Data collected by Johns Hopkins University shows that the highest number of deaths from the disease have occurred in Italy where more than 18,800 have been recorded. The next worst-hit country is the United States with more than 17,900 deaths. Third is Spain, which has seen more than 15,8900 fatalities, followed by France with just over 12,200 and the United Kingdom where more than 8,900 people have died. In Italy and Spain, the rate of deaths is beginning to decrease....

For the paper published in the journal Nature Communications, scientists examined the 3D structure of a protein called nsp16 that the coronavirus creates. The team saw on an atomic level how the coronavirus uses the protein to change the way its genetic material is communicated, to protect it from the host as it tries to invade a cell. The change also allows it to mimic the genetic material of the cell it is entering so the host can’t distinguish it from its own....

Seismologists have said that since measures to curb the spread of the virus were put in place, there has been a noticeable drop in the planet’s “seismic noise.” This is the persistent vibration of the ground as a result of a multitude of factors, including human activity. These vibrations are recorded by seismometers—instruments that measure ground motion that are normally used to monitor events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The background seismic noise has to be taken into account when scientists are studying geological events....

The virus, which was first detected in China’s Wuhan city in the Hubei province, has now affected more than 127,000 people globally, more than 80,900 of whom are in China. More than 68,000 have also recovered from the virus and the global death toll is around 4,700, nearly 3,000 of which are in China, according to Johns Hopkins University. While the virus has spread to nearly 40 states, with new cases in California, New York and Louisiana....

First reported in China’s Wuhan city in the Hubei province, the COVID-19 virus has spread to around 116 countries, with some 4,700 deaths reported around the world. The majority of the confirmed cases (more than 80,000) are still in China and more than 68,000 people globally have recovered from the infection, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the virus a pandemic on Wednesday, expressing it is “deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction,” the WHO director-general, Dr....

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Wednesday an impending state order in regard to “mass gatherings” in the state of Ohio. That will include the NCAA men’s basketball tournament games, which will be closed to the public. The First Four will be on March 17-18. The first- and second-round games will run March 19-22. MORE: Coronavirus updates: Every sporting event canceled so far as COVID-19 spreads in United States, Canada...

The footage of a man lying dead on the floor of the emergency room at Cardarelli Hospital in Naples, from what may have been COVID-19, has sparked outrage across the country, as health officials announced they are investigating the death. Government officials called for “immediate intervention” as the pandemic batters Italy’s south, which emerged relatively unscathed from the first wave of COVID compared to the north. In the video, which scans an apparent hospital ward full of patients, the person filming can be heard saying: “This man is dead, this is Cardarelli Hospital....

According to the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee, part of the huge increase is because of land acquisitions and the stadium possibly having a retractable roof. MORE: NFL GM rankings | Harrison’s sworn affidavit perfect response The committee met Monday to also discuss the potential sites, which have been narrowed to nine. Raiders owner Mark Davis said he didn’t really care where the stadium was built but did indicate he would much prefer a retractable roof....

Cotton and other Republicans were furious after MLB reacted to the passage of the GOP voting bill by moving the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver earlier this year—a move that was reported to have cost Georgia $100 million. Cotton compared the decision to the league not officially commenting on reports of the Cuban government cracking down on protesters this week. “@MLB had strong feelings about ballot dropboxes in Georgia,” Cotton tweeted....

The Real Clear Politics average of national polls through December 19, showed former Vice President Joe Biden with a commanding lead, as he held 27.8 percent of support among Democratic primary voters. Sanders followed with 19.3 percent, while Warren lagged about 4 points behind with 15.2 percent and Buttigieg trailed in the single digits with just 8.3 percent. Notably, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire who entered the race just last month, is polling at 5 percent, in fifth place overall....

This time around, there will be no fighting, no slamming his former employers. Arena knew the deal the second he heard the final whistle Tuesday night and realized he had become the first coach in more than 30 years to fail to lead the U.S. to a World Cup. He didn’t need U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati to tell him he was fired. He knew, and he resigned on Friday....

Jakub Kumoch, head of the Polish president’s International Policy Bureau, told the Polish TVN24 channel that the missile’s self-destruct system did not work, “and this missile unfortunately led to a tragedy.” NATO and Western leaders also believe the missile came from Ukraine, though they have stressed that they view Russia as the responsible party. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed back on suggestions that the rocket was fired by his country....

Could you keep it together during a UEFA Champions League semi-final against your most fierce rivals? Mastercard selected two of the most passionate fans and challenged them to keep their heart rates below 80bpm in last week’s UEFA Champions League semi-finals. If they could keep their cool, the lucky duo would win tickets to the second leg of this epic final-four clash. It took just six minutes for the for Atletico Madrid fan Jose Arqueros’ heart rate to fly up to 120bpm, and a few minutes later Real supporter Rodrigo Perez hit 135bpm as Cristiano Ronaldo headed his side into an early lead....

Excessive thirst Excessive hunger Blurry vision Frequent urination (you wake 3 or more times in the night to urinate) Fatigue (particularly after eating) Feeling irritable Wounds that don’t heal or heal slowly Note that Type 2 diabetes is acquired in one’s life, most often related to poor lifestyle choices, versus Type 1 diabetes which is a condition that most often presents in childhood in which the pancreas simply cannot make use of insulin due to a lack of beta cells....

Sally and Adam Irujo were married in Providence, Rhode Island, which saw more than 19 inches of snow as a result of the blizzard—“the fourth-largest snowstorm the city has ever recorded,” AccuWeather noted. Despite being “literally” snowed into their hotel earlier that day, the couple decided nothing would stop them from exchanging their vows. “We’ve been planning it for 14 months,” Adam told NBC 10 News. “We have a few cutting boards with this date on it, a couple [of] mugs and a marriage license with it on it,” Sally added....

Tracey Leonard and Adrian Dickens got married on Monday, February 14, in daughter Mandy’s NICU room at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR), in Virginia. Family members were unable to attend the ceremony because of COVID restrictions, but Leonard said that the premature birth had given the couple “a new focus.” Around 380,000 babies are born prematurely in the U.S. each year, according to March of Dimes. Some 10....

Mark and Patricia McCloskey submitted the claim in response to a September request made to the Missouri Supreme Court to suspend the pair’s law licenses. The couple was outside with their daughter on June 28, 2020, when demonstrators protesting after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis passed by. Thinking that the protesters were too close to their house and ignoring signs about their street being private, the McCloskeys pointed their guns at the group until it passed, with no shots fired....

In the decision, the panel of judges stated that the plaintiffs who brought the case—four registered voters from Somerset County, Pennsylvania—lacked standing and upheld the district judge’s decision to deny last-minute injunctive relief just before Election Day on the grounds that it would confuse voters and disturb “the settled expectations of voters and election officials.” “Even were we to conclude that Plaintiffs have standing, we could not say that the District Court abused its discretion in concluding on this record that the Supreme Court’s election law jurisprudence counseled against injunctive relief,” the court documents said....

“This is a huge victory,” Lee Gelernt, the attorney overseeing the case and deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project, told Newsweek. “As a practical matter, [the government] will now have to give screenings or hearings for anybody who was seeking protection from persecution or torture.” While the court ruled that Title 42 could remain in place, it ruled that “the Executive [branch] cannot expel aliens to countries where their ’life or freedom would be threatened....

The 58-year-old was part of the Jamaican bobsleigh team that captured the hearts of sports fans across the world after qualifying for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. Clayton, who is survived by his wife, Annie, a daughter, three sons and three grandchildren, was not part of the four-man team that crashed on the final run in Calgary, but former teammate Devon Harris described him as having a major influence on the team....