Live news: Financial stocks lead Asia lower as Ukraine fears weigh on investors - Financial Times

UK pay picked up less than prices at the end of last year while job vacancies rose to a record and the unemployment rate hit a pandemic low.

Average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, grew at an annual pace of 3.7 per cent in the final quarter of 2021, data published by the Office for National Statistics showed on Tuesday. However, prices were rising faster than pay, which meant that wages fell 0.8 per cent in real terms.

This is despite a tight labour market. The number of job vacancies in the three months to January rose to a record 1,298,400, an increase of 513,700 from its pre-coronavirus January to March 2020 level.

The number of employees based on HMRC real time data also increased by 108,000 between December and January to a record 29.5mn.

Sam Beckett, ONS head of economic statistics, said that the number of employees on payrolls rose in January 2022 and is well above pre-pandemic levels. However, he noted that the number of people in employment overall is below where it was before Covid-19 hit. “This is because there are now far fewer self-employed people,” he said.

The unemployment rate decreased 0.2 percentage points in the quarter to 4.1 per cent.

The number of people in employment also fell 38,000 in the three months to December compared with the previous quarter, the first contraction since the start of last year. This was a smaller contraction than the 65,000 forecast by economists polled by Reuters.

Unemployment and employment both fell because many people left the labour force during the pandemic.

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2022-02-15 08:14:46Z
CAIiEEeh6CR15p4s0p7tUB_KMrgqGAgEKg8IACoHCAow-4fWBzD4z0gw_fCpBg

FAQ: What you need to know about Novavax's non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccine - CNA

SINGAPORE: Singapore is expected to receive its first batch of Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months after authorities announced on Monday (Feb 14) that it has been approved for use here.

The non-mRNA vaccine can be given as a booster shot, said the Ministry of Health.

It is the fourth vaccine available under the Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR), after the ones by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Sinovac.

Here’s what you need to know about Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured under the name Nuvaxovid: 

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM MRNA VACCINES? 

Nuvaxovid uses a protein-based technology that has been around for decades to create vaccines against illnesses such as shingles, whooping cough and hepatitis. 

The proteins in the Novavax vaccine mimic COVID-19’s spike protein. They were created in moth cells, then converted into nanoparticles that are harvested to make the vaccine.

This non-infectious spike protein is then inserted into the body to induce an immune response.

The main difference between Novavax and mRNA vaccines is that it is made with lab-grown copies of the COVID-19 spike protein, whereas mRNA vaccines include genetic instructions for the body to make its own spike protein.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE VACCINE?

Trials have shown that Nuvaxovid is about 90 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 per cent effective in preventing severe infection. 

These findings were from its Phase III clinical study involving people aged 18 or older. 

Novavax is trialling the vaccine in people aged 12 to 17. It said last week that Nuvaxovid was 80 per cent effective against COVID-19 in a late-stage trial in that age group. 

DOES IT WORK AGAINST OMICRON? 

There is no data on whether Nuvaxovid is effective against the Omicron or Delta variants, said Singapore's expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination.

"These variants were not prevalent at the time Novavax conducted the clinical trials," the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) added.

The vaccine, however, has shown "consistent efficacy" against the Alpha variant. 

WHO CAN TAKE THE VACCINE?

HSA has approved the vaccine for people aged 18 and above. 

It is also safe for breastfeeding women, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

As Nuvaxovid is not a live virus vaccine, “it is biologically and clinically unlikely to pose a risk to the breastfeeding child”, WHO said, adding that it does not recommend discontinuing breastfeeding because of vaccination. 

The vaccine should be administered in two doses of 5 micrograms, three weeks apart. 

WHO SHOULDN'T TAKE THE VACCINE?

Severely immunocompromised people and those under 18 years old should not take the vaccine until safety and efficacy data for these groups is available, HSA said. 

Those who develop a severe allergic reaction after the first dose should not be given the second one, it added. 

