President Joe Biden, confronting a worrisome new coronavirus variant and the potential of a winter surge, will lay out a new pandemic strategy Thursday afternoon that includes hundreds of vaccination sites aimed at families, booster shots for all adults, insurance reimbursement for at-home coronavirus tests and fresh travel restrictions, including a requirement that international travelers must show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within a day before departing for the United States.

Biden plans to announce the strategy at the National Institutes of Health. It comes a day after the new omicron variant was detected in the United States for the first time, in California.

Senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to preview the plan, said it was aimed at keeping the economy, workplaces and schools open.

A big part of the plan is a renewed push to get people vaccinated, including the latest group to become eligible: children ages 5-11. The administration plans to launch “hundreds of family vaccination clinics” that will offer vaccinations and boosters for people of all eligible ages, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House.

The president will also announce a national campaign to reach the 100 million Americans who are eligible for booster shots and have not had them. The campaign will include paid advertising and free rides to vaccination sites coordinated by AARP, the advocacy group for older Americans. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency will launch what the administration is calling Family Mobile Vaccination Clinics, beginning with deployments to Washington and New Mexico. The goal is for states and localities to replicate the model “with full federal funding and support,” officials said.

Biden will call on employers to provide paid time off for employees to get boosters.

Biden ran for office in 2020 on a promise to get the pandemic under control. Since then, though, the virus “has thrown us a number of curveballs, and unfortunately they were thrown at 200 miles an hour,” said Michael Osterholm, who directs the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

Many experts predict a surge in the United States over the winter, regardless of whether the omicron variant spreads widely in the country. The nation has been reporting an average of more than 80,000 new cases a day over the last few weeks, according to a New York Times database. Six months ago, the average was roughly 12,000 new cases a day.

The Biden administration’s pandemic response has relied heavily on vaccinations — too heavily, in the view of some experts, who have argued for months that testing and mask-wearing are also essential to containing the virus and will become even more so if the omicron variant is found to evade protection from vaccines.

The variant was first spotted by scientists in southern Africa and is now known to be present in more than 30 countries, including the United States. It has mutations that scientists say may allow it to spread more quickly and cause more breakthrough infections in vaccinated or previously infected people, though neither characteristic has yet been confirmed.

In the United States, home coronavirus tests have been relatively hard to come by because of supply shortages, and they are expensive — as much as $25 apiece. Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University, said that rather than have people go through the cumbersome process of seeking insurance reimbursement for tests, “we should just subsidize them and make it incredibly cheap.”

In Britain, he noted, rapid tests are free, and in Germany they cost consumers about $1 apiece.

Reimbursement for at-home tests in the United States will not happen immediately and will not be retroactive, the senior administration officials said, adding that federal agencies would issue guidance by Jan. 15 to clarify that insurers would have to reimburse people for at-home tests during the COVID-19 public health emergency. It was unclear how many tests a person could be reimbursed for buying.

Private insurers already cover the cost of coronavirus tests administered in doctors' offices and other medical facilities. At least eight at-home tests are on the U.S. market.

Looking forward, experts envision a world where people will test themselves as soon as they exhibit symptoms — and then, if they are positive, would go into quarantine and seek treatment with new antiviral medicines that are in development. The White House says it is taking steps to secure 13 million courses of antiviral treatments.

Biden’s new strategy will extend the current mask mandate for people on airplanes, trains and buses and in terminals and transit hubs through mid-March.

Only six states now require people to wear masks in indoor public settings regardless of their vaccination status. Three more — California, New York and Connecticut — require masks indoors for people who are unvaccinated.

President Joe Biden, confronting a worrisome new coronavirus variant and the potential of a winter surge, will lay out a new pandemic strategy Thursday afternoon that includes hundreds of vaccination sites aimed at families, booster shots for all adults, insurance reimbursement for at-home coronavirus tests and fresh travel restrictions, including a requirement that international travelers must show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within a day before departing for the United States.

President Joe Biden, confronting a worrisome new coronavirus variant and the potential of a winter surge, will lay out a new pandemic strategy Thursday afternoon that includes hundreds of vaccination sites aimed at families, booster shots for all adults, insurance reimbursement for at-home coronavirus tests and fresh travel restrictions, including a requirement that international travelers must show proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within a day before departing for the United States. Biden plans to announce the strategy at the National Institutes of Health. It comes a day after the new omicron variant was detected in the United States for the first time, in California. Senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to preview the plan, said it was aimed at keeping the economy, workplaces and schools open. A big part of the plan is a renewed push to get people vaccinated, including the latest group to become eligible: children ages 5-11. The administration plans to launch “hundreds of family vaccination clinics” that will offer vaccinations and boosters for people of all eligible ages, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House. The president will also announce a national campaign to reach the 100 million Americans who are eligible for booster shots and have not had them. The campaign will include paid advertising and free rides to vaccination sites coordinated by AARP, the advocacy group for older Americans. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency will launch what the administration is calling Family Mobile Vaccination Clinics, beginning with deployments to Washington and New Mexico. The goal is for states and localities to replicate the model “with full federal funding and support,” officials said. Biden will call on employers to provide paid time off for employees to get boosters. Biden ran for office in 2020 on a promise to get the pandemic under control. Since then, though, the virus “has thrown us a number of curveballs, and unfortunately they were thrown at 200 miles an hour,” said Michael Osterholm, who directs the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Many experts predict a surge in the United States over the winter, regardless of whether the omicron variant spreads widely in the country. The nation has been reporting an average of more than 80,000 new cases a day over the last few weeks, according to a New York Times database. Six months ago, the average was roughly 12,000 new cases a day. The Biden administration’s pandemic response has relied heavily on vaccinations — too heavily, in the view of some experts, who have argued for months that testing and mask-wearing are also essential to containing the virus and will become even more so if the omicron variant is found to evade protection from vaccines. The variant was first spotted by scientists in southern Africa and is now known to be present in more than 30 countries, including the United States. It has mutations that scientists say may allow it to spread more quickly and cause more breakthrough infections in vaccinated or previously infected people, though neither characteristic has yet been confirmed. In the United States, home coronavirus tests have been relatively hard to come by because of supply shortages, and they are expensive — as much as $25 apiece. Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University, said that rather than have people go through the cumbersome process of seeking insurance reimbursement for tests, “we should just subsidize them and make it incredibly cheap.” In Britain, he noted, rapid tests are free, and in Germany they cost consumers about $1 apiece. Reimbursement for at-home tests in the United States will not happen immediately and will not be retroactive, the senior administration officials said, adding that federal agencies would issue guidance by Jan. 15 to clarify that insurers would have to reimburse people for at-home tests during the COVID-19 public health emergency. It was unclear how many tests a person could be reimbursed for buying. Private insurers already cover the cost of coronavirus tests administered in doctors' offices and other medical facilities. At least eight at-home tests are on the U.S. market. Looking forward, experts envision a world where people will test themselves as soon as they exhibit symptoms — and then, if they are positive, would go into quarantine and seek treatment with new antiviral medicines that are in development. The White House says it is taking steps to secure 13 million courses of antiviral treatments. Biden’s new strategy will extend the current mask mandate for people on airplanes, trains and buses and in terminals and transit hubs through mid-March. Only six states now require people to wear masks in indoor public settings regardless of their vaccination status. Three more — California, New York and Connecticut — require masks indoors for people who are unvaccinated.

Biden’s winter Covid plan is aimed at keeping the US economy open

The Taliban`s move to stop women from working could cost the Afghan economy nearly USD 1 billion, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme, that portrays the growing humanitarian crisis in the country. Afghanistan`s nominal GDP is likely to contract by 20 per cent within a year, from USD 20 billion in 2020 to a figure of USD 16 billion, the UNDP said in a new socio-economic report on Wednesday.

