16 June 2016

Human-eating lions condemned to life in captivity in India

In this Saturday, March 24, 2012 photo, a lion rests at the Gir Sanctuary Forest reserve in the western Indian state of Gujarat, India. Forest reserve officials have sentenced three lions to life in captivity after they were found to have eaten humans.
Three lions identified as having eaten villagers in western India have been caged and will never be released back into the wild, forest officials said Thursday.
The male and two females were among 17 lions rounded up after a 14-year-old boy was dragged away while sleeping outside his house near the lion sanctuary in the Gir National Forest in Gujarat state, the world's last refuge for wild Asiatic lions.

15 June 2016

Indian city on alert as polio strain found in sewage water

In this June 17, 2012, file photo, a health worker administers a polio drop to an infant in Kolkata, India. The southern Indian state of Telangana has declared a "high alert" for polio after an active strain of the virus was found in samples of sewage water in the state capital and about 350,000 children ranging from 6 weeks to 3 years old will be vaccinated in a weeklong campaign which will start on Monday, June 20, 2016.
A city of nearly 7 million people in southern India has declared a "high alert" for polio after an active strain of the virus was found in samples of sewage water, an official said Wednesday.

About 350,000 children aged 6 weeks to 3 years old will be vaccinated next week in Hyderabad and the neighboring Ranga Reddy district in the state of Telangana.

The Health Ministry said the discovery did not reflect a resurgence of polio in India, which was declared free of polio in 2014.

India's government approves new civil aviation policy

An aircraft of India’s private airline Indigo flies above shanties adjacent to the Chhatrapati Shivaji airport as it prepares to land in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, June 15, 2016. India's government on Wednesday approved a new civil aviation policy aimed at increasing regional connectivity, boosting cargo operations and making it easier — and possibly cheaper — for passengers to fly.
India's government on Wednesday approved a new civil aviation policy aimed at increasing regional connectivity, boosting cargo operations and making it easier — and possibly cheaper — for passengers to fly.
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the policy will help India become the world's third-largest civil aviation market by 2022, behind the U.S. and China. Raju tweeted after the Cabinet's approval that it would be "a game-changer for the (aviation) sector."

14 June 2016

For the Kermit Sutra? New mating position reported for frogs

This undated photo provided S.D. Biju on June 7, 2016 shows Bombay night frogs in the newly-discovered dorsal straddle during mating in a forest in the Maharashtra state of India. For years, scientists have thought that frogs and toads used only six positions to mate. In a paper published Tuesday, June 14, 2016 by the journal PeerJ, Biju of the University of Delhi and co-authors documented a seventh.
This just in from the Department of Amphibian Philandering:
For years, scientists have thought frogs and toads used only six positions to mate. It turns out they may be wrong. In a forest in India, researchers say, they've documented a seventh.
This latest entry in the Kermit Sutra is called the dorsal straddle. Like other positions — but unlike mammal sex — it's aimed at letting the male fertilize eggs outside the female's body.

Scientific robots to swim in Bay of Bengal in monsoon study

In this July 16, 2013 file photo, Hindu priests offer prayers to Varuna, the Hindu god of rain as they pray for rains standing in the waters at the Osman Sagar Lake on the outskirts of Hyderabad, India.The seasonal monsoon, which hits the region between June and September, delivers more than 70 percent of India's annual rainfall. Its arrival is eagerly awaited by hundreds of millions of subsistence farmers across the country, and delays can ruin crops or exacerbate drought.In an effort to better understand and predict South Asia's seasonal monsoon, British scientists are getting ready to release robots into the Bay of Bengal in a study of how ocean conditions might affect rainfall patterns.
To better understand and predict South Asia's seasonal monsoon, scientists are getting ready to release robots in the Bay of Bengal in a study of how ocean conditions might affect rainfall patterns.
The monsoon, which hits between June and September, delivers more than 70 percent of India's annual rainfall. Its arrival is eagerly awaited by hundreds of millions of subsistence farmers, and delays can ruin crops or exacerbate drought.

