The efficacy of third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines wanes substantially by the fourth month after administration, a new study by the United States (US) Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday.Though it's now well documented that vaccine efficacy goes down after two doses, relatively little has been published on the duration of protection after a booster.The new study was based on more than 241,204 visits to the emergency department or an urgent care cl

Indonesia – an archipelago of 17,000 islands – is modernising its military amid increasing maritime and regional challenges. Indonesia is moving to upgrade its ageing air force fleet with multi-billion-dollar orders for advanced fighter jets from France and the United States (US), amid increasing tensions in the Asia Pacific region.The agreement for 42 French Rafale fighters was announced as Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto met his French counterpart Florence Parly in Jakarta.

Here’s how much a COVID test costs in some countries.In Australia, a federal scheme introduced at the end of January allows pensioners and concession card holders to access up to 10 free rapid antigen tests over three months through their chemist.

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to abate around the world this week, slowing down in every region.Here is a state of play based on AFP's database.17 Percent Drop After a surge which lasted for three-and-a-half months, the average number of global daily cases dropped for a second week in a row, receding by 17 percent to 2.52 million, according to an AFP tally to Thursday.The confirmed cases only reflect a fraction of the actual number of infections, with varying counting practice

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:State Of Emergency In Ontario Canada's Ontario province declares a state of emergency over trucker-led anti-COVID restriction protests, as Premier Doug Ford vows to do whatever it takes to end the blockades.French Copycat Trucker Protest French President Emmanuel Macron calls for calm as thousands of people across France head towards Paris in convoys to protest COVID vaccination rules and other restrictions.&#03

United States (US) president Joe Biden has warned that “things could go crazy quickly” in Ukraine and again urged American citizens to leave immediately, as the United Kingdom’s (UK) defence secretary headed to Moscow in the latest round of diplomacy.“American citizens should leave, should leave now,” Biden said in an interview with NBC News. “We’re dealing with one of the largest armies in the world.

A type of coronavirus known as NeoCov has been making headlines around the world, with some comparing it to the SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19. But that comparison is not really accurate, and this is certainly not a new variant.The NeoCov virus is the closest known genetic relative to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, leading to comparisons with the latter’s fatality rate of one in three infected people – but there is no risk to humans from NeoCov yet.

The son and namesake of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos cleared a major obstacle Thursday in his bid to become the next Philippine president when the government's election body refused to disqualify him over a decades-old tax conviction.The ruling by the Commission on Elections came two days after candidates hit the campaign trail with polls showing Ferdinand Marcos Jr, popularly known as Bongbong, headed for a landslide victory in the 9 May vote.Opposition figures and torture victims d

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:Police Warn Canada Truckers, Protest Widens Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lambasts trucker-led protests that have strangled the capital and blocked a key bridge to the United States (US), with police warning they will arrest those responsible as copycat movements gather steam as far afield as Europe and New Zealand.NZ Clears 'Freedom Convoy' New Zealand police arrest 120 after moving in on anti-vax

Last week, a commission set up by Stanford University and the Lancet found that the devastating opioid crisis in North America could happen again, and not just there. The unethical practices that Patrick Radden Keefe documented in his prize-winning 2021 book, Empire of Pain, were not restricted to one company, Purdue Pharma, and the part of the Sackler family that owned it.