The Horn News

Proudly American, Fiercely Independent

Great Barrier Reef explodes in color as corals spawn

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is spawning in an explosion of color as the World Heritage-listed natural wonder recovers from life-threatening coral bleaching episodes. Scientists on Tuesday night recorded the corals fertilizing billions of offspring by casting sperm and eggs into the Pacific Ocean off the Queensland state coastal city of… Read More

Europe remains only region with more COVID, 11% rise since Oct

The World Health Organization said that coronavirus cases jumped by 11% in Europe in the last week, the only region in the world where COVID-19 has continued to increase since mid-October. In its weekly assessment of the pandemic released on Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said cases and deaths globally… Read More

WHO issues warning about Europe’s surge in COVID

The World Health Organization’s Europe office says projections show its 53-country region could face another 700,000 deaths in the coronavirus pandemic by next spring, topping 2 million in total. WHO Europe, which is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, also cited growing evidence of a decline in protection against infection and mild… Read More

Missing the point: Man, 37, drives to driving test

A man in Germany has discovered the hard way that it’s best to get a driving license first before trying to use it. Police in Bergheim, near Cologne, said Tuesday that the 37-year-old drove himself to his driving test, parking an Opel Zafira outside the test center in front of… Read More

NASA delays launch of space telescope due to… incident

The European Space Agency says the launch of a new NASA telescope to replace the famed Hubble observatory is being postponed to allow experts to check the device for possible damage following an incident at its spaceport in French Guiana. The ESA said in a statement late Monday that technicians… Read More

Liberal leader widely criticized after testing COVID-positive

The prime minister of France, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, is being singled out on social media and beyond as an example of what not to do in the pandemic. Multiple videos are being circulated of a maskless Prime Minister Jean Castex vigorously shaking hands with elected officials… Read More

Higher prices? Visa to raise transaction fees on Amazon

Customers are caught in the middle of a growing dispute between Amazon and Visa over transaction fees. The online retail giant moved this week to stop shoppers from using Visa credit cards issued in the United Kingdom starting next year, the latest salvo in a battle between payment networks and… Read More

EU to increase funds for chip production amid global shortage

The European Commission said Thursday that it could approve aid to fund production of semiconductors in the 27-nation bloc amid a global chip shortage and intense worldwide competition to fill the need. The EU’s executive arm expects that the scarcity of semiconductors — a key component in everything from smartphones… Read More

Researchers make breakthrough discovery with fetal tissue

Scientists have been able to get a rare glimpse into a crucial, early stage of human development by analyzing an embryo in its third week after fertilization — a moment in time that has been difficult to study because of both practical and ethical considerations. European researchers looked at a… Read More

Iran-backed hackers accused of targeting US health care

Hackers linked to the Iranian government have been targeting a “broad range of victims” inside the United States, including by deploying ransomware, according to an advisory issued Wednesday by American, British and Australian officials. The advisory says that in recent months, Iran has exploited computer vulnerabilities exposed by hackers before… Read More