A surreal, blood-red river inundated the&nbsp;Indonesian village of Jenggot after floods hit a nearby batik factory on Saturday, causing a frenzy on social media.

Thousands of users on Twitter shared photos and videos of the village south of Pekalongan city in Central Java being flooded by crimson-coloured water, which some social media users said reminded them of blood.

"I am so afraid if this photo gets into the bad hands of hoax spreaders," said a Twitter user Ayah E Arek-Arek. "Fear-mongering narratives about signs that it is the end of the world, bloody rain etc".

Pekalongan is a city known for manufacturing batik, a traditional&nbsp;Indonesian method of using wax to resist water-based dyes to depict patterns and drawings, usually on fabric.

It is not uncommon for rivers in Pekalongan to turn different colours. Bright green water covered another village north of the city during a flood last month.

"Sometimes there are purple puddles on the road too," said Twitter user Area Julid, who claimed to be from the area.

The head of Pekalongan disaster relief, Dimas Arga Yudha, confirmed that the photos being circulated were real.

"The red flood is due to the batik dye, which has been hit by the flood. It will disappear when it mixes with rain after a while," he said.

A surreal, blood-red river inundated the Indonesian village of Jenggot after floods hit a nearby batik factory on Saturday, causing a frenzy on social media. Thousands of users on Twitter shared photos and videos of the village south of Pekalongan city in Central Java being flooded by crimson-coloured water, which some social media users said reminded them of blood.

A surreal, blood-red river inundated the Indonesian village of Jenggot after floods hit a nearby batik factory on Saturday, causing a frenzy on social media. Thousands of users on Twitter shared photos and videos of the village south of Pekalongan city in Central Java being flooded by crimson-coloured water, which some social media users said reminded them of blood. "I am so afraid if this photo gets into the bad hands of hoax spreaders," said a Twitter user Ayah E Arek-Arek. "Fear-mongering narratives about signs that it is the end of the world, bloody rain etc". Pekalongan is a city known for manufacturing batik, a traditional Indonesian method of using wax to resist water-based dyes to depict patterns and drawings, usually on fabric. It is not uncommon for rivers in Pekalongan to turn different colours. Bright green water covered another village north of the city during a flood last month. "Sometimes there are purple puddles on the road too," said Twitter user Area Julid, who claimed to be from the area. The head of Pekalongan disaster relief, Dimas Arga Yudha, confirmed that the photos being circulated were real. "The red flood is due to the batik dye, which has been hit by the flood. It will disappear when it mixes with rain after a while," he said.

Indonesian village turns red as floods hit batik-manufacturing hub

The Biden administration said on Saturday it was immediately suspending&nbsp;Trump-era asylum agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, that restricted the ability of people to seek asylum at the southwest border, part of a broad effort to undo the&nbsp;immigration&nbsp;policies of President&nbsp;Donald Trump.

In a statement, State Department Secretary Antony Blinken said the United States had "suspended and initiated the process to terminate the Asylum Cooperative Agreements with the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the first concrete steps on the path to greater partnership and collaboration in the region laid out by President Biden."

The so-called "safe third country" agreements, inked in 2019 by the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;administration and the Central American nations, force asylum seekers from the region to first seek refuge in those countries before applying in the United States.

Part of a controversial bid by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;to crack down on illegal immigrants from Central America who make up a large part of migrants apprehended at the US-Mexico border, the policies were never implemented with El Salvador and Honduras, the State Department said on Saturday.

Transfers under the US-Guatemala agreement have been paused since mid-March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the statement added.

The moves announced Saturday came after Biden unveiled a host of measures last week aimed at revamping the US&nbsp;immigration system, including a task force to reunite families separated at the United States-Mexico border and another to increase an annual cap on refugees.

One of the orders called for Blinken to "promptly consider" whether to notify the governments of the three countries that the United States intended to suspend and terminate the safe third country deals. It also called on the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to determine whether to rescind a rule implementing the agreements.

The Biden administration said on Saturday it was immediately suspending Trump-era asylum agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, that restricted the ability of people to seek asylum at the southwest border, part of a broad effort to undo the immigration policies of President Donald Trump.

