Arts, Culture & Books

A bust of a heroine of the Crimean War who was voted the Greatest Black Briton has sold at auction for £101,000. Mary Seacole, who rivalled Florence Nightingale for her feats in the war, was the daughter of a Scottish soldier and Jamaican mother and born in 1805. She later went to England and when […]

When the coronavirus pandemic forced the University of Vermont to close and send its students home, the alarm spread: What would happen to the cows? The university´s beloved herd of about 100 dairy cows is normally tended by students taking part in the Cooperative for Real Education in Agricultural Management program, or CREAM. And without […]

If your neighborhood was among the most polluted in 1981, it probably still is. Likewise, the least polluted areas are still faring the best, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal Science that analyzed concentrations of fine particulate matter over more than three decades in the United States. Overall, pollution from fine […]

Jon Anderson started making “1000 Hands” nearly 30 years ago before setting it aside. Its title alludes to the lengthy and impressive roster of musicians who appear on the album, from several of the singer´s former Yes bandmates to Chick Corea, Jean-Luc Ponty, Rick Derringer and the late Larry Coryell, among many others. After Ringo […]

Countries should gradually lift international travel measures based on a thorough risk assessment and must prioritize essential travel for emergencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. The WHO recommended that priority should be given to essential travel for emergencies, humanitarian actions, travel of essential personnel, and repatriation. A surge of new infections in […]

Doha residents flocked for haircuts Thursday as hairdressers reopened having closed in March to contain coronavirus in Qatar, a nation beset by one of the world’s highest declared per capita infection rates. Salons were permitted to open as part of an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, meaning people were able to have haircuts in time for […]

Tourists or locals visiting a cave in north-central Mexico could endanger what is purported to be some of the earliest evidence of human presence in North America, archaeological authorities said Thursday. Mexico´s National Institute of Anthropology and History said the remote Chiquihuite cave in Zacatecas state has been declared off-limits to visitors. Scientists “are looking […]

A heatwave hit Europe on Thursday just as Madrid made wearing masks compulsory to prevent a surge in coronavirus infections, and Julian Martinez said his beard wasn’t making it any easier to keep his face covered in the heat. But the 60-year-old Spanish civil servant wasn’t taking his mask off. “I’ve been wearing a mask […]

The organization that runs New York’s Bronx Zoo is apologizing for racism in the zoo’s past, including putting Ota Benga, a central African man, on display in the Monkey House in 1906. “In the name of equality, transparency, and accountability, we must confront our organization´s historic role in promoting racial injustice as we advance our […]

Even in the best of times, many Muslims in West Africa scramble to afford a sheep to slaughter on Eid al-Adha, a display of faith that often costs as much as a month’s income. Now COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on people’s budgets from Senegal to Nigeria to Ivory Coast, putting an important religious tradition just […]