AstraZeneca vaccine booster works against Omicron, Oxford lab study finds

22 Sept 08:47 Key points summarised by AI

A three-dose course of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine effectively neutralizes the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, according to an Oxford University lab study.
The study revealed that neutralizing antibody levels against Omicron after a booster shot were comparable to those against the Delta variant after two doses.
AstraZeneca anticipates that the vaccine's T-cell response will provide durable protection against severe disease and hospitalizations from Omicron.
This finding aligns with similar data from rival vaccine makers Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, though AstraZeneca is also developing an Omicron-specific vaccine.

Suchada: Meet the reluctant star of Thailand’s cryptic crypto drama

Today 15:38 Key points summarised by AI

Thai MP Suchada Zhang Thaensap faces intense scrutiny over her husband’s substantial 1.84 billion baht wealth, with opposition lawmakers alleging connections to international scam networks.
A significant portion of her husband, Taiyang Zhang's, declared assets includes a 1.44 billion baht loan to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which still owes him 1.34 billion baht.
Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome accused Suchada's husband of links to online scam networks and gambling sites, prompting Suchada to vehemently deny the claims, demand evidence, and file a defamation complaint.
Taiyang Zhang's background includes co-founding Ren Protocol, later sold to Alameda Research (linked to the FTX collapse), and some of his former associates have been convicted in crypto company failures.
Suchada, a former actress and first-time MP, maintains her husband's innocence, while her party leaders have distanced themselves from the allegations, deeming it a private matter.