A fuel-efficient, lightweight hybrid vehicle that could keep soldiers safe? It might sound like mission impossible, but such a machine is already roaming the earth – albeit on a tight leash. A rugged new US Army research prototype Ultra Light Vehicle (ULV) has recently entered an advanced blast-testing phase in Michigan, with further tests scheduled for mid-December in Nevada Developed by the Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center […]

  South Africa’s first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has died at the age of 95. Mr Mandela led South Africa’s transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison for his political activities. He had been receiving intensive medical care at home for a lung infection after spending three months in hospital. Announcing the news on South African national TV, President Jacob Zuma said […]

Anti-apartheid hero, imprisoned for 27 years, later became democratic South Africa’s first president. Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders of modern times, passed away Thursday at his home in Johannesburg after a prolonged lung infection. He was 95. South African President Jacob Zuma announced that Mandela, “the founding president of our democratic nation, has departed,” adding that he “passed on peacefully.” “Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our […]

  Forest officials in the southern Indian state of Karnataka are searching for a tiger which they say has killed three villagers in the past week. Teams have gone deep into Bandipur tiger reserve with orders to shoot the “man-eater” with tranquilisers. A fourth fatality in recent days is being blamed on another tiger. Meanwhile, angry locals demanding compensation for the families of those killed have set fire to two […]

The US SpaceX company has announced its intention to take a big slice of the market for launching the world’s TV and telecoms satellites. The California outfit has just launched a new platform for satellite operator SES to serve its growing customer base in India and South East Asia. It is the first time SpaceX has put a satellite in a geostationary transfer orbit, far above the Earth. The launch […]

Dramatic battle caught on camera in the Londolozi private game reserve in Pretoria, South Africa The clash erupted after one of the tigers delivered a vicious blow to the neck of its rival After 45 minutes of bloody battle the larger tiger was deemed the winner This is the incredible moment a pair of bloodied tigers slashed each other with their claws in a dramatic fight over territory. The dramatic […]

Twenty-five years ago minister Edwina Currie sparked a scare over salmonella in eggs and had to resign amid outrage from farmers and plummeting sales. The panic has shaped the way we think about food safety. There are foods that people instinctively associate with the risk of poisoning – raw chicken, raw egg, shellfish. At the time of Edwina Currie’s remarks – which were perceived to have dramatically exaggerated the prevalence […]

Memories may be passed down through generations in DNA in a process that may be the underlying cause of phobias Memories can be passed down to later generations through genetic switches that allow offspring to inherit the experience of their ancestors, according to new research that may explain how phobias can develop. Scientists have long assumed that memories and learned experiences built up during a lifetime must be passed on […]

  They floated down from the sky Sunday — 2,000 mice, wafting on tiny cardboard parachutes over Andersen Air Force Base in the U.S. territory of Guam. But the rodent commandos didn’t know they were on a mission: to help eradicate the brown tree snake, an invasive species that has caused millions of dollars in wildlife and commercial losses since it arrived a few decades ago. That’s because they were […]

STORY HIGHLIGHTS NEW: Man who saw the Porsche before crash doubts drag racing theory Another car may have been involved in Walker crash, investigator says Walker’s racing team partner was driving the Porsche The actor was in the middle of producing the seventh “Fast & Furious” movie when he died Drag racing may have been involved in the fiery crash that killed “Fast & Furious” actor Paul Walker on Saturday, […]