The Biden administration said on Saturday it was immediately suspending Trump-era asylum agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, that restricted the ability of people to seek asylum at the southwest border, part of a broad effort to undo the immigration policies of President Donald Trump. In a statement, State Department Secretary Antony Blinken said the United States had "suspended and initiated the process to terminate the Asylum Cooperative Agreements with the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the first concrete steps on the path to greater partnership and collaboration in the region laid out by President Biden." The so-called "safe third country" agreements, inked in 2019 by the Trump administration and the Central American nations, force asylum seekers from the region to first seek refuge in those countries before applying in the United States. Part of a controversial bid by Trump to crack down on illegal immigrants from Central America who make up a large part of migrants apprehended at the US-Mexico border, the policies were never implemented with El Salvador and Honduras, the State Department said on Saturday. Transfers under the US-Guatemala agreement have been paused since mid-March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the statement added. The moves announced Saturday came after Biden unveiled a host of measures last week aimed at revamping the US immigration system, including a task force to reunite families separated at the United States-Mexico border and another to increase an annual cap on refugees. One of the orders called for Blinken to "promptly consider" whether to notify the governments of the three countries that the United States intended to suspend and terminate the safe third country deals. It also called on the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to determine whether to rescind a rule implementing the agreements.

Biden withdraws Trump asylum deals with three Central American countries

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of&nbsp;Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space.

Four flight engineers,&nbsp;Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the US module last November."They will surpass the record of 84 days set by the Skylab 4 crew on February 8, 1974," NASA said.

Also see| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-spacex-starship-explodes-into-a-fireball-after-its-high-altitude-test-flight-360989">Watch: SpaceX Starship explodes into a fireball after its high altitude test flight</a>

The Skylab 4 crew, with NASA astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, docked their Apollo spacecraft to the Skylab space station 47 years to the day when the SpaceX crew docked to the orbiting lab, the US space authority estimated.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;NASA has selected tech billionaire Elon Musk`s private aerospace company SpaceX to provide launch services for an astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light. 
 
The planned two-year mission is called SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer. 
 
The near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies, according to NASA. 
 
SPHEREx will also will search for water and organic molecules -- essentials for life as we know it -- in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming, the US space agency said this week. 
 
The mission currently is targeted to launch as early as June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. 
 
Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. 
 
The total cost for NASA to launch SPHEREx is approximately $98.8 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space. Four flight engineers, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the US module last November."They will surpass the record of 84 days set by the Skylab 4 crew on February 8, 1974," NASA said. Also see| Watch: SpaceX Starship explodes into a fireball after its high altitude test flight The Skylab 4 crew, with NASA astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, docked their Apollo spacecraft to the Skylab space station 47 years to the day when the SpaceX crew docked to the orbiting lab, the US space authority estimated. Meanwhile, NASA has selected tech billionaire Elon Musk`s private aerospace company SpaceX to provide launch services for an astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light. The planned two-year mission is called SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer. The near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies, according to NASA. SPHEREx will also will search for water and organic molecules -- essentials for life as we know it -- in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming, the US space agency said this week. The mission currently is targeted to launch as early as June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. The total cost for NASA to launch SPHEREx is approximately $98.8 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs.

SpaceX's Dragon Crew to break record for most days in space

A 70-year-old&nbsp;grandfather&nbsp;has become the oldest person to row across the Atlantic unassisted when he completed the 3,000-mile (4828 kilometres) journey from Tenerife to Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday.

Frank Rothwell, from Oldham in North West England, completed the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2020 when he arrived in English Harbour on the island of Antigua 56 days, 2 hours and 41 minutes after setting off from the Canary Islands on December 12.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-scottish-brothers-break-world-record-to-sail-across-the-atlantic-ocean-275263">Three Scottish brothers break world record to row across the Atlantic Ocean</a>

As of 2130GMT on Saturday, Rothwell had raised just over $890,148 (£648,000) for Alzheimer's Research UK and is aiming to raise $1,373,649 (£1million).&nbsp;He said crossing the finish line was a “completely euphoric moment”.

Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation has pledged to double the first $686,775 (£500,000) of donations.

Rothwell went on: “I felt quite emotional approaching the finish. It took six long weeks to row the Atlantic, but the challenge itself has taken over 18 months of training and preparation, so I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved and the unbelievable journey I’ve been on.''

