TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A bill intended to reduce the volume of microplastics dumped into the ocean was approved by Japan’s parliament on Friday, but it included no sanctions for failure to comply. The measure, which received unanimous approval in the upper house, seeks to encourage businesses to reduce their use of microplastics, including microbeads — tiny plastic particles used in exfoliating creams and other cosmetic products. But the law contains no details of punishment […]
Life
Mexico jaguar population grows 20% in eight years
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico’s population of wild jaguars has grown 20 percent in the past eight years, according to a study released Thursday, a bit of good news for an iconic species whose numbers have been declining. There are an estimated 4,800 jaguars in Mexico, found the study, carried out by a consortium of institutions and academics with remotely activated cameras triggered by sensors. That was a 20-percent increase from the first edition […]
Erdogan takes ‘crazy projects’ to new level with Canal Istanbul dream
by Fulya OZERKAN Agence France Presse KARABURUN, Turkey (AFP) — The waves of the Black Sea lap peacefully on the shore of the Turkish coastal village of Karaburun outside Istanbul. Not far away, water buffalo peacefully graze on green pastures. But if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins the June 24 presidential elections and succeeds in implementing one of his most controversial plans, this arcadian scene will be transformed by a shipping canal comparable to Panama […]
Martian dust storm silences NASA’s rover, Opportunity
by Kerry SHERIDAN Agence France Presse TAMPA, United States (AFP) — A massive dust storm raging across Mars has overcome NASA’s aging Opportunity rover, putting the unmanned, solar-powered vehicle into sleep mode and raising concerns about its survival, the US space agency said Wednesday. The unusually severe dust storm has blocked out the Sun over one-quarter of the Red Planet, blanketing an area spanning 14 million square miles (35 million square kilometers), NASA said. Opportunity, […]
Ex-England captain Butcher named Philippines’ Azkals head coach ahead of Asian Cup
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Ex-England captain Terry Butcher has been named as the new head coach of the Philippines as the Azkals prepare to make their Asian Cup debut early next year. The former defender, who played in three World Cups, replaces former USA captain Thomas Dooley, whose four-year reign ended on March 18, officials announced late Thursday. A post on the team’s Facebook page hailed the appointment of Butcher as well as Sheffield-born […]
Mexico jaguar population grows 20% in eight years
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico’s population of wild jaguars has grown 20 percent in the past eight years, according to a study released Thursday, a bit of good news for an iconic species whose numbers have been declining. There are an estimated 4,800 jaguars in Mexico, found the study, carried out by a consortium of institutions and academics with remotely activated cameras triggered by sensors. That was a 20-percent increase from the first […]
Snapchat aims to spread reach to other apps
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Snapchat messaging service on Thursday set out to spread its reach, and panache, to other smartphone apps with a software kit that promised to share little data about users. Parent company Snap said people will be able to use Snapchat credentials to sign into apps the way they might do using Facebook or Google credentials, while strictly limiting access to personal data or activity tracking. The software kit […]
‘Fortnite’ frenzy reigns at E3 gaming expo
by Glenn Chapman Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) wrapped up in Los Angeles on Thursday with the video game “Fortnite” knocking out other contenders to emerge as the star of a show which highlighted the surging interest in competitive eSports. “Fortnite” maker Epic Games has found a groove with its “battle royale” title in which scores of players fight against each other to be the […]
Let it grow: Tokyo DisneySea adds ‘Frozen’ in $2.3 bn expansion
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The Tokyo DisneySea theme park is getting a $2.3 billion overhaul and adding a section based on the wildly popular movie “Frozen” to its offerings, its operator said Thursday. Oriental Land, which runs the ocean-themed park as well as the adjacent Tokyo Disneyland and hotels, said the 250-billion-yen ($2.3-billion) undertaking will be the most expensive expansion plan in the site’s 35-year history. The project will add attractions replicating the Kingdom of […]
Prevention key to dealing with spike in suicide rate
by Veronique Dupont Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, U.S – The recent deaths of fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain have cast a spotlight on a jarring spike in suicides worldwide and on the importance of confronting the issue. More than 800,000 commit suicide annually around the world and suicide is listed as the second highest cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 29, according to the World […]
Better late than never: Mexico turtle declared new species
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AFP) — Slow and steady wins the race, the saying goes — and it seems to have worked for a small type of turtle native to western Mexico that has been declared a new species. For 20 years, residents of the area around Puerto Vallarta, a Pacific coast resort town, had been telling scientists about the little turtles native to their area. But it was only in May that zoologists were […]
Cloud play on the horizon in changing video game world
by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Console makers long at the center of the video game universe are adapting to an exploding constellation of ways to play, with the cloud looming on the horizon. Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony remained stars, with rival Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch gaming hardware respectively, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) show floor that opened in Los Angeles on Tuesday. But the premier industry gathering was […]





