International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
More than three billion Covid-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, an AFP tally found Tuesday, as countries race to contain the virulent Delta variant that is fueling outbreaks all over the globe. The highly infectious strain of coronavirus has caught many nations off guard, with Russia reporting its highest daily death toll yet, Australia
SURFSIDE, Florida (AP) — Rescuers searching for a fifth day for survivors of a Florida condo building collapse used bucket brigades and heavy machinery Monday as they worked atop a precarious mound of pulverized concrete, twisted steel and the remnants of dozens of households. Authorities said their efforts were still a search-and-rescue operation, but no
LONDON (Reuters) – A mixed schedule of vaccines where a shot of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is given four weeks after an AstraZeneca shot will produce better immune responses than giving another dose of AstraZeneca, an Oxford study said on Monday. The study, called Com-COV, compared mixed two-dose schedules of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, and found that in any combination, they produced high concentrations of antibodies against the coronavirus spike protein.
LONDON (Reuters) – A third shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine produces a strong immune response, researchers said on Monday, adding there was not yet evidence that such shots were needed, especially given shortages in some countries. The Oxford University study found that a third dose of the vaccine increases antibody and T-cell immune responses, while the second dose can be delayed up to 45 weeks and also lead to an enhanced immune response. The British
An editorial writer of the now-defunct Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily was arrested at the airport on Sunday night while attempting to leave the city, local media reported. Local newspaper South China Morning Post and online news outlet Citizen News cited unidentified sources saying that editorial writer Fung Wai-kong was arrested on suspicion of
LONDON – British health minister Matt Hancock quit on Saturday after he was caught breaking COVID-19 rules by kissing and embracing an aide in his office, enraging colleagues and the public who have been living under lockdown. In the latest scandal to rock a government that has overseen one of the highest official death tolls
SURFSIDE, Florida (Reuters) – Rescue crews picked through tons of rubble on Thursday looking for survivors after the collapse of part of an oceanfront apartment tower overnight near Miami, where officials reported at least one person dead and nearly 100 missing. Search teams detected sounds of banging and other noises but no voices coming from the mounds of debris hours after
HONG KONG (AP) — A man accused of driving a motorcycle into police officers while carrying a Hong Kong protest flag became on Wednesday the first person to stand trial under the national security law implemented last year as China’s central government tightened control over the city. Tong Ying-kit was arrested on July 1, 2020,
(Reuters) – The White House laid out a plan on Monday to share 55 million U.S. COVID–19 vaccine doses globally, with roughly 75% of the doses allocated to Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa through the COVAX international vaccine-sharing program. The plan fulfills President Joe Biden’s commitment to share 80 million U.S.-made vaccines with countries around the world. The president sketched out his priorities
HONOLULU (AP) — Dozens of baby squid from Hawaii are in space for study. The baby Hawaiian bobtail squid were raised at the University of Hawaii’s Kewalo Marine Laboratory and were blasted into space earlier this month on a SpaceX resupply mission to the International Space Station. Researcher Jamie Foster, who completed her doctorate at
TOKYO (Reuters) – Olympics organisers on Monday capped the number of spectators at 10,000 for each venue at the Tokyo 2020 Games, days after experts warned that holding the event without fans would be the least risky option during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision, widely expected following comments by both organisers and government medical advisers, highlights Japan’s push to salvage the multi-billion-dollar
Around a third of Japanese now back holding the Olympics, up from just 14 percent last month, a new poll showed Monday, though a majority still prefer cancellation or postponement because of the pandemic. The poll reinforces other recent surveys that suggest opposition to Tokyo 2020 is softening slightly, just over a month before the