The report has warned that this decline may reach 30 per cent in the following years, or USD 14 billion, if urgent corrective action is not taken. The UN agency said annual per capita income in the country had declined from USD 650 in 2012 to USD 500 in 2020 and is expected to drop precipitously to USD 350 next year.

"This new socio-economic assessment on Afghanistan estimates that restricting women from working could result in an immediate economic loss of up to USD 1 billion - or up to five per cent of the country`s GDP," said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-and-myanmar-junta-denied-seats-by-the-un-for-the-time-being-433515">Taliban and Myanmar junta denied seats by the UN for the time being</a>

"Not only is this a loss the country can ill afford but we call on the de facto authorities to uphold the rights of women and girls, including the right to learn and to work."&nbsp;

Failing to invest in half of the country`s human capital - in girls` education - will have dire socio-economic consequences for years to come, according to UNDP.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/despite-surrendering-taliban-executed-scores-of-afghan-soldiers-report-433330">Despite surrendering, Taliban executed scores of Afghan soldiers: Report</a>

The "Afghanistan: Socio-Economic Outlook 2021-2022" report released on Wednesday called for all available local resources to be mobilized, including female aid workers whose deployment is severely restricted in most provinces.

The economic modelling undertaken jointly by UNDP and independent economists indicates that with falling incomes and a growing population, it could take USD 2 billion just to lift the incomes of all people in extreme poverty up to the poverty line, the UN agency said.

An economic rapid appraisal released by UNDP in September projected that up to 97 per cent of the population may be at risk of sinking below the poverty line by 2022, unless a response to the country`s political and economic crises is urgently launched.

"We are facing the unfathomable prospect that the most basic human needs of nearly 40 million people will not be met," said UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan Abdallah al Dardari.

The Taliban`s move to stop women from working could cost the Afghan economy nearly USD 1 billion, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme, that portrays the growing humanitarian crisis in the country.

The Taliban`s move to stop women from working could cost the Afghan economy nearly USD 1 billion, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme, that portrays the growing humanitarian crisis in the country. Afghanistan`s nominal GDP is likely to contract by 20 per cent within a year, from USD 20 billion in 2020 to a figure of USD 16 billion, the UNDP said in a new socio-economic report on Wednesday. The report has warned that this decline may reach 30 per cent in the following years, or USD 14 billion, if urgent corrective action is not taken. The UN agency said annual per capita income in the country had declined from USD 650 in 2012 to USD 500 in 2020 and is expected to drop precipitously to USD 350 next year. "This new socio-economic assessment on Afghanistan estimates that restricting women from working could result in an immediate economic loss of up to USD 1 billion - or up to five per cent of the country`s GDP," said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. Also Read | Taliban and Myanmar junta denied seats by the UN for the time being "Not only is this a loss the country can ill afford but we call on the de facto authorities to uphold the rights of women and girls, including the right to learn and to work." Failing to invest in half of the country`s human capital - in girls` education - will have dire socio-economic consequences for years to come, according to UNDP. Also Read | Despite surrendering, Taliban executed scores of Afghan soldiers: Report The "Afghanistan: Socio-Economic Outlook 2021-2022" report released on Wednesday called for all available local resources to be mobilized, including female aid workers whose deployment is severely restricted in most provinces. The economic modelling undertaken jointly by UNDP and independent economists indicates that with falling incomes and a growing population, it could take USD 2 billion just to lift the incomes of all people in extreme poverty up to the poverty line, the UN agency said. An economic rapid appraisal released by UNDP in September projected that up to 97 per cent of the population may be at risk of sinking below the poverty line by 2022, unless a response to the country`s political and economic crises is urgently launched. "We are facing the unfathomable prospect that the most basic human needs of nearly 40 million people will not be met," said UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan Abdallah al Dardari.

Taliban ban on women can cost economy USD 1 billion

When Covid pandemic hit in 2020, it was definitely scary. All seemed lost until development of vaccines.

Vaccines were a ray of hope. Vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University was one of the initial vaccines that were used against Covid. The cries of welcome were soon turned into apprehension as it was seen that AstraZeneca vaccine caused blood clots in some recipients. Some countries had even stopped administering AstrZeneca vaccines due to this.

It was soon revealed that formation of blood clots was an extremely rare occurence. But the scare was enough to temporarily disrupt global fight against the pandemic.

Now, scientists have pointed at a possible reason behind the blood clots. A team consisting of researchers from Cardiff and US have shed more light on this.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/moderna-says-current-vaccines-not-effective-against-the-omicron-variant-432697">Moderna says current vaccines not effective against the Omicron variant</a>

AstraZeneca vaccine uses Adenovirus to transfer genetic material of coronavirus into cells. According to the researchers, formation of blood clot is related to the way this Adenovirus binds with a specific protein in the blood. This &nbsp;prtein is known as platelet factor 4 (PF4).

Researchers think that this sparks a chain reaction that leads to formation of blood clots. Formation of blood clots due to the vaccine is known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).

“Our data confirms PF4 can bind to adenoviruses, an important step in unravelling the mechanism underlying VITT. Establishing a mechanism could help to prevent and treat this disorder," Prof Alan Parker from Cardiff University was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

“We hope our findings can be used to better understand the rare side effects of these new vaccines and potentially to design new and improved vaccines to turn the tide on this global pandemic.”

When Covid pandemic hit in 2020, it was definitely scary. All seemed lost until development of vaccines. Vaccines were a ray of hope. Vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University was one of the initial vaccines that were used against Covid.

When Covid pandemic hit in 2020, it was definitely scary. All seemed lost until development of vaccines. Vaccines were a ray of hope. Vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University was one of the initial vaccines that were used against Covid. The cries of welcome were soon turned into apprehension as it was seen that AstraZeneca vaccine caused blood clots in some recipients. Some countries had even stopped administering AstrZeneca vaccines due to this. It was soon revealed that formation of blood clots was an extremely rare occurence. But the scare was enough to temporarily disrupt global fight against the pandemic. Now, scientists have pointed at a possible reason behind the blood clots. A team consisting of researchers from Cardiff and US have shed more light on this. Also Read | Moderna says current vaccines not effective against the Omicron variant AstraZeneca vaccine uses Adenovirus to transfer genetic material of coronavirus into cells. According to the researchers, formation of blood clot is related to the way this Adenovirus binds with a specific protein in the blood. This prtein is known as platelet factor 4 (PF4). Researchers think that this sparks a chain reaction that leads to formation of blood clots. Formation of blood clots due to the vaccine is known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). “Our data confirms PF4 can bind to adenoviruses, an important step in unravelling the mechanism underlying VITT. Establishing a mechanism could help to prevent and treat this disorder," Prof Alan Parker from Cardiff University was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “We hope our findings can be used to better understand the rare side effects of these new vaccines and potentially to design new and improved vaccines to turn the tide on this global pandemic.”

Scientists tell why some people developed blood clots after AstraZeneca jab

All end-of-the-world thrillseekers have a reason to rejoice as a huge asteroid is due to break into Earth's orbit. The asteroid isn't too small. It's bigger than Eiffel Tower.

It measures about 1082 foot. NASA has its eye on Asteroid 4660 Nereus. This asteroid is a frequent visitor to Earth's neighbourhood as orbit comes pretty close to that of Earth. So much so that the asteroid has been placed in 'potentially hazardous' category.

