Record drop for Australia’s emissions. What’s working and what isn’t?
Australia’s emissions had the biggest drop ever this year outside the artificial kink in the curve during COVID-19 shutdowns, but there’s still a lot of work to do. ⌘ Read more

Covid raises risk of heart issues in children more than vaccination
Getting covid-19 for the first time slightly increased the risk of heart inflammation, blood clots and bleeding disorders among children, whereas being vaccinated against the virus was much safer and sometimes protective ⌘ Read more

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines can trigger the immune system to recognize and kill cancer, research finds ⌘ Read more

mRNA covid vaccines spark immune response that may aid cancer survival
An analysis of patient records suggests that mRNA covid-19 vaccines boost the immune response to cancerous tumours when given soon after people start a type of immunotherapy, extending their lives ⌘ Read more

Even short school breaks can affect student learning unevenly across socioeconomic backgrounds
The COVID-19 pandemic affected people worldwide disproportionately, with economically disadvantaged households facing a heavier burden. Children were also affected since schools and classes were closed to contain the virus. ⌘ Read more

Planning for Scotland, second try
My fiancée and I were in Scotland in 2023 on an Interrail trip. But with some bad luck, we got COVID-19 after half of the trip and had to go home and recover. We always said we wanted to finish our trip in one of the next years. ⌘ Read more

Zuck Regrets Censoring Facebook at Request of Democrats
“The White House, repeatedly pressured our teams for months to censor certain COVID-19 content, including humor and satire.” ⌘ Read more

Four years ago on this day, the government decided to close all schools and universities because of Covid-19. It was hard to get toilet paper or pasta because people started hoarding. Crazy what happened in those four years. ⌘ Read more

Catching COVID-19
So far, I had been spared from COVID-19. “Had,” focusing on the past, because now it has affected me, or us, after all. We had to cut short our vacation, which I used to share little glimpses of here on the blog. We quickly went back home, wearing masks the whole time and hoping not to infect more people. ⌘ Read more

Reading The Precipice & struck by the fact that it was released before GPT-3, just as COVID-19 was ramping up. Pretty insane

“The 20 months of battering negotiations have implications for health emergencies beyond COVID-19. “Clearly, there is a problem within the system,” said Luke McDonagh, assistant professor of law at the London School of Economics.”:
“The 20 months of battering negotiations have implications for health emergencies beyond COVID-19. “Clearly, there is a problem within the system,” said Luke McDonagh, assistant professor of law at the London School of Economics.”:

[nitter.net/PedroMMalaquias/status/159062643661 … ⌘ Read more

Just got my second booster shot. 💉 Hoping to stay free of COVID-19 on vacation and beyond… ⌘ Read more

**We still didn’t have a (much needed) conversation about how to prepare for the next pandemic, so that next time we won’t end up with such ill-designed contact tracing apps.

But it seems that first we have other conversation we can no longer postpone:

https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-data-switch/**
We still didn’t have a (much needed) conversation about how to prepare for the next pandemic, so that next time we won’t end up with such ill-designed contact tracing apps.

But it seems that first we have oth … ⌘ Read more

Forever Covid-19? Reinfections more likely as virus evolves, experts warn
Some people are bound to get hit more than twice, and repeat cases could mean higher risk for health problems, new research is showing. ⌘ Read more

Croatia’s China-built, EU-funded bridge to open over troubled waters
Beijing’s way of doing business and its rigid Covid-19 response have damaged its relationships in key belt and road corridor, experts say. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s resilient SMEs have weathered every storm since handover, but can they bounce back from Covid-19?
Some find it hard to be optimistic, others bank on city’s proven record of thriving despite crises. ⌘ Read more

Shenzhen tightens security ahead of Chinese president’s trip to Hong Kong
Covid-19 prevention measures also increased despite small number of community infections. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: faced with mounting costs, some ask whether China can afford to maintain mass testing
Extensive mass testing for Covid-19 is extracting a huge toll on regional finances, raising questions over the long-term sustainability of China’s zero-Covid policy. ⌘ Read more

