Science News Summary: UAE Selects First Arab Woman for Astronaut Training. Putin swears that Russia will remain a space power and more

Below is a summary of the latest scientific news.

On the Gagarin flight anniversary, Putin vows that Russia will remain the space power

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic spaceflight on Monday with the promise that Moscow would remain a key area and a nuclear power. Gagarin became the first human in space on April 12, 1961, one of the Soviet Union’s most important Cold War victories and a pivotal moment in its space race with the United States.

UAE selects first Arab woman for astronaut training

The United Arab Emirates have selected the first Arab woman to be trained as an astronaut as the Gulf country rapidly expands into the space sector to diversify its economy. The Emirates-born Nora al-Matrooshi, a 27-year-old mechanical engineering student currently working at the National Petroleum Construction Company in Abu Dhabi, will take part in NASA’s 2021 astronaut candidate class in the United States.

Autoimmune disease medications can decrease the vaccine response. Antibody treatments ineffective against the Brazil variant

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Treatments with autoimmune diseases can reduce vaccination responses

(With contributions from agencies.)