Map of Afghanistan with photos of major tourist attractions, and areas controlled by the Taliban.
Life
Pikachus parade down Japan street
TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Thousands of people turned up in the Japanese port city of Yokohama on Sunday (August 7) as dozens of giant Pikachus, a character of the globally popular Pokemon GO game, paraded down the streets. Around 50 Pikachus and a dozen children and dancers braved the summer heat to entertain fans and passersby alike. The city has an exclusive deal with The Pokemon Company, which receives licensing fees from the game and […]
US finds GMO mosquitoes won’t harm environment
MIAMI, United States (AFP) – A type of genetically modified mosquito made by the British company Oxitec should pose no danger to the environment, US regulators said on Friday after considering thousands of public comments. The US Food and Drug Administration’s environmental review for the release of Oxitec’s genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes, known as OX513A, found “the proposed field trial will not have significant impacts on the environment.” The male mosquitoes are engineered so that their […]
Indonesian crocodile catchers to snap up prizes
KUPANG, Indonesia (AFP) — An Indonesian city has hit on an original idea to rid its popular beaches of crocodiles — it will offer cash prizes to people who catch the man-eating reptiles, an official said Friday. The population of dangerous saltwater crocodiles around two beaches near Kupang in eastern Indonesia has been increasing in recent years and there have been reports of tourists being attacked. Authorities now plan to launch a competition offering cash […]
Paris launches campaign to end affair with love locks
Paris may be the capital of romance but it refuses to be locked down. After removing 45 tonnes of padlocks from its iconic Pont des Arts last year, the city is now launching a campaign to deter tourists from hanging these “love locks” on all of its bridges. https://youtu.be/o2uhGxqt3II
The Thai village using poop to power homes
Nestled in a deep pocket of forest that lies off Thailand’s electrical grid, villagers in Pa Deng have become early adopters and evangelists for an unusual alternative energy source: poop.
Three Zika vaccines show promise in monkey studies: report
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Three different experimental Zika vaccines being developed in the United States have worked well in monkey studies, paving the way for human trials in the coming months, researchers said Thursday. The report, published in the journal Science, comes as researchers rush to find a way to prevent the mosquito-borne virus, which can cause severe birth defects. It is currently spreading in 50 countries and territories, mainly in Latin America, the […]
Obama says money to fight Zika virus is ‘running out’
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Money to fight the outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in the United States is running out, US President Barack Obama said Thursday, calling the situation “critical” and urging lawmakers to act. Obama spoke to reporters at the Pentagon, where he said the US government is taking the news of 15 cases of Zika being locally transmitted in Florida “extremely seriously.” “As our public health experts have been warning for […]
In demand: Singapore’s Michelin-starred street food
by Elizabeth LAW SINGAPORE (AFP) — A queue 100-people long snakes out from a tiny food stall in Singapore’s Chinatown, each customer impatiently waiting their turn for a taste of Chan Hon Meng’s prized soya sauce-braised chicken. He has always had loyal customers but in the days since he was awarded a Michelin star, waves of new gourmands have descended on his stall in such numbers that he’s struggling to keep up with demand. Chan […]
Namibian academy promotes dance as career option
A Namibian academy is promoting contemporary dance as a viable career option. Dance is a key part of Namibian culture but the school want to show locals it can be more than just a hobby. https://youtu.be/ckJPaaiReUs
Britain’s new i360 tower a ‘pier in the sky’
by Robin MILLARD BRIGHTON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The world’s tallest moving observation tower, the i360, opens to the public on Thursday, a futuristic landmark that has transformed the historic seafront in the English tourist resort of Brighton. A 162-meter (530-foot) high steel tower is ringed by a doughnut-shaped glass observation pod that gently glides up and down. The design is meant to be a 21st-century take on the Victorian pleasure piers that characterize British […]
Samsung’s new jumbo phone unlocks with iris scanner
NEW YORK (AP) — You’ll be able to unlock Samsung’s new phone by just looking at it. The Galaxy Note 7 will come with an iris scanner, which matches patterns in your eyes with what was detected by your phone during setup. It offers an alternative to fingerprint ID, which doesn’t work well when fingers are wet. Of course, the four-digit passcode will still work. “We challenged our engineers to design a security system that’s […]