13 June 2016

Microsoft to buy networking site LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

In this Nov. 6, 2014, file photo, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner speaks during the company's second annual "Bring In Your Parents Day," at LinkedIn headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Microsoft said Monday, June 13, 2016, it is buying professional networking service site LinkedIn for about $26.2 billion. LinkedIn, based in Mountain View, Calif., has more than 430 million members.
In a surprise move, Microsoft said Monday that it is buying LinkedIn for about $26.2 billion, a deal that could bring subtle but significant changes for the professional network's more than 430 million members.
LinkedIn will remain an independent unit of Microsoft. It will keep its name, and current CEO Jeff Weiner will stay on and report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. LinkedIn lets members network with other professionals, upload their resumes, catch up on career advice and search for jobs.

Ancient urban networks around Angkor Wat discovered

In this July 14, 2014 file photo, tourists look at the view of the Angkor Wat temples at sunrise, outside Siem Reap, Cambodia. An Australian archeologist says he and colleagues have found evidence of previously undiscovered medieval urban and agricultural networks surrounding the ancient city of Angkor Wat. Using high-tech lasers to scan the Cambodian jungle, Damian Evans and colleagues say they found traces of extensive networks surrounding the monumental stone temple complex at Angkor Wat.
An Australian archaeologist says he and colleagues have found evidence of previously undiscovered medieval urban and agricultural networks surrounding the ancient city of Angkor Wat.
Using high-tech lasers to scan the Cambodian jungle, Damian Evans and colleagues say they found traces of extensive networks surrounding the monumental stone temple complex at Angkor Wat. Evans said their findings could further our understanding of Khmer culture and throw into question traditional assumptions about the 15th-century decline of the empire.

Court clears Bollywood drug film for release with just 1 cut

In this June 8, 2016 file photo, Bollywood film "Udta Punjab," or "Flying Punjab" actors Shahid Kapoor, left, and Alia Bhatt listen to a question during a press conference, in Mumbai, India. The Bollywood movie about drug abuse in India's northern state of Punjab has been cleared for viewing after its director was ordered to cut several scenes.
A Bollywood movie about drug abuse in India's northern state of Punjab can be released in theaters across the country with one potentially offensive scene removed, rather than the many cuts sought by censors, a court ruled Monday.
The decision was being hailed by the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai as a victory for the creative arts and the fundamental rights of filmmakers.

Late goal lifts Peru 1-0, eliminates Brazil in Copa America

Brazil's Philippe Coutinho, left, and Peru's Christian Cueva (10) chase the ball during the first half of a Copa America Group B soccer match on Sunday, June 12, 2016, in Foxborough, Mass.
Peru's recent history against Brazil is marked by lots of losses and a few missed opportunities.

That changed in a big way Sunday night — with the help from a fortunate non-call.

Peru stunned Brazil 1-0, eliminating the soccer power from Copa America on a late goal by Raul Ruidiaz that may have been a hand ball. It was Peru's first victory over the perennial power since 1985, and gave Peru the Group B title and a quarterfinal match against Colombia on Friday.

Worst mass shooting in US history: 50 slain at gay nightclub

Orlando Police officers direct family members away from a fatal shooting at Pulse Orlando nightclub in Orlando, Fla., Sunday, June 12, 2016.
It had been an evening of drinking, dancing and drag shows. After hours of revelry, the party-goers crowding the gay nightclub known as the Pulse took their last sips before the place closed.
That's when authorities say Omar Mateen emerged, carrying an AR-15 and spraying the helpless crowd with bullets. Witnesses said he fired relentlessly — 20 rounds, 40, then 50 and more. In such tight quarters, the bullets could hardly miss. He shot at police. He took hostages.

