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Belgian Olympian 'safe' after tearful plea from Covid isolation

Skeleton racer Kim Meylemans said Thursday she was "safe" and back in the Beijing Olympic Village having been released from a Covid isolation facility following a tearful post on Instagram.

New Zealand to start easing tough Covid border controls

New Zealand will start easing some of the world's toughest pandemic border restrictions this month but will not fully reopen until October, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday.

US intelligence says directed energy could explain Havana syndrome

Intense directed energy from an external source could have caused some cases of the debilitating so-called "Havana syndrome" among US diplomats, US intelligence said Wednesday, supporting the possibility of deliberate attacks.

Biden relaunches cancer 'moonshot' to halve death rate

President Joe Biden announced a relaunch of the government's cancer "moonshot" effort in a White House ceremony Wednesday, setting a goal of cutting the US death rate from the disease by half.

Australia says warship did not bring Covid to eruption-hit Tonga

Australian defence chiefs on Wednesday said a warship delivering aid to Tonga was not the source of an outbreak that has plunged the previously coronavirus-free Pacific kingdom into lockdown.

Eruption-hit Tonga enters lockdown as Covid detected

Tonga will go into Covid-19 lockdown Wednesday after the virus was detected in a fresh blow to the Pacific kingdom as it struggles to recover from last month's devastating volcanic eruption, officials said.

Canadian province scraps tax on Covid unvaccinated

Canada's Quebec province announced Tuesday it was scrapping plans for a health tax on those who are not vaccinated against Covid-19, following a public backlash over the proposal.

Swim world championships in Fukuoka moved to 2023 due to Covid: organisers

The swimming world championships scheduled to take place in the Japanese city of Fukuoka in May this year have been postponed until July 2023 because of Covid-19 risks, organisers said on Tuesday.

Beijing Olympics venues could be 50 percent full, official says

A senior Olympics official said Tuesday that venues at the Beijing Winter Games could be up to 50 percent full, countering fears that Covid-19 would lead to a second consecutive Games without spectators.

Music industry wakes up to mental health crisis

It was a highly original way to drop a new track: live in the studio on France's evening news, Belgian star Stromae answered a question by launching into "L'enfer" ("Hell").

Moderna Covid vaccine gets full US approval

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday that it has granted full approval to Moderna's Covid-19 "Spikevax" vaccine, which had previously received an emergency use authorization in the United States.

Long-awaited 'partygate' report handed to UK PM

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has received a version of an eagerly-awaited report into claims of lockdown-breaking parties at his Downing Street office, the government said on Monday.

Spotify to link virus content to Covid facts after misinformation row

Music streaming giant Spotify announced Sunday it would start guiding listeners of podcasts discussing Covid-19 to facts about the pandemic, after artists including Neil Young pulled their songs from the platform in anger at misinformation.

Unvaccinated and undeterred: Austria holdouts dig in despite new law

Despite vaccination against Covid-19 becoming mandatory in Austria on Friday, musician Katharina Teufel-Lieli insists she won't bow to pressure to get the jab.

Long haul Covid patients find hope in recovery clinics

When Stephanie Hedrick realized she was still suffering from shortness of breath, blurry vision and brain fog months after recovering from Covid-19, she knew she needed more help than her primary care doctor alone could provide.

Portugal's Socialists re-elected with majority

Portugal's ruling Socialists unexpectedly won an outright majority to govern solo after snap elections on Sunday that also saw the far right make huge gains.

Spotify to link virus content to Covid facts after disinformation row

Music streaming giant Spotify announced Sunday that it would start guiding listeners of podcasts discussing Covid-19 to more information about the pandemic, following a row that saw artist Neil Young remove his music from the platform.

Sealed off: Inside the 'closed loop' at the Beijing Winter Olympics

The Beijing Olympics are taking place in a strict "closed loop" with 60,000 competitors, journalists and the Chinese workforce looking after them cut off from local people and tested for Covid-19 every day.

'Felt like a bullet': Bhutan PM mourns rare Covid death

Bhutan's success in avoiding coronavirus is almost unrivalled but a rare patient death -- just the kingdom's fourth -- shows more work was needed to fight the pandemic there, its leader says.

