Wednesday, December 29th, 2021 

CDC revises estimate of Omicron’s prevalence The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday estimated the Omicron variant was responsible for about 59 percent of COVID cases nationwide in the week ending Dec. 25. The agency also substantially revised its figure for the prior week’s estimate. Originally, the agency said Omicron accounted for approximately 73 percent of cases for the week ending Dec. 18, but has now adjusted that down to 23 percent. Also on Tuesday, the FDA announced preliminary study findings which suggest rapid antigen tests “do detect the Omicron variant but may have reduced sensitivity.” POLITICO 

U.S. breaks daily record for COVID cases The U.S. broke the record for daily coronavirus cases on Tuesday, when the seven-day average topped 267,000. The previous record was set on Jan. 11, 2021, when the seven-day average was 251,232. The daily COVID-19 death rate, however, has not risen to match, as in the time since, vaccines have become available to almost all Americans and the apparently milder Omicron variant has spread. Daily COVID-19 deaths averaged around 3,300 in mid-January but are now around 1,500. Some states have seen particularly high caseloads this week: Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia all reported their highest number of COVID-19 cases of the pandemic on Monday.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

China issues stay-at home orders for hundreds of thousands of people in Yan’an due to the spread of COVID-19 cases, which also resulted in a lockdown in Xi’an, the country’s largest lockdown since last year. (France 24) 

Kodiak, Alaska sets the highest temperature ever recorded in December in the state of Alaska, reaching 19.4 °C (66.9 °F). The Aleutian Islands and island communities in West Alaska have seen abnormally high temperatures since mid-December, including eight straight days of over 10 °C (50 °F) in Unalaska, including 13.3 °C (55.9 °F) on Christmas Day – the warmest Christmas temperature on record for the state. Temperature anomalies for late December reach 10–15 °C (18–27 °F) in some areas. The state also lately experiences unusually wet spells of weather. (Reuters via The Guardian)

Pro-democracy digital media Stand News shuts down in Hong Kong as police raids its offices and arrest senior executives. They are later charged with sedition in the latest crackdown related to the national security law. The Hong Kong government says that assets have been frozen and that more arrests could take place. (Forbes) 

A team of Greek divers led by Kostas Thoctarides announce the discovery of the wreck of Italian submarine Jantina south of Mykonos in the Aegean Sea. The submarine was sunk on July 5, 1941, after being torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Torbay. The finding has been verified by the Italian Navy’s Naval History Office. (Reuters) 

Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dies at 82 Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat who became one of the longest-serving Senate majority leaders, died on Tuesday, his former chief of staff confirmed. He was 82. Reid grew up in a small mining town, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after marriage, graduated from Utah State University, and attended law school at George Washington University. Before winning his Senate seat in 1986, he was a trial lawyer, chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission, lieutenant governor, and House member. Reid served as Senate majority leader from 2007 through 2014, retired in 2016, and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018. “I wouldn’t have been president had it not been for [Reid’s] encouragement and support,” former President Barack Obama wrote in a tribute. THE WASHINGTON POSTTHE WEEK 

Biden ends Omicron travel ban on 8 African countries President Biden on Tuesday revoked last month’s restrictions on travel from eight countries in southern Africa, including South Africa, where the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was first detected. “The travel restrictions imposed by that proclamation are no longer necessary to protect the public health,” Biden said. “Moreover, the Omicron variant has now spread to more than 100 countries, and it is prevalent in the United States.”  CNN 

Jan. 6 committee agrees to shield some documents At the request of the Biden White House, the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot has agreed to shield some Trump administration papers. These documents “do not appear to bear on the White House’s preparations for or response to the events of Jan. 6, or on efforts to overturn the election or otherwise obstruct the peaceful transfer of power,” said a letter from White House Deputy Counsel Jonathan Su obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday. Former President Donald Trump is bringing a case to the Supreme Court to block the committee from his administration’s records. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Pro-democracy website closes after police raid in Hong Kong Stand News, a pro-democracy website in Hong Kong, shut down Wednesday after its offices were raided by police. Six current and former staff and board members of the site were arrested, facing up to two years in prison, and Stand News subsequently announced it had closed and dismissed all employees. The last pro-democracy paper with physical distribution in Hong Kong closed in June under similar pressure from the semi-autonomous city’s government, which is increasingly under the control of Beijing. A Hong Kong police official said Stand News was raided because it had published multiple “seditious” articles in 2020 and 2021. CNN 