The asteroid was spotted by astronomer Eleanor Helin in 1982. &nbsp;

This time, the closest approach is slated to take place on December 10. Although Asteroid Nereus has been classified as 'potentially hazardous', it's a relief that it will shoot past Earth and there is no threat of collision with Earth.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sky-is-busy-this-weekend-is-full-of-celestial-events-433493">Sky is busy: This weekend is full of celestial events</a>

The asteroid is travelling at a speed of 14,700 miles per hour. It will shoot past Earth at a distance of 2.4 million miles.

Asteroids are serious business. Ask dinosaurs. Wait, they aren't here courtesy of a space rock that collided with Earth.

We know this and that's why countries and space agencies around the world are busy drawing plans of what should be done if a sufficiently large space-rock is on collision course with Earth.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-wants-you-to-help-in-establishing-a-nuclear-reactor-on-the-moon-by-2030-433415">NASA wants you to help in establishing a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030</a>

One of the options that has been talked about a lot is nuking the rogue asteroid to pieces. While this may theoretically sound well there are concerns about Asteroid breaking into several parts and still hitting Earth. There is also the issue of radiation arising from the nuclear explosion.

NASA is hence testing whether an incoming asteroid can be nudged away from Earth by crashing a spacecraft on it. NASA's DART mission is aiming to test this way of planetary defence. The mission has been launched and the spacecraft is due to crash into the asteroid in September 2022

All end-of-the-world thrillseekers have a reason to rejoice as a huge asteroid is due to break into Earth's orbit. The asteroid isn't too small. It's bigger than Eiffel Tower.

All end-of-the-world thrillseekers have a reason to rejoice as a huge asteroid is due to break into Earth's orbit. The asteroid isn't too small. It's bigger than Eiffel Tower. It measures about 1082 foot. NASA has its eye on Asteroid 4660 Nereus. This asteroid is a frequent visitor to Earth's neighbourhood as orbit comes pretty close to that of Earth. So much so that the asteroid has been placed in 'potentially hazardous' category. The asteroid was spotted by astronomer Eleanor Helin in 1982. This time, the closest approach is slated to take place on December 10. Although Asteroid Nereus has been classified as 'potentially hazardous', it's a relief that it will shoot past Earth and there is no threat of collision with Earth. Also Read | Sky is busy: This weekend is full of celestial events The asteroid is travelling at a speed of 14,700 miles per hour. It will shoot past Earth at a distance of 2.4 million miles. Asteroids are serious business. Ask dinosaurs. Wait, they aren't here courtesy of a space rock that collided with Earth. We know this and that's why countries and space agencies around the world are busy drawing plans of what should be done if a sufficiently large space-rock is on collision course with Earth. Also Read | NASA wants you to help in establishing a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 One of the options that has been talked about a lot is nuking the rogue asteroid to pieces. While this may theoretically sound well there are concerns about Asteroid breaking into several parts and still hitting Earth. There is also the issue of radiation arising from the nuclear explosion. NASA is hence testing whether an incoming asteroid can be nudged away from Earth by crashing a spacecraft on it. NASA's DART mission is aiming to test this way of planetary defence. The mission has been launched and the spacecraft is due to crash into the asteroid in September 2022

Asteroid bigger than Eiffel Tower to enter Earth's orbit soon

The European Union, in co-ordination with the US and Britain, imposed sanctions on Belarus' state-owned airline Belavia on Thursday. The bloc has accused the company of flying in migrants as a tactic in order to destabilise European states. This is a new round of punitive measures against Belarus.

Reuters reported the planned sanctions on November 10 and they were approved last month. They came into effect on Thursday after publication in the EU's official journal. Britain and Canada also imposed new sanctions on Belarus on Thursday.

EU governments blacklisted 17 individuals and 11 entities, targeting judges and top Belarusian officials. Those sanctions are in the form of asset freezes and travel bans.

The sanctions on Belavia mean EU companies can no longer lease planes to the Belarusian airline, EU officials have said. It was not immediately clear if Belavia would have to return the 17 aircraft leased through aircraft companies in Ireland.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lithuania-says-nato-military-alliance-needs-to-rethink-stance-towards-belarus-432586">Lithuania says NATO military alliance needs to rethink stance towards Belarus</a>

The decision takes the total number of Belarusian individuals under EU sanctions to 183, along with 26 entities.

The European Union accuses Belarus of flying in migrants, mainly from the Middle East, and pushing them to illegally cross the border with Poland in a "hybrid attack" on the bloc.

Belarus denies fuelling the crisis. Belavia has denied any wrongdoing.

The EU also targeted hotels and travel agents such as Oskartour which have been accused of using their contacts with airlines to help lure in migrants to Belarus.

In the official journal, the EU said President Alexander Lukashenko had agreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "on planning the opening of new airline routes for Belavia" to bring in migrants.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Union, in co-ordination with the US and Britain, imposed sanctions on Belarus' state-owned airline Belavia on Thursday. The bloc has accused the company of flying in migrants as a tactic in order to destabilise European states.

The European Union, in co-ordination with the US and Britain, imposed sanctions on Belarus' state-owned airline Belavia on Thursday. The bloc has accused the company of flying in migrants as a tactic in order to destabilise European states. This is a new round of punitive measures against Belarus. Reuters reported the planned sanctions on November 10 and they were approved last month. They came into effect on Thursday after publication in the EU's official journal. Britain and Canada also imposed new sanctions on Belarus on Thursday. EU governments blacklisted 17 individuals and 11 entities, targeting judges and top Belarusian officials. Those sanctions are in the form of asset freezes and travel bans. The sanctions on Belavia mean EU companies can no longer lease planes to the Belarusian airline, EU officials have said. It was not immediately clear if Belavia would have to return the 17 aircraft leased through aircraft companies in Ireland. Also Read | Lithuania says NATO military alliance needs to rethink stance towards Belarus The decision takes the total number of Belarusian individuals under EU sanctions to 183, along with 26 entities. The European Union accuses Belarus of flying in migrants, mainly from the Middle East, and pushing them to illegally cross the border with Poland in a "hybrid attack" on the bloc. Belarus denies fuelling the crisis. Belavia has denied any wrongdoing. The EU also targeted hotels and travel agents such as Oskartour which have been accused of using their contacts with airlines to help lure in migrants to Belarus. In the official journal, the EU said President Alexander Lukashenko had agreed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "on planning the opening of new airline routes for Belavia" to bring in migrants. (With inputs from agencies)

EU imposes fresh sanctions on Belarus

Christmas is known for an abundance of colour red but a red flag raised by a British politician has hit headlines. There perhaps couldn't have been a clearer sign of how Omicron variant is poised to prolong the dreaded pandemic and even hurt our businesses. All sorts.

World is waiting with bated breath for our scientists to unravel secrets of Omicron and find a remedy. And as per a British politician people should avoid kissing this Christmas

No pressure!

Those who know the tradition would tell you about kissing under the mistletoe. The politician was referring to that, and act of kissing in general apparently.

"Well, for what it's worth, I don't think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe," said Therese Coffey UK Work and Pensions Secretary. Snogging is British slang for kissing. Coffey was speaking on ITV. She was asked whether people should be cautious this festive season or they should carry on with their plans.

UK on Thursday approved GlaxoSmithKline Covid drug. The manufacturer said it appears effective against the new Omicron variant.

The antibody treatment, sotrovimab, "was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease," said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Christmas is known for an abundance of colour red but a red flag raised by a British politician has hit headlines. There perhaps couldn't have been a clearer sign of how Omicron variant is poised to prolong the dreaded pandemic and even hurt our businesses.

