BOGATA, Colombia (AFP) — A new species of tarantula has been identified near the home town of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and in an unusual posthumous honor, the spider has been named for the late Nobel literature laureate, officials said Tuesday. The newly researched “Kankuamos marquezi” is named for both Garcia Marquez and the indigenous Kankuamo group who live in the area of Caribbean Colombia where the writer was born. The newly high-profile arachnid has a […]
Life
French schooner Tara stops in Miami on coral reef mission
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Scientists aboard the French research schooner Tara set sail from Miami on Tuesday after stopping for several days to raise awareness about the peril from global warming facing coral reefs worldwide. The stopover was the first for Tara as it embarks on journey from France toward the Pacific Ocean, where it will collect samples from coral reefs over the next two years. The public was invited to visit the double-sailed […]
NASA’s Juno spacecraft successfully orbits Jupiter
by Kerry SHERIDAN MIAMI, United States (AFP) — NASA celebrated a key triumph on Tuesday as its $1.1 billion Juno spacecraft successfully slipped into orbit around Jupiter on a mission to probe the origin of the solar system. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California erupted in cheers as the solar observatory entered its aimed-for orbit around the biggest planet in our cosmic neighborhood at 11:53 pm (0353 GMT Tuesday). “We are in it,” hollered […]
NASA’s Juno spacecraft begins bid to orbit Jupiter
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — NASA’s Juno spacecraft on Monday began its attempt to orbit Jupiter, the largest and most massive planet in the solar system, the US space agency announced. The unmanned solar-powered observatory began firing its main engine to slow down enough to be captured into Jupiter’s orbit at 11:18 pm (0318 GMT), said officials at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “We see the expected sharp shift upward in the Doppler residuals indicating the engine […]
Hot dog-eating champ tastes victory again in US contest
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Legendary competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut wolfed down a record 70 hot dogs — buns and all — in just 10 minutes Monday to reclaim his crown at an annual New York competition. Chestnut’s gastric feat at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island marked a return to form for the 32-year-old Californian, who saw his eight-year winning streak broken by challenger Matt “Megatoad” Stonie in 2015. […]
NASA counts down to nail-biter orbit of Jupiter
by Kerry SHERIDAN MIAMI, United States (AFP) — A $1.1 billion NASA spacecraft called Juno must dodge debris and extreme radiation Monday as it attempts to orbit Jupiter, on a high-stakes mission to probe the origin of the solar system. Juno is expected to arrive late Monday in the vicinity of the largest planet in our cosmic neighborhood, five years after the unmanned solar-powered observatory launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. “We are barrelling down on […]
Pacific Ocean radiation back near normal after Fukushima: study
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Radiation levels across the Pacific Ocean are rapidly returning to normal five years after a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant spewed gases and liquids into the sea, a study showed Monday. Japan shut down dozens of reactors after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake-generated tsunami on March 11, 2011 triggered one of the largest ever dumps of nuclear material into the world’s oceans. In the days following the quake and explosions at […]
Fido forever? S. Korea’s dog cloning clinic
by Jung Ha-Won SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — At $100,000 a head, the puppies frolicking around the fenced lawn in western Seoul don’t come cheap — but at least their owners know exactly what they are getting. The lawn belongs to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, a world leader in pet cloning that has run a thriving commercial business over the past decade catering to dog owners who want to live with their pets forever […]
Iranian artists bring contemporary Tehran to Moscow
Russian art lovers get a chance to experience the charm of the Middle East as a top gallery in Moscow exhibits works of contemporary Iranian painters and sculptors. Installations made of glass and paper, highlighted with touches of golden foil take visitors to contemporary Tehran. “Extension.ir” exhibition brings together Iranian artists from the generation raised in the 1980s after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The walls of the gallery have been decorated with portraits of […]
Kellogg’s cereal cafe snaps, crackles and pops into Times Square
Kellogg Co is offering a grrrr-eat new spot for cereal-lovers, with the opening of its first cereal cafe in New York City’s Times Square. The maker of Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies said a bowl of cereal at the cafe, which opens July 4, will cost anywhere between $6.50 (USD) and $7.50 and can be eaten in or taken out. There are plans to launch a delivery service later in the year, the Battle Creek, […]
Health expert gives tips on how to avoid diarrhea during rainy season
VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) –A local health official reminds the public especially parents on how to avoid diarrhea, a common illness among children during rainy season. Dr. La Paz Peredo, provincial health officer in Ilocos Sur, said that diarrhea can cause dehydration thus, parents must be responsible enough to ensure that the food and drinks they give their children are safe and clean. “Diarrhea is caused by virus, bacteria or parasite from infected food […]
Diabetes, hypertension leading causes of kidney failure
DUMAGUETE CITY (PIA) — Global statistics showed that 70% of patients with kidney disease is caused by diabetes and 30% due to hypertension. This was bared by Dr. Kenneth Coo, Nephrologist of Holy Child Hospital, in a Kapihan sa PIA held in celebration of National Kidney month this June with the theme, “Bato ko Yaman at Buhay Ko.” Coo stressed that in 2007, cases of hemodialysis in the Philippines increased from 3,007 to 4,200. In 2013 it […]