“While rowing, I received heartbreaking messages from people who have had similar experiences to my own, with my brother-in-law, Roger, so I hope I’ve helped other families in some way too.''

“I’d like to thank everyone who has reached into their pockets and donated. Having the support from so many means the world to me. Thank you.”

Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re incredibly moved by Frank’s determination to raise £1m for dementia research. By taking on such a monumental challenge at 70 years old, he has helped to spread awareness and inspired people of all ages to take on their own challenges.

“To bring about life-changing treatments for dementia, fundraising efforts from ordinary people like Frank and his supporters provide a crucial lifeline to the progression of our research.”

Rothwell is an experienced sailor having sailed all over the world including three previous journeys across the Atlantic. In 2017, at the age of 66, he also climbed Kilimanjaro.

A 70-year-old grandfather has become the oldest person to row across the Atlantic unassisted when he completed the 3,000-mile (4828 kilometres) journey from Tenerife to Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday.

A 70-year-old grandfather has become the oldest person to row across the Atlantic unassisted when he completed the 3,000-mile (4828 kilometres) journey from Tenerife to Antigua and Barbuda on Saturday. Frank Rothwell, from Oldham in North West England, completed the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge 2020 when he arrived in English Harbour on the island of Antigua 56 days, 2 hours and 41 minutes after setting off from the Canary Islands on December 12. Also read: Three Scottish brothers break world record to row across the Atlantic Ocean As of 2130GMT on Saturday, Rothwell had raised just over $890,148 (£648,000) for Alzheimer's Research UK and is aiming to raise $1,373,649 (£1million). He said crossing the finish line was a “completely euphoric moment”. Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation has pledged to double the first $686,775 (£500,000) of donations. Rothwell went on: “I felt quite emotional approaching the finish. It took six long weeks to row the Atlantic, but the challenge itself has taken over 18 months of training and preparation, so I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved and the unbelievable journey I’ve been on.'' “While rowing, I received heartbreaking messages from people who have had similar experiences to my own, with my brother-in-law, Roger, so I hope I’ve helped other families in some way too.'' “I’d like to thank everyone who has reached into their pockets and donated. Having the support from so many means the world to me. Thank you.” Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re incredibly moved by Frank’s determination to raise £1m for dementia research. By taking on such a monumental challenge at 70 years old, he has helped to spread awareness and inspired people of all ages to take on their own challenges. “To bring about life-changing treatments for dementia, fundraising efforts from ordinary people like Frank and his supporters provide a crucial lifeline to the progression of our research.” Rothwell is an experienced sailor having sailed all over the world including three previous journeys across the Atlantic. In 2017, at the age of 66, he also climbed Kilimanjaro.

'Euphoric moment': Grandfather becomes oldest person to row 3,000 miles solo across Atlantic

Breaking with tradition,&nbsp;Pope&nbsp;Francis Saturday appointed Frenchwoman Nathalie Becquart as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops.&nbsp;

Currently headed by Cardinal Mario Grech, the Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution established by Pope Paul VI in 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the spirit of collegiality engendered by the conciliar experience.

Frenchwoman Nathalie Becquart is one of the two new undersecretaries named Saturday to the synod, where she has been a consultant since 2019.

The 52-year-old is one of the two new undersecretaries named to the synod, the body of bishops that studies major questions of doctrine and where she has been a consultant since 2019.

The appointment signals the pontiff's desire "for a greater participation of women in the process of discernment and decision-making in the church," said Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary-general of the synod.

"During the previous synods, the number of women participating as experts and listeners has increased," he said.

"With the nomination of Sister Nathalie Becquart and her possibility of participating in voting, a door has opened," the cardinal said.

The synod is led by bishops and cardinals who have voting rights and also comprises experts who cannot vote, with the next gathering scheduled for autumn 2022.

A special synod on the Amazon in 2019 saw 35 female "auditors" invited to the assembly, but none could vote.

The Argentinian-born pope has signalled his wish to reform the synod and have women and laypeople play a greater role in the church.

He named Spaniard Luis Marin de San Martin as the other under undersecretary in the synod of bishops.

Becquart, 52, a member of the France-based Xaviere Sisters, has a master's degree in management from the prestigious HEC business school in Paris and studied in Boston before joining the order.

