The European Union is negotiating advance purchase deals of potential COVID-19 vaccines with drugmakers Moderna, Sanofi, and Johnson & Johnson and biotech firms BioNtech and CureVac, two EU sources told Reuters. The talks follow a deal reached in June by four EU states with AstraZeneca for the upfront purchase of …
Read More »Iraq Exports 900,000 Tons Of Barley Within Days
The Parliamentary Agriculture Committee announced that Iraq intends to export 900,000 tons of barley during the coming days after achieving self-sufficiency, stating: “Iraq will announce its readiness to export fish, chicken and eggs during the next six months.” The head of the committee, Salam al-Shimmari said in a statement that …
Read More »NASA Confirms It Did Not Add A New Zodiac Sign
NASA has confirmed that there has been no change to the existing 12-star signs following social media rumors that another zodiac sign, Ophiuchus, had been added, the Independent reported. The rumor of a new zodiac sign has resurfaced several times on social media in the past few years. NASA initially …
Read More »End of the jumbo: British Airways retires 747 early due to coronavirus crisis
British Airways, the world’s largest operator of Boeing 747s, will retire its entire jumbo jet fleet with immediate effect after the COVIDcovid-19 pandemic sent air travel into freefall. For over 50 years, Boeing’s “Queen of the Skies” has been the world’s most easily recognized jetliner with its humped fuselage and …
Read More »Tuk-tuk racing in Sri Lanka delivers thrills and spills
Tuk-tuks are three-wheeled motor vehicles widely used in Sri Lanka and southern Asia. The vehicle has also gained popularity worldwide, including Africa and the Middle-East. But these three-wheelers can race — as Sri Lankan tuk-tuk drivers showed at the Red Bull Tuk It earlier this year. The fourth edition of …
Read More »UAE Mars probe launch rescheduled for July 20
A Japanese rocket carrying the first Arab mission to Mars will blast into space on Monday, after being delayed by bad weather, the launch company said Friday. The lift-off of the United Arab Emirates’ “Hope” probe, originally planned for Wednesday, is now set for 6:58 am Monday (21:58 GMT Sunday) …
Read More »New virus outbreaks raise alarm as India cases hit 1 million
Fresh coronavirus outbreaks, even in places as far-flung as China’s western Xinjiang region, are prompting moves to guard against the pandemic, as the number of cases approaches 14 million. India on Friday said it had surpassed 1 million cases, third only to the United States and Brazil, with more than …
Read More »Mary Trump’s memoir sells 950,000 on first day, setting a record for publisher
Looks like a lot of people want to read about the president’s psychological back story. “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” by Mary L. Trump has set a first-day sales record for Simon & Schuster, the publisher announced Thursday. The memoir about …
Read More »UK, US, Canada accuse Russia of hacking virus vaccine trials
Britain, the United States, and Canada accused Russian hackers on Thursday of trying to steal information from researchers seeking a coronavirus vaccine, warning scientists and pharmaceutical companies to be alert for suspicious activity. Intelligence agencies in the three nations alleged that the hacking group APT29, also known as Cozy Bear …
Read More »Preview – Real Madrid is 90 minutes away from securing the La Liga title
Real Madrid is 90 minutes away from securing the La Liga title. A victory over Villarreal will hand Los Blancos their first league triumph since 2017. Real Madrid is on the cusp of claiming only their second league title in eight years. Real Madrid is four points ahead of rivals …
Read More »NASCAR allows fans at race, gets biggest sports crowd since pandemic-sparked shutdowns
Clint Bowyer hopped off his pit stand at Bristol Motor Speedway to learn he’d won the fan vote to advance into NASCAR’s All-Star race – an announcement met by a roar from the grandstands. It wasn’t the raucous ovation typically heard in Thunder Valley, but after four months of near …
Read More »China’s economy roars back to growth after record coronavirus contraction
China has become the first major economy to show signs of recovery and avoid recession amid the coronavirus pandemic, with its gross domestic product (GDP) rising 3.2 percent in the second quarter. The positive economic growth, reported by China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday, came after a sharp …
Read More »EU court invalidates data-sharing pact with US
The European Union’s top court ruled Thursday that an agreement that allows big tech companies to transfer data to the United States is invalid and that national regulators need to take tougher action to protect the privacy of users’ data. The ruling to invalidate Privacy Shield will complicate the transfer …
Read More »Can a pregnant woman spread the coronavirus to her fetus?
Can a pregnant woman spread the coronavirus to her fetus? It’s possible, but it seems to be relatively rare and scientists think they know why that is. Many viruses can cross the placenta and infect a fetus in the womb, and evidence has been growing that the coronavirus sometimes can …
Read More »China says UK ban on Huawei ‘severely’ damages investment confidence
Britain’s “discriminatory” ban on Huawei has severely damaged China’s investment confidence in the country, China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday, adding it will take necessary measures to defend Chinese firms’ legal rights. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday ordered Huawei equipment to be purged completely from Britain’s 5G network by …
Read More »Twitter silences some top accounts after internal systems hacked
Twitter said hackers accessed its internal systems to hijack some of the platform’s top voices including U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and billionaire Elon Musk and used them to solicit digital currency. Twitter said employees with access to its internal …
Read More »Sony ‘to double PS5 production to meet demand due to pandemic’
Sony is reportedly boosting production of the upcoming PlayStation 5 console with an expectation that home entertainment demand will be higher due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company is now aiming to manufacture around 10 million units of the PS5 ahead of the launch this winter, up from a minimum …
Read More »Oil gains after big U.S. drawdown; eyes on OPEC committee meeting
Oil prices rose on Wednesday following a sharp drop in U.S. crude inventories, with the market waiting for next steps from a meeting later in the day on the future level of output cuts by OPEC and its allies. Brent crude LCOc1 futures were up 22 cents, or 0.5%, at …
Read More »Ivanka Trump tweet featuring can of Goya beans sparks backlash
Ivanka Trump is facing backlash after tweeting a photo of herself holding up a can of Goya beans. The tweet from the president’s daughter includes Goya’s slogan, “If it’s Goya, it has to be good,” in both English and in Spanish. She also posted the image to her Facebook and …
Read More »Apple Wins EU Court Fight Over $14.9 Billion Tax Bill
Apple Inc. won its court fight over a record 13 billion-euro ($14.9 billion) Irish tax bill in a crushing blow to European Union antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager’s crackdown on preferential fiscal deals to selected companies. The EU General Court sided with the iPhone maker, ruling on Wednesday that Ireland’s tax …
Read More »