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Nearly nine years after U.S. forces stormed into Iraq, American involvement in the war ends with a flag-lowering ceremony attended by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Only a few thousand U.S. troops remain, and they are to leave within days.

Russia's prime minister finds himself in the unusual position of being on the defensive after protests claiming widespread fraud in recent parliamentary elections. But a definat Putin spent more than four hours Thursday responding to critics on a TV call-in show.

In 1887, Julius Petri invented a simple pair of nesting glass dishes, ideal for keeping specimens of growing bacteria sterile--the 'Petri dish.' Science historian Howard Markel recounts the history of this ubiquitous lab supply, and the serendipitous discovery of the stuff in it, agar.

The Obama administration is trudging ahead with policies designed to protect the integrity of scientific research. But critics of the process say the policies that have been released so far don't do enough to prevent political manipulation of science.

Japan has long been a friendly place for smokers. Despite tens of billions of dollars in cigarette-related health costs and damages, anti-smoking initiatives have always had trouble gaining traction.

At Lake Superior State University, college officials have been releasing a list of banished words since 1976. Words that you're not allowed to say this year include "baby bump" and "occupy." It's a list destined to receive some "blowback."

President Obama used a recess appointment to name Richard Cordray head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Unlike similar appointments, the Senate hadn't technically recessed.

The small New England state, which holds its primary on Tuesday, may not be racially diverse. (In fact, it's 93.9 percent white.) But its residents defy stereotypes with their political independence. More voters in the state are registered "undeclared" than Republican or Democrat.

The Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda the Musical, based on the beloved children's book by Roald Dahl, is taking London by storm.

For poor families in the Philippines, electrical bills are a huge burden. But an old soda bottle, filled with water and bleach, can be turned into a 55-watt bulb with the help of the tropical sun.