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Moderna Says Omicron-Specific Booster Generates Strong Immune Response

A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is displayed on a counter at a pharmacy in Portland, Ore., on, Dec. 27, 2021. (AP)
A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is displayed on a counter at a pharmacy in Portland, Ore., on, Dec. 27, 2021. (AP)
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Moderna Says Omicron-Specific Booster Generates Strong Immune Response

A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is displayed on a counter at a pharmacy in Portland, Ore., on, Dec. 27, 2021. (AP)
A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is displayed on a counter at a pharmacy in Portland, Ore., on, Dec. 27, 2021. (AP)

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday its COVID-19 vaccine booster that targets both the original coronavirus strain and Omicron produced a better immune response against the variant than its original vaccine.

The booster raised virus-neutralizing antibodies by eight-fold in a study. The vaccine was generally well-tolerated, with side effects comparable to a booster dose of mRNA-1273 at the 50 micrograms level.

"We are submitting our preliminary data and analysis to regulators with the hope that the Omicron-containing bivalent booster will be available in the late summer," Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

Shares of Moderna were up 2% in premarket trading.

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Fierce Winds Stoke Fires, Send Temperatures Soaring in Australia and New Zealand 

People stand near a jetty amid a stormy weather in Melbourne on October 22, 2025. (AFP)
People stand near a jetty amid a stormy weather in Melbourne on October 22, 2025. (AFP)
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Fierce Winds Stoke Fires, Send Temperatures Soaring in Australia and New Zealand 

People stand near a jetty amid a stormy weather in Melbourne on October 22, 2025. (AFP)
People stand near a jetty amid a stormy weather in Melbourne on October 22, 2025. (AFP)

Wild, hot winds swept across Australia and New Zealand on Wednesday, fueling wildfires and sending spring temperatures soaring past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of Sydney.

Australia's weather bureau said a powerful mass of hot air that built up over the country’s outback on Tuesday was now moving across the southeast of the country and bringing an early heatwave.

Wind gusts of up to 100 kph (62 mph) raised bushfire threats and forced authorities to issue several total fire bans across New South Wales, the most populous state.

A total of 36 fires are burning, with nine yet to be contained, authorities said.

Temperatures in Sydney’s central business district soared past 37 C by the afternoon, while the western suburbs of Penrith and Bankstown reached 40 C.

“It is still spring and we are seeing these incredibly warm temperatures,” Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Angus Hines.

The fire season usually runs from November through February, the late southern hemisphere spring through summer.

Across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand, authorities issued rare “red” level wind warnings, reserved for only the most extreme weather events, for central and southern parts of the country.

Firefighters battled to contain wildfires near Kaikoura on the South Island and in Hawke's Bay on the North Island, fanned by the winds.

The fires have so far destroyed several properties, including five homes.

Ingka, the parent company of the Swedish furniture giant IKEA, confirmed that fire had burnt some pine trees that were intended for furniture but that it would not impact the company’s global supply chain.

The government also declared a state of emergency in the Canterbury region on Wednesday afternoon to assist in the response to the severe weather conditions.

Forecaster MetService said it expects gusts could reach 150 kph along the South Island's east coast and up to 140 kph around Wellington, the capital, on Thursday. Heavy rain is also forecast for parts of the country.

Authorities said people should stay indoors, avoid travel and prepare for possible power and communications outages.

The warnings follow strong winds and heavy rain on Tuesday that left thousands without power and killed a man in a Wellington park when a tree branch fell on him.

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Woman Plays Clarinet During Surgery for Parkinson’s, Sees Instant Results  

Denise Bacon experienced instant improvement in her finger movements as the electrical current was delivered. (X)
Denise Bacon experienced instant improvement in her finger movements as the electrical current was delivered. (X)
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Woman Plays Clarinet During Surgery for Parkinson’s, Sees Instant Results  

Denise Bacon experienced instant improvement in her finger movements as the electrical current was delivered. (X)
Denise Bacon experienced instant improvement in her finger movements as the electrical current was delivered. (X)

A woman living with Parkinson’s disease played her clarinet while undergoing brain stimulation, offering surgeons immediate, audible evidence of the procedure’s success.

