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CEPI Partners with Japan’s NEC Group to Develop Artificial Intelligence-designed Broadly Protective Betacoronavirus Vaccine

OSLO, Norway/ TOKYO, Japan, Apr 8, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and NEC Corporation (NEC: TSE: 6701) today announced the latest funding award under its US$200m programme to advance the development of vaccines that provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other betacoronaviruses(1). CEPI will provide seed funding of up to US$4.8m to NEC OncoImmunity AS (NOI), a Norway-based subsidiary of NEC, which specializes in artificial intelligence-driven biotechnology, to support the initial development of broadly protective betacoronavirus vaccine candidates.NEC, through NOI, will lead a research consortium including the European Vaccine Initiative (EVI) and Oslo University Hospital to deliver a project which aims to establish preclinical proof of concept for a vaccine based on mRNA technology that protects against a broad range of betacoronaviruses. NEC will apply its experience and capabilities in artificial intelligence-powered design of immunogens to identify novel vaccine antigens with broad reactivity against betacoronaviruses. The lead antigens will be selected iteratively and validated in preclinical studies against known betacoronaviruses that already pose a significant epidemic or pandemic risk, such as SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 & MERS-CoV.If this innovative approach is proven to be successful, it may also be applicable for developing vaccines against other pathogens in the CEPI portfolio, including 'Disease X' - unknown pathogens with pandemic potential that have yet to emerge.CEPI is committed to the principle of equitable access to the vaccines it funds. Under the terms of the funding agreement, NEC has committed to achieving equitable access to the outputs of this project, in line with CEPI's PDFEquitable Access Policy.(1) Betacoronaviruses are types of coronavirus that cause Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which have been responsible for major epidemics in Asia and the Middle East in recent years, and also SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said:"Coronaviruses have now proven their pandemic potential with devastating consequences, and COVID-19 won't be the last coronavirus to threaten humanity. That's why CEPI's ambitious programme to develop globally accessible vaccines that protect against a broad range of coronaviruses - before those pathogens emerge - is critical to global health security."Japan has a proud history of global health leadership and has long championed the role of research and development in fighting emerging infectious diseases, including the Government of Japan's critical role as a founding member and major investor in CEPI. I am delighted that CEPI will partner with NEC Corporation - our first collaboration with Japanese industry - to advance this innovative, AI-driven approach to vaccine design, which could help take the threat of coronaviruses off the table if it is proven to be successful."Nobuhiro Endo, Chairman of the Board, NEC Corporation said:"Dealing with the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on people's lives. The hard lessons will remain with us for decades and it is crucial that we arm ourselves against future invisible enemies. We are elated to partner with CEPI on this mission to develop vaccines against coronaviruses using our advanced AI technologies. While this partnership is a recognition of NEC's expertise and growing contribution to healthcare, it also acknowledges Japan's leadership in advancing drug development through breakthrough technologies. We will continue to mobilize the resources of the NEC Group for this collaborative effort to ensure global health security."Richard Stratford Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, NEC OncoImmunity AS, said:"We are extremely honored to have CEPI place its trust in the quality of our technology and the expertise of our scientific teams. Our experience with COVID-19 has taught us that an ideal vaccine must remain robust against an ever-evolving viral landscape. Our AI will assess viral regions that do not mutate rapidly and are shared among SARS, SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and other known betacoronaviruses. I am confident that our unique approach in identifying and selecting antigens that could elicit broader cytotoxic T cell and antibody responses is well positioned to help create broadly protective betacoronavirus vaccines that could protect the global population against multiple betacoronavirus threats on a long-term basis."Tagaya Nobunao, Senior Assistant Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said:"We are proud to see NEC become the first Japanese company to participate in CEPI's activities for promoting vaccine development in response to and in preparation for potential pandemics, which is a common issue for all humankind. In February 2022, the Government of Japan announced a new contribution of US$300 million to CEPI over the next five years, and has been actively supporting the development of vaccines in the international community. We expect that NEC will contribute to global health with the development of next-generation vaccines using the world's most advanced AI."Ken Ishii, Professor, the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo said:"For the Japanese vaccine industry, NEC's participation in this global challenge is great news. We look forward to it contributing to the early countermeasures against pandemics by advancing the speedy development of safer and more effective vaccines with the new science approach of utilizing AI."Strengthening our defenses against coronavirusesThrough COVID-19, coronaviruses have now demonstrated their devastating pandemic potential. The emergence of a coronavirus combining the transmissibility of COVID-19 with the lethality of SARS or MERS would be catastrophic, so developing vaccines that provide broad protection against the whole betacoronavirus genus is therefore vital to our global health security. CEPI is working closely with partners to advance work in this area as quickly as possible.NOTES:The award announced today is the eighth programme to be funded by CEPI to advance the development of vaccines that provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other betacoronaviruses. This work forms an important part of CEPI's next 5-year plan, published in March 2021, which aims to reduce or even eliminate the future risk of pandemics and epidemics.Including today's announcement, CEPI has to date announced funding for eight programmes to advance the development of vaccines that could provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other betacoronaviruses:MigVax Ltd - funding of US$4.3m to MigVax Ltd to support the initial development of a new orally administered subunit vaccine tablet that could offer broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants.University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) - funding of US$5m to support the initial development of a new vaccine based on VIDO's novel protein subunit technology that could offer broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants.Affinivax - funding of up to $4.5m to support the initial development of a vaccine candidate based on Affinivax's MAPS platform that could offer broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants.SK bioscience - funding of up to US$50m to support the development of a vaccine candidate based on SK's nanoparticle vaccine platform to elicit immune responses that could protect against variants of both SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and other sarbecoviruses.Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Panacea Biotec - funding of up to US$12.5m to support the development of multi-epitope, nanoparticle-based vaccine candidates that could provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other Betacoronaviruses.BioNet - funding of up to US$16.9m to advance the development of a novel mRNA-based vaccine that could offer broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants.DIOSynVax - funding of up to US$42m to support the development of a broadly protective Betacoronavirus vaccine using mRNA platform technology.NEC Corporation - funding of up to US$4.8m to support the initial development of an AI-designed vaccine based on mRNA technology that protects against a broad range of betacoronaviruses.About CEPICEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations, launched at Davos in 2017, to develop vaccines against future epidemics. Prior to COVID-19, CEPI's work focused on developing vaccines against the Ebola Virus Disease, Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever virus and Chikungunya virus. It has over 20 vaccine candidates against these pathogens in development. CEPI has also invested in new platform technologies for rapid vaccine development against unknown pathogens (Disease X).During the current pandemic, CEPI initiated multiple programmes to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants with a focus on speed, scale and access. These programmes leverage the rapid response platforms developed by CEPI's partners prior to the emergence of COVID-19, as well as new collaborations. The aim is to advance clinical development of a diverse portfolio of safe and effective COVID-19 candidates and to enable fair allocation of these vaccines worldwide through COVAX.CEPI's 5-year plan lays out a US$3.5 billion roadmap to compress vaccine development timelines to 100 days, develop a broadly protective vaccine against COVID-19 and other Betacoronaviruses, and create a "library" of vaccine candidates for use against known and unknown pathogens. The plan is available at https://endpandemics.cepi.net/.About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.About NEC OncoImmunity ASNEC OncoImmunity AS is an AI driven biotechnology company that has developed proprietary machine learning-based software which addresses the key knowledge gaps in the prediction of bona fide immunogenic neoantigens for personalized cancer immunotherapy, in addition to infectious disease vaccines. The AI technology can be used to identify optimal neoantigen targets for truly personalized cancer vaccines & cell therapies in a clinically actionable timeframe, and also facilitate effective patient selection for cancer immunotherapy. For more information, visit NEC OncoImmunity AS at http://www.oncoimmunity.com/. Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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Joint Research Shows that DENSO’s Microalga, Coccomyxa sp. KJ Has Virucidal Effect against COVID-19

