by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Astronomers in Canada have detected a mysterious volley of radio waves from far outside our galaxy, according to two studies published Wednesday in Nature. What corner of the universe these powerful waves come from and the forces that produced them remain unknown. The so-called repeating fast radio bursts were identified during the trial run last summer of a built-for-purpose telescope running at only a fraction […]
Life
S. Korean Olympic champion accuses coach of sex assault
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea’s double Olympic short track gold medallist Shim Suk-hee has accused her former coach — already convicted and jailed for repeatedly beating her over many years — of sexual assault, her lawyer said Wednesday. Shim filed her complaint against Cho Jae-beom to police last month, on the same day she testified at his appeal against a 10-month jail sentence for physically assaulting her. Aged 21, the elite athlete […]
Singapore eco-tourism plan sparks squawks of protest
by Sam Reeves Agence France Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore is creating a vast eco-tourism zone in a bid to bring in more visitors, but environmentalists fear the development will damage natural habitats and are already blaming it for a series of animal deaths. While it may be best known as a financial hub with scores of high-rise buildings, tropical Singapore is still home to patches of rainforest and an array of wildlife, from […]
Habitat Butterflies Conservation Center, nagiging sikat na pasyalan sa Bohol
(Eagle News) — Isa sa dinarayong lugar ngayon sa lalawigan ng Bohol ang Habitat Butterflies Conservation Center. Matatagpuan ito sa munisipalidad ng Bilar, kung saan ito ang itinuturing na kanlungan o sanctuary ng may halos dalawandaang species ng paru-paro at mariposa at naglalayong paramihin pa ang populasyon nito sa lugar. Sa tulong ng tour guide, ipinaliwanag niya ang kaibahan ng paru-paru sa moth o mariposa. Sa butterfly sanctuary ipinakita rin kung anu-ano ang kinakain ng […]
US startup eyes next generation of burgers with relish
by Rob Lever Agence France Presse LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Can a “high-tech” burger help save the planet? In one sense, it’s just a patty made from plant protein. But the founders of California-based Impossible Foods argue the product can have a big impact by reducing the amount of land needed for beef and other livestock production. Impossible Foods, which began in 2011, chose the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to launch […]
High-tech border wall plan on display at CES
LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — The same technology used in self-driving cars is being touted as a potential high-tech solution to the US border wall conundrum — with some added benefits. At least one startup at the Consumer Electronics show is showcasing how Lidar, a laser-based detection system widely used in autonomous vehicles, could be deployed along the US-Mexico border at a far lower cost than a physical wall or fence, and with fewer […]
Energy-related carbon emissions rose in US in 2018: study
PARIS, France (AFP) — Carbon dioxide emissions significantly increased in the United States in 2018, according to a study released Tuesday by research firm Rhodium Group. Analysts estimate that energy-related CO2 emissions grew 3.4 percent from 2017 to 2018, which would be the largest increase in the United States since 2010. The estimate was based on US government energy statistics and other public and private data on oil consumption and power generation for the first […]
Iguanas reintroduced to Santiago Island in Galapagos
QUITO, Ecuador (AFP) – A group of more than 1,400 iguanas have been reintroduced to an Ecuadoran island in the Galapagos archipelago around two centuries after they disappeared from there, authorities said on Monday. The Galapagos land iguanas from North Seymour Island were freed onto Santiago Island as part of an ecological restoration program, the National Galapagos Park authority said in a statement. The last recorded sighting of iguanas in Santiago Island had been made […]
Breadmaking robot startup eyes fresh connections
LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — The robot bread-maker came to Las Vegas this week, aiming to bring some freshness to a sector that may be ready for disruption. Wilkinson Baking Company unveiled its BreadBot at the Consumer Electronics Show, a machine that mixes and bakes up to 235 loaves a day. Chief executive Randall Wilkinson said the device can lower costs and produce fresher breads than are available in most American supermarkets. “Consumers want […]
Paragliding popularity soars as Hongkongers seek urban release
by Yan ZHAO Agence France-Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — On a mountain slope overlooking Hong Kong, Giovanni Lam waits for the right gust of wind to send him soaring skywards, one of a growing number of paragliders using flight to escape the dense urban sprawl below. Patience is rewarded in paragliding, explained Lam, a university lecturer and youth counselor who brought three novices and heavy equipment on a 40-minute mountain trail hike last month, […]
In space, the US sees a rival in China
by Ivan Couronne Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — During the Cold War, US eyes were riveted on the Soviet Union’s rockets and satellites. But in recent years, it has been China’s space programs that have most worried US strategists. China, whose space effort is run by the People’s Liberation Army, today launches more rockets into space than any other country — 39 last year, compared to 31 by the United States, 20 […]
Bolivian bees under threat from coca pesticides
by William WROBLEWSKI Agence France-Presse COROICO, Bolivia (AFP) — High up in the Bolivian cloud forest, a woman tends to her bees, smoker in hand, working from hive to hive under a canopy of leaves to delicately gather panels of honeycomb. It’s a bucolic scene that experts say won’t last, for the bees are dying. The culprit — as in so many other cases across the world — is pesticide. The difference in Bolivia is […]
