Omicron COVID variant fuels Joe Biden’s call for waivers on intellectual property protection for vaccines – ABC News

US President Joe Biden has called on nations meeting at the World Trade Organization next week to agree to waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines in the wake of the discovery of the new Omicron COVID variant in South Africa.

“The news about this new variant should make it clearer than ever why this pandemic will not end until we have global vaccinations,” Mr Biden said in a statement.

“This news today reiterates the importance of moving on this [waiving intellectual property protections] quickly.”

Mr Biden confirmed restrictions on travellers from eight countries in southern Africa would be imposed.

All 27 European Union member states and the United Kingdom also temporarily suspended travel to and from southern Africa.

Source: Omicron COVID variant fuels Joe Biden’s call for waivers on intellectual property protection for vaccines – ABC News

On Channel crossings, France is sick of UK ‘outsourcing’ problems | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian (Me: Boris more boorish than usual and France is not having it!)

France has reacted furiously to what officials variously called a “mediocre, unacceptable and wholly inappropriate” letter from Boris Johnson to Emmanuel Macron about the migrant Channel crossings.

The French interior minister cancelled a planned top-level meeting with the home secretary, Priti Patel,, while government spokesperson Gabriel Attal said France was “sick and tired” of Britain’s “doubletalk and outsourcing of problems”.

The fact that Johnson chose to make the letter public has infuriated Paris at least as much as its content. Macron, who officials said had not seen the letter before Johnson tweeted it, described it as “surprising”, adding: “One does not communicate from one leader to another, on questions such as these, by tweet and by letters that one then makes public.”

Source: On Channel crossings, France is sick of UK ‘outsourcing’ problems | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian

Weihnachtsmärkte in Köln 2021

Vivaldi translation of introduction: Due to the Corona pandemic, the Christmas markets in Cologne had to be canceled in 2020, but they are open again this year. Since I had to do a lot in Cologne yesterday anyway, I took the opportunity to look at some of the Christmas markets in the afternoon. These included the Christmas markets on Rudolfplatz, Neumarkt and Cologne Cathedral. The 2G rule (vaccinated and recovered) applies to all Christmas markets in Cologne.

Senioren um die Welt

Aufgrund der Corona-Pandemie mussten die Weihnachtsmärkte in Köln im Jahr 2020 abgesagt werden, doch in diesem Jahr sind sie wieder geöffnet. Da ich gestern sowieso einiges in Köln erledigen musste, nutzte ich die Gelegenheit und sah mir nachmittags einige der Weihnachtsmärkte an. Dazu gehörten die Weihnachtsmärkte auf dem Rudolfplatz, auf dem Neumarkt und am Kölner Dom. Für alle Weihnachtsmärkte in Köln gilt die 2G-Regel (Geimpft und Genesen).


View original post 306 more words

From, not For victory

Inhale Peace; Exhale Love. Joy will Follow! - RUELHA

I know every dialogue from this movie by heart! This scene embedded below has some of the best dialogue deliveries. It’s epic if you understand the reference. And if you don’t, just marvel at Brad Pitt’s chiseled jawline. This movie compelled me to research a bit of Greek mythology. And then with Chris Hemsworth playing Thor later, Greek mythology became really fascinating.

From, not For victory – poem by Ruelha

I don't fight for victory I'm not a loser though, just hear me! I've not seen the end Sure, there'll be many curves and bends But I know how it ends Victorious I ascend! Somehow, anyhow, I'll be the last one standing Maybe my current performance ain't outstanding But, wait till the end Watch it all transcend I was born for victory Not in the lap of misery I won't let anyone tell me otherwise Because if I focus on…

View original post 380 more words

BioNTech says it could tweak Covid vaccine in 100 days if needed | Vaccines and immunisation | The Guardian

BioNTech says it could produce and ship an updated version of its vaccine within 100 days if the new Covid variant detected in southern Africa is found to evade existing immunity.

The German biotechnology company is already investigating whether the vaccine it developed with US drugmaker Pfizer works well against the variant, named Omicron, which has caused concern due to its high number of mutations and initial suggestions that it could be transmitting more quickly.

The company says it will know in two weeks whether its current vaccine is likely to be sufficiently effective against the B.1.1.529 variant, now named Omicron by the World Health Organization, based on lab-based experiments.

