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Leopard Captured After Wandering into Indonesian Hotel 

A tranquilized Javan leopard lies inside a cage at a hotel in Bandung, West Java, on October 6, 2025, after wandering into the hotel premises. (AFP) 
A tranquilized Javan leopard lies inside a cage at a hotel in Bandung, West Java, on October 6, 2025, after wandering into the hotel premises. (AFP) 
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Leopard Captured After Wandering into Indonesian Hotel 

A tranquilized Javan leopard lies inside a cage at a hotel in Bandung, West Java, on October 6, 2025, after wandering into the hotel premises. (AFP) 
A tranquilized Javan leopard lies inside a cage at a hotel in Bandung, West Java, on October 6, 2025, after wandering into the hotel premises. (AFP) 

A leopard was captured on Monday after it wandered into a hotel complex in one of Indonesia's most popular holiday destinations, sparking panic among guests.

The big cat was spotted on Monday morning outside a guest room on the second floor of a hotel in Bandung, the capital of West Java, Indonesia's most populous province.

The hotel management alerted firefighters, who then contacted the local conservation agency about the sighting.

"We used a tranquilizer, and at around 10 am (0300 GMT) the leopard was taken out of the hotel," Agus Arianto, head of West Java's conservation agency, told AFP.

In late August, a leopard was reported to have escaped from a zoo located just five kilometers (three miles) from the hotel.

Agus said it would take time to determine whether the animal captured on Monday was the same one.

"Currently, the leopard is slowly regaining consciousness. It has started to growl," Agus said, adding that the animal would be taken to a conservation facility for observation.

Indonesia has seen other incidents involving escaped zoo animals in recent years.

In 2021, two Bengal tigers escaped from a zoo in Singkawang, West Kalimantan, after days of torrential rain created a hole near their enclosure.

A 47-year-old male zookeeper and several animals were found dead near the tiger cage.

One of the tigers was shot dead, while the other was captured alive.

Indonesia's zoos have long faced scrutiny, with some accused of animal cruelty and lax safety standards.

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Back on Earth, Artemis II Crew Still Finding their Footing

HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 16: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen speak during a press conference at the NASA Johnson Space Center on April 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Danielle Villasana/Getty Images/AFP
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 16: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen speak during a press conference at the NASA Johnson Space Center on April 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Danielle Villasana/Getty Images/AFP
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Back on Earth, Artemis II Crew Still Finding their Footing

HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 16: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen speak during a press conference at the NASA Johnson Space Center on April 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Danielle Villasana/Getty Images/AFP
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 16: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen speak during a press conference at the NASA Johnson Space Center on April 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Danielle Villasana/Getty Images/AFP

Nearly a week after their Pacific splashdown, the astronauts who crewed the Artemis II mission that flew around the Moon told reporters Thursday they have yet to fully grasp the magnitude of the moment.

"It's been a week of medical testing, physical testing, doctors, science objectives," mission commander Reid Wiseman said during a press conference at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"We have not had that decompression," he added.

The 50-year-old led fellow Americans Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian crewmate Jeremy Hansen, on a mission that took them farther into space than anyone has ever gone before.

Adjusting to life on Earth is taking a beat, AFP reported.

"Tomorrow will be one week, and I just was trying to live in a little hole for one week, been off social media, not on the news. So, no, I don't know," Glover, who piloted the mission, told reporters.

Nonetheless, he said his children and neighbors have clued him in to the excitement.

Artemis II was the first crewed mission to venture to the Moon's orbit since 1972, and the only one in history to include a woman, or a Black astronaut, or a non-American. Their voyage was broadcast live by US space agency NASA, and the media coverage of the launch and return to Earth was watched by millions of people.

For Koch, waking up to the reality means remembering gravity has taken hold.

"In the first few days, I thought I was floating. I truly thought I was floating, and I had to convince myself I wasn't," Koch said.

Their mission lasted almost 10 days, but NASA has ambitions to return to the Moon for longer visits to establish a base in preparation for future missions to Mars.

The United States is targeting a lunar landing in 2028, before the end of President Donald Trump's term and a deadline set by rivals in China.

