Chinese researchers have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully cloning the initial rhesus monkey, a species crucial in medical research due to its physiological resemblance to humans.

This advancement is anticipated to expedite drug testing, as the genetic uniformity of cloned animals promises more reliable trial outcomes.

Past attempts at rhesus monkey cloning have faced challenges, with either no live births or the offspring succumbing within hours, BBC reported on Tuesday.

In mammalian reproduction, the mixture of genes from both parents results in offspring. However, cloning involves techniques that generate a genetically identical replica of a single animal.

Dolly the sheep, the most renowned cloned animal, was created in 1996 by reprogramming a cell from another sheep into embryos, which were then implanted into Dolly’s surrogate mother.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers describe replicating this process with a rhesus monkey, which has remained in good health for over two years, affirming the success of the cloning procedure.

Doctor Falong Lu of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences expressed joy at the achievement.

Despite the positive outcomes, an animal welfare group, the UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), voiced deep concerns. The RSPCA emphasised that the suffering endured by the cloned animal outweighs the immediate benefits to human patients.

Rhesus monkeys, inhabiting regions from Afghanistan through India to China, are vital in infection and immunity studies.

While macaque monkeys were cloned in 2018, the preference for rhesus monkeys in medical research persists due to their genetic similarity to humans.

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday said COVID-19 vaccines saved at least 1.4 million lives in Europe.

Delivering his first message of the new year, Regional Director, WHO European region, Dr Hans Kluge, stressed that without vaccines, the death toll on the continent could have been around four million, possibly even higher.

Mr Kluge said, “More than 2.5 million COVID-19 deaths, and 277 million confirmed cases, were reported in the vast WHO European Region, which comprised 53 countries stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Analysis of 34 countries showed that most people whose lives were saved by vaccines, 90 per cent, were over 60.”

Mr Kluge said the vaccines reduced deaths by 57 per cent in the period between their rollout in December 2020 through March 2023, with the first booster doses alone saving an estimated 700,000 lives.

“Today, there are 1.4 million people in our region – most of them elderly – who are around to enjoy life with their loved ones because they took the vital decision to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This is the power of vaccines. The evidence is irrefutable,” Kluge said, speaking from Copenhagen.

He added that COVID-19 rates in Europe remained elevated but were decreasing.

“WHO recommends that people at highest risk of the disease should continue to be re-vaccinated six to 12 months after their most recent dose. This category includes older persons, frontline health workers, pregnant women, and people who are immunocompromised or have significant chronic medical conditions,” he said.

Meanwhile, WHO is currently seeing widespread circulation of respiratory viruses such as influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus and measles in the European region.

RSV rates peaked before the new year and are now declining, Kluge reported, and influenza rates are rapidly rising, with a likely surge expected over the coming weeks.

There has been a nearly 60 per cent increase in reported hospitalisations for the flu over the past two weeks and a 21 per cent increase in ICU admissions, compared to the previous two weeks.

Flu cases increased four-fold between November and December, with 38 countries reporting the start of the seasonal influenza epidemic.

Those most affected by severe disease are people aged 65 and older and the very young.

“We are concerned about reports of localised pressures on hospitals and overcrowding in emergency rooms, due to a confluence of circulating respiratory viruses,” he said.

Mr Kluge stressed that although COVID-19 infection rates were broadly decreasing across Europe, the situation could rapidly change amid the new variant of interest, JN.1, now the most common variant reported globally.

“Though there’s no current evidence to suggest the JN.1 variant is more severe, the unpredictable nature of this virus shows how vital it is that countries continue to monitor for any new variants,’’ he stated.

As many countries had reduced or stopped reporting COVID-19 data to WHO, Kluge underscored the need for continued surveillance as the disease is here to stay.

“We know how to keep ourselves and others safe, whether from COVID-19 or other respiratory infections,” he said.

He noted that health was slipping from the political agenda, and voiced deep concern over the failure to address the ticking time-bomb facing the health and care workforce.

“As health systems come under strain, we are reminded that we may be unprepared for anything out-of-the-ordinary, such as the emergence of a new, more severe COVID-19 variant or a yet unknown pathogen,” he warned.

He urged leaders to show demonstrable support for health workers.

Estonian security authorities have arrested a professor in Tartu on suspicion of espionage.

The Russian citizen was arrested on January 3 and has been remanded in custody for two months, the Estonian general prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

The academic at the University of Tartu was alleged to have carried out intelligence-related activities directed against Estonia, the authority said in a statement without providing further details.

