- Thursday, 23 October 2025
Reuters
'Moderna COVID vaccine effective and safe for children'
US Food and Drug Administration staff reviewers have said that the Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine appears safe and effective for use in children aged 6 months to 17 years old as a committee of scientists will meet next week to vote on whether to recommend the regulator authorize the vaccine in children.
Diabetes may increase long COVID risk; COVID while pregnant linked to baby brain development issues
According to new research, diabetes may increase the risk of long COVID. Similarly, it may increase long COVID risk also.
Thailand legalises consumption of marijuana
By Chayut Setboonsarng and Jiraporn Kuhakan, June 9: BANGKOK, June 9: Thailand legalised the growing of marijuana and its consumption in food and drinks on Thursday, the first Asian country to do so, with the aim of boosting its agriculture and tourism sectors but smoking pot is still against the law.Shoppers queued up at outlets selling cannabis-infused drinks, sweets and other items as advocates of the plant welcomed the reform in a country that has long had a reputation for strict anti-drug laws.Among those at the front of the queue at one Bangkok shop was Rittipong Dachkul, 24, waiting since Wednesday evening to buy his first-ever legal marijuana."I took a bus here after I got off work," Rittipong told Reuters."We're now able to find it easily, we don’t have to worry about the source, but I have no idea about the quality," he said, referring to the strength of the products on offer.Thailand, which has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, legalised medicinal marijuana in 2018.The government, banking on the plant as a cash crop, plans to give away a million plants to encourage farmers to take up its cultivation."After COVID, the economy going down the drain, we really do need this," said Chokwan Kitty Chopaka, who owns a shop selling cannabis gum sweets.But authorities aim to head off an explosion of recreational use by limiting the strength of the products on offer.The possession and sale of cannabis extracts containing more than 0.2% of its psychoactive ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is not allowed, which will mean smokers of the drug known as "pot", "weed" and a host of other names, will struggle to get "stoned"."Buds with 0.2% THC is considered low, so you would need to consume a lot to get high," said Suphamet Hetrakul, co-founder of the Teera Group, which grows cannabis for medical use. THC is concentrated in the plant's flowers or buds.Those who break the law can still face jail and fines.GROWERS' APPCannabis growers have to register on a government app called PlookGanja or grow ganja, another nickname for the spikey-leafed plant. Nearly 100,000 people have signed up for the app, said health ministry official Paisan Dankhum.Suphamet said he was concerned about quality control among the many new cultivators."It will be hard to control the level of THC and other contaminants in their products and that could be dangerous for consumers,” Suphamet said.The health ministry said it has approved 1,181 products including cosmetics and food, containing cannabis extracts and it expects that the industry will earn as much as 15 billion baht ($435.16 million) by 2026.Big business is jumping in.Agro-industrial conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl (CPF.BK) and energy firm Gunkul Engineering (GUNKUL.BK) have teamed up to produce food and drinks infused with the extract.
More than 1,000 monkeypox cases reported to WHO
There have been more than 1,000 monkeypox cases reported to the World Health Organization in the current outbreak outside the countries in Africa where it more commonly spreads.
Food shortages are next global health crisis -expert
Growing food shortages may represent the same health threat to the world as the COVID-19 pandemic, a leading global health figure has warned.
Damaged, UK's Boris Johnson scrapes win in party confidence vote
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a confidence vote on Monday but a large rebellion in his Conservative Party over the so-called "partygate" scandal dealt a blow to his authority and leaves him with a struggle to win back support.
Teacher, 14-year-old among hundreds of Americans hit by gunfire over weekend
A Philadelphia school teacher, an Arizona teenager and a Chicago police officer were among hundreds of people struck by gunfire over the weekend, part of a relentless wave of shootings that has forced the United States to examine ways to curb gun violence.
Gilead drug modestly delays breast cancer progression in late-stage trial
Gilead Sciences Inc's (GILD.O) Trodelvy extended by 1.5 months, or 34%, the length of time women with advanced stages of a common type of breast cancer lived without their disease worsening, according to the presented trial data.
Outbreaks of diseases such as monkeypox becoming more frequent, warns WHO
Outbreaks of endemic diseases such as monkeypox and Lassa fever are becoming more persistent and frequent, the World Health Organization's emergency director, Mike Ryan, warned.
Russian forces advance in factory city, U.S. to send precision rockets to Ukraine
Russian troops on Wednesday pressed their assault on a factory city targeted in their push to grab a swathe of eastern Ukraine, while the United States said it would supply advanced rockets to Kyiv to help it force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war.
Asia's factory activity slows in May as China COVID curbs weigh
Asia's factory activity slowed in May as China's heavy-handed coronavirus curbs continued to disrupt supply chains and dampen demand, adding to woes for some countries in the region that are already struggling with surging raw material prices.
Monkeypox outbreak unlikely to cause a pandemic, WHO says
The World Health Organization does not believe the monkeypox outbreak outside Africa will lead to a pandemic, an official said, adding it remains unclear if infected people are not displaying symptoms can transmit the disease.
Monkeypox presents moderate risk to public health, WHO says
A total of 257 confirmed cases and 120 suspected cases have been reported from 23 member states that are not endemic to the virus, the health agency said in a statement. There have been no reported fatalities so far.
Monkeypox can be contained if we act now, WHO says
A World Health Organization senior official said on Friday that the priority needs to be containing monkeypox in non-endemic countries, saying that this can be achieved through quick action.
NA endorses policies and programmes
National Assembly has approved the policy and program of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23 with a clear majority on Friday.
