Like humans, it has been revealed that sharks and rays enjoy visiting cleansing “stations” to get rid of their dead skin and external parasites, the Discovery Channel reported last Friday. A research team at the school of ocean sciences at University of Wales carried out the study to monitor the interactions between thresher sharks and wrasse “cleaner” fish in the Philippines. The team reveal...

Buoyed by Western strikes, Libya rebels try to advance ZWITINA, Libya (AP) ― Coalition forces bombarded Libya for a third straight night, targeting the air defenses and forces of Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi, stopping his advances and handing some momentum back to the rebels, who were on the verge of defeat just last week. But the rebellion’s more organized military units were still not ready, ...

Containment at 3 reactors intact - U.S. regulators say although reactors at units 1, 2 and 3 have seen damage to their cores, their containment structures are holding. Still, smoke rose from two of the units Monday, and emergency workers trying to cool the reactors and reconnect power lines were forced to pull out. Officials at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant have been battling to bring the reactors...

SANAA (AFP) - The Middle East boiled on Monday after fresh air strikes in Libya, a mass protest in Syria and Yemen on the brink after top generals backed protesters battling to overthrow President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Tanks deployed in key locations across Yemen's capital Sanaa including at the presidential palace, the central bank and the ministry of defence, but it was unclear what their orders...

BEIJING (AFP) ― Millions of tourists visit Asia each year for its pristine beaches and cultural treasures, but Nick Bonner offers travelers something different: the “socialist paradise” of North Korea. Bonner launched Koryo Tours in Beijing in 1993 along with a few colleagues, taking an initial group of 12 curious tourists keen for a glimpse inside one of the world’s most isolated countries. Th...

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The U.S. on Sunday claimed initial success two days into an assault on Libya that included some of the heaviest firepower in the American arsenal ― long-range bombers designed for the Cold War ― but American officials said Sunday it was too early to define the international military campaign’s endgame. The top U.S. military officer suggested that Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhaf...

The yen fell for a second day on speculation the Group of Seven nations will continue to sell the currency to curb its appreciation. The yen slid against all of its 16 major counterparts, extending losses from March 18 after G7 nations followed Japan’s lead and sold the currency as it reached a postwar high, endangering the recovery from its biggest earthquake. The euro rose versus the yen on p...

World Bank: Japan may need 5 years to rebuild from devastating quake, tsunami SINGAPORE (AP) ― Japan may need five years to rebuild from the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that has caused up to $235 billion of damage, the World Bank said Monday. The March 11 disaster ― which killed more than 18,000 people and ravaged northeastern Japan ― will likely shave up to 0.5 percentage point from th...

TRIPOLI (AFP) - Explosions rocked Tripoli as Western forces staged fresh air strikes to halt Moamer Kadhafi's attacks on civilians, with one raid flattening a building in the strongman's heavily-fortified residence. As warplanes took off from Italian bases and anti-aircraft guns roared in the Libyan capital, Kadhafi's army announced a new ceasefire Sunday, saying it was heeding an African Union ...