Zimbabwe lifted its ban on hunting lions, leopards and elephants less than 10 days after news of the killing of Cecil the lion caused an international outcry, media reports said. Zimbabwe officials announced the ban in areas outside of Hwange at the beginning of August after the big cat was killed by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer in the Hwange National Park a month before. … [Read more...]
Beluga Import Denied, Georgia Aquarium Battles for Permit
The Georgia Aquarium is locked in a legal battle with a federal agency over the denial of its request to bring 18 beluga whales from Russia for display in aquariums in the United States. The aquarium argues introducing new belugas into the captive population in the U.S. would diversify the gene pool, make the population more stable and broaden the database of research on … [Read more...]
Are Celebrity Diet Routines Good for You, or Just Bad Fads?
Celebrities can do just about anything to stay in shape. Earlier this year, American TV series Mad Men actor January Jones revealed that she ate her own dehydrated placenta in the form of capsules, to fight depression and fatigue. Ashton Kutcher only ate fruits while making the 2013 film, Jobs. … [Read more...]
Myanmar Flood Death Toll Over 100, with 1 Million Affected
Myanmar, one of Asia's most impoverished countries, has been hit incredibly hard by weeks of torrential rain with 12 out of 14 states and regions suffering flooding. The death toll from severe flooding across Myanmar has grown to over 100, with nearly one million people affected. Fear intensifies for the country's crucial rice bowl region. … [Read more...]
Thai Man Gets 30 years in Prison for Making Insult on Facebook – Wow
The frequency with which we've already seen Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton insulted across various social media platforms in the United States makes it difficult to believe that in some countries, this disrespect is met with severe consequences. … [Read more...]
France and Spain Join Together for Europe’s Exascale Computing Ambitions
As interest in high-performance computing (HPC) begins to heat up across the world, France and Spain have announced they're teaming up to work on the technology. The agreement comes after a series of high-profile developments in the field. … [Read more...]
Second Firefighter Dies Battling California Fires
A 21 year-old U.S. Forest Service firefighter became the second first responder to die since California's scorching wildfire season got underway, officials said Sunday. Michael Hallenbeck, of Shingle Springs, Calif., was struck by a tree Saturday afternoon during the initial assault on a wildfire that broke out south of the Echo Summit mountain pass. … [Read more...]
Fantastic Four Becomes a Fantastic Flop at US Box Office
The latest Fantastic Four movie starring Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller opened at the US box office with a disappointing $26.2 million over the weekend, taking the number two spot and falling way short of its predicted $40million opening. The film had a budget of around $120 million and studio Fox has already lined-up a sequel for 2017. … [Read more...]