Breaking with tradition, Pope Francis Saturday appointed Frenchwoman Nathalie Becquart as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops. Currently headed by Cardinal Mario Grech, the Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution established by Pope Paul VI in 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the spirit of collegiality engendered by the conciliar experience.

Breaking with tradition, Pope Francis Saturday appointed Frenchwoman Nathalie Becquart as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops. Currently headed by Cardinal Mario Grech, the Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution established by Pope Paul VI in 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the spirit of collegiality engendered by the conciliar experience. Frenchwoman Nathalie Becquart is one of the two new undersecretaries named Saturday to the synod, where she has been a consultant since 2019. The 52-year-old is one of the two new undersecretaries named to the synod, the body of bishops that studies major questions of doctrine and where she has been a consultant since 2019. The appointment signals the pontiff's desire "for a greater participation of women in the process of discernment and decision-making in the church," said Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary-general of the synod. "During the previous synods, the number of women participating as experts and listeners has increased," he said. "With the nomination of Sister Nathalie Becquart and her possibility of participating in voting, a door has opened," the cardinal said. The synod is led by bishops and cardinals who have voting rights and also comprises experts who cannot vote, with the next gathering scheduled for autumn 2022. A special synod on the Amazon in 2019 saw 35 female "auditors" invited to the assembly, but none could vote. The Argentinian-born pope has signalled his wish to reform the synod and have women and laypeople play a greater role in the church. He named Spaniard Luis Marin de San Martin as the other under undersecretary in the synod of bishops. Becquart, 52, a member of the France-based Xaviere Sisters, has a master's degree in management from the prestigious HEC business school in Paris and studied in Boston before joining the order.

'A door has opened': Pope Francis appoints first woman to senior synod post

Iran's foreign ministry said Saturday the US decision to end military support to a Saudi-led military coalition can help fix 'past mistakes', but falls short of a solution to Yemen's six-year war.

Regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran are on opposing sides of Yemen's conflict, with the former backing an internationally recognised government and the latter supporting the Huthi rebels.

"Stopping support ... for the Saudi coalition, if not a political manoeuvre, could be a step towards correcting past mistakes," state media quoted ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemen-houthis-say-end-of-terror-designation-a-step-towards-peace-361870" hreflang="en">Yemen Houthis say end of terror designation a 'step towards peace'</a>

But he added: "This alone won't solve&nbsp;Yemen's problem, and the air, sea and land blockade that killed thousands of people in the country due to a lack of food and medicine must be lifted, and the military attacks of the aggressor states led by Saudi Arabia must be ended".

US President Joe Biden had announced on Thursday that Washington was terminating all offensive support for Saudi Arabia in the war, including related arms sales to Riyadh, in stark contrast to former President Donald Trump's line.

Biden said on Thursday the more than six-year war, widely seen as a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, "has to end." He also named veteran US&nbsp;diplomat Timothy Lenderking as the US&nbsp;special envoy for&nbsp;Yemen&nbsp;in a bid to step up American diplomacy to try to end the war.

Iran's foreign ministry said Saturday the US decision to end military support to a Saudi-led military coalition can help fix 'past mistakes', but falls short of a solution to Yemen's six-year war.

Iran's foreign ministry said Saturday the US decision to end military support to a Saudi-led military coalition can help fix 'past mistakes', but falls short of a solution to Yemen's six-year war. Regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran are on opposing sides of Yemen's conflict, with the former backing an internationally recognised government and the latter supporting the Huthi rebels. "Stopping support ... for the Saudi coalition, if not a political manoeuvre, could be a step towards correcting past mistakes," state media quoted ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying. Also read: Yemen Houthis say end of terror designation a 'step towards peace' But he added: "This alone won't solve Yemen's problem, and the air, sea and land blockade that killed thousands of people in the country due to a lack of food and medicine must be lifted, and the military attacks of the aggressor states led by Saudi Arabia must be ended". US President Joe Biden had announced on Thursday that Washington was terminating all offensive support for Saudi Arabia in the war, including related arms sales to Riyadh, in stark contrast to former President Donald Trump's line. Biden said on Thursday the more than six-year war, widely seen as a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, "has to end." He also named veteran US diplomat Timothy Lenderking as the US special envoy for Yemen in a bid to step up American diplomacy to try to end the war.

