World’s rarest whale may have washed up on New Zealand beach
Spade-toothed whales are the world’s rarest, with no live sightings ever recorded. No one knows how many there are, what they eat, or even where they live in the vast expanse of the southern Pacific Ocean. However, scientists in New…
UN alarmed as childhood immunization levels stall
Geneva — Global childhood vaccination levels have stalled, leaving millions more children un- or under-vaccinated than before the pandemic, the U.N. said Monday, warning of dangerous coverage gaps enabling outbreaks of diseases like measles. In 2023, 84% of children, or…
Kenyan government app gives girls info on a taboo topic: menstruation
The Kenyan government is using a new mobile application to educate girls about menstrual health. Through the Oky Kenya app, users can access information on hygiene and other topics. The goal is to dispel myths and misconceptions about menstruation and…
Stegosaurus nicknamed Apex will be auctioned in New York
NEW YORK — The nearly complete fossilized remains of a 161-million-year-old stegosaurus discovered in Colorado in 2022 will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York next week, auction house officials said. The dinosaur that Sotheby’s calls Apex stands 3.3 meters…
DR Congo detects at least 25 mpox cases in Goma
PARIS — At least 25 cases of a dangerous new strain of mpox spreading through the Democratic Republic of Congo have been detected in the eastern city of Goma, mostly in camps housing people fleeing a surrounding conflict, health authorities…
Elusive mid-sized black hole spotted at center of swallowed galaxy
WASHINGTON — Astronomers have scrutinized a cluster of stars that is the apparent remnant core of a relatively small galaxy that was swallowed by the sprawling Milky Way 8 to 10 billion years ago. What lurks at the center of…
In US, plague is rare but not eliminated
Colorado health officials have confirmed a human case of the plague, the rare bacterial infection infamously known for killing tens of millions in 14th century Europe. Today, it’s easily treated with antibiotics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates…
First Titanic voyage in 14 years happening in wake of submersible tragedy
The company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic is undertaking its first expedition to the ship’s wreckage in years, and those involved in the mission said they have both heavy hearts and lofty goals for a trip happening…
SpaceX rocket accident leaves Starlink satellites in wrong orbit
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX rocket failed for the first time in nearly a decade, leaving the company’s internet satellites in an orbit so low that they’re doomed to fall through the atmosphere and burn up. The Falcon 9…
America’s pioneering sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer dies at 96
NEW YORK — Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the diminutive sex therapist who became a pop icon, media star and best-selling author through her frank talk about once-taboo bedroom topics, has died. She was 96. Westheimer died on Friday at her home…