AGRA, India — The Taj Mahal was opened on Aug. 21 to visitors for night-time viewing after a year and a half as Covid-19 restrictions were eased in the north-Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The 17th-century mausoleum had been closed for viewing at night since March 2020 in first the Covid-19 induced lockdown. “It is good news […]

MOSCOW — The Russian Direct Investment Fund. a sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, said that the Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration approved the single-component Sputnik Light coronavirus vaccine under the emergency use authorization procedure on Aug. 23. “The approval of Sputnik Light by the regulatory authorities of the Philippines allows for expanding national vaccine […]

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Amid criticism that the vaccine’s approval is premature, Taiwan has begun administering its vaccine against Covid-19. On Aug. 23, the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, was the first for Medigen vaccination. The MVC Covid-19 vaccine, designated MVC-COV1901 and known as the Medigen Covid-19 vaccine, is a protein subunit Covid-19 vaccine developed by Medigen […]

MUMBAI, India — Former champion shooter and India’s debutant for individual Olympic gold medal, Abhinav Bindra, has exhibited mixed emotion’s towards India’s three-year course to Paris Olympics in 2024.  He said the recent performances were not like anything ever seen before, but a shortened cycle between Tokyo and Paris Games could be rough. The Tokyo Games were postponed […]

NEW DELHI — The third surge of Covid-19 in India is predicted to peak in October, according to the National Institute of Disaster Management’s report to the Prime Minister’s Office. The report quoted an opinion survey of 40 experts that forecast that the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to hit India between July […]

The toxic effects of lead production are far more drastic and widespread than initially believed, according to a study conducted at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. The study led by geology professor Yigal Erel found that as worldwide lead production began and increased, so did the rates of lead absorption found in people living during those time […]

WASHINGTON — The heart receives a stress signal from fat cells and immediately builds a defense against a syndrome that results in cellular dysfunction and death, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The findings—published online in Cell Metabolism—could help explain the “obesity paradox,” a phenomenon in […]

MUNICH — New research has made the state of protein balance visible in the mammalian brain for the first time. In this way, the protein quality control processes can now be studied in healthy and diseased neurons in more detail. The study “Fluc-EGFP reporter mice reveal differential alterations of neuronal proteostasis in aging and disease” is […]

WASHINGTON — South Korean pop band BTS has canceled their planned “Map of the Soul” world tour due to complications from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement released on the Weverse fan platform, the band’s label, Big Hit Music, announced the news. “Our company has worked hard to resume preparations for the BTS Map of the Soul Tour, […]

Following the Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of Pfizer-BioNTech’s two-dose coronavirus vaccine this week, it remains to be seen how many more Americans will get vaccinated. Some public policy analysts and surveys indicate that FDA approval will lead to more jabs. Among those who have been “fearful of something that has not received the […]

WASHINGTON — Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a highly protective antibody at low doses against a wide range of viral variants of Covid-19. The antibody attaches to a part of the virus that differs little across the variants, making it unlikely for resistance to arise at this spot. The findings, published in the […]

SINGAPORE – Credit Rating Agency S&P  Global Ratings has said that low vaccination rates mean likely resurgences of new Covid-19 cases in some parts of Asia Pacific in the next year or so. Government measures to suppress new infections will weaken economic growth and fiscal metrics further. That is as per a  report  published on […]

MANILA, Philippines — The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has pushed an estimated 75 million to 80 million more people in developing Asia into extreme poverty as of last year compared with what would have happened without Covid-19, as per a new report by the Asian Development Bank released on Aug. 24. The report, “Key Indicators for Asia and the […]

WASHINGTON — Eating fructose alters cells in the digestive tract in a way that enables them to absorb more nutrients, according to a new study. These changes could help explain the well-known link between rising fructose consumption around the world and increased rates of obesity and certain cancers. The findings of the research were published […]

An Israeli scientific breakthrough could allow pig organs to be transplanted into humans. This is a promising solution to an acute shortage of organs for transplant. The domestic pig is an excellent potential source of donor organs for humans. Pigs are easily available, and their organs are closer in size to human organs than are […]

A novel therapeutic strategy for treating inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) would work by removing inflammation-inducing succinate molecules secreted by gut bacteria. The method is based on findings in the biochemistry and pharmacology lab of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev professor Ehud Ohana showing increased gut levels of succinate in people with IBD. Succinate is a […]