Iran says US ending Saudi support does not solve Yemen war

February 07 in history: First untethered spacewalk, mortar attack on 10 Downing Street and more

British drugmaker AstraZeneca&nbsp;said on Saturday its vaccine developed with the University of Oxford appeared to offer only limited protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant of COVID-19, based on early data from a trial.

The study from South Africa's University of the Witwatersrand and Oxford University showed the vaccine had significantly reduced efficacy against the South African variant, according to a Financial Times report published earlier in the day.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/oxford-releases-new-data-on-astrazeneca-protective-against-new-variant-361780/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The study, with a relatively small sample size of more than 2,000 individuals, hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed and is due to be published on Monday, the newspaper said

Among coronavirus variants currently most concerning for scientists and public health experts are the so-called British, South African and Brazilian variants, which appear to spread more swiftly than others.

"In this small phase I/II trial, early data has shown limited efficacy against mild disease primarily due to the B.1.351 South African variant," an AstraZeneca spokesman said in response to the FT report.

“We do believe our vaccine could protect against severe disease, as neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to that of other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to 8-12 weeks,” the AstraZeneca spokesperson said.

The newspaper said none of the more than 2,000 trial participants had been hospitalised or died.

"However, we have not been able to properly ascertain its effect against severe disease and hospitalisation given that subjects were predominantly young healthy adults," the AstraZeneca spokesman said.

The company said it believed its vaccine could protect against severe disease, given that the neutralising antibody activity was equivalent to that of other COVID-19 vaccines that have demonstrated protection against severe disease.

The trial, which involved 2,026 people of whom half formed the placebo group, has not been peer-reviewed, the FT said.

While thousands of individual changes have arisen as the virus mutates into new variants, only a tiny minority are likely to be important or change the virus in an appreciable way, according to the British Medical Journal.

"Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting the vaccine against this variant and will advance rapidly through clinical development so that it is ready for Autumn delivery should it be needed," the AstraZeneca spokesman said.

On Friday Oxford said their vaccine has similar efficacy against the British coronavirus variant as it does to the previously circulating variants.

The variant first identified in South Africa is emerging as a key threat to the world’s prospects for ending the pandemic as countries roll out initial vaccine doses. Although vaccine makers said their shots appear to maintain effectiveness against the U.K. variants, pharma companies are racing to develop booster shots against new variants as the virus evolves.

Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting their vaccine against this variant, the spokesperson said. Should it be needed, they will advance through clinical development so that it is ready for autumn delivery.

Earlier this week, Astra’s executive vice president for biopharmaceutical research scaled back expectations for how the vaccine would work against the variant.

“We’re not going to be surprised to see reduced efficacy,” Mene Pangalos said. “It’s to be expected that there will be reduced activity.”

British drugmaker AstraZeneca said on Saturday its vaccine developed with the University of Oxford appeared to offer only limited protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant of COVID-19, based on early data from a trial.

British drugmaker AstraZeneca said on Saturday its vaccine developed with the University of Oxford appeared to offer only limited protection against mild disease caused by the South African variant of COVID-19, based on early data from a trial. The study from South Africa's University of the Witwatersrand and Oxford University showed the vaccine had significantly reduced efficacy against the South African variant, according to a Financial Times report published earlier in the day. The study, with a relatively small sample size of more than 2,000 individuals, hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed and is due to be published on Monday, the newspaper said Among coronavirus variants currently most concerning for scientists and public health experts are the so-called British, South African and Brazilian variants, which appear to spread more swiftly than others. "In this small phase I/II trial, early data has shown limited efficacy against mild disease primarily due to the B.1.351 South African variant," an AstraZeneca spokesman said in response to the FT report. “We do believe our vaccine could protect against severe disease, as neutralising antibody activity is equivalent to that of other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, particularly when the dosing interval is optimised to 8-12 weeks,” the AstraZeneca spokesperson said. The newspaper said none of the more than 2,000 trial participants had been hospitalised or died. "However, we have not been able to properly ascertain its effect against severe disease and hospitalisation given that subjects were predominantly young healthy adults," the AstraZeneca spokesman said. The company said it believed its vaccine could protect against severe disease, given that the neutralising antibody activity was equivalent to that of other COVID-19 vaccines that have demonstrated protection against severe disease. The trial, which involved 2,026 people of whom half formed the placebo group, has not been peer-reviewed, the FT said. While thousands of individual changes have arisen as the virus mutates into new variants, only a tiny minority are likely to be important or change the virus in an appreciable way, according to the British Medical Journal. "Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting the vaccine against this variant and will advance rapidly through clinical development so that it is ready for Autumn delivery should it be needed," the AstraZeneca spokesman said. On Friday Oxford said their vaccine has similar efficacy against the British coronavirus variant as it does to the previously circulating variants. The variant first identified in South Africa is emerging as a key threat to the world’s prospects for ending the pandemic as countries roll out initial vaccine doses. Although vaccine makers said their shots appear to maintain effectiveness against the U.K. variants, pharma companies are racing to develop booster shots against new variants as the virus evolves. Oxford University and AstraZeneca have started adapting their vaccine against this variant, the spokesperson said. Should it be needed, they will advance through clinical development so that it is ready for autumn delivery. Earlier this week, Astra’s executive vice president for biopharmaceutical research scaled back expectations for how the vaccine would work against the variant. “We’re not going to be surprised to see reduced efficacy,” Mene Pangalos said. “It’s to be expected that there will be reduced activity.”

