Monkeypox: Health agency urges people to look out for symptoms Sign up for FREE health tips to live a long and happy life SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Monkeypox — a close relative of smallpox — is a viral disease typically contracted from animal bites or the consumption of improperly cooked meat, but that can spread from person-to-person by close contact. Initial symptoms of infection can include chills, fatigue, fever, and muscle aches — with more severe cases often presenting with a rash on the face and genitals that can spread elsewhere on the body before scabbing over. The virus is known to cause severe disease among certain vulnerable groups, including young children, people who are immunosuppressed and pregnant … [Read more...] about Monkeypox panic: France rolls out vaccines as cases soar — ‘identify, detect and isolate’
Vaccines
We need British music to thrive after the pandemic – now is not the time to regulate success
As we adjust to life outside the EU, the government is busy positioning the UK as an outward-looking nation, creating international products and selling them around the world. Britain's music industry is already a genuine global leader – the world’s second biggest exporter of music, a major plank in our cultural identity and economy. The pandemic has devastated many musicians' livelihoods, particularly those heavily reliant on live performance. But for the industry’s sake the UK’s resilient recorded music sector must continue growing and punching above its weight on the world stage. Supplying one in 10 songs streamed worldwide, British artists are already overrepresented in music streaming, with a market share four times greater than the UK's overall share of global GDP. Stars like Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi, Adele, Harry Styles, Dua Lipa and Stormzy contributed to the 155 million albums (or their equivalent) streamed or bought in 2020 in the UK. The 139 billion individual audio … [Read more...] about We need British music to thrive after the pandemic – now is not the time to regulate success
Grindr sends monkeypox warnings to users as cases rise
Grindr, the dating app, has teamed up with British public health officials to warn users about the rising number of monkeypox cases among gay and bisexual men. Britain’s tally of monkeypox cases is now 78, one in Scotland and 70 in England, and a “notable proportion” are in men who have sex with other men, health officials said. It is thought the virus is highly prevalent among members of the LGBTQ+ community after originating and spreading at gay raves, parties and saunas in Europe . In response to the number of cases among gay and bisexual men, Grindr sent a message to all its European users. Those on the Continent were directed to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s website on monkeypox, and British users were pointed towards official guidance from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Close contact is needed for the virus to spread , either via droplets from a person’s breath or direct skin-to-skin contact with virus-laden lesions. Dr Susan … [Read more...] about Grindr sends monkeypox warnings to users as cases rise
Ukraine War: Pentagon details Phoenix Ghost drones sent to Ukraine
Live Updates As Russia's invasion continues for a 57th day, President Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine and established a new program to streamline Ukrainians seeking to enter the U.S. Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve his "grand ambitions" as Ukraine continues to fight. Putin reportedly canceled an assault on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where hundreds of civilians were sheltering, over concerns of Russian casualties. Ukraine is calling for "urgent" humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians who remain in the besieged Mariupol, describing the situation as "desperate." While 79 people were able to evacuate Mariupol to Zaporizhia Thursday, Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister said "everything is going very slowly." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked foreign allies for more weapons as Ukrainian forces continue to defend their cities against Russian bombardment. … [Read more...] about Ukraine War: Pentagon details Phoenix Ghost drones sent to Ukraine
What is Putin up to? Macron panic as France discovers devastating Russian hacking plot
Russian foreign minister issues warning to EU Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info France's cybersecurity agency ANSSI has announced "several French entities" had been breached by hackers and linked the attacks to a Russian hacking group. This group is believed to be behind some of the most devastating cyberattacks over recent years. Related articles Russia's cyber 'atomic bomb' threat to US exposed MASSIVE US cyberattack to DESTROY Joe Biden The latest "intrusion campaign" compromised the French software firm Centreon to install two pieces of malware into its clients' networks. It is believed the intrusion campaign … [Read more...] about What is Putin up to? Macron panic as France discovers devastating Russian hacking plot
WHO on red alert: Mysterious UK liver disease cases could be linked to new virus outbreak