12 June 2016

UK: Queen's birthday celebrations ends with street party

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II waves as she watches the flypast, with Prince Philip, right, Prince William, centre, his son Prince George, front, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge holding Princess Charlotte, centre left, The Prince of Wales, third left, The Duchess of Cornwall , second left, and Princess Anne on the balcony during the Trooping The Colour parade at Buckingham Palace, in London, Saturday, June 11, 2016. Hundreds of soldiers in ceremonial dress have marched in London in the annual Trooping the Colour parade to mark the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The Trooping the Colour tradition originates from preparations for battle, when flags were carried or "trooped" down the rank for soldiers to see.
Queen Elizabeth II's subjects serenaded her with impromptu renditions of "Happy Birthday," on Sunday, as the monarch slowly drove past some 10,000 people attending a massive street fair in her honor.
The drive past in the "Queen mobile" was the highlight of the party on The Mall, the road leading to Buckingham Palace. The picnic is the grand finale of a weekend of official events marking the monarch's 90th birthday and celebrated some 600 charities to which she lends her patronage.

11 June 2016

India's Assam state makes new plans to halt rhino poaching

In this Dec. 3, 2012 file photo, a one-horned rhinoceros stands in the Kaziranga National Park, a wildlife reserve that provides refuge to more than 2,200 endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. The newly elected government of the northeast Indian state of Assam is launching new plans to crack down on the poaching of the area's famed one-horned rhinos.The state's Kaziranga National Park is home to the world's largest population of the rare rhinos. While overall poaching deaths have dropped over the last few years, a series of rhino killings this year has led the new government to renew its anti-poaching efforts.
The newly elected government of the northeast Indian state of Assam has launched plans to crack down on the poaching of the area's famed one-horned rhinos, an official said Saturday.
The state's Kaziranga National Park is home to the world's largest population of the rare rhinos, with more than 2,000 of the species. While overall poaching deaths have dropped over the last few years, a series of rhino killings this year has led the new government to renew anti-poaching efforts.

Messi powers Argentina past Panama 5-0

Argentina's Lionel Messi, right, celebrates his goal with Erik Lamela (18) during a Copa America Centenario group D soccer match against Panama at Soldier Field Friday, June 10, 2016, in Chicago.
One, two and finally three — contained quite neatly in a span of 19 minutes. A dazzling display for Lionel Messi on a warm Friday night.
Once Argentina put the monster in the game, it was all over for Panama.
Messi scored three second-half goals in his return from a back injury, and Argentina clinched a spot in the knockout round of the Copa America Centenario with a 5-0 victory over an overwhelmed Panama team weakened by a flood of yellow cards.

Aerospace firm successfully tests solar-powered aircraft

Test pilot Robert Lutz flies the solar-powered Luminati Aerospace VO-Substrata prototype aircraft, in Calverton, N.Y., Friday, June 10, 2016. Lutz flew the aircraft for about 20 minutes for a New York company that envisions manufacturing a fleet of drones to provide aerial internet service for an estimated four billion people worldwide.
A test pilot successfully flew a solar-powered prototype aircraft on Friday for a company that envisions manufacturing a fleet of drones to provide aerial internet service for an estimated 4 billion people worldwide.
The test flight by Luminati Aerospace LLC took place at a former Northrop Grumman defense plant on eastern Long Island that once made military aircraft. Speakers at a ceremony before the flight recalled that Charles Lindberg took off for his historic 1927 solo flight to Paris from an air strip in nearby Nassau County, and others noted that the spacecraft that landed men on the moon was built in the Long Island suburbs east of New York City.

9 June 2016

Modi to Congress: India, US can anchor stability in Asia

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gestures with the traditional Indian greeting as he applauded during his address to a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 8, 2016.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the U.S. Congress on Wednesday that the world's two largest democracies can anchor stability and prosperity from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific in an aspirational speech that glossed over continuing divisions in the relationship.
Modi, who has ushered in closer bilateral ties since taking power two years ago, said that India and the U.S. have overcome "the hesitations of history" and called for ever-stronger economic and defense links between the two countries.

