FRANKFURT (Reuters) – An asteroid the size of a school bus flew remarkably near Earth on Thursday, providing scientists with an opportunity to test the warning systems that would kick in if a space collision was coming. Asteroid 2012 TC4 came close — passing Earth at a distance of only around 44,000 km (27,000 miles), […]
Read More
By Douglas Busvine FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Humanity no longer needs God but may with the help of artificial intelligence develop a new form of collective consciousness that fulfils the role of religion, U.S. author Dan Brown said on Thursday. Brown made the provocative remark at the Frankfurt Book Fair where he was promoting his new […]
Read More
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A group of Israelis who were physically and mentally scarred in shootings, suicide bombings and military operations were given free tattoos this week by artists who hope body art can help their recovery. The Healing Ink project brought artists from Israel, Europe and the United States to Jerusalem for the event, which […]
Read More
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis will get closer to the heavens this month when he puts in a call to the International Space Station. The Vatican said on Monday the pope would make the call at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) on October 26. It gave no further details, but Francis has supported the work […]
Read More
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The rise of Tiki culture in 1950s America in the aftermath of World War Two is explored in a new exhibit that opened Friday in Los Angeles. “The Art of Tiki” exhibition, at the La Luz de Jesus Gallery in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz, is showcasing everything from […]
Read More
By Farah Salhi BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A Brussels church that was nearly forced to close its doors for lack of parishioners has turned to the Belgian brewing tradition and launched a new beer in order to raise more funds for a now growing congregation. St. Catherine’s Church, by the city’s increasingly gentrified canalside docks, partnered […]
Read More By Lefteris Karagiannopoulos OSLO (Reuters) – Horse manure will generate electricity for an international horse show in Finland this month in a new form of alternative energy, Finnish utility Fortum said on Wednesday. It said the Helsinki horse show in mid-October will be the first at which the event’s electricity needs, from scoreboards to lighting, […]
Read More
BERLIN (Reuters) – Postal workers in the western German town of Bad Hersfeld are getting a helping hand from a new colleague. A bright yellow, four-wheeled robot will carry mail and packages and follow them as they do their rounds. The scheme is being tried by German postal and logistics company Deutsche Post DHL, which […]
Read More By Luke Baker PARIS (Reuters) – A French art expert believes a charcoal drawing kept in a collection for more than 150 years may be a preparatory sketch made by Leonardo da Vinci of the Mona Lisa. The black-and-white drawing of a woman, nude from the waist up, known as the Monna Vanna, was previously […]
Read More PARIS (Reuters) – The creators of the 1984 cult mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap” can proceed with their lawsuit against Vivendi after the media giant’s motion to dismiss the case was partially rejected, a U.S. court said on Thursday. Harry Shearer, best known for his voiceovers in “The Simpsons”, sued Vivendi in February for $125 […]
Read More
LONDON (Reuters) – Renovations that will silence the Big Ben bell in the British parliament’s famous clock tower for four years will cost more than double the original estimate, officials said on Friday. The commissions overseeing the work at Westminster have agreed to set aside 61 million pounds ($81 million) as opposed to the 29 […]
Read More
By Darren Whiteside TORAJA, Indonesia (Reuters) – Yosefina Tumanan, a resident of the remote Toraja region of Indonesia’s island of Sulawesi, was thrilled to see her sister-in-law. “You look so beautiful!” Tumanan told the skeletal remains of her relative who has been dead for six years. The scene is part of an ancient Torajan ritual […]
Read More