Those with a history of anaphylaxis - a rapid onset of severe allergic reactions - should also not receive the vaccine, according to WHO.

People with a temperature of above 38.5 degrees Celsius or who have been diagnosed with acute COVID-19 should postpone vaccination until they no longer have a fever or after recovering from acute illness and do not need to be isolated, WHO added. 

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS?

There have been “no significant safety concerns”, said Singapore's expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination.

Common side effects include injection site pain and/or tenderness, fatigue, headache and muscle aches. They usually resolve on their own within a few days.

"These symptoms are reactions generally associated with vaccinations and expected as part of the body’s natural response to build immunity against COVID-19," HSA said.

WHAT DOES THE EXPERT COMMITTEE RECOMMEND?

Singapore's expert committee said that while Nuvaxovid is an "acceptable alternative" to the mRNA vaccines for those aged 18 and above, "mRNA vaccines still remain the preferred vaccines due to their higher efficacy and the stronger immune response they generate". 

Nuvaxovid is, however, recommended over the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine, which is less effective. 

"Nuvaxovid is preferred to Sinovac-Coronavac for persons medically ineligible to receive the mRNA vaccines," the committee said. 

"Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine should only be used by persons who are medically ineligible for the mRNA vaccines and Nuvaxovid."

CAN NUVAXOVID BE USED AS A BOOSTER?

Yes, but only for those aged 18 and above, although it is less effective than boosting with an mRNA vaccine. 

A trial in the UK with more than 2,800 participants showed that when used as a booster, Nuvaxovid produced "a substantial rise in antibody level and cellular response, said the expert committee. 

However, "this was to a lower extent when compared to boosting with mRNA vaccines", the committee noted. 

As a booster, one dose of the Nuvaxovid vaccine is recommended about five months after the last dose of the primary series vaccination. 

WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE APPROVED THE VACCINE?

Novavax’s vaccine has been approved in several countries, including Australia, Britain, Germany, New Zealand and South Korea. It has also applied for authorisation in the US. 

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2022-02-14 08:02:29Z
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Vietnam to end COVID-19 curbs on international flights from Feb 15 - CNA

HANOI: Vietnam will remove its COVID-19 restrictions on international passenger flights with all markets starting Feb 15, with no limitation on the number of flights, the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper reported on Sunday (Feb 13).

The Southeast Asian country imposed tight border controls at the start of the pandemic to keep out COVID-19, with some initial success, but that dealt a blow to its burgeoning tourism sector which accounted for about 10 per cent of gross domestic product.

"Vietnam will lift restrictions on international flights starting Feb 15. The frequency of flights will be restored to pre-pandemic level," Tuoi Tre said, citing Dinh Viet Son, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam.

Vietnam has already informed its partners about that new policy and only China has not yet agreed to resume commercial flights with Vietnam, Son was quoted as saying.

Vietnam had already begun gradually resuming international flights with 15 markets from the beginning of this year while easing quarantine requirements, with vaccinated passengers now needing only three days of self-isolation.

The Southeast Asian country has recorded nearly 2.5 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, and around 39,000 deaths. Nearly 98 per cent of its 98 million people have received at least two vaccine doses, official data showed.

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2022-02-13 08:43:56Z
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Love is (still) in the air: How Hong Kong celebs and others are spending Valentine's Day - CNA Luxury

Back before you-know-what, romantic Hong Kong residents would think nothing of whisking away their paramour for a weekend escape in a luxurious, sun-kissed resort in Thailand, Bali or The Philippines.

Fast forward two-and-a-bit years, however, for a completely different St Valentine's Day. While for some the thought of two weeks holed up in a hotel room with your lover is the idea of bliss, when it's an enforced quarantine stay, then the romance factor understandably plummets.

That grim reality has faced all travellers returning to Hong Kong for more than a year now, meaning that exotic escapes are off the cards. Instead, it's all about making the most of the city with rose-filled staycation suites, private yacht charters and plenty of aphrodisiacs in decadent dining.

