23 articles from SUNDAY 23.2.2020

Starwatch: Moon and Venus well met by earthshine

As Venus and the crescent moon meet in the evening sky, all of the moon’s disc will be lit by sunlight reflected from EarthThe moon and Venus meet in the evening sky for another dazzling display this week. The chart shows the view from London, UK, looking south-west at 1830GMT. From Sydney, Australia, look west. The moon will be only 14% illuminated and so will appear as a slender crescent in...

Flat Earth advocate dies after homemade rocket crashes

The saga of "Mad" Mike Hughes and his homebuilt rocket has come to a tragic end. The Flat Earth advocate died on February 22nd at the age of 64 when the chute for his steam-powered rocket detached shortly after launch, leading to a high-velocity crash in the desert near Barstow, California. The launch was being filmed for a Science Channel series, Homemade Astronauts, that aims to...

More snow coming for parts of Northeast that have snow on the ground

A strengthening storm is expected to dump snow on interior portions of the Northeast, setting up lake-effect snow that will continue even after the storm departs.After traveling through the Plains and into the Midwest, a snowstorm will press through the Ohio Valley and into southern Canada Tuesday and Tuesday Night. This will drop a swath of heavier snow from Iowa to southern Ontario.At the same...

World is approaching coronavirus tipping point, experts say

78,000 cases confirmed, as Italy and Iran scramble to contain major outbreaks The world is fast approaching a “tipping point” in the spread of the coronavirus, according to experts, who warn that the disease is outpacing efforts to contain it, after major outbreaks forced Italy and Iran to introduce stringent internal travel restrictions and South Korea’s president placed the country on red...

How to Be an Expatriate in 2020

Two years ago, Chuck Burgess and Kerstin Michaelsen were comfortably set up in New York City with good careers, a home in Manhattan and another in the Hamptons. But they yearned for something more. Not more in the sense of material things but in the satisfaction derived from new adventures and new lands. They fantasized about moving abroad -- an idea that seemed more attractive as the couple, both...

What is coronavirus and what should I do if I have symptoms?

What symptoms are caused by the virus from Wuhan in China, how does it spread, and should you call a doctor?Find all our coronavirus coverage hereHow to protect yourself from infectionIt is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. Like other coronaviruses, it has come from animals. Many of those initially infected either worked or frequently shopped in...

Turkey and Pakistan close borders with Iran over coronavirus deaths

Ankara also suspends incoming flights as Iranian authorities try to contain outbreak in countryCoronavirus – latest updatesTurkey and Pakistan have both closed their borders with Iran, with Turkey also halting incoming flights, in an effort to stop the potential spread of coronavirus after Iran reported 43 cases of the disease.All highways and railways were closed at the border between Turkey...

Could weather hold the secret to history's greatest ghost ship mystery?

An illustration of the Mary Celeste. Credit: Unconfirmed, possibly Honore Pellegrin (1800-c.1870). The "one in a million" ghost ship Alta that washed up on the shores of Ballycotton in County Cork, Ireland, on Sunday amid Storm Dennis stirred up references to the unforgettable true story of the most famous maritime mystery of all time: the Mary Celeste and her missing crew.The...

Caring for my brother after his brain injury showed me a world of compassion

Seeing the hidden world of care, after my beloved brother’s devastating accident, taught me about people’s remarkable strength and graceI often find myself thinking back to a fairly unremarkable afternoon in 2010. I was sitting in the day room of a care home while my older brother Miles slept beside me, in his wheelchair. Steve, one of the other severely brain-injured residents dotted around...

Coronavirus outbreak: special powers enacted in Italy after deaths – live news

Number of cases in north of the country jumps causing disruption to Milan fashion week and Serie A matches 11.51am GMT What’s happening and where? The World Health Organization (WHO) is worried about the number of cases with no clear link – including those with no travel history to China or contact with a confirmed case.However, the total number of cases outside China remains relatively...

Italy brings in draconian measures in effort to halt coronavirus spread

Measures include fines for anyone caught entering or leaving outbreak areasCoronavirus – latest updatesItalian authorities have implemented draconian measures to try to halt the coronavirus outbreak in the north of the country, including imposing fines on anyone caught entering or leaving outbreak areas, as cases of the virus in the country rose to more than 100.Police are patrolling 11 towns...