AI-designed vaccine tested in humans for the first time
via Business News2 min read
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have announced a significant development in vaccine technology: for the first time, a vaccine with its main antigen entirely designed by artificial intelligence has been tested in humans. This innovation represents a departure from traditional vaccine design methods, which typically target a specific virus or one of its variants. The British team utilized AI to identify common characteristics across an entire family of coronaviruses, aiming to create an antigen capable of triggering a broad-spectrum immune response. The experimental vaccine targets sarbecoviruses, a family that includes SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2003 SARS virus, and several coronaviruses found in bats that scientists consider potential future threats. Initial results from a clinical trial involving 39 volunteers are encouraging, with researchers indicating the vaccine was well-tolerated and induced an immune response against several different coronaviruses. This first phase primarily aimed to verify the product's safety before evaluating its efficacy on a larger scale. Scientists believe this technology could pave the way for a new generation of vaccines offering protection against viruses not yet present in humans or those that have not yet emerged. A second phase of clinical trials is planned with approximately 200 participants to confirm these results and more precisely measure the vaccine's performance. If successful, this a
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Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Tunis on Friday, July 25, to demonstrate against President Kaïs Saïed's administration and demand an end to what they describe as authoritarian rule. The demonstration, held five years after July 25, 2021, saw participants, including political activists, human rights defenders, trade unionists, and civil society figures, march through the streets. They carried Tunisian flags and placards, chanting slogans such as "Freedom!" and "The people want the fall of the regime!" The protesters criticized the government's performance, citing unfulfilled promises of prosperity and social justice, and highlighting issues like shortages, power and water cuts, rising unemployment, declining investment, and the exodus of young people. A central concern for the demonstrators was the erosion of liberties, with complaints about the prosecution of political opponents, lawyers, journalists, and activists, and a perceived climate of fear and instrumentalization of justice. The choice of July 25, which marks both Republic Day and the fifth anniversary of the 2021 power shift, was symbolic for the participants, who believe that democratic gains have eroded over the past five years.
On Saturday, July 25, 2026, Google's currency converter displayed the US dollar at approximately 3.96 Tunisian dinars, leading to speculation about a sudden depreciation of the dinar. This figure significantly deviates from the official exchange rate published by the Central Bank of Tunisia BCT, which reported the US dollar at 2.9554 dinars on July 23, 2026. The displayed Google rate represents an approximate 34% difference from the BCT's official rate. Google's converter notes that its data comes from Morningstar and includes a disclaimer, with the displayed value corresponding to data from July 24 at 10:57 PM UTC. A source close to Business News indicated that the BCT has not contacted Google for a correction, emphasizing that Google explicitly states its data provider and includes a disclaimer. Similar anomalies in Google's displayed exchange rates have occurred previously. In 2020, Google briefly showed the euro at 4.8990 Tunisian dinars, prompting the BCT to issue a public statement clarifying that the rate was "totally erroneous" and advising the public to consult its official website or those of Tunisian banks for accurate exchange rate information. The BCT reiterated this advice, emphasizing that online converters are not official sources for exchange rates.
Several civil society organizations in Tunisia are calling for a demonstration on Friday, July 25, 2026, in Tunis, marking both Republic Day and the fifth anniversary of President Kaïs Saïed's political shift on July 25, 2021. The gathering is scheduled for 6 PM at Place de la République Le Passage under the slogan "Enough of the mess!". Organizers issued a severe indictment of the head of state, stating he has governed without effective checks and balances for five years. They criticize the concentration of powers, the absence of a Constitutional Court, the lack of institutional independence, and the decline of public freedoms. The call also highlights unfulfilled presidential promises, including a medical city, penal reconciliation, anti-corruption efforts, regional disparity reduction, subcontracting elimination, and community company development. Organizers believe these commitments have given way to continuous economic and social deterioration. The appeal emphasizes daily difficulties faced by Tunisians, such as water, medicine, and essential goods shortages, persistent unemployment, mass emigration of skilled workers, investment collapse, and a worsening economic crisis. It also criticizes check reform, the gradual disappearance of political and media pluralism, and increased arrests of opponents, activists, and journalists. The authors contend that the government's "achievements" are limited to unannounced presidential visits and populist speeches, while "Tunisians exp