Omicron variant driving record-breaking Covid-19 infection rates in the US and Europe - South China Morning Post

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2021-12-30 08:36:00Z
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Blackpink's Lisa, Myanmar model Paing Takhon: The most beautiful and handsome faces of 2021 - CNA

K-pop star Lisa of Blackpink and model Paing Takhon of Myanmar have got the world’s Most Beautiful and Most Handsome Faces of 2021, respectively, according to TC Candler. 

The film critic website, which has been releasing an annual Top 100 list of the world’s top lookers since 1990, announced its latest lineup on Tuesday (Dec 28).

Lisa, whose full name is Lalisa Manoban, topped the Most Beautiful Face list. The 24-year-old Thai member of the popular South Korean girl moved up a notch from number two last year, while Israeli model Yael Shelbia dropped from last year’s top spot to sixth.

Also in the top 10 list were Norwegian blogger Emilie Nereng (2nd), American model Halima Aden (3rd), Filipino actress Ivana Alawi (4th), K-pop group Momoland’s Nancy Jewel McDonie (5th), K-pop group Twice’s Tzuyu (7th), Indonesian singer-actress Lyodra Ginting (8th), American model Jasmine Tookes (9th) and South Korean actress-singer Nana (Im Jin-ah) (10th).

Lisa’s fellow Blackpink members also made the list with Rose, Jisoo and Jennie coming in at 17, 26 and 30, respectively.

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2021-12-29 05:59:00Z
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Hong Kong siblings arrested on suspicion of laundering HK$384 million - South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong siblings arrested on suspicion of laundering HK$384 million  South China Morning PostView Full coverage on Google News
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2021-12-28 13:18:05Z
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Hong Kong to tighten air crew quarantine rules amid Omicron threat - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong health authorities said on Tuesday (Dec 28) the city would tighten quarantine rules for air cargo crew to tackle the growing threat of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

The global financial hub has identified several dozen Omicron infections via regular testing during quarantine but neither Omicron, nor other variants, have spread into the community in recent months.

But some of the new infections with Omicron were detected among air crew, who had only been required to quarantine at home, unlike most other people returning to the city, who have to quarantine in hotels.

The new measures require that returning air cargo crew spend three days in hotel quarantine before a period of home isolation. Most recent infections of air crew staff have been discovered in the first three days.

"We expect most cases in the future to be of the new Omicron variant," said Edwin Tsui, controller of the Centre for Health Protection. "We have a very high community outbreak risk. A single spark can start a fifth wave."

Vaccination rates in Hong Kong are lagging those in many similar cities with less than 70 per cent of the eligible population having received two doses of either China's Sinovac or Germany's BioNTech vaccines.

This month, authorities demanded that all government workplaces ensure that all eligible staff are vaccinated by mid-February.

The South China Morning Post newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing unidentified sources, that the measure may soon be extended to schools.

Hong Kong has followed Beijing's lead and implemented some of the world's strictest travel restrictions, hoping China, its main source of economic growth, would allow some cross-border movement.

Most non-residents are banned from travelling to the city and authorities demand mandatory hotel quarantine of up to 21 days for arrivals from most countries at the expense of the travellers.

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2021-12-28 09:38:27Z
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Record snowfall hits south-central Japan after severe weather grounds over 100 domestic flights - South China Morning Post

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2021-12-27 09:00:21Z
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It could be a long road to recovery, even after patients get all-clear from Covid-19 - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Madam Loh Luan Kim has lupus, an autoimmune disease, but medication has kept it at bay to the extent that no one knows she has the disease.

The 50-year-old Malaysian, who works as a cashier in a massage outlet, got her Covid-19 vaccination the moment she could.

All was well until she was infected with breakthrough Covid-19 on Nov 2.

Now, almost two months on, and more than a month after she became free of the virus, the after-effects of the disease still linger.

She suffers from long Covid, a name coined for the extended suffering by some people following a Covid-19 infection that could last for weeks, months, even a year or more.

International data says as many as half the patients suffer some form of long Covid. In Singapore, one in 10 people infected suffer long Covid for more than six months.

Some lose their sense of taste or smell, tire easily, have muscle and joint pain, loss of appetite, or like Madam Loh whose lungs were affected, become easily breathless with minor exertion.

This can happen not just to people who had severe illness, but also those with just a mild bout.

Dr Mark Chan, divisional chairman for integrative and community care and a senior geriatric medicine consultant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), said long Covid may affect people without pre-existing medical conditions, although older patients and those with existing medical conditions are more likely to suffer from it.

Madam Loh was one of those with a pre-existing medical condition.

An X-ray following her Covid-19 infection found black spots in her lungs, and she was in TTSH for a week.

She still needed about two litres of oxygen a day even after her body was clear of the virus and she had been moved to TTSH’s Covid-19 treatment facility (CTF) at Ren Ci Community Hospital to recover.

"When I walked, my heart beat very fast. It was like I couldn't breathe," she said in Cantonese. "It was usually worse in the morning, and better in the afternoon."

The second week she was at the CTF, a nurse taught her how to start exercising, with frequent rests in between.

She recalled: "Even going to the toilet, I needed to rest. I was very worried when I got so tired just going to the toilet.

"But the nurses kept saying I would recover, so I was not so concerned, not so depressed, even though I saw older patients in their 80s and 90s who did not need oxygen."

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2021-12-26 12:30:00Z
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Heavy rains displace thousands in northeast Brazil - CNA

The Bahia and federal governments mounted a joint operation on Saturday, in collaboration with other states, to mobilise personnel, aircraft and equipment, as well as provide relief to residents in the flooded areas.

"We are fully mobilised, taking all measures to ensure the necessary support to the victims of the heavy rains that hit Bahia this Christmas," the state's governor, Rui Costa, said in a video message.

Flooding and traffic blocks were reported on 17 roads, with some caused by landslides and rockslides, the state's infrastructure secretary reported.

December rainfall in Bahia's capital Salvador totalled 250mm through Friday, a figure five times the historic average, city officials said.

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2021-12-26 01:11:00Z
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