Internet providers in Myanmar, including state-owned telecom MPT, were blocking access to Facebook Inc.-owned services in the country on Thursday, days after military leaders seized power in a coup.A letter posted online by the Ministry of Communications and Information overnight said Facebook would be blocked until February 7 for the sake of “stability.”Some users in … continue reading -> “Myanmar Internet Providers Block Facebook Services After Government Order”
UNICEF has announced a deal with the Serum Institute of India to produce 1.1 billion doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford and Novavax vaccines at a cost of $3 per dose. “This is, of course, just an initial tranche of COVAX vaccines. More will follow. We will continue to work on the supply agreements to meet the … continue reading -> “1.1 Billion-Dose Vaccine Deal Announced for Poorest Countries”
Israel has announced it is opening its coronavirus vaccination campaign to anyone over the age of 16, as one-third of the population has already received the first dose. But in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority has received just 2,000 doses from Israel that went to front-line health care workers. Palestinians hope … continue reading -> “Israel Immunizes Against Coronavirus as Palestinians Wait”
The test launch and landing of a SpaceX Starship prototype Tuesday ended in a crash for the second time since December. The bullet-shaped 50-meter-tall SN-9 Starship rocket, a product of entrepreneur Elon Musk’s private space company, lifted off as planned from the southern Texas launch site and traveled 10 kilometers into the sky before making … continue reading -> “SpaceX Rocket Prototype Crash Lands During Test”
The recent pledge by General Motors to produce all electric vehicles by 2035, except for heavy duty trucks, is expected to give a huge boost to the move away from gasoline-fueled cars. Mike O’Sullivan reports on what analysts say is a global trend. …
Mexico’s regulatory agency approved emergency use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, shortly after Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell announced Tuesday the country’s plan to combat the novel coronavirus would involve use of the vaccine. The Associated Press reports Mexico is launching its vaccination program as its capital, Mexico City, is struggling to accommodate a growing number of coronavirus patients and provide adequate oxygen to hospitals. Meantime, Lopez-Gattel said the first batches of the 7.4 … continue reading -> “Mexico Grants Emergency Use of Russia Vaccine to Fight Coronavirus”
China put 38.4 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired power capacity into operation in 2020, according to new international research, more than three times the amount built elsewhere around the world and potentially undermining its short-term climate goals. The country won praise last year after President Xi Jinping pledged to make the country “carbon neutral” by 2060. … continue reading -> “Study: China’s New Coal Power Plant Capacity in 2020 More Than 3 Times Rest of World’s”
The White House announced Tuesday new measures to increase the rate of vaccinations against COVID-19, including distributing vaccines to select pharmacies across the country. “Building on last week’s announcement, the Biden-Harris Administration will increase overall, weekly vaccine supply to states, Tribes, and territories to 10.5-million doses nationwide beginning this week,” a statement from the White House … continue reading -> “Biden Announces Increase in COVID-19 Vaccines”
Amazon.com Inc. on Tuesday said founder Jeff Bezos would step down as CEO and become executive chairman, as the company reported its third consecutive record profit and quarterly sales above $100 billion for the first time. The transition, slated for the third quarter, will make current cloud computing chief Andy Jassy Amazon’s next chief executive officer. Net … continue reading -> “Amazon’s Bezos to Step Down as CEO”
Britain launched an emergency program of door-to-door testing in several areas Tuesday following the discovery of hundreds of cases of the coronavirus variant, first identified in South Africa, which scientists say could be more resistant to vaccines. Mobile testing units were deployed to several regions, including parts of central and suburban London, while firefighter units … continue reading -> “Britain Battles Mutant Coronavirus Outbreak”
South Africa’s president delivered a rare shot of good news to people in the continent’s coronavirus hotspot: the nation’s second wave appears to be abating, and the government will soon launch a vaccination campaign for health workers. The Monday address, delivered live on national television, was a departure from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s usual tone. For nearly … continue reading -> “South Africa Sees 2 Good Breaks in Coronavirus Fight “
Nigerian authorities are pledging to provide more protection for healthcare workers following an increase in COVID-19 cases among the group. Chikwe Ihekweazu, director-general of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control Ihekweazu, said Monday the positive coronavirus test of 75 healthcare workers in the past week is worrisome. Ihkekweazu is urging healthcare personnel to … continue reading -> “Nigeria to Add More Protection for Healthcare Workers Following Surge in COVID Infections”
