Despite momentum, no smooth path to climate deal 
* Commonwealth leaders see convergence for Copenhagen pact
* EU's Barroso says commitments not yet enough for deal
* Adequate funding, emissions cuts seen as crucial factors
Space shuttle Atlantis returns to Earth
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Space shuttle Atlantis touched down at its Florida home port on Friday, wrapping up an 11-day mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, one of NASA's final supply runs before the shuttle fleet is retired next year.
Gliding through clear, blue skies, commander Charles Hobaugh circled Atlantis high over the Kennedy Space Center to burn off speed, then nosed the 100-ton space plane toward a 3-mile (4.8-km) concrete runway framed by palm trees and marshlands.
"Couldn't have picked a clearer day," Hobaugh said as he caught sight of the runway.
Space shuttle Atlantis heads for Florida landing
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Space shuttle Atlantis touched down at its Florida home port on Friday, wrapping up an 11-day mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, one of the final supply runs before the fleet is retired next year.
The shuttle landed at the Kennedy Space Center at 9:44 a.m. EST, ending NASA's fifth and final flight of the year and the 129th mission in shuttle program history.
Just five shuttle missions remain to complete the $100 billion orbital outpost, a project of 16 nations that has been under construction 220 miles above Earth for 11 years.
Space shuttle Atlantis aims for morning landing
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Atlantis is headed for a landing, weather permitting.
The shuttle's seven astronauts hope to wrap up their 11-day flight Friday. Good weather is forecast for the 9:44 a.m. landing.
Atlantis and its crew spent a week at the International Space Station, delivering big spare parts. NASA says the equipment should keep the station in business for years to come.
Shuttle Atlantis Ends 11-Day Mission
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — The shuttle Atlantis glided to a flawless Florida landing on Friday, wrapping up an 11-day space station delivery mission and bringing a flight engineer, Nicole P. Stott, back to Earth after 91 days in space.
Dropping out of a clear sky, the shuttle was guided to a tire-smoking touchdown at 9:44 a.m. by the commander, Col. Charles O. Hobaugh of the Marines, and the pilot, Capt. Barry E. Wilmore of the Navy — the final chapter in a 4.4-million-mile voyage that began with blastoff on Nov. 16.
“That was a picture-perfect end to a top-fuel mission to the space station,” Capt. Christopher J. Ferguson of the Navy radioed from mission control at the Johnson Space Center, in Houston. “Everybody, welcome back to Earth, especially you, Nicole.”
Astronauts surprised by holiday turkey dinners
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts thought they were going to give thanks with pantry leftovers Thursday as their mission drew to a close, but found turkey dinners awaiting them.
The meal switch was revealed Thursday morning when a TV interviewer brought up the absence of turkey dinners aboard Atlantis. "That's not going to be on your menu today, is it?" the interviewer asked.
"Shockingly, yes, I think it will be," commander Charles Hobaugh said as some of his crew members grabbed the still unopened pouches of turkey and trimmings, and let them float around.
Thanksgiving last full day in space for shuttle
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts will spend Thanksgiving checking their ship for the ride home.
The shuttle and its crew of seven are aiming for a Friday morning landing at NASA's Florida spaceport. Good weather is forecast.
The astronauts will test Atlantis' flight systems Thursday morning, take questions from TV reporters and then settle down to a holiday meal.
Hacked climate emails called a "smear campaign"
(SolveClimate) Three leading scientists who on Tuesday released a report documenting the accelerating pace of climate change said the scandal that erupted last week over hacked emails from climate scientists is nothing more than a "smear campaign" aimed at sabotaging December climate talks in Copenhagen.
"We're facing an effort by special interests who are trying to confuse the public," said Richard Somerville, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a lead author of the UN IPCC Fourth Assessment Report.
Dissenters see action to slow global warming as "a threat," he said.
Verizon opposes Sprint's "Most Dependable" claim
NEW YORK — A national advertising watchdog is asking Sprint Nextel Corp. to drop its ads calling itself "America's most dependable 3G network."
The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus made the recommendation following a challenge to Sprint's ads by rival Verizon Wireless.
The division said the most recent tests by the researcher Nielsen Co. showed Verizon had fewer calls blocked or dropped than Sprint. Sprint argued that reviewers should look at more than one set of tests to avoid one-time events like weather or bad cell towers.
Stolen E-Mails Sharpen a Brawl Between Climate Scientists and Skeptics
The University of East Anglia said yesterday that it was cooperating with police and launching its own internal probe into how thousands of e-mails and documents from its Climatic Research Unit ended up on the Internet last week, sparking an ongoing fight between climate scientists and skeptics who say the data breach suggests ethical lapses in the research community.
The incident came to light last Tuesday morning, when hackers attempted to post the stolen data on "RealClimate," a group blog maintained by many prominent scientists, including some quoted in the CRU e-mails.
Some of the e-mails and files are impolite, revealing deep grudges between scientists and skeptics. Others are mundane announcements of upcoming conferences or research trips.
