Six In The Morning Saturday 22 January 2022

 

Omicron has changed the shape of the pandemic. Will it end it for good?

By Rob Picheta, CNN

Updated 1121 GMT (1921 HKT) January 22, 2022

The world feared the worst when a worrying new coronavirus variant emerged in late November and ripped through South Africa at a pace not seen before in the pandemic.

But two months later, with Omicron dominant across much of the globe, the narrative has shifted for some.

"Levels of concern about Omicron tend to be lower than with previous variants," Simon Williams, a researcher in public attitudes and behaviors towards Covid-19 at Swansea University, told CNN. For many, "the 'fear factor of Covid' is lower," he said.

China hires western TikTokers to polish its image during 2022 Winter Olympics

Influencers told to extol country’s virtues on social media despite diplomatic boycotts of Beijing Games over human rights record

Vincent Ni

Sat 22 Jan 2022 14.30 GMT

An army of western social media influencers, each with hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok, Instagram or Twitch, is set to spread positive stories about China throughout next month’s Winter Olympics.

Concerned about the international backlash against the Beijing Games amid a wave of diplomatic boycotts, the government has hired western PR professionals to spread an alternative narrative through social media.

In November, as Joe Biden contemplated a diplomatic boycott, Vipinder Jaswal, a US-based Newsweek contributor and former Fox News and HSBC executive, signed a $300,000 contract with China’s consulate general in New York to “strategise and execute” an influencer campaign promoting the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics in the US.

Afghanistan: UN pressures Taliban over missing women's activists

One of the two women who went missing in Afghanistan had posted a video of herself as men, allegedly from the Taliban's intelligence department, are heard pounding on her door. But the Taliban say the video is fake.

The United Nations said it's concerned about the disappearance of two Afghan women's rights activists. Taman Zaryabi Paryani and Parawana Ibrahimkhel were reportedly abducted from their homes by the Taliban on Wednesday night.

"We urge Taliban to provide information on their whereabouts & to protect rights of all Afghans," the UN's Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement on Twitter.

Activist films distressing video

One of the activists managed to film a harrowing video apparently from her home in Kabul.

The video shows a visibly scared Paryani, as men claiming to be from the Taliban's intelligence department, pound on the front door.

According to local broadcaster Aamaj News, Paryani was disconnected shortly after sharing the video with the network.

Scientists scrutinise characteristics of new Omicron sub-variant BA.2

Studies are underway to find out the precise characteristics of the latest Covid-19 variant ‘BA.2’. It already accounts for the majority of most recent cases in a number of countries, including India, Denmark and Sweden. But, for French Health Minister Olivier Véran, this sub-variant’s arrival in France is not "a game changer".

BA.2, nicknamed "Omicron's little brother", made its first appearance in France a few weeks ago. Mentioned for the first time by Véran during a press conference on January 20, this new Covid-19 derivative is being scrutinised by scientists. 

• Where does BA.2 come from?  

BA.2 was first identified in India and South Africa in late December 2021. It is a sub-variant, believed to have emerged from a mutation of Omicron (officially known as BA.1). Omicron itself was born from a mutation of Delta. Other sub-lineages have already been referenced, such as BA.3 or BB.2, but they have attracted less attention from epidemiologists because of the dramatic increase in cases of people who have contracted BA.2.

Yemen: UN urges investigation into Saudi-led coalition air raids

Antonio Guterres condemns air raids by Saudi-led coalition on Saada city and urges all parties to protect civilians from danger.

The UN chief has condemned air raids by the Saudi-led coalition on Saada city and called for an investigation into the attacks that killed more than 70 people in Yemen.

“The Secretary-General calls for prompt, effective and transparent investigations into these incidents to ensure accountability,” Antonio Guterres’ spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said.

Florida lawmakers advanced a bill that would allow parents to sue schools if staff speak to students about gender identity or sexuality

Yelena Dzhanova

Sat, January 22, 2022, 6:49 AM

Florida lawmakers earlier this week passed a bill designed to prevent the discussion of gender identity and sexuality in the classroom.

The Parental Rights in Education bill, voted on largely along party lines by Florida House committee members on Thursday, "is about defending the most awesome responsibility a person can have: being a parent," said Florida state Rep. Joe Harding, who introduced the bill, according to a report from Florida Politics.

The legislation, which advocates call a "Don't Say Gay" bill, says parents can take legal action against a school district if Florida teachers speak about LGBTQ topics like identity and sexuality that do not fall under "age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate" guidelines for students.