As previously reported by Newsweek, Dr. Angelique Coetzee said she observed the different symptoms in patients who came into her office in Pretoria, South Africa. Dr. Coetzee said the symptoms she witnessed in patients infected with the Omicron variant, identified as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday, included intense fatigue and a high pulse rate. What the South African doctor, who chairs the South African Medical Association, said she did not observe is the loss of taste and smell that has been associated with other COVID variants....

Little is known about Omicron, the variant that has dominated headlines for the past several days after scientists voiced concerns about its vast number of mutations compared to previous forms of COVID. Experts believe Omicron is concerning because it has over 30 mutations on the part of its genome that codes for its spike protein, which it uses to invade cells. It is feared this could make it better and spreading and resistant to immunity....

If it happens at all, Desert Storm II would not be a replay of the first conflict. Saddam’s army, battered so badly in 1991, is less than half its former size - though in this ease, smaller also means leaner and better organized. The United States and its allies are far better prepared than they were four years ago, when they were caught napping. This time, U.S. forces and stockpiled military equipment are already on hand in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the waters offshore....

Few countries promote culture and the arts like Germany. In many places around the world, shrinking public budgets and rising commercial pressures have marginalized all but the most successful artists. Germany, on the other hand, is still awash with largesse–in the form of state-funded cultural venues and other support for the arts. Despite recent cuts, the country still boasts 324 major orchestras and theaters, along with low, subsidized ticket prices....

The apparent contradiction of targeting both cigarettes and vaping, when the latter reduces the harm of the former, sent many reeling. But it’s characteristic of the administration’s often incoherent moves in this area. The administration, and the FDA specifically, needs to articulate a sensible strategy for reducing harm from addictive nicotine products. If laws like the 2009 Tobacco Control Act are forcing FDA to take actions contrary to public health, the administration should say so....

“The Electoral College has spoken,” McConnell said, before adding he wanted to “congratulate the President-elect Joe Biden” and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. “What a terrible move. He just lost his speakership. Now Nancy [Pelosi] can impeach him,” wrote one Parler user about the news. Others called him a traitor or a RINO (Republican in name only), while hashtags like #cocainemitch and #moscowmitch became popular. Republican lawmakers have begun recognizing Biden’s victory following Monday’s Electoral College vote, though some holdouts said they will wait for Congress to certify the Electoral College results on January 6....

Addressing a full house of 600 students and faculty, the man who has called the Holocaust “a myth” and urged the “elimination” of Israel, spoke at the university’s World Leaders Forum ahead of his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly, scheduled for tomorrow. Students and faculty who had preregistered for this rare event poured into Columbia’s Lerner Auditorium some two hours before Ahmadinejad’s arrival. But in the end it was less the Iranian president’s speech than the introductory remarks from Columbia’s president, Lee Bollinger—an expert in free speech and First Amendment rights—that may have stolen the show....

In averages of numerous polls available on RealClearPolitics since his January 2017 inauguration, Trump’s job approval rating has remained relatively consistent, but he has clearly failed to win over the majority of Americans. Even polls such as Rasmussen Reports, which seem to be consistently more favorable to the president, do not show a consistently positive swing in favor of Trump. A series of scandals including the Mueller investigation on Russian interference in the 2016 election and the recent and ongoing impeachment inquiry do not seem to have significantly changed the opinions of those polled....

First, let’s get to the retirement. In a statement, Underwood discussed the difficulty of stepping down from the role that he’s held since 2015. “When I am asked what’s the most important thing that I’ll remember from the time I’ve spent in the National Football League, it will be all the great people that I have gotten to work with,” he said. “Stepping away from something you love is never easy....

Fearing for its independence, Hong Kong’s legal profession is fighting back. Last week, judges handed down three rulings challenging Beijing-backed positions taken by the Hong Kong government. Lawyers are planning a silent march to protest Beijing’s intervention. “What we’re witnessing,” says Yash Ghai, a University of Hong Kong law professor, “is the last gasp of the judiciary.” Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” formula is supposed to protect the city’s independence from Beijing’s meddling....

Gordie Howe, known as “Mr. Hockey,” the sport’s best player starting in the 1960s, and Wayne Gretzky, nicknamed “The Great One” after rewriting the National Hockey League record books in the ’90s, are prominently featured throughout much of the 60,000-square-foot building. As millions across the world enjoy the Stanley Cup Playoffs that will ultimately crown an NHL champion this month, the Hockey Hall of Fame takes on an even bigger meaning for visitors....

Data from NASA’s Center for Near Earth Studies (CNEOS) shows that the space rock, dubbed 418135 (2008 AG33), will make a close approach to the Earth toward the end of April. At 2:46 a.m. UTC on April 28, or 10:46 p.m. EDT on April 27, the asteroid will come within around two million miles of our planet—a relatively close shave in astronomical terms, albeit one in which there is no risk of a collision with the Earth....

The stuffed toy is a five-ounce version of the beagle wearing a space suit that was designed according to NASA’s strict requirements. Snoopy will have an important job on the Artemis I unmanned mission. Stuffed animals are used on flights to indicate the spacecraft has entered space’s zero gravity. They identify this when the toys start to float. The items won’t break anything or accidentally push buttons since they are soft and light, The Associated Press reported....

One game. That’s the message he tried to deliver after No. 14 Tennessee broke an 11-game losing streak against No. 19 Florida with a 38-28 win at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Jones tried to deflect the focus from self-validation to program recognition. “It’s the hard work that everyone has put into it,” Jones said. “Again, it’s just one game. We’re going to be challenged again next week. I’m happy for our fan base....

Much the way “Google” became a common verb, the term “Googlegänger” has caught on with a generation defined not so much by their accomplishments as by how Google-able those accomplishments are. A Googlegänger, they’re finding, can be friend or foe or a bit of both. Matthew Slutsky considers his virtual double, for instance, to be a rival in a race to the top of the Google hit list. “Knowing that he’s out there keeps me on my toes,” says the 26-year-old Washington political blogger....

Despite releasing in movie theaters in the COVID-19 era, the third MCU Spider-Man film has broken into the top ten highest grossing movies of all time. Not content with just breaking into the top ten, at the time of writing (January 11, 2022) Spider-Man: No Way Home is the eighth highest grossing movie ever. With a current total gross of $1,535,856,116 according to Box Office Mojo, Spider-Man: No Way Home knocked Frozen II out of the top ten list of highest grossing movies, and is above Furious 7 and The Avengers....

Last season, Onyekuru netted 22 goals for Eupen in the Belgian topflight which swayed the Toffees for his signature in the summer but was immediately loaned out to Anderlecht due to work permit issues. And the Senegalese striker who worked in tandem with the Nigerian in the Pandas’ attack last campaign said although the 20-year-old has been churning out impressive performances for the Purple and Whites, his heart is set on an early return to Goodison Park....

Average speed: one-third of an inch per second. In comparison, Dale Earnhardt Jr. during that time drove more than 97,000 laps in NASCAR’s top series. Distances range from just more than a half-mile to 2.5 miles per lap. At speeds up to about 200 mph. Cliff Lee, a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, threw more than 2,090 innings. At a minimum of nine pitches per inning, that’s 18,810 pitches … at 60 feet, 6 inches for 1,138,005 feet … for 216....

The county has the third-highest number of infections in the state, after Los Angeles County and Riverside County. It also has the fifth-highest daily case count (1,019), among all California counties, as of Tuesday, according to the state government website. Orange County reported a 44.2 percent increase in new cases and 39 percent increase in new deaths on July 21, compared with the figures reported 14 days prior, according to the latest report Tuesday on the state government website....