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The US mentioned it will require negative Covid-19 tests for air passengers travelling from China as nations rushed to impose restrictions after the abrupt finish of Beijing’s zero-Covid containment coverage resulted in a surge in circumstances.
Washington’s transfer on Wednesday got here simply hours after Italy introduced it can take a look at all air passengers arriving from China for the virus, changing into the primary western nation to set new guidelines following the bounce in infections.
The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention mentioned that from January 5, travellers boarding flights to the US from China, Hong Kong and Macau would want a adverse Covid-19 take a look at or proof they’d recovered from a earlier an infection. The necessities additionally apply to passengers arriving within the US through a 3rd nation and to these connecting to different locations via the US.
The brand new measures are supposed to “sluggish the unfold” of the virus within the US following the surge in China and are being applied due to “the shortage of satisfactory and clear epidemiological and viral genomic sequence knowledge being reported from” Beijing, the CDC mentioned in a press release.
The Chinese language embassy within the US didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Three extra tales within the information
1. China’s elite hoard Paxlovid as demand soars China’s elites are stockpiling supplies of Paxlovid, Pfizer’s Covid-19 antiviral drug, and giving it away to curry favour with enterprise associates as an unprecedented Covid wave leaves hospitals stripped of sources and odd individuals struggling to entry remedy. A number of private and non-private hospitals advised the FT that the drug was both out of inventory or that its use was being severely restricted.
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First individual: Having dodged the virus for almost three years, it was satirically in Beijing — Xi’s zero-Covid citadel — that it finally caught up with me, Asia editor Joe Leahy writes.
2. Exxon sues EU to dam new windfall tax on oil firms ExxonMobil is suing the EU in a bid to force it to scrap the bloc’s new windfall tax on oil teams, arguing Brussels exceeded its authorized authority by imposing the levy. The lawsuit is probably the most important response but towards the tax from the oil trade, which has been focused by western governments amid a surge in power costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
3. Wall Road shares slip as Hong Kong-listed shares climb US shares fell on Wednesday, all however erasing hopes of a festive rally to finish a dire 12 months for equities, though Hong Kong-listed shares climbed as China eased its zero-Covid restrictions. Wall Road’s benchmark S&P 500 was down 0.66 per cent by mid-afternoon, whereas the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was down 0.8 per cent.
What else we’re studying
Sri Lanka farmers rely the price of authorities fertiliser ban For hundreds of years, Sri Lanka has been famend for its huge and diversified produce, its fertile soil fostering all the pieces from cinnamon and black pepper to fruits and aromatic teas. However over the previous 18 months, the nation has change into a cautionary tale for global agriculture.
3 ways Huge Tech acquired it unsuitable It’s time to unlearn the lessons of Big Tech, writes Brooke Masters. For 20 years, the Silicon Valley giants and their friends have set the usual for company success with a easy set of methods: innovate quickly and splash out to woo prospects. However these days are over.
Race is on to develop new era of weight-loss medicine Altering attitudes, surging demand and tight provide for a brand new class of weight problems medicine has sparked a race to develop drugs for a market projected to be price $50bn in annual revenues by the tip of the last decade. Greater than 4 in 10 American adults are clinically overweight, in line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. Is a game-changer on the way?
Hottest FT world information story: US scientists make fusion power breakthrough
Because the 12 months reaches its shut, we’re sharing a few of our most-read tales throughout completely different sections of the FT. Immediately we spotlight our most learn world information story.
Earlier this month, US authorities scientists made a breakthrough in the pursuit of limitless, zero-carbon power by reaching a internet power acquire in a fusion response for the primary time. FT’s Tom Wilson was first to interrupt the story.
Because of readers who took yesterday’s ballot. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents mentioned they really feel they’re extra productive at dwelling than within the workplace.
Take a break from the information
The previous 12 months have introduced excellent cinematic debuts by ladies, a Tom Cruise megahit and dissident voices from Russia and Iran. On the earth of movie, 2022 was a 12 months of comebacks, flops and arrests. Explore FT critic Danny Leigh’s top 10 films of the year.
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