Oxford/AstraZeneca jab fails to prevent coronavirus from South African strain: Study

A strong earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Sunday, though there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the US Geological Service and local officials said.

The 6.0-magnitude quake struck the town of Bansalan on Mindanao island at 12:22 pm (0422 GMT), the USGS said in a bulletin.

The&nbsp;Philippines&nbsp;Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) said it recorded the depth at 15 km, adding that the earthquake was tectonic.

According to&nbsp;Major Peter Glenn Ipong, the police chief of Bansalan,&nbsp;"It was strong, but things did not topple or fall off.''

Ipong and civil defence officials in the region reported strong shaking but said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The USGS in an earlier bulletin put the epicentre two kilometres east of the neighbouring town of Magsaysay before revising the location to Bansalan.

The&nbsp;Philippines&nbsp;is regularly rocked by quakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

The region around Bansalan, a town of 60,000 people, was struck by three deadly quakes over a two-week period in October 2019, killing at least 10 people.

A strong earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Sunday, though there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the US Geological Service and local officials said.

A strong earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Sunday, though there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the US Geological Service and local officials said. The 6.0-magnitude quake struck the town of Bansalan on Mindanao island at 12:22 pm (0422 GMT), the USGS said in a bulletin. The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) said it recorded the depth at 15 km, adding that the earthquake was tectonic. According to Major Peter Glenn Ipong, the police chief of Bansalan, "It was strong, but things did not topple or fall off.'' Ipong and civil defence officials in the region reported strong shaking but said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The USGS in an earlier bulletin put the epicentre two kilometres east of the neighbouring town of Magsaysay before revising the location to Bansalan. The Philippines is regularly rocked by quakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. The region around Bansalan, a town of 60,000 people, was struck by three deadly quakes over a two-week period in October 2019, killing at least 10 people.

6.0-magnitude earthquake hits southern Philippines

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday he has a dream of setting up at least one medical college and a technical institution in each state that will impart education in the local language.

He was addressing a gathering after launching 'Assam Mala' scheme to upgrade state highways and laying the foundation for two medical colleges.

"There is no dearth of talent in the villages and far-flung areas. I have a daring dream of each state having at least one medical college and a technical institution imparting education in the local language," he said, promising setting up such institutions in Assam after the assembly elections.

He said this will improve medical services in remote areas as more and more doctors will be able to reach out to people in their mother tongue and understand their problems.

The two medical college and hospitals will come up in Biswanath and Charaideo districts.

He claimed Assam has witnessed unprecedented development in the last five years with increased health and infrastructure development.

Until 2016 there were only six medical colleges in the state but six more were added in just five years. The number of seats in medical colleges have gone up from 725 to 1,600 now, he said.

The prime minister said the 'Asom Mala' scheme will lead to the creation of new opportunities. Under the scheme, the Public Works Department (PWD) will upgrade the state highways.

Modi said he always linked the condition of tea garden workers to the development of Assam.

