Life

Activists slam ASEAN roadmap to stop smog

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) – Southeast Asian nations agreed to a roadmap on Thursday to combat acrid haze from Indonesian fires that cloaks vast swathes of the region every year, but the move was greeted by activists with scepticism. Further doubts were raised about the agreement with the Indonesian environment minister skipping the one-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur attended by environment ministers from the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a 10-member regional bloc. Malaysia’s […]

Cambodia bans Pokemon Go game at genocide museum

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Reuters) — Cambodia on Wednesday (August 10) banned the game Pokemon Go from a former Khmer Rouge torture center and prison after players showed up at the site, now a genocide museum, searching for the virtual cartoon characters. It is the latest effort to rein in enthusiasts of the game, which has been blamed for a rash of accidents and has prompted safety warnings after players glued to their phones stumbled, were […]

Captain America returns to his Brooklyn roots

NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) — A bronze, 1-ton, 13-foot-tall Captain America statue was on display in a dedication ceremony in a New York City park on Wednesday (August 10). “I think that it’s absolutely amazing and Captain America means a lot to me because I’m trans and I think that Captain America is trans because he’s like this weak little sickly kid and he gets like this shot that turns him into Superman, he […]

U.S. to allow more marijuana research: sources

  By Eric M. Johnson SEATTLE (Reuters) – The U.S. government will announce on Thursday that it will allow more research into marijuana but has rejected requests to relax the classification of the substance as a dangerous, highly addictive drug with no medical use, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The decision is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s response to a 2011 petition by two former state governors who had urged federal agencies to […]

Illegal bird trade threatens Indonesian species: report

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Tens of thousands of endangered Indonesian birds are being sold illegally at markets across the country, a wildlife trade watchdog warned Thursday, flouting laws aimed at protecting these species from extinction. Wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC recorded nearly 23,000 birds for sale at five markets in three major cities on the main island of Java. More than two dozen species identified in the survey were fully protected under Indonesian law, meaning […]

Fewer visitors, more police stroll Paris streets

PARIS, France (AFP)– Paris in August is calmer than most months with the locals on holiday, and this year is proving particularly quiet as tourists who typically flock to the City of Lights aren’t turning out in their usual numbers. The drop coincides with the recent terror attacks in the country, and visitors who have come are noticing an increased security presence.

Scientists warn anthrax just one threat as Russian permafrost melts

by Maria ANTONOVA MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — A recent anthrax outbreak in the far north of Russia left a child dead, 23 people infected and the government scrambling to deploy hundreds of rescue workers and soldiers to stop any further spread. The source, scientists say, seems likely to have been the long-buried corpses of reindeers on Yamal peninsula uncovered as Russia’s permafrost melts — and then been passed on to grazing herds. The fear now […]

DOH to Metro Manilans: Brace for dengue

MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday urged Metro Manila to begin boosting its efforts to combat dengue fever. In a press briefing held at the DOH Media Relations Unit in Tayuman, Sta. Cruz, Manila, DOH Spokesperson Dr. Eric Tayag said that Metro Manila has made it to the list of dengue hotspots. Declared as hotspots were Barangay Longos in Malabon City, as well as Barangays Novaliches proper, Fairview and […]

Taiwan tries to drive Pokemon Go off the road

Taipei, Taiwan (AFP) — Taiwan has demanded the developers of Pokemon Go make its highways off limits for the augmented reality game after more than 1,200 people were caught playing while driving. Authorities are grappling with the explosive popularity of the gaming app, which has caused accidents as users hunt virtual cartoon characters in real-world locations. The National Freeway Bureau said Wednesday it has asked game creator Niantic not to use the island’s motorways and rest stops. […]

Pokemon players anger Khmer Rouge prison survivors

Phnom Penh, Cambodia (AFP) — Survivors of the Khmer Rouge hit out at Pokemon Go players on Wednesday after they flocked to one of the regime’s notorious prisons — now a museum to Cambodia’s brutal genocide — to catch digital monsters. The mobile app was made available in Cambodia on Saturday alongside a host of other Southeast Asian nations, with fans flocking to well known landmarks in recent days. But the game — which encourages […]

Inventor builds invisible iPhone screen for covert viewing

NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) — A Kurdish inventor in Turkey has solved a problem many of us face while using our phones in public – how to protect what we’re looking at from prying eyes. Celal Goger invented a secrecy screen for iPhones that enables only the user to view what is on the screen thanks to a special chip in a pair of sunglasses. “For the moment, it is working with a single […]