LifeStyle

Pfizer to sell all its drugs in low-income countries at non-profit price

U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc PFE.N said on Tuesday it will offer its full portfolio of drugs, including off-patent medicines such as chemotherapies and oral cancer treatments, on a not-for-profit basis to 45…

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Italian pop group Pooh to reunite at Sanremo

Pooh, one of Italy's oldest and most popular pop groups, are to reunite for the Sanremo Song Festival next month, organizers said Monday. The three surviving members of the band,…

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Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida dies at 95

MILAN, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida has died at 95, ANSA news agency reported on Monday. Lollobrigida shot to fame in the 1950s as a sultry Mediterranean…

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China braces for COVID holiday surge as people leave megacities for hometowns

By Martin Quin Pollard and Bernard Orr BEIJING, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Luggage-laden passengers flocked to railway stations and airports in China's megacities on Monday, heading home for holidays that…

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Opera superstar Placido Domingo faces new accusations of sexual harassment

MADRID (Reuters) - Opera star Placido Domingo faced new accusations of sexual harassment from a fellow Spanish singer in a television programme broadcast on Sunday, three years after such claims…

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Fear for Jack Nicholson’s wellbeing as friends say actor has become recluse

Jack Nicholson’s close friends are raising the alarm about the legendary actor’s disappearing act from the public eye as he increasingly lives his life as a recluse. Friends have shared…

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WHO recommends use of masks in crowded areas

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended to continue face mask-wearing in specific situations, regardless of any local epidemiological situation, given current spread of Covid-19 worldwide. WHO detailed face covering should…

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Update – China reports huge rise in COVID-related deaths after data criticism

BEIJING, Jan 14 (Reuters) - China said on Saturday nearly 60,000 people with COVID-19 had died in hospital since it abandoned its zero-COVID policy last month, a huge increase from previously reported…

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Hasbro delays new Dungeons & Dragons licensing rules following fan backlash – CNBC

Hasbro postponed its update of its Dungeons & Dragons licensing terms after thousands of the game’s players pushed back on proposed changes. The attempt to create a new D&D open…

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U.S. says Pfizer’s bivalent COVID shot may be linked to stroke in older adults

(Reuters) - A safety monitoring system flagged that U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech's updated COVID-19 shot could be linked to a type of brain stroke in older…

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Lisa Marie Presley to be laid to rest at Graceland

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Lisa Marie Presley will be laid to rest at Graceland, the Memphis mansion she inherited from her father Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock 'n'…

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Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis, dies aged 54

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," Elvis Presley, died on Thursday at the age of 54 after being…

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Long COVID symptoms ‘resolve in a year’ for most with mild illness, study finds

Long COVID sufferers who had a mild bout of the virus should expect their symptoms to resolve within a year, researchers have suggested. People with ongoing effects after illness have…

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Chinese fret over elderly as WHO warns of holiday COVID surge

2 bln trips expected over Lunar New Year period Virus spreading from cities to vulnerable villages WHO says China response challenged by lack of data China's grand reopening marred by…

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Tributes pour in after rock legend Jeff Beck dies aged 78

Jeff Beck, the influential, genre-bending English guitarist who rose to fame with The Yardbirds before later embarking on a solo career, has died at the age of 78, his family…

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U.S. extends public health emergency status for COVID

(Reuters) - The U.S. health department extended the COVID-19 pandemic's status as a public health emergency, allowing millions of Americans to continue receiving free tests, vaccines and treatments. The emergency…

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‘Fabelmans,’ ‘Banshees’ win top awards as Hollywood re-embraces Golden Globes

By Lisa Richwine and Danielle Broadway BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan 10 (Reuters) - "The Fabelmans," Steven Spielberg's movie inspired by his teen years, and dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" landed the…

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WHO concerned with quick spread of new Covid variant

The world is not out of the woods yet when it comes to Covid as a new variant sees cases increase exponentially in North America. WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead Maria…

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Israeli study finds Omicron COVID booster cuts hospitalization in 65+

JERUSALEM, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccine booster developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE 22UAy.E sharply reduced hospitalizations among older patients, Israeli researchers said on Monday, in…

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‘Life is moving forward’: China declares new COVID phase

By Liz Lee and Eduardo Baptista BEIJING, Jan 9 (Reuters) - China braced for a "new phase" in its battle against COVID-19 on Monday and financial markets strengthened after Beijing…

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Thailand U-turns on COVID vaccination rule for visitors

BANGKOK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Thailand on Monday rescinded a policy announced at the weekend requiring visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, its health minister said, citing sufficient immunisation…

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EXPLAINER: What do we know about the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant?