Christmas is known for an abundance of colour red but a red flag raised by a British politician has hit headlines. There perhaps couldn't have been a clearer sign of how Omicron variant is poised to prolong the dreaded pandemic and even hurt our businesses. All sorts. World is waiting with bated breath for our scientists to unravel secrets of Omicron and find a remedy. And as per a British politician people should avoid kissing this Christmas No pressure! Those who know the tradition would tell you about kissing under the mistletoe. The politician was referring to that, and act of kissing in general apparently. "Well, for what it's worth, I don't think there should be much snogging under the mistletoe," said Therese Coffey UK Work and Pensions Secretary. Snogging is British slang for kissing. Coffey was speaking on ITV. She was asked whether people should be cautious this festive season or they should carry on with their plans. UK on Thursday approved GlaxoSmithKline Covid drug. The manufacturer said it appears effective against the new Omicron variant. The antibody treatment, sotrovimab, "was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease," said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Omicron: No kissing under mistletoe this Christmas, advises British politician

Germany imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated on Thursday in a bid to break dramatic surge in coronavirus cases and the latest Omicron&nbsp;scare.

Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with leaders of Germany's 16 states to bar the unvaccinated from access to all but the most essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries.

The leaders also passed legislation in national parliament to make vaccination compulsory.

Eager to avoid lockdowns that could derail a fragile recovery of Europe's biggest economy, they kept businesses open to the almost 69% of the population that is fully vaccinated as well as those with proof of having recovered from COVID-19.

"The situation is very serious," Merkel said during a news conference with Scholz, who is expected to be elected as chancellor by the Bundestag (lower house) next week. "The number of infections has stabilized, but on a far too high a level."

She further said that an ethics committee will be asked to draft legislation that will make vaccination mandatory.

Authorities fear the fourth wave of COVID-19 risks overwhelming intensive care units and on Thursday it resulted in more than 73,000 new infections and 388 deaths.

Virologists blame the renewed outbreak on resistance to vaccination by a significant section of society, and have criticised politicians for acting too late to rein in contagion.

Germany's vaccination rate of just under 70% is around the EU average but lower than countries like Portugal and Ireland.

There have been signs that the curve showing new infections is starting to flatten. The seven-day incidence among 100,000 residents fell for the third consecutive day to 439.2.

Merkel, who hailed the restrictions as a necessary "national act of solidarity," said that in regions where the 7-day incidence hits 350, steps such as closing nightclubs and music venues and limiting indoor events to 50 people would kick in.

(With inputs from agencies)

Germany imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated on Thursday in a bid to break dramatic surge in coronavirus cases and the latest Omicron scare. Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with leaders of Germany's 16 states to bar the unvaccinated from access to all but the most essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries.

Germany imposed restrictions on the unvaccinated on Thursday in a bid to break dramatic surge in coronavirus cases and the latest Omicron scare. Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with leaders of Germany's 16 states to bar the unvaccinated from access to all but the most essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and bakeries. The leaders also passed legislation in national parliament to make vaccination compulsory. Eager to avoid lockdowns that could derail a fragile recovery of Europe's biggest economy, they kept businesses open to the almost 69% of the population that is fully vaccinated as well as those with proof of having recovered from COVID-19. "The situation is very serious," Merkel said during a news conference with Scholz, who is expected to be elected as chancellor by the Bundestag (lower house) next week. "The number of infections has stabilized, but on a far too high a level." She further said that an ethics committee will be asked to draft legislation that will make vaccination mandatory. Authorities fear the fourth wave of COVID-19 risks overwhelming intensive care units and on Thursday it resulted in more than 73,000 new infections and 388 deaths. Virologists blame the renewed outbreak on resistance to vaccination by a significant section of society, and have criticised politicians for acting too late to rein in contagion. Germany's vaccination rate of just under 70% is around the EU average but lower than countries like Portugal and Ireland. There have been signs that the curve showing new infections is starting to flatten. The seven-day incidence among 100,000 residents fell for the third consecutive day to 439.2. Merkel, who hailed the restrictions as a necessary "national act of solidarity," said that in regions where the 7-day incidence hits 350, steps such as closing nightclubs and music venues and limiting indoor events to 50 people would kick in. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron scare: Germany gets tough on unvaccinated, imposes restrictions

An advisor to the European Union's top court said on Thursday that Facebook could be sued by consumer groups for violation of privacy. The case pertains to a German online game and could pave the way for similar action in European Union.

The case started in 2012 and is one of several privacy and antitrust headaches facing Facebook in Europe, where regulators have introduced legislation to curb the power of so-called tech giants and ensure more transparency.

"Member states may allow consumer protection associations to bring representative actions against infringements of the protection of personal data," Richard de la Tour, advocate general at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), said in an opinion.

He added that such actions must be based on infringement of rights derived directly from GDPR, referring to landmark EU privacy rules. These rules were adopted three years ago.

"We'll analyse the Advocate General's opinion. Legal clarity on scope and process of GDPR is important and we’re glad the Court of Justice of the European Union is considering the questions raised in this case.” said a spokesperson for Meta Platforms Inc.

GDPR stipulates that any requests to collect personal data should be subject to clear and informed consent.

De la Tour said consumer bodies that defend the collective interests of consumers are particularly suited to GDPR's objective of establishing a high level of personal data protection.

Facebook found itself in the dock after the Federation of German Consumer Organisations filed a lawsuit alleging that the social network had allowed operators of online games to improperly collect the personal data of gamers.

The games were offered on Facebook's App Center in 2012. By playing the games, users automatically agreed to share personal data including email addresses. At the end of the game, they would receive a message saying that the app could post their status, photos and other information.

A German lower court had ruled in favour of the German federation, leading Facebook to appeal to a higher court, which subsequently sought advice from the CJEU.

Facebook has since revamped its privacy settings.

(With inputs from agencies)

An advisor to the European Union's top court said on Thursday that Facebook could be sued by consumer groups for violation of privacy. The case pertains to a German online game and could pave the way for similar action in European Union.

An advisor to the European Union's top court said on Thursday that Facebook could be sued by consumer groups for violation of privacy. The case pertains to a German online game and could pave the way for similar action in European Union. The case started in 2012 and is one of several privacy and antitrust headaches facing Facebook in Europe, where regulators have introduced legislation to curb the power of so-called tech giants and ensure more transparency. "Member states may allow consumer protection associations to bring representative actions against infringements of the protection of personal data," Richard de la Tour, advocate general at the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), said in an opinion. He added that such actions must be based on infringement of rights derived directly from GDPR, referring to landmark EU privacy rules. These rules were adopted three years ago. "We'll analyse the Advocate General's opinion. Legal clarity on scope and process of GDPR is important and we’re glad the Court of Justice of the European Union is considering the questions raised in this case.” said a spokesperson for Meta Platforms Inc. GDPR stipulates that any requests to collect personal data should be subject to clear and informed consent. De la Tour said consumer bodies that defend the collective interests of consumers are particularly suited to GDPR's objective of establishing a high level of personal data protection. Facebook found itself in the dock after the Federation of German Consumer Organisations filed a lawsuit alleging that the social network had allowed operators of online games to improperly collect the personal data of gamers. The games were offered on Facebook's App Center in 2012. By playing the games, users automatically agreed to share personal data including email addresses. At the end of the game, they would receive a message saying that the app could post their status, photos and other information. A German lower court had ruled in favour of the German federation, leading Facebook to appeal to a higher court, which subsequently sought advice from the CJEU. Facebook has since revamped its privacy settings. (With inputs from agencies)

EU court adviser says Facebook can be sued by consumer groups

At least 380 passengers from Omicron 'at-risk' countries arrived in Indian state of Odisha in two days, said officials on Thursday.