The head of the Tokyo Olympics expressed confidence Tuesday the event will go forward this year despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said discussions should be about how and not whether the Olympics will happen. “We will hold the Olympics, regardless of how the coronavirus [situation] looks,” Mori said. The Summer Games were originally scheduled … continue reading -> “Tokyo Olympics Chief Says Games Will Go On Despite Coronavirus “
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said medical regulators will begin testing the integrity of the country’s first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 before vaccinating front line healthcare workers. He made the comment during a national address late Monday, hours after he and other dignitaries accepted 1.2 million doses of vaccine that arrived at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport Monday afternoon. President Ramaphosa said after healthcare workers get their shots the country aims to vaccinate essential workers, people over … continue reading -> “South Africa to Begin Testing COVID-19 Vaccines Before Launching Program”
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Monday said 105 cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa have been found in the nation, with 11 of those cases having no links to international travel.Speaking at a Downing Street news briefing, Hancock said health authorities plan to test 80,000 people from areas around the … continue reading -> “Britain Identifies 105 Cases of South African COVID-19 Variant”
The World Health Organization (WHO) noted Monday that globally, the number of new coronavirus cases fell for the third consecutive week. At the agency’s regular news briefing conducted virtually from its headquarters in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that while many nations are still seeing infections increasing, it is nonetheless encouraging news. Tedros said it … continue reading -> “WHO Chief: Global Coronavirus Cases Drop for Third Straight Week”
German pharmaceutical giant Bayer announced Monday it will help a smaller German biomedical company, CureVac, produce its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, the latest drug maker to offer up manufacturing capacity as supplies fall behind demand worldwide. At a virtual news conference hosted in Berlin Monday by Health Minister Jens Spahn, Bayer’s pharmaceutical chief, Stefan Oelrich, said … continue reading -> “German Pharma Company Bayer to Produce New COVID Vaccine”
Lucenia Dunn spent the early days of the coronavirus pandemic encouraging people to wear masks and keep a safe distance from each other in Tuskegee, a mostly Black city where the government once used unsuspecting African American men as guinea pigs in a study of a sexually transmitted disease. Now, the onetime mayor of … continue reading -> “Vaccine Skepticism Lurks in Town Famous for Syphilis Study”
A team of World Health Organization scientists investigating the source of the coronavirus, that first emerged in China’s Hubei province in late 2019, visited a provincial disease control center Monday that was key in the early management of the COVID outbreak. China did not release any details about the team’s visit to the Hubei Provincial … continue reading -> “WHO Team Visits Provincial Disease Control Center “
U.S. President Joe Biden is planning to bring what he calls a Clean Energy Revolution to tackle climate change. The diesel industry, which had gone through its own revolution a decade ago to meet stricter environmental standards, has seen payoffs in adopting “green” fuel initiatives. Genia Dulot has the story. …
Since taking office in January, President Joe Biden has reaffirmed a national commitment to integrity in scholarship and research, appointing scientists to numerous leadership roles. Educators and experts applaud these appointments and say elevating intellectual integrity in research and science will take the combined effort of universities, industry and the public, too. Biden appointed Eric Lander — … continue reading -> “Academics Look to Restore Integrity to Science, Research”
Britain will next week formally apply to join a trans-Pacific trading bloc of 11 countries, with negotiations set to start later this year, the government has said.Since leaving the European Union, Britain has made clear its desire to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which removes most tariffs between Australia, Brunei, … continue reading -> “UK Set to Formally Apply for Trans-Pacific Trade Bloc Membership “
When she was growing up, Sophie Corroon struggled to get through a ballet class or soccer tryout without having an anxiety attack.The idea of going to sleepovers or being home alone left her feeling panicked. Corroon’s anxiety grew even more during high school in Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah when the … continue reading -> “US Lawmakers Push Mental Health Days for Kids Amid Pandemic”
A team of World Health Organization scientists investigating the source of the coronavirus visited a wet market Sunday in Wuhan, China.A cluster of cases was linked to the Huanan Seafood Market when the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019. Since then, the coronavirus has infected more than 102 million people worldwide and killed … continue reading -> “WHO Team Visits Wet Market Linked to First Coronavirus Cases”
Scientists with the World Health Organization’s team investigating the source of the coronavirus that has infected more than 102 million people worldwide and killed more than 2.2 million have visited one of the hospitals in Wuhan, China, that treated some of the first patients.Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans said on Twitter that the stories she’d heard … continue reading -> “WHO Team Visits Wuhan Hospital That Treated Early Cases”