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Trojan Horse for Russian Defense Industry

Russia has finally decided to purchase two Mistral helicopter carriers from France in the total amount of 1.37 billion euros. It is not the first time when Russia concludes defense deals with France. However, the Mistral deal is the largest one in Russia’s recent history when Russia purchased military hardware from a foreign state. (more…)

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What Triggers Mass Extinctions? Study Shows How Invasive Species Stop New Life

*Collapse of Earth’s marine life 378 to 375 million years ago holds key*

An influx of invasive species can stop the dominant natural process of new species formation and trigger mass extinction events, according to research results published in the journal PLoS ONE.

The study of the collapse of Earth’s marine life 378 to 375 million years ago suggests that the planet’s current ecosystems, which are struggling with biodiversity loss, could meet a similar fate. (more…)

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Fossilised Tooth Changes Human History?

A research article presented by an Israeli team has unearthed new evidence on the history of the human being – namely that Homo sapiens may be far, far older than we imagined. A research team from the University of Tel Aviv has discovered fossilised teeth 400,000 years old. (more…)

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Broken Glass Yields Clues to Climate Change

*Ordinary drinking glasses and atmospheric dust particles break apart in similar patterns*

Clues to future climate may be found in the way an ordinary drinking glass shatters.

Results of a study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences find that microscopic particles of dust can break apart in patterns that are similar to the fragment patterns of broken glass and other brittle objects. (more…)

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Final Pre-Christmas Push Propels U.S. Online Holiday Season Spending through December 26 to Record $30.8 Billion

*Blizzard in Northeast Provides Additional Boost to Post-Christmas Spending* 

RESTON, VA, December 29, 2010 – comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 56 days of the November – December 2010 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $30.81 billion has been spent online, marking a 13-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (week ending Dec. 26) witnessed $2.45 billion in spending, an increase of 17 percent versus the corresponding week last year.  (more…)

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