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An American Catholic church body on Tuesday urged its followers to avoid the coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson, alleging that it was “developed, tested and produced using abortion-derived cell lines.” The US Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Catholics to choose between the alternatives offered by Pfizer and Moderna because the J&J vaccine raised questions about “moral permissibility.”

Source: independent

When he netted Juventus' third goal in a 3-0 victory against Spezia on Tuesday, Ronaldo became the first player to score at least 20 goals over 12 consecutive seasons in Europe's top five leagues.

Source: cnn.com

At least 10 rockets targeted a military base in western Iraq that hosts U.S.-led coalition troops on Wednesday, the coalition and the Iraqi military said. The rockets struck Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province at 7:20 a.m., spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto said. Later, the Iraqi military released a statement saying the attack did not cause significant losses and that security forces had found the launch pad used for the missiles.

Source: apnews.com

The plane bound for Doha, Qatar was forced to return to the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum. The 'aggressive' animal had somehow got into the cockpit prior to take-off, according to local media reports.

Source: dailymail

The details surrounding the deadly accident in rural California on Tuesday are still unclear, but what is known is that an SUV was struck by a semitruck towing two trailers -- and at least 13 people were killed in the fierce collision.

Source: cnn.com

South Korean authorities said on Wednesday they are investigating the deaths of two people after a media report said the pair - both with pre-existing conditions - died within days of receiving AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. A 63-year-old nursing home patient with cerebrovascular disease developed symptoms, including high fever, after being given the AstraZeneca vaccine. The person died after showing symptoms of blood poisoning and pneumonia. Another person in their 50s with a cardiac disorder and diabetes died on Wednesday after suffering multiple heart attacks, having received the same vaccine a day earlier.

Source: reuters.com

The Tokyo Olympic Games organising committee is set to add 12 new female directors to its executive board. The move comes weeks after long-time president Yoshiro Mori was forced to quit for making sexist remarks. His female replacement, Seiko Hashimoto, aims to have women make up 40% of the board members.

Source: bbc.com

The kitefin shark, the blackbelly lanternshark, and the southern lanternshark were found during a survey off the Chatham rise, an oceanic area off New Zealand's east coast, in January 2020. Among the three glowing sharks, the kitefin shark is now the largest-known luminous underwater creature. The shark is usually found swimming 300 meters below sea level and preys on smaller sharks, ground fish and crustaceans.

Source: nbcnews.com

Reggae artist and three-time Grammy winner found worldwide fame alongside Bob Marley in the early 1970s. Born Neville Livingston in 1947 in Kingston, he and Marley became friends as toddlers, and formed the Wailers in 1963, which settled into a core trio of the pair alongside Peter Tosh.

Source: theguardian.com

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and other high-ranking Saudi officials have been accused of committing crimes against humanity in a criminal complaint filed in Germany by Reporters without Borders (RSF), the press freedom group.

Source: theguardian.com

A Porsche that belonged to footballing legend Diego Maradona has been put up for auction and valued between $180,000 and $240,000. The silver Porsche 911 was delivered new to Maradona in November 1992 while he was playing for Spanish side Sevilla during what was his final season in Europe.

Source: cnn.com

Volvo says it will make only electric vehicles by 2030. But if you want one, you’ll have to buy it online. The Swedish automaker said Tuesday that it is phasing out the production of all cars with internal combustion engines — including hybrids.

Source: apnews.com

Police in Sri Lanka said Monday they have arrested two people in connection with the death of a 9-year-old girl who was repeatedly beaten during a ritual they believed would drive away an evil spirit. The two suspects - the woman performing the exorcism and the girl's mother - appeared in court on Monday to hear charges over the girl's death. The mother believed her daughter had been possessed by a demon and took her to the home of the exorcist so a ritual could be performed to drive the spirit away.

Source: foxnews.com

A group of nearly 300 girls who were kidnapped from a school in north-western Nigeria last week have been released. The girls were abducted by unidentified gunmen from their boarding school on Friday and taken to a forest. The state's governor said on Tuesday that the group had been freed and the girls were now safe. Such kidnappings are carried out for ransom and are common in the north.

Source: bbc.com

Alibaba and Ant Group founder Jack Ma has lost the title of China’s richest man as his peers prospered while his empire was put under heavy scrutiny by Chinese regulators.

Source: reuters.com

Work is due to start on the world's first 'space hotel' in low Earth orbit in 2025. Developed by the Orbital Assembly Corporation (OAC), the Voyager Station could be operational as early as 2027, with the infrastructure built in orbit around the Earth.

Source: dailymail

Authorities are investigating vandalism and a fire at a Buddhist temple in the Little Tokyo section of downtown Los Angeles. The incident comes amid a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Source: nbcnews.com

The fourth-eldest son and heir apparent of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is the spitting image of his father. “My mum loves painting, and so does one of my sisters. My uncle was also a very good artist. So the need to draw and paint runs in my blood”,-Omar bin Laden explained. Over the past 12 months he has painted more than a dozen original works, all of them completed in the style of art naif, with vibrant colours and flat, expressionistic brushstrokes.

Source: vice.com