State's Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that 224 persons returned to Odisha on November 28 while 156 arrived on November 29.

India on Thursday (December 2) reported first two cases of Omicron variant in the country. Two male patients were found to carry the infection. The cases have been found in southern Indian state of Karnataka.&nbsp;

Odisha Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that information about arrivals from 'at-risk' countries has been shared with district administrations.&nbsp;

It has been made mandatory that all passengers arriving from the foreign countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test before entering the state.

Those found positive will immediately be sent to isolation and the swab samples will be sent for genome sequencing, Mishra said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-omicron-in-india-updates-two-cases-found-in-karnataka-433212">Click here for LIVE updates on the Omicron threat</a>

If the test report comes negative, the traveller or returnee will have to remain under seven-day home quarantine mandatorily and again undergo another round of Covid-19 test on the eighth day, the director said.

After that, the concerned person will also remain under self-observation for another seven days. In total, one person will have to remain under surveillance for at least 14 days, he added.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/omicron-in-india-dont-need-fear-says-health-ministry-as-first-2-cases-found-433526">Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found</a>

Meanwhile, 33 students of a Plus II residential college in Dhenkanal town of Odisha tested Covid-19 positive. The local authority sealed college buildings and its hostel, and declared it as a micro containment zone.

More than 70 students of medical college in Burla of Sambalpur district, 53 girl students of a government-run high school in Sundargarh and 26 students of a tribal school in Mayurbhanj district have tested positive for the virus in the past few days.

(With inputs from agencies)

At least 380 passengers from Omicron 'at-risk' countries arrived in Indian state of Odisha in two days, said officials on Thursday. State's Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that 224 persons returned to Odisha on November 28 while 156 arrived on November 29.

At least 380 passengers from Omicron 'at-risk' countries arrived in Indian state of Odisha in two days, said officials on Thursday. State's Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that 224 persons returned to Odisha on November 28 while 156 arrived on November 29. India on Thursday (December 2) reported first two cases of Omicron variant in the country. Two male patients were found to carry the infection. The cases have been found in southern Indian state of Karnataka. Odisha Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that information about arrivals from 'at-risk' countries has been shared with district administrations. It has been made mandatory that all passengers arriving from the foreign countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test before entering the state. Those found positive will immediately be sent to isolation and the swab samples will be sent for genome sequencing, Mishra said. Click here for LIVE updates on the Omicron threat If the test report comes negative, the traveller or returnee will have to remain under seven-day home quarantine mandatorily and again undergo another round of Covid-19 test on the eighth day, the director said. After that, the concerned person will also remain under self-observation for another seven days. In total, one person will have to remain under surveillance for at least 14 days, he added. Also Read | Omicron in India: Don't need fear, says health ministry as first 2 cases found Meanwhile, 33 students of a Plus II residential college in Dhenkanal town of Odisha tested Covid-19 positive. The local authority sealed college buildings and its hostel, and declared it as a micro containment zone. More than 70 students of medical college in Burla of Sambalpur district, 53 girl students of a government-run high school in Sundargarh and 26 students of a tribal school in Mayurbhanj district have tested positive for the virus in the past few days. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron in India: 300+ arrived in Odisha from 'at-risk' countries in two days

Elon Musk's recent tweet is being perceived as an attempt at joke the billionaire appears to crack at whistleblowers. He has posted picture of a Tesla whistle and in an attempt to promote the Tesla-branded merchandise, has asked his Twitter followers to 'Blow the whistle on Tesla'.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Blow the whistle on Tesla!<a href="https://t.co/c86hLA0iQK">https://t.co/c86hLA0iQK</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1465838829370228737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

When the link is clicked, the resultant webpage does not show any link to buy the USD 50&nbsp;whistle.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-is-elon-musk-selling-whistles-433365/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In his next tweet, Musk says "Don't waste your money on that silly Apple Cloth, buy our whistle instead!"

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don’t waste your money on that silly Apple Cloth, buy our whistle instead!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1465842137392680963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

This is a reference to Apple's microfiber polishing cloth that costs USD 19. The cloth has already gone on sale in some markets.

Elon Musk is known for his witty tweets which are at time sarcastic and poke fun at something. But how this new tweet should be interpreted is something that is being thought especially considering whistleblowers who have drawn attention to alleged toxic work culture and racist abuse and even sexual harassment at Tesla.

Tesla has even faced lawsuits over these issues.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/elon-musk-takes-a-dig-at-parag-agrawal-shares-a-photoshopped-image-comparing-him-with-joseph-stalin-433508" hreflang="en">Elon Musk takes a dig at Parag Agrawal, shares a photoshopped image comparing him with Joseph Stalin</a>

A female worker sued Tesla last month over sexual harassment she said she faced in company's California factory.

In the month of October this year. Tesla was ordered to pay USD 137 million to Owen Diaz an African-American employee who faced racist behaviour.

The whistle Musk tweeted about is being called Cyberwhistle and it has been modelled on Cybertruck, pick-up truck manufactured by Tesla.

Elon Musk's recent tweet is being perceived as an attempt at joke the billionaire appears to crack at whistleblowers. He has posted picture of a Tesla whistle and in an attempt to promote the Tesla-branded merchandise, has asked his Twitter followers to 'Blow the whistle on Tesla'.

Elon Musk's recent tweet is being perceived as an attempt at joke the billionaire appears to crack at whistleblowers. He has posted picture of a Tesla whistle and in an attempt to promote the Tesla-branded merchandise, has asked his Twitter followers to 'Blow the whistle on Tesla'. Blow the whistle on Tesla!https://t.co/c86hLA0iQK — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 1, 2021 × When the link is clicked, the resultant webpage does not show any link to buy the USD 50 whistle. In his next tweet, Musk says "Don't waste your money on that silly Apple Cloth, buy our whistle instead!" Don’t waste your money on that silly Apple Cloth, buy our whistle instead! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 1, 2021 × This is a reference to Apple's microfiber polishing cloth that costs USD 19. The cloth has already gone on sale in some markets. Elon Musk is known for his witty tweets which are at time sarcastic and poke fun at something. But how this new tweet should be interpreted is something that is being thought especially considering whistleblowers who have drawn attention to alleged toxic work culture and racist abuse and even sexual harassment at Tesla. Tesla has even faced lawsuits over these issues. Also read | Elon Musk takes a dig at Parag Agrawal, shares a photoshopped image comparing him with Joseph Stalin A female worker sued Tesla last month over sexual harassment she said she faced in company's California factory. In the month of October this year. Tesla was ordered to pay USD 137 million to Owen Diaz an African-American employee who faced racist behaviour. The whistle Musk tweeted about is being called Cyberwhistle and it has been modelled on Cybertruck, pick-up truck manufactured by Tesla.

Elon Musk's tweet on Tesla whistle gets associated with whistleblowers

President Joe Biden came away from his summit with China’s President Xi Jinping on Nov. 15 committed to prosecuting what he called “simple, straightforward competition” with China. Yet Beijing is already beating the United States and its allies in one crucial domain: data.

Data is the oil of the 21st century, the indispensable resource that will fuel artificial-intelligence algorithms, economic strength and national power. The wellspring of this data is all of us: our health records and genetic sequences, our online habits, the supply chain flows of our businesses, the terabytes of imagery guzzled by phones, drones and autonomous cars.

The competition for global influence in the 21st century will require protecting and harnessing this data to achieve commercial, technological and military advantages. So far, China is winning, and the West is barely even engaged.