8 June 2016

Bollywood filmmaker challenges censoring of drug-abuse film

Producer of Bollywood film "Udta Punjab," or "Flying Punjab" Anurag Kashyap gestures during a press conference, in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, June 8, 2016. Kashyap took his row with India's censor board to a court Wednesday, challenging dozens of cuts and changes to a film that depicts the menace of drug abuse in the northern state of Punjab as other Bollywood producers and directors rallied behind Kashyap in his fight with the censor board.
A Bollywood film producer took his row with India's censor board to a court Wednesday, challenging dozens of cuts and changes to a film that depicts the menace of drug abuse in the northern state of Punjab.
Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalini said in a newspaper interview that the movie wrongly depicts 70 percent of people of the state consuming drugs and defaming them. He told reporters that the censor board has approved the movie for screening in theaters with the cuts ordered.

Obama meets Indian PM, seeks implementation of climate pact

In this Jan. 25, 2015 file photo, U.S. President Barack Obama, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepare to shake their hands after they jointly addressed the media in New Delhi, India. On Monday June 7 2016 Modi arrived in Washington during a five-nation tour that also takes him to Switzerland, Afghanistan, Mexico and Qatar. He meets with Obama on Tuesday, and addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday. He’ll also meet Congressional leaders and top business officials.
India will try to join a climate change deal within this year, the Obama administration said Tuesday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Barack Obama at the White House and the two leaders played up their efforts to cooperate on issues of global concern.
Stressing their "strong bonds," Obama said the world's two largest democracies had "joined forces" to bring about the landmark climate agreement that was reached in Paris last December.

Car bomb attack targeting police kills 11 people in Istanbul

A Turkish medic rushes in to work at the explosion site after a bus carrying riot police official was struck by a bomb in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 7, 2016. At least five police officers were wounded. The blast occurred at a busy intersection near an Istanbul University building in the city's Beyazit district during the morning rush hour.
A car bomb hit a police vehicle in Istanbul during the morning rush hour on Tuesday, killing 11 people and wounding 36, the fourth bombing to hit the city this year.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Turkey has seen a recent increase in violence linked to Kurdish rebels or to the Islamic State group which has found recruits and established cells in the country.

7 June 2016

Indian prime minister lays wreath at Arlington

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, center, with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, right, and, Maj. Gen. Bradley Becker, lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Va., Monday, June 6, 2016.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed a wreath Monday at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
Modi arrived earlier Monday at Andrews Air Force Base, beginning a visit to advance ties between the world's two largest democracies.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg loses control of social media

In this Saturday, March 19, 2016, file photo, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a panel discussion held as part of the China Development Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Zuckerberg briefly found his Twitter account hijacked, as were at least two of his other social media accounts. Zuckerberg's Facebook account and password were not compromised, the company said in a statement; his account on Facebook-owned Instagram was also unaffected. Facebook Inc. said Monday, June 6, 2016, that none of the company's systems or accounts were accessed and that Zuckerberg's affected accounts have since been re-secured.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg briefly found his Twitter account hijacked, as were at least two of his other social media accounts.
Zuckerberg's Facebook account and password were not compromised, the company said in a statement; his account on Facebook-owned Instagram was also unaffected. Facebook Inc. said Monday morning that none of the company's systems or accounts were accessed and that Zuckerberg's affected accounts have since been re-secured.

6 June 2016

Q&A: What is Ramadan and why do Muslims fast all day?

A Muslim woman reads the Quran following noon prayers on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, June 6, 2016. During Ramadan, the holiest month on Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn to dusk.
Millions of Muslims around the world on Monday marked the start of Ramadan, a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. Others will begin fasting a day later, Tuesday, due to a moon-sighting methodology that can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day or two apart. 

Here are some questions and answers about Islam's holiest month:

India's Modi: cooperation with Swiss on tax-evasion fight

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a round table with Swiss Economic representatives, in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, June 6, 2016.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says his country and Switzerland have a "shared priority" in fighting tax evasion and the practice of squirreling away "black money" in Swiss banks.
Modi spoke Monday to reporters alongside Switzerland's president in a brief stop in Geneva as part of a five-country trip. Modi's next stop is Washington.
The Indian leader pointed to "the need for an early and expeditious exchange of information to bring to justice the tax offenders."

