Life

Indonesian ‘house pet’ orangutans rescued by activists

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Young orangutan Utu clings to one of his rescuers as he is freed from the tiny wooden cage that has been home for five years. The tiny primate, covered in fuzzy auburn hair, is one of three Bornean orangutans saved in Indonesia over the past two weeks. Environmentalists and local officials rescued Utu and another youngster, Joy, from tiny 1.5 by one meter (five by three feet) cages where they were […]

Egypt: pyramids, desert and military rule

CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Egypt, known worldwide for its ancient pyramids, is the Arab world’s most populous country and has been under military control for decades. It is ruled by ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is assured of a second term in elections next week. Here is some background about the country. Army’s grip on power  After a period of British rule, Egypt gained independence in 1922 under King Fuad I. In 1952, charismatic army […]

More than 130 pilot whales die in mass Australia beaching

PERTH, Australia (AFP) — At least 135 short-finned pilot whales died Friday after a mass beaching in Australia as rescuers worked to herd those still alive back out to sea. The stranding of 150 whales at Hamelin Bay, some 315 kilometres (195 miles) south of Perth, was spotted by a commercial fisherman at daybreak, with fears the carcasses will attract sharks. Western Australia state’s Parks and Wildlife Service said its staff were on site and […]

Hip cafe chain staffed by disabled workers opens in Paris

by Pascale Juilliard and Fiachra Gibbons Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — It is a hip-looking cafe like any other in central Paris, thronged with lunchtime dinners. Except that Joyeux has a little something extra — many of its cooks and waiters have one more chromosome. The coffee shop is the latest in a chain of lunch joints springing up across France staffed by people with Down syndrome, autism and other cognitive disabilities. “Joyeux” […]

Wearable brain scanner is gamechanger for neural care

by Patrick Galey Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — British scientists on Wednesday unveiled a next-generation wearable brain scanner that can be donned like a helmet and allows patients to move freely while being scanned, potentially revolutionizing neural care for children and the elderly. Researchers hailed the “transformative” imaging set-up, which for the first time gave them access to brain activity while patients make natural movements, including nodding, stretching and even playing ping pong. […]

World sees rapid upsurge in extreme weather: report

by Marlowe Hood Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — A world addled by climate change has seen a four-fold increase in major flooding events since 1980, and a doubling of significant storms, droughts and heat waves, Europe’s national science academies jointly reported Wednesday. In Europe, where precise data reaches back decades, the number of severe floods has jumped five fold since 1995, according to the report, which updates a 2013 assessment. “There has been, […]

Two Americans, one Russian blast off for ISS

by Vyacheslav Oseledko Agence France Presse BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AFP) — Two astronauts, a cosmonaut and a ball set to be used in the forthcoming football World Cup in Russia blasted off Wednesday for a two-day flight to the International Space Station. NASA’s Drew Feustel and Richard Arnold lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a five-month mission in a Soyuz MS-08 under the command of Russian colleague Oleg Artemyev at the expected time […]

Invasive beetle threatens Japan’s famed cherry blossoms

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Across Japan’s capital, delicate pink and white cherry blossoms are emerging, but the famed blooms are facing a potentially mortal enemy, experts say: an invasive foreign beetle. The alien invader is aromia bungii, otherwise known as the red-necked longhorn beetle, which is native to China, Taiwan, the Korean peninsula and northern Vietnam. The beetles live inside cherry and plum trees, stripping them of their bark. In serious cases, an infestation can […]

Lights out for world landmarks in nod to nature

PARIS, France (AFP) — World landmarks from the Eiffel Tower to the Empire State Building will go dark this weekend to support the fight against climate change and highlight the dangers mankind poses to nature. The 11th edition of Earth Hour, an annual bid to raise awareness about climate change caused by burning fossil fuels, will see iconic structures cut the lights at a time when global temperatures are the highest on record. “Climate change […]

Google boosts efforts to help news organizations, with $300 mn

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Google on Tuesday launched a new initiative, committing $300 million to help news publishers get more paid subscribers while stemming the flow of misinformation. The internet giant described the Google News Initiative as part of an “effort to help journalism thrive in the digital age.” The announcement in New York followed a series of commitments to help the troubled sector by Google, which has been accused by some in […]

UK firm in Facebook row suspends CEO amid fresh revelations

by Alice Ritchie © Agence France-Presse LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Cambridge Analytica, the British firm at the centre of a major scandal rocking Facebook, suspended its chief executive Alexander Nix Tuesday, as he became embroiled in fresh controversy and lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic demanded answers over the data breach. Recordings of Nix emerged Tuesday evening in which he boasts about the company’s expansive role in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, claiming it did […]