IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Street food succession worries

Singapore's beloved hawker industry faces an uncertain future with a wave of chef retirements imminent, raising questions about who will cook the city state's signature street-food delights.

Blacking up ban as folk dancers catch up with 21st century

Organizers of one of Britain's biggest folk festivals announced on Thursday that this year's event will be the last to feature an age-old tradition of dancers blacking their faces.

Earth-sized habitable planet found

Scientists announced on Wednesday the discovery of an Earth-sized planet orbiting the star nearest our sun, opening up the glittering prospect of a habitable world that may one day be explored by robots.

Spacecraft to seek the origins of life

NASA scientists are putting the finishing touches on a spacecraft designed to rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu in 2018 to find clues about the origins of life.

Fan-made Star Trek sets become tourist attraction

On its many voyages through space, the Starship Enterprise has endured bridge-shaking blasts from enemy ships and infiltration by scheming aliens. Now it's being invaded by tourists.

Militants unleash attack on Kabul's American University

A brazen, hourslong militant attack on the American University of Afghanistan ended early on Thursday after at least 12 people were killed and dozens were wounded in the assault on the sprawling campus on Kabul's outskirts, a government spokesman said.

Truck driver playing Pokemon Go kills pedestrian

A Japanese truck driver playing Pokemon Go while driving hit two women, killing one and injuring the other, in Japan's first death related to the Nintendo Co craze.

Africa's children to account for 40 percent of world's poorest people by 2030

African children will account for more than 40 percent of the world's poorest people in 2030, almost double the current share, unless more is done to improve education and healthcare, a UK-based think tank said on Thursday.

World's first self-driving taxis take to the road in Singapore

The world's first driverless taxis went into operation on Thursday in Singapore in a limited public trial, beating giants like Uber in the race to roll out the revolutionary technology.

World's largest aircraft crash-lands after test flight

The world's largest aircraft, the Airlander 10, has crash-landed after a test flight in Bedfordshire, central England, its British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles said on Wednesday.

Rescue continues as anguish mounts

Rescue crews raced against time on Thursday looking for survivors from the earthquake that leveled three towns in central Italy, but the death toll rose to nearly 250 and Italy once again anguished over trying to secure its medieval communities built on seismic lands.