Life

VW chief seeks to regain trust after ‘Dieselgate’

by Estelle PEARD Agence France-Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Volkswagen is on track for dealing with the recall of cars involved in the “Dieselgate” emissions scandal but, longer-term, needs to regain the trust of its customers, its chief executive Matthias Mueller said Tuesday. His comments came as the EU and European consumer protection agencies hiked pressure on VW to fully compensate European clients over the affair. The Dieselgate scandal erupted in September 2015 when VW […]

Bumblebees have smelly feet to help them eat: study

by Mariëtte Le Roux Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Bumblebees have smelly feet, scientists revealed on Tuesday. Moreover, the odour in their tiny footprints is so potent that other bees can detect it hours after they had visited a flower, a team wrote in the journal Scientific Reports. Adding to the intrigue, experiments showed that bumblebees can distinguish the smell of their own feet from those of other bees. “This is the first […]

Yellow cabs are safer, study finds

by Marlowe HOOD Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Yellow taxi cabs have significantly fewer accidents than cabs of a darker hue, according to research that scientists say could end up saving lives and money. A study published Monday in the journal PNAS showed canary yellow cabs in Singapore were nine percent less likely to get into fender-benders or serious smash-ups than taxis that were deep blue. “Yellow taxis are safer to travel in […]

Most primate species at risk of extinction, says report

Reuters — Sixty percent of the world’s primates are at risk of extinction. That’s the stark warning issued by 31 of the world’s leading primatologists. The academics have published an article in the journal Science Advances entitled ‘Impending extinction crisis of the world’s primates: Why primates matter’. They warn that without immediate efforts to protect tropical forests from “unsustainable pressures”, humans could precipitate a mass extinction of our closest biological relatives. The report also states […]

King Kong and Tom Hiddleston get wax figures at Madame Tussuads

NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) — King Kong invades Times Square. The giant ape is part of a new experience at Madame Tussauds in New York, which was unveiled on Tuesday (March 7) along with the first-ever wax figure of actor Tom Hiddleston. “He’s dressed in a costume from the film. He’ll be very recognizable to you once you’ve seen the film. And really truly fitting for the space itself with its jungle theme and […]

White rhino shot dead in French zoo, horn sawn off

THOIRY, France (Reuters) — Poachers broke into a French zoo, shot dead a rare white rhinoceros and sawed off its horn in what is believed to be the first time in Europe that a rhino in captivity has been attacked and killed. The four-year-old male white rhino called Vince was found dead in his enclosure by his keeper at the Thoiry zoo and wildlife park about 50 km (30 miles) west of Paris on Tuesday […]

Escolta – a blast from the past! (part 2)

QUEZON City, Philippines (March 7) – “Commemorate and revive the beauty of old Manila”-  that was the very purpose of the recently conducted Escolta Block Party. Spearheaded by the folks of the First United Building, this collaboration is actually the second Escolta Block Party after the success of the first one last November of 2016. February 18 of this year marked the second and equally successful block party on the oft-forgotten street of Escolta. Local business […]

Pendant device turns your voice into text

LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) — A new Kickstarter funded jewellery-based device makes it possible to convert your ideas into text. Senstone was devised by a team of programmers in the Ukrainian cities of Lviv and Kiev and transforms the user’s voice into notes stored on their phone or tablet. A small pendant with a diameter of 3 centimetres, the Senstone records the user’s voice and modifies it into printed texts sorted by topics created by the […]

Face masks for kids to counter toxic city air

LONDON, England (Reuters) — A London-based designer has developed pollution-busting face masks to protect children from the English capital city’s toxic air. Doodle Masks come in colourful designs, including Disney film themes, designed to attract children, and are sold for £7.50 ($9.41 USD) each online. “The face mask is important because you want to protect your children from taking the pollution into their lungs and affecting them, especially as my son could develop asthma in […]

McCartney gives fashion gentle leathering over animal skins

by Fiachra GIBBONS Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Fashion designer Stella McCartney claimed that fake leather was now as good as the real thing Monday as she charged into the animal cruelty debate that dogs the fashion industry. With fur making a comeback on Paris fashion week catwalks, the British designer known for her label’s ethical principles showed coats and suits made with high quality synthetic suede and leather, which she dubbed “skin-free […]

‘Grandmothers’ school’ in India gives elderly women second chance at education

MAHARASHTRA, India (Reuters) — Aajibaichi Shaala is not your ordinary school in India. The students at “grandmothers’ school” in the village of Phangane, 120 km (75 miles) east of the financial capital, Mumbai, are elderly women who are getting the chance to learn to read. Clad in pink saris, their school uniform, the women walk every afternoon along dusty village paths to their lessons. The women begin class with a prayer and then dive into […]