Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t attend Gorbachev’s funeral

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday paid tribute to Mikhail Gorbachev, but will not attend the late former Soviet leader’s funeral, a decision reflecting the Kremlin’s ambivalence on Gorbachev’s legacy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said prior to departing for a trip to Russia’s westernmost Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, Putin visited a hospital where Gorbachev’s body is kept. AP

Compound in sponges may boost vaccine response

beijing: Scientists have identified a compound in marine sponges that boosted the immune response to an experimental Covid shot in mice by 25 times, compared with the vaccine alone. The ingredient can act as an adjuvant that can be added to vaccines to help elicit a more robust immune response, better training the body to fight infection, a report said. AP

10-year jail for former Malaysian first lady in graft case

kuala lumpur: Former Malaysian first lady Rosmah Mansor was ordered to serve 10 years in prison after being found guilty on Thursday of soliciting and receiving bribe during her husband’s corruption-tainted administration, a week after he was jailed over the massive looting of the 1MDB state fund. Earlier, Rosmah made an emotional plea, saying she was saddened and felt she wasn’t given justice. AP