VIENNA (REUTERS) – Unvaccinated individuals will continue to stay in lockdown even after Austria lifts its wider coronavirus measure for the general public on Sunday (Dec 12), Chancellor Karl Nehammer…
Instagram to nudge people to ‘take a break’ from scrolling
WASHINGTON (BLOOMBERG) – Meta Platforms’ photo-sharing app Instagram is encouraging users to take a break as the company battles accusations that too much time spent on its social networks hurts…
New data shows GSK-Vir Covid-19 drug works against all Omicron mutations
BENGALURU (REUTERS) – British drugmaker GSK said on Tuesday (Dec 7) its antibody-based Covid-19 therapy with US partner Vir Biotechnology is effective against all mutations of the new Omicron coronavirus…
China warns U.S. diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics threatens global co-operation
China warned on Tuesday that a U.S diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics could harm two-way dialogue and co-operation in important areas, and called for politics to be kept…
Can Germany’s new chancellor Olaf Scholz revive the left in Europe?
BERLIN (NYTIMES) – Last December, as he was plotting what most considered to be a hopeless…
Biden to warn Putin of severe economic consequences if Russia invades Ukraine in call
U.S. President Joe Biden will warn Russian President Vladimir Putin of severe economic consequences should Russia go ahead with an invasion of Ukraine, a senior U.S. administration official said on…
South Africa students shrug off Omicron and fret about exam
PRETORIA (REUTERS, AFP) – The students knew their South African university was the epicentre of a new Covid-19 variant spreading panic across the globe, but over the past week, many…
Data suggests Omicron COVID-19 variant could overtake Delta worldwide, scientists warn
As the omicron COVID-19 variant spreads in southern Africa and pops up in countries all around the world, scientists are anxiously watching a battle play out that could determine the…
Loans keep women afloat as they plant fast-vanishing mangroves in Kenya
PATE ISLAND, KENYA (THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION) – When she was growing up, Tima Abudhi remembers watching her neighbours cut away at the mangrove forests around her village on Pate Island,…
Hawaii braces for ‘catastrophic flooding’ as storm brings heavy rain, knocks out power
A strong storm packing high winds and extremely heavy rain flooded roads and knocked out power across Hawaii, with officials warning Monday of potentially worse conditions ahead. The National Weather…