Through a latticework of recent laws and regulations, Mr. Xi has been hard at work making the Chinese Communist Party the world’s most powerful data broker. How does Beijing do that? By walling Chinese data off from the world, exerting new extraterritorial power over global data flows and putting foreign companies operating in China in a legal bind — all while absorbing other countries’ data by means licit and illicit.

Mr. Xi knows that even locking down only Chinese data, representing the patterns and behavior of some 1.4 billion people, would hobble Beijing’s rivals in the quest for global economic superiority.

The Biden administration has spoken about the importance of data in our competition with China. But no visible strategy has emerged. That threatens Americans’ privacy, economic competitiveness, national security and future global standing. This will be a major test of America’s China policy in 2022.

Washington’s blind spot to the centrality of big data in Beijing’s ambitions and to the ways our own data are being exploited in service of those ambitions is perplexing at a time when American politicians are growing more concerned about the collection and potential exploitation of big data by U.S. tech giants.

It is further perplexing because Americans in bipartisan fashion also are wising up to the ways that Beijing exploits and weaponizes other U.S. resources, like our capital markets.

That’s evident in how Washington is finally — if fitfully — beginning to address the self-destructive flow of U.S. dollars into China’s military and global surveillance apparatus. While these sorts of measures still need to be scaled up dramatically, at least policymakers now have some tools to curb Beijing’s easy access to U.S. capital.

Not so when it comes to data, where Beijing believes that it has a free hand and that the West is too distracted or feckless to respond meaningfully. Mr. Xi is thinking and acting big, and has been since his first days in power.

In 2013, shortly after assuming the presidency in Beijing, Mr. Xi declared: “The vast ocean of data, just like oil resources during industrialization, contains immense productive power and opportunities. Whoever controls big data technologies will control the resources for development and have the upper hand.”

Since then, Beijing has been building the framework to ensure that mass accumulations of data serve the Chinese Communist Party’s strategic interests.

A series of laws implemented in 2017 asserted the party’s power to gain access to private data on Chinese networks, whether in China or associated with Chinese firms such as Huawei overseas.

Now Beijing has quietly enacted a new set of laws — first the Data Security Law in September, followed in November by the Personal Information Protection Law — that go even further by demanding not just access to private data but also effective control over it.

This has a huge impact on foreign firms operating in China. Not only must their Chinese data stay in China and be accessible by the state, but Beijing now demands control over whether they can send it to their own headquarters; to a corporate lab in, say, California; or to a foreign government that has made a law enforcement or regulatory request.

Beijing’s new laws may make it criminal to comply with foreign sanctions against China that involve data — like shutting off banking or cloud services to a Chinese entity linked to human rights atrocities. In these cases, foreign firms can comply with U.S. law, or they can comply with Chinese law, but not both.

The impact of these laws is clear. Tesla, Apple and others have opted to build dedicated Chinese data centers — sometimes in partnership with Chinese state entities, lest they lose access to the large Chinese consumer market. Goldman Sachs faced pressure against sending memos to its U.S. headquarters.

Beijing’s recent actions complement its longstanding efforts to buy, steal and otherwise acquire data from foreign sources worldwide. Beijing hacks multinational corporate databases. It runs “talent recruitment” programs at foreign universities and firms. It buys foreign companies, such as an Italian maker of military drones. It funds its own data-driven start-ups in open foreign markets like Silicon Valley.

The approach is nakedly nonreciprocal. It relies on access to foreign data while denying foreigners access to Chinese data — and appears to assume that foreign governments won’t respond. The United States, after all, has no comprehensive federal approach to data governance, while the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation is focused mostly on consumer privacy.

Will American and allied policymakers develop approaches to limit strategic data flows to China? For now, the Biden administration’s answer is: maybe.

“Our strategic competitors see big data as a strategic asset,” the U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said this summer, “and we have to see it the same way.”

This is clear and compelling language. But data did not appear to be high on Mr. Biden’s agenda with Mr. Xi, judging from official readouts of the summit.

And to date, U.S. policy remedies are idle and insufficient.

In June, the administration issued an executive order embracing a new regulatory process to restrict cross-border data flows on national security grounds. But the new process hasn’t yet been put to use — not against Chinese drones, Chinese access to U.S. data centers and biotech labs, or other potential targets.

In the meantime, U.S. diplomats’ and trade negotiators’ engagement on data issues is dominated by bitter fights with European regulators over privacy rules for American tech giants. The far greater threat from Beijing goes largely unaddressed.

The good news is that if democratic nations get their act together, they may be in a better position than Beijing, which complicates its own progress through apparent paranoia.

In recent months, Mr. Xi has cracked down on private Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent, forcing them to relinquish their data troves to state-controlled third parties. This crackdown, which helped erase more than $1 trillion in market value, will make these companies less innovative now that they no longer control their data.

But banking on Chinese authoritarian overreach to preserve America’s edge is no strategy.

A smarter approach would begin domestically, with actual (and robust) implementation of the Biden administration’s June executive order. This would entail blocking or unwinding arrangements by which large volumes of sensitive U.S. data flow to China, whether through medical records, cellphone apps or other channels — all of which are basically unregulated right now.

Democratic allies must also work together to promote data sharing among themselves while limiting flows to China. A blueprint was introduced by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. This idea, called Data Free Flow With Trust, ought to become allied policy.

For upward of a generation, Beijing has been coldly effective in designing a strategy of global data mercantilism: data hoarding for me, data relinquishing for thee.

If Washington and its allies don’t organize a strong response, Mr. Xi will succeed in commanding the heights of future global power.

President Joe Biden came away from his summit with China’s President Xi Jinping on Nov. 15 committed to prosecuting what he called “simple, straightforward competition” with China.