By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Jennifer Rigby GENEVA (Reuters) - The Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, is causing concern among scientists after its rapid spread in the United States in December. Here is…

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China reopens borders in final farewell to zero-COVID

By Joyce Zhou and Brenda Goh HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Travellers began streaming across land and sea crossings from Hong Kong to mainland China on Sunday, many eager…

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Pfizer explores options for some rare disease, cancer drugs

Pfizer Inc is exploring options for some early-stage treatments for rare diseases and cancer in a bid to focus on "high-impact" medicines and vaccines, the company said on Thursday. The U.S.…

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WATCH: Sony’s ‘Gran Turismo’ flags new entertainment strategy

When Sony Corp Group teases “Gran Turismo,” its long-awaited adrenaline-fueled film adaptation of Sony PlayStation’s hit car-racing franchise at the CES 2023 technology trade show this week, it will really…

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FACTBOX: Countries mandate COVID tests for China travellers

Jan 5 (Reuters) - Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as COVID-19 cases there surged following its relaxation of "zero-COVID" rules. China has…

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India finds 11 Omicron subvariants of COVID-19 in international travellers

NEW DELHI, Jan 5 (Reuters) - India detected a total of 11 variants of COVID-19 in international travellers who arrived in the country during Dec. 24 to Jan. 3, health…

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Sweden to require negative COVID tests for travelers from China

STOCKHOLM, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Sweden will require travelers from China to show they have tested negative for COVID before they can enter the country, the Nordic country's government said…

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Royal Mail immortalises Iron Maiden in stamps

Joining the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elton John and Paul McCartney, Iron Maiden have been immortalised in post by the Royal Mail…

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Germany to require rapid COVID-19 test for travellers from China

BERLIN, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Germany is changing its entry rules for travellers from China and will in future require at least a rapid coronavirus test to enter the country,…

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Biden raises concern over China’s COVID response after WHO questions data

WHO says China under-reporting hospital admissions, deaths Official data at odds with packed hospitals, morgues EU recommends border controls for China travellers Asian shares up on hopes China reopening stimulates…

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EU recommends pre-flight testing of passengers from China, wastewater testing in airports

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union government officials recommended on Wednesday that passengers flying from China to the EU should have a negative COVID-19 test before they board, as Beijing plans…

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Airline group IATA slams COVID restrictions on travellers from China

BERLIN, Jan 4 (Reuters) - The head of the world's biggest airline trade body criticised travel restrictions against travellers from China in a statement published on Wednesday, arguing that such…

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China pledges ‘final victory’ over COVID as outbreak raises global alarm

Virus spreading fast in China after policy U-turn Several countries have imposed travel restrictions EU meets on Weds to discuss China travel policy WHO holds talks with Chinese scientists, seeks…

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Gosaku Ota, Goldrake and Mazinga Z artist, dies at 74

Manga veteran Gosaku Ota, the creator of Mazinger Z, died on Dec. 12 at the age of 74. Born in 1948 and raised in Kaminoyama, Yamagata, Japan, Ota died following…

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Jeremy Renner, Marvel’s Hawkeye, posts first selfie after snow plow accident

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Jeremy Renner, who played Hawkeye in the Marvel "Avengers" movies and was hospitalized after a traumatic injury while plowing snow, was recovering and posted an…

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Major drop in extra-EU imports of fireworks

In 2021, the EU imported 29 200 tonnes of fireworks from extra-EU countries, worth €90 million, Eurostat said. This was more than three times less than what was imported in…

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FACTBOX: Countries impose COVID restrictions on Chinese travellers

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as COVID-19 cases in the country surge following its relaxation of "zero-COVID" rules.…

