Life

SpaceX vows manned flight to space station is on track

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Tech magnate Elon Musk’s SpaceX vowed Monday to send its first astronauts into orbit on schedule next year — part of a drive to restore America’s dominance of the space race. Gwynne Shotwell, the aerospace manufacturer’s president, told journalists in Los Angeles an unmanned flight to the International Space Station in November would pave the way for a manned mission in April 2019. “Predicting launch dates could make a […]

Investors shun Bayer stock over US pesticide ruling that awarded $290M to cancer patient

https://youtu.be/rEeEdBlt_OI   by Tom Barfield Agence France Presse FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — Investors fled shares in German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer Monday, fearing a massive damages ruling against one of newly-acquired US firm Monsanto’s flagship products could signal a wave of costly lawsuits. The stock had plunged 11.5 percent to 82.60 euros ($94.47) by midday (1000 GMT), lopping around $10 billion off its market value. A California jury on Friday awarded dying […]

NASA launches historic probe to ‘touch Sun’

  by Kerry Sheridan Agence France Presse TAMPA, United States (AFP) — NASA on Sunday launched a $1.5 billion spacecraft toward the Sun on a historic mission to protect the Earth by unveiling the mysteries of dangerous solar storms. “Three, two, one, zero, and liftoff! Of the mighty Delta IV Heavy rocket with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, a daring mission to shed light on the mysteries of our closest star, the Sun,” said the narrator […]

NASA counts down to launch of first spacecraft to ‘touch Sun’

by Kerry Sheridan Agence France-Presse TAMPA, United States (AFP) – NASA counted down Friday to the launch of a $1.5 billion spacecraft that aims to plunge into the Sun’s sizzling atmosphere and become humanity’s first mission to explore a star. The car-sized Parker Solar Probe is scheduled to blast off on a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida early Saturday. The 65-minute launch window opens at 3:33 am (0733 GMT), and the weather forecast is […]

New Zealand to ban single-use plastic bags

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand became the latest country Friday to outlaw single-use plastic shopping bags, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying they will be phased out over the next year as a “meaningful step” towards reducing pollution. New Zealand uses “hundreds of millions” of single-use plastic bags each year, many of which end up harming marine life, Ardern said. “We need to be far smarter in the way we manage waste and […]

Drive to curb salt intake should focus on China: study

  PARIS, France (AFP) — Salt consumption exceeds national and World Health Organization guidelines in most countries, but only the highest-sodium diets, such as in China, are linked to clear health risks, researchers said Friday. Only individuals with a daily salt intake of at least 12.5 grams — about two-and-a-half teaspoons — were associated with increased blood pressure and a greater risk of stroke, they reported in The Lancet, a medical journal. WHO recommends capping […]

Facebook moves to stop sharing of 3D gun blueprints

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Thursday said it was moving to prevent the sharing of blueprints for 3D-printed guns on the social network, which violates its rules on regulated goods. “Sharing instructions on how to manufacture firearms using 3D printers or CNC milling machines is not allowed under our Community Standards,” a Facebook spokesman said in response to an AFP inquiry. “In line with our policies, we are removing this content from […]

Samsung unveils newest smartphone hoping for sales boost

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – South Korean electronics giant Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy Note 9 smartphone Thursday, its latest effort to address flagging sales of the high-functioning gadgets. Boosting the power and the price, Samsung hopes to win back customers in the competitive market. The consistent leader in the global smartphone market, the company nonetheless suffered a 22 percent drop in mobile technology sales in the second quarter. The company blamed the drop […]

Skin bleaching in Africa: An ‘addiction’ with risks

  by Stephanie Findlay with AFP bureaus in Africa Agence France-Presse LAGOS, Nigeria (AFP) — Dr. Isima Sobande was in medical school when she first heard of mothers who bleached the skin of their babies. She dismissed it as an urban myth. But it wasn’t long before she saw it with her own eyes. At a health center in Lagos, a mother brought in a two-month-old infant who was crying in pain. “He had very large […]

Firefighters make progress in California but weather not promising

  by Josh Edelson Agence France-Presse MENDOCINO, United States (AFP) — Thousands of firefighters, backed by US troops and crews from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, made progress Wednesday in their battle with California’s biggest wildfire on record — but the weather forecast for the rest of the week is not promising, officials said. Nearly 20 major fires have ravaged the sprawling western state over the past two weeks, fanned by strong winds and […]

BMW confirms recall of 323,700 cars across Europe

  FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — German luxury carmaker BMW on Wednesday confirmed it would recall 323,700 cars across Europe due to a faulty component that could cause engines to catch fire. Just under a third — 96,300 — of the affected vehicles are in Germany, while 75,000 are in Britain, a BMW spokesman told AFP. Some 23,500 cars in France and 24,700 in Italy are also hit. The Europe-wide recall came after the […]

US Defense chief Mattis supports creation of command dedicated to space

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday he “absolutely” agrees the Pentagon should create a new command dedicated to space, but he stopped short of fully endorsing President Donald Trump’s order to create a whole new Space Force. Trump in June ordered the creation of Space Force, which he said would become the sixth branch of the US military, arguing the Pentagon needs a dedicated service to tackle vulnerabilities […]