Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to scientists who discovered CRISPR gene editing tool for 'rewriting the code of life'

(CNN)The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna for the development of a method for genome editing.

They discovered one of gene technology's sharpest tools: the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors. Using these, researchers can change the DNA of animals, plants and micro-organisms with extremely high precision.

Before announcing the winners on Wednesday, Göran K. Hansson, secretary-general for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said that this year's prize was about "rewriting the code of life."



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Trump told Americans not to let coronavirus 'dominate your life.' This is what loved ones of victims have to say.

(CNN)As President Trump marked his return to the White House on Monday after a weekend hospital stay for coronavirus treatment, he had a message for the American people: "Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life."

The president's tweet left many friends and families of coronavirus victims disgusted and angered. How could they not let a virus that snatched their loved one from them dominate their lives?

Amanda Kloots, wife of Broadway star Nick Cordero, who fought the virus for 95 days and died, was among those mourning the death of a loved one who took issue with the president's comments. Cordero and Kloots have a 1-year-old son together.

"Unfortunately it did dominate our lives didn't it? It dominated Nick's family's lives and my family's lives. I guess we "let it" - like it was our choice??," she wrote on Instagram. "Unfortunately not everyone is lucky enough to spend two days in the hospital. I cried next to my husband for 95 days watching what COVID did to the person I love. It IS something to be afraid of."

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Syed Saddiq’s Muda launches ‘PauseMalaysia’ campaign urging political foes to set aside differences, fight Covid-19

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) has launched a campaign called PauseMalaysia, urging all politicians and political parties to stop their allegedly power-grabbing ways and focus on safeguarding Malaysians from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Muda posted on its official Twitter handle @partimuda, a hashtag with the words #PauseMalaysia followed by three requests for the current Cabinet.

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"Don't be afraid of it. You're going to beat it."

This was US President Donald Trump's advice to the public if they were worried about catching coronavirus.

He made the comments in a video message posted shortly after being discharged from hospital on Monday, having received treatment since his own diagnosis.

But, as many have pointed out, this was a man with a helicopter, a large medical team and experimental drug treatments at his disposal. How does the picture change for Americans with Covid-19 who do not reside at the White House?

It is hard to pinpoint the "average American" amid such a diverse country and such a complicated health system, but here are some of the areas where the president received special treatment and a look at how this compares to the experiences of the wider population.

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(CNN)A defiant President Donald Trump is chasing his own political goals while ignoring the human and economic toll of the pandemic, with his super spreader White House in chaos and top Pentagon generals in quarantine.

With uncertainty still clouding official bulletins of the President's condition as he battles Covid-19, there is increasing bewilderment in Washington at some of his tone deaf and erratic moves since leaving the hospital on Monday. Trump suddenly blew up congressional negotiations on a Covid-19 economic rescue package. And in a fresh assault on public health strategies needed to quell a now-accelerating pandemic, Trump claimed falsely that it was no worse than the flu, as he portrays himself as a hero leader who conquered the virus.

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The article below was originally published in 2018, but was referred to in court this week as the Prime Minister of Singapore continues to pursue a legal action against a private citizen who mistakenly posted on Facebook an erroneous online article by an anonymous third party.
The case is remarkable in that it is singularly rare for a sitting prime minister to pursue a defamation case, whilst simultaneously employing the full apparatus of the state to enact criminal proceedings against the same individual over the same matter.

Sarawak Report questioned the decision at the time and stands by its remarks, now that the case has made it all the way to an open court.
Rightly in a democracy, state officials are by received judgement and understanding expected to have a “thicker skin” than normal individuals when it comes to criticism and attack, given they represent the government which ought to be held to account and subject to opinion in any democracy.

As a counter-balance, these same officials are protected by the formidable apparatus of the state when it comes to defending themselves, as in this case.

So, why did the PM of Singapore decide to take matters so much further into the private sphere of civil law far in order to kick a small man down and can any judgement in this case serve to raise confidence in Singapore’s democracy?
Sarawak Report stands by its original view that this case involves an accusation that had already been de-bunked at source (in this case there had been a misrepresentation of Sarawak Report) and that the decision to pursue a private defamation case was ill-advised – politically, if not also legally.


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KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Residents of Jalan Abdullah in Bangsar have repeated their objections to a planned 32-storey residential development in their neighbourhood.

Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur (SKL) chairman Datuk M. Ali said it should not have been approved in the first place as no prior engagement was done with residents of Jalan Abdullah.

“Before the proposal of the project was approved, they should have met the residents. Not the other way around, approve the proposal and then talk to the residents,” Ali told Malay Mail when contacted.

Ali, who is also the Bukit Bandaraya Residents’ Association adviser, said the required traffic impact assessment (TIA), environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA) were not conducted.


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COVID-19 | A bus driver in Sandakan has tested positive for Covid-19 and this has led to the discovery of a new cluster with at least 20 people in the Sabah town.

The man developed a sore throat and fever on Sept 27 and tested positive for Covid-19 on Oct 3 after he was admitted to the Duchess of Kent Hospital, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.


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