The Daily Populous

Sunday December 23rd, 2018 night edition

image for French theme park deploys birds to collect litter

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The first feathery cleaners have already been put to work in the park.

A theme park in France is set to deploy six "intelligent" birds to pick up rubbish and spruce up the grounds.

The rooks at the Puy du Fou theme park in the west of the country have been taught to collect cigarette ends and other small bits of rubbish.

They then deposit the litter into a small box which will deliver some bird food as a reward for their hard work.

The first feathery cleaners have already been put to work, with the rest set to join them on Monday.

Nicolas de Villiers, the head of the park, told AFP news agency that it was not just about keeping the area clean.

"The goal is not just to clear up, because the visitors are generally careful to keep things clean". »

Man whose wife has cancer gets help to pay bills by winning $100K lottery prize

Authored by wmur.com
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Man whose wife has cancer gets help to pay bills by winning $100K lottery prize.

The Marine veteran claimed a $100,000 prize on Dec. 16, taking home more than $70,000, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.

The security guard, whose wife has been undergoing chemotherapy, will use the money primarily to pay bills, WJZY-TV reported. »

Study: Teen smoking rates dropped after Washington legalized marijuana

Authored by upi.com

A new study indicates the teen smoking rate in Washington declined after the state legalized cannabis.

SATURDAY, Dec. 22, 2018 -- Contrary to predictions, teen marijuana use declined in Washington state after recreational pot was legalized in 2012, a new study finds.

In 10th grade, pot use declined from nearly 20 percent to less than 18 percent. »

Someone is trying to take entire countries offline and cybersecurity experts say 'it's a matter of time because it's really easy'

Authored by businessinsider.com
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The hackers we really ought to be worrying about are the ones trying take entire countries offline.

People who are trying to take down the internet, switch the lights off, cut the water supply, disable railways, or blow up factories.

"You can have a team of five people sitting in a basement and be just as devastating as WMDs," he said. »