TOKYO, Mar 24, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Chubu University, Tokai University, Tohoku University School of Medicine and DENSO Corporation have found that monogalactosyl diacylglyceride (MGDG), a component contained in the chloroplasts of a microalga called Coccomyxa sp. KJ(1), has a virucidal effect(2) against COVID-19.Coccomyxa sp. KJ is a fast-growing, vigorous, and easy-to-cultivate microalga. The plant contains not only abundant nutrients, including vitamins and amino acids, but also unique characteristics, such as suppressing an increase in the bacteria that cause periodontal disease. Moreover, in 2019, it was found that MGDG contained in Coccomyxa sp. KJ breaks the envelope membranes(3) of herpesviruses and has a virucidal effect against the viruses.Recently, the three universities and DENSO discovered that MGDG contained in Coccomyxa sp. KJ also has a virucidal effect against COVID-19. The group will also research whether this microalga MGDG has a virucidal effect against influenza viruses, human coronaviruses, and other viruses with envelope membranes other than herpesviruses and COVID-19.The results of the research may lead to the development of products that effectively counter COVID-19 and other viruses. The three universities and DENSO will continue to conduct this research to expand the scope of measures for preventing infectious diseases to contribute to society.As an academia-industry collaboration project with the grant number JPMJTR204H, the research was conducted with support from the Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target-driven R&D (A-STEP) funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).Glossary(1) Coccomyxa sp. KJ is a registered trademark of DENSO Corporation. This microalga was developed by DENSO jointly with Kyoto University. "Stories," one of the DENSO-owned media, also features the plant: bit.ly/3JDGt38(2) Virucidal effect means destroying the ability of viruses to infect cells.(3) Envelope membranes are found in virus particles. Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia Authorizes Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine in Children (6-11 Years)

