Japan insurer to launch policy linked to bear culling
WorldTOKYO -- Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. said Thursday that it will sell to local governments a policy to cover property damage caused by bullets fired during wild bear extermination.
World's oldest climate fund targets wildlife bonds for every country in Africa
WorldNAIROBI -- The world's oldest multilateral climate fund, the Global Environment Facility, is planning a new wave of wildlife conservation bonds in a bid to help African countries save endangered species and ecosystems.
Misbehaving monks: Sex scandal shakes Thai Buddhist faithful
WorldReverence for the saffron-robed Buddhist monkhood is deeply woven into Thai society, but a sex extortion scandal has besmirched the clergy and left the devout questioning their faith.
Torrential rain pounds South Korea for third day as thousands take shelter
WorldSEOUL -- More than 5,000 people in South Korea have been forced into shelters as heavy rain pounded parts of the country for a third day, with the deluge killing at least four people and destroying property and infrastructure, the safety ministry said on Friday.
Pioneering skydiver Felix Baumgartner dies while paragliding in Italy
WorldROME -- Austrian extreme sports pioneer Felix Baumgartner, famed for a record-breaking 2012 skydive from the edge of space, died on Thursday in a paragliding accident in central Italy, local police said. He was 56.
Marathon world record-holder Chepngetich provisionally suspended over banned substance
WorldWomen's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for the presence and use of the prohibited substance hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).
Trump diagnosed with vein issue after leg swelling and hand bruising
WorldUS President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a common, benign vein condition, the White House said Thursday, following speculation about his heavily bruised hand and swollen legs.
Air India cockpit recording suggests captain cut fuel to engines before crash, source says
WorldWASHINGTON/SEATTLE -- A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the Air India flight that crashed last month supports the view that the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane's engines, said a source briefed on U.S. officials' early assessment of evidence.
Experiential tourism key to driving inbound spending in Japan
WorldTOKYO -- Amid signs of changes in spending behavior among foreign visitors, enhancing experience-based tourism and offering value-added accommodation services are key to further stimulating inbound consumption in Japan.
World-first IVF trial reduces risk of babies inheriting diseases
WorldEight healthy babies have been born in the UK using a new IVF technique that successfully reduced their risk of inheriting genetic diseases from their mothers, the results of a world-first trial said Wednesday.
