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Peru slaughters more than 37,000 poultry after bird flu outbreak
Peruvian authorities have culled at least 37,000 birds on a chicken farm due to bird flu, officials said Thursday.

Oh rats! New York seeks 'bloodthirsty' rodent czar
If you are "somewhat bloodthirsty" and willing to consider "wholesale slaughter" of vermin then you might be the ideal candidate to become New York City's new rat czar.

China signals zero-Covid relaxation after protests
China's top Covid official has signalled a possible relaxing of the country's strict zero-tolerance approach to the virus, after nationwide protests calling for an end to lockdowns and greater political freedom.

Crabs and tea cups: UK show lifts the lid on Covid vaccine race
From a scientist's laptop to the syringe used to inject the UK's first Covid vaccine dose, an exhibition that opened Wednesday in London recounts the quest to produce a coronavirus jab through objects.

Decision on Pakistan-England Test start delayed to Thursday
A decision on whether to start the first Test between Pakistan and England will be taken early Thursday morning after several members of the touring squad fell ill with a viral infection, the home cricket board said.

Alzheimer's drug data shows results but also risks
Experts hailed full data Wednesday showing a new drug can slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients, but warned improvements were comparatively small and the treatment can have serious side effects.

Elon Musk's Twitter lifts rule against Covid misinformation
Twitter said it has stopped enforcing a policy intended to prevent the spread of Covid misinformation, as new owner Elon Musk -- who has clashed previously with US officials over pandemic safety rules -- continues to remake its content moderation policies.

UK summons China envoy after arrest of BBC journalist
Britain on Tuesday summoned the Chinese ambassador in London for a rebuke after the arrest and alleged assault of a BBC journalist covering Covid protests.

China says to accelerate push to vaccinate elderly against Covid-19
China said Tuesday it would speed up a push to vaccinate people aged 60 and older against Covid-19 after the country posted record daily case numbers in recent days.
China moves to curb rare, nationwide protests
Chinese security forces on Monday filled the streets of Beijing and Shanghai following online calls for another night of protests to demand political freedoms and an end to Covid lockdowns.

Monkeypox to be renamed mpox: WHO
Monkeypox is to be renamed mpox, the World Health Organization announced Monday, in a bid to avoid stigmatisation stemming from the existing name.

Shanghai blanketed by heavy police presence after weekend protests
The flashing lights from lines of police cars blanketed the streets of Shanghai Monday night, as hundreds of officers patrolled city landmarks and the site of a weekend anti-lockdown protest that called for greater political freedoms.

China protests speak to deep political frustrations
Protests spreading in China have been catalysed by fury at the government's hardline zero-Covid policies but have also exposed deep-rooted frustration against the country's wider political system.

China moves to curb and censor rare, nationwide protests
China's security forces detained people Monday at the scene of a rare demonstration as authorities worked to extinguish protests that flared across the country calling for political freedoms and an end to Covid lockdowns.

China censors rare, nationwide protests
China's censors were working Monday to extinguish signs of rare, social media-driven protests that flared across major cities over the weekend calling for political freedoms and an end to Covid lockdowns.

Uyghur man's agony after five relatives died in Urumqi fire
When a deadly fire broke out in China's northwest Xinjiang region, triggering a wave of public anger over the country's zero-Covid policy, Abdulhafiz Maimaitimin initially could not believe that it claimed five of his relatives' lives.

'Long live the people!' Beijingers gather for frigid anti-lockdown rally
One by one Beijingers braved the cold Sunday night after word of a rally spread on social media -- a vigil for the victims of a deadly fire as well as a protest against China's harsh Covid-19 restrictions.

Protests across China as anger mounts over zero-Covid policy
Angry crowds took to the streets in Shanghai early on Sunday, and videos on social media showed protests in other cities across China, as public opposition to the government's hardline zero-Covid policy mounts.

Deadly Xinjiang fire stirs anger at China's zero-Covid policy
A deadly fire in China's northwest Xinjiang region has spurred an outpouring of anger at the country's zero-Covid policy, as Beijing fights growing public fatigue over its hardline approach to containing the coronavirus.

China's 'iPhone city' under Covid lockdown after violent clashes
Six million people were on Friday under Covid lockdown in a Chinese city home to the world's largest iPhone factory, after clashes between police and workers furious over pay.

China iPhone factory workers take the money and leave after protests
Employees are leaving a vast Foxconn iPhone factory in central China over working conditions and Covid restrictions, relieved to be taking pay-offs home after angry protests at the Taiwanese tech giant's plant.

China's 'iPhone city' tightens Covid rules after violent protests
China has ordered six million people into lockdown in a city where violent protests broke out at an iPhone factory over Covid isolation policies and working conditions.

China's daily Covid cases highest since pandemic began
China's daily Covid cases have climbed to the highest since the pandemic began, official data showed Thursday, despite the government persisting with a zero-tolerance approach involving gruelling lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Record number of children miss measles vaccine: global report
A record high of nearly 40 million children around the world missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021, according to a new report Wednesday that found immunization levels had failed to rebound from disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Maskless World Cup scenes spark anger in zero-Covid China
Images of maskless crowds at the World Cup in Qatar have sparked anger in China, where people worn out by harsh Covid-19 restrictions are questioning their government's exceptional approach while the rest of the world lives alongside the virus.

'Sick of everything': Beijingers fed up with tightening restrictions
Schools and businesses closed, restaurants empty, and the fear of being locked down at any moment – the Chinese capital is a cauldron of dread and fatigue as Covid curbs tighten nearly three years into the pandemic.

In US, inflation sparks tough Thanksgiving meal sacrifices
Sandra White normally has turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. But on Thursday, due to soaring inflation, she's going to have fried chicken instead.

UK says monkeypox vaccine is '78% effective'
UK public health officials on Tuesday said the monkeypox vaccine was 78 percent effective, urging men who have sex with men to take up the jab.

Confusion, fear cloud China's path out of zero-Covid
With megacities under lockdown, infection numbers climbing and sporadic protests, China's Covid-19 policy has reached a stalemate as authorities persist with seeking to contain the virus while trying to keep the economy alive.

Beijing sees record Covid cases as China outbreak spirals
China's capital Beijing posted a record number of new Covid cases on Tuesday, with the city hunkering down under a tightening chokehold of restrictions that have sent schools online, closed many restaurants and forced employees to work from home.

Bacterial infections the 'second leading cause of death worldwide'
Bacterial infections are the second leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for one in eight of all deaths in 2019, the first global estimate of their lethality revealed on Tuesday.

China reports more Covid deaths as infections surge
China reported two new deaths from Covid-19 on Monday, both elderly Beijing residents, as several major cities persisted with strict virus curbs despite a much-touted recent loosening.