Author: Grace Johnson

US researchers say a single nasal spray vaccine could protect against coughs, colds and flu. The vaccine could also prevent bacterial lung infections and may even reduce allergies. Scientists at Stanford University tested the universal vaccine in animals and still need human clinical trials. They describe the approach as a radical departure from more than 200 years of vaccine development. Experts called the findings exciting but emphasised that the research remains in an early phase. Current Vaccines Focus on One Disease at a Time Current vaccines train the immune system to fight a single infection. A measles vaccine protects against…

US President Donald Trump delivered his latest ultimatum to Iran on Thursday during a Board of Peace meeting. Trump formed this Middle East coalition to stabilise the region. He could soon plunge that region into a new war. The irony of calling for peace while threatening military action highlighted competing impulses in Trump’s second-term foreign policy. The standoff between Washington and Tehran shows this contradiction most clearly. The conflict has escalated quickly and could trigger the largest US air campaign in years. Trump said he prefers diplomacy and wants a deal that ends Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. A White House…

Mark Zuckerberg appeared in court on Wednesday and defended Meta against claims that it targeted young users. Lawyers confronted him with internal documents that suggested Meta focused on children and teenagers. Zuckerberg said the lawyers mischaracterised the internal communications and their meaning. He appeared before a jury for the first time after years of growing criticism of Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The trial also includes Google’s YouTube and could shape thousands of similar lawsuits. TikTok and Snapchat settled shortly before the trial began, and the companies did not disclose the settlement terms. Meta repeatedly stated that it…

The U.S. tech landscape is seeing growing attention to global AI investment trends. Companies and investors are focusing on AI-ready data centers and compute infrastructure as key strategic priorities. Expanding storage and processing capacity is becoming critical for supporting next-generation AI applications. Investments in AI data infrastructure have wide-reaching effects on U.S. competitiveness. Startups and established firms alike are increasing funding to build more efficient, high-capacity data centers. This allows for faster AI model training, improved performance, and support for innovative technologies across industries. Venture capital and corporate investment are fueling the expansion of AI compute networks. These investments ensure…

Health agencies warn that measles still pose a major challenge in Europe, even after a decline in cases in 2025 compared to the previous year’s peak. Experts urge urgent action to address vaccine hesitancy and prevent future outbreaks across the continent. Measles often seem forgotten, but they continue to spread in many European countries. In 2024, Europe reported 127,350 measles cases, which marked the highest number since 1997. Cases declined in 2025, but infections still doubled compared to 2023, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Sabrina Bacci, head of the ECDC programme on vaccine-preventable diseases and…

Aluminium prices fell on Friday as zinc, nickel, and lead also declined. Investors reacted to reports that US President Donald Trump may soften tariffs on metal imports. Markets priced in the potential policy shift ahead of November’s midterm elections. The three-month aluminium contract on the London Metal Exchange dropped more than 2.5% to $2,965.75 per tonne by midday. On the Shanghai Futures Exchange, the most active contract declined 1.76% to 23,195 yuan per tonne. Industrial Metals Slide Amid Tariff Hints Zinc traded at $3,316.50 per tonne, down $51.95 or 1.54%. Nickel fell $257 to $16,993.38 per tonne, a drop of…

US President Donald Trump reversed a cornerstone Obama-era scientific finding that formed the foundation of federal climate regulations. The 2009 “endangerment finding” declared several greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, a threat to public health. It served as the legal basis for efforts to curb emissions from vehicles, power plants, and industry. The White House described the decision as the “largest deregulation in American history,” claiming it would reduce vehicle costs by $2,400 and ease burdens on automakers. Environmental groups called the move the most significant climate rollback yet and announced plans to challenge it in court. Trump criticizes…

Narrow Vote Shows Growing Rift in Congress The US House of Representatives voted to rescind President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. The chamber approved the resolution with 219 votes in favor and 211 votes against. Six Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to support the measure. The vote remains symbolic because the US Senate must still approve it and Trump would need to sign it into law. Trump is very unlikely to approve the resolution if it reaches his desk. Trump Expanded Tariffs After Re-Election Since his re-election, Trump has imposed several tariffs on Canada. He recently threatened a 100% import…

FDA Rejects Filing and Cites Study Design Issues The US Food and Drug Administration refused to accept Moderna’s application to review its first mRNA seasonal flu vaccine. The company confirmed this decision on Tuesday. The refusal marks another setback for mRNA vaccine development in the United States. Some health officials in the Trump administration have recently criticized the technology. The FDA said the application lacked an adequate and well-controlled trial. The agency argued that the control arm did not reflect the best available standard of care in the United States during the study. Moderna said the agency did not raise…

Discord will soon require users worldwide to verify their age before they can access adult content. Users must confirm their age with a face scan or upload an official ID document. The online chat platform says it has more than 200 million monthly users. The company says the new safety system will place everyone into a teen-appropriate experience by default. Discord already requires age checks in the UK and Australia to comply with local laws. It will expand these checks globally from early March. Savannah Badalich, Discord’s policy head, said the company prioritizes teen safety. She said teen-by-default settings will…