Dr Susan Hopkins reveals symptoms for Hepatitis Sign up HERE for science breakthroughs in health, business and more that matter SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info According to the WHO, 169 unexplained cases of acute hepatitis, or liver inflammation , have been reported from across Europe and the Americas as of Friday. These include 114 incidences in the UK, 13 in Spain, 12 in Israel and 9 in the US. The WHO said: “It is not yet clear if there has been an increase in hepatitis cases, or an increase in awareness of hepatitis cases that occur at the expected rate but go undetected.” Related articles Cancer prevention: New DNA analysis finds 'treasure trove' of causes Tiny air bubbles in inner ear caused … [Read more...] about WHO on red alert: Mysterious UK liver disease cases could be linked to new virus outbreak
Paxlovid Is a Game Changer and a Head-Scratcher
The first data on Paxlovid, out last November, hinted that the COVID antiviral would cut the risk of hospitalization and death by 89 percent . Pundits called the drug “ a monster breakthrough ,” “ miraculous ,” and “ the biggest advance in the pandemic since the vaccines .” “ Today’s news is a real game-changer ,” said Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer, which makes the drug. The pills are “ a game changer ,” President Joe Biden repeated a few months later. Now, finally, the game is being changed. The government has ordered 20 million courses of Paxlovid, committing half of the $10 billion in additional COVID funding that is being negotiated in the Senate; and Pfizer says that the number of patients taking the drug increased by a factor of 10 between mid-February and late April. But as the treatment spreads, so too does confusion over its effectiveness and side effects. Patients have complained of a bitter, metallic taste, or one like grapefruit juice mixed with … [Read more...] about Paxlovid Is a Game Changer and a Head-Scratcher
Title 42: Controversial Trump-era immigration policy remains in place
On May 20, a federal judge in Louisiana ruled that Title 42, a policy used since the Trump-era to expel millions of asylum seekers at the southern border, must remain in place. In April, the Biden administration had announced a plan to rescind the controversial public health order, which restricts migrants' entry into the US on the grounds that they pose a health risk. But over 20 states filed a lawsuit against the decision. Title 42 was invoked by former president Donald Trump in March 2020, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The provision, laid out in the United States Code, is designed to protect public health and was officially implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to curb the spread of COVID-19. But effectively it means that Border Patrol can immediately turn back and expel migrants attempting to cross into the US without legal authorization, denying them the opportunity to request asylum and have their claim heard. In the last two … [Read more...] about Title 42: Controversial Trump-era immigration policy remains in place
Japan to resume tourism in June; only packaged tour for now
Japan will open its borders to foreign tourists in June for the first time since imposing tight pandemic travel restrictions about two years ago, but only for package tours for now, the prime minister said Thursday. Beginning June 10, Japan will allow the entry of people on tours with fixed schedules and guides, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. Tourists from areas with low COVID-19 infection rates who have received three vaccine doses will be exempt from testing and quarantine after entry. Japan this week is hosting small experimental package tours from four countries, Australia, Singapore, Thailand and the United States. That experiment, which involves only 50 people who received special visas, not tourist visas, is to end May 31. After facing criticism that its strict border controls were xenophobic, Japan began easing its restrictions earlier this year and currently allows entry of up to 10,000 people a day, including Japanese citizens, foreign students … [Read more...] about Japan to resume tourism in June; only packaged tour for now
‘Elizabeth the Great’: Boris Johnson hails the Queen ahead of Platinum Jubilee
Boris Johnson on Thursday hailed the Queen as “Elizabeth the Great” as he praised her “profound knowledge” of politics and world affairs and said no monarch had served their country so long or so well. The Prime Minister expressed hope that the nation would next week come together in celebration of her Platinum Jubilee to reciprocate the “love, devotion and leadership” she had shown the country over the past 70 years. Mr Johnson was speaking to the House of Commons in a “humble address” to the Queen, scheduled to allow politicians to pay tribute to Her Majesty ahead of next week’s Jubilee celebrations . “No monarch, by her efforts and dedication and achievement, better deserves the attribute of greatness,” he said. “And for me, she is already Elizabeth the Great.” Mr Johnson acknowledged that for the Queen, the four-day bank holiday weekend would be “tinged with sadness” without the Duke of Edinburgh by her side. He added: “I hope in the coming days that we can together … [Read more...] about ‘Elizabeth the Great’: Boris Johnson hails the Queen ahead of Platinum Jubilee