People around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year on Tuesday with festivities, while the United States military increased its presence in West Africa and near Iran, and vaccine research faced setbacks. The Year of the Horse was ushered in with prayers, fireworks, and street festivals, according to ABC News, while the U.S. military deployed troops to Nigeria and increased its naval presence near Iran. Meanwhile, vaccine development faced challenges, as reported by the New York Times.
In China and other East Asian nations, the Lunar New Year, the most important annual holiday, was marked with traditional celebrations. The festivities included a televised show featuring humanoid robots, as highlighted by ABC News.
Simultaneously, approximately 100 U.S. troops and military equipment arrived in Nigeria on Monday to support local forces battling Islamic militants, as stated by Fox News. This deployment was part of a broader security cooperation effort between Washington and Abuja, with more personnel expected to arrive.
Near Iran, the U.S. continued to exert pressure. The BBC reported that the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier carrying 90 aircraft, including F-35 fighters, was tracked near Iran using satellite imagery. U.S. and Iranian officials were scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Tuesday for a second round of talks, focusing on Iran's nuclear program and the potential lifting of economic sanctions.
In the realm of vaccine development, several companies faced challenges. Moderna scaled back vaccine studies in Massachusetts, while a small company in Texas canceled plans for a new factory, and another manufacturing company in San Diego laid off workers, according to the New York Times. These setbacks followed concerns from public health experts after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was picked in November 2024 to become the next health secretary. Executives and investors involved with vaccine development described the emerging consequences of the Trump administration's policies at conferences and in interviews, as reported by the NY Times.
In sports, Eileen Gu, the American-born skier competing for China, secured a silver medal in the women's freeski big air competition at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, as reported by Fox News.
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