Variety

Darth Vader and his stormtroopers swapped spaceships for riverboats as they made their way around Malabon City on the outskirts of Manila as local authorities tried to enforce the coronavirus lockdown. The representatives of the galactic empire, or local officials in self-made disguise, were met with smiles and waves as …

Police are trying to find a person who dressed as a 17th-century plague doctor on their walks during the coronavirus outbreak. Residents in a Norwich suburb have spotted someone strolling around in a long black cloak, hat and pointed beak-like mask over the past few weeks. They posted on a …

British health workers are getting a taste of Iraqi cuisine whilst fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Philip Juma, the British-Iraqi chef renowned for his pop up supper clubs in London, closed his Borough Market spot last month due to the outbreak of Covid-19, but has kept his apron on and is …

Irrfan Khan, the wide-eyed actor who enjoyed art house acclaim in his native India and crossover-success with Hollywood roles including “Life of Pi,” “Jurassic World” and “Inferno,” died on Wednesday. He was 53. Khan, was previously diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018 and underwent extensive treatment in London. He …

The coronavirus outbreak is causing a rare stir in the usually staid global tea market, with labour lockdowns stifling supplies just as millions in lockdown drive up demand for the beverage known for its immunity-boosting properties. Five countries – China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Vietnam – account for 82% …

Over 1.37 billion Indians have entered the 33rd day of what is being called the world’s largest lockdown as a precaution against the further spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As total COVID-19 cases have exceeded the 29,000 marks, a lockdown extension after 3 May has been demanded by state chiefs, …

An observatory in Brazil captured the moment meteorite speed across the night sky before exploding and crashing. According to reports, the meteorite exploded in Brazil’s Hortensias Region in the Rio Grande do Sul state. Professor Carlos Fernando Jung from the Heller & Jung Space Observatory reported the meteorite entered the …

Andres Iniesta has described his struggle with depression while playing for Barcelona, which his mother says was a “bottomless pit” that caused her 25-year-old son to ask to sleep with his parents. Iniesta recalls his experience with the illness in a Rakuten TV documentary, ‘Andres Iniesta – The Unexpected Hero’, …

Young German climate-strikers on Friday got creative with their social distancing, set up hundreds of cardboard cutouts to represent protesters taking part in the Fridays for Future demonstration. In March, Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, the founder of the Fridays for Future youth movement, called on fellow climate activists to move …

Bill Gates has compared tackling the coronavirus pandemic to fighting a world war. In a memo on his website, Gates Notes, the co-founder of Microsoft wrote that the whole world is in a fight against the virus. “The coronavirus pandemic pits all of humanity against the virus. The damage to …

The first-ever YouTube video was uploaded on April 23, 2005 — exactly 15 years ago, Thursday. YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim posted the 18-second video, titled “Me at the zoo.” It has since garnered over 90 million views. To this day, it is the only video on Karim’s channel. Upon clicking …

The incredible flora and fauna of the Venetian canals have been caught on video as the lack of boats on the waterways leaves the water to clear and natural life to thrive. The Italian city world-renowned for its canals has been in lockdown since early March, having been among the …

The head of the World Meteorological Organization believes that the Corona virus pandemic will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6% this year, which will be the largest annual decline since World War II. “This crisis has had an impact on greenhouse gas emissions,” said Petteri Talas, head of the organization, …

The Great Pyramids is lit up with blue light and projected with a laser message “Stay Home” on the Giza plateau outside the Egyptian capital of Cairo on the World Heritage Day, as the country fights against the spread of the COVID-19.

A 16-year-old Iranian chess prodigy has upended the chess world by beating World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the final of the Banter Blitz Cup. Alireza Firouzja defeated the Norwegian 8.5-7.5 in the final of the online quickfire knockout contest — where players must comment verbally on their moves, and …

Iraqi-American NASA Astronaut, Jessica Meir, has sent an empowering message of support to kids on the Hope Buses in Baghdad, all the way from the International Space Station! In light of the current global crisis, this message reminds us that our family is so important and also bigger than we …

Kim Kardashian, Hugh Jackman, and Kaley Cuoco are among the stars who have praised opera singer Andrea Bocelli’s moving Easter Sunday concert. The Italian tenor performed a solo show at the deserted Duomo cathedral in Milan on Sunday night (12 April). While no one could attend the concert in person …

An Indonesian volcano that triggered a deadly tsunami 16 months ago has erupted again, spewing a column of ash up to 15km into the sky. Scientists said Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island between Java and Sumatra, was continuously erupting until Saturday morning, making it the longest eruption there since its …

The new types of coronavirus have been found in three bat species. They are thought to have no close links to the strains that cause lethal diseases like SARS, MERS or COVID-19, and it is yet unclear whether they can spill over to other species including humans. Scientists have discovered …

The largest, brightest supermoon of 2020 rose in the night sky on Tuesday over hushed cities, stilled factories and countries in lockdown due to the novel coronavirus that has killed tens of thousands worldwide. If the moon is within 10% of its closest distance to the earth at the moment …