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Molecule changes shape to help organisms kick drugs out of cells. Japanese researchers have determined the detailed molecular structure of a protein that rids cells of toxins, but can also reduce the effectiveness of some antibiotics and cancer drugs by kicking them out of the cells they are targeting. The scientists have also identified a molecule that can thwart the activity of the protein, one of a class known as multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporters (MATEs) that are found in cell membranes. The discovery suggests new approaches to combat antibiotic resistance and boost the power of cancer therapies, the...

The face, not the body, attracts a mate 12:00 13 May 2007 NewScientist.com news service Body builders and gym buffs, look away now. It appears that the opposite sex is much more interested in your face than your bulging biceps or elegant figure, especially if you're a man. At least that's the upshot of the first study to assess how much faces and bodies contribute to someone's overall attractiveness. Twelve women and 12 men took part in a trial to assess the attractiveness of people in photographs, on a scale of 1 to 7. Some participants saw the entire person,...

US President George W. Bush has told a glittering dinner at the White House that the US has no better friend than Australian Prime Minister John Howard. About 100 business leaders, political figures and sportsmen donned black tie to attend the official dinner in the State Dining Room in Mr Howard's honour today. Media boss Rupert Murdoch, the US Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, former Liberal leader Andrew Peacock and golfer Geoff Ogilvy were on the exclusive guest list, as was the Howards' son Richard and his guest, Kristen Slaughter. Greg Norman wasn't there – but the golfer's Santa...

IF politics is showbiz for ugly people, John Howard has just won an Oscar. In front of a packed press conference in the White House, US President George W Bush outlined the reasons for his close friendship with the Australian prime minister - and it sure isn't his looks. In the space of one answer, Mr Bush described the man standing by his side as bald and no oil painting - but a terrific leader. And Mr Bush put paid to any thought that Mr Howard might be retiring at the end of this year, saying he did not expect...

In the Vietnamese Communist War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the "War Crimes Museum") in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a photograph of John Kerry hangs in a room dedicated to the anti-war activists who helped the Vietnamese Communists win the Vietnam War. The photograph shows Senator Kerry being greeted by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Comrade Do Muoi. Senator Kerry may argue today that his anti-war protests did not render support to the enemy in time of war and that his activities did not violate the definition of treason given in Article III, Section 3,...

How Females Choose Their Mates Females often prefer to mate with the most flamboyant males. Their choice may be based on a complex interaction between instinct and imitation by Lee Alan Dugatkin and Jean-Guy J. Godin Picture a man who has a way with the ladies, and a character not unlike James Bond may spring to mind. He's clever, classy, fearless and flashy-characteristics that are almost universally appealing to the opposite sex. Throw in the powerful sports car, and you have a nearly irresistible combination. That females often flock to the most ostentatious males is not a phenomenon unique...