The Estonian security police are leading the investigation.

The service’s head, Margo Palloson, said there have been a few dozen similar cases in recent years, suggesting that Russian intelligence services want to infiltrate various areas of life in the country.

The university launched an investigation into the allegations and terminated the professor’s employment.

According to the Estonian Science Database, the Russian academic has worked at the university since 2010, most recently as a professor of international political theory.

Before that, he taught in Russia at Saint Petersburg State University.

On Tuesday, Malaysia launched a programme to raise the public’s literacy level on artificial intelligence (AI).

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the people should master the basics of AI and eliminate the fears of embracing new technology.

Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.

In summary, the goal of AI is to provide software that can reason on input and explain on output.

AI will provide human-like interactions with software and offer decision support for specific tasks, but it’s not a replacement for humans.

Mr Anwar, who officiated the launch, said such a programme by the government is important to address the digital ignorance among the masses.

“The programme is a cooperation between the Economy Ministry and Intel to introduce AI and enable people to master the basic AI skills in a four-hour module.

“With such a programme, the government has projected that at least one million Malaysians would be able to master AI skills in three years,” the prime minister said.

The brutal murder of a young Kenyan woman at a short-term rental apartment has sparked outrage and exposed the violent “manosphere” perpetuating misogyny online in the country.

The woman was dismembered and her remains were stuffed into a plastic bag, according to a police report seen by the BBC. The police are investigating but the suspect is still at large.

The case has left Amnesty International Kenya executive director Irungu Houghton feeling “shocked and outraged”.

“Another women in her 20s who will not get to see her 40s,” he said.

Less than two weeks ago, a Kenyan socialite was also murdered in a short-term rental apartment in the capital, Nairobi.

Gender-based violence is a major concern in Kenya. In 2022 at least 34% of women said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey.

This latest killing has shed light on a dark corner of Kenya’s social media which has been described as the “manosphere”, where many comments have been shared blaming the women for their own deaths.

A “manosphere” is a network of online platforms that focuses on promoting masculinity and works in opposition to feminism.

One Kenyan man on X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “I honestly think no amount of activism will stop femicide.

“He added that it was up to “ladies to put their safety first”, claiming it was the only “feasible option”.

In response to the rampant victim blaming, “STOP KILLING WOMEN” began trending in Kenya on X.

One woman on X said: “Can’t believe we’re still seeing stories of what women should and shouldn’t do when men should actually stop killing women first,” adding that “It’s really so simple.

“Kenyan MP Esther Passaris told the BBC she was not surprised at the victim-blaming online because Kenya is a patriarchal society, and looks down on women.She says that as a woman in the public eye, she has been the target of derogatory language and is often called a “prostitute”.

For many campaigners, the response from Kenyan men online is not uncommon.Mr Houghton told the BBC these comments were not simply isolated cases of misogynistic men but were indicative of a broader culture of “woman-hating”.

“Social media and SMS platforms are the new public square. Public spaces for public debate. Kenya society remains divided on what drives sexual and gender-based violence.

“For some, female victim-blaming and for others the blanket condemnation of men are acceptable arguments,” Mr Houghton said.

Onyango Otieno, a 35-year-old activist, who challenges dominant harmful narratives of heteromasculinty, told the BBC that men spew derogatory language because the “promise of patriarchy” is being removed as women demand greater equality.

He says Kenyan men have been socialised to believe their place is above women, but the rise of feminism has left many men feeling emasculated or displaced.

“Many men were not taught or educated on how to coexist with women as equal human beings,” Mr Otieno sighs.

He says many men are struggling with this reality. The “manosphere” is in a sense a way to fight for the “promise of patriarchy”.

“The world has evolved in so many ways. Men have not,” he says decisively.

Six people have been arrested on suspicion of a plot to disrupt the London Stock Exchange.

The Met Police said information suggested activists from the Palestine Action group were intending to target the exchange on Monday.

The force said it was believed those involved were planning to cause damage and “lock on” in an effort to stop the building opening for trading.

Arrests were made in London, Liverpool and Brighton on Sunday.All six people are currently in custody.

The Met said it was “mindful of the suggestion that this was one part of a planned week of action”.

It said it was in contact with other forces, including City of London Police, to ensure any further disruption could be dealt with.

The Met said the arrests were prompted by information shared by the Daily Express.