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Hidden Cave, Hippo Bones Under Welsh Castle May Rewrite History

Previous small-scale excavations at Pembroke Castle have already uncovered evidence of early humans and animals. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
Previous small-scale excavations at Pembroke Castle have already uncovered evidence of early humans and animals. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
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Hidden Cave, Hippo Bones Under Welsh Castle May Rewrite History

Previous small-scale excavations at Pembroke Castle have already uncovered evidence of early humans and animals. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
Previous small-scale excavations at Pembroke Castle have already uncovered evidence of early humans and animals. PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN

A prehistoric hidden cave and hippo bones found beneath a Welsh castle could transform understanding of ancient life in Britain, researchers said Thursday, calling the site a "once-in-a-lifetime discovery".

Previous small-scale excavations at Pembroke Castle have already uncovered evidence of early humans and animals, including a now extinct hippopotamus that roamed Wales 120,000 years ago.

A major five-year archaeological project led by the University of Aberdeen will investigate the "enormous" cave, accessed via a spiral staircase from the 11th Century castle, AFP reported.

"There is no other site like it in Britain -- it is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery," said Rob Dinnis, who will lead the project.

The cave, previously thought to have been emptied by the Victorians, is now described as "one of the most important prehistoric archives in Britain".

"Despite the limited work done so far, we can already say that Wogan Cavern is a truly remarkable site," Dinnis said in a statement.

"Not only is there extremely rare evidence for early Homo sapiens, there are also hints at even earlier human occupation, probably by Neanderthals."

"We have also found hippo bones, which probably date to the last interglacial period, around 120,000 years ago," he added.

Earlier finds have revealed bones of mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, reindeer and wild horse, alongside stone tools and evidence of human occupation across multiple periods.

With larger-scale excavation due to resume in May, the researchers hope to gain "insights into past climate change, extinct species, and the multiple periods when humans called the cave their home".

They said the site could chart a long sequence of human activity, from hunter-gatherers after the last Ice Age around 11,500 years ago to some of Britain's earliest Homo sapiens between 45,000 and 35,000 years ago, and possibly even earlier Neanderthal presence.

"Wogan Cavern provides a unique chance to use all the scientific techniques now available to archaeologists," said professor Kate Britton of the University of Aberdeen.

"Because the bones are well preserved, we can learn a lot about past environments and ecosystems," she added.

At Pembroke Castle, staff say the discovery adds a new dimension to the site's long history as a medieval fortress and birthplace of Henry VII in 1457.

"This is incredibly exciting news for everyone at the castle," said castle manager Jon Williams.

"We are thrilled that work on this wonderful cave will continue."

Varieties

Massive Asteroid Set to Pass ‘Close’ to Earth

The rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029 (Shutterstock)
The rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029 (Shutterstock)
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Massive Asteroid Set to Pass ‘Close’ to Earth

The rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029 (Shutterstock)
The rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029 (Shutterstock)

An asteroid named after a god of chaos is heading toward Earth — but there is no need to panic just yet, according to The Independent.

The massive rock is arriving for a historic flyby rather than a disaster, according to NASA. The encounter is still a few years away, but when it finally arrives, it will be so close that spotting it won’t even require a telescope.

Known as 99942 Apophis, the rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029, representing one of the closest approaches ever recorded for a celestial object of this size.

“Even though Apophis does not pose any immediate risk to Earth, an asteroid of its size passing so close to our planet is a very rare event,” NASA astronomers stated. “Scientists across the globe are excited to use this opportunity to study Apophis in detail.”

At roughly 1,115 feet wide, the asteroid will pass closer to Earth than the satellites orbiting in geosynchronous altitude, according to NASA.

It will be the closest approach of an asteroid of this size that humans have ever been aware of in advance, according to the European Space Agency.

The rare timing of the flyby — falling on Friday, April 13, in many parts of the world, has already sparked a mix of excitement and superstition across social media.

The asteroid was named after the ancient Egyptian god of evil and destruction. The name was proposed by its discoverers — astronomers Roy Tucker, David Tholen and Fabrizio Bernardi of the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona — because Apophis is the Greek name for the Egyptian god known as Apep.

NASA reports that an asteroid of this scale passes this close to Earth only once every few thousand years on average, making it a potentially unprecedented event in recorded human history.