LONDON: The Delta variant of coronavirus, first identified in India, doubles the risk of hospitalisation compared with the Alpha variant first found in the UK, but Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines provide good protection against the strain, says a study published in The Lancet journal. Researchers at Public Health Scotland and the University of Edinburgh, UK, […]
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Scientists finish sequencing 100% of human genome
NEW DELHI: The process of human genome sequencing is finally complete, 20 years after researchers first cracked the human gene code. This should usher in a new era of genomics and sharply increase our understanding of a wide variety of disorders affecting people. It could also lead to better genetic screening that enables quick and […]
China launches four satellites into planned orbits
BEIJING: China on Friday successfully sent four satellites into planned orbits that will be used for ecological environment monitoring, asteroid resource exploration, disaster prevention and mitigation among others. The satellites were launched by a Long March-2D rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern Shanxi Province at 11:03 am local time, the state-run Xinhua […]
Partial eclipse to sweep over northern hemisphere
PARIS: A solar eclipse will be visible over the Earth’s northern hemisphere on Thursday with parts of Canada and Siberia privy to the best view of the celestial event. The eclipse will be partial, which means the people in its shadow won’t be plunged into daytime darkness. Instead, people with the maximum visibility — and […]
New dinosaur species discovered in Australia, one of world’s biggest
BRISBANE: A gigantic dinosaur discovered in Australia‘s outback has been identified as a new species and recognised as one of the largest to ever roam the Earth, according to palaeontologists. The Australotitan cooperensis, part of the titanosaur family that lived about 100 million years ago, has finally been named and described 15 years after its […]
Climate crisis will have catastrophic impact in India
NEW DELHI: The climate emergency will have a catastrophic human and economic impact in India. Different threats will interact to devastating effect, as exemplified by cyclones Tauktae and Yaas during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. A new review by the global think tank, ODI. The costs of climate change in India, released on […]
Optical illusion of orangutan wins award
A mind-bending photograph of an orangutan with the sky reflected in water has won first prize in the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 competition. image copyrightThomas Vijayan The image, by Canadian photographer Thomas Vijayan, is called The World is Going Upside Down. It beat 8,000 entries from around the globe to win the […]
Then and now: Pandemic clears the air
In our monthly feature, Then and Now, we reveal some of the ways that planet Earth has been changing against the backdrop of a warming world. Air pollution has long been one of the biggest killers, claiming an estimated seven million victims annually. However, the Covid-19 global pandemic showed how quality we could clear the […]
Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines appear safe, effective, says study
JAKARTA: Two vaccines made by China’s Sinopharm appear safe and effective against COVID-19, according to a study published in a medical journal. Scientists had been waiting for more details about the two vaccines, even though they already are being used in many countries, and one recently won the backing of the World Health Organisation for […]
Former miner: Why I’m giving up my coal fire
Stan Renton and his wife Audrey, have been heating their home with coal for their entire married lives. New rules, in England, on the sale of coal for burning in households have recently come into force to try and cut air pollution. People will still be able to use open fires but they will need […]