Thailand faces growing outbreak ahead of New Year travel

Thai authorities struggled to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak just days before the country's traditional Songkran New Year's holiday, when millions of people travel.

In Houston, a race to vaccinate its student population

On the campus of Houston University, students meet in small groups, sit alone at computers and attend virtual meetings.

Stalled at first jab: Vaccine shortages hit poor countries

As many as 60 countries, including some of the world's poorest, might be stalled at the first shots of their coronavirus vaccinations because nearly all deliveries through the global program intended to help them are blocked until as late as June.

No 'causal' link found yet between J&J vaccine and blood clots: US health authorities

Top US health authorities said Friday they have not yet found a "causal" link between Johnson & Johnson's COVID shot and blood clots, as the EU drug regulator probed possible instances among those who have received the vaccine.

Study: Facebook delivers biased job ads, skewed by gender

Facebook is showing different job ads to women and men in a way that might run afoul of anti-discrimination laws, according to a new study.

Trudeau calls for Canada regions to tighten COVID restrictions

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday called on Canada's provinces to tighten public health measures as an accelerating vaccination program fails to keep pace with surging coronavirus infections.

St. Vincent awaits new volcanic explosions as help arrives

Cots, tents, and respirator masks poured into the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent as officials expected to start distributing them on Saturday, a day after a powerful explosion at La Soufriere volcano uprooted the lives of thousands of people who evacuated their homes under government orders.

Union drive at Amazon warehouse fails after bitter campaign

A contentious unionization drive at an Amazon warehouse in the southern US state of Alabama failed Friday as a vote count showed a wide majority of workers rejecting the move.

Duke University to require COVID vaccinations for fall term

Duke University will require all new and returning students to present proof of vaccination to student health officials before they can enroll for the fall semester, the school's president said Friday.

4 gray whales found dead in San Francisco Bay Area in 9 days

Four dead gray whales have washed ashore San Francisco Bay Area beaches in the last nine days, with experts saying Friday one was struck by a ship. They were trying to determine how the other three died.

Two dead whales wash up on Bangladesh beach

Two dead whales have washed up on the same stretch of Bangladesh coastline in two days, officials said Saturday, raising suggestions that they were killed by sea pollution.

NASA space copter ready for first Mars flight

The helicopter that NASA has placed on Mars could make its first flight over the Red Planet within two days after a successful initial test of its rotors, the US space agency said Friday.

Workers urge Google parent to get tough on harassment

A letter calling for Google's parent company Alphabet to better protect people who report sexual harassment on the job was signed by more than 1,000 workers soon after being posted online Friday.

Hands-free: Monkey plays video game - with its brain

Elon Musk's startup devoted to meshing brains with computers was closer to its dream on Friday, having gotten a monkey to play video game Pong using only its mind.

All aboard! Next stop space...

Several hundred people have already booked their tickets and begun training for a spectacular voyage: a few minutes, or perhaps days, in the weightlessness of space.

China hits Alibaba with record $2.78bn fine for market abuses

Chinese regulators hit e-commerce giant Alibaba with a record 18.2 billion yuan ($2.78 billion) fine on Saturday over practices deemed to be an abuse of the company's dominant market position.

Virus lockdowns around the world as vaccine efforts stumble

Fresh lockdowns and curfews were imposed on tens of millions of people from India to Argentina on Saturday, as Covid-19 infections surged again and vaccine roll-outs were hampered by shortages and scares over side effects.

Mumbai in lockdown as Indian vaccines run short

India's coronavirus epicentre Maharashtra went into a state-wide weekend lockdown on Saturday as the country battled exploding infection numbers and shortages of vaccines, drugs and hospital beds.

Treating sleep apnea may reduce dementia risk

A new study finds older adults who received positive airway pressure therapy prescribed for obstructive sleep apnea may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia.