Orangutans at an Austrian zoo got a big surprise after leaving their indoor winter quarters. Once outside, they were greeted with the sight of a new climbing garden. Orangutans Mota, Sol, Surya and Vladimir got their play area as a gift from the Austrian Federal Forests. Despite the lockdown, authorities at the Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Vienna Zoo) and employees from the forest group used the winter months to set up oak and locust trees to serve as a new outdoor area for the apes. Female orangutan Surya in the new climbing complex at the Tiergarten Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria. (Norbert…
Author: zenger.news
NEW DELHI — “Sangam” (1964) was the first Indian film to be shot extensively in European locations of Venice, Paris, and Switzerland. The film was a love triangle starring Rajendra Kumar, Vyjayanthimala, and Raj Kapoor, who directed the film. Films like “Love In Tokyo” (1966) and “An Evening In Paris” (1967) followed suit. Only a few decades later, filming major portions abroad would become mainstream. Yash Chopra’s 1989 movie “Chandni” was partially filmed in Switzerland. Yash Raj Films’ “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” (1995) was filmed in England and Switzerland. “Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai” (2000) was shot in New Zealand and Thailand.…
A race car came within inches of colliding with spectators after being propelled into the air as it careered off a dangerous curve during a rally in Russia. The video was taken during the Picnic rally in Leningrad Oblast on May 14-15. Russian driver Oleg Lozinskiy came off a sharp turn and lost control of his vehicle, which flipped in the air and rolled a few times, barely missing spectators on the road. Lozinskiy, who races in the Russian Rally Cup, said he suffered a concussion but no serious injuries. His co-driver was fine. Driver Oleg Lozinskiy’s car careered off…
Retail giant Walmart will be acquiring Zeekit, an Israeli startup that provides online clothing shoppers with a virtual fitting room where they can see what they would look like wearing an item before buying it. The deal, of which the details were not disclosed, was announced by Walmart on May 13. “I’m thrilled to announce Walmart’s plan to acquire Zeekit, a female-founded Israeli-based company that combines fashion and technology through its dynamic virtual fitting room platform to create a significantly enhanced customer and social experience,” Denise Incandela, Walmart executive vice president of Apparel and Private Brands, said in press release.…
KOLKATA, India — Traveling at the peak of 170 kilometers (106 miles) per hour, Tauktae, a severe cyclone storm, ravaged India’s western coast killing over 50 people and leaving hundreds missing on May 17-18. The cyclone left a trail of destruction in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, damaging over 16,000 houses and uprooting over 40,000 trees on its way. On May 19, the cyclone weakened and brought heavy rainfall in different parts of the country, including the National Capital Region in the north and Bihar in the east. Delhi recorded the highest-ever rainfall in 24 hours in May as Cyclone Tauktae…
PARRAMATTA, Australia — A scathing report into the New South Wales transport department’s purchase of an overpriced, contaminated parcel of land in Sydney’s west has found the process was rushed, poorly informed, and corruption risk. The New South Wales auditor general’s report released on May 18 examined the 2016 purchase of 6.3 hectares of land at Camellia bought as a maintenance depot for the Parramatta Light Rail project. Transport Minister Andrew Constance requested the audit last November after media reports questioned the integrity of the purchase and said he’s “furious and disgusted” at its findings. Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW)…
SYDNEY — Australians want to see a phased reopening of international borders but remain concerned about the risk of state border closures disrupting domestic travel. They are two of the findings from new research commissioned by the Australian Airports Association, as debate rages about the management of borders. The survey of 500 travelers found 68 percent supported international travel resuming in a phased way, with almost 80 percent backing the idea of safe zones being set up between Australia and countries with low Covid-19 case rates. Two-thirds said they would travel to New Zealand under the Trans-Tasman bubble arrangements. The association had…
ADELAIDE, Australia — Eight new projects worth more than AU$110 million ($85.32 million) will create hundreds of jobs across South Australia’s recycling industry. The projects include an AU$12 million ($9.31 million) waste paper and cardboard recycling plant in Adelaide’s north, an AU$24 million ($18.62 million) material resource facility in the southern suburbs, and an AU$19 million ($14.74 million) glass processing plant just north of the city. The investment includes about AU$35 million ($27.15 million) in joint state and federal government funding. Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the projects were expected to create more than 500 jobs and divert more than 205,000…
ADELAIDE, Australia — Prince Charles has used a keynote address to make an impassioned plea for Australian super funds to back his green finance initiative. In a pre-recorded video for an Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees conference in Adelaide on May 18, the Prince of Wales said climate risk was one the biggest issues facing responsible investors. “I am, therefore, enormously encouraged to hear of the ambition of several Australian superannuation funds to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in their investment portfolios,” he said in the near 1000-word speech. “They will be doing so in the best financial interests of their members, given the…
MELBOURNE, Australia — The Victorian government will spend a further AU$245 million ($189.8 million) to develop a national infectious disease center in the state, after the federal government refused to chip in. Last year, Premier Daniel Andrews announced AU$155 million ($120 million) for the Australian Institute for Infectious Disease, to be built next to the Doherty Institute in Parkville. At the time he said the University of Melbourne and its partners would invest AU$150 million ($116.2 million) into the facility, while the federal government would be asked to chip in AU$250 million ($193 million). The federal government’s latest budget, handed down…