Life

Renewable energy storage gets boost from Namibian meteorite

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (Reuters) — Prehistoric meteorite fragments found in Namibia could be the ideal natural catalyst to store energy from renewable sources, according to a team of Swiss scientists. Pieces of the Gibeon meteorite are found over 20,000 square kilometres (7722 square miles) in the southern African nation and have a total mass of more than 21 tonnes. Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) found that it is the composition […]

Miami the Spaniel charms judges to win British dog show Crufts

ENGLAND, United Kingdom (Reuters) — An American Cocker Spaniel named Miami won the top prize at Britain’s Crufts dog show in Birmingham on Sunday (March 12). The black, white and brown gundog, whose full name is Afterglow Miami Ink, was crowned “Best in Show” after four days of competing with nearly 22,000 other dogs from 56 countries. “Well, honestly, I’m shocked. I’m not surprised because he’s a fantastic dog, but because he’s hardly been shown. […]

Storm destroys Malta’s famous rock window

VALLETA, Malta (AFP) — Gale force winds and huge waves on Wednesday destroyed the iconic Azure Window, a coastal rock formation on the Maltese island of Gozo. The Azure Window, believed to have formed naturally in the mid-19th century, has become a landmark of Gozo and the island’s natural beauty. The massive rock arch landmark, with its flat top over the blue sea at Dwejra, is a staple image for Maltese tourist brochures. It seemed to […]

Smoking paradise Japan tries to kick the habit

by Anne BEADE Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan is moving to pass its strictest-ever smoking laws, but the country’s powerful tobacco lobby wants to stub out measures that were adopted years ago by other developed nations. The government is keen to change Japan’s image as a puffing paradise — smoking is still allowed in most bars, restaurants and cafes — as Tokyo gets set to host millions of visitors for the 2020 […]

Zoo elephant gets shiny brass caps for his cracked tusks

CALIFORNIA, United States (Reuters) — Vus’Musi, a 13-year-old male zoo elephant in California, got a shiny new replacement for his worn-out tusks after a Fresno zoo capped them with brass. The Fresno Chaffee Zoo said on Thursday (March 9) that Vus’Musi had a history of being rough with his tusks and that they had become worn and cracked at his former zoo in San Diego. The cracks could have led to the tusks actually breaking, […]

‘World’s heaviest woman’ has surgery in India, loses 100 kgs

MUMBAI, India (AFP) — Indian doctors said Thursday that an Egyptian who was believed to be the world’s heaviest woman had successfully undergone weight-loss surgery after losing over 100 kilograms (220 pounds). Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, who previously weighed around 500 kilos, had not left her house in Egypt in over two decades until arriving in Mumbai last month for bariatric surgery. “We are happy to inform all well-wishers that the medical team of […]

Smart lock puts the brakes on bicycle thieves

Reuters — A team of engineers from South Korean have re-designed the bicycle lock into a small circular device installed on the hub of the front wheel. The Bisecu bicycle lock aims to take the hassle out of safeguarding your bike, eliminating the need to carry a bulky and often heavy locking device. Its novel circular design also means that it cannot be cut or tampered with like typical bike locks. Once connected to the […]

Robot leopard spotted in London

LONDON, United Kingdom (Reuters) — A fifth big cat was spotted in London’s Trafalgar Square on Wednesday (March 8). Perched atop an inspection box near the four iconic bronze lion statues was an animatronic leopard, placed there to highlight the plight of the species. The 50kg, 1.3 meter long robot named ‘Lily’ was designed by animatronics expert John Nolan and his team. Nolan said the leopard lookalike took fifteen people and several weeks to build. […]

Neanderthal used ‘aspirin’ for tooth pain: study

by Pascale MOLLARD / Mariëtte Le Roux Agence France-Presse PARIS, France – Nearly 50,000 years before the invention of penicillin, a young Neanderthal tormented by a dental abscess ate greenery containing a natural antibiotic and pain killer, analysis of his teeth revealed Wednesday. The male, who lived in El Sidron in what is now Spain, ate an antibiotic fungus called Penicillium and chewed on bits of poplar tree containing salicylic acid — the active ingredient […]

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 […]