Gunman who killed 5 in Denver identified Law enforcement has identified the gunman who killed five people and injured several more in the Denver and Lakewood, Colorado, areas on Monday as a 47-year-old man named Lyndon McLeod. “This individual was on the radar of law enforcement,” Denver police chief Paul Pazen said at a news conference Tuesday. McLeod, who died in a shootout with police after opening fire in eight locations around the area, did not have a previous criminal record but has been linked to apparently self-published novels that feature a murderous character named “Lyndon MacLeod.” THE DENVER POST 

Prosecutor declines to charge former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah said on Tuesday that two “credible” allegations of misconduct were made against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), but she is unable to file criminal charges “due to the statutory requirements of the criminal laws of New York.” Two women had accused Cuomo of kissing them without consent. Another investigation this year by the New York Attorney General’s office found that Cuomo sexually harassed several women during his time in office. Cuomo resigned following that report and faces a criminal misdemeanor charge for forcible touching. CBS NEWS 

Elizabeth Holmes jurors continue deliberations Jurors in the fraud trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes completed a fifth day of deliberation Tuesday without reaching a verdict. The jurors, who sat through 14 weeks of testimony, will continue their deliberation Wednesday. Other high-profile white-collar cases in recent years have seen deliberations of two weeks or longer. Holmes faces 11 criminal charges and could be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison. She is accused of defrauding investors in her medical startup as well as patients who used its blood testing services. AL JAZEERA 

NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden dies at 85 John Madden, the NFL Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster whose name graces one of the most popular sports video games of all time, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, the NFL announced. He was 85. “Nobody loved football more than Coach,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “He was football.” Madden was born in Minnesota and played football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958. He coached the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, leading the team to eight playoffs and a Super Bowl victory, then spent three decades as an NFL broadcaster. ESPN 

Musk sells another $1 billion in Tesla shares  Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sold another 934,090 shares in the company, valued around $1 billion, per filings published Tuesday. Musk has said on Twitter he intends to reduce his Tesla holdings by about 10 percent and has nearly reached that goal. Following this sale, he still owns an estimated 15.6 Tesla million shares, together valued around $16.4 billion, and has just purchased “1.6 million Tesla shares at a strike price of $6.24 per share, granted to him via a 2012 compensation package,” CNBC reports. Musk, who is also CEO of SpaceX, is the world’s wealthiest person, with an estimated worth of about $275 billion. CNBC 

Forecast predicts surge, then drop in gas prices A new forecast from price tracking app GasBuddy, reported Tuesday, predicts the national average gas price will rise from its present rate of $3.29 to peak in May at $3.79 before dropping to $3.01 by this time next year. “We could see a national average that flirts with, or in a worst-case scenario, potentially exceeds $4 a gallon,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told CNN. “The economy is hot. Demand has come roaring back. But supply is still catching up after getting cut greatly in 2020.” CNN 

LastPass denies claims of a breach Password management service LastPass on Tuesday denied claims it had been hacked, saying compromises of its users’ passwords likely stemmed from “third-party breaches related to other unaffiliated services.” “It’s important to note that, at this time, we do not have any indication that accounts were successfully accessed or that the LastPass service was otherwise compromised by an unauthorized party,” the company said. Speculation about a LastPass breach began Monday, with users reporting illegitimate login attempts from multiple locations with a correct master password. GIZMODO 

Tuesday,  December 28th, 2021 

At least 38 people are killed in the collapse of a private gold mine in En Nahud, Sudan. (Al Jazeera) 

Delhi enters Level 1 “Yellow alert” which closes cinemas, schools, colleges, and gyms, imposes a nighttime curfew from 10 pm to 5 am, and restricts the capacity of public transport, restaurants, funerals and weddings, due to an increase in the number of Omicron variant cases. (The Times of India) 

France reports a record 179,807 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (RFI) 

