ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP) — US-based Atea Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday its plans to develop an orally administered drug to treat coronavirus patients together with Swiss pharma giant Roche have suffered a set back in clinical trials. The drug “did not meet its primary endpoint, showing no significant reduction in viral load,” Atea said in a statement. When compared to a placebo administered to some of the hospitalised patients in the trial “no meaningful difference was seen […]
International
Germany ‘vehemently condemns’ North Korea missile test
FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) — Germany said Wednesday it “vehemently condemns” the test of a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile by North Korea. “With this test, North Korea has once again violated its obligations under relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and endangered international and regional security and stability,” a spokesman for the foreign ministry said in a statement. The test, carried out on Tuesday near Sinpo, the site of a major naval […]
Gates Foundation invests $120 million for Covid pill access
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Wednesday announced an investment of up to $120 million in an effort to speed up low-income countries’ access to a new anti-Covid drug. The treatment, a pill called molnupiravir developed by US lab Merck, reduces the risk of hospitalization by half in Covid-19 patients who take it in their first few days of infection, the company has said, and could be even more […]
14 killed in rare Damascus army bus bombing
by Youssef Karwashan with Omar Haj Kadour in Ariha DAMASCUS, Syria (AFP) — A bomb attack on an army bus in Damascus killed 14 people Wednesday in the bloodiest such attack to strike the Syrian capital in four years, the SANA state news agency reported. There was no immediate claim for the bombing but moments later shelling by government forces killed eight people in the Idlib region controlled by groups that have claimed such attack […]
Japan’s Mount Aso volcano erupts
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Mount Aso erupted Wednesday, spewing a giant column of ash thousands of metres into the sky as hikers rushed away from the popular tourist spot. No injuries were immediately reported after the late-morning eruption in southwest Japan, which sent rocks flying in a dramatic blast captured by nearby CCTV cameras. People were warned not to approach the volcano as it ejected hot gas and ash as high as 3,500 […]
Israel reports subvariant of Delta coronavirus strain
JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel has confirmed a case of a subvariant of the Delta strain of the coronavirus previously reported in some European countries, the health ministry said. “The variant AY 4.2. that has been discovered in a number of countries in Europe has been identified in Israel,” a ministry statement said late Tuesday. An 11-year-old boy arriving from Europe was the carrier, the ministry said, adding that the case was identified at Ben Gurion […]
Floods, landslides kill 116 in India and Nepal
by Mahesh Pandey with Paavan Mathema in Kathmandu Agence France Presse DEHRADUN, India (AFP) — More than 100 people have died in several days of massive flooding and devastating landslides that swept away roads and houses in India and Nepal, officials said Wednesday, with scores more missing. In Uttarakhand in northern India, officials said that 46 people had died in recent days with 11 missing. In Kerala in the south chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said […]
UK monitoring ‘subvariant’ of coronavirus Delta strain: govt
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain on Tuesday said it was monitoring a subvariant of the Delta strain of the coronavirus, which has been seen in a growing number of cases. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said the government was keeping a “close eye” on the AY.4.2 variant but said there was no evidence it spreads more easily. “As you would expect, we are monitoring it closely and won’t hesitate to take action if necessary,” […]
UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on N. Korea Wednesday: diplomats
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The UN Security Council will hold an emergency closed-door meeting on North Korea on Wednesday, diplomats told AFP after state media said Pyongyang had successfully tested a “new type” of submarine-launched ballistic missile. The session, which will be held in the afternoon, was requested by Britain and the United States, the same sources said. © Agence France-Presse
Russian film crew says shooting in space a ‘huge challenge’
by Anna SMOLCHENKO MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Their movie props floated around and they used Velcro to keep objects in place but Russia’s first film crew in space said they were delighted with the result and had “shot everything we planned”. Yulia Peresild, one of Russia’s most glamorous actresses, and film director Klim Shipenko returned to Earth on Sunday after spending 12 days on the International Space Station (ISS) shooting the first movie in orbit […]
Colin Powell’s death sparks misleading claims about Covid-19 vaccines
by Claire SAVAGE WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Social media posts claim that Colin Powell’s death from complications caused by Covid-19 means vaccines against the disease are ineffective. But Powell had a type of cancer that experts say undermines the efficacy of the shots, and data shows his age left him especially vulnerable. “PROOF this Vaccine does NOT EVEN WORK, or-and is NOT EVEN a REAL VACCINE,” said a Facebook post sharing an article about […]
Ecuador president declares state of emergency over drug violence
QUITO, Ecuador (AFP) — Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso on Monday declared a state of emergency in the country grappling with a surge in drug-related violence, and ordered the mobilization of police and military in the streets. “Starting immediately, our Armed Forces and police will be felt with force in the streets because we are decreeing a state of emergency throughout the national territory,” said the president in a speech broadcast by the state channel EcuadorTV. […]
