Half a million ants were enlisted at a German zoo Tuesday by ecologists from the conservation group WWF to call for the protection of the Amazon rainforest, ahead of a trip by Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel to Brazil.

At what the group described as a demonstration, leafcutter ants -- a species indigenous to the world's biggest forest -- were seen carrying leaves bearing slogans cut out by WWF activists such as "Save the Amazon" and "Help, Merkel".

A college student in Vermont is living in a 96-square-foot house he built to reduce his carbon footprint — and save money.

The Rutland Herald reports (http://bit.ly/1MwOCWq ) that Green Mountain College senior Rob Dunn has been living in the two-story Poultney home since August 2014.

A Middle Tennessee teen is alive, thanks to Siri.

Eighteen-year-old Sam Ray says the voice recognition service on his iPhone — famously named Siri — called emergency dispatchers after his truck fell on him while he tried to make repairs.

A Bulgarian octogenarian has made a lifelong dream come true by bungee jumping from one of Europe's highest bridges, the woman told Agence France Presse on Monday.

Penka Baleva leapt from the 190-metre (620-foot) Europe Bridge, near the Austrian city of Innsbruck, on Saturday.

Spain's northeastern city of Tarragona plans to use DNA analysis of dog droppings to track down errant owners who fail to clear up their pet's mess, local officials said Monday.

The coastal Mediterranean city will work with a local university to create a DNA database of registered dogs that could be used to identify its owner, Ivana Martinez, the city's city councillor for public spaces, told news radio Cadena Ser.

Social media users blasted a new Chinese film Monday for depicting a summit of world leaders during World War II which embellished history by portraying revolutionary leader Mao Zedong as vital to a conference he never attended.

The Cairo Declaration -- an upcoming war film produced by a company affiliated with China's military -- is part of a host of government-directed events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender.

Hundreds of women of all ages donned blue coveralls, red socks, and red bandannas with white polka dots and gathered near San Francisco in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for women dressed as the iconic "Rosie the Riveter," the image used to recruit female industrial workers during World War II.

The attempt was likely successful but Guinness must still review and authenticate the headcount. It will also verify all the Rosies conformed to uniform specifications, which detailed the acceptable size of the polka dots on their bandannas, the Contra Costa Times reported Sunday. (http://bayareane.ws/1gO9Dyn ).

Organizers of the badminton world championships in Indonesia apologized Sunday for playing a Franco-era anthem for Spain's Carolina Marin after she defended her women's single title, saying it was an "unfortunate mistake".

The 22-year-old smiled as organizers played the old version of the Spanish anthem that includes lyrics by poet Jose Maria Peman during the podium ceremony in Jakarta, images broadcast on Spanish TV showed.

Brewed illicitly by generations of villagers in ex-Soviet Belarus, a legal version of the country's notoriously fiery samogon moonshine has now gone into mass production. 

Traditionally drunk with pickles and pig fat, the makers promise the new liquor will have the drink's authentic kick and taste.

World number one Novak Djokovic was unnerved by the smell of marijuana smoke on Saturday as he advanced to the final of the ATP Rogers Cup by defeating France's Jeremy Chardy.

During his 6-4, 6-4 victory, Djokovic complained to the umpire about the smell of marijuana smoke.