Det Supt Sian Thomas said: “These are significant arrests. We believe this group was ready to carry out a disruptive and damaging stunt which could have had serious implications had it been carried out successfully.

“A 31-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause criminal damage by officers from Merseyside Police in the early hours of Sunday.

Five others were arrested over the same offence later in the day, including a woman, 29 from Brent in north London, a 23-year-old man from Tower Hamlets in east London, two women, aged 28 and 26, from Liverpool and a 27-year-old man in Brighton.

“I’m grateful to the Express for their willingness to provide the information gleaned from their own investigation,” Det Supt Thomas said.

“It was instrumental in helping us intervene successfully. Having only been provided with the material on Friday afternoon we had limited time to act.

“She said it was thanks to the “determined efforts” of the Met’s public order crime team and colleagues in Merseyside that officers “were able to identify, locate and arrest those we suspect to be involved in this plot”.

The US followed up on Saturday with another strike on a Houthi radar site.

President Joe Biden has said he would not “hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary”.

Similarly, the UK says it is prepared to launch further action against the Houthis.

Prominent Houthi supporter Hussain Al-Bukhaiti told the BBC on Sunday that fighters would target US and UK battleships if strikes on Yemen continued.

The Houthis are a political and military group in control of a large part of Yemen, including the capital. They are key allies of Hamas and are thought to receive weapons from Iran, Israel’s arch-enemy.

Since 19 November, they have carried out at least 27 attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, a major route for global maritime trade.

The group has said it was targeting vessels heading to, or owned by, Israel, as an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza. However, some of the ships they have hit have no clear connection to Israel.

The attacks have led major shipping companies to divert vessels away from the Red Sea, instead taking a longer route around southern Africa.

This has already had an impact on the global economy – with shipping giant Maersk telling the BBC it was being felt “down to the end consumer”.

Tesla and Volvo Cars have suspended some of their car production, UK grocery giant Tesco has warned some prices may go up and Ikea has said supplies could be affected.

The Houthi attacks have been “causing major disruption to a vital trade route and driving up commodity prices”, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.

The attacks by the group, along with the UK-US strikes in Yemen, have added to fears that the war in Gaza is already spreading to the wider Middle East.

Since 19 November, they have carried out at least 27 attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, a major route for global maritime trade.

The group has said it was targeting vessels heading to, or owned by, Israel, as an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza. However, some of the ships they have hit have no clear connection to Israel.

The attacks have led major shipping companies to divert vessels away from the Red Sea, instead taking a longer route around southern Africa.

This has already had an impact on the global economy – with shipping giant Maersk telling the BBC it was being felt “down to the end consumer”.

Tesla and Volvo Cars have suspended some of their car production, UK grocery giant Tesco has warned some prices may go up and Ikea has said supplies could be affected.

The Houthi attacks have been “causing major disruption to a vital trade route and driving up commodity prices”, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.

The attacks by the group, along with the UK-US strikes in Yemen, have added to fears that the war in Gaza is already spreading to the wider Middle East.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has forecast dust haze nationwide from Monday to Wednesday.

NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja, forecasts moderate dust haze on Monday with localised visibility of 1,000m expected over the northern region during the forecast period.

The agency said moderate dust haze is expected over the North Central and inland states during the forecast period.

Patches of clouds in hazy atmosphere is anticipated over the coastal belt with slim prospects of localised thunderstorms over parts of Lagos State during the afternoon and evening hours.

“On Tuesday, moderate dust haze is expected over the northern region and the North Central states throughout the forecast period.

“Moderate dust haze is also expected over the inland state throughout the forecast period.

“Patches of clouds in a hazy atmosphere is expected over the coastal states throughout the forecast period,” it said.

The UK will provide £2.5bn of military aid to Ukraine over the coming year, Rishi Sunak has said – Britain’s largest annual commitment since Russia’s invasion.

The PM made the announcement during a rare visit to the country, where he will also sign a new agreement supporting its long-term security.

Officials said the package will provide Ukraine with long-range missiles, air defence and artillery shells.

Some £200m will be spent on drones, most of which will be UK-made.

Officials said the military package – for the next financial year beginning in April – would result in the largest delivery of drones to Ukraine by any country.

Significantly, the prime minister has decided not to make a financial commitment lasting several years.

Some ministers and senior military figures had argued privately this would send a stronger signal to Moscow of Britain’s long-term support.

Instead, Mr Sunak has chosen to spend £200m more than the last two years, when the UK’s annual military commitment to Ukraine was worth £2.3bn.

