Washington, Oct. 18 : Former Massachusetts Governor and a one time Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis on Friday described Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, as "pretty pathetic".

He also questioned McCain’s decision to use a Karl Rove protege to run his campaign.

Washington, Oct 18 : The United States has said that the Democratic People''s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has stuck to its promise of disabling its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. Only last week, the United States had removed the nation from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

“The North Koreans have in their efforts reversed all their reversals in the reactor. All the seals are back on, the surveillance equipment is back, reinstalled. And the equipment that had been removed is back where it had been,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

The United States had removed the DPRK from its terrorism list on October 11 after the two sides reached the agreement on verification measures over the latter’s nuclear program.

Washington, Oct 18 : In a mouse study, researchers have found that waste from gut bacteria activates a single molecule, and that in turn helps the host animals to control their weight.

The team of researchers including scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center, have found that the waste products from gut bacteria, plays a large role in controlling whether the host animals are lean or fatty.

The receptor molecule in the gut wall, called Gpr41, when activated, slows the movement of food through the intestine, allowing the animal to absorb more nutrients and thus gain weight. But, in the absence of this signal, the animals weigh less.

Chicago, Oct. 18 : If the Washington Post took the lead on Thursday in being the first to endorse Barack Obama as the next President of the United States, then on Friday, it was the turn of the Chicago-based Sun Times to follow suit.

In an editorial, the paper says that with the Americans ready to be one country and yearning to bridge their differences, to find common cause, to rise above ideology, race, class and religion, Obama seems the ideal person to don the mantle of the 44th President of the United States.

Washington, Oct 18 : Speculations are rife that former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is invariably one of the most popular ex-senior officials in the Bush administration, might come out in the open to support Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama this Sunday.

At the “Meet the Press” programme this weekend, Powell is expected to endorse Obama’s candidature for the presidency. Powell’s backing to Obama assumes significance as the former, as a Republican, would be jumping his party lines in supporting Obama, a Democrat, reported the Washington Post.

London, October 18 : Scientists have suggested the use of waterless concrete for building future lunar bases, which would be composed entirely of moon dust, a process that would prove to be cost-effective.

NASA''s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will next year scout out a good landing site ahead of the 2020 mission that will put US astronauts back on the moon.

A four-strong team will spend seven days on the lunar surface, but NASA hopes to eventually have long-term moon bases.