Cambridge, MA, Feb 17, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Moderna, Inc., (NASDAQ:MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia has granted provisional registration for the use of Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax, in a 50 ug dose, two-dose series, for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in children aged 6-11 years."The TGA authorization for the use of our COVID-19 vaccine in children 6-11 years old in Australia is an important milestone for Moderna as it is the first regulatory authorization for the use of our vaccine in this age group. We are grateful to the TGA for their diligence and the Government of Australia for its continued confidence in our mRNA platform," said Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. "We are grateful for the opportunity to provide protection against COVID-19 to this important age group, keeping children safe and able to continue life as normally as possible."Professor Robert Booy from the Immunisation Coalition commented, "I welcome this decision by the TGA and look forward to the uptake of vaccination in children increasing even more to provide protection of children and maximize school attendance."Moderna's vaccine was investigated in the ongoing Phase 2 "KidCOVE" study, a randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled expansion study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, reactogenicity, and effectiveness of two 50 ug doses of Spikevax (mRNA-1273) given to healthy children 28 days apart. The study population was divided into three age groups (6 to under 12 years, 2 to under 6 years, and six months to under 2 years).Data submitted to the TGA demonstrated that vaccination of children 6 to under 12 years of age with a 50 ug mRNA-1273 primary series is associated with non-inferior anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody responses when compared to that in individuals 18-25 years old from the Phase 3 Cove study. The geometric mean ratio (GMR) comparing the response in children to the response in young adults from the Phase 3 COVE study was 1.5 (95% CI: 1.3, 1.8), with a seroresponse rate of 99.3%. Two 50 ug doses of mRNA-1273 were generally well tolerated.The study is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT04796896.Moderna's vaccine has already received regulatory approval for adults and adolescents in Australia. On 9 August 2021, the TGA granted provisional registration to the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus in individuals 18 years of age and older. On 3 September 2021, the provisional registration was extended to individuals 12 years of age and older.About ModernaIn 10 years since its inception, Moderna has transformed from a research-stage company advancing programs in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA), to an enterprise with a diverse clinical portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics across seven modalities, a broad intellectual property portfolio in areas including mRNA and lipid nanoparticle formulation, and an integrated manufacturing plant that allows for both clinical and commercial production at scale and at unprecedented speed. Moderna maintains alliances with a broad range of domestic and overseas government and commercial collaborators, which has allowed for the pursuit of both groundbreaking science and rapid scaling of manufacturing. Most recently, Moderna's capabilities have come together to allow the authorized use and approval of one of the earliest and most-effective vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic.Moderna's mRNA platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, and has allowed the development of therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and auto-immune diseases. Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past seven years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com.AUTHORIZED USEThe Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia has granted provisional registration for the use of Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals six years of age and older.Forward Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including regarding: the Company's development of a vaccine against COVID-19 (mRNA-1273, or Spikevax); the ability of Spikevax to trigger a neutralizing antibody response in children similar to that in older populations and to protect against COVID-19; and the safety and tolerability profile for Spikevax. The forward-looking statements in this press release are neither promises nor guarantees, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond Moderna's control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include those risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in Moderna's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and in subsequent lings made by Moderna with the SEC, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Except as required by law, Moderna disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are based on Moderna's current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof.Moderna Contacts:Media:Luke Mircea WillatsDirector, Corporate CommunicationsLuke.Mirceawillats@modernatx.comInvestors:Lavina TalukdarSenior Vice President & Head of Investor Relations617-209-5834Lavina.Talukdar@modernatx.comSOURCE: Moderna, Inc. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