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EU to discuss coordinated response to China COVID situation on Wednesday

BRUSSELS, Jan 2 (Reuters) - European Union government health officials will hold talks on Wednesday on a coordinated response to the surge in COVID-19 infections in China, the Swedish EU…

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Qatar to require all travelers from China to have a COVID test

(Reuters) - Qatar will from Tuesday require travellers arriving from China to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours of departure, Qatar's state news agency QNA said…

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Morocco to ban arrivals from China over COVID surge

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco will impose a ban on people arriving from China, whatever their nationality, from Jan. 3 to avert any new wave of coronavirus infections, the foreign ministry…

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Some in China return to regular activity after COVID infections

By Josh Arslan and Martin Quin Pollard BEIJING/WUHAN, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Some people in China's key cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan braved the cold and a spike in…

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France urges EU peers to test Chinese travellers for COVID

PARIS (Reuters) - France on Sunday urged European Union peers to test Chinese travellers for COVID after Paris decided to do so amid an outbreak sweeping the country. Only Italy…

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Actor Jeremy Renner in ‘critical but stable condition’ after accident

Jeremy Renner is in critical but stable condition after an accident while plowing snow on the weekend, a spokesperson for the actor revealed on Sunday. “We can confirm Jeremy is…

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The top showbiz stories of 2022 – from Johnny Depp trial to Will Smith’s Oscars slap

(Reuters) - From a shocking Oscars slap to a virtual ABBA taking to the stage, this year has seen a range of entertainment stories dominate headlines. Below are some of…

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What were the most Googled terms in 2022?

Google has released the results for their most searched for terms over 2022 and there were a few big winners. Across the world, the single most searched for term was…

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Xi calls for unity as China enters “new phase” of COVID policy

BEIJING, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Saturday for more effort and unity as the country enters a "new phase" in its approach to combating the…

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Over 40% of U.S. COVID cases caused by Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 – CDC

By Raghav Mahobe and Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters) - Over 40% of COVID-19 cases in the United States are now caused by the highly contagious Omicron XBB.1.5, data from the U.S.…

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FACTBOX: Authorities around the world imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China

(Reuters) - Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as COVID-19 cases in the country surge following its relaxation of "zero-COVID" rules. They cite…

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EU urges more checks for COVID variants given surge in China

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union should consider immediately scaling up genomic sequencing of COVID-19 infections and monitoring of waste water, including from airports, to detect any new variants given…

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WHO urges China to share specific data regularly on COVID situation

(Reuters) - The World Health Organization once again urged China's health officials to regularly share specific and real-time information on the COVID-19 situation in the country, as it continues to…

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Vivienne Westwood, Britain’s provocative dame of fashion, dead at 81

LONDON (Reuters) - As the person who dressed the Sex Pistols, Vivienne Westwood, who died on Thursday at the age of 81, was synonymous with 1970s punk rock, a rebelliousness…

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Pink Floyd have raised £500,000 with Ukraine charity single ‘Hey Hey Rise Up’

Pink Floyd have revealed that, thanks to their recent benefit single ‘Hey Hey Rise Up’, they’ve raised £500,000 for humanitarian charities aiding those affected by the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war. ‘Hey…

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Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ is the first album to sell better on vinyl than CD since the 1980s

Taylor Swift has broken yet another record with her recent 10th album, ‘Midnights’, becoming the first artist to sell more copies of an album on vinyl than CD since the…

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Stanford University earmarks ‘harmful’ words for removal

As part of its Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative, Stanford University, a leading U.S. university, has published a list that calls for a number of words branded as “ableist”, “ageist”,…

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China to drop COVID tests for inbound travellers from Jan 8

Dec 28 (Reuters) - China will drop a requirement for inbound travellers to take COVID-19 PCR tests starting from Jan 8, 2023, customs authorities said on Wednesday. PCR checks for…

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Japan marks record 415 COVID-19 deaths -health ministry

TOKYO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Japan on Wednesday recorded 415 COVID-19 deaths, the highest-ever count for a single day, health ministry data showed. The country counted 216,219 newly confirmed coronavirus…

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