Netanyahu, Gaza militants fight on as Biden urges “de-escalation”
GazaReuters Israel and Gaza militants vowed to keep fighting after US President Joe Biden urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek a “de-escalation” on Wednesday on the path to a ceasefire in the 10-day-old conflict. An Egyptian security source said the two sides had agreed in principle to a ceasefire after help from mediators, although […]
Indian data suggests runaway COVID infections as deaths hit daily record
Bengalaru, India Reuters Nearly two-thirds of people tested in India have shown exposure to COVID-19, a chain of private laboratories said on Wednesday, indicating a runaway spread of the virus as the daily death toll rose to a record 4,529. India reported 267,334 new daily infections on Wednesday, taking its tally to 25.5 million, the […]
North Korea defectors urge US rights pressure as South’s Moon leaves for Biden summit
Seoul, South KoreaReuters North Korean defectors and activists urged Joe Biden to ramp up pressure on North Korea over human rights as South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed to Washington on Wednesday for his first summit with the US President. Moon is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Thursday for a four-day stay, which will […]
StrangeSights: Film in space; Guernica commemorated (in chocolate); and, a world record light show
DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
Tokyo doctors call for cancellation of Olympic Games due to COVID-19
Tokyo, JapanReuters A top medical organisation has thrown its weight behind calls to cancel the Tokyo Olympics saying hospitals are already overwhelmed as the country battles a spike in coronavirus infections less than three months from the start of the Games. The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association representing about 6,000 primary care doctors said hospitals in […]
From the Field: Who, then, is my neighbour?
In a new column in which Christian humanitarian and mission organisations report on their operations, SALLY BRUCE, of DFN (Dignity Freedom Network), reports on the difference the organisation’s health teams are making in India…
India’s halt to vaccine exports “very problematic” for Africa
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaReuters An extended halt to exports of COVID-19 vaccines from India, where authorities are battling a wave of domestic infections, risks derailing vaccination efforts already underway in Africa, one of the continent’s top health officials said on Tuesday. India stopped vaccine exports a month ago and, according to a Reuters report earlier on […]
Fragrance expert helps COVID-19 patients learn to smell again
New York, USReuters After 13-year-old Sahil Shah lost his sense of smell to COVID-19 in November, his parents looked everywhere for help. “We met with neurologists, neurosurgeons, ENT specialists, and all of them said if it was supposed to come back, it would have come back by now,” said Sahil’s father, Pratik Shah. But six […]
Concern over nature loss surging in developing nations, online trends show
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation Awareness of nature loss and calls to address it are growing in developing nations, not just richer parts of the world, researchers said on Tuesday, urging governments and businesses to speed up efforts to make economies more eco-friendly. Research by the Economist Intelligence Unit analysed the popularity of nature loss and […]
Pandemic response: Brazil’s evangelicals, bound to Bolsonaro, fight to follow his lead on pandemic
RAPHAEL TSAVKKO GARCIA, writing for Religion News Service, reports from Brazil…