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Football: Real Madrid cruise to victory in derby against Atletico

MADRID (REUTERS) - Real Madrid won 2-0 against a listless Atletico Madrid on Sunday (Dec 12), securing a 10th straight victory in all competitions that tightened their grip on top spot in LaLiga. Karim Benzema, who had been a doubt for the game with a leg injury and only played the first 45 minutes, made the most of his time on the pitch, hitting a beautiful volley from Vinicius Jr's perfect cross to open the scoring in the first half. It was the 17th goal of his career against Atletico and 13th of the season to lead the LaLiga scoring chart. Vinicius Jr did not score but was man of the match after earning another assist early in the second half, this time for Marco Asensio as Real extended to 11 their unbeaten streak against their local rivals in LaLiga. Carlo Ancelotti's team are currently cruising at the top of the table, eight points clear of second-placed Sevilla and 13 above Atletico in fourth, albeit having played a game more than both. "To win a derby is very important to our fans and I bet they left the stadium really happy," Asensio told reporters. "Vinicius is playing really well, we are delighted with his progression this season. He is doing it all, scoring, assisting. We are all happy for him." The home team were in total control from start to finish with the Santiago Bernabeu crowd chanting "Ole" in unison when there were still 25 minutes to play in the second half. It was their fourth consecutive game without conceding a single goal. Fan favourite Vinicius, who got a standing ovation when receiving LaLiga's player of the month trophy before the game, is yet to score a goal against Atletico in his four seasons in Spain, but on Sunday he turned provider for his team mates. He started the counter-attack that ended with Benzema's opener, stealing the ball in midfield and sprinting all the way up-front to receive a pass from Asensio and cross for Benzema to smash a volley into the net. After the break, he led another counter, showing good vision to feed the ball to Asensio to score. The defeat was a blow for Atletico, who have not won a Madrid derby in the league since February 2016. More on this topic   Related Story Football: Real Madrid blow away Granada to keep pressure on Atletico   Related Story Football: Real Madrid fighting fit to put pressure on La Liga leaders Sociedad and rivals

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Tennis: Britain beat Czechs to reach quarter-finals; Germany, Croatia through

PARIS (AFP) - Britain booked their place in the Davis Cup quarter-finals with a come-from-behind victory over the Czech Republic on Sunday (Nov 28), while Germany, Kazakhstan and Croatia also reached the last eight. Dan Evans' surprise 6-2, 7-5 loss to world number 143 Tomas Machac left Britain needing to fight back to secure a second straight win and take top spot in Group C. But Cameron Norrie overcame a second-set blip to see off Jiri Lehecka 6-1, 2-6, 6-1, before Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski teamed up to beat Machac and Jiri Vesely 6-4, 6-2 in Innsbruck. "It's great. Today was tough. A lot of people look at the rankings but it's never like that," British captain Leon Smith, whose side will next play Germany on Tuesday, told the BBC. "We've been underdogs and managed to get wins. The Czech team played well - very young team. Machac turned into a top 20 player overnight!" The ties in Austria are being played behind closed doors due to new coronavirus restrictions in the country. France, after winning against the Czechs and losing to Britain, are out of the tournament. Germany backed up their shock victory over Novak Djokovic's Serbia by fighting back to edge out hosts Austria and go through as Group F winners. Serbia had to settle for second place and must now wait to see if they progress as one of the two best runners-up. Dominik Koepfer lost 6-1, 7-5 to Jurij Rodionov to put the Germans in trouble, but Jan-Lennard Struff levelled the tie by cruising past Dennis Novak 7-5, 6-4. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz completed the job in the doubles, as they did against Djokovic and Serbia on Saturday, winning 6-3, 6-4 against Oliver Marach and Philipp Oswald. Angry crowd Croatia just needed to win one rubber against Hungary to wrap up first place in Group D and the 242nd-ranked Nino Serdarusic did just that in the opening match against Fabian Marozsan in Turin. His 6-4, 6-4 success helped avoid a nervy finish to the tie for the two-time winners, as Marin Cilic lost the second singles 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 to impressive Hungarian youngster Zsombor Piros. Kazakhstan also moved into the knockout stage by downing 2019 runners-up Canada in Madrid. The tournament was postponed last year because of the Covid pandemic. Kazakhstan, who beat Sweden on Saturday, emerged victorious again thanks to singles wins for Mikhail Kukushkin and Alexander Bublik, over Brayden Schnur and Vasek Pospisil respectively. Bublik drew the ire of the Spanish crowd for delivering an underarm serve at 4-4 in the second set, but that only seemed to spur him on. "As one legend says, when you go to sleep guys, know that I won because of you," he said to the crowd, referring to US Open champion Daniil Medvedev. Later on Sunday, the Russian Tennis Federation, the favourites for the title, take on depleted reigning champions Spain in a winner-takes-all encounter. Italy became the first team to make the quarters on Saturday and will face Croatia in Turin on Monday.

