A man in Hyderabad has manufactured a single-seater vehicle shaped like the coronavirus under the microscope to spread awareness about COVID-19 among Indians. “I’ll take this on the road and show the people the dangers of the coronavirus,” says Sudhakar Yadav.
Read More »Tiger at New York’s Bronx Zoo tests positive for coronavirus
A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City has tested positive for the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the first known case of a human infecting an animal and making it sick, the zoo’s chief veterinarian said on Sunday. Nadia, the 4-year-old Malayan tiger that …
Read More »Man in Russia kills 5 for “talking loudly” under his windows
A man in central Russia has shot and killed five people for talking noisily at night under his windows, investigators said Sunday. The shootings took place in the Ryazan region during stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. A 32-year-old man from the small town of Yelatma …
Read More »Malaysian govt apologizes after advising wives to avoid ‘nagging’ during lockdown
The Malaysian government was forced to apologize after its Women’s Development Department published a series of sexist “tips” to help deal with the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, including advising women to continue to wear makeup and to “avoid nagging.” The campaign was met with fierce backlash online, and the posts have …
Read More »Egypt deep cleans pyramids site emptied of tourists
Egypt began deep cleaning the area around the Giza pyramids on Wednesday as authorities work to disinfect tourist spots closed down by the coronavirus outbreak. Workers wearing face masks and gloves swept and sprayed the walkways around the bases of the pyramids, as well as the ticket office and a …
Read More »Video: Germans sing from rooftops in solidarity with Italy during coronavirus lockdown
People in the Bavarian town of Bamberg stood on their rooftops and opened their windows to sing Bella Ciao, an Italian resistance song, in solidarity with Italy where the death toll from the Covid-19 outbreak continues to rise
Read More »Dolphins, fish swim in Venice’s clear canals as Italians sit in quarantine
Italians took to social media to show the upsurge in marine life as Venice’s canals are clear of boats amid the coronavirus outbreak. As nonessential businesses in Italy come to a halt, the canals of Venice were cleared of the usual boat traffic, allowing Italians to see dolphins, fish, and …
Read More »Bat guano collectors in Thailand undeterred by a possible link to coronavirus
Thai villagers scouring a dark cave for bat guano, sought after by farmers as a nutrient-rich crop fertilizer, are undaunted by scientists’ suggestion that it could be behind a coronavirus that has infected more than 150,000 people worldwide. The source of the virus remains a matter of debate after it …
Read More »Two of the world’s extremely rare white giraffes killed by Poachers in Kenya
Two rare white giraffes, a female, and her calf were killed by poachers in Kenya, officials have said, illustrating the challenges of wildlife conservation and the persistent and devastating impact of poaching in the East African nation. The deaths of the giraffes left just one of the unusually colored animals …
Read More »Coronavirus was produced in a laboratory: Former CIA intel officer
A former American counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer of the CIA have said that the “Coronavirus did not occur naturally through mutation but rather was produced in a laboratory, possibly as a biological warfare agent.” Since the novel coronavirus outbreak began in China last December, it has infected more …
Read More »290M+ students missing school due to coronavirus: UN
More than 290 million students have been affected by school closures across 13 countries to curb the coronavirus outbreak, the UN said Thursday. “While temporary school closures as a result of health and other crises are not new, unfortunately, the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is …
Read More »Australia’s Bushfires Brought 113 Species Closer to Extinction
Australia has been through the wringer this year. The disastrous bushfire season has led to a dramatic increase in carbon emissions, crazy conspiracy theories, firefighter deaths, some billions of dollars in damage, and the heartbreaking loss of more than a billion animals. A new report shows how more a hundred …
Read More »South Koreans celebrate big wins for ‘Parasite’ at the Oscars
The film about a poor family who worms their way into the lives of a rich household became the first non-English-language film to win the best picture. South Korean President Moon Jae-in started his presidential staff meeting on Monday with a round of applause for the South Korean film “Parasite,” …
Read More »EU’s geographical center shifts in Germany after Brexit
The local mayor says he’s “proud and happy” at the honor, but it’s still a “sad occasion” Brexit is happening. A non-descript field in Germany has been named the EU’s new geographical center after Brexit happened last night. The point in a village of around 80 people in Gadheim, Bavaria, …
Read More »Billionaires richer than 60 percent of the world’s population: Oxfam
The world’s billionaires have doubled in the past decade and are richer than 60 percent of the global population, the charity Oxfam said Monday. It said poor women and girls were at the bottom of the scale, putting in “12.5 billion hours of unpaid care work each and every day,” …
Read More »‘Joker’ leads Oscar nominations with 11
Dark comic book story “Joker” led nominations on Monday for the Oscars, with 11 nods, including best picture and best actor for Joaquin Phoenix. The Warner Bros film will compete for the top prize with racecar drama “Ford v Ferrari,” Netflix gangster movie “The Irishman,” Nazi satire “Jojo Rabbit,” classic …
Read More »World’s biggest human migration begins
Lunar New Year might still be two weeks away, but China is already bracing itself for an annual homecoming of epic proportions. Considered the largest human migration on the planet, Chunyun — the 40-day period when Chinese people head home to celebrate the Lunar New Year Spring Festival with their …
Read More »‘Artefact detectives’ in Iraq aim to end the theft of their history
A group of amateur ‘artifact detectives’ in Iraq are on a mission to return countless historical items taken from their country over the years. Leading the charge is Wafaa Hassan, a recovery specialist at the National Museum of Iraq, with her team of archaeologists and lawyers. Together, they scour online …
Read More »Japan tops, Iraq bottoms 2020 list of world’s most powerful passports
What’s the travel document that opens more doors around the world than any other? It’s a Japanese passport. The Henley Passport Index, which periodically measures the world’s most travel-friendly passports, has released its first report of the new decade. Japan is now top of the leaderboard, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival …
Read More »Morocco YouTuber jailed for insulting King Mohammed VI.
A well known Moroccan YouTuber has been jailed for four years and fined about $4,000 (£3,000) after being found guilty of insulting the country’s king. Mohamed Sekkaki was arrested earlier this month after criticizing King Mohammed’s speeches and for calling Moroccans donkeys. He plans to appeal against the verdict. Separately, …
Read More »