World

15-year-old Indian-American Gitanjali Rao, a “brilliant” young scientist and inventor, has been named by TIME magazine as the first-ever ‘Kid of the Year’ for her “astonishing work” using technology to tackle issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying. “The world belongs to those who shape it. […]

The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, which the company says was recently demonstrated to have 94 percent efficacy, causes the human immune system to produce potent antibodies that endure for at least three months, a study showed Thursday. Researchers at the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which co-developed the […]

Three former US presidents have volunteered to take shots of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine — when it is approved — publicly to persuade Americans who are sceptical about inoculations. Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama — three of the four living former presidents — conveyed their offer […]

Four people have died following an explosion at a waste water treatment plant near the southwest England city of Bristol, police said Thursday. Chief Inspector Mark Runacres of Avon and Somerset Police said that a fifth person was injured during the explosion at Avonmouth but that his condition is not […]

US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday issued rules to restrict travel to the United States by Chinese Communist Party members and their families, the New York Times newspaper reported on Thursday. The policy shift limits the validity of travel visas for party members and families to one month and […]

China’s Chang’e-5 lunar vehicle has finished collecting samples of lunar rocks and soil more than a day ahead of schedule in the first lunar sample retrieval mission since the 1970s, the country’s space agency said on Thursday. The robotic vehicle has stored the samples and will now dock with the […]

Australia’s pharmaceutical regulator said on Thursday it is on course to review Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine by January 2021, with the country sticking to a March timetable to start vaccinations. Britain on Wednesday approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine, jumping ahead of the rest of the world in the race […]

Outspoken Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate and media tycoon Jimmy Lai was refused bail on Thursday on a fraud charge amid a growing crackdown on dissent in the semi-autonomous city. Jimmy Lai of Next Digital, which publishes the Apple Daily newspaper, was among 10 people arrested August 10 on what police […]

Japan’s government is considering abolishing sales of new gasoline-engine cars by the mid-2030s in favour of hybrid or electric vehicles in line with a global shift from traditionally powered cars, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday. The move would follow Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s pledge in October for Japan to […]

Operations have started on the middle portion of the China-Russia East natural gas pipeline, allowing natural gas from the Power of Siberia system in Russia to be transmitted to the smog-prone Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in northern China. The 1,110-kilometre pipeline aims to help improve air quality in the region, where about […]

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp has raised $3.91 billion as part of a deal that includes Hong Kong’s largest top-up placement, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters. Potential investors have been told the price should be HK$23.70 for the 1 billion shares that are being sold down in […]