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  Muslims concerned over halal status of coronavirus vaccine

  United News of Bangladesh / AP . Jakarta, Indonesia | Updated at 12:35pm on December 20, 2020

  In October, Indonesian diplomats and Muslim clerics stepped off a plane in China. While the diplomats were there to finalise deals to ensure millions of doses reached Indonesian citizens, the clerics had a much different concern: Whether the COVID-19 vaccine was permissible for use under Islamic law...

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  WHO chief urges people to be careful about Christmas plans

  Agence France-Presse . Geneva | Updated at 12:10pm on December 12, 2020

  The World Health Organisation warned on Friday that Christmas celebrations could turn to tears if people failed to keep up their guard against COVID-19 during the festive season...

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  Mysterious disease thrives in India amid coronavirus outbreak

  Agence France-Presse . Bangalore, India | Updated at 06:05pm on December 08, 2020

  Hundreds of people have been treated for mystery illness in a southern Indian town, with one doctor ruling out ‘mass hysteria’ at a time nerves are already frayed because of the coronavirus...

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  Testing still critical tool against COVID-19: WHO chief

  United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka | Updated at 11:55am on November 28, 2020

  Tedros Adhanom Gheybreyesus, the head of the World Health Organisation on Friday said testing would still be a critical tool against COVID-19, even as vaccines were deployed against the disease...

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  Oxford vaccine 70pc effective at tackling coronavirus

  Agence France-Presse . London | Updated at 01:43pm on November 23, 2020

  A coronavirus vaccine developed by drug firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University has shown 70 per cent effectiveness in trials involved 23,000 people, they said in a statement on Monday...

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  Johnson and Johnson vaccine highly effective against severe COVID

  Agence France-Presse . Washington | Updated at 10:41am on February 25, 2021

  The single-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19, including newer variants, according to documents released by the US food and...

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  WHO waits on COVID-19 vaccine makers to uphold pledges

  Agence France-Presse . Geneva | Updated at 12:42pm on February 19, 2021

  The World Health Organisation on Thursday urged COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to make good on their commitments as the planet’s poorest countries await their first doses....

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  UN warns against inequity as 10 countries possess 75pc vaccine

  Agence France-Presse. United Nations | Updated at 02:35pm on February 18, 2021

  The United Nations on Wednesday led calls for a coordinated global effort to vaccinate against COVID-19, warning that gaping inequities in initial efforts put the...

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  Air pollution caused 160,000 deaths in big cities last year

  Agence France-Presse . Kuala Lumpur | Updated at 10:08am on February 18, 2021

  Serious pollution caused around 160,000 premature deaths in the world’s five most populous cities last year, even as air quality improved in some places due...

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  WHO gives global green light for AstraZeneca COVID shot

  Agence France-Presse . Geneva | Updated at 10:02am on February 16, 2021

  The World Health Organisation gave emergency use approval to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccines on Monday, meaning distribution can start to poorer countries starved of doses to...