Nigeria cracks down on illicit refineries

KANA RUGBANA, Nigeria - Nigerian commander Remi Fadairo points to the roiling plume of black smoke blotting the morning horizon in the Niger Delta - the unmistakable sign of an illicit oil refinery.

Forest at risk from bloom in tourism

HALLE, Belgium - A carpet of bluebells bursts into flower in Belgium in a wonder of the natural world - but one that is at risk of being trampled by tourists drawn to its beauty.

Paris attack keeping candidates cautious

PARIS - France began picking itself up on Friday from another shooting claimed by the Islamic State group, with President Francois Hollande calling together the government's security council while his would-be successors in the presidential election campaign tread carefully heading into the weekend vote.

Analysis sheds light on doomed flight

CANBERRA, Australia - Analysis of a genuine Boeing 777 wing flap has reaffirmed experts' opinion that a missing Malaysian airliner most likely crashed north of an abandoned search area in the Indian Ocean, officials said on Friday.

Prosecutors taking aim at WikiLeaks

WASHINGTON - Two media reports on Thursday said US prosecutors are preparing or closely considering charges against the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, including its founder Julian Assange, for revealing sensitive government secrets.

Surgery helps Egyptian woman shed 250 kg in two months

MUMBAI, India - The "world's heaviest woman" has shed half her weight - around a quarter of a ton - in the two months she's been in India for treatment, doctors said.

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Argentine craftsman safeguards tea tradition

BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's bitter-tasting yerba mate tea is definitely an acquired taste, as evident from the fact that few outside the country drink it, or even know about it.

Arctic warming wreaking havoc on reindeer herds

KAUTOKEINO, Norway - Winter temperatures in Norway's Lapland could rise dramatically this century, with potentially devastating consequences for the region's reindeer and the indigenous Sami people who make their living herding them.

Mole-rat research could help solve human heart problems

MIAMI, Florida - When deprived of oxygen, naked mole-rats have a unique ability to convert sugar to energy, a skill that might one day help treat victims of heart attack and stroke, researchers said on Thursday.

Lionfish might be the next delicacy

LOS ANGELES - As it turns out, some of the best cooks in the world think lionfish, a venomous predatory fish that is breeding out of control and destroying marine ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, is delicious.

Tesla founder on mission to link human brain to machine interface

BENGALURU, India - Tesla Inc founder and CEO Elon Musk said this week his latest company, Neuralink Corp, is working to link the human brain with a machine interface by creating micron-sized devices.