Source: BioNTech says it could tweak Covid vaccine in 100 days if needed | Vaccines and immunisation | The Guardian

DC area schools to discipline employees who have not reported vaccination status | TheHill

While the vast majority of staffers at these schools are already vaccinated, some have been placed on leave and at least one has been fired, The Washington Post reported this week.

At Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland’s largest school district, more than 460 employees will receive a letter of reprimand and lose a day’s worth of pay for failure to report their vaccine status, Chris Cram, a spokesperson for the district, told the Post.

Elsewhere in Maryland, Prince George’s County Public Schools terminated an employee for not adhering to its vaccination policies, which allowed for a testing option. While other employees in the county have also been placed on leave, spokeswoman Meghan Gebreselassie said the system did not know the exact number of people who had been reprimanded as each case was usually handled at the school or office level, the Post reported.

Source: DC area schools to discipline employees who have not reported vaccination status | TheHill

Second Look Behind the Headlines – News you can use…

Baldacchino di Perla

"Luce di parole, ombra di sogni."

Northern Desert Photography

Living on the Edge of the Sagebrush Ocean

Susana Cabaço

Spiritual Insights & Personal Empowerment

Barbara Picci

Artist & Art Blogger

craft journey

Furnicraft, woodwork, and art

musings corner

reveries and rants

Japão para Românticos

Bem Vindos a este espaço onde compartilhamos um pouco da realidade do Japão à todos aqueles que desejam visitar ou morar no Japão. Aqui neste espaço, mostramos a realidade do Japão e dos imigrantes. O nosso compromisso é com a realidade. Fique por dentro do noticiário dos principais jornais japoneses, tutoriais de Faça você mesmo no Japão e acompanhe a Série Histórias de Imigrantes no Japão. Esperamos que goste de nossos conteúdos, deixe seu like, seu comentário, compartilhe e nos ajudar você e à outras pessoas. Grande abraço, gratidão e volte sempre!

Leben als Mensch

Willkommen auf Elke´s Glücks-Blog

Sharpshot Nature .Com

- Specializing in the great outdoors, capturing nature at its finest!

Diane Ravitch's blog

A site to discuss education and democracy

Expansão e Percepção

Seu Guia de Inspirações e Reflexões Diárias

noga noga.

my-health-and-beauty.com/

Uğurcan'ın Ütopyası

Benim Gezegenime Hoş geldiniz !!!

AKILS

Blog de viajes y lugares

Ed Mooney Photography

The official blog of Ed Mooney Photography. Dad of 3, Photographer, Blogger, Powerlifter. Exploring the historical sites of Ireland.

everything Explored on the earth

It has new aidias,news, about education , motivation, social, historical, culture, marketing creation new aidias education of language science culture and history

Born to die

L'unico modo sensato di vivere è senza regole

Early Morning Memories

by Anuran (A) & Sayoni (S)

My thoughts

Fun for the Brain

Neo Vision College

An exemplary learning community.

Anthony’s Crazy Love and Life Lessons in Empathy

Loves, lamentation, and life through prose, stories, passions, and essays.

Episodic Squalid Rants

public tantrums by a non-two-year-old

The Street Art Directory

Public, street and urban art worldwide

Artie & Stu

all the rules of free form

Everyone read that they fell in love first

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2937106805202763" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

davidscottmoyer

Lapsed Painter, Occasional Photographer, Compulsive Writer

Health & Fitness

Health Blogs

Buildings Tell Tales

Exploring the hidden architectural heritage of Budapest

Divit kalem

Yaşamdan

Roy's Weblog

The third incarnation...

Thought Pukes

More than a thought less than a question

"بوصلة الحياة"

"بوصلة الحياة: مدونة متعددة المجالات، من السياسة إلى الرومانسية، ومن تطوير الذات إلى الأدب وأكثر!" بقلم مشاعر بنت عبدالرحمن

parallax

The view from here ... Or here!

ClearingSpace4Joy

Bringer and seeker of joy

Belladonna’s Flashlight

The One Where She Stumbled Through Her 40's and Faced Her Demons

~ Trivial Music Silliness ~

Baw wit da baw. Just sayin'.

mo mnsoor blog

Website storys

Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss

Welcome to the Anglo Swiss World

gnaddrig ad libitum

Querbeet und ohne Gewähr

Peace & Truth

KINDNESS IS FREE, sprinkle it all over the world, and 😁 smile

Ética de la vida diaria

Nuestra ética de todos los días...

Elizabeth Gauffreau

Fiction Writer in Poet's Clothing