Human Progress Logo Human Progress

01 / 05
Vietnam Ends Death Penalty for Crimes Against the State, Drugs

Al Jazeera | Capital Punishment

Vietnam Ends Death Penalty for Crimes Against the State, Drugs

“The state-run Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday that the country’s National Assembly unanimously passed an amendment to the Criminal Code that abolished the death penalty for eight criminal offences.

Starting from next month, people will no longer face a death sentence for bribery, embezzlement, producing and trading counterfeit medicines, illegally transporting narcotics, espionage, ‘the crime of destroying peace and causing aggressive war’, as well as sabotage and trying to topple the government.

The maximum sentence for these crimes will now be life imprisonment, the news agency said…

The death penalty will remain for 10 other criminal offences under Vietnamese law, including murder, treason, terrorism and the sexual abuse of children, according to the report.”

From Al Jazeera.

US Food and Drug Administration | Health & Medical Care

A Drug to Treat the Full Range of Narcolepsy Type 1 Symptoms

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Orzeyful (oveporexton) tablets for the treatment of narcolepsy type 1 in adults. Orzeyful is the first medicine approved for narcolepsy type 1 as a complete disorder — addressing the full range of symptoms that define the condition — and the first to work by directly targeting the loss of orexin signaling that causes the disease.”

From US Food and Drug Administration.

Zag Daily | Air Transport

DoorDash Launches Drone Airline After FAA Approval

“California-based delivery platform DoorDash has launched its own drone delivery business after securing regulatory approval to operate commercial drone services in the United States.

The company has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 135 air carrier certification, allowing it to launch DoorDash Air, an in-house drone programme developed by its robotics division, DoorDash Labs. Alongside operating the service, DoorDash is also developing its own aircraft for local deliveries.

The approval makes DoorDash one of only a handful of drone operators in the US authorised to run commercial delivery services under its own certificate.”

From Zag Daily.

US Food and Drug Administration | Health Systems

FDA Licenses First-Ever Freeze-Dried Plasma Product in the US

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today licensed Ezplaz Freeze Dried Plasma (FDP), making it the first freeze-dried plasma product licensed for use in the United States. Ezplaz is intended for transfusion in adult patients who need plasma and for whom other plasma products are not available…

Unlike conventional plasma products that must be stored frozen and thawed before use, Ezplaz can be stored at room temperature, is stable after exposure to temperature fluctuations and is rapidly reconstituted. It is packaged in a plastic bag rather than a glass bottle, reducing the risk of breakage during handling and transport. FDA expects that these features will make the use of Ezplaz compatible with austere environments, potentially including combat zones, remote areas, and disaster response settings.”

From US Food and Drug Administration.