Snake on plane grounds Qantas flight
A tiny snake as slender as a pen forced the grounding of a Japan-bound Qantas flight in the Australian city of Sydney overnight, stranding hundreds of passengers.
23 September 2013
Brazil beauty industry sets sights on men
In the wealthy Jardins neighborhood of Sao Paulo, one street boasts five beauty salons, but the Mr Jardins shop stands out from the pack -- catering to a male clientele.
Foreigners flock to New Zealand for gay marriage
More than 80 same-sex couples, including 24 from overseas, have said "I do" in New Zealand since a law legalising gay marriage took effect a month ago.
Gene map helps trace spread of MERS virus
Researchers in Britain and Saudi Arabia said on Friday that gene profiling of the MERS virus had provided insights, but no answer, as to how the mysterious microbe spreads.
20 September 2013
Japan's Murakami favourite for Nobel prize -- again
Japanese literary superstar Haruki Murakami is favourite for this year's Nobel Prize in Literature, betting odds showed Friday, after repeatedly being mentioned as a contender for the prestigious global gong.
Shark overfishing endangers reefs: Australian study
Scientists studying remote reefs off Australia said Thursday sharks played a fundamental role in coral health, with overfishing of the marine predators increasing reef vulnerability to global warming and disasters.
Chevron wins partial victory in Ecuador pollution case
An arbitration panel in the Hague has given US oil firm Chevron an important procedural victory in its battle against a $19 billion fine by Ecuador for polluting the Amazon basin region.
19 September 2013
Japanese sports teacher beats boy in YouTube video
A video showing a volleyball coach repeatedly slapping a schoolboy -- just days after Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Olympics -- is the latest example of brutality to tarnish Japanese sport.
Greenpeace activists scale oil rig in Russian Arctic
Two activists from Greenpeace were on Wednesday scaling an oil platform owned by state energy giant Gazprom in the Russian Arctic in a bid to stop it drilling for oil in a hugely sensitive area.