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African economies see reasons for optimism despite crises
From Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine, external crises have put pressure on African economies, but many on the continent see opportunities to undertake radical reforms.
Thailand relaxes mask rule to bolster pandemic-hit tourism
Thailand has dropped rules requiring people to wear masks from Friday, the government says, as Covid-19 cases fall and the tourism-dependent kingdom seeks to lure back foreign visitors.
Covid vaccines saved 20 million lives in first year: study
Covid vaccines prevented nearly 20 million deaths in the first year after they were introduced, according to the first large modelling study on the topic released Friday.
WHO emergency committee decides on monkeypox outbreak
A World Health Organization committee of experts met Thursday to decide whether the monkeypox outbreak constitutes a global health emergency.
WHO emergency committee meets on monkeypox
A World Health Organization committee of experts will meet on Thursday to discuss the monkeypox outbreak for the first time and decide whether it constitutes a global health emergency.
Moderna says new booster candidate effective against Omicron subvariants
Moderna on Wednesday said its new Covid booster candidate, which it is hoping to get approved this fall, performed well against Omicron's latest subvariants.
Covid subvariants cast shadow over European summer
A resurgence of Covid-19 cases in Europe, this time driven by new, fast-spreading Omicron subvariants, is once again threatening to disrupt people's summer plans.
Hong Kong Sevens looks to return under Olympic-style closed-loop
The famous Hong Kong Sevens could return in November for the first time in more than three years under a Beijing Olympics-style "closed-loop" system, organisers told AFP Wednesday.
Air tickets set to keep climbing from pandemic low: experts
Propelled by inflation, the price of air tickets has begun to take off again after tumbling during the pandemic, a reversal that looks set to intensify due to environmental pressures, experts say.
Long wait over as US vaccinates youngest against Covid
US hospitals and clinics began vaccinating the nation's youngest children against Covid-19 on Tuesday, a milestone that was welcomed by parents eager to protect kids against the worst impacts of the virus.
US to drastically reduce nicotine content in cigarettes: reports
President Joe Biden's administration is set to announce a new policy requiring cigarette producers to reduce nicotine to non-addictive levels, US media reported Tuesday -- a move that would deal a powerful blow to the tobacco industry.
'Huge uncertainty' for EU firms over China's Covid curbs, chamber warns
Many European firms are rethinking their investments in China because of its strict Covid controls, a top business group said Monday, warning that disruptions had pummelled operations.
Abortion: how things stand in US as court prepares to rule
The Supreme Court is expected to deliver an opinion by the end of June that could roll back 50 years of abortion rights in the United States.
Denz wins stage six as Covid-19 wreaks havoc on Tour of Switzerland
Germany's Nico Denz won the sixth stage of the coronavirus-hit Tour of Switzerland on Friday after race leader Aleksandr Vlasov was among a group of 30 riders forced to withdraw.
WTO agrees to lift Covid vaccine patents, but is it 'too late'?
The World Trade Organization agreed Friday to temporarily lift patents on Covid-19 vaccines after two years of bruising negotiations, but experts expressed scepticism that the deal will have a major impact on global vaccination inequality.
US approves Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for youngest children
The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization Friday for the use of Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines in the youngest children, the final age group awaiting immunization in most countries.
Covid in Hong Kong shows 'signs of rebound', city leader says
Hong Kong's coronavirus case numbers are showing signs of rebounding, city chief executive Carrie Lam said on Friday, days after reintroducing more restrictions ahead of the 25th anniversary of the city's transfer to Chinese rule.
Kinder factory at centre of Salmonella cases can reopen
A factory in Belgium behind a Salmonella contamination in Kinder chocolates sold in Europe can reopen conditionally after a clean-up by owner Ferrero, health authorities said Friday.
Thailand to drop mask rule, foreign tourist registration
Thailand announced Friday it would drop rules requiring people to wear masks outdoors and no longer require foreign visitors to register before travel, as Covid-19 cases fall and the kingdom seeks to lure tourists back.
North Korea says hundreds of families ill with intestinal disease
North Korea said Friday that hundreds of families have fallen ill with an unidentified intestinal disease, heaping pressure on a crumbling healthcare system already strained by Covid-19.
US baby formula plant again halts production due to flooding
Abbott Nutrition has once again shut down a baby formula plant, this time due to heavy rains and flooding, less than two weeks after it reopened to try and mitigate a crippling US shortage.
US envoy sees China lockdowns extending into 2023
China is likely to keep imposing sweeping lockdowns into 2023, the US ambassador said Thursday, as he cautioned that the zero-Covid strategy was hurting business.
US panel recommends Covid vaccines for youngest children
A panel of experts convened by the US Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended Covid-19 vaccines Wednesday for children under five, the final age group awaiting immunization in most countries.
Anthony Fauci, Biden's top Covid advisor, tests positive
Top scientist Anthony Fauci, the face of America's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, tested positive Wednesday for the virus on a rapid antigen test but is continuing to work from home while he recovers, the National Institutes of Health said.
US panel recommends Covid vaccine for youngest children
After months of waiting for anxious parents, a panel of experts convened by the US Food and Drug Administration recommended Moderna's Covid vaccine Wednesday for the nation's youngest children.
Black Death origin mystery solved... 675 years later
A deadly pandemic with mysterious origins: it might sound like a modern headline, but scientists have spent centuries debating the source of the Black Death that devastated the medieval world.
US starts shipping vaccines for children to Nepal, Mongolia
The United States on Wednesday announced it was starting to donate vaccines for children abroad with initial shipments to Nepal and Mongolia.
US panel weighs authorizing Covid vaccines for youngest children
After months of anxious wait for some parents, a panel of experts convened by the US Food and Drug Administration will meet Wednesday to weigh recommending Covid vaccines for the nation's youngest children.
WHO to assess if monkeypox an international health emergency
The World Health Organization said Tuesday it would hold an emergency meeting next week to determine whether to classify the global monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.
Polluted air cuts global life expectancy by two years
Microscopic air pollution caused mostly by burning fossil fuels shortens lives worldwide by more than two years, researchers reported Tuesday.
US approves first pill for treatment of alopecia
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a drug called baricitinib as the first oral tablet for treating severe alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder affecting more than 300,000 people in the United States every year.
US FDA says Pfizer Covid vaccine effective in kids under five
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said the Pfizer Covid vaccine is safe and effective in children under five, ahead of a meeting to weigh its authorization later this week.