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5.6M Quake causes damage in Colombia

BOGOTÁ, Jan 19, 2024 (AFP) – A moderately strong earthquake struck the center-west of Colombia on Friday, causing material damage and possibly contributing to a death, authorities said. “At 6:26 am local time (1126 GMT) an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 was registered at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles), located in the municipality of Ansermanuevo,” John Makario London of the Colombian Geological Service said in a media video. He said the “intermediate magnitude” quake […]

UK’s King Charles III and Kate in health scares

By Phil HAZLEWOOD Britain’s royal family has had a double health scare as King Charles III faces treatment for an enlarged prostate and his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, recuperates from abdominal surgery. Separate announcements came within 90 minutes of each other from Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, in a rare show of transparency from royal officials about personal health matters. The king, 75, is due in hospital next week, while Catherine, often known as […]

Greenland has lost more ice than previously thought: study

By Rochelle GLUZMAN Climate change has caused Greenland’s ice sheet to lose 20 percent more ice than previously thought, according to research published Wednesday that used satellite imagery to track the retreat of glaciers over the past four decades. Previous studies have found that about 5,000 gigatons of ice has been lost from the surface of the Greenland ice sheet in the past two decades, a major contributor to rising sea levels. In the new […]

Webb telescope discovers oldest black hole yet

By Pierre Celerier The James Webb space telescope has discovered the oldest black hole ever detected, which was thriving so soon after the Big Bang that it challenges our understanding of how these celestial behemoths form, astronomers said Wednesday. The black hole was vigorously gobbling up its host galaxy just 430 million years after the birth of the universe during a period called the cosmic dawn, according to a study in the journal Nature. That […]

Elvis to get hologram treatment at new London show

A new immersive Elvis Presley show will open in central London later this year, bringing the king of rock ‘n’ roll back to life with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), organisers said Thursday. “Elvis Evolution”, featuring a life-size digital Elvis performing on stage, is designed to be the first of a series of shows in cities including Las Vegas, Tokyo and Berlin. British company Layered Reality put together the spectacle using AI, holographic projections, […]

US warship shoots down drone, missile fired by Yemen’s Huthis

WASHINGTON, Dec 29, 2023 (AFP) – An American warship shot down a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile fired Thursday by Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels, the US military said. The Huthis have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital Red Sea shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling militant group Hamas. “The USS Mason (DDG 87) shot down one drone and one anti-ship ballistic missile in […]

Fight fire with fire: controlled burns stem California blazes

By Jenn CAIN, with Romain FONSEGRIVES in Los Angeles SANTA CRUZ, United States, Dec 10, 2023 (AFP) – In a forest in northern California, a line of people spread out through the trees, setting fire to shrubs and fallen branches in an act of intentional arson aimed at making the woodland better able to cope with future conflagrations. The operation near Santa Cruz is part of a growing number of prescribed burns intended to reduce […]

Penguins snatch 11 hours of sleep through seconds-long micronaps

By Issam AHMED In humans, nodding off for a few seconds is a clear sign of insufficient sleep — and can be dangerous in some situations, such as when driving a car. But a new study published on Thursday finds chinstrap penguins snooze thousands of times per day, accumulating their daily sleep requirement of more than 11 hours in short bursts averaging just four seconds. The flightless birds might have evolved this trait because of […]

Horn of Africa floods displace more than two million

By Mustafa HAJI ABDINUR with Tanya WILLMER in Nairobi MOGADISHU, Nov 30, 2023 (AFP) – More than two million people across the Horn of Africa have been forced from their homes by torrential rains and floods, according to an AFP tally compiled Thursday from government and UN figures. Almost 300 people have also lost their lives in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia as the region grapples with its latest devastating climate disaster. The heavy rainfall, linked […]

Poor education, stigma fuel Philippines’ soaring HIV infections

By Lucille SODIPE HIV infections are soaring in the Philippines, with experts blaming online dating, poor sex education and conservative attitudes in the deeply religious country for fuelling the spread of the virus. While less than one percent of the country’s more than 110 million people have been diagnosed with HIV, UN data show it has one of the world’s fastest-growing epidemics. Philippine health officials warn the number of people testing positive for HIV every […]

Magic win eighth in a row while Embiid ill as Sixers fall

WASHINGTON, Nov 30, 2023 (AFP) – German forward Franz Wagner’s 31-point performance sparked Orlando to an eighth consecutive victory on Wednesday, ripping Washington 139-120 to move one game behind NBA overall leader Boston. The Magic connected on 60.7 percent of their shots in improving to 13-5 and matching Milwaukee for second in the Eastern Conference behind the Celtics (14-4). “We believe we can win every day and we want to play up to our standards,” […]