Sunday 13 June 2021

EMA official suggests ditching AstraZeneca jab

A top official in the European Medicines Agency said it might be worth abandoning AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine for all age groups where alternatives are available, in an interview published Sunday.

As COVID-19 cases wane, vaccine-lagging areas still see risk

New COVID-19 cases are declining across most of the country, even in some states with vaccine-hesitant populations. But almost all states bucking that trend have lower-than-average vaccination rates, and experts warn that relief from the pandemic could be fleeting in regions where few people get inoculated.

Rare earth metals at the heart of China's rivalry with US, Europe

What if China were to cut off the United States and Europe from access to rare minerals that are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines and drones?

S.Africa pulls two million doses of J&J vaccine

South Africa, which is struggling to roll out its inoculation programme as it enters a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, said Sunday it will pull two million of doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following contamination concerns at one of the US drugmaker's sites.

Oil spill drifts away from Corsica coast

Fears two oil slicks would pollute eastern Corsica's holiday beaches eased Saturday after French officials prepared for the worst and naval boats armed with clean-up equipment arrived off the Mediterranean island.

Trip to space with Jeff Bezos sells for $28 mn

A mystery bidder paid $28 million at auction Saturday for a seat alongside Jeff Bezos on board the first crewed spaceflight of the billionaire's company Blue Origin next month.

Airline industry sees long-term rebound for sector

After flying into the financial turbulence of the Covid pandemic, the airline sector expects passenger traffic to take off despite concerns about the industry's impact on climate change.

Drought-hit Jordan to build Red Sea desalination plant

Jordan said Sunday it plans to build a Red Sea desalination plant operating within five years, to provide the mostly-desert and drought-hit kingdom with critical drinking water.

Swiss snub synthetic pesticide ban plan

Switzerland on Sunday rejected proposals that would have made it the first European country to ban synthetic pesticides following a bitterly fought campaign.

Gorilla tactics: Berlin delivery riders take on $1B startup

Dozens of workers gathered outside of one of Berlin's most-celebrated startups, the grocery delivery company Gorillas, to protest the firing hours earlier of a colleague.

Late-night car crashes drop as partygoers Uber home: US study

The light bulb moment for neurosurgeons came as they conducted patient rounds one morning in 2017.