Singapore becomes first country to approve sale of lab-grown meat

SINGAPORE — Singapore has given US startup Eat Just the greenlight to sell its lab-grown chicken meat, in what the firm says is the...

Most sovereigns face ‘significant negative’ shock from COVID-19

MOODY’S Investors Service said on Monday that most sovereigns face a “significant negative shock” from the coronavirus pandemic and that recent developments in vaccine trials have not changed the rating agency’s forecasts.

California at coronavirus ‘tipping point’ as Trump administration hopes for vaccines by Christmas

LOS ANGELES — California’s governor said on Monday the state was at a “tipping point” in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that would soon overwhelm hospitals as political leaders nationwide turn to increasingly aggressive measures to hold back the latest surge.

China gave experimental vaccine to Kim, says analyst

SEOUL — China has provided North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family with an experimental coronavirus vaccine, a US analyst said on Tuesday, citing two unidentified Japanese intelligence sources.

Hong Kong takes aim at yacht parties in latest virus crackdown

HONG KONG has set up a hotline for residents to report parties aboard private yachts and rented party boats, as the financial hub tightens social-distancing rules to contain a surge of virus cases.

The world developed vaccines for COVID-19 at record pace, can it do the same...

Vaccines for the novel coronavirus are being developed at a record pace, as the world waits for a solution to an infectious disease that, as of writing, has taken more than 1.4 million lives. This focus has relegated other deadly infectious diseases to the backseat. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths, for instance, reached 690,000 last year. There is still no vaccine for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Coronavirus dreams: how anger, sadness, and fear crept in during lockdown — new research

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of our lives. Our dreams are no different. Soon after the first lockdowns started, people reported having more dreams than before, with different content. This was explained by the fact that many people were sleeping for longer, and waking without alarm clocks or an immediate schedule.

Moderna files for US vaccine authorization, will seek EU nod

Moderna Inc. said on Monday it has applied for US emergency authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine after full results from a late-stage study showed it was 94.1% effective with no serious safety concerns.

Feeling pressured to buy Christmas presents? Read this (and think twice before buying candles)

Christmas marks a peak in consumerism across the West. Despite the COVID downturn, this Christmas the spending frenzy is unlikely to be dampened.

‘Pandemic’ chosen as Word of the Year

NEW YORK — The 2020 prize for Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year went to an obvious choice: pandemic. The term had the most online dictionary...

Airlines face ‘mission of the century’ in shipping millions of doses of COVID vaccines

IN COOLED warehouses on the fringes of Frankfurt airport, Deutsche Lufthansa AG is preparing its depleted fleet for the gargantuan task of airlifting millions of doses of the vaccines meant to end the global pandemic.

Twitter suspends Thai royalist account linked to influence campaign

BANGKOK — Twitter has suspended a Thai pro-royalist account linked to the palace that a Reuters analysis found was connected to thousands of others created in recent weeks spreading posts in favor of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the monarchy.