2021年12月3日星期五

Friday Briefing: WHO says vaccination, not travel curbs, key to battling Omicron

Friday, December 3, 2021

by Linda Noakes

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Here's what you need to know.

A study finds mRNA COVID vaccines provide the biggest booster impact, Ukraine warns of a large-scale Russian offensive, and ride-hailing giant Didi is cowed by Chinese regulators

Today's biggest stories

A mural promoting the COVID-19 vaccine in Jakarta, Indonesia, December 2, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

COVID-19

The World Health Organization urged countries to boost healthcare capacity and vaccinate their people to fight a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant, and said travel curbs could buy time but alone were not the answer.

Despite shutting its borders to travel from high-risk southern African countries, Australia became the latest country to report community transmission of the new variant, a day after it was found in five U.S. states.

New rules requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel will take effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET.

Germany's BioNTech should be able to adapt its coronavirus vaccine relatively quickly in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant, its CEO Ugur Sahin told the Reuters Next conference.

COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna that use mRNA technology provide the biggest boost to antibody levels when given 10-12 weeks after the second dose, a British study published has found.

FILE PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump attends a rally in Perry, Georgia, September 25, 2021. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers


U.S.

The Gateway Pundit, which started as a tiny opinion blog, saw readership surge to 50 million views a month as it amplified Donald Trump’s false stolen-election claims. Reuters documents the impact: 25 election workers targeted by more than 100 violent threats or hostile messages citing the pundit.

As two Georgia election workers sue Gateway Pundit, we look at how Facebook’s struggle with the website highlights the challenge of containing disinformation.

A U.S. judge ordered Sidney Powell and other lawyers who sued in Michigan to overturn Democratic President Joe Biden's election victory to pay a $175,000 penalty, reiterating an earlier finding that the lawsuit was frivolous.

The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate passed a bill to fund the government through mid-February, averting the risk of a shutdown after overcoming a bid by some Republicans to delay the vote in a protest against vaccine mandates.

Alec Baldwin denied responsibility for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of his Western movie 'Rust', saying he would have killed himself if he believed it was his fault.

WORLD


Russia has massed more than 94,000 troops near Ukraine's borders and may be gearing up for a large-scale military offensive at the end of January, Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told parliament, citing intelligence reports.

Afghanistan's Taliban government released a decree on women's rights which said women should not be considered "property" and must consent to marriage but failed to mention female access to education or work outside the home.

A European human rights watchdog told Turkey it was preparing "infringement proceedings" over its failure to release imprisoned philanthropist Osman Kavala, a move that could lead to Ankara's suspension from the body.

The government of incoming Honduran president Xiomara Castro does not plan to establish diplomatic ties with China as it prioritizes U.S. relations, a high-ranking ally of Castro said, signaling a reversal of her pre-election stance.

Pope Francis called for healing during an outdoor Mass in Cyprus within sight of a huge Turkish Cypriot flag on a mountainside on the other side of a line that has divided the island for nearly half a century.

BUSINESS

Just five months after its debut, ride-hailing giant Didi Global said it plans to withdraw from the New York stock exchange and pursue a Hong Kong listing - a stunning volte-face as it bends to Chinese regulators angered by its U.S. IPO.

Shares in Grab, Southeast Asia's biggest ride-hailing and delivery firm, slid more than 20% in their Nasdaq debut following the company's record $40 billion merger with a blank-check company.

The European Central Bank may set policy for a relatively short period at this month's meeting given heightened uncertainty but should not delay a decision as markets need direction, ECB President Christine Lagarde said in an interview at the Reuters Next conference.

Interest rate differentials will dominate sentiment in forex markets over the next three months, a Reuters poll of FX analysts found, placing the U.S. dollar in a unique position to extend its outperformance against its peers.

Leaders of the world’s largest economies hailed a recent agreement to overhaul global corporate tax rules as key ensuring multinationals paid their fair share of tax. But some companies could still use Ireland to reduce their tax bills even after the agreement takes effect, according to tax specialists and a Reuters review of corporate filings.

REUTERS NEXT

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