By Giorgi Lomsadze, Eurasianet.org, The Guardian, May 10, 2016 National database of singletons proposed to help pull country away from ‘demographic catastrophe’. Eurasianet.org reports A nationwide headcount of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes has been announced in Georgia, apparently in a bid to help tackle the slowing birth rate. Read full article here
Category: World News
1 in 5 of world's plants species at risk of extinction, report finds
By Thomson Reuters, CBC News, May 10, 2016 2,000 new species described each year, reports State of the World’s Plants report One in five types of plant worldwide is at risk of extinction from threats such as farming and logging that are wrecking many habitats, a first global overview of plant life said on Tuesday. Read full article… Continue reading 1 in 5 of world's plants species at risk of extinction, report finds
Russia offers support to fight Fort McMurray wildfire
By Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press, May 9, 2016 OTTAWA – The Trudeau government has yet to respond to an offer by Russia to dispatch massive water bombers and fire fighting specialists to battle the growing inferno around Fort McMurray, Alta. The proposal was made late last week by Vladimir Puchkov, the Russian minister of… Continue reading Russia offers support to fight Fort McMurray wildfire
Mercury makes rare transit of the sun today
By CBC News, May 9, 2016 Watch LIVE between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. ET You can get a rare view of Mercury as it crosses in front of the sun today. Mercury began making its way across the face of the sun at 7:12 a.m. ET and will complete its crossing at 2:42 p.m. ET,… Continue reading Mercury makes rare transit of the sun today
Leopards losing ground in battle against extinction: study
By Michelle Faul, The Associated Press, May 7, 2016 LAGOS, Nigeria – Leopards have lost 75 per cent of their historic range across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, with three Asian subspecies in danger of eradication, a new study says. A three-year review of data published in the scientific journal PeerJ this week challenges… Continue reading Leopards losing ground in battle against extinction: study
Handless seven-year-old girl wins US handwriting contest
By BBC News, May 6, 2016 A seven-year-old student born without hands has won a US national handwriting contest. Anaya Ellick from Chesapeake, Virginia, does not use prosthetics. To write, she stands to get the proper angle, holding a pencil between her arms. Her principal, Tracy Cox from Greenbrier Christian Academy, describes her as an… Continue reading Handless seven-year-old girl wins US handwriting contest
SpaceX lands rocket at sea 2nd time after satellite launch
By The Associated Press, May 6, 2016 Rockets can now officially carry much bigger payloads after ‘good performance’ on recent launches For the second month in a row, the aerospace upstart SpaceX landed a rocket on an ocean platform early Friday, this time following the successful launch of a Japanese communications satellite. Read full story… Continue reading SpaceX lands rocket at sea 2nd time after satellite launch
Eagle carries off policeman's adopted kangaroo
By BBC News, May 5, 2016 An Australian police officer has fought off eagles to save the life of his adopted baby kangaroo. The officer Sen Con Scott Mason, from Cue in Western Australia, first rescued Cuejo the joey in March after his mother was hit and killed by a truck. Read full story here
Drought Forces Zimbabwe to Sell Off Wildlife
By AFP, Discovery News, May 4, 2016 Drought-hit Zimbabwe has invited local farmers and private game rangers to buy wild animals as it destocks national game reserves to save fauna from starvation, the wildlife authority said Wednesday. Parks and wildlife authority spokeswoman Caroline Washaya said it has asked individuals and private game keepers to step… Continue reading Drought Forces Zimbabwe to Sell Off Wildlife
Explorer Captain James Cook's ship the Endeavour likely found
By Thomson Reuters, CBC News, May 4, 2016 Watch the announcement from the Rhode Island Marine Archeology Project LIVE starting 10 a.m. ET The wreckage of the Endeavour, the storied British ship that 18th century explorer Captain James Cook sailed through the uncharted South Pacific, may reside submerged in Rhode Island’s Newport Harbor, researchers announced on Wednesday. Read full… Continue reading Explorer Captain James Cook's ship the Endeavour likely found