2 female officers to try out for Green Berets

WASHINGTON • Two women will soon be the first female soldiers to undergo training to become members of the Green Berets, the United States Army's special forces.

They are the first two women who have been selected for special forces assessment following the elimination of the ban on women in combat roles, a spokesman for the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Centre and School said on Monday. She did not give additional details about the candidates.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

London seeks more powers after Brexit

LONDON • London mayor Sadiq Khan is seeking more powers for the British capital as the country leaves the European Union, and yesterday commissioned a study to draw up a list of devolution demands.

He said London needs a stronger voice to protect jobs and growth from the economic uncertainty ahead.

Mr Khan said Finance Minister Philip Hammond had indicated he was open to further devolution for London.

REUTERS

Tourists fined for dip in Trevi Fountain

ROME • Cooling off with a midnight dip in Rome's famous Trevi Fountain may sound like a dream "Roman Holiday", but a police crackdown has landed a series of tourists with fat fines.

Police said on Monday that two young Californians were ordered to pay a 450-euro (S$670) fine each after being caught trying to emulate Swedish star Anita Ekberg, who wades through the fountain's pristine waters in Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita. Police are also guarding other prime water holes across the city.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Solar-powered gizmo turns urine into water

BRUSSELS • A team of scientists at a Belgian university says it has created a machine that turns urine into drinkable water and fertiliser using solar energy.

The team recently deployed the machine at a music and theatre festival, recovering 1,000 litres of water from the urine of revellers.

The aim is to install larger versions of the machine in sports venues or airports, as well as a rural community in the Third World where fertilisers and reliable drinking water are needed.

REUTERS