"But documents have emerged to show that a conspiracy has been hatched outside the country to defame Indian tea. I am sure the tea workers from Assam will give a befitting reply to these forces," he said without elaborating.

The Asom Mala scheme, with an outlay of Rs 8,210 crore, will provide inter-linkage between highways and rural roads and high-speed corridors.

The Medical College and Hospital at Biswanath will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 565 crore and Rs 557 crore will be spent on the facility at Charaideo. They will have 100 seats each and serve as the hub of medical education and also improve doctor to patient ratio.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday he has a dream of setting up at least one medical college and a technical institution in each state that will impart education in the local language.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday he has a dream of setting up at least one medical college and a technical institution in each state that will impart education in the local language. He was addressing a gathering after launching 'Assam Mala' scheme to upgrade state highways and laying the foundation for two medical colleges. "There is no dearth of talent in the villages and far-flung areas. I have a daring dream of each state having at least one medical college and a technical institution imparting education in the local language," he said, promising setting up such institutions in Assam after the assembly elections. He said this will improve medical services in remote areas as more and more doctors will be able to reach out to people in their mother tongue and understand their problems. The two medical college and hospitals will come up in Biswanath and Charaideo districts. He claimed Assam has witnessed unprecedented development in the last five years with increased health and infrastructure development. Until 2016 there were only six medical colleges in the state but six more were added in just five years. The number of seats in medical colleges have gone up from 725 to 1,600 now, he said. The prime minister said the 'Asom Mala' scheme will lead to the creation of new opportunities. Under the scheme, the Public Works Department (PWD) will upgrade the state highways. Modi said he always linked the condition of tea garden workers to the development of Assam. "But documents have emerged to show that a conspiracy has been hatched outside the country to defame Indian tea. I am sure the tea workers from Assam will give a befitting reply to these forces," he said without elaborating. The Asom Mala scheme, with an outlay of Rs 8,210 crore, will provide inter-linkage between highways and rural roads and high-speed corridors. The Medical College and Hospital at Biswanath will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 565 crore and Rs 557 crore will be spent on the facility at Charaideo. They will have 100 seats each and serve as the hub of medical education and also improve doctor to patient ratio.

PM Modi launches key projects in Assam, promotes using local language for studies

Private social audio app&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US&nbsp;app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics.

Clubhouse&nbsp;built a following among venture capitalists and startup founders gossiping in its audio-only chatrooms following its launch last March as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world.

Western social media apps including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are banned in China, where the local internet is tightly censored to weed out content that could undermine the ruling communist party.

The&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;app, launched in early 2020, saw explosive growth in user numbers earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform.

Its chat rooms are only accessible via invites from current members, and as of Sunday, invites to the platform were selling for between 50-400 yuan ($7.73 - $69.59) on popular Chinese e-commerce sites.

Reuters directly observed several Chinese-language 'club' conversations where thousands of users listened to wide-ranging audio discussions covering topics including Xinjiang detention camps, Taiwan independence and Hong Kong's National Security Law.

China's cyber authorities have become increasingly strict in recent years, widening the scope of apps, media outlets and social media sites banned in the country.

While&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;remains uncensored, it is only available on iOS devices and is unavailable in the local Apple app store, both major barriers for its widespread use in China.

Mainland Chinese users can access the app by modifying the location of their app store.

It's unclear why the app remains unblocked in China, though some foreign social sites with small Chinese followings manage to operate under the radar of censors, including 8kun, a central hub for QAnon followers.

In one club chat centred on Hong Kong politics, activists, journalists and artists discussed former US&nbsp;president Trump and his support base in the former colony.

Another popular Chinese language club on the site as of Saturday involved a rare open exchange between netizens in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong over heightened political tensions in the region.

The discussion became a hot topic on China's own Twitter-like social media site Weibo on Saturday.

"I don't know how long this environment can last", said one user in a popular Weibo post that was liked over 65,000 times. "But I will definitely remember this moment in Internet history."

Private social audio app Clubhouse is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics.