Downing Street said the package of support would form the first step in what it called “an unshakeable hundred-year partnership between Ukraine and the UK”.

It will also include £18m for humanitarian aid, help fortifying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and more funding for online English language training.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told BBC Breakfast the drones will give Ukraine an advantage over the coming years.

He said: “They are drones that are being developed at pace, learning all of the lessons from what we’ve seen in Ukraine over the last two years.

“He added the funding shows the UK is maintaining its leadership position in Europe as the second-biggest donor to Ukraine.

Mr Sunak, who last visited Ukraine 15 months ago in November 2022, said: “I am here today with one message: the UK will also not falter. We will stand with Ukraine in their darkest hours and in better times to come.

“He added: “The UK is already one of Ukraine’s closest partners, because we recognise their security is our security.

“Today we are going further, increasing our military aid, delivering thousands of cutting-edge drones and signing a historic new security agreement to provide Ukraine with the assurances it needs for the long term.

“For two years, Ukraine has fought with great courage to repel a brutal Russian invasion. They are still fighting, unfaltering in their determination to defend their country and defend the principles of freedom and democracy.

“The UK commitment comes after months of pressure from MPs, who argued the government should have given Ukraine greater clarity much earlier so it could develop its military planning.

It also comes as both the United States and the European Union struggle to agree their own packages of support, with Ukraine in desperate need of more shells and missiles.

In the US, Republicans are blocking a $60bn (£47bn) package of support for Ukraine in an attempt to increase spending on tackling migration along America’s southern border.

And in the EU, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, has blocked a €50bn (£43bn) support package for Ukraine in a funding row with Brussels.

The UK-Ukraine agreement – being signed today – comprises a raft of bilateral assurances of military and economic support, designed to deter Russian aggression before Ukraine joins Nato.

Officials said the UK is the first G7 country to sign such a pact, which all seven leading industrial nations promised to do at the Nato summit in Vilnius last year.

Former coach of the England national team, Sven-Goran Eriksson, says he has “at best” a year to live after he was diagnosed with cancer, the 75-year-old announced on Thursday.

“I’m going to resist for as long as I can,” Eriksson told Swedish Radio P1. “I have an illness that’s serious. Best case a year, I have a worst case a lot less. It’s impossible to say exactly, so it’s better to not think about it,” he added.

Eriksson, who managed England between 2001 and 2006 and led them to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup and the European Championships, said he was diagnosed with the disease “almost one year ago”.

As a result of the health issue, the former Manchester City manager had to step down from his role as the Karlstad, a club in his home country of Sweden, close to a year ago.

Speaking to BBC World Service’s Sporting Witness, Eriksson said: “I live a totally normal life.”

He continued: “I’m not in hospital, I go now and then for a visit but I live at home and I have friends here. Christmas and New Year, the whole family were here – a lot of people.

“I’m going out to try and exercise as much as possible, which is less than it was one year ago, but I have a normal life,” the Serie A title, two Italian Cups and the Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup winning coach said.

United Kingdom Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has authorised military strikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis following hours of an emergency full cabinet meeting on Thursday night.

The latest development comes after the United Nations Security Council had on Wednesday adopted a resolution sponsored by the United States and Japan condemning the actions of the Houthis rebels and its major backer, Iran.

The Houthis, backed by its major weapon supplier, Iran, is a Shia Islamist political and military organisation based in Yemen and has been actively involved in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2014.

However, the group has intensified its attacks across the Red Sea as part of a show of support for Palestine since the Israel-Hamas began last year — they have hijacked Western commercial ships as well as carried out several rockets and missile attacks on U.S warships.

The group has also launched a barrage of rocket attacks on Israelis from Yemen, which has prompted the decision of the UK government to authorise military action against the Houthis.

The U.S. has carried out several reciprocity attacks on the group in response to their recent aggression, and Sunak’s authorisation is expected to complement the Americans’ military operation in the region.

Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita will be the first woman in history to referee at the men’s Asian Cup when she takes charge of Australia against India, the Asian Football Confederation said Thursday.

Yamashita, who was a fourth official at the 2022 men’s World Cup, is one of five women match officials at the Asian Cup in Qatar.

The 18th edition of the tournament kicks off on Friday.

Yamashita will take the whistle for the Group B opener on Saturday, with Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi appointed assistant referees.

