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Over the Moon: Fake Astronaut Scams Lovestruck Japanese Octogenarian

A Japanese woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a person pretending to be an astronaut in a space crisis. Bill Ingalls/NASA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
A Japanese woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a person pretending to be an astronaut in a space crisis. Bill Ingalls/NASA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Over the Moon: Fake Astronaut Scams Lovestruck Japanese Octogenarian

A Japanese woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a person pretending to be an astronaut in a space crisis. Bill Ingalls/NASA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
A Japanese woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a person pretending to be an astronaut in a space crisis. Bill Ingalls/NASA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

A Japanese octogenarian was swindled out of thousands of dollars after falling in love online with a self-described astronaut who sought her help to avert a spaceship crisis, police said Tuesday.

The hapless woman in Japan's northern Hokkaido island met the fraudster in July on social media who claimed to be a male astronaut, a local police officer told AFP, describing the case as a "romance scam".

After some exchanges, the scammer one day told her he was "in space on a spaceship right now" but was "under attack and in need of oxygen", the official said.

The scammer then urged her to pay him online to help him buy oxygen, and successfully hoodwinked around 1 million yen ($6,700) out of her.

The woman lives alone and started developing feelings for him as their online communication progressed, local media including Hokkaido Broadcasting said, quoting investigative sources.

"If a person you met on social media ever demanded cash from you, please be suspicious of the possibility of scam, and report to police", the official said.

Japan has the world's second-oldest population after tiny Monaco, according to the World Bank, and older people frequently fall prey to various forms of organized fraud.

These include the classic "it's me" scam, where perpetrators impersonate family members in trouble to extract money from the victim.

Elderly people can also be cajoled into using ATMs to get non-existent "refunds" of their insurance premiums or pensions, police have warned.

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Varieties

Steep Mountainside Offers Respite for Daring Afghans

An Afghan boy enjoys rolling down a steep and sandy mountainside on a weekend at the Sayad area of Reg-e-Rawan in Kapisa province on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
An Afghan boy enjoys rolling down a steep and sandy mountainside on a weekend at the Sayad area of Reg-e-Rawan in Kapisa province on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
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Steep Mountainside Offers Respite for Daring Afghans

An Afghan boy enjoys rolling down a steep and sandy mountainside on a weekend at the Sayad area of Reg-e-Rawan in Kapisa province on April 24, 2026. (AFP)
An Afghan boy enjoys rolling down a steep and sandy mountainside on a weekend at the Sayad area of Reg-e-Rawan in Kapisa province on April 24, 2026. (AFP)

Backflipping down a steep and sandy mountainside, Afghan teenager Imran Saeedi wows the crowds of men who gather each springtime to unwind beside breathtaking views.

Hundreds of visitors travel each weekend to Reg-e-Rawan -- "the moving sands" in Dari -- to practice parkour or roll down the honey-colored sand in Kapisa province.

"I feel afraid when I'm going for a flip or a jump, and of course I can get injured," said 16-year-old Saeedi, who nonetheless loves the thrill.

"When the week starts, I'm just waiting for the weekend so I can come to Reg-e-Rawan to have fun again," said the high school student.

Men and boys clapped in admiration as he ran down the hill and flipped forwards, then backwards, while his friends filmed on their phones.

Less daring onlookers sat atop rocks surrounding the mountain, picnicking together and enjoying the scenery.

Reg-e-Rawan is off limits to women and girls, who are banned by the Taliban authorities from recreational spots such as parks.

Families with women were turned away when AFP journalists visited, while officials under the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice patrolled the area.

- 'Humans need nature' -

Mirwais Kamran, a 48-year-old businessman, had driven three hours north from the capital Kabul with some of his 12 children.

"I feel joy when I come here with my children and friends," said Kamran, who climbed up the slope but stopped short of rolling down.

Nusratullah Nusrat, the provincial head of tourism at the Kapisa Department of Information and Culture, said the site dates back thousands of years.

"The unique feature of this place is that the sand never decreases despite people climbing up and sliding down," he told AFP.

Some people believe rolling in the sand also helps treat rheumatism, added Nusrat.

For visitors such as Nohzatullah Ahmadzai, who travelled from Kabul with a group of friends, Reg-e-Rawan lifts his mood.

"I'm someone who gets depressed when I'm sad, so visiting such places erases that feeling," said the 22-year-old, who works for a cargo firm.

Climbing the slope takes about an hour, rewarding visitors with views over green fields dotted with villages.