Greece reports a record for the second consecutive day of 21,657 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,105,885. (Ekathimerini) 

Italy reports a record 78,313 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (La Repubblica) 

The United Kingdom reports a record 138,831 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Guardian) 

California becomes the first U.S. state and the world’s first subnational entity to surpass five million cases of COVID-19. (ABC News) 

The United States reports a record 512,553 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Deadline) 

South Africa postpones a plan to end COVID-19 contact tracing and suspend some quarantine measures in order to consider additional comments about the policy after the government received many inquiries about the plan. (Bloomberg) 

The End Wednesday 

Tuesday,  December 28th, 2021 

Judge sets hearing to reconsider truck-driver’s 110-year sentence A Colorado judge on Monday scheduled a Jan. 13 hearing to reconsider a 110-year sentence imposed on truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos for an explosive crash that killed four people in suburban Denver. The severity of the sentence provoked outrage. District Attorney Alexis King said last week she would seek a sentence of 20 to 30 years for the fiery, 2019 wreck on Interstate 70. About five million people have signed an online petition calling for clemency from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D). Judge Bruce Jones said he wanted to explore whether he could legally reduce the sentence to whatever he deemed appropriate. He said victims of the crash would be allowed to speak at the hearing. Aguilera-Mederos was hauling lumber when his brakes failed and he plowed into stopped traffic after failing to use a runaway truck ramp. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

News audiences shrink in 2021 without 2020’s hot stories   Viewership plunged at cable news networks and other outlets in 2021 as major issues that fueled intense interest in 2020 faded, The Associated Press reported Monday, citing Nielsen data. Weekday prime-time ratings fell by 38 percent at CNN, 34 percent at Fox News Channel, and 25 percent at MSNBC without audience-grabbing issues such as the presidential election and frequent racial justice protests. Broadcast television evening newscasts also saw their audiences shrink. ABC’s World News Tonight and the CBS Evening News saw their viewership fall by 12 percent. NBC’s Nightly News dropped by 14 percent. Comscore reported that unique visitors to the websites of The Washington Post and The New York Times were down by 44 percent and 34 percent, respectively, in November, compared to November 2020. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Virginia workers find 2nd time capsule at Lee statue site Virginia officials said Monday that they had found what appeared to be an 1887 time capsule at the former site of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond. Crews previously unearthed a box they thought was the collection of artifacts 19th-century officials were rumored to have placed under the monument, but it turned out to contain just mementos of men who designed the statue. This time, Gov. Ralph Northam tweeted, “They found it!” The time capsule the crews were searching for is believed to contain about 60 objects buried in a copper box by a group of residents, organizations, and businesses, according to an 1887 Richmond Dispatch article. The artifacts included Confederate memorabilia. NPR 

A massive Roman castrum dated to the reign of Caligula is discovered in Velsen, Netherlands. The site is the most northern fort found by archaeologists, and believed to be a stationing port of Caligula’s failed invasion of Britain. (The Guardian) 

The Supreme Court of Russia orders the liquidation of prominent and oldest human rights group Memorial for breaking the Russian foreign agent law. (BBC News) 

Russian police arrest two allies of opposition politician and activist Alexei Navalny, Kseniya Fadeyeva and Zakhar Sarapulov, under extremism charges. According to another of Navalny’s allies, Leonid Volkov, he had tried to persuade Fedeyeva and Sarapulov to leave Russia as he and others have done, but they refused. (Reuters) 

Biden admits supply of at-home COVID tests ‘clearly not enough’ President Biden conceded Monday that although his administration has been working to increase the availability of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 rapid tests, the efforts are “clearly not enough.” During a virtual meeting with the National Governor’s Association on the spike in cases fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant, Biden told 25 governors that when he took office there were no such tests available. He said there were almost 200 million kits available in December, but it’s still insufficient to meet demand as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads rapidly. Biden said his recently announced plan for the government to purchase 500 million at-home test kits and distribute them free to Americans who request them should help. BUSINESS INSIDER 