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Football: Milan sink Atletico to keep alive Champions League hopes

MADRID (REUTERS) - A stunning header from Junior Messias in the dying minutes handed AC Milan a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid and kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the last-16 in the Champions League on Wednesday (Nov 24). Milan arrived in Madrid rooted to the bottom of Group B with only one point and anything but a win against Atletico would have eliminated them from this season's competition. Wednesday's result means the race to see who will join group winners Liverpool in the next round will go down to the wire. Porto, who are on five points, as well as Milan and Atletico, who are tied on four points, will have to wait until the final round of fixtures to decide who will finish second, and hence progress to the last 16. Milan will host Liverpool while Atletico will travel to Porto on Dec 7 for the final Group B fixtures. In a freezing night in Madrid, a packed crowd at the Metropolitano Stadium failed to spur on Atletico, who struggled to make any kind of impact against a Milan side who showed urgency and aggression in a must-win situation. Brazilian Messias broke the deadlock in the 87th minute with a spectacular header after latching on to a perfect cross from Franck Kessie. More on this topic   Related Story Football: Liverpool maintain perfect record with 2-0 win over Porto   Related Story Football: Ronaldo fires Manchester United into Champions League last 16

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Football: Unvaccinated Bayern star Kimmich back in Covid-19 quarantine

BERLIN (AFP) - Unvaccinated Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich returned to house quarantine on Friday (Nov 19) after having private contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, ruling him out of at least the next two games. Bundesliga leaders Bayern confirmed the news on Friday, when Kimmich sat out their Bundesliga match at Augsburg. Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic said the club accepts some players do not want to get vaccinated. "My position, and that of the club, is that we all want to get vaccinated because that is the only way out of the pandemic, but you have to accept that not everyone sees it that way. It's a difficult situation," Salihamidzic said before kick-off in Augsburg. Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting are reportedly the only non-vaccinated players in the Bayern squad. In Bavaria, fans can only attend games if they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19, yet players must only show a negative test. Kimmich, 26, only left house quarantine on Tuesday after previously having contact with Bayern team-mate Niklas Suele, who tested positive last week while on international duty with Germany. As well as Friday's match at Augsburg, Kimmich also misses Tuesday's Champions League game away to Dynamo Kiev. Bayern have already qualified for the last 16. Bayern are also without Suele and Josip Stanisic, both of whom are fully vaccinated, after they tested positive for the coronavirus. More on this topic   Related Story Football: Kimmich among five German players in quarantine   Related Story Football: Bayern star Kimmich not vaccinated against Covid-19 due to 'personal concerns' Kimmich has been at the centre of fierce debate in Germany since revealing he opted not to be vaccinated due to "personal concerns". He was heavily criticised and accused of neglecting his duties as a role model in Germany, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe at around 68 per cent. Germany is currently in a ferocious fourth wave of the virus with record numbers seen this week, leading health minister Jens Spahn to describe the situation as "a national emergency".   Related Stories:  Related Story Tracking Covid-19 cases in Singapore and the world Related Story Australia's cautious approach a draw for S'poreans worried about high Covid-19 cases in Europe Related Story First known Covid-19 case was vendor at China's Wuhan market, scientist claims Related Story Indonesia to tighten curbs to prevent holiday spike in Covid-19 cases Related Story S'pore records 1,734 new Covid-19 cases; ICU utilisation rate at 57% Related Story Philippines to reopen 'soon' to foreign tourists vaccinated against Covid-19 Related Story China to reopen border with HK in early December: Report Related Story France doesn't need to lock down unvaccinated people like other countries do: Macron Related Story Europe the only region with rising Covid-19 deaths: WHO

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Football: Mbappe, Benzema inspire France to 2-0 World Cup win against Finland

