Coronavirus patients with light symptoms arriving to stay at several Tokyo hotels are likely to get a lift from a pleasant surprise - a robot greeter in the lobby.

Two NASA astronauts gearing up to ride SpaceX's new space taxi will now be on a mission planned to last more than a month, instead of a week, to help the short-handed crew aboard the International Space Station, the U.S. space agency said on Friday.

The Australian government on Monday set aside A$300 million ($191 million) to jumpstart hydrogen projects with the help of low-cost financing as the country aims to build the industry by 2030, the country's energy minister said on Monday.

The following is a brief roundup of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Scientists have solved a lingering mystery about koala behavior - how these tree-dwelling marsupials native to Australia consume enough water to live.

China on Tuesday successfully launched its largest carrier rocket, which was carrying a new-generation spacecraft, state broadcaster CCTV said.

The Kremlin on Wednesday said a U.S.-proposed legal blueprint for mining on the moon would need to be analysed thoroughly to check if it complies with international law.

The Trump administration is drafting a legal blueprint for mining on the moon under a new U.S.-sponsored international agreement called the Artemis Accords, people familiar with the proposed pact told Reuters.

A llama called Winter could prove useful in the hunt for a treatment for COVID-19, according to U.S. and Belgian scientists who have identified a tiny particle that appears to block the new coronavirus.

The days of English football's once notorious drinking culture are long gone and few professionals would now list the once obligatory 'steak and chips' as their favourite meal but things are moving to a different level entirely when it comes to what players used to call 'looking after yourself'.

The following is a brief roundup of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Astronomers have spotted the closest black hole to Earth ever discovered and are surprised about its living arrangements - residing harmoniously with two stars in a remarkable celestial marriage that may end in a nasty breakup.

BP Plc has won Australian government backing for a feasibility study into producing hydrogen using wind and solar power to split water and converting the hydrogen to ammonia in Western Australia.

At an outer suburban manufacturing plant, engineer Byron Kennedy is resetting a machine to spray-print a layer of copper on to a door handle, aiming to use the metal's antiviral properties to counter the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last "supermoon" of 2020 rose in the night sky on Thursday over a world beginning to re-emerge after weeks of coronavirus-related lockdowns.

Hydrogen has long been touted as a clean alternative to fossil fuels. Now, as major economies prepare green investments to kickstart growth, advocates spy a golden chance to drag the niche energy into the mainstream of a post-pandemic world.

The following is a brief roundup of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Six-times world champion Sebastien Loeb cruised to an easy victory in the Rally of Mexico on Sunday to move top of the drivers' standings after two races.

Team RadioShack rider Gert Steegmans broke his left collarbone when a whirlwind caused him to crash during the prologue of the Paris-Nice race on Sunday.

REUTERS - Men's tennis world rankings on Monday (last week's rankings in brackets):

REUTERS - Women's tennis world rankings on Monday (last week's rankings in brackets):

Lance Armstrong said he will take on the Tour de France this year as a better cyclist but is unsure if he can close the gap on reigning champion Alberto Contador.

Tournament favourites Australia advanced into the semi-finals of the men's hockey World Cup on Monday after they beat Pakistan 2-1 in a pulsating match to finish top of Pool B.

New Zealand's Greg Henderson won the 201.5-km first stage of Paris-Nice between St Arnoult-en-Yvelines and Contres on Monday.

The WTA said a new, reduced sponsorship agreement with Sony Ericsson in which the mobile handset maker loses its naming rights to the women's tennis Tour would give the governing body greater flexibility to grow.

REUTERS - Davis Cup world group first round scores between Chile and Israel in Coquimbo on Monday (* denotes new result).

Triple jump champion Phillips Idowu has pulled out of this week's world indoor championships in Doha after the late arrival of his baby son disrupted his preparations.

Tour de France champion Alberto Contador lost time on the leaders and suffered a painful knock to his leg when he crashed towards the end of the first stage of Paris-Nice on Monday.

Police expect to interview Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the next few days over a sexual assault allegation made by a Georgia woman, a local police chief said on Monday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers overcame the absence of LeBron James to earn a 97-95 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.

Kim Yuna's stunning win at last month's Winter Games will not only boost the career of the Olympic figure skating champion, it should help add several billion dollars to the South Korean economy.

WBC world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko will defend his title against Poland's Albert Sosnowski in Schalke's soccer stadium on May 29, the Ukrainian said on Tuesday.

Canada's Erik Guay won the final super-G of the season to snatch the Alpine ski World Cup title on Thursday.

Australian Olympic and world champion Steve Hooker turned his first indoor pole vault of the year into an easy qualifier at the IAAF world championships on Friday.

REUTERS - ATP World Tour rankings on Monday (last week's rankings in brackets):

European Union governments gave 14 states the go-ahead on Monday to simplify divorce rules for couples of different nationalities.

Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey Baldwin are opening up in an intimate series for Facebook Watch in which they discuss their marriage, their problems and their lives together.

Author Stephenie Meyer thrilled fans of her best-selling "Twilight" novels on Monday by announcing she will release a prequel that explores the characters' love story from the perspective of vampire Edward Cullen.

Oscar-winning "Jojo Rabbit" screenwriter Taika Waititi will direct and co-write a new "Star Wars" feature film for theaters, Walt Disney Co said on Monday.

A 1966 manuscript, on which a young Bob Dylan typed and wrote lyrics for a track on his "Blonde on Blonde" album and another song he later abandoned, went on sale at Sotheby's auction house from Tuesday.

Londoners locked out of galleries can find an alternative art fix on a wall under under some railway arches after street artist Lionel Stanhope painted a Caravaggio classic, updated for the coronavirus age.

Fox News Media, a unit of Fox Corp, said on Tuesday it has partnered with digital streaming services company Spotify Technology SA to distribute its podcast catalogue featuring more than 20 original series.

Action star Tom Cruise is working on a movie shot in outer space, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said on Tuesday.

Philippine legislators pushed on Wednesday to get the country's biggest broadcaster back on air, amid widespread shock and dismay over an order by the industry regulator for the station to cease operations after its 25-year licence expired.

The Men's Milan Fashion Week set for June will be postponed to mid-July and presented in purely digital format with photos and video to avoid the risk of coronavirus contagion, Italy's national fashion chamber said on Wednesday.

While most drama productions around world have stopped shooting during the coronavirus pandemic, a team in Britain headed by Oscar nominee Jeff Pope filmed a series of four short stories for television that are already being aired.

Television can fake it, movie audiences can wear masks, but a live theatre performance like "Romeo and Juliet" needs real actors kissing and fighting rivals in front of real people.

The real chief of the U.S. Space Force said on Wednesday he had hoped actor Bruce Willis would have played him on the upcoming Netflix show lampooning the military's newest branch of service - instead of comic actor Steve Carell.

Paris will hold a men's fashion week in virtual format from July 9 to July 13 for the Men Spring/Summer collections 2021, organisers said on Wednesday.

Florian Schneider, co-founder of pioneering German electronic band Kraftwerk, which influenced generations of pop and dance musicians with mesmerising tracks such as "Autobahn", has died of cancer aged 73, longtime bandmate Ralf Huetter said.