CDC reduces isolation time for asymptomatic coronavirus infections The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday cut the recommended isolation time for asymptomatic Americans infected with the coronavirus from 10 days to five. The decision was based on research showing that those first five days are when people are the most infectious, the CDC said. The agency also reduced the recommended quarantine time for people who are vaccinated but not boosted to five days after any coronavirus exposure. They also should wear masks for five days after their isolation is over. People who have received booster shots should wear masks for 10 days but don’t need to isolate. “These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives” even as the Omicron variant spreads, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Airlines cancel more flights as COVID limits crews Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights on Monday due to winter storms and a coronavirus surge fueled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. The latest cancellations brought the total number of flights to, from, or within the United States to more than 4,000 since Christmas Eve on Friday, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations. Delta, United, JetBlue, and American have said in recent days that they’ve had to trim their schedules due to staff shortages caused by the COVID-19 surge. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s top medical adviser, said that the United States should consider requiring vaccinations for air travel to encourage more people to get vaccinated and help curb infections. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

New York vaccine mandate on businesses takes effect New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday launched the nation’s broadest vaccine mandate on private businesses. Under the policy, all employers in the city must verify that in-person workers have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. If in-person workers got the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, they must provide proof they got the second dose within 45 days. De Blasio, who is in his last week as mayor, said he was “100 percent convinced this was the right thing to do.” It was not immediately clear what his successor, Mayor-elect Eric Adams, would do about the mandate. Some business leaders have said the city should give workers the option of taking regular COVID-19 tests instead of getting the shots. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

U.S. skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin tests positive for COVID-19 U.S. alpine skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin announced via Twitter on Monday that she has tested positive for COVID-19. Shiffrin, a 26-year-old three-time Olympic medalist, is the first high-profile American athlete to be infected with the coronavirus in the run-up to the Beijing Winter Olympics, which start on Feb. 4. Her illness served as a reminder that between now and the opening ceremony, anyone can be knocked out of competition at any time as many countries see record numbers of new infections due to the highly infectious new Omicron coronavirus variant. Shiffrin said she was in isolation and would miss this week’s World Cup races in Lienz, Austria. A spokesperson for U.S. Ski and Snowboard said Shiffrin hoped to return for a World Cup tour event in Zagreb, Croatia, next week. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Israeli hospital tests 4th vaccine dose for health-care workers Israel’s Sheba Medical Center on Monday started giving a fourth coronavirus vaccine dose to a test group of health-care workers as the country considers giving an extra shot to people at risk of severe COVID-19 as the Omicron variant drives a spike in infections. The trial involves 150 medical workers who got their first booster before Aug. 20, and have antibody counts below 700, meaning they have low protection, the hospital said in a statement. “It’s one jab in the shoulder, but one giant leap for mankind,” said Jacob Levee, director of the hospital’s heart transplant unit and the first recipient of the fourth vaccine at Sheba. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that the country would be the first to offer a fourth Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine dose to health workers, citizens over age 60, and people with compromised immune systems. THE WASHINGTON POST 

The Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, Israel, begins the world’s first clinical trial of fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, involving 150 medical personnel, in order to determine if a fourth dose can provide extra immunity against COVID-19. (Voice of America) 

The health ministry reduces the interval between the second dose and booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to three months, citing concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant. (The Times of Israel) 

A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel kills at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forces farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens in what authorities say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation’s history. (The Washington Post) 

Syrian state media reports that Israel has bombed the Port of Latakia in Latakia, Syria. The IDF has not confirmed it. If confirmed, this is the second airstrike on the facility this month. Secondary explosions are believed to be from Iranian munitions stored at the facility. (Times of Israel) 

Massive damage at the port is reported from the air raid with most of the port on fire, though there are no immediate reports of casualties from the attack. Videos on social media show multiple large explosions and anti-aircraft fire over the city. A hospital, some residential buildings and shops were also badly damaged. (Al Jazeera) 

Swissmedic approves the use of the monoclonal antibody cocktail Ronapreve developed by Roche and Regeneron to treat severe COVID-19 patients. (Swissinfo) 

Swissmedic approves the use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for people over the age of 18 years, which can be administered two months after the first dose, or six months after a person receives mixed vaccinations with mRNA-based vaccines. (UrduPoint) 

