New Zealand says COVID vaccinations 'small step in long journey'

New Zealand launched its COVID-19 vaccination programme Saturday but warned the initial rollout was only a small step in the long battle against the pandemic.

America has sent five rovers to Mars—when will humans follow?

With its impeccable landing on Thursday, NASA's Perseverance became the fifth rover to reach Mars—so when can we finally expect the long-held goal of a crewed expedition to materialize?

Russia says registers third coronavirus vaccine

Moscow announced Saturday it had registered its third vaccine against the coronavirus and promised to introduce the jab to the Russian population by March.

Floods cripple Indonesia's capital

Whole neighbourhoods of Indonesia's capital Jakarta and dozens of major roads were flooded on Saturday after torrential rains pounded the Southeast Asian city overnight.

Airlines plan to ask passengers for contact-tracing details

The U.S. airline industry is pledging to expand the practice of asking passengers on flights to the United States for information that public health officials could use for contact tracing during the pandemic.

What's safe after COVID-19 vaccination? Don't shed masks yet

You're fully vaccinated against the coronavirus—now what? Don't expect to shed your mask and get back to normal activities right away.

Southern cities hit hard by storms face new crisis: No water

Southern cities slammed by winter storms that left millions without power for days have traded one crisis for another: Busted water pipes ruptured by record-low temperatures created shortages of clean drinking water, shut down the Memphis airport on Friday and left hospitals struggling to maintain sanitary conditions.

Google fires another lead AI ethics researcher

Google said Friday it fired a lead artificial intelligence ethics researcher, following controversy last year over the tech giant's dismissal of a Black colleague who was an outspoken diversity advocate.

Russia says detected first case of H5N8 avian flu in humans

Russia said Saturday its scientists had detected the first case of transmission of the H5N8 strain of avian flu to humans and had alerted the World Health Organization.

Over 200 million vaccine doses administered globally

More than 200 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered in at least 107 countries and territories, according to an AFP count based on official sources Saturday.