"We humans need nature," said Ahmadzai. "When we feel stressed, we can visit natural places for relaxation or relief."

Varieties

Tornadoes in Northern Texas Leave at Least 2 Dead and Destroy Multiple Homes

A large uprooted tree rests on Jason Salois' fence and in his neighbor's yard after a tornado moved through the area, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Springtown, Texas. (Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
A large uprooted tree rests on Jason Salois' fence and in his neighbor's yard after a tornado moved through the area, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Springtown, Texas. (Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
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Tornadoes in Northern Texas Leave at Least 2 Dead and Destroy Multiple Homes

A large uprooted tree rests on Jason Salois' fence and in his neighbor's yard after a tornado moved through the area, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Springtown, Texas. (Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via AP)
A large uprooted tree rests on Jason Salois' fence and in his neighbor's yard after a tornado moved through the area, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Springtown, Texas. (Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

A tornado-producing thunderstorm left at least two people dead in northern Texas and displaced at least 20 families, with many homes sustaining major damage, authorities said Sunday.

At least one person was killed and numerous homes were damaged Saturday night in the town of Runaway Bay, said Wise County Judge J.D. Clark, who serves as the county’s chief executive. Emergency responders worked to clear debris to reach damaged homes and provide medical care where needed, Clark said.

“Access has been difficult due to blocked roadways and downed utilities, but crews have continued pushing forward to reach those in need,” Clark said.

The storm also hit Springtown, where Parker County Assistant Fire Chief David Pruitt said in an email that a second person died south of the city limits. There was “significant damage” in the area, Pruitt said.

“One of the most significant ongoing challenges is the widespread power outage affecting many residents,” he wrote.

National Weather Service teams confirmed that an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 135 mph (217 kph) touched down in the Runaway Bay area. An EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105 mph (169 kph) was confirmed in the Springtown area, the weather service said.

The slow-moving supercell traveled through the area around 10 p.m. Saturday, said meteorologist Patricia Sanchez with the Fort Worth weather service office.

It moved southeast from around Wichita Falls, near the Oklahoma border, passing just west of Fort Worth. Runaway Bay is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth on Lake Bridgeport. Springtown is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth.

Weather service radar picked up a “potentially large and extremely dangerous” tornado near Azle at 10:14 p.m. Saturday. That's about another 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Springtown.

Varieties

Japan Startup Seeks Approval of Cat Kidney Disease Treatment

A girl holds her pet cat while waiting for treatment on World Veterinary Day at the Central Veterinary Hospital in Srinagar, 25 April 2026. (EPA)
A girl holds her pet cat while waiting for treatment on World Veterinary Day at the Central Veterinary Hospital in Srinagar, 25 April 2026. (EPA)
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Japan Startup Seeks Approval of Cat Kidney Disease Treatment

A girl holds her pet cat while waiting for treatment on World Veterinary Day at the Central Veterinary Hospital in Srinagar, 25 April 2026. (EPA)
A girl holds her pet cat while waiting for treatment on World Veterinary Day at the Central Veterinary Hospital in Srinagar, 25 April 2026. (EPA)

A Japanese startup has filed for approval of a new drug to treat chronic kidney disease in cats, the founder said on Monday, offering hope for a common affliction that currently has no definitive cure.

The Tokyo-based Institute for AIM Medicine filed the treatment with the agriculture ministry on Friday, researcher Toru Miyazaki said, after a trial showed the drug significantly extended the life of afflicted cats.

"Most cats suffer from chronic kidney disease, and many die from end-stage renal failure or uraemia," Miyazaki, a former professor of the University of Tokyo, told AFP.

"We undertook drug development with the aim of overcoming this situation and alleviating the financial and physical burden on both cats and their owners," he said.

Miyazaki's research came under spotlight five years ago when he had to halt the development of the drug due to a shortage of research funding during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following media reports, he received a flood of donations from cat lovers and owners totaling nearly 300 million yen ($2 million) between 2021 and 2022.

Chronic kidney disease is common among older cats, affecting up to 40 percent of felines aged more than 10, and 80 percent of those over 15, according to Cornell Feline Health Center in the US.

It is "a progressive disease with no definitive cure", the center said.

Miyazaki's study, published in the Veterinary Journal in February, tracked 11 cats that received the treatment and 15 non-treated cats for a year.

The cumulative survival rate for the treated cats was between 80 and 83 percent, while it was 20 percent for the non-treated cats.