Chinese video gaming billionaire plans relocation with family abroad after draconian Shanghai lockdown
XD co-founder and CEO Huang Yimeng has told colleagues he is making preparations to move out of China, as a rising number of Chinese middle-class families are contemplating relocation to escape strict Covid-19 control measures. ⌘ Read more

Taiwanese drinks shop owners jailed for up to 7 months over social media posts calling on others to flout Hong Kong’s Covid-19 curbs
Social media posts published by pair said official endeavours to curb spread of Covid-19 were either politically motivated or driven by bad faith. ⌘ Read more

Taiwan, US to hold first trade talks under new initiative
Taiwan’s top trade negotiator John Deng and deputy US trade representative Sarah Bianchi will meet virtually after Deng tested positive for Covid-19. ⌘ Read more

China’s education crackdown spurs Japan moves for international schools
British institutions Harrow, Rugby School and Malvern College are betting that scions of wealthy Chinese families will be lured by Japan’s proximity, low Covid-19 rates and fewer restrictions on education. ⌘ Read more

Rupture and reset (2017-2022): Hong Kong’s turbulent years and Covid-19 battle in 25 photos
A months-long anti-government movement that brought the city to its knees was followed by the emergence of a crippling pandemic. These are Hong Kong’s years of hard knocks, but a new chapter beckons that may offer renewal. ⌘ Read more

Cannabis use has risen with legalisation and Covid-19 lockdowns, according to UN report
In its annual World Drug Report, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said legalisation appears to have accelerated the upwards trends in reported daily use of the drug. ⌘ Read more

Moderna seeking Hong Kong regulatory approval for Omicron-targeted Covid-19 booster vaccine
Patrick Bergstedt, US company’s senior vice-president of commercial vaccines, says discussions with city government at advanced stage, but no green light given yet. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: Chinese factory hub Shenzhen shuts down Hong Kong border district for 3 days
Wholesale markets, public venues shut in Futian district, with some bus and subway lines suspended and window for Covid-19 test reports halved. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: Hong Kong frontline workers still waiting for Covid-19 subsidies because companies are refusing to apply
Essential workers in Hong Kong still waiting on Covid-19 emergency payments. ⌘ Read more

‘Made in China, Sold on Amazon’ community faces gloomy future amid Covid-19 lockdowns, geopolitical tensions
Shenzhen’s ‘Made in China, sold on Amazon’ community is focusing on regulatory compliance and brand building as it bids farewell to the days of rapid growth amid a tough market environment full of uncertainty. ⌘ Read more

Business chambers in Hong Kong urge Beijing’s liaison office to help push for removal of Covid-19 quarantine measures to revive ailing economy
Liaison office held series of closed-door individual meetings with city’s major foreign business chambers to ‘directly’ gauge their views on issues, sources say. ⌘ Read more

Covid-19 in China: Woman and ailing father threatened with detention after clash with police while trying to visit hospital
A viral video of the confrontation in which police stopped the pair going to a hospital has sparked public outrage. ⌘ Read more

The Age of Health Misinformation: From Pandemic to Infodemic
COVID-19 has sadly fuelled a torrent of false or misleading information that has complicated efforts to limit the spread of the virus ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: Beijing making contingency plans for Hong Kong government swearing-in ceremony on July 1 after 2 top city officials catch Covid-19
Cases spark speculation on whether a state leader such as President Xi Jinping will attend ceremony on July 1, the 25th anniversary of city’s return to Chinese rule. ⌘ Read more

Covid-19 vaccines ‘saved 20 million lives’ in first year, study says
The study is the first attempt to estimate the number of deaths prevented directly and indirectly as a result of Covid-19 vaccinations. ⌘ Read more

China’s strict Covid-19 border controls show more signs of easing, as Zhejiang province cuts entry quarantine
Beijing and Wuhan among cities already following relaxed rule, as China seeks to repair damage to travel and aviation sectors. ⌘ Read more

Chinese video gaming revenue falls in May, a third month of decline amid slowing economy and less player spending
China’s video gaming revenue fell 6.7 per cent to US$3.4 billion in May, as the local economy struggles with less consumer spending amid Covid-19 controls. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: Hong Kong logs over 