On Monday, about two weeks earlier than planned, New Zealand declared that it was free from the coronavirus. The country has moved to Level 1 in its coronavirus alert system, returning life in New Zealand to nearly normal.
Published in “Australasia”
Among the more unusual news stories recently…a teenager carries her father hundreds of miles on her bike, New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern doesn't let an earthquake shake her up, and scientists discover that penguin poop produces laughing gas.
Among the more unusual news stories recently…Peachtree Corners, Georgia tries out remote-controlled scooters, a diver saves a whale and almost catches a whale of a fine, and a woman is given a ticket that wins her a $1.1 million Picasso painting.
As countries around the world relax their lockdown rules, sports organizations are starting back up. In some countries, some pro sports have begun playing games again. In most places, games are played in empty stadiums with no fans.
Among the more unusual news stories recently…Singapore uses a robot dog to encourage social distancing, an 11-year-old skateboarder does three complete turns in the air, and an injured hiker in Tasmania is found and rescued thanks to three little words.
During the last few months, most countries around the world have spent weeks in lockdowns of different kinds. Now, governments are trying to decide if the time is right to start normal business activity again.
In recent news from the world of animals, scientists learn that koalas get water by licking rain off of trees, a very rare brown bear is caught on camera in Spain, and an aquarium in Japan asks people to FaceTime its eels.
Worldwide, many efforts are being made to test people for the new coronavirus. But scientists are also looking at an unusual way of testing for the virus - studying water that's been flushed down toilets.
Among the more unusual news stories recently…a French businessman pulls an eject handle that sends him flying from a speeding jet, a 16-year-old chess whiz beats the world champion, and Tom Hanks cheers up a boy named Corona.
Tomorrow, April 25, is World Penguin Day. It's not an actual holiday, but it's a fine time to think about these amazing flightless birds and take a look at some recent penguin news.
Scientists around the world are racing to create and test vaccines to help protect people from the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The scientists are making progress, but it will still be quite a while before any vaccines are ready.