International
US health regulator authorizes Pfizer’s Covid pill as Omicron surges
AFP
The United States on Wednesday authorized Pfizer’s anti-Covid pill for high-risk people aged 12 and up, as a surge of cases driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant threatened holiday plans and Americans struggled to find tests.
Paxlovid, which comprises two types of tablet, was granted an emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after a clinical trial showed it to reduce the risk of hospitalizations and deaths among at-risk people by 88 percent.
“Today’s action is a testament to the power of science and the result of American innovation and ingenuity,” President Joe Biden said in a statement, promising to invoke a law that would help Pfizer ramp up production quickly.
The US has spent $5.3 billion procuring 10 million courses of the treatment, with the first 265,000 to be delivered in January and the rest by late summer, White House Covid response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters on a call.
The FDA stressed the treatment should complement rather than replace vaccines, which remain the frontline tool against the coronavirus.
But pills that are available at pharmacies are likely to be much easier to access than synthetic antibody treatments, which require infusions administered by drip at hospitals or specialized centers.
The European Union’s drug regulator last week allowed member states to use Pfizer’s Covid treatment ahead of formal approval as an emergency measure to curb a wave fuelled by Omicron, the most infectious variant seen to date.
The authorization comes as cases surge across the United States, where testing remains a challenge, with long lines reminiscent of the early part of the pandemic seen across US cities.
Companies including Amazon, Walgreens and CVS have capped how many home tests customers can buy.
The Biden administration has promised to ship half a billion of the tests starting from next month, but experts have said that figure is too little and too late.
International
Sexual assault attempt on Mexico’s president sparks outrage in historic center
A man harassed and groped Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum without her consent on Tuesday while she walked through Mexico City’s historic center, just meters from the National Palace, greeting members of the public.
The man, who appeared to be intoxicated, attempted to kiss the president from behind before grabbing her. Security personnel immediately intervened and detained him, with video footage showing Sheinbaum visibly tense following the incident.
Sheinbaum was on her way to the first National Meeting of Universities and Higher Education Institutions at the Education Secretariat headquarters, located just a few blocks from the palace. She chose to walk to the event due to the short distance.
During the stroll, in one of the busiest parts of the capital, the man took advantage of the crowd surrounding the president, approaching her from behind, trying to kiss her neck and placing his arms around her.
Hours later, federal authorities confirmed that the suspect — identified as Uriel Rivera Martínez — had been arrested and taken to the Mexico City Prosecutor’s Office for Sexual Crimes, according to the National Detention Registry.
Legal sources stated that Sheinbaum was the victim of a flagrant sexual abuse offense under Mexico City’s Penal Code, noting that no close assistant intervened at the very moment the assault occurred.
According to a 2024 survey by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 15.5% of women in Mexico have experienced sexual harassment, groping, exhibitionism or attempted rape — five times the percentage of men, at 3.2%.
International
Longest government shutdown in U.S. history deepens airport and aid crisis
The U.S. government shutdown reached a historic milestone on Wednesday, becoming the longest in the nation’s history as Republicans aligned with President Donald Trump continue to clash with Democratic opposition over the federal budget.
The shutdown entered its 36th day, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 during Trump’s first term in office.
Over the past six weeks, the budget impasse has left roughly 1.4 million federal workers without pay. Employees deemed “essential,” including air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers, have been required to continue working despite not receiving their salaries.
Conditions at airports are growing increasingly strained. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the federal government may be forced to partially shut down U.S. airspace due to staffing shortages.
“So if we go another week from now, Democrats, you will see massive chaos… you will see massive flight delays,” Duffy cautioned.
Social assistance programs have also been disrupted. On Tuesday, Trump stated that food aid relied upon by millions of Americans would not be distributed until the government reopens — contradicting earlier administration comments indicating that partial benefits could still be provided.
International
Deadly fire in bosnian nursing home leaves 11 dead and dozens injured
At least 11 people were killed and more than 30 others were injured after a fire broke out overnight at a nursing home in Bosnia, authorities reported on Wednesday.
The cause of the blaze, which started late Tuesday on the seventh floor of a residential building in the city of Tuzla, remains unclear. Local media reported that the upper floors of the facility housed elderly residents with limited mobility or medical conditions.
Tuzla Mayor Zijad Lugavić said that firefighters and rescue workers were among the injured. Municipal authorities convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation and coordinate response efforts.
Ruža Kajic, a resident living on the third floor, said she had just gone to bed when she heard “bursting sounds” and saw flames descending from the upper levels.
Sexual assault attempt on Mexico’s president sparks outrage in historic center
Longest government shutdown in U.S. history deepens airport and aid crisis
Deadly fire in bosnian nursing home leaves 11 dead and dozens injured
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoFloods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
-
International1 day agoShootout in Sinaloa leaves 13 gunmen dead as authorities rescue kidnapping victims
-
International3 days agoAt least 23 killed in Sonora supermarket blast, including minors
-
International2 days agoU.S. uses $4.65 billion in emergency funds to sustain SNAP benefits amid shutdown
-
International4 days agoFBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
-
International2 days agoFour suspected PCC members killed in Police shootout in Florianópolis
-
International3 days agoU.S. strike in Caribbean kills three suspected drug traffickers
-
International1 day agoSheinbaum maintains 70% approval despite growing discontent in Mexico
-
International1 day agoTrump alleges “massive fraud” in California redistricting vote without evidence
-
International1 day agoFormer U.S. vice president Dick Cheney dies at 84
-
International9 hours agoDeadly fire in bosnian nursing home leaves 11 dead and dozens injured
-
International9 hours agoLongest government shutdown in U.S. history deepens airport and aid crisis
-
International9 hours agoSexual assault attempt on Mexico’s president sparks outrage in historic center