 64-yard touchdown for the winning score, with the 1972 perfect-season Dolphins cheering them on.

The Ravens lost their eighth game in a row, extending a franchise record.

Patriots 20, Jets 10

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