HELSINKI (REUTERS) - Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe were on target again in a sharp second-half performance as France completed their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 away win against Finland on Tuesday (Nov 16). The French attack stuttered until Benzema came on as a second-half substitute and Mbappe set him up for the opener. Mbappe then scored France’s second as the world champions, who had already qualified for Qatar 2022 after Saturday’s 8-0 demolition of Kazakhstan, finished Group D with 18 points from eight games. Finland, who were hoping to secure a playoff spot, ended up third on 11 points, one behind Ukraine who beat Bosnia 2-0 away to take second place. “We wanted to finish on a high and we’re happy we did it. Now we’re looking forward to the World Cup. With the team we have it’s natural to think about (winning) it,” said Benzema. France have now scored in their last 18 games, matching a record that dates back to 1999-2000. Finland were the last team to manage a clean sheet against Les Bleus and it seemed they may repeat the feat, but Benzema’s entrance in the 57th minute signalled the end of their hopes. Didier Deschamps had made five changes to the team who hammered Kazakhstan, with Benzema and Kingsley Coman on the bench. The duo’s absence was clearly felt as Les Bleus struggled to create chances against a compact Finland team. Shortly before halftime, Leo Dubois picked up a thigh injury and was replaced by Benjamin Pavard. Finland started the second half with poise but the French defence stayed alert and the visitors stepped up a gear when Benzema replaced Moussa Diaby. They were rewarded in the 66th with Benzema finding the back of the net with a deflected low shot after a neat one-two with Mbappe, who found the Real Madrid striker with a back heel. Ten minutes later, Mbappe outsprinted three Finnish players on the left flank before finishing with a superb curled shot into the far corner of the net for his 24th international goal. It was Mbappe’s fifth goal in two games after he bagged four against Kazakhstan. “There was more at stake for Finland than for us tonight but we did what we had to do,” said Deschamps. “It was a very positive year for France, except for those fatal 10 minutes (in the last 16 of the European championship against Switzerland).” More on this topic   Related Story Football: Wu's late penalty earns China a World Cup draw with Australia   Related Story Football: Netherlands reach World Cup; Turkey, Ukraine into play-offs

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38 people who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 caught dining in at hawker centres

SINGAPORE - Thirty-eight diners who were not vaccinated or partially vaccinated against Covid-19 were caught dining in at hawker centres between Oct 20 and Tuesday (Oct 26), in the first week after enforcement measures kicked in. The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Thursday the diners were identified during checks by safe distancing enforcement officers. It added that their particulars were taken down, but did not elaborate on what penalties they will face. Vaccination-differentiated safe management measures - that limited dining in at hawker centres and coffee shops to only those who are fully vaccinated - started on Oct 13. Those who are not inoculated or partially inoculated can enter hawker centres only to buy takeaway food. Exceptions are made for children aged 12 and below - they can eat at hawker centres even if they are not inoculated. A ministerial task force said the measures are to protect unvaccinated people and reduce the strain on Singapore's healthcare system. New daily Covid-19 cases climbed to 5,324 on Wednesday. An advisory approach was taken between Oct 13 and Oct 19 to let people get used to the new rules that allow only groups of two fully vaccinated persons to dine in together. NEA also said on Thursday it has taken action against 41 people between Oct 22 and Sunday for breaches of Covid-19 safe management measures at hawker centres. They were caught for offences such as gathering in groups of more than two people, not maintaining a safe distance of at least 1m and not wearing masks properly. First-time offenders who breach safe distancing measures are fined $300, and repeat offenders $1,000. Offenders may face prosecution in court for egregious cases, and higher fines if convicted. NEA urged the public to support hawkers safely by adhering to the Covid-19 measures. Stallholders at hawker centres do not need to check their patrons' vaccination status. Instead, safe distancing enforcement officers will conduct selective checks of people who are dining in. "We all have a part to play in protecting ourselves and people around us," NEA said. "If you are not vaccinated, please take away your food instead of dining in." More on this topic   Related Story Over 800 diners unvaccinated against Covid-19 found eating at hawker centres   Related Story No entry to malls, no dine-in at hawker centres: What are the new rules for the unvaccinated?

