The company gave an extra dose to 306 people at that point and recorded levels of virus-fighting antibodies threefold higher than after the earlier shots. Earlier this week, two top FDA vaccine regulators joined a group of international scientists in rejecting boosters now for otherwise healthy individuals, citing the strong continuing protection against severe disease. The U.S. already offers an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to people with severely weakened immune systems. Moderna also has asked FDA to allow a booster dose of its vaccine, and on Wednesday posted its own study of waning immunity. It’s not clear how soon FDA will consider a Moderna booster, or one for people who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

(CNN Business) – Apple’s new iPhone 13 and 13 Pro lineup features all of the predictable upgrades: faster performance, longer lasting battery life, better screen and new colors. Apple (AAPL) kept its iPhone prices mostly in line with last year’s models, despite rumors they’d be priced higher than ever because of current issues with the chip supply chain. AT&T (T), for example, is offering up to $1,000 toward a new iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max after a trade-in, while Verizon (VZ) is touting as much as $800 off any new iPhone, essentially paying for the cost of a 128 GB iPhone 13. More than that, he said Apple is focused on boosting revenue from the many premium services built around the iPhone, such as iCloud storage, Apple Music and Fitness+. ‘Good, better, best’When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone in 2007, there was one device and one entry price point for users.

This year has seen Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex take part in a groundbreaking interview with Oprah Winfrey and welcome their second child into the world, all while scandals have swirled around the royal family they left behind. Now, they can add another major moment to their 2021 diary — as Time has named them ‘icons’ in its annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people. The couple appears on one of the multiple covers of Time’s 100 issue, while others who grace the magazine’s front page include Simone Biles, Billie Eilish and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala — the first African woman to lead the World Trade Organization. “Springing into action is not the easy choice for a young duke and duchess who have been blessed through birth and talent, and burned by fame,” Andrés also wrote. As usual, the list also includes leaders around the globe who have had a significant impact in the past nine months — from US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abdul Ghani Baradar, the senior deputy leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, and H.E. The Minister added that the ongoing portfolio of the Ministry International cooperation includes projects worth $365 million to achieve SDG 13: Climate Action. Egypt, hence, put the National Council on Climate Change under the guidance of H.E. Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt’s Prime Minister, where line ministries and sectors, whether generating or affected by greenhouse emissions, will participate to develop policies and procedures that take into account the effects of climate change. Soliman further affirmed the WBG’s keenness to support the Egyptian government's efforts to address the repercussions of climate change, as well as crafting the policies that shall enhance these efforts.

Johnson has made tackling regional inequality a priority for his government but the COVID-19 pandemic has eclipsed action on the promises he made in 2019, when he won the biggest Conservative Party parliamentary majority since Margaret Thatcher. Gavin Williamson was the first to be sacked, as education minister, after being criticised for his handling of schools during the pandemic. A source in Johnson’s office said he would be appointing ministers “with a focus on uniting and levelling up the whole country”. Jenrick had been under fire over his role in a development proposed by a Conservative Party donor. Rumours of a reshuffle, and who might be on their way up or on their way out, have been swirling for weeks.

The Egyptian Cabinet approved a draft Presidential decision regarding the Canadian Universities Foundation in Egypt to host a branch of Ryerson University in Egypt. Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khalid Abdel Ghafar back in 2019 received a delegate of the Canadian University ‘Ryerson’, to discuss establishing a branch within Egypt. According to Ghafar, establishing and organizing branches of foreign universities in Egypt also offers several benefits to the foreign universities. The Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at University of Ryerson said that the university’s engineering programs ranks among the top 250 programs worldwide. In February 2019, Egypt’s government announced the construction of eight international universities in the New Administrative Capital by 2020 during a visit to the University of Canada in Egypt.

The head of the Evangelical community in Egypt, Andre Zaki on Wednesday will inaugurate the Evangelical Church in Kom al-Akhdar Maghagha, Minya governorate following the completion of its renovation. This church was established in 1889 and is one of the oldest churches affiliated with the Evangelical community in Egypt. The opening will be in the presence of leaders of the Evangelical community, members of the Senate and House of Representatives, and religious and leaders in Minya Governorate. Zaki will open, on Thursday, the Evangelical Church in al-Nasiriyah, Assiut Governorate, after its reconstruction, in the presence of Assiut Governor Essam Saad.

