WHO delivers Omicron warning asking unvaccinated people to cancel travel By: AFP on December 1, 2021The WHO said Tuesday that those not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 who are also vulnerable to the disease, including over-60s, should put off travel to areas with community transmission. The World Health Organization also said blanket travel bans would not stop the spread of the Omicron variant. The new Covid-19 variant of concern, which the WHO says poses a “very high” risk globally, has prompted many countries […]
Moderna CEO says existing vaccines may be less effective against Omicron variant By: AFP on November 30, 2021HONG KONG: It will take months to develop a new shot of COVID-19 vaccine that works against the Omicron variant as the existing vaccines will be less effective against the new strain, the head of US vaccine manufacturer Moderna has told Financial Times. Stephane Bancel told the newspaper in an interview published Tuesday that data would […]
Coronavirus to become ‘part of the furniture’ in near future: US disease expert By: AFP on November 30, 2021The only thing that can hamper the coronavirus from turning into another endemic that humans are living with, are two factors: inequality in vaccine distribution and worse variants. Even as countries scramble to address a new worrying virus variant and Europe battles a winter resurgence, health experts say that taming the pandemic over the next […]
Moderna says it will develop booster shot for new Covid variant By: AFP on November 27, 2021The US pharmaceutical company Moderna said Friday it will develop a booster shot against the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. It is one of three strategies the company is working to address the new threat, including a higher dose of its existing vaccine, Moderna said. “The mutations in the Omicron variant are concerning and for several days, we have been moving as fast as possible to execute our strategy […]
Snowboarding baby steals hearts and headlines in China By: AFP on November 26, 2021At just 11 months old, Wang Yuji can’t even walk, but she is already snowboarding and taking the slopes — and the internet — by storm. The smallest of all the riders at a resort near Beijing, which is set to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in just a few months, Yuji is clipped into tiny boots by her […]
Transgender doctor and Instagram star fights bigotry By: AFP on November 25, 2021Transgender activist, surgeon in training and Instagram influencer: at just 24, Indian doctor Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju has worn many hats. But one thing has remained constant. “I was always the woman I am,” she told AFP. But few saw her as she wanted to be seen. Instead, from the age of four, Gummaraju was bullied and shamed every time she […]
Sweden’s PM-elect resigns hours after being appointed By: AFP on November 25, 2021Sweden‘s Prime Minister-elect Magdalena Andersson on Wednesday handed in her resignation hours after being appointed by parliament, after her budget failed to pass and the junior Green Party quit the coalition government. While her stint was unexpectedly brief, Andersson made history by becoming the first woman elected to the post of prime minister in Sweden — she was to formally take over on Friday. […]
Sweden’s parliament set to elect first woman PM By: AFP on November 24, 2021Sweden‘s parliament looks set to elect Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson as the country’s first woman prime minister on Wednesday, hours after she clinched a last-minute deal securing key support. The 54-year-old, who took over as leader of the Social Democrats earlier this month, reached a deal with the Left Party late on Tuesday to raise pensions in exchange for its backing in […]
US says it will resume talks with Taliban next week By: AFP on November 24, 2021The United States will resume talks with the Taliban next week in Qatar, addressing among other issues the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The American delegation will be led by the US special representative for Afghanistan, Tom West, for the planned two weeks of discussions, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday. The two sides will discuss “our vital […]
Biden invites Pakistan, India, others to summit on democracy By: AFP on November 24, 2021US President Joe Biden has invited around 110 countries to a virtual summit on democracy in December, including major Western allies but also Iraq, India and Pakistan, according to a list posted on the State Department website on Tuesday. China, the United States’ principal rival, is not invited, while Taiwan is — a move that risks angering Beijing. Turkey, which like America […]