IN BRIEF (Page 24)

High avocado prices fueling deforestation

Americans' love for avocados and rising prices for the highly exportable fruit are fueling the deforestation of central Mexico's pine forests as farmers rapidly expand their orchards to feed demand.

'Scalpels' reveal ancient medical practices

Can you believe people who lived thousands of years ago were already practicing medicine

From oil to carrots: makeover eyed for Alberta's old wells

Disused oil and gas wells dotting Canada's energy heartland may bear fruit for Alberta's farmers under a proposal to use waste heat from the idle facilities to allow crops to grow, even in the country's harsh winter conditions.

Former refugee island woos back tourists

The Greek island of Lesbos, a major entry point for Europe-bound refugees and immigrants since 2015, has experienced a great decline in tourist arrivals.

Cesarean moms pass stress to babies: study

Mothers who give birth through a cesarean section could pass on stress to babies through hormones in breast milk, according to a New Zealand study out Wednesday. Researchers at the University of Auckland's Liggins Institute analyzed breast milk samples from 650 mothers when their babies were three to four months old.

West Bank water shortage adds to already-tense situation

In the dry West Bank region riddled with conflicts, water shortage is also a source of dispute as it is posing a threat to the lives and livelihood of the local residents.

Two early US 1-cent coins expected to sell for total of $1M

Two rare US one-cent coins dating back to 1792 were expected to sell for nearly $1 million at a public auction in Southern California starting this week.

Hackers spoil first online census

Australia's first attempt to conduct a census online was in disarray after several cyberattacks and a hardware failure led to the website being shut down, officials said on Wednesday.

Thailand mulls tourist-tracking phone SIM cards

Thailand could issue all foreign tourists with location-tracking SIM cards under plans announced on Tuesday by the telecoms regulator, which has denied the project is an invasion of privacy.

Samsung workers' families fight for justice

As a high school senior, Hwang Yu-mi went to work bathing silicon wafers in chemicals at a Samsung factory that makes computer chips for laptops and other devices. Four years later, she died of leukemia. She was 22.

Senate votes to put President Rousseff on trial

The Brazilian Senate voted in the early hours of Wednesday to put suspended President Dilma Rousseff on an impeachment trial. At the end of a lengthy session that lasted more than 15 hours, senators voted 59 to 21 to approve the trial, surpassing the 41 votes needed to open the trial.