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CIA says Covid 'more likely' to have leaked from lab

The Central Intelligence Agency has shifted its official stance on the origin of Covid-19, saying Saturday that the virus was "more likely" leaked from a Chinese lab than transmitted by animals.

Djokovic posts scan of Australian Open injury for 'experts out there'

Novak Djokovic blasted "all sports injury experts" on Saturday when he posted the results of a scan which demonstrated the extent of the leg injury which shattered his Australian Open dream.

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Former rugby players send brain injuries claim letter to governing bodies

Dozens of former amateur rugby players have written to a number of the sport's governing bodies, alleging not enough was done to protect them from brain injuries ahead of a potential lawsuit.

Rural China's subsiding Covid wave suggests virus spread before reopening

Covid-19 swept swiftly through southern China's rural mountain villages last month, and the wave appears to have subsided -- supporting expert theories that the country's most recent outbreak preceded the lifting of restrictions.

Nurses in England stage new walk-out over pay

Nurses across England began two days of strikes over pay on Wednesday, threatening fresh disruption for patients in the creaking state-run health service, as new figures showed inflation still surging.

Nurses in England launch fresh strikes over pay

Nurses in England began two days of strikes over pay Wednesday, as officials warned of disruption for thousands of patients in the UK's state-run health service.

China reports almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths in a month

China's health authorities reported on Saturday almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths in just over a month, the first major death toll released by the government since it loosened its virus restrictions in early December.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr sues media outlets over misinformation initiative

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, son of the slain US presidential candidate, and other anti-vaccine activists have filed a lawsuit against several news organizations that have banded together to fight misinformation.

Germany to drop mask mandate in trains and buses from February 2

Germany will end the requirement to wear face masks on long-distance trains and buses from February 2 as the coronavirus pandemic loosened its grip on the country, authorities announced Friday.

Asthma study sparks debate about safety of cooking with gas

New research that links cooking with natural gas to around 12 percent of childhood asthma cases has sparked debate about the health risks of kitchen stoves, as well as calls in the United States for stepped-up regulation.

Most long Covid symptoms clear up in a year for mild cases: study

Most symptoms from long Covid clear up within a year for people who had mild initial infections, a large Israel study said Thursday, with the findings welcomed as "reassuring".

Jill Biden has two cancerous growths removed

Doctors on Wednesday successfully removed two cancerous growths on the US first lady, Jill Biden, and she is now considered clear of danger, the White House physician said.

Bills' Hamlin out of hospital as he recovers from cardiac arrest

Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin has been discharged from hospital to continue recovering at home more than a week after his cardiac arrest during an NFL game shocked the league, the team said Wednesday.

WHO seeks more China Covid data, praises us 'transparency'

The WHO reiterated Wednesday the need for China to share more data on its explosive Covid outbreak, while praising Washington's "radical transparency" in its efforts to battle a new sub-variant.

'Total mess' in China's rural east as Covid wave hits hard

Exhausted doctors working overtime, tests and treatments nowhere to be found, and under-resourced clinics inundated with patients -- in Anhui, one of east China's poorest provinces, Covid hit hard.

Super-resistant mosquitoes in Asia pose growing threat: study

Mosquitoes that transmit dengue and other viruses have evolved growing resistance to insecticides in parts of Asia, and novel ways to control them are desperately needed, new research warns.

China halts short-term visas for S. Koreans, Japanese over Covid travel curbs

China suspended issuing short-term visas to South Koreans and Japanese on Tuesday, its embassies in Seoul and Tokyo said, in apparent retaliation for restrictions imposed on Chinese travellers over Covid concerns.

90% of people in China province infected with Covid: official

Almost 90 percent of people in China's third most populous province have now been infected with Covid-19, a top official said Monday, as the country battles an unprecedented surge in cases.

New US rule on abortion pills: What changes?

US public health officials this week authorized pharmacies to sell abortion pills by prescription. What exactly does that change for women in the United States, after several states banned abortion last year?

US approves new drug to treat Alzheimer's disease

The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a highly anticipated new drug designed to slow cognitive decline in patients in mild and early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

US approves new drug to treat Alzheimer's

The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a highly anticipated new drug designed to slow cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Gas cooking linked to 12.7% of childhood asthma in US: study

Cooking with gas indoors has been linked to 12.7 percent of all childhood asthma cases in the United States, a new study has found, comparing its effect on health to that of second-hand smoking.

Soaring Covid cases shine light on China's healthcare gap

Understaffed and underfunded clinics stand half-empty in parts of the Chinese countryside even as hospitals in major cities heave under an unprecedented Covid wave -- an illustration of the stark disparities in the country's healthcare system.

From tracking moods to putting on a show, it's AI-everything at CES

Entrepreneur Antony Perzo introduces a small device called Emobot, which looks like a cross between a speaker and a piece of abstract art, and explains: "It's an emotional thermometer!"

CES tech gala looks to shake off economic gloom

The annual CES consumer electronics extravaganza threw open its doors in Las Vegas on Thursday as the industry looks to the latest innovations to help cure the pain from an ailing global economy.

China insists Covid data 'transparent' after WHO criticism

China on Thursday insisted it had been transparent with the international community about its Covid data, as it hit back against World Health Organization criticism that its tally of virus deaths was understating the true scale of its outbreak.

Hong Kong to resume hamster imports a year after mass cull

Hong Kong will resume hamster imports later this month, officials said Thursday, nearly a year after some 2,000 pet rodents were culled at the height of the city's coronavirus outbreak.

Jill Biden to have surgery to remove small lesion

US First Lady Jill Biden will undergo surgery next week to remove a "small lesion" discovered on her face during a routine examination, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Cardiac arrest of Bills' Hamlin may have been 'perfect storm'

The on-field cardiac arrest suffered by Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin may have been the result of a "perfect storm" of events in which a blow to the chest was combined with a split-second moment of vulnerability during a heartbeat, experts said on Wednesday.

China stats 'under-represent' true impact of Covid outbreak: WHO

The World Health Organization criticised China's "very narrow" definition of Covid deaths on Wednesday, warning that official statistics were not showing the true impact of the outbreak.

Bionic penis: Synthetic tissue restores erections in pigs

Researchers in China have used artificial tissue to restore erectile function in pigs, a promising development for repairing penile damage in humans.

CES gadgets take aim at snoring, pee and even surgery

Pillows that stifle snores, urine-testing toilets, and "digital twins" for safer surgeries were all on display at a CES gadget fest in Las Vegas Tuesday, ahead of the opening of the consumer electronics extravaganza.

US expands access to abortion pills through pharmacies

Retail pharmacies in the United States will be permitted to sell abortion pills, health officials said Tuesday, a move that could significantly expand access to the procedure after last year's landmark Supreme Court ruling that overturned federal abortion rights.

Pele gets resting place in world's tallest vertical cemetery

Pele was a footballer like no other, and his final resting place will be exceptional, too: a large replica stadium complete with artificial turf inside the world's tallest vertical cemetery.

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