Could delivering COVID-19 immunity directly to the nose – the area of the body via which it is most likely to be transmitted – help conquer the pandemic? The World Health Organization (WHO) says clinical trials are underway to evaluate eight nasal spray vaccines that target COVID-19.

Cambodia on Friday began inoculating children as young as six against coronavirus, even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) has yet to approve a vaccine for the under-12s.The Southeast Asian country has won praise for its swift vaccination programme, which has seen more than 98 percent of the adult population receive at least one dose, according to the health ministry.The latest phase of the drive began with the grandchildren of Prime Minister Hun Sen and other officials receiving a Si

Official data in Indonesia shows a Delta-driven second wave of COVID-19 that saw the Southeast Asian nation become the global epicentre of the pandemic in July and August has run its course.But some of the country’s top epidemiologists say poor testing and tracing capacity, inaccurate estimates on the death toll and the deliberate falsification of data, means there is still no clear picture of the pandemic in Indonesia and a third wave could be brewing.At the peak of Indonesia’s second wave i

The Taliban on Tuesday thanked the world for pledging hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency aid to Afghanistan, and urged the United States (US) to show "heart" to the impoverished country.A donor conference in Geneva on Monday ended with pledges of US$1.2 billion in aid for Afghanistan, which was taken over by the hard-line Islamist group last month in a lightning offensive that took retreating US troops by surprise.Afghanistan, already heavily dependent on aid, is facing an

In a landmark victory for Indonesian environment campaigners, a court on Thursday ordered President Joko Widodo to clean up Jakarta's notorious air pollution, ruling that the leader and other top officials had been negligent in protecting citizens.The capital and its surroundings form a megacity of about 30 million people, which routinely ranks among the most polluted cities in the world.Experts have warned for years about the threat posed by Jakarta's smog to the health of resident

President Rodrigo Duterte will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) probe into the Philippines' drug war, his lawyer said Thursday, after its judges found the crackdown could be a crime against humanity.ICC judges authorised Wednesday a full-blown investigation into Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign, which rights groups estimate has killed tens of thousands of people, saying it resembled an illegitimate and systematic attack on civilians.Duterte "wil

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday authorised a full probe into Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs", saying it resembled an illegitimate and systematic attack on civilians.Judges said there was a "reasonable basis" to believe that the crime against humanity of murder had been committed in the crackdown, which has left thousands of people dead.Duterte pulled Manila out of the Hague-based court in 2019 after it launched a preliminary

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis. Minaj RappedSinger Nicki Minaj, who has not been vaccinated and claims the jab made her cousin's friend's testicles swell up, is slapped down by Britain's virus tsar, who says those who "peddle untruths" should be ashamed.Big EU Jabs DonationThe European Union (EU) is to donate another 200 million vaccine doses to poor countries, more than doubling its present pledge.France Gets ToughFrance orders te

The Philippines will ease coronavirus restrictions in the capital Manila to spur economic activity, officials said Tuesday, despite record infection numbers and a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) against the move.Restaurants, churches and beauty salons in the national capital region will open at lower capacities from Thursday to get tens of thousands more people back to work."We should strive for total health and this can only be realised by carefully balancing our COVID-

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis. Putin Self-IsolatesRussian President Vladimir Putin says he is counting on the homegrown Sputnik V jab to protect him as he self-isolates after cases are detected in his inner circle.Russia is struggling with stubbornly high infection rates and vaccine scepticism. New Outbreak In ChinaSouthern Chinese cities close schools and order the testing of millions after a new outbreak which has sparked concerns over unvaccin