French prime minister Jean Castex announces that, for the next three weeks, all public gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people indoors and 5,000 people outdoors. Work from home will be mandated where possible, and outdoor mask wearing will be mandatory in city centres. The interval between the second dose and the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will also be reduced to three months in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. (The Guardian) 

The Greek government announces new restrictions that will be in effect from January 3 until at least January 16, which include mandatory high-protection or double mask wearing in supermarkets and on public transport, closure of entertainment and hospitality venues at midnight, reinstating work from home policies for up to 50% of employees, and reducing the capacity of sports stadiums to 10%. This comes after the country reported a record 9,284 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Ekathimerini) 

Iceland reports a record 672 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (RÚV) 

South Australia reports a record 842 new cases in the past 24 hours. The state also reports their first death from COVID-19 since April 2020 in a 92-year-old woman. (ABC News Australia) 

LAPD release video after police stray bullet killed girl, 14  Los Angeles police released body-camera video showing officers responding to a Dec. 23 report of an assault suspect in a clothing store before they opened fire, killing a 14-year-old girl with a stray bullet as she hid in a dressing room. The scene was chaotic, with several officers approaching the suspect with guns drawn. The girl apparently was hit by one of three rifle shots a police officer fired at the suspect, Daniel Elena-Lopez, who was killed, police said. Other officers can be heard telling the officer who fired to “slow down.” Local media have identified the girl as Valentina Orellana-Peralta. She reportedly came to the United States from Chile six months ago, and was shopping with her mother for a dress for her quinceañera, a 15th birthday celebration in Hispanic traditions. REUTERS 

Riot Games agrees to $100 million gender discrimination settlement Video-game maker Riot Games announced Monday that it had agreed to pay $100 million to settle a class-action gender discrimination lawsuit filed in 2018 that covers more than 2,000 current and former female employees. The settlement initially was set for $10 million, but two California employment agencies last year blocked it, saying the women should get far more. The state separately was investigating claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, unequal pay, and retaliation against women at Riot, which is behind League of Legends, Valorant, and other popular titles. Under the agreement, more than 1,000 full-time employees and 1,300 contractors would split $80 million. The rest would cover costs, including lawyers’ fees. Riot also would fund a diversity and inclusion program. MARKETWATCH 

Monday,  December 27th, 2021 

Putin threatens military action if NATO rejects ultimatum Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that he will be forced to consider numerous options, including a military response, if NATO does not guarantee to bar Ukraine from membership in the alliance. Putin also called for reducing Western military deployments in Eastern Europe. His demands were contained in a pair of draft treaties Russia submitted to NATO earlier this month. Putin, whose remarks aired on Russian state TV Sunday, expressed concerns that missiles could be deployed in Ukraine if the former Soviet satellite joins NATO. “We have nowhere to retreat,” Putin said. “They have pushed us to a line that we can’t cross.” NATO is unlikely to agree to Putin’s terms. “NATO member countries decide who is a member of NATO, not Russia,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Fauci warns Omicron surge will continue pushing cases higher COVID-19 cases, already at record levels in some areas, will probably continue to climb as the “extraordinarily contagious” Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday on ABC’s This Week. “Every day it goes up and up. The last weekly average was about 150,000 and it likely will go much higher.” Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, warned that although Omicron appears to cause less severe symptoms and fewer hospitalizations than other strains, Americans shouldn’t be complacent because the sheer number of infections “might override a real diminution in severity.” He said “we’re particularly worried” about unvaccinated people, who are “the most vulnerable ones.” The surge has spurred a rush for at-home COVID-19 tests, causing many pharmacies to run out. ABC NEWS 

Airlines continue to cancel flights due to COVID surge U.S. airlines continued to cancel flights on Sunday due to surging coronavirus infections among crews, as well as severe winter weather in some places. Commercial airlines canceled 1,001 flights, both domestic and international departures and arrivals. It was the third straight day of a wave of cancellations that disrupted travel for thousands of Christmas travelers. There were 997 flights called off on Christmas and nearly 700 on Christmas Eve. Thousands of other departures were delayed over the holiday weekend. A White House official noted that only a “small percentage” of flights were affected, putting the nation “in a better place than last Christmas,” which also came during a coronavirus surge.  REUTERS 

