COVID-defying French nun toasts 117th birthday with wine and prayer

A French nun who is believed to be the world’s second-oldest person celebrated her 117th birthday in style on Thursday, with multiple treats and well-wishes, cards and flowers to fete her exceptional longevity through two world wars and a recent coronavirus infection.

Biden orders sanctions to freeze US assets from Myanmar military leaders who staged coup

President Biden said he was issuing an executive order that will prevent Myanmar's generals from accessing $1 billion in assets in the United States, and that more measures are to come.

China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft enters Mars' orbit one day after Arab ship arrives

China says its Tianwen-1 spacecraft has entered orbit around Mars on a mission to land a rover and collect data on underground water and possible signs of ancient life.

Powerful quake strikes New Zealand, prompting tsunami warnings

The U.S. Geological Agency said the magnitude 7.7 quake was centered at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles) southeast of the Loyalty Islands. The shaking was not expected to cause significant damage or fatalities on land.

World's second-oldest person survives coronavirus at age 116

A 116-year-old French nun who is believed to be the world’s second-oldest person has survived COVID-19 and is looking forward to celebrating her 117th birthday on Thursday.

United Arab Emirates spacecraft orbits Mars in historic interplanetary mission

A spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates swung into orbit around Mars on Tuesday in a triumph for the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission.

Koala gets in the driver’s seat after causing multi-car crash on Australian freeway

A koala hopped in the driver’s seat of his rescuer’s car after causing a pileup on an Australian freeway. “It started sitting for a while on the steering wheel (as if) saying, ‘Let’s go for a drive!’”

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine rollout halted in South Africa after shot appears less effective against variant

South Africa is considering giving a COVID-19 vaccine that is still in the testing phase to health workers, after suspending the rollout of another shot that preliminary data indicated may be only minimally effective against the mutated form of the virus dominating the country.

Coronavirus variant P.1 surging in Brazil 'deeply worrying,' experts say

A new variant of the coronavirus that’s exploded in Brazil and has since been found in the U.S. is causing some concern among scientists. Here’s what one Harvard researcher is saying.

Canada designates far-right Proud Boys as a terrorist group

The Proud Boys is a far-right, male chauvinist extremist group known for engaging in violent clashes at political rallies. Canada is the first country to designate them as a terrorist entity.

'Captain Tom,' 100-year-old veteran who raised millions for COVID relief, hospitalized with virus

Captain Sir Tom Moore raised more than $40 million toward COVID-19 relief last year, and now he’s been admitted to the hospital after testing positive and having trouble breathing.

Thousands arrested in Russia for 2nd week straight at protests backing activist Alexei Navalny

Thousands were arrested for the second week straight during protests in Russia demanding the release of Alexei Navalny, Putin's best-known critic. Now the U.S. is criticizing the crackdown and urging Russia to release Navalny.

Black Lives Matter nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

The movement has also been criticized for violence during demonstrations in the US last summer.

COVID-19 symptoms remained for at least 6 months for some Wuhan patients, study finds

A study out of Wuhan, China, where COVID-19 was first identified, found that nearly 2,000 patients hospitalized during the onset of the pandemic were still reporting symptoms six months later.

EU regulator authorizes AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for all adults

Regulators have authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.

UK study finds Novavax vaccine 89% effective against COVID-19

Novavax Inc. said Thursday that its COVID-19 vaccine appears 89% effective based on early findings from a British study and that it also seems to work — though not quite as well — against new mutated strains of the virus circulating in that country and South Africa.