Australia flies medical team to Covid-hit Solomons

Australia flew a small team of emergency medical specialists to Honiara on Saturday after the Solomon Islands requested help in battling a worsening outbreak of Covid-19.

Joni Mitchell says boycotting Spotify over Covid 'lies'

Singer Joni Mitchell said Friday she was pulling her music from Spotify over "lies" on the streaming service about Covid-19, just days after fellow musical titan Neil Young did the same.

Hong Kong economy grew by 6.4 percent in 2021: govt

Hong Kong's economy grew by 6.4 percent in 2021 but the city warned that anti-Covid measures in response to the latest outbreak may stifle further recovery, a government spokesperson said on Friday.

Not easy being green: China's 'health codes' define Covid-era life

Days after buying over-the-counter medicine from a pharmacy in Beijing, university student Yu was stunned to find her prized green health code -- the essential rating needed to enter the city's shops, offices and public transport -- was gone.

China quietly locks down area near Beijing with Olympics a week away

Chinese authorities locked down an area neighbouring the capital city of Beijing this week following a handful of reported Covid cases, but made no public announcements about the fresh restrictions with just a week until the Winter Olympics.

UK's Johnson waits for report on lockdown parties

Boris Johnson on Thursday awaited a report into lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street that could determine his future as Britain's prime minister, and rejected new claims that he prioritised pets over people in the chaotic Afghan evacuation.

Trudeau to isolate after Covid exposure

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday that he had been exposed to Covid-19 and would isolate for five days, in accordance with health rules for vaccinated people.

Return to 'Plan A': England lifts Omicron curbs

Commuters trooped back to the office in England on Thursday, with public transport visibly busier, after the government scrapped restrictions imposed to combat the Omicron coronavirus variant.

Hong Kong shortens on-arrival quarantine from three weeks to two

Hong Kong on Thursday shortened the mandatory quarantine for international travellers from three weeks to two, even as the city struggles to contain virus outbreaks involving Omicron and Delta variants.

Pressure on UK PM mounts over Afghan pet evacuations

The UK government denied Thursday that embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson had prioritised pets over people in the chaotic evacuation out of Afghanistan as Kabul fell to the Taliban.

US ships nearly 1.7 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Uganda

The United States is shipping nearly 1.7 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Uganda, a White House official said Thursday, in the latest wave of jabs donated to stem the global pandemic.

Boston hospital refuses heart transplant to unvaccinated patient

A hospital in Boston refused to perform a heart transplant on a patient who had not been vaccinated for Covid-19, US television media reported Wednesday.

Performing medical miracles in impoverished Venezuela

Venezuelan indigenous teenager Lidiana Requena lies on an old, dirty hammock under an awning, her sunken eyes gazing at her newborn baby in the arms of the village nurse.

England lifts Omicron restrictions

England on Thursday lifted coronavirus restrictions imposed to tackle the Omicron variant, with masks no longer required in enclosed places and vaccine passports shelved.

Moderna begins trial of Omicron-specific vaccine booster

US biotech company Moderna announced on Wednesday that it has begun clinical trials of a booster dose of vaccine designed specifically to combat the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Spotify removing Neil Young's music after rocker's Rogan ultimatum

Neil Young made good on his vow to have his music removed from Spotify after demanding the streaming service choose between him and Joe Rogan, the controversial podcaster accused of spreading disinformation.

UK's Johnson defiant as 'partygate' report looms

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday defended his government's record and vowed to fight on as he braced for a potentially damning report into lockdown-breaching parties.

Abbas rival delivers one million vaccine doses to Gaza

One million doses of coronavirus vaccine arrived in Gaza from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, the latest donation facilitated by an exiled rival of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Djokovic to play in Dubai after vaccine controversy: reports

Unvaccinated world number one Novak Djokovic has signed up to play at next month's ATP Dubai tennis tournament, reports said on Wednesday, after his deportation from Australia prevented a tilt at a record 21st Grand Slam title.

Germany cuts 2022 GDP growth forecast on virus woes

The German government on Wednesday lowered its economic growth forecast for 2022 as an Omicron-fuelled surge in coronavirus cases holds back Europe's industrial powerhouse.

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