France surpasses 100,000 daily coronavirus infections for 1st time France reported Sunday that it has confirmed more than 100,000 new coronavirus infections in a single day for the first time. The high mark was the latest sign that the highly transmissible new Omicron variant is fueling an explosive surge across Europe, where many countries have imposed new lockdowns and other restrictions in hopes of curbing new infections. More than 1 in 100 people in Paris and surrounding areas have tested positive in the last week, the regional health service confirmed. While most of the new cases were linked to Omicron, which is believed to cause less severe COVID-19, a stubborn surge of infections with the Delta variant is keeping hospital admissions high. President Emmanuel Macron’s government has scheduled a Monday meeting to discuss new measures to address the crisis. BLOOMBERG 

Swissmedic approves the use of the monoclonal antibody cocktail Ronapreve developed by Roche and Regeneron to treat severe COVID-19 patients. (Swissinfo) 

South Korea authorizes the emergency use of the anti-viral oral drug Paxlovid manufactured by Pfizer for high-risk patients aged above 12 years, becoming the first drug to be approved in the country. (Yonhap News Agency) 

China reports 206 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases in 21 months, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 101,077. (The Straits Times) 

China scraps ban on foreign ownership of passenger car manufacturers A Chinese planning authority said Monday that Beijing would start allowing full foreign ownership of passenger car manufacturing starting Jan. 1, 2022. China’s Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission released the latest list of industries excluded from foreign investment, and passenger car manufacturing wasn’t on it. The change marked the latest in a series of moves China has made to ease rules on foreign ownership in its auto industry. Monday’s release named 31 areas in which foreign investment remains banned or restricted. Those included rare earths, film production, and tobacco products. In some industries, including medical institutions, foreign firms have to establish joint ventures with local partners that typically hold the majority stake. CNBC 

Iran bans all travellers from the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and Norway for 15 days and indefinitely suspends all land travel to Turkey due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Arab News) 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps releases a video on social media threatening to destroy the Israeli city of Dimona and a nearby nuclear facility in the Negev desert. (The Jerusalem Post) 

2 Save the Children workers missing after Myanmar massacre kills 38 Save the Children said over the weekend that 38 people were killed by the Burmese military in eastern Myanmar on Christmas Eve, and that two of the humanitarian organization’s staff members went missing in the attack. Members of Myanmar’s military reportedly attacked three vehicles, including one the Save the Children staffers were using to drive home for the holidays, and burned them. “We have confirmation that their private vehicle was attacked and burned out. The military reportedly forced people from their cars, arrested some, killed others and burned their bodies,” said the organization. The military said the vehicles had failed to stop for inspection and soldiers returned fire when “terrorists” started shooting. Save the Children said it would suspend operations in parts of Myanmar. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Holiday spending rose at fastest pace in 17 years Holiday sales jumped by 8.5 percent this year compared to the same period in 2020, Mastercard SpendingPulse reported Sunday. The results marked the fastest growth in 17 years but fell slightly short of the 8.8 percent gain forecast in September, before consumers were hit with rising prices, product shortages, and a surge of coronavirus cases caused by the highly infectious new Omicron variant. The results covered Nov. 1 through Dec. 24. Clothing saw the biggest jump, 47 percent, followed by jewelry and electronics at 32 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Sales remained strong after Omicron hit just after Thanksgiving, although many shoppers shifted purchases online.  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ box office haul surpasses $1 billion Spider-Man: No Way Home continued its strong run at the box office over the weekend, becoming the first film in the pandemic era to top $1 billion in global ticket sales. The feat by the co-production between Sony and Disney was all the more impressive because it came as the Omicron coronavirus variant is making many people more cautious about going to theaters instead of streaming movies at home. “Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s sprint to $1 billion within the context of this still pandemically challenged marketplace is nothing short of astonishing,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “It demonstrates the power of a great movie to draw fans around the world to enjoy the shared and communal experience that only the movie theater can provide.” CNBC 

The Taliban regime dissolves Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission, saying that “there is no need for these commissions to exist and operate”. (Al Jazeera) 

The End