“Parents or elderly relatives have become an extra strain in this pandemic so although it goes against our culture, many people are finding old people’s homes as the only option,” Gavi said. Zimbabwe’s care homes have experienced a 60 percent increase in admissions since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in March 2020, and most of the country’s more than 170 facilities for older people are full, she said. “When they are forced into old people’s homes, many go into depression, into dementia … they are confused that their children or relatives have abandoned them,” said Daniel Francis, the administrator at Melfort Old People’s home. The care homes that don’t charge their residents, and are funded by charities and churches, are under strain. Despite the disappointment of not being with family, Bhatare at the Melfort Old People’s home is adjusting to his new reality.

Egyptian Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, announced Wednesday that Egypt is the first Arab country to announce its standards for environmental sustainability. Back in November, the cabinet announced the first Egyptian standards for environmental sustainability, she said. At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Egypt took its decision to go green with its budget, according to Fouad. Egypt, in conjunction with its orientation towards rebuilding better, is working on setting the general framework for the green recovery strategy as part of the overall national strategy for climate change, which comes as a result of integrated work from all ministries, she explained. The minister assured that a national political commitment is in place regarding climate change by placing the National Council for Climate Change under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and with the membership of all relevant ministries and sectors.

Egyptian authorities have continued to open Rafah land crossing in North Sinai with the Gaza strip on Wednesday. Egypt has been operating the crossing exceptionally since May 16 to facilitate the crossing of stranded people and humanitarian cases on both sides, and to enter in various aid and reconstruction materials into the strip. Egypt had brokered a ceasefire that ended an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in May. The Rafah crossing is not designated for bringing in aid and goods, and is governed by an international agreement that has been invalidated since the Islamic movement Hamas took control of the strip in 2007. Hamas expelled Palestinian Authority forces from Gaza in 2007 when the armed Islamist movement seized power.

With the Islamist militant movement back in power, the absence of a functioning financial intelligence unit (FIU) could curtail Afghanistan’s links to the international financial system and to lenders abroad, some experts warned. A Taliban spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of FinTRACA staff or whether the unit would operate in future. The U.S. Treasury, which provided technical assistance to the unit with other national and international bodies, declined to comment on FinTRACA staff still in Afghanistan. One FinTRACA staff member said it was still disconnected on Tuesday. “The FATF is closely monitoring the developing situation in Afghanistan,” the group said in a statement.

Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population on Tuesday reported 503 new coronavirus cases, 10 deaths, and 325 recoveries. A total of 293,951 cases have been disclosed in Egypt, alongside 16,895 deaths and 247,450 recoveries. Moreover, the Health Ministry has stated that official figures likely only represent 10 percent of actual cases. Egypt is set to receive 5.2 million doses of the Moderna and Pfizer coronavirus vaccines in September, Zayed announced. Additionally, presidential health advisor Mohamed Awad Tag al-Din said in September that Egypt will be receiving 25 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot Janssen vaccine over the next four months.

The third season of “al-Ikhtiyar (The Choice)”, is set to feature an ensemble array of starts such as Yasser Galal, who will portray President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Sabry Fawaz who will play the role of late President Mohamed Morsi. The third part of the series is expected to provoke controversy due to landmark events it will cover, including Morsi’s presence as a character. The script will be written by Hany Sarhan, with director Peter Mimi from the first two seasons returning to direct. It is also scheduled to bring together actors Ahmed al-Sakka and Karim Abdel Aziz, who participated in the second part, as well as Amir Karara, who played the role of Ahmed al-Mansy in the first part. The third season goes over events in Egypt following the January 25 revolution, and what occurred under the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi.

Abbas sent a copy of the letter to the presidents of the African Union and the African Union Commission. He listed the damage caused to Sudan as a result of misinformation and lack of coordination in the filling of GERD. Algeria is country leading efforts to bring the three countries together on negotiations table with the aim of reaching an agreement on filling and operating GERD. Egypt and Sudan say they want a legally binding agreement in this regard, while Ethiopia says any pact should be advisory. Negotiations over the dam between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have stalled for years, with the three parties ultimately failing to reach any agreements.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Sept 15 (Reuters) – The latest in a recent line of space-obsessed billionaires was set for liftoff on Wednesday with three less wealthy private citizens along for the ride aboard a SpaceX rocket ship, seeking to become the first all-civilian crew launched into Earth orbit. They will fly aboard a gleaming white SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed Resilience, perched atop one of the company’s reusable Falcon 9 rockets and fitted with a special observation dome in place of the usual docking hatch. Despite some largely honorary titles, the Inspiration4 crew will have no part to play in flying the spacecraft, which will be operated by ground-based flight teams and onboard guidance systems, even though two crew members are licensed pilots. Biomedical data and biological samples, including ultrasound scans, will also be collected from crew members before, during and after the flight. Reporting by Julio-Cesar Chavez in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Cooney