President Joe Biden came away from his summit with China’s President Xi Jinping on Nov. 15 committed to prosecuting what he called “simple, straightforward competition” with China. Yet Beijing is already beating the United States and its allies in one crucial domain: data. Data is the oil of the 21st century, the indispensable resource that will fuel artificial-intelligence algorithms, economic strength and national power. The wellspring of this data is all of us: our health records and genetic sequences, our online habits, the supply chain flows of our businesses, the terabytes of imagery guzzled by phones, drones and autonomous cars. The competition for global influence in the 21st century will require protecting and harnessing this data to achieve commercial, technological and military advantages. So far, China is winning, and the West is barely even engaged. Through a latticework of recent laws and regulations, Mr. Xi has been hard at work making the Chinese Communist Party the world’s most powerful data broker. How does Beijing do that? By walling Chinese data off from the world, exerting new extraterritorial power over global data flows and putting foreign companies operating in China in a legal bind — all while absorbing other countries’ data by means licit and illicit. Mr. Xi knows that even locking down only Chinese data, representing the patterns and behavior of some 1.4 billion people, would hobble Beijing’s rivals in the quest for global economic superiority. The Biden administration has spoken about the importance of data in our competition with China. But no visible strategy has emerged. That threatens Americans’ privacy, economic competitiveness, national security and future global standing. This will be a major test of America’s China policy in 2022. Washington’s blind spot to the centrality of big data in Beijing’s ambitions and to the ways our own data are being exploited in service of those ambitions is perplexing at a time when American politicians are growing more concerned about the collection and potential exploitation of big data by U.S. tech giants. It is further perplexing because Americans in bipartisan fashion also are wising up to the ways that Beijing exploits and weaponizes other U.S. resources, like our capital markets. That’s evident in how Washington is finally — if fitfully — beginning to address the self-destructive flow of U.S. dollars into China’s military and global surveillance apparatus. While these sorts of measures still need to be scaled up dramatically, at least policymakers now have some tools to curb Beijing’s easy access to U.S. capital. Not so when it comes to data, where Beijing believes that it has a free hand and that the West is too distracted or feckless to respond meaningfully. Mr. Xi is thinking and acting big, and has been since his first days in power. In 2013, shortly after assuming the presidency in Beijing, Mr. Xi declared: “The vast ocean of data, just like oil resources during industrialization, contains immense productive power and opportunities. Whoever controls big data technologies will control the resources for development and have the upper hand.” Since then, Beijing has been building the framework to ensure that mass accumulations of data serve the Chinese Communist Party’s strategic interests. A series of laws implemented in 2017 asserted the party’s power to gain access to private data on Chinese networks, whether in China or associated with Chinese firms such as Huawei overseas. Now Beijing has quietly enacted a new set of laws — first the Data Security Law in September, followed in November by the Personal Information Protection Law — that go even further by demanding not just access to private data but also effective control over it. This has a huge impact on foreign firms operating in China. Not only must their Chinese data stay in China and be accessible by the state, but Beijing now demands control over whether they can send it to their own headquarters; to a corporate lab in, say, California; or to a foreign government that has made a law enforcement or regulatory request. Beijing’s new laws may make it criminal to comply with foreign sanctions against China that involve data — like shutting off banking or cloud services to a Chinese entity linked to human rights atrocities. In these cases, foreign firms can comply with U.S. law, or they can comply with Chinese law, but not both. The impact of these laws is clear. Tesla, Apple and others have opted to build dedicated Chinese data centers — sometimes in partnership with Chinese state entities, lest they lose access to the large Chinese consumer market. Goldman Sachs faced pressure against sending memos to its U.S. headquarters. Beijing’s recent actions complement its longstanding efforts to buy, steal and otherwise acquire data from foreign sources worldwide. Beijing hacks multinational corporate databases. It runs “talent recruitment” programs at foreign universities and firms. It buys foreign companies, such as an Italian maker of military drones. It funds its own data-driven start-ups in open foreign markets like Silicon Valley. The approach is nakedly nonreciprocal. It relies on access to foreign data while denying foreigners access to Chinese data — and appears to assume that foreign governments won’t respond. The United States, after all, has no comprehensive federal approach to data governance, while the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation is focused mostly on consumer privacy. Will American and allied policymakers develop approaches to limit strategic data flows to China? For now, the Biden administration’s answer is: maybe. “Our strategic competitors see big data as a strategic asset,” the U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said this summer, “and we have to see it the same way.” This is clear and compelling language. But data did not appear to be high on Mr. Biden’s agenda with Mr. Xi, judging from official readouts of the summit. And to date, U.S. policy remedies are idle and insufficient. In June, the administration issued an executive order embracing a new regulatory process to restrict cross-border data flows on national security grounds. But the new process hasn’t yet been put to use — not against Chinese drones, Chinese access to U.S. data centers and biotech labs, or other potential targets. In the meantime, U.S. diplomats’ and trade negotiators’ engagement on data issues is dominated by bitter fights with European regulators over privacy rules for American tech giants. The far greater threat from Beijing goes largely unaddressed. The good news is that if democratic nations get their act together, they may be in a better position than Beijing, which complicates its own progress through apparent paranoia. In recent months, Mr. Xi has cracked down on private Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent, forcing them to relinquish their data troves to state-controlled third parties. This crackdown, which helped erase more than $1 trillion in market value, will make these companies less innovative now that they no longer control their data. But banking on Chinese authoritarian overreach to preserve America’s edge is no strategy. A smarter approach would begin domestically, with actual (and robust) implementation of the Biden administration’s June executive order. This would entail blocking or unwinding arrangements by which large volumes of sensitive U.S. data flow to China, whether through medical records, cellphone apps or other channels — all of which are basically unregulated right now. Democratic allies must also work together to promote data sharing among themselves while limiting flows to China. A blueprint was introduced by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. This idea, called Data Free Flow With Trust, ought to become allied policy. For upward of a generation, Beijing has been coldly effective in designing a strategy of global data mercantilism: data hoarding for me, data relinquishing for thee. If Washington and its allies don’t organize a strong response, Mr. Xi will succeed in commanding the heights of future global power.

China, the most powerful data broker in the world, is winning the war against the US

Hostilities between the Republican far right and its typically muted center burst into the open Tuesday, highlighting deep divisions that could bedevil the party’s leaders if they capture a narrow majority in the House in 2022.

Initially prompted by the anti-Muslim comments of Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, the Republican-on-Republican war of words Tuesday was remarkably bitter and an indication of a brewing power struggle between an ascendant faction that styles itself after former President Donald Trump and a quieter one that is pushing back.

First, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia called her freshman colleague Nancy Mace of South Carolina “trash” for condemning Boebert’s remarks in a television interview.

Mace then used a series of emojis — a bat, a pile of excrement and a crazy clown — to describe Greene, then kept up a steady stream of social media attacks, calling her a liar, a grifter and a nut.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, came to Mace’s defense, calling Greene “unserious circus barker McSpacelaser” — a reference to a social media post that she once circulated suggesting that wildfires in the West had been started by lasers owned by the Rothschilds, a Jewish banking family.

Kinzinger added that Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the Republican leader and would-be speaker who has done nothing to discipline rank-and-file members of his conference for bigoted and violent statements, “continues his silent streak that would make a monk blush.”

Then Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, an ally of Greene’s, took to Twitter to amplify an attack by right-wing provocateur Jack Posobiec denouncing Mace as a “scam artist” for promoting coronavirus vaccinations on CNN.

The carnivallike behavior would amount to little more than a sideshow if it did not have real implications for midterm campaigns and, possibly, a fractured Republican majority in 2023. Party leaders again chose to remain mum as their backbenchers brawled, and Democrats took full advantage of the spectacle.

“The atmosphere is what it has been and what has been created by the Republican Party over the last 50 years, where they have continued to move down the path of divisiveness, of acrimony, of threats and accusations, which have demeaned the politics of America,” Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the majority leader, told reporters.

He again called on Republican leaders to discipline their members, referring to the episode that touched off the hostilities: public comments by Boebert in which she suggested that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a Muslim who wears a hijab, could be a suicide bomber and called her a member of the “jihad squad.”

The House’s three Muslim lawmakers — Omar and Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and André Carson of Indiana, all Democrats — suggested that their party was looking at options to sanction Boebert.

“Muslims in this country are proud Americans, hardworking members of our community,” Carson said. “And we are not anyone’s scapegoat.”

These should be heady days for House Republicans. Off-year elections in November showed real disenchantment with Democratic control of the House, Senate and White House. Redistricting in Republican-controlled state legislatures has given the party a running start to win the four or five seats it needs to control the House, and polling suggests that a narrow plurality of Americans would rather have Republicans in control of Congress. Given the party’s structural advantages on redistricting, access to polls and enthusiasm, that suggests a much broader victory would be at hand if the voting were today.

Michael Steel, a former spokesperson for Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, a former Republican speaker, said the party’s leaders should be working behind the scenes to calm dissent and keep members focused on building a platform and an argument for control.

“The top priority right now should be for everyone in the canoe to have their rifles pointing outward, not at each other,” Steel said. “And the focus should be on addition, not subtraction. That means keeping all the frogs in the wheelbarrow, even if some of those frogs are pretty ugly.”

Instead, Republicans are stepping on their own message. On Tuesday, CNN unearthed another video of Boebert from September, when she said she turned to Omar and referred to the “jihad squad,” again insinuating that she could be a suicide bomber.

