1gridNATION
Australian cockroach kingpin caught with 100,000 illegal insects in record bug bust
WELLINGTON, New Zealand | More than 100,000 live cockroaches illegal to keep in Australia were confiscated from a single breeder in the country’s largest-ever seizure of exotic invertebrates, officials said Friday. The haul of Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, worth 200,000 Australian dollars ($142,000), was seized in May from a commercial breeder in the […]
Radio scans find no alien tech from the latest interstellar comet
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. | The group leading the charge in the search for extraterrestrial life has given the all clear: An interstellar comet looks to be completely natural and free of any alien tech. The SETI Institute said Wednesday that extensive radio scans by its telescope in Northern California found no signs of otherworldly technology […]
Former supermodel Carré Otis files Paris rape complaint against ex-Elite boss
PARIS | Former American supermodel Carré Otis filed a complaint Friday at a Paris court alleging she was raped and trafficked by Gérald Marie, the former European head of Elite Model agency, in a move her lawyer said is meant to encourage other potential victims to come forward. Marie has denied the allegations and cannot […]
Putin slams Western sanctions as damaging to the global economy
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia | Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that developing countries have gained an increasingly important role in the global economy, while the share of output by Western countries has shrunk. In a speech to the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin accused the West of undermining the global economy and finances […]
As Ebola spreads in Congo, a radio station tries to stop health misinformation
BUNIA, Congo | The rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola that Congo is battling took locals by surprise after weeks of spreading unnoticed. Hundreds of cases were suspected when Congolese authorities announced the outbreak on May 15, but many dismissed the news as a “Western conspiracy.” At least 63 people have died from 397 confirmed cases, […]
4 years running, Southern Baptists weigh tightening ban on churches with women pastors
When Southern Baptists gather Tuesday in Florida for their annual meeting, they’ll debate for the fourth year in a row whether to formally ban churches with a woman serving in any role resembling that of pastor — not just the top job. One thing they are unlikely to debate is the politics of many Southern […]
Senate blocks extending key surveillance program following backlash over Trump pick to lead intel
WASHINGTON | The Senate blocked an extension early Friday of a key surveillance program used by U.S. intelligence agencies as concerns mounted over President Donald Trump’s selection of federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte to serve as director of national intelligence. Some Republicans joined Democrats in the 47-52 vote against a a procedural motion that […]
What to know about the growing opposition to Trump family-linked resort in Albania
TIRANA, Albania | A massive coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, is facing growing resistance from protesters in Albania. Police fired water cannon and clashed with protesters on Wednesday in the latest demonstration in the capital, Tirana. The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would […]
A garbage crisis engulfs Havana as fuel shortages stall trash pickup
HAVANA | On a recent afternoon in Cuba, the temperature climbed and anxiety grew among the residents of a Havana street. Their focus was an improvised dump site on the sidewalk with rotting food scraps, torn bags, cardboard and rubble. Swarms of flies and stray cats gathered around the trash whose stench wafted on the […]
Supreme Court sides with Trump administration on federal regulation of telecom companies
WASHINGTON | The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Thursday in upholding the power of federal regulators to enforce data privacy laws on telecommunications companies. The 8-1 decision preserved one of the Federal Communications Commission’s key tools, though the companies also won a concession from the Republican administration that could shift the regulatory landscape. […]