Singapore reports first locally transmitted Omicron case - Reuters

People pass the control tower of Singapore's Changi Airport, Singapore January 18, 2021. REUTERS/Edgar Su

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SINGAPORE, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Singapore has detected its first locally transmitted case of the COVID-19 variant Omicron in a member of staff at the city state's airport, authorities said late on Thursday, warning that more Omicron cases are likely to be detected.

The 24-year-old Singaporean woman, who works in a service role in the airport, "may have interacted with transit passengers from Omicron-affected countries," the health ministry said in a statement.

She tested preliminarily positive for Omicron as a part of the routine testing for frontline workers, it said, noting she was fully vaccinated and asymptomatic.

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A second Omicron case reported on Tuesday was a traveller from Germany.

Both of individuals had received vaccine boosters shots, the health ministry said.

The cases are currently pending further genome sequencing to confirm the variant.

Singapore had previously detected three Omicron cases, all found in overseas travellers.

"Given its high transmissibility and spread to many parts of the world, we should expect to find more Omicron cases at our borders and also within our community," the health ministry said.

Singapore has vaccinated 96% of its eligible population, and authorities are urging the public to get booster shots amid concerns over the Omicron variant.

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Reporting by Chen Lin in Singapore Editing by Ed Davies

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2021-12-10 01:56:00Z
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China warns Olympics diplomatic boycott nations will 'pay the price' - CNA

BEIJING: China warned Western nations on Thursday (Dec 9) they would "pay the price" for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Washington announced its boycott earlier in the week, saying it was prompted by widespread rights abuses by China and what it sees as a "genocide" against the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.

Australia, Britain and Canada followed suit in a flurry of diplomatic bonhomie on Wednesday.

The boycott stopped short of not sending athletes but nonetheless infuriated Beijing, which hinted at retaliation on Thursday.

"The US, Australia, Britain and Canada's use of the Olympic platform for political manipulation is unpopular and self-isolating, and they will inevitably pay the price for their wrongdoing," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters.

Advocacy groups have backed the boycott, with Human Rights Watch's China director Sophie Richardson calling it a "crucial step toward challenging the Chinese government's crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic communities".

Campaigners say that at least 1 million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking, mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang, where China is also accused of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour.

Beijing has defended the camps as vocational training centres aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday that he was staying politically neutral on the matter, while insisting the important point was "the participation of the athletes in the Olympic Games".

RELATIONS IN FREEFALL

All four of the boycotting Western countries have seen relations with Beijing cool dramatically in recent years.

Britain has also criticised China for its crackdown in Hong Kong.

It angered Beijing last year by blocking Chinese tech giant Huawei's involvement in its 5G broadband roll-out, after Washington raised spying concerns.

Canada's relations with China meanwhile hit a low over the December 2018 arrest in Vancouver on a US warrant of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, and Beijing's detention of two Canadian nationals in response.

All three were released and repatriated in September.

Canberra's ties with Beijing have also been in freefall in recent years, with China introducing a raft of punitive sanctions on Australian goods.

China has been angered at Australia's willingness to legislate against overseas influence operations, its barring of Huawei from 5G contracts, and its call for an independent investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

Australia's recent move to equip its navy with nuclear-powered submarines under a new defence pact with Britain and the United States - widely seen as an attempt to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific region -- further angered Beijing.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Britain's boycott in parliament on Wednesday but joined the other three nations in saying athletes should still attend.

"I do not think that sporting boycotts are sensible - that remains the policy of the government," he added.

In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canadian officials too would skip the Games, saying his government is "extremely concerned by the repeated human rights violations by the Chinese government".

Australia's leader Scott Morrison made a similar announcement earlier in the day.

Other countries are weighing their own moves.

France, which is set to take over the European Council presidency on Jan 1, said on Tuesday it would seek a coordinated EU response to the US decision.

The Kremlin, however, criticised the US move, saying the 2022 games should be "free of politics".

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already accepted an invitation by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend.

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2021-12-09 08:39:00Z
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BioNTech, Pfizer say their Covid-19 vaccine neutralises Omicron with three shots - The Straits Times

FRANKFURT (REUTERS) - BioNTech and Pfizer said on Wednesday (Dec 8) that a three-shot course of their Covid-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test, and they could deliver an Omicron-based vaccine in March 2022 if needed.

In the first official statement from vaccine manufacturers on the likely efficacy of their shot against Omicron, BioNTech and Pfizer said two vaccine doses resulted in significantly lower neutralising antibodies, but a third dose of their vaccine increased the neutralising antibodies by a factor of 25.

Blood obtained from people that had their third booster shot a month ago neutralised the Omicron variant about as effectively as blood after two doses fought off the original virus first detected in China.