Omar has said that no such confrontation occurred. During a call initiated by Boebert Monday — ostensibly to offer contrition — the situation only devolved further, as Boebert refused to apologize and instead demanded that Omar publicly ask forgiveness for “anti-American” comments.

Democrats were not the only ones who condemned Boebert’s behavior. Mace, a highly regarded newcomer and the first woman to graduate from the Citadel military college, appeared on CNN to say, “I have time after time condemned my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for racist tropes and remarks that I find disgusting, and this is no different than any others.”

Greene, who like Boebert is a favorite of Trump’s, criticized Mace on social media and on Steve Bannon’s broadcast, “War Room,” and condemned Republican leaders.

“They’re always all over us whenever we say or do anything, but it’s the Nancy Maces that should be called out,” Greene told Bannon. She added that she, not Mace, represented the Republican base, a comment seconded by others on the far right, including Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona.

Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., defended Mace.

“Nancy is a serious legislator who rolls up her sleeves and looks for solutions where they can be found, such as federal cannabis decriminalization, but also digs in and fights when progressives put politics above policy,” Meijer said. “I can’t think of a single credible thing those attacking her have even tried to accomplish.”

Republican leaders were left pointing fingers at their Democratic counterparts, who they said had also taken no action against members who had crossed lines, whether through anti-Israel comments or exhortations to protesters that they said encouraged violence.

Hoyer did say that McCarthy reached out to him to say Boebert wanted to apologize to Omar, an overture that Hoyer said would not end well. He was proved correct.

McCarthy finds himself in a delicate position. He does not know how large a majority his party might win in November, especially since much of the redistricting has focused on shoring up incumbent advantages than creating more competitive races. A sweeping Republican win would allow him to write off the votes of his party’s fringe.

But if Republicans claim a narrow majority, McCarthy would need virtually all of the conference’s votes to claim the speakership, a prize he has sought for nearly a decade. The far right brought down Boehner in 2015, and Republican divisions over the prospects of McCarthy’s speakership sunk his last run for the post weeks later.

A handful of members, including Greene, have been cool to the idea of granting him the gavel should his party claim the majority. 
&nbsp;

Hostilities between the Republican far right and its typically muted center burst into the open Tuesday, highlighting deep divisions that could bedevil the party’s leaders if they capture a narrow majority in the House in 2022.

Hostilities between the Republican far right and its typically muted center burst into the open Tuesday, highlighting deep divisions that could bedevil the party’s leaders if they capture a narrow majority in the House in 2022. Initially prompted by the anti-Muslim comments of Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, the Republican-on-Republican war of words Tuesday was remarkably bitter and an indication of a brewing power struggle between an ascendant faction that styles itself after former President Donald Trump and a quieter one that is pushing back. First, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia called her freshman colleague Nancy Mace of South Carolina “trash” for condemning Boebert’s remarks in a television interview. Mace then used a series of emojis — a bat, a pile of excrement and a crazy clown — to describe Greene, then kept up a steady stream of social media attacks, calling her a liar, a grifter and a nut. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, came to Mace’s defense, calling Greene “unserious circus barker McSpacelaser” — a reference to a social media post that she once circulated suggesting that wildfires in the West had been started by lasers owned by the Rothschilds, a Jewish banking family. Kinzinger added that Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the Republican leader and would-be speaker who has done nothing to discipline rank-and-file members of his conference for bigoted and violent statements, “continues his silent streak that would make a monk blush.” Then Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, an ally of Greene’s, took to Twitter to amplify an attack by right-wing provocateur Jack Posobiec denouncing Mace as a “scam artist” for promoting coronavirus vaccinations on CNN. The carnivallike behavior would amount to little more than a sideshow if it did not have real implications for midterm campaigns and, possibly, a fractured Republican majority in 2023. Party leaders again chose to remain mum as their backbenchers brawled, and Democrats took full advantage of the spectacle. “The atmosphere is what it has been and what has been created by the Republican Party over the last 50 years, where they have continued to move down the path of divisiveness, of acrimony, of threats and accusations, which have demeaned the politics of America,” Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the majority leader, told reporters. He again called on Republican leaders to discipline their members, referring to the episode that touched off the hostilities: public comments by Boebert in which she suggested that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a Muslim who wears a hijab, could be a suicide bomber and called her a member of the “jihad squad.” The House’s three Muslim lawmakers — Omar and Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and André Carson of Indiana, all Democrats — suggested that their party was looking at options to sanction Boebert. “Muslims in this country are proud Americans, hardworking members of our community,” Carson said. “And we are not anyone’s scapegoat.” These should be heady days for House Republicans. Off-year elections in November showed real disenchantment with Democratic control of the House, Senate and White House. Redistricting in Republican-controlled state legislatures has given the party a running start to win the four or five seats it needs to control the House, and polling suggests that a narrow plurality of Americans would rather have Republicans in control of Congress. Given the party’s structural advantages on redistricting, access to polls and enthusiasm, that suggests a much broader victory would be at hand if the voting were today. Michael Steel, a former spokesperson for Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, a former Republican speaker, said the party’s leaders should be working behind the scenes to calm dissent and keep members focused on building a platform and an argument for control. “The top priority right now should be for everyone in the canoe to have their rifles pointing outward, not at each other,” Steel said. “And the focus should be on addition, not subtraction. That means keeping all the frogs in the wheelbarrow, even if some of those frogs are pretty ugly.” Instead, Republicans are stepping on their own message. On Tuesday, CNN unearthed another video of Boebert from September, when she said she turned to Omar and referred to the “jihad squad,” again insinuating that she could be a suicide bomber. Omar has said that no such confrontation occurred. During a call initiated by Boebert Monday — ostensibly to offer contrition — the situation only devolved further, as Boebert refused to apologize and instead demanded that Omar publicly ask forgiveness for “anti-American” comments. Democrats were not the only ones who condemned Boebert’s behavior. Mace, a highly regarded newcomer and the first woman to graduate from the Citadel military college, appeared on CNN to say, “I have time after time condemned my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for racist tropes and remarks that I find disgusting, and this is no different than any others.” Greene, who like Boebert is a favorite of Trump’s, criticized Mace on social media and on Steve Bannon’s broadcast, “War Room,” and condemned Republican leaders. “They’re always all over us whenever we say or do anything, but it’s the Nancy Maces that should be called out,” Greene told Bannon. She added that she, not Mace, represented the Republican base, a comment seconded by others on the far right, including Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., defended Mace. “Nancy is a serious legislator who rolls up her sleeves and looks for solutions where they can be found, such as federal cannabis decriminalization, but also digs in and fights when progressives put politics above policy,” Meijer said. “I can’t think of a single credible thing those attacking her have even tried to accomplish.” Republican leaders were left pointing fingers at their Democratic counterparts, who they said had also taken no action against members who had crossed lines, whether through anti-Israel comments or exhortations to protesters that they said encouraged violence. Hoyer did say that McCarthy reached out to him to say Boebert wanted to apologize to Omar, an overture that Hoyer said would not end well. He was proved correct. McCarthy finds himself in a delicate position. He does not know how large a majority his party might win in November, especially since much of the redistricting has focused on shoring up incumbent advantages than creating more competitive races. A sweeping Republican win would allow him to write off the votes of his party’s fringe. But if Republicans claim a narrow majority, McCarthy would need virtually all of the conference’s votes to claim the speakership, a prize he has sought for nearly a decade. The far right brought down Boehner in 2015, and Republican divisions over the prospects of McCarthy’s speakership sunk his last run for the post weeks later. A handful of members, including Greene, have been cool to the idea of granting him the gavel should his party claim the majority.

Republican recriminations point to a rocky path to a House majority

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Manas Joshi

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