Private social audio app Clubhouse is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics. Clubhouse built a following among venture capitalists and startup founders gossiping in its audio-only chatrooms following its launch last March as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world. Western social media apps including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are banned in China, where the local internet is tightly censored to weed out content that could undermine the ruling communist party. The Clubhouse app, launched in early 2020, saw explosive growth in user numbers earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform. Its chat rooms are only accessible via invites from current members, and as of Sunday, invites to the platform were selling for between 50-400 yuan ($7.73 - $69.59) on popular Chinese e-commerce sites. Reuters directly observed several Chinese-language 'club' conversations where thousands of users listened to wide-ranging audio discussions covering topics including Xinjiang detention camps, Taiwan independence and Hong Kong's National Security Law. China's cyber authorities have become increasingly strict in recent years, widening the scope of apps, media outlets and social media sites banned in the country. While Clubhouse remains uncensored, it is only available on iOS devices and is unavailable in the local Apple app store, both major barriers for its widespread use in China. Mainland Chinese users can access the app by modifying the location of their app store. It's unclear why the app remains unblocked in China, though some foreign social sites with small Chinese followings manage to operate under the radar of censors, including 8kun, a central hub for QAnon followers. In one club chat centred on Hong Kong politics, activists, journalists and artists discussed former US president Trump and his support base in the former colony. Another popular Chinese language club on the site as of Saturday involved a rare open exchange between netizens in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong over heightened political tensions in the region. The discussion became a hot topic on China's own Twitter-like social media site Weibo on Saturday. "I don't know how long this environment can last", said one user in a popular Weibo post that was liked over 65,000 times. "But I will definitely remember this moment in Internet history."

Chinese users flocking to US chat app Clubhouse to evade censors

Afghanistan received 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine from India on Sunday, the first to arrive in the country, which is still waiting for an emergency approval from the World Health Organisation before it can use them.

Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, head of the immunisation program at the health ministry said the doses would be stored in Kabul until the emergency authorisation was received, which it hoped would happen in a week.

The vaccines were produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), which is producing the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine for mid-and low-income countries.

"The (WHO) certification process is underway and hopefully it will be done in a week and we will start the vaccination process in all 34 provinces," said Nazari.

Health workers, security force members, teachers and government employees would receive the vaccine first, he said.

The Afghan government has already trained 1,000 people to deliver the vaccine out of the 3,000 that will be needed to carry out its vaccination drive, he said.

Nazari said China also planned to send 200,000 doses of the vaccine.

Afghan health officials have also said that the international COVAX programme aimed at improving access to the COVID-19 vaccine for developing countries would provide vaccines to cover 20% of the country's 38 million population.

Afghanistan has had 55,335 COVID-19 cases and 2,410 deaths from the disease, according to the health ministry.

The WHO listed Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Dec. 31 as it sought to accelerate vaccination in the developing world, which is badly lagging western countries.

A regional WHO official told Reuters this week that they were looking at the production sites for the AstraZeneca vaccine and hoped to make the decision on emergency use within weeks.

Afghanistan received 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine from India on Sunday, the first to arrive in the country, which is still waiting for an emergency approval from the World Health Organisation before it can use them.

Afghanistan received 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine from India on Sunday, the first to arrive in the country, which is still waiting for an emergency approval from the World Health Organisation before it can use them. Ghulam Dastagir Nazari, head of the immunisation program at the health ministry said the doses would be stored in Kabul until the emergency authorisation was received, which it hoped would happen in a week. The vaccines were produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), which is producing the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine for mid-and low-income countries. "The (WHO) certification process is underway and hopefully it will be done in a week and we will start the vaccination process in all 34 provinces," said Nazari. Health workers, security force members, teachers and government employees would receive the vaccine first, he said. The Afghan government has already trained 1,000 people to deliver the vaccine out of the 3,000 that will be needed to carry out its vaccination drive, he said. Nazari said China also planned to send 200,000 doses of the vaccine. Afghan health officials have also said that the international COVAX programme aimed at improving access to the COVID-19 vaccine for developing countries would provide vaccines to cover 20% of the country's 38 million population. Afghanistan has had 55,335 COVID-19 cases and 2,410 deaths from the disease, according to the health ministry. The WHO listed Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Dec. 31 as it sought to accelerate vaccination in the developing world, which is badly lagging western countries. A regional WHO official told Reuters this week that they were looking at the production sites for the AstraZeneca vaccine and hoped to make the decision on emergency use within weeks.

First doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Afghanistan from India

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Vyomica Berry

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