
-
Italy probes UK online bank Revolut for 'misleading' clients
-
Arsenal sign midfielder Norgaard from Brentford
-
Explosions, fires rock Kyiv in deadly Russian barrage
-
Fatigued Afghan taxi drivers take novel approach to AC
-
Rubio meets Russia's Lavrov at ASEAN talks
-
Hamas says Israeli troops sticking point in truce talks as Gaza pounded
-
Europe court says S.African athlete's trial wasn't fair in gender testing case
-
Ten rescued, more missing after deadly Huthi ship sinking
-
EU unveils recommendations to rein in powerful AI models
-
England bat against India in third Test as Bumrah returns
-
Caster Semenya: A rebel with a cause
-
AI-powered tour brings Anne Frank's story to life in Amsterdam
-
Wave of Russian drones, missiles kills two in Kyiv
-
US funding cuts could reverse decades of gains in AIDS fight: UN
-
England star Henderson leaves Dutch giants Ajax
-
Hippo birthday: Thai internet sensation Moo Deng turns one
-
Farrell on the bench for Lions against Australia-New Zealand
-
'Bitter end' for Real Madrid magician Modric
-
Sabalenka targets Wimbledon final as Swiatek showdown looms
-
Hopes for migrant deal as Macron wraps up UK state visit
-
France make 10 changes to starting side for second All Blacks Test
-
Wave of Russian drones, missiles kill two in Kyiv
-
Most stocks rise on trade deal optimism
-
Sherratt says 'grieving' Wales ready to end 18-game losing run
-
'Monster' Inoue to face Akhmadaliev in Japan
-
Humanoid robot says not aiming to 'replace human artists'
-
Hippo birthday: Thai internet sensation Moo Deng is a year old
-
Havili, Salakaia-Loto to lead Australia-New Zealand against Lions
-
Mexico barred from sending cattle to US over flesh-eating pest
-
China heatwaves boost ice factory sales
-
Russian strikes on Kyiv kill at least two
-
Fly-half Edwards to make first start for Wales against Japan
-
In Indonesia, a start-up captures coolants to stop global warming
-
Japan's sticky problem with Trump, tariffs and rice
-
European court to rule in Semenya sports gender case
-
Finns flock to 'shepherd weeks' to disconnect on holiday
-
Jones urges Japan to 'create history' against Wales
-
EU chief von der Leyen faces no confidence vote
-
Stocks mostly rise on trade deal optimism
-
Alonso looks forward to 'starting from scratch' with Real Madrid
-
Huawei probe blunder sparks EU parliament rules change
-
Israel's Bedouin communities use solar energy to stake claim to land
-
Search for missing cockfighters begins at Philippine lake
-
'Hippo Birthday': Thailand's Moo Deng marks one year old
-
Macron wraps up UK state visit with defence pact 'reboot'
-
India electoral roll revision sparks fear and fury
-
Robertson keeps faith with All Blacks for second France Test
-
Jewish Australians feel unsafe after rise in attacks: antisemitism envoy
-
S Korea's disgraced ex-president Yoon detained, again, over martial law
-
Trump taps transport chief to be interim NASA administrator

'Hippo Birthday': Thailand's Moo Deng marks one year old
Thailand's pygmy hippo Moo Deng marked her first birthday on Thursday, leaving behind the animal infancy which boosted her to worldwide internet fame for her cute antics.
Crowds have been invited to a four-day festival at Khao Kheow Open Zoo where Moo Deng -- meaning "Bouncy Pork" in Thai -- frolicked to stardom and amassed five million social media fans.
The first day of the extravaganza falls on a Thai public holiday and the agenda includes a lecture on "Moo Deng's cheekiness" while a skincare beautician has paid $3,000 to sponsor her fruit-festooned cake.
Her handlers are also scheduled to auction off her belongings -- but it is unclear what possessions Moo Deng has accumulated in her short life at the Chonburi province zoo a two-hour drive from Bangkok.
There were hopes her stardom would spotlight the plight of the endangered pygmy hippo, native to West Africa with only around 2,500 left alive according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
But social media and search engine metrics suggest Moo Deng's popularity peaked around late September last year before dramatically declining.
"Moo Deng went viral very quickly when she was born," said Joshua Paul Dale, an academic who teaches courses on the phenomenon of "cuteness" at Japan's Chuo University.
"Maybe part of our appreciation of cuteness is knowing that it's something that doesn't last very long," he told AFP.
Moo Deng's blubbery rose-blushed face launched a thousand memes and a plethora of merchandise including piggy banks, party shirts and popsicles -- prompting her owners to trademark her likeness.
The pint-sized pachyderm quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where her small and sparse enclosure was once broadcasted by a 24/7 livestream.
Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity for their cuteness online, including Australia's Pesto the penguin and China's Hua Hua the panda.
Pygmy hippos have a lifespan of between 30 and 50 years.
While academic Dale predicts she may lose the limelight to longevity, he says Moo Deng could enjoy enduring appeal as fans recall "how unbearably cute she was when she was very, very small and just born".
"That can kind of continue on and affect our relationship with cute things, even when they grow up," he said.
P.Staeheli--VB