"Ensuring as many people as possible are fully vaccinated with the first two-dose series and a booster remains the best course of action to prevent the spread of Covid-19," Pfizer boss Albert Bourla said in the statement.

The findings are broadly in line with a preliminary study published by researchers at the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa on Tuesday, saying that Omicron can partially evade protection from two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, suggesting also that a third shot might help fend off infection.

A lab analysis at the university hospital of Frankfurt in Germany, however, found a reduced antibody response to Omicron even after three shots.

An executive with German drugmaker BioNTech on Wednesday said the interval between the second and third dose of its Covid-19 vaccine can be reduced to at least three months to enable better protection against the Omicron variant in the winter season.

Chief Executive Officer Ugur Sahin said new data would prompt a discussion about bringing the third shot of its currently available vaccine forward.

“We believe this is the right way to go,” he said.  “It is very clear that our vaccine for the Omicron variant should be a three-dose vaccine,” he added during a press call.

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2021-12-08 15:49:58Z
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Malaysia court upholds guilty verdict for former PM Najib - Reuters

• Najib to remain free pending appeal to Federal Court
• Ex-PM sentenced to 12 years, fined $50 mln last year
• SRC case is one of five trials Najib is facing

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A Malaysian court on Wednesday upheld former premier Najib Razak's conviction on corruption charges over a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), dealing a blow to his hopes of a political comeback.

Najib was appealing a 12-year prison sentence and $50 million fine imposed by Kuala Lumpur High Court last year for criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering, one of five trials he is facing over corruption allegations.

The 1MDB case, which a U.S. attorney-general described as the worst form of kleptocracy, has cast a shadow over Malaysian politics since questions about the fund first emerged years ago.

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U.S. and Malaysian authorities say $4.5 billion was believed to have been stolen and more than $1 billion made its way into Najib's personal accounts.

Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty at the trial last year though the court found he had illegally received about $10 million from SRC International, a former unit of now-defunct 1MDB.

Court of Appeal Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who led a three-member panel on the decision, said they agreed unanimously with the high court on Najib's conviction and sentencing, and dismissed his defence that all his actions regarding SRC were in the national interest.

"There is no national interest here, just a national embarrassment," Abdul Karim said.

The judge also said the evidence showed Najib knew or had reason to believe the funds in his accounts were proceeds of illegal activities and had failed to take steps to determine them as such.

Wearing a black suit, Najib showed no emotion as the judgment was read out and was seen taking notes occasionally during the hearing.

His appeal has been closely watched amid fears that ruling party leaders facing criminal charges could secure leniency after the return of Najib's party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), to power in August.

'I DID NOT KNOW'

Najib has been free on bail pending the appeal, and Abdul Karim agreed to his request to be released on bail again and stayed the sentence.

At a virtual briefing after the verdict, Najib said he was disappointed with the decision and would appeal at the Federal Court, Malaysia's top tribunal.

"I did not know and I did not ask and I did not order anyone to move the 42 million ringgit ($9.95 million) to my account," Najib said.

Prosecutor V. Sithambaram told reporters Najib's appeal process at the top court could take up to nine months.

Najib faces a total of 42 criminal charges and five trials, including the SRC case, but remains influential and has been eyeing a political comeback, telling Reuters in September he has not ruled out seeking re-election to parliament.

He remains a lawmaker despite the conviction but the constitution bars him from contesting elections unless he gets a pardon or a reprieve from the country's monarch.

Adib Zalkapli, director of political risk consultancy BowerGroupAsia, said an acquittal would have given Najib the chance to reclaim the top job.

"But with the court's decision to uphold the guilty verdict, he has to wait a little longer before he could potentially make a credible comeback," he said.

Polls are not due until 2023 but analysts have said they could be called as early as the middle of next year, when a cooperation pact signed between the government and the opposition expires.

Asked if he would contest the next election, Najib told the news conference: "We will cross the bridge when we come to it."

($1 = 4.2200 ringgit)

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Reporting by Rozanna Latiff, Mei Mei Chu and Ebrahim Harris; writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Ed Davies, Stephen Coates and Lincoln Feast

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2021-12-08 09:47:00Z
1192330006

Malaysia court upholds guilty verdict for former PM Najib - Reuters

• Najib to remain free pending appeal to Federal Court
• Ex-PM sentenced to 12 years, fined $50 mln last year
• SRC case is one of five trials Najib is facing

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A Malaysian court on Wednesday upheld former premier Najib Razak's conviction on corruption charges over a multi-billion dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), dealing a blow to his hopes of a political comeback.

Najib was appealing a 12-year prison sentence and $50 million fine imposed by Kuala Lumpur High Court last year for criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering, one of five trials he is facing over corruption allegations.

The 1MDB case, which a U.S. attorney-general described as the worst form of kleptocracy, has cast a shadow over Malaysian politics since questions about the fund first emerged years ago.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to reuters.com

U.S. and Malaysian authorities say $4.5 billion was believed to have been stolen and more than $1 billion made its way into Najib's personal accounts.

