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Thawing permafrost dots Siberia with rash of mounds

In the vast white expanse around Churapcha in eastern Siberia, the ever more rapid thaw of the permafrost is changing the landscape, cracking up houses and releasing greenhouse gases.

'Cruel measure': Dominican crackdown on Haitian hospitals

Still in pain from giving birth, a Haitian mother carrying her newborn was helped onto a migration services bus in the Dominican Republic, joining a family member who was arrested when he visited her in hospital.

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Moderna announces first African vaccine facility in Kenya

US vaccine maker Moderna announced Monday that it would build its first mRNA jab-manufacturing facility in Africa after signing an agreement with Kenya's government to produce up to 500 million doses a year.

China's zero-Covid policy under pressure as cases rise

China on Monday reported its highest number of coronavirus cases in two years as clusters emerged in more than a dozen cities, posing a fresh challenge to Beijing's zero-Covid policy.

'A question of time': experts fear Balkans measles outbreak

Despite vaccinating her first child, Vanja drew a line when it came time to inoculate her second and decided he would not be receiving the measles shot.

Hong Kong suspends court system as virus crisis deepens

Hong Kong on Friday announced it would suspend court services for a month as the city recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the third consecutive day.

Top Hong Kong Covid expert says mass-testing plan 'unhelpful'

One of Hong Kong's top coronavirus experts on Thursday joined a growing chorus of criticism over plans to test the entire city, saying doing so during its worst-ever outbreak would have little impact.

Two years into the pandemic, is the end in sight?

Two years after the official start of the pandemic, some countries are now trying to "live with Covid", however scientists warn that potential new variants and unequal vaccination rates threaten any long-awaited return to normality.

Disarray grips Hong Kong ahead of mass Covid testing, isolation

Overflowing hospitals, empty supermarket shelves and grim quarantine camps -- Hong Kong is in chaos battling a ballooning Covid outbreak in a business hub once renowned for its efficiency.

China should eventually 'co-exist' with Covid: top scientist

China should aim to co-exist with the virus and could move away from its zero-Covid strategy "in the near future," a top Chinese scientist said in a possible sign that the country's leadership is rethinking its strict approach.

China could eventually 'co-exist' with Covid: top scientist

China could move away from its zero-Covid strategy "in the near future" and co-exist with the virus, a top Chinese scientist said in a possible sign that the country's leadership is rethinking its strict approach.

Lockdown fears spark panic buying in Hong Kong

Hong Kongers stripped supermarket shelves bare Tuesday as panic buying set in following mixed messaging from the government over whether it plans a lockdown this month.

Virus wave deepens grim conditions for Hong Kong domestic workers

Janice Obiang stifled sobs as she packed goods to send to the Philippines, gifts for loved ones she hasn't seen in years as life for domestic workers in virus-hit Hong Kong goes from bad to worse.

Virus-hit Hong Kong considers lockdown as bodies pile up

Hong Kong may impose a China-style hard lockdown that confines people to their homes, authorities signalled Monday, with the city's zero-Covid strategy in tatters and bodies piling up in hospitals.

Virus-hit Hong Kong considering lockdown: health chief

Hong Kong may impose a China-style hard lockdown that confines people to their homes, authorities signalled Monday, with the city's zero-Covid strategy in tatters and bodies piling up in hospitals.

US health agency loosens Covid mask guidelines

The United States top health agency on Friday drastically revised its guidelines for masking to stop Covid-19 transmission, a decision that means most Americans won't be advised to wear them in indoor public spaces, including school children.

Scotland star Watson out of France match with Covid-19

Scotland suffered a major setback on the eve of Saturday's Six Nations match at home to France when star back-row Hamish Watson was ruled out after testing positive for Covid-19.

Hong Kong's Omicron-fuelled outbreak spreads within prisons

Hong Kong prisons on Friday reported a worsening coronavirus outbreak involving more than 200 inmates at a time when hundreds of political activists and protesters are being kept behind bars.

Hong Kong and Singapore virus response a tale of two very different cities

Rivals Singapore and Hong Kong have become pandemic polar opposites, the former opting to live with the coronavirus and reopen to the world while the latter doubles down on zero-Covid and its international isolation.

Covid rages in Iraq as vaccinations lag

In the stores and buses of Iraq masks are rare even as Covid-19 spreads widely, vaccines are viewed with suspicion and the sick see hospitals as a last resort.

Science of sleep: Why a good night's rest gets harder with age

It's well known that getting a good night's sleep becomes more difficult as we age, but the underlying biology for why this happens has remained poorly understood.

Eight polio vaccinators killed in series of Afghan attacks: UN

Eight members of polio vaccination teams working to eradicate the crippling virus in Afghanistan were killed on Thursday in four separate attacks, the United Nations said.

Malawi polio immunisation starts next month after outbreak

Malawi said Thursday it will launch a nationwide polio vaccination campaign next month following the detection of its first case in 30 years and Africa's first in five years.

Virus-hit Hong Kong invokes emergency powers to allow in China medics

Hong Kong's government invoked emergency powers on Thursday to allow doctors and nurses from the Chinese mainland to work in the territory to help combat a spiralling coronavirus outbreak.

US authorizes first condom for use in anal sex

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized the first condom for use during anal intercourse, in what was hailed as a victory for sexual health by experts.

UN expert urges vaccines to help North Korea end Covid isolation

The world should provide millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines to North Korea, where "draconian" anti-pandemic measures are worsening an already-severe food crisis, a UN human rights expert said Wednesday.

US maternal mortality soars amid widening racial disparities

The US maternal mortality rate -- already the worst in the industrialized world -- rose in 2020 to its highest level in half a century, with Black women three times more likely to die than white women, data showed Wednesday.

In conservative Singapore, plus-size actors take centre stage

"I dare you, watch me as I undress," sings actor Ross Nasir in a Singapore musical comedy about dating as a plus-size woman, highlighting a nascent fat acceptance movement in a city-state that once forced children to join weight loss programmes.

Queen Elizabeth II cancels engagements over Covid symptoms

Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled her planned virtual engagements for Tuesday due to "mild" coronavirus symptoms, Buckingham Palace said.

Hong Kong to see three rounds of compulsory virus tests

Hong Kong's population must undergo three rounds of compulsory coronavirus testing, the city's leader said Tuesday, as she confirmed that mainland Chinese officials were now coordinating the response to the financial hub's worst outbreak.

Ajax agree 7.85 mn euros compensation for Nouri

Ajax said on Monday they will pay 7.85 million euros ($8.91 million) to the family of former player Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered brain damage after a cardiac arrest during a friendly match more than four years ago.

England scraps compulsory self-isolation period for Covid cases

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday all pandemic legal curbs in England would end later this week, urging a shift from government intervention to personal responsibility.

Trudeau: Canada blockades lifted, but 'emergency is not over'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday defended his use of emergency powers to end weeks-long trucker-led protests and argued that lingering threats require the measures to remain in force for now.

Hong Kong to launch vaccine pass as Omicron outbreak rages

Hong Kong will launch a vaccine pass scheme this week, officials said Monday, as hospitals struggle under an Omicron-fuelled outbreak and the finance hub sees record-high departures.

The Prague Post - Health (English)