The Japanese trio made history in 2022 as the first all-woman refereeing team for a game in the Asian Champions League and in Japan’s domestic J-League a year later.

The 37-year-old Yamashita took charge of the opening game of last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The elder sister of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Madam Obebhatein Jonathan is dead.

Obebhatein died at the age of 70 after a brief illness on Thursday at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

This was disclosed in a statement by Jonathan’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze.

The statement said the deceased popularly known as Amissi was a retired teacher, businesswoman, a loving mother and grandmother who lived a dedicated life of service to God and humanity.

It added that she was a devout Christian, a virtuous woman and a role model to many within and outside her community.

The statement also indicated that the burial has been scheduled for Tuesday 16th February 2024, stressing that the details of the funeral rites would be announced by the family.

Madam Obebhatein Jonathan is survived by three children, siblings, including His Excellency Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and her mother, Mama Eunice Afeni-Jonathan.

The Iranian Intelligence Ministry on Thursday said authorities have arrested 35 people in relation to the January 3 attacks in the southeastern city of Kerman.

The ministry said it had identified one of the two suicide bombers as a national of Tajikistan, who entered Iran illegally on December 19, 2023.

According to the ministry, more information will be released at a later date about the second suicide bomber.

The ministry added that the arrests had been carried out in several Iranian provinces.

The Islamic State had also claimed responsibility on January 4 for the attack that killed nearly 100 people and wounded 284 at a memorial for top commander Qassem Soleimani.

Tehran had vowed revenge for the bloodiest attack so far since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

American actress Angela Bassett known for her role as Queen Ramonda in The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Tina Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do With It? has won an Oscar award at the 14th Annual Governors Awards held at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles, United States of America.

For an unforgettable moment in front of the press photographers, Ms Bassett was joined by her husband, Courtney B. Vance, and their 17-year-old twins, son Slater Josiah Vance and daughter Bronwyn Golden Vance.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight’s Denny Directo, Ms Bassett spoke about how long it took to receive her first award, saying “It’s been decades, right? Decades and decades, roles and roles, and blessings upon blessings,” and to her fans who always see the movies “I’m getting chills now, but I felt the love all these years. I mean, they have prayed, they have fussed, they have written, they have had my back.”

In a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, she said, “We loved and we healed and we were surrounded each and every day by the light and the spirit of Chadwick Boseman, and we have joy in knowing that with this historic Black Panther series, it is part of his legacy that he helped to lead us to.’’

Although she lost to Jamie Lee Curtis in 2023, she made history by becoming the first Marvel Studios actor to be nominated for an Oscar.

Foreign affairs minister Yusuf Tuggar, on Tuesday, commended the release of the dethroned Niger President Mohammad Bazoum’s wife and son from house arrest.

Mr Bazoum’s family have been under house arrest since the coup on July 26, 2023, by the National Council for the Safeguard of Homeland, the ruling military junta in Niger.

The minister said this in a statement signed by his media aid Alkasim Abdulkadir.

It said Mr Tuggar, who was also the chairperson of the Mediation and Security Council of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said it was a logical step in returning normalcy to Niger and the region in general.

Mr Tuggar reiterated the call to the government, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, to hasten the release of Mohammed Bazoum from its custody and allow him to fly to a third country as a step towards further talks on lifting sanctions.

According to Mr Tuggar, the release of Bazoum will also initiate the transition to constitutional rule in the interest of the people, peace and stability of Niger and the region.

On July 26, 2023, a coup d’état occurred in Niger.

The country’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, and Presidential Guard commander Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta shortly after confirming the coup was a success.

ECOWAS issued an ultimatum to the coup leaders, threatening military intervention if deposed Bazoum was not returned to power.

ECOWAS member states suspended relations with Niger and closed their land and air borders with the country.

Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachieon, says Cameroon will introduce the malaria vaccine on January 22.

In a statement on Tuesday, the minister said the move was part of concerted efforts to enhance the fight against malaria and reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.

“The selected vaccine, Mosquirix RTS, has been chosen by the country based on its pre-qualification, ensuring guaranteed quality, efficacy, and safety for its inclusion in the vaccination programmes.

“The vaccine will be offered in both public and private health facilities across 42 health districts. The vaccines provided for children are safe, free, and effective,” said the minister.

Cameroon took delivery of 331,200 doses of malaria vaccine in November 2023, the first consignment to arrive in the Central African country.

Malaria is responsible for 70 per cent of deaths among children in Cameroon, according to the Ministry of Public Health.