Najib has consistently denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty at the trial last year though the court found he had illegally received about $10 million from SRC International, a former unit of now-defunct 1MDB.

Court of Appeal Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who led a three-member panel on the decision, said they agreed unanimously with the high court on Najib's conviction and sentencing, and dismissed his defence that all his actions regarding SRC were in the national interest.

"There is no national interest here, just a national embarrassment," Abdul Karim said.

The judge also said the evidence showed Najib knew or had reason to believe the funds in his accounts were proceeds of illegal activities and had failed to take steps to determine them as such.

Wearing a black suit, Najib showed no emotion as the judgment was read out and was seen taking notes occasionally during the hearing.

His appeal has been closely watched amid fears that ruling party leaders facing criminal charges could secure leniency after the return of Najib's party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), to power in August.

'I DID NOT KNOW'

Najib has been free on bail pending the appeal, and Abdul Karim agreed to his request to be released on bail again and stayed the sentence.

At a virtual briefing after the verdict, Najib said he was disappointed with the decision and would appeal at the Federal Court, Malaysia's top tribunal.

"I did not know and I did not ask and I did not order anyone to move the 42 million ringgit ($9.95 million) to my account," Najib said.

Prosecutor V. Sithambaram told reporters Najib's appeal process at the top court could take up to nine months.

Najib faces a total of 42 criminal charges and five trials, including the SRC case, but remains influential and has been eyeing a political comeback, telling Reuters in September he has not ruled out seeking re-election to parliament.

He remains a lawmaker despite the conviction but the constitution bars him from contesting elections unless he gets a pardon or a reprieve from the country's monarch.

Adib Zalkapli, director of political risk consultancy BowerGroupAsia, said an acquittal would have given Najib the chance to reclaim the top job.

"But with the court's decision to uphold the guilty verdict, he has to wait a little longer before he could potentially make a credible comeback," he said.

Polls are not due until 2023 but analysts have said they could be called as early as the middle of next year, when a cooperation pact signed between the government and the opposition expires.

Asked if he would contest the next election, Najib told the news conference: "We will cross the bridge when we come to it."

($1 = 4.2200 ringgit)

Register now for FREE unlimited access to reuters.com

Reporting by Rozanna Latiff, Mei Mei Chu and Ebrahim Harris; writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Ed Davies, Stephen Coates and Lincoln Feast

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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2021-12-08 07:35:00Z
1192330006

Hong Kong researchers develop stainless steel that kills 99% of Covid-19 virus within hours - The Straits Times

HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - Researchers in Hong Kong said they have developed the world's first stainless steel that kills the Covid-19 virus within hours, adding to the arsenal of products being created globally to curb the pathogen that triggered the worst pandemic of the past century.

The newly-developed alloy can inactivate 99.75 per cent of the Sars-CoV-2 virus within three hours and 99.99 per cent within six hours, according to a study published Nov 25 by a team of researchers at the University of Hong Kong.

The university researchers, led by Professor Huang Mingxin at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Professor Leo Poon at the Centre for Immunity and Infection, are also liaising with industrial partners to test this material in creating steel products, such as lift buttons, door knobs and handrails, that are among the most commonly touched surfaces in public areas.

The innovation - if proved effective and cheaply scalable - will significantly reduce the costs of regularly disinfecting mass-transit public areas such as airports and train stations, as well as other venues where crowds congregate, such as movie theatres and sports stadiums.

As pandemic fears return with the Omicron variant, the new product can potentially help people return to their normal lives after the disruption of the past two years.

The antimicrobial property in the alloy is long term, even if it is continuously damaged during service, the researchers said in the published study. And it can be produced using an existing "powder metallurgy" technique, keeping costs low.

Under ordinary circumstances, the Covid-19-inducing virus can stay on surfaces for more than two days.

The new alloy, which adds copper to the stainless steel mix, can protect against other disease-causing microbes too.

The "anti-pathogen stainless steel also exhibits an excellent inactivation ability" for the H1N1 influenza A virus and the Escherichia coli bacteria, they added.

The Covid-19 pandemic has so far infected over 266 million people globally, killed more than 5.2 million and left survivors with long-term side effects.

The virus itself has undergone multiple mutations, five of which have been declared variants of concern by the World Health Organisation and kept drug makers and vaccine makers on their toes.

The latest and the most differentiated variant, Omicron, was first detected in southern Africa on Nov 24 and has rapidly spread to dozens of nations since, thwarting reopening plans and forcing countries to reimpose travel curbs.

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2021-12-07 13:28:13Z
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Covid-19: What could happen if Omicron variant starts spreading in community | THE BIG STORY - The Straits Times

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2021-12-07 10:22:19Z
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