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Football: Foden double inspires Man City to 4-1 win at Brighton

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Manchester City enjoyed a rampant 4-1 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion helped by England midfielder Phil Foden’s double in their Premier League match on Saturday (Oct 23). After losing their first seven Premier League games against City by an aggregate score of 21-2, in the last meeting between the teams in May Brighton came from 2-0 down to win 3-2. But, despite making their best-ever start to a top-flight season this term, Brighton had no answer to the City machine in the first half as the visitors had the job all but done inside 31 minutes. The win moved them up to second in the standings. Pep Guardiola’s side battered the Brighton goal from the start, racing into a 13th minute lead through Ilkay Gundogan after a mistake from home goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. City soon extended their lead as Foden got his first of the match, steering Jack Grealish’s square pass into the net in the 28th minute, before the 21-year-old got the final touch on Gabriel Jesus’ shot to make it 3-0 three minutes later. The visitors took their foot off the gas in the second period, with Alexis Mac Allister’s penalty nine minutes from time giving Brighton a consolation goal. City substitute Riyad Mahrez put the icing on the cake with the fourth goal in stoppage time, sealing a win that moved the champions to 20 points, two points above Liverpool, who visit Manchester United on Sunday, and within two points of Chelsea. Brighton stay fourth on 15 points from nine games. Good lesson “I know what it means coming here against this team, against this manager and this stadium and win here,” Guardiola said. “It is a good lesson that in football it must be played with the ball and when you don’t have it you suffer. Brighton are so hard to play against for 90 minutes. Against another opponent the game would be over (at 3-0), against this team it was not over.” Brighton’s Lewis Dunk had already had to make an acrobatic goal-line clearance to keep City at bay before Gundogan broke the deadlock, with Bernardo Silva hooking the ball into the German’s path after Sanchez had failed to gather a cross. Brighton had only conceded six goals in eight league games prior to City’s visit, but they had soon shipped two more, thanks to Foden. City finished the first half having had nine shots on target – more than any other side in a Premier League match this season – but it was Brighton who started stronger after the break, with Leandro Trossard denied by a smart save from Ederson. The home side did get a deserved goal through substitute Mac Allister, after Ederson fouled Enock Mwepu in the penalty area, with Foden missing another chance to net his first City treble before he picked out Mahrez to fire home the fourth.

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Football: Brighton rescue point against Crystal Palace with 97th-minute equaliser

LONDON (REUTERS) - Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter said Monday's (Sept 27) 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace felt like a victory despite his side squandering the chance to move top of the Premier League table. The south-coast club were trailing to Wilfried Zaha's penalty and seconds from defeat when Neal Maupay dinked home a lobbed leveller with the last kick of the game. A win would have sent Brighton to the summit of England's top flight for the first time in their history but snatching a draw against their arch-rivals was cause for celebration. "When you're 1-0 down going into the 96th minute and you score it feels like a win," said Potter, whose side remained in sixth spot with 13 points, one behind leaders Liverpool. "It's just a point but it's a well-earned point. It was a tight game. Nothing too much in it and we pushed in the second half and it's an amazing feeling to get the equaliser." Brighton were not at their best, especially early on, but Potter praised his side's spirit to keep going. "We didn't control that as well as we'd like. But there's a resilience, belief and character there. I didn't think it was a one-sided affair. We deserved a point more than Palace did when they won 2-1 last time. That's 13 points from six games, a good start but we can improve." The draw extended Palace's undefeated league run against Brighton to five games but while Potter was happy with a point, Palace manager Patrick Vieira was understandably frustrated that his side's impressive display was not rewarded with a second victory of the season. "We're really gutted, really disappointed. We knew how difficult it was going to be. We played a really good game, we were consistent and conceding a goal in the last kick of the game, it's something that is difficult to accept," he said. "We have to look at the positives, the way we played against one of the in-form teams in the league, we created chances, we worked hard, this is positive. But still not enough to win games and we have to keep working." Palace have six points from their opening six games and are in 15th place but, after a tricky start, they appear to be settling into the more possession-based style of play that France World Cup winner Vieira demands. "We are improving. We're getting stronger. The first few games we played against Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham, we managed to create chances. We deserve to have more points so far. We're in a good process," he said.