Denise Bacon, 65, from Crowborough in East Sussex, experienced instant improvement in her finger movements as the electrical current was delivered.

The retired speech and language therapist underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) to combat symptoms of Parkinson’s, including bradykinesia and muscle stiffness.

Diagnosed in 2014, the condition had previously affected her ability to walk, swim, dance, and play her instrument.

During a four-hour operation at King’s College Hospital, Keyoumars Ashkan, a professor of neurosurgery, performed DBS to help relieve symptoms while Bacon stayed awake, The Independent reported on Tuesday.

DBS is a surgical procedure using electrodes implanted in the brain and is suitable for some patients with disorders such as Parkinson’s.

The DBS led to instant results on the operating table. Denise had immediate improvement in her fingers, allowing her to play the clarinet easily.

Ashkan said: “Holes half the size of a five pence piece were made in Denise’s skull after a frame with precise coordinates was placed on Denise’s head, acting as a sat nav to guide us to the correct positions within the brain to implant the electrode.”

He added: “Once the electrodes were in place on the left side of Denise’s brain, the current was switched on and an immediate improvement was noted in hand movements on her right side.”

The professor confirmed that “the same happened on her left side when we implanted electrodes on the right side of her brain.”

He noted that “as a keen clarinettist, it was suggested that Denise bring her clarinet into the operating theater to see whether the procedure would improve her ability to play, which was one of Denise’s main goals for the surgery.”

“We were delighted to see an instant improvement in her hand movements, and therefore her ability to play, once stimulation was delivered to the brain,” Ashkan said.

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Semi-Transparent Crab, Tiny Lantern Shark Discovered in Australia

The new species of porcelain crab was found more than 100m below the ocean's surface. (CSIRO/Cindy Bessey)
The new species of porcelain crab was found more than 100m below the ocean's surface. (CSIRO/Cindy Bessey)
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Semi-Transparent Crab, Tiny Lantern Shark Discovered in Australia

The new species of porcelain crab was found more than 100m below the ocean's surface. (CSIRO/Cindy Bessey)
The new species of porcelain crab was found more than 100m below the ocean's surface. (CSIRO/Cindy Bessey)

A semi-transparent crab about the size of an almond and a tiny, glowing lantern shark are among two new species discovered by Australian scientists exploring the deep sea.

In late 2022, scientists from Australia's science agency CSIRO embarked on a research voyage in the Gascoyne Marine Park, about 20km off the coast of Western Australia.

According to BBC, Australia is one of the world's biggest biodiversity hotspots, home to more than a million different species, many of which are not found anywhere else on earth.

But - like much of the globe - large swathes of its water remain unexplored, and the animal and plant life within them unknown to science.

Among the hundreds of specimens collected during the 2022 voyage was the newly described West Australian Lantern Shark. Growing up to 40cm, it has large eyes and a glowing belly, and was found more than 600m below the ocean's surface.

“Lantern sharks are bioluminescent, with light produced by photophores located on their belly and flanks, which is where their common name comes from,” Dr Will White, a fish scientist, said.

They also discovered a new type of porcelain crab, about 1.5cm in length and found about 122m below sea level. They use hairs to catch food, instead of their claws.

“Porcelain crabs are known as filter feeders, feeding on plankton by using modified mouthparts with long hairs to sweep the water for small pieces of food such as plankton, rather than the typical crab method of grabbing and pinching food with their claws,” said Dr. Andrew Hosie, curator of aquatic zoology from the Western Australian Museum.

About 20 new species have been unearthed as a result of the voyage so far, including the Carnavon Flapjack Octopus, a rusty red creature around 4cm big.

Researchers estimate about 600 more are yet to be described and named, as it can take years for scientists to gather the information to prove they are unique.