Here are some of the ways that love is still in the air in Hong Kong – even if dinners out past 6pm are still currently banned – as well as insights from local stars as to how they're spending the day dedicated to love.

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2022-02-11 06:40:53Z
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UK's Prince Charles tests positive for COVID-19 for a second time - CNA

LONDON: Prince Charles has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said on Thursday (Feb 10), the second time that the heir to the British throne has contracted the disease.

Charles, 73, had been due to attend an event in Winchester, in southwestern England, to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of his mother Queen Elizabeth and was "deeply disappointed" he could no longer attend, his office, Clarence House, said.

"This morning The Prince of Wales has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now self-isolating," it said in a statement on Twitter.

There was no immediate comment on his condition or when he last saw his 95-year-old mother.

On Wednesday, the prince attended a reception for the British Asian Trust where pictures showed him chatting to other guests including British finance minister Rishi Sunak. Health minister Sajid Javid and interior minister Priti Patel were also among those who were due to attend.

Charles, who said in December both he and his wife Camilla had received their COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, previously tested positive for the virus in March 2020 when he said he had been "lucky" to have suffered only mild symptoms.

He spent seven days in self-isolation at his Birkhall home in Scotland before resuming his duties. Charles's son Prince William also contracted COVID-19 shortly after his father in 2020.

Camilla was still performing engagements in London on Thursday. She said she was "very, very honoured" and "very touched" by Elizabeth publicly stating her desire that Charles's second wife should become Queen Consort when he becomes king.

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2022-02-10 13:07:08Z
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How did a Hong Kong start-up get FDA nod for its rapid test kit? - South China Morning Post

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1. How did a Hong Kong start-up get FDA nod for its rapid test kit?  South China Morning Post
2. New World to donate 200,000 Covid-19 test kits to Hong Kong’s poor families  South China Morning Post
3. Indicaid test kit output to rise fivefold in Hong Kong’s ‘fifth wave’  South China Morning Post
4. ‘Beijing to send support teams, millions of test kits’ to help Hong Kong Covid fight  South China Morning Post
5. View Full coverage on Google News

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2022-02-10 00:00:29Z
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Winter Olympics: Russian media say teen figure-skating star tested positive for banned drug - The Straits Times

BEIJING (REUTERS) - Russian media on Wednesday (Feb 9) reported that 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva had tested positive for a banned drug, after the ceremony to present her and her teammates with their Olympic gold medals was postponed for unexplained legal reasons.

Newspapers RBC and Kommersant named the drug as Trimetazidine, which is typically used to treat chest pain, or angina.

The news broke late at night in Beijing, where Valieva was part of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) ensemble that won the figure skating team event on Monday ahead of the United States and Japan.

Reuters attempted to reach the ROC chef de mission for comment but he did not answer his phone. The ROC earlier declined to comment on reports that Valieva had returned a positive test.

The teenager delivered one of the highlights of the Beijing Games so far when she landed the first quadruple jumps by a woman in Olympic competition. She was one of four ROC skaters who did not appear at their practice sessions on Wednesday.

Figure skating is a prestigious sport in Russia, which has an outstanding record at Olympic and world championships.

Any move to penalise Valieva or strip the team of their medals would likely cause a national outcry.

Prominent journalist Vasily Konov, deputy general producer at Russian sports channel Match-TV, said without citing sources that the sample in question had been taken two months ago.

"The drug trimetazidine does not help an athlete in any way. At all. It was found in one single sample in December. A minuscule amount. Nothing in her samples before or since," he wrote on social media.

"There is no doping in the conventional sense. No! This cardiac drug has no impact on... performance. Now leave Kamila in peace."

Former Russian pairs skater Tatiana Volosozhar, who won two gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, showed solidarity with Valieva on social media, calling for the use of the Russian hashtag #Iwillneverbelieve to send the teenager support.

Her post was "liked" on Instagram by Valieva herself.

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2022-02-09 19:27:42Z
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