Moonstruck: Japan billionaire cancels hunt for lunar love

Tokyo: A Japanese billionaire who launched a public search for a girlfriend willing to join him on a trip into space abruptly cancelled the hunt on Thursday, despite attracting nearly 30,000 applicants. Yusaku Maezawa, earlier this month, had said he was looking for a mate willing to join him when he heads on a trip around the Moon in 2023 or later, as the first private passenger on a voyage offered by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. But on Thursday, Maezawa dashed the hopes of thousands, citing “personal reasons”. AFP

Indonesia offers reward for plucking tyre off croc’s neck

jakarta: Indonesia is offering reward to anyone who can rescue a saltwater crocodile with a motorbike tyre stuck around its neck — and survive. The contest will see one brave croc hunter land an unspecified amount of cash, but it will mean coming face to face with the 13-foot (4-metre) reptile at Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi. Local conservation authorities have been trying, and failing, for several years to find a way to untangle the croc after video showed it gasping for air. AFP

Fugitive giraffe found dead in Thai canal

bangkok: A giraffe whose daring escape from convoy en route to a Thai breeding station won hearts online was found dead in a lotus-clogged canal on Thursday after a two-day search. Two giraffes made a bid to freedom from the back of a poorly secured truck as it slowed in highway traffic after leaving Bangkok’s main airport on Tuesday. The animals had been imported from an unnamed African country and were destined for Safari World outside Bangkok. Rescuers caught one of them, but the other escaped into scrubland. AFP