Life

Butterflies, the unlikely victims of Trump’s border wall

by Inès BEL AIBA Agence France Presse MISSION, United States (AFP) — In Mission, Texas, the construction of part of a long-promised wall on the border with Mexico to stem the tide of undocumented migrants is already in progress. Among the many who will be affected? Butterflies. Mission, located in the lower Rio Grande Valley, is home to the National Butterfly Center, a private non-profit 100-acre (40-hectare) preserve dedicated to conservation of the insects in […]

NASA and China collaborate on Moon exploration

by Ivan Couronne Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The space agencies of the United States and China are coordinating efforts on Moon exploration, NASA said Friday, as it navigates a strict legal framework aimed at protecting national security and preventing technology transfer to China. “With the required approval from Congress, NASA has been in discussions with China to explore the possibility of observing a signature of the landing plume of their lunar […]

Chinese elderly jump on live streaming bandwagon

by Pak YIU / Amanda PENG Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — In public squares across China, it is not unusual to see retirees practicing dance, tai chi, or even singing. Wang Jinxiang is no different — except she live streams her performances to an audience of thousands online. The 62-year-old is among a legion of senior citizens trying to make a name for themselves in China’s massive social media scene, a world usually […]

Swine flu kills 40 in western India

JAIPUR, India (AFP) — At least 40 people have died and more than 1,000 have tested positive for swine flu since the beginning of this year in a western Indian state popular with foreigners, authorities said Friday. Last year around 1,100 people died and 15,000 were infected across India by the highly contagious A H1N1 virus that spreads from human-to-human. Cases spike in the winter months of December and January in the west and north […]

INFOGRAPHICS: National Cancer Consciousness Week

(Eagle News) — In the Philippines, cancer remains a national health priority concern. It is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country after diseases of the heart and the vascular system, according to the Department of Health. Globally, cancer is the second leading cause of death, and is responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018.  Globally, about 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer. The DOH has set […]

After 600 years, night watchman still keeps vigil over Lausanne

by Eloi ROUYER Agence France Presse LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AFP) — Every evening, the night watchman clambers to the top of the Lausanne cathedral bell tower and gets to work: he shouts out the time each hour, keeping a six-century-old tradition alive. The night watchman, one of the last in Europe, no longer alerts this Swiss city to fires, but he does help residents to keep track of the time. “This is the watchman! The bell […]

Japan satellite blasts into space to deliver artificial meteors

by Miwa SUZUKI Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A rocket carrying a satellite on a mission to deliver the world’s first artificial meteor shower blasted into space on Friday, Japanese scientists said. A start-up based in Tokyo developed the micro-satellite for the celestial show over Hiroshima early next year as the initial experiment for what it calls a “shooting stars on demand” service. The satellite is to release tiny balls that glow brightly […]

Huge North Korean beach resort ‘nearing completion’

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — A giant beach resort in North Korea is nearing completion, a US monitor said Thursday, with satellite pictures showing rapid progress on the sprawling development, now equipped with a water slide and cinema. The seaside strip known as the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area is squeezed between a new airport and the country’s east coast, in an area that has previously been used for artillery drills and ballistic missile launches. It […]

Apple’s Tim Cook calls for privacy bill with right to delete data

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Apple chief executive Tim Cook called on US lawmakers Thursday to pass privacy legislation enabling consumers to see and delete their harvested online personal data from a central clearinghouse. Cook, writing in Time magazine, offered his view as the US Congress was set to consider tougher enforcement of privacy and data protection for online platforms. Several lawmakers and activist organizations have proposed data privacy measures, some of which contain elements […]

Google acquires Fossil smartwatch tech for $40 mn

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Google agreed to pay $40 million for the smartwatch technology of the fashion and accessory group Fossil, the companies said Thursday, enabling the California tech giant to expand in the growing wearable tech market. As part of the deal, Texas-based Fossil Group’s research and development team working on the smartwatch will join Google, which will acquire the intellectual property for Fossil smartwatches, the firms said. The move would give […]

Saturn’s rings are younger than the planet itself

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Saturn’s rings are younger than scientists thought and appeared within the last 10 to 100 million years, according to research published Thursday based on findings from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. The sixth planet from the Sun formed about 4.5 billion years ago, along with the rest of the planets in our solar system, and spent the bulk of its existence without the characteristic rings it is known for today. Astronomers have […]

China’s moon cotton experiment ends in freezing lunar night

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A cotton seedling that sprouted on the moon has been left to die as China’s historic lunar lander continues a freezing night-time nap that will last as long as two earth weeks, scientists said. The Chinese space agency announced earlier this week that the seed had germinated inside a special canister aboard the Chang’e-4 probe, after the spacecraft on January 3 made the first-ever landing on the far side of the […]