A new malaria vaccine trial is kicking off in Burkina Faso, coffee can actually be good for you and a sequel to "The Flintstones" is finally underway. DW zooms in on happy stories from around the world.
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New malaria vaccine first to reach WHO efficacy demand
A malaria vaccine trial in Burkina Faso has shown promising results for the fight against the disease, which killed more than 400,000 people in 2019.
The results of the trial, published on Preprints with The Lancet and currently awaiting peer review, showed that the R21/Matrix-M vaccine had 77% efficacy over 12 months of follow-up.
It is the first vaccine to meet the World Health Organization's (WHO) Malaria Vaccine Technology Roadmap goal of a vaccine with at least 75% efficacy.
"It's an early-stage trial, the data from that trial is very encouraging but it's a [small] number of children and so it provides clear justification to go on to bigger trials in other locations," Julian Rayner, a malaria researcher and the director of the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research at the University of Cambridge in the UK, told DW.
Chloe Zhao makes history at Oscars
Chinese film director Chloe Zhao won the Oscar for best picture for Nomadland, becoming the first Asian woman, the first woman of color and the second woman in the Oscar's 93-year history to win the prize.
Nomadland follows the story of a woman who embarks on a journey through the American West, living out of her van.
Born in Beijing, Zhao's own journey took her to the Badlands of Wyoming, then to Los Angeles before becoming one of the most in-demand directors in show business.
Coffee could actually be good for you!
Drinking up to six cups of caffeinated coffee a day is good for your heart and may even protect against cancer, a long-term study in Spain has suggested.
Researchers from Valencia Nutritional Study followed a group of 1,567 people, aged 20 years and older, over an 18-year period.
Their findings suggest that drinking between one and six-and-a-half cups of coffee per day can lower your risk of cancer and what scientists call "all-cause" mortality, meaning death for any reason.
Drinking coffee regularly, if not daily, is supposed to be good for your liver, even reducing the risk of liver cirrhosis — a scarring of the organ through conditions like hepatitis or chronic alcoholism.
But be warned, "moderation" is the keyword, the Spanish researchers said.
Pooches and pugs through the lens
Dog and photography lovers will be happy to hear that German publishing house DuMont has released a photobook containing stunning Magnum pictures of our furry friends from around the world.
From the streets of Tbilisi in Georgia to the streets of Kabul in Afghanistan, these beautiful photographs capturing the lives of dogs and their owners are sure to bring comfort and joy to many.
Magnum photographers spotlight dogs in photobook
Every dog has its own kind of character and personality. Magnum photographers captured them in images in a photobook published by DuMont.
Image: Thomas Höpker/Magnum Photos
'Cool baby!'
Thomas Hoepker, born in 1936, became famous as a photojournalist for "Stern" magazine. For a time, he was the art director there. In 1989, Hoepker became the first German to become a full member of the renowned Magnum photo agency. While Hoepker's trademark was his subtle take on people and animals, he also created playful shots, such as this one taken in the streets of New York in 1983.
Image: Thomas Höpker/Magnum Photos
A dog's life in Kabul
In Afghanistan, people rarely have pet dogs like in Europe. The four-legged friends live freely on the streets, often in close companionship with humans who feed them. This man, whom Steve McCurry photographed in Kabul in 2003, built a special means of transportation for his dog.
Image: Steve McCurry/Magnum Photos
Favorite lap dogs
Dogs are quite popular in Hollywood, especially if they are small, cute and easy to care for. It's also helpful if they can fit into a handbag to travel along to a film set. For some stars, the cuddly animals have been a source of comfort in lonely and difficult times. Here, actress Jayne Mansfield was photographed by the German Magnum photographer Inge Morath in 1959.
Image: Inge Morath/Magnum Photos
Heel! in Russia
Every country in the world has its unique relationship with dogs and other domestic animals. In Russia, there are many wild or feral dogs in the outskirts of big cities. But when they are humans' companions, discipline and obedience are required. This is evident in this photo by Magnum photographer Harry Gruyaert, which he brought back from Moscow in 1989.
Image: Harry Gruyaert/Magnum Photos
On your mark, get set...
When it comes to beauty, it can be a lot of hard work, even for dogs. And competition is fierce: Every hair must be in place, the dog's gaze directed in a friendly way to the jury. For the Windsor Championship Dog Show in Great Britain, which Martin Parr observed with his camera in 2007, dogs train for months for the big event.
Image: Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
And I'm off...
Children and dogs are a welcome subject for professional photographers. Magnum photographer Jean Gaumy was in exactly the right place at just the right time in a small town near the Somme River in northern France in 1985 to be able to capture this image. You can feel the story behind the picture: And see the terror that ran through the little boy when he lost his dog's leash on the street.
Image: Jean Gaumy/Magnum Photos
Intimidation
Dogs have distinctive facial expressions and body language. This canine is clearly suspicious of a crocodile with big scary teeth in a zoo pool. Raised hackles are a clear sign of fear and anxiety. His owner just gives the sluggish crocodile a sideways glance. Magnum reporter Richard Kalvar shot this photo in 1989 in Nimes, France.
Image: Richard Kalvar/Magnum Photos
Man's best friend
An everyday street scene in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia — a photo that tells a story of hardship and poverty, with cracked sidewalks and a little girl in the background. The viewer can't see his face, but it is clear the man is proud of the little pooch he presented to photographer Cristina Carcia Rodero in 1995.
Image: Cristina Garcia Rodero/Magnum Photos
The Lady is a dog...
The scene photographed by Magnum photographer Dennis Stock in one of the notorious back rooms in New York in 1959 could have been from a American gangster movie. "Important" men having "important" conversations: Deals are made, negotiations are tough, offers are made that cannot be refused. The classy dog smiling on the table probably belongs to the boss of the bosses.
Image: Dennis Stock/Magnum Photos
Dog pack social order
Every pack, every dog-owner relationship has a social order — there is one leader of the pack. It is evident in this photograph by Magnum photographer David Hurn. In 2002, he was out on the beach in San Diego with his camera when he spotted this group of aged dogs, some of them a bit overweight. All have their place in the dog formation, including the woman taking them for a stroll.
Image: David Hurn/Magnum Photos
Cheese!
A resemblance between owner and dog appeals to every photographer. In 1948, Wayne Miller could not resist this couple at the Westminster Kennel Club in New York, either. The facial expressions of the woman and her four-legged friend with the overbite shows they really are close buddies.
Image: Wayne Miller/Magnum Photos
What a boring day…
Eve Arnold became a member of Magnum in 1957. She likes to interact with the people or animals she photographs before she takes a picture, which wasn't too successful in the case of this mutt in New Jersey/USA. "It's the photographer who takes the photos, not the camera," was her philosophy. All of the above photos were taken from the Dumont publisher's 2021 photobook, "Hunde."
Image: Eve Arnold/Magnum Photos
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'Yabba dabba doo!'
The upcoming sequel to The Flintstones is sure to take many down memory lane.
Titled Bedrock, the new animated series will revisit the Flintstone family two decades after the events of the original show. The Stone Age is about to be replaced by an enlightened new Bronze Age. Fred Flintstone faces retirement, while his daughter, Pebbles, is now a 20-year-old embarking on her own career.
The sequel is officially being developed by Fox Entertainment and is sure to bring back a lot of nostalgia.
The Flintstones was the most financially successful and longest-running network animated television series until Matt Groening's The Simpsons debuted in late 1989.