Pfizer in talks with India over expedited approval for COVID-19 vaccine
Pfizer is in discussions with the Indian government seeking an “expedited approval pathway” for its COVID-19 vaccine, its CEO Albert Bourla said on LinkedIn on Monday, announcing a donation of medicines worth more than $70 million. “Unfortunately, our vaccine is not registered in India although our application was submitted months ago,” he said. “We are […]
Brazil’s Bolsonaro says govt reduced environmental fines for ‘peace and tranquility’
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Saturday that his government had opted to reduce the number of environmental fines handed out to ranchers in order to bring “peace and tranquility” to the countryside. Environmental specialists have attributed a reduction in environmental fines in Brazil in recent years to the diminished capacity of federal environmental regulator […]
Indian scientists flag virus mutations that could ‘evade immune response’
France to relax nightly curfew on May 19, to scrap it on June 30 – source
The French government will begin relaxing its COVID-19 curfew from May 19, a source familiar with the plan said on Thursday ahead of an expected announcement by President Emmanuel Macron.
Biden pleads for unity, warns of Chinese threat, in speech to Congress
President Joe Biden proposed a sweeping new $1.8 trillion plan in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, pleading with Republican lawmakers to work with him on divisive issues and to meet the stiff competition posed by China.
Myanmar unity government tells ASEAN no talks until prisoners freed
Myanmar’s pro-democracy unity government, which includes members of parliament ousted by the military coup, has told Southeast Asia’s regional bloc that it will not engage in talks until the junta releases all political prisoners. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been trying to find a path for Myanmar out of a bloody […]
YouTube blocks access to Ukrainian TV channels tied to Kremlin ally, Ukraine govt says
Three Ukrainian television channels linked to an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin were blocked from broadcasting on Google’s YouTube on Saturday, the Ukrainian government said, following its request to YouTube to have the channels taken down.
India to increase oxygen supplies amid shortage -govt
At least 22 patients died on Wednesday in a hospital in western India after a disruption to their oxygen supply caused by a leaking tank, the health minister said, as a nationwide surge in coronavirus cases soaks up supplies of the crucial gas. The incident in the city of Nashik, one of India’s worst-hit areas, […]
Indian hospitals battle ‘chaotic’ surge as daily virus infections cross 200,000
NEW DELHI/BENGALURU (Reuters) – Many Indians scrambled on Thursday to secure beds in hospitals for relatives stricken with coronavirus as infections surged to a daily record, overwhelming medical facilities and drying up oxygen supplies.
Here’s how we can get more people in Asia and the Pacific connected to the internet
Everyone should have reliable access to the internet. If we face another situation like COVID-19 in the future, enhanced internet connectivity will make us better prepared to handle it.
