IOC President Thomas Bach has canceled a trip to Japan because of surging cases of COVID-19 in the country, the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee said Monday in a statement. Bach was to visit Hiroshima next Monday and meet the torch relay and then probably travel to Tokyo. Organizing committee president …
Read More »Top US fuel pipeline down for 4th day as hackers issue statement
America’s biggest gasoline pipeline is unlikely to resume significant operations for several days due to a ransomware cyberattack that Washington on Monday blamed on a shadowy criminal network called DarkSide. The attack on the Colonial Pipeline between Houston and New Jersey, which provides nearly half the fuel to the U.S. …
Read More »Bacteria in 100-Million-Year-Old Seafloor Sediment Have Been Resuscitated
In 2010 scientists from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) sailed into the South Pacific Gyre, a marine desert more barren than all but the most arid places on Earth. Near the center of the gyre is the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility—best known by fans of H. P. Lovecraft as …
Read More »Iraq formally asks to buy $350 million Exxon oilfield share
Iraq has formally asked to buy U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil’s share in one of Iraq’s biggest oilfields, West Qurna 1, the head of the state-run oil operating company said on Monday. Iraq said last month that Exxon was seeking to sell its 32.7% stake in West Qurna 1 and that …
Read More »Florida releases genetically modified mosquitoes in hopes to reduce spread of disease
Genetically modified mosquitoes have been released for the first time in the United States, taking flight in the Florida Keys in a pilot program intended to reduce the spread of deadly diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, and Zika virus. After an odyssey spanning more than a decade to secure …
Read More »The deadly ‘black fungus’ maiming Covid patients
On Saturday morning, Dr. Akshay Nair, a Mumbai-based eye surgeon, was waiting to operate on a 25-year-old woman who had recovered from a bout of Covid-19 three weeks ago. Inside the surgery, an ear, nose, and throat specialist was already at work on the patient, a diabetic. He had inserted …
Read More »Hajj to be held this year with ‘special conditions’
Saudi Arabia has announced on Sunday the Hajj will be held this year following health and safety requirements due to the pandemic. The Hajj and Umrah Ministry said in a statement that Hajj will go ahead this year with all the health, security, and regulatory standards and regulations in place …
Read More »Dogecoin tumbles after Elon Musk calls it a ‘hustle’ on ‘SNL’ show
The value of dogecoin dropped sharply in early U.S. hours on Sunday, after Tesla chief and cryptocurrency supporter Elon Musk called it a ‘hustle’ during his guest-host spot on the “Saturday Night Live” comedy sketch TV show. Dogecoin was quoted as low as $0.47 on crypto exchange Binance, down 28% …
Read More »Da Vinci’s ‘Head of Bear’ drawing seen fetching up to $16 mln
A drawing of a bear’s head by Leonardo da Vinci is seen fetching up to $16.7 million, potentially setting a record, when it heads to auction in July, Christie’s said on Saturday. Measuring 7 cm (just under 3 inches) squared, “Head of a Bear” is a silverpoint drawing on pink-beige …
Read More »Scientists warn of new tsunami threat which could strike coastal cities with little warning
Researchers have identified a new tsunami risk posed by strike-slip faults located menacingly close to major population centers around the globe, warning that there would be little to no warning before catastrophe struck. Strike-slip faults have long been studied, though the particular mechanics of the tsunamis they can generate have …
Read More »Chinese rocket debris lands near the Maldives draws criticism from NASA
Remnants of China’s biggest rocket landed in the Indian Ocean on Sunday, with the bulk of its components destroyed upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, according to Chinese state media, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit. The coordinates are given by state media, citing the China …
Read More »Two lions test positive for Covid-19 at Indian safari park
Two lions at the Etawah Safari Park in the northern Indian state Uttar Pradesh have tested positive for Covid-19, according to officials at the park. The samples were sent for testing after both the lions were found to have high temperatures. Authorities added that the pair were in stable condition. …
Read More »Evidence of nine Neanderthals found in Italian cave
The fossil remains of nine Neanderthal men have been found in a cave in Italy, the culture ministry announced Saturday, a major discovery in the study of our ancient cousins. All the individuals found in the Guattari Cave in San Felice Circeo, located on the coast between Rome and Naples, …
Read More »EU agrees deal for up to 1.8bn extra Pfizer-BioNTech doses
The EU has concluded a deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for up to 1.8 billion extra doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, according to European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. “Happy to announce that the EU Commission has just approved a contract for guaranteed 900 million doses (+900 million options) with Pfizer-BioNTech …
Read More »PSG Announce new Neymar Contract
PSG has confirmed that the Brazilian attacker has signed a new deal to 2025 with the Ligue 1 club. The news will be a major boost for the Parisian giants who signed Neymar for a world-record fee in the summer of 2017. Since in Paris, Neymar has won nine major …
Read More »Cyberattack Forces a Shutdown of a Top U.S. Pipeline Operator
The operator of the system, Colonial Pipeline, said it had shut down its 5,500 miles of pipeline, which takes refined gasoline and jet fuel along the East Coast. A cyberattack forced the shutdown of one of the largest pipelines in the United States, in what appeared to be a significant …
Read More »Fossil remains of nine Neanderthals found in Italian cave
The fossil remains of nine Neanderthal men have been found in a cave in Italy, the culture ministry announced Saturday, a major discovery in the study of our ancient cousins. All the individuals found in the Guattari Cave in San Felice Circeo, located on the coast between Rome and Naples, …
Read More »UK declares India coronavirus strain ‘variant of concern’
The United Kingdom has branded a coronavirus strain first detected in India as a “variant of concern” as cases more than doubled in a week. According to Sky News, the designation of the B1617.2 COVID-9 variant raises the prospect of surge testing in infection hotspots to curb transmission. The latest …
Read More »Google will soon enforce the use of two-step verification for Google accounts
Two-factor authentication, or as Google calls it two-step verification, is a popular security feature that adds another layer of security to the authentication process. Users who have configured two-factor authentication use a secondary authentication option, such as a code that is sent via SMS to a linked mobile device or …
Read More »‘Big Six’ among nine European Super League clubs to commit to UEFA competitions
Nine of the original European Super League clubs – including the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ – have declared their commitment to UEFA and its competitions at a continental and domestic level. However, the three who have not renounced the Super League – Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus – are set …
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