French rail company orders 12 hydrogen trains

French national railway SNCF said Thursday it has ordered 12 hydrogen-powered trains to begin tests in four regions in 2023 as it eyes a zero-emissions future with the nascent technology.

Germany to talk to Russia about buying Sputnik jabs: minister

The German government plans to talk to Moscow about buying doses of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine if it is approved by the European regulator, Health Minister Jens Spahn said Thursday.

Argentina announces curfew as coronavirus cases rise

Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez on Wednesday announced a three-week nighttime curfew after a second consecutive day of record coronavirus infections.

Fresh COVID case in New Zealand as it prepares travel bubble

New Zealand health officials confirmed a fresh community case of COVID-19 in Auckland Thursday, just two days after the country celebrated its largely virus-free status by approving a travel bubble with Australia.

Twitch to boot users for transgressions elsewhere

Twitch on Wednesday said that it will ban people from the popular live video streaming service for abusive or violent behavior in the real world or on other online venues.

Longtime tax target Amazon now leads charge for reform

A longtime lightning rod for critics of corporate tax avoidance, Amazon now wants to lead the way on reform.

Influenced by Clubhouse, Facebook experiments with audio

Facebook on Wednesday launched an experimental online forum called Hotline, an attempt by the social media giant to keep up with the live audio trend made popular by the likes of Clubhouse.

China weighs carrots and sticks in push to vaccinate millions

Tickets to tourist attractions, shopping coupons, and report cards naming and shaming stores where staff haven't been vaccinated: China is veering from compulsion to persuasion in its bid to inoculate its population from COVID.

Summoning seniors: Big new push to vaccinate older Americans

The first hurdle was getting on the bus. Seventy-four year old Linda Busby hesitated outside a community center where older people were loading up to go get the coronavirus vaccine.

Are some COVID-19 vaccines more effective than others?

Are some COVID-19 vaccines more effective than others?

Top colleges see record application numbers amid pandemic

Highly competitive colleges including Yale, Brown and Penn are sending out acceptance notices this week to a much smaller percentage of admission seekers than usual after sorting through record-breaking numbers of applications.

The ulti-mutt pet? Chinese tech company develops robo-dogs

It's whip fast, obeys commands and doesn't leave unpleasant surprises on the floor—meet the AlphaDog, a robotic response to two of China's burgeoning loves: pets and technology.

Spain limits AstraZeneca vaccine to 60 years and up

Spain joined other European nations on Wednesday in limiting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the elderly due to concerns over links to extremely rare blood clotting.

EXPLAINER: What to know about the Amazon union vote count

Amazon is known for quick delivery. But finding out whether Amazon warehouse workers voted for or against unionizing is going to take some more time.

All-in-one device uses microwave power for defense, medicine

An invention from Purdue University innovators may provide a new option to use directed energy for biomedical and defense applications.

Structural racism, anti-LGBTQ policies lead to worse health in Black sexual minority men

Eliminating racist and anti-LGBTQ policies is essential to improving the health of Black gay, bisexual and other sexual minority men, according to a Rutgers-led research team.

One of Africa's rarest primates protected by... speedbumps

A new study revealed that a drastic reduction of deaths of one of Africa's rarest primates, the Zanzibar red colobus (Piliocolobus kirkii), followed the installation of four speedbumps along a stretch of road where the species frequently crossed.

A drug that can stop tumors from growing

Cancer doctors may soon have a new tool for treating melanoma and other types of cancer, thanks to work being done by researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

Researchers develop language test for people with Down syndrome

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a test to evaluate the expressive language skills of people with Down syndrome, a condition resulting from an extra copy or piece of chromosome 21. Expressive language is the use of words to convey meaning to others. Language delays are common in people with Down syndrome, and the study authors believe their test provides a more effective way to evaluate prospective language interventions, compared to current evaluation methods.

The truth about doublespeak: Is it lying or just being persuasive?

Doublespeak, or the use of euphemisms to sway opinion, lets leaders avoid the reputational costs of lying while still bringing people around to their way of thinking, a new study has found.

New method advances single-cell transcriptomic technologies

Single-cell transcriptomic methods allow scientists to study thousands of individual cells from living organisms, one-by-one, and sequence each cell's genetic material. Genes are activated differently in each cell type, giving rise to cell types such as neurons, skin cells and muscle cells.

Gut bacteria 'talk' to horse's cells to improve their athletic performance

A horse's gut microbiome communicates with its host by sending chemical signals to its cells, which has the effect of helping the horse to extend its energy output, finds a new study published in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences. This exciting discovery paves the way for dietary supplements that could enhance equine athletic performance.