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A Japanese man given $360,000 in Covid-19 aid by mistake has been arrested after saying he gambled away the money online, police said Thursday. Local authorities have become increasingly desperate to get their money back from the 24-year-old, who has said he will return the cash “even if it’s going to be bit by bit”. The blunder by authorities in the remote town of Abu and the man’s failure to pay them back has […]
BAC NINH, Vietnam (AFP) — A Vietnamese father has spent hundreds of hours and invested thousands converting an old van into a wooden tank for his son — an unusual hobby in a country once ravaged by war. Every weekend, Truong Van Dao trundles what was once a 16-seat minibus around his neighborhood in Bac Ninh province, east of capital Hanoi, with his three-year-old son sat proudly in the turret. The wooden vehicle, based on […]
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Three monkeys have been found and killed after a truck carrying 100 primates to a laboratory crashed, allowing them to escape and triggering a police hunt. The vehicle turned in front of an oncoming dump truck near Danville, Pennsylvania, on Friday en route to a lab in Florida. Police said on Twitter Friday that “a small number of monkeys may have fled the crash scene into the surrounding area.” […]
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) – Dystopian nightmare or a simple convenience? A Swedish company implanting microchips under the skin has is promoting its devices for use as a Covid-19 health pass in a country with thousands of early adopters. “I think it’s very much part of my own integrity to have myself chipped and keep my personal data there with me, I actually feel that it’s even more controlled on my end,” Amanda Back, a Stockholm […]
by Harumi OZAWA TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — It’s a neighbourhood watch with a difference. A clean-nosed crew, sniffing out trouble and keeping the streets safe for school kids: meet the pups of Tokyo’s real-life Paw Patrol. They might not have the gadgets and gear of their beloved cartoon counterparts, but the dogs of the Wan-Wan (bow-wow) Patrol are firm favourites in Tokyo’s Karasuyama neighbourhood. Twelve-year-old Yurika Igarashi counts on seeing Sakura, a fluffy toy poodle, […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — In what might be the unlikeliest indicator of a post-pandemic recovery, a pair of premium Japanese melons have sold for $24,800 at auction, over 22 times more than last year’s virus-hit price. The 2.7 million yen price tag at the season’s first auction for the famed Yubari melons is still a snip compared to records for the prized produce. “This year’s recovery in price can be seen as a result of […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A remote Japanese fishing town has sparked debate after spending coronavirus relief funds on a giant squid statue that cost nearly $250,000 in a controversial bid to boost post-pandemic tourism. The huge pink monument with its tentacles outstretched was unveiled in March by the coastal town of Noto in central Japan as a proud nod to its local delicacy. It cost around 27 million yen ($247,000) and was mostly paid for […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — One of the many Republican candidates vying to replace the governor of California in an upcoming vote caused a stir Tuesday by bringing a bear to his political rally. John Cox is campaigning on the theme of “beauty and the beast” — the “beauty” being current Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, known for his primped appearance in the state that is home to Hollywood. Cox has cast himself as the […]
https://youtu.be/uV5AhzVpHaE MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Two Russian cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station played chess against an Earth-bound grandmaster on Tuesday, in a celebration of the first such game half a century ago. Equipped with an electronic chessboard, cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner played in zero gravity against 30-year-old Russian former child prodigy Sergei Karyakin. The game was broadcast live and ended in a draw after about 15 minutes. It was organized by the […]
MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — A young humpback whale that swam up one of Canada’s major rivers and has been exploring the waters off Montreal for a few days was likely led astray while on a hunting trip, authorities have said. Since Saturday, the giant creature has been swimming in the St Lawrence river against the backdrop of the Montreal skyline — hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the waters it usually calls home. The humpback is […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Fans hoping for clarity and perhaps some pronunciation tips were left floundering Wednesday after Elon Musk’s girlfriend, the musician Grimes, explained their newborn son’s name — X Æ A-12. Musk, the outspoken Tesla chief, announced the birth of the couple’s first child earlier this week, before Grimes broke down the unusual moniker. “X, the unknown variable. Æ, my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence). A-12 = precursor […]
by Alastair HIMMER TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A Tokyo restaurant is honoring the crowning of the new Japanese emperor next month with a football-sized wagyu beef hamburger served between gold-dusted buns — at an eye-watering cost of $900. The juicy three-kilogram (six-pound) whopper, painstakingly prepared by chefs at the swanky Oak Door steakhouse in Tokyo’s Roppongi district went on sale Monday. It measures 25 centimeters (10 inches) in diameter and is topped with foie gras, […]