5 June 2016

Many Muslims to begin fasting for month of Ramadan on Monday

People offer evening prayer at a mosque ahead of the Muslim month of Ramadan, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, June 5, 2016. Muslims across the world will be observing the holy fasting month of Ramadan, when they refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk.
Millions of Muslims around the world will mark the start of the holy month of Ramadan on Monday, a time marked by intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts.
Saudi Arabia's state TV announced the new moon of Ramadan was spotted Sunday evening. Local media in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, also said Muslims there would begin fasting Monday, as will Muslims in Singapore, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories, among others.

4 June 2016

The day Muhammad Ali met the Beatles

In this Feb. 18, 1964, file photo, the Beatles, from left, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney spar up to Muhammad Ali, or Cassius Clay at the time, while visiting the heavyweight contender at his training camp in Miami Beach, Fla. Ali, the magnificent heavyweight champion whose fast fists and irrepressible personality transcended sports and captivated the world, has died according to a statement released by his family Friday, June 3, 2016. He was 74.
It's hard to imagine now: barely having a clue who the Beatles were, or the man who would become Muhammad Ali.
But that's how things were when Robert Lipsyte found himself face-to-face with these future legends more than 50 years ago, through a chance of publicity matchmaking.

Muhammad Ali: 11 things you may not have known about The Champ

Muhammad Ali
He was one of the most influential sports figures of all time, the Heavyweight Champion of the world three times.  Muhammad Ali died in an Arizona hospital Friday. Here’s a look at 11 things you may not have known about the man called, “The Greatest of All Time.”
1. Muhammad Ali, whose given name was Cassius Clay, was named for a 19th-century farmer and abolitionist named Cassius Marcellus Clay.

Muhammad Ali, who riveted the world as 'The Greatest,' dies

In this May 25, 1965, file photo, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, stands over challenger Sonny Liston, shouting and gesturing shortly after dropping Liston with a short hard right to the jaw, in Lewiston, Maine. Ali, the magnificent heavyweight champion whose fast fists and irrepressible personality transcended sports and captivated the world, has died according to a statement released by his family Friday, June 3, 2016. He was 74.
He was fast of fist and foot — lip, too — a heavyweight champion who promised to shock the world and did. He floated. He stung. Mostly he thrilled, even after the punches had taken their toll and his voice barely rose above a whisper.

He was The Greatest.
Muhammad Ali died Friday at age 74, according to a statement from the family. He was hospitalized in the Phoenix area with respiratory problems earlier this week, and his children had flown in from around the country.

2 June 2016

Swiss inaugurate $12 billion rail tunnel, world's longest

In this Oct. 8, 2015 file photo a test train drives close to the northern gate near Erstfeld, Switzerland. The celebrations of the opening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel will start on June 1, 2016. With a length of 57 km (35 miles) crossing the Alps, the Gotthard Base tunnel is the world's longest train tunnel.
Just like Hannibal in ancient times, Swiss engineers have conquered the Alps.
More than 2,200 years after the commander from the ancient North African civilization of Carthage led his army of elephants and troops over Europe's highest mountain chain, the Swiss have completed another gargantuan task: Burrowing the world's longest railway tunnel under the Swiss Alps to improve European trade and travel.

1 June 2016

Queen Elizabeth II is magazine cover star in Leibovitz photo

This image released by Vanity Fair shows the cover of the magazine's June/July issue, featuring Britain's Queen Elizabeth II with her four corgis, photographed by Annie Leibovitz at Windsor Castle earlier this year.
Britain's 90-year-old Queen Elizabeth II is a Vanity Fair cover star, in a portrait by photographer Annie Leibovitz.
The monarch is pictured sitting with her four beloved dogs: corgis Willow and Holly, and dorgis Candy and Vulcan.