Cyprus lifts lockdown with COVID 'safety pass'

Cyprus on Monday will exit a third partial lockdown with a new coronavirus "safety pass" system to allow people to move freely.

New Strep A human challenge model paves the way to test vaccines against the deadly bacteria

Researchers have successfully developed a new Strep A human challenge model, paving the way to test vaccines against the common deadly bacteria that causes sore throats, scarlet fever and skin sores.

Smartphone breath alcohol testing devices vary widely in accuracy

Alcohol-impaired driving kills 29 people a day and costs $121 billion a year in the U.S. After years of progress in reducing alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, efforts began to stall in 2009, and fatalities started increasing again in 2015. With several studies demonstrating that drinkers cannot accurately estimate their own blood alcohol concentration (BAC), handheld alcohol breath testing devices, also known as breathalyzers, allow people to measure their own breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) to determine if they are below the legal limit of .08% before attempting to drive.

AZ vaccine order renewal 'remains to be seen': EU

The European Union has not renewed orders for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine beyond June and is not certain that it will, the bloc's internal market commissioner said Sunday.

'Earth's power': Iceland volcano's lava geysers thrill visitors

Iceland's Fagradalshraun volcano lies quiet for a spell before suddenly spewing red molten lava geysers high into the air, visible from the capital Reykjavik in an awe-inspiring display.

'No doubt' US has undercounted COVID deaths: Fauci

The United States, which has reported the world's worst overall COVID-19 death toll, has "no doubt" been undercounting fatal cases, top pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci said Sunday.

Slovakia eyes using Russia's Sputnik V; waits for results

Slovakia's government is set to discuss possible use of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine with Moscow after it was successfully tested in a Hungarian lab.

Cyberattack on US pipeline is linked to criminal gang

The cyberextortion attempt that has forced the shutdown of a vital U.S. pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide that cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity, a person close to the investigation said Sunday.

Most comprehensive studies to date find 'insufficient evidence' to support herbal, dietary supplements for weight loss

The first global review of complementary medicines (herbal and dietary supplements) for weight loss in 16 years—combining 121 randomized placebo-controlled trials including nearly 10,000 adults—suggests that their use cannot be justified based on the current evidence.

Spain ends COVID state of emergency

Spain has lifted a state of emergency in place since October to fight the pandemic, allowing Spaniards to travel between regions for the first time in months.

Vegetarians have healthier levels of disease markers than meat-eaters

Vegetarians appear to have a healthier biomarker profile than meat-eaters, and this applies to adults of any age and weight, and is also unaffected by smoking and alcohol consumption, according to a new study in over 166,000 UK adults, being presented at this week's European Congress on Obesity (ECO), held online this year.

South Africa reports four cases of India virus variant

South Africa's health ministry on Saturday said four cases of a coronavirus variant fuelling a devastating surge of COVID-19 in India had been recorded in the country.

Fully vaccinated enjoy new freedoms in Germany

People who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are exempt from many restrictions in Germany from Sunday after the government passed new legislation to restore some freedoms.

Study supports recommendations to avoid pregnancy for at least 12 months after obesity surgery

A study presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (held online, 10-13 May) supports recommendations to avoid pregnancy for 12 months after bariatric (obesity) surgery due to an association with adverse outcomes in pregnancy including an elevated risk of preterm birth. The study is by Dr. Laura Heusschen, Vitalys Obesity Clinic, part of Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The Netherlands, and colleagues.

As cases grow, India's vaccination campaign falters

Since India opened vaccinations to all adults this month, hoping to tame a disastrous coronavirus surge sweeping across the country, the pace of administering the shots has dropped with states saying they only have limited stock to give out.

Vaccine deserts: Some countries have no COVID-19 jabs at all

At the small hospital where Dr. Oumaima Djarma works in Chad's capital, there are no debates over which coronavirus vaccine is the best.

String of satellites baffles residents, bugs astronomers

A string of lights that lobbed across the night sky in parts of the U.S. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday had some people wondering if a fleet of UFOs was coming, but it had others— mostly amateur stargazers and professional astronomers— lamenting the industrialization of space.

Large Chinese rocket segment disintegrates over Indian Ocean

A large segment of a Chinese rocket re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and disintegrated over the Indian Ocean on Sunday, the Chinese space agency said, following fevered speculation over where the 18-tonne object would come down.