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Jetstar Asia to require all workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19

SINGAPORE - Local budget carrier Jetstar Asia will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Oct 1. The move takes reference from a government advisory issued on July 2, which stated that employers may make vaccination a requirement for staff in higher-risk settings. Jetstar Asia said on Wednesday (Aug 18) that it is the first airline in Singapore to require all employees to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The other two carriers based in Singapore are Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its budget arm Scoot. Jetstar Asia said almost 100 per cent of its employees have been vaccinated. Most workers also supported the idea of vaccination being a requirement for work, as it would protect the workers and their families, it added. The carrier's chief executive Bara Pasupathi said: "Having a fully vaccinated workforce at Jetstar will provide one of the strongest layers of protection against the serious health impacts of this virus, while also helping Singapore open up to international travel again. "Given the potential for the virus to spread, having a fully vaccinated team helps to safeguard our customers, our people and the communities we fly to." In response to queries on what would happen to employees who are not vaccinated against Covid-19, a Jetstar Asia spokesman said it will look into whether there are alternative measures that could be implemented for employees who are medically ineligible to take the vaccine. She added: "If employees have concerns about getting vaccinated for other medical reasons, they will be managed on a case-by-case basis, in line with the Ministry of Manpower's guidelines." The Ministry of Manpower, the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation on July 2 said that employers should not make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for staff, but those in higher-risk settings may make vaccination a requirement as part of company policy. They may impose this vaccination requirement at the point of recruitment or advertisement for new hires in work settings where employees are considered to have a higher risk of Covid-19 infection. But they cannot fire existing staff on the grounds of declining vaccination. Employers who wish to make vaccination compulsory in these higher-risk employment settings may adopt several measures for staff who decline vaccination, according to the advisory. They may redeploy such workers to other suitable jobs with lower risk of Covid-19 infection. But terms and conditions for redeployment should be mutually agreed upon between bosses and staff if there are no existing redeployment policies within the organisation. Australian carrier Qantas Group, which owns 49 per cent of Jetstar Asia, had announced earlier on Wednesday that its frontline employees, including cabin crew and pilots, would need to be fully vaccinated by Nov 15. Its remaining employees will need to be vaccinated by March 31 next year. More on this topic   Related Story SIA, Scoot crew return to the skies as tentative recovery continues   Related Story First SIA flights with crew fully vaccinated against Covid-19 depart Singapore

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Football: Lewandowski scores twice as Bayern beat Dortmund in Super Cup

BERLIN (AFP) - Robert Lewandowski netted twice as Bayern Munich retained the German Super Cup with a 3-1 win at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday (Aug 17) in a high-tempo encounter. Lewandowski put Bayern ahead with a bullet header at Signal Iduna Park before Thomas Mueller doubled the visitors' lead to make it 2-0 just after the break. Dortmund captain Marco Reus pulled a goal back when he curled a superb shot inside the post before Lewandowski settled the match. The 32-year-old has now scored 24 goals in as many games against Dortmund, where he spent four years from 2010-2014. "This means a lot to me. We've won our next title and for the spectators it must have been a really cool game to watch," Lewandowski told Sky. "It's something really great for the team which we can enjoy." Bayern have now won all of their last six matches against Dortmund. It was a welcome victory for Bayern, who were winless in four pre-season friendlies before drawing last Friday's opening game of the new Bundesliga season 1-1 at Borussia Moenchengladbach. New coach Julian Nagelsmann has earned a trophy, which Bayern also won last year against Dortmund in Munich, with his first win in charge. "We were better than in Gladbach and this is an important win for the lads," said Nagelsmann, who hailed Lewandowski's "exceptional" performance. It was a frustrating game for Erling Braut Haaland and 16-year-old Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko, who each had goals ruled offside. Both teams wore black armbands out of respect for legendary Bayern striker Gerd Mueller, who died Sunday aged 75. During the warm-up, the Bayern squad wore shirts with Mueller's name and number 9 on the back. Steady rain did little to dampen the electric atmosphere as tempers quickly became frayed, with three yellow cards dished out in the first half. Dortmund had the best early chance when England midfielder Jude Bellingham threaded a pass through the defence to Reus on 20 minutes, but Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer blocked the shot with his foot. Moukoko then had the ball in the net on 36 minutes from a Haaland pass, only to be denied by an offside flag. Lewandowski put Bayern ahead four minutes before the break, perfectly timing his run into the box to head home a pin-point Serge Gnabry cross. Bayern extended their advantage four minutes into the second half when Lewandowski failed to connect with an Alphonso Davies cross and Mueller swept in the loose ball. Haaland beat Neuer three minutes later, but his effort was also chalked off. However, Dortmund pulled a goal back when Bellingham spotted Reus in space and he unleashed an excellent strike into the corner with 26 minutes to go. However, Lewandowski ended the tie as a contest, after Bayern capitalised on a rare mistake in the Dortmund defence. Centre-back Manuel Akanji played a lazy pass which was snapped up and worked to Lewandowski, who slotted home, taking the wind out of Dortmund in the 74th minute.

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