Scientists turn to sharks to improve hurricane predictions
WorldFrom the killer shark of "Jaws" to the tornado-tossed predators of the "Sharknado" movies, films long have portrayed sharks as objects of summer fear.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
WorldJAKARTA -- A number of Indonesians have names inspired by Japanese manga and anime, with 16 people, for example, confirmed to be named 'Doraemon,' the name of an earless robotic cat and a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title, it has been learned.
US appeals court blocks Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project
WorldA U.S. federal appeals court ordered Donald Trump's administration on Friday to stop construction on a $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing, dealing the Republican leader a major setback in a case testing his presidential authority.
Typhoon Dolphin hits Japan's Okinawa, China shuts ports ahead of landfall
WorldTyphoon Dolphin lashed Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings, while China shut ports and halted ferries ahead of the storm's expected arrival on its east coast.
Thai PM vows new gun law after deadly school shooting
WorldWithin hours of a shooting rampage on the outskirts of Bangkok that left at least eight dead, Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday vowed to introduce a new firearms control law in Southeast Asia's largest gun-owning nation.
Congo's Ebola outbreak surpasses 4,000 cases
WorldDemocratic Republic of Congo's confirmed Ebola cases have risen above 4,000 for the first time in the current outbreak, government data showed.
Japan orders evacuations as Typhoon Dolphin approaches, cancels 500 flights
WorldHundreds of thousands of people in southwestern Japan were ordered to evacuate and more than 500 flights cancelled on Friday as slow-moving Typhoon Dolphin approached the region to bring violent winds, heavy rain and high waves.
Donations to quake-hit Kumamoto reach 4.3bn yen
WorldKUMAMOTO -- The prefectural government of Kumamoto, southwestern Japan, has said that monetary donations from at home and abroad, including through Japan's 'furusato nozei' tax incentive-backed program, have reached 4,321.3 million yen following the July 28 major earthquake that struck the prefecture.
Kirin to acquire leading Canadian supplements maker
WorldTOKYO -- Kirin Holdings Co. said Friday it will make Canada's leading dietary supplements maker Jamieson Wellness Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary.
Europe's would-be water bombers in race to tackle future wildfires
WorldTOULOUSE, France - Deep inside the carcass of a disused turboprop aircraft, engineer Jonathan Beck squeezes between rows of tanks as he demonstrates how his French startup plans to challenge ageing Canadair water-bombers in combatting European wildfires.
