A squirrel rescued as a baby by a Turkish jeweler has repaid the kindness by becoming a guard for his cash drawer. Anytime someone tries to take money from the drawer, the squirrel, named Memocan, stops them, not allowing any withdrawals except those by its rescuer, Mehmet Yuksel. Yuksel said he found the young squirrel and two others after they had been abandoned and were too small to survive on their own. The jeweler, who has a small farm where he cares for sick and injured animals, decided to nurse them back to health. Memocan’s siblings were released back into…
Author: zenger.news
An artificial intelligence algorithm has been used to analyze patient data from past viral pandemics including SARS, MERS and swine flu to find patterns in which genes turned on or off during infection, and identified two sets of genes that can be used to predict patient outcomes in future pandemics. The multidisciplinary study reveals how gene expressions in patients with viral infections — including the novel coronavirus — can predict severity of illness and immune response, and how the model can be used to predict the outcomes of test therapies. The research, which bridges a gap between medicine and computer…
A young Spanish woman who had planned to spend only a year in Australia ended up in self-imposed quarantine during the COVID-19 lockdown on tiny, picturesque Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef. Travel restrictions during the global pandemic cut off the possibility of Claudia Argemi Danti returning home to Barcelona. So she bought a car with a man she barely knew in order to escape the city, then set off with the last of her savings to find somewhere to wait out the pandemic. “Now it is obvious we took the best decision we could ever make,” she…
Israeli cleantech company ECOncrete has been chosen as one of a dozen international 2021 BNEF Pioneers by research company BloombergNEF, which covers disruptive technologies driving the transition to a low-carbon economy. BNEF Pioneers are chosen for their potential in optimizing long-haul freight, making sustainable materials, tracking greenhouse gases, valuing carbon sinks and reducing energy and chemical use. The competition received about 250 applications from 36 countries. Candidates were judged on three criteria: the potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions and the planet; the degree of technology innovation and novelty; and the likelihood of adoption. ECOncrete was the only Israeli winner…
Many people are getting bombarded with scam phone calls from swindlers pretending to be representing Google, Amazon, Social Security or their bank. However, even legitimate calls from a company seeking to sell a product or financial advice can make people uncomfortable or suspicious. Companies wishing to avoid such an occurrence now have an Israeli technology to keep their sales staff from veering into unauthorized territory, in real time. Udi Nessimyan, CEO of Sealed.ai. (Nicole FN)Sealed.ai offers an innovative sales engagement platform that transcribes and analyzes sales calls as they occur. The artificial intelligence recognizes and alerts sales reps and their…
President Joseph R. Biden Jr wrapped up his first foreign trip this week after meeting leaders of the G-7, NATO and European Union, and coming face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin for the first time since calling him a “killer.” Widely viewed as an attempt to restore the reputation of the U.S. in the aftermath of Donald J. Trump’s chaotic presidency, the new president aimed to repair ties with allies, seek unity on shared policy priorities and establish a more predictable relationship with Russia. “I did what I came to do,” he said after meeting Putin. But, said one…
MELBOURNE, Australia — A court has refused Google’s application for leave to appeal an AU$ 40,000 ($30369) defamation payout to a Victorian lawyer known for representing underworld crooks. George Defteros had clients including gangsters Alphonse Gangitano and Mario Condello and gangland identity Mick Gatto. He successfully sued Google, arguing its publication of a 2004 article about his arrest on conspiracy to murder charges – which were later dropped – defamed him. Supreme Court Justice Melinda Richards in 2020 ruled that the article, first published in The Age in 2004, had implied that Defteros crossed a line from a professional lawyer for, to confidant…
SYDNEY — The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is reportedly no longer recommended for people aged under 60 after new Australian expert immunization panel advice. The advice was reported on June 17, which raises the age from 50, the mark set in April after concerns about extremely rare but severe blood clots. Health Minister Greg Hunt is believed to have received new recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation about the risks of the side effect. Two people have died in Australia after developing the clotting condition, with both in their 50s. As of last week, more than 3.6 million doses of AstraZeneca have been administered nationwide…
SYDNEY — Dozens of sacred Indigenous sites and threatened species could be at risk if coal exploration in a pocket of land northwest of Sydney is approved, a report commissioned by an anti-mining lobby group has found. The New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry, and Environment in Australia investigates whether more than 320 square kilometers of land near Rylstone in the central tablelands should be opened up for mining and exploration. Coal resources have been identified in the two areas – called Hawkins and Rumker – but the department is now preparing to assess the benefits, opportunities, and risks of releasing the…
CANBERRA, Australia — Better access to India and waking up old alliances on agriculture are next for Australia as it sharpens its trade diplomacy. Since World War II, Australia is tackling the most complex Indo-Pacific environment, Trade Minister Dan Tehan told the Australian Farm Institute conference in Toowoomba on June 17. He reiterated Australia’s calls for a World Trade Organization dispute settlement process that works. “We have a current dispute with China on barley. We’re considering a further dispute actively when it comes to wine,” Tehan said. He says liberal democracies need to set global trade rules and have all countries adhere to them. After successive governments…