People
Sydney on alert after mystery cases but new infections remain low By
There were nearly 17,000 tests processed in the previous 24 hours however Dr Chant stressed once again that number needs to be far greater. They were among 18 new local cases recorded in NSW on Wednesday, prompting Premier Gladys Berejiklian to tighten restrictions ahead of New Year's Eve. [Full Article...]
Ten Detained Hongkongers in China Go on Trial
Court officials stayed tight-lipped about the case, and the trial - like many in China's opaque legal system - was not open to foreign reporters or diplomats. "They don't even know the names of the government-appointed lawyers", he said. The activists were caught in August in a rare attempt at escaping the city after a harsh new security law was introduced by Beijing in June. [Full Article...]
Government urged to delay school return amid rising Covid cases
But with almost 4,000 secondary schools and colleges in England, in most cases the direct help will be limited to phone and video calls. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said: "Eminent scientists have said that schools should remain closed; that's what unions I think have been responding to". [Full Article...]
Abbottabad Records Highest Coronavirus Positivity Rate for the Second Time
Many countries, including Pakistan , quickly imposed bans or heavy restrictions on travel from Britain earlier this week. Based on this proactive effort, there are five samples [two at the National Institute of Health and three at the Aga Khan University hospital in Karachi] which may have the COVID-19 variant strain, based on preliminary analysis. [Full Article...]
Trump joins Michelle Obama at top of Gallup's 'Most Admired' lists
No other figure got more than 2 percent of the Republican vote this year. Meanwhile, Democrats' support for Obama declined from 41 per cent last year to 32 per cent this year, as party members split their votes, with 13 per cent naming Biden, and 5 per cent picking Fauci as the most admired man . [Full Article...]
No evidence current vaccines will fail against virus variants: Indian government
If the benefit is not established we shouldn't use those therapies, otherwise it will put pressure on virus and it will tend to mutate more", he said. The PSA further said that the government was conducting testing and sequencing of samples from worldwide travellers as well as samples of those being admitted to hospitals. [Full Article...]
UK tourists quit quarantine
About 200 out of 420 British holidaymakers "suddenly disappeared" overnight between Saturday and Sunday, according to local media reports . The quarantine for British travels was unexpectedly and retrospectively introduced after news broke that a new, more contagious strain of coronavirus had been found in the United Kingdom. [Full Article...]
Britain, Turkey reach post-Brexit free trade agreement
The provisional trade deal is to be signed by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the chairman of EU leaders Charles Michel on Wednesday. He signalled it was likely to be approved, calling it a "comprehensive, fair agreement" that protected the bloc's single market. The conclusion of negotiations today also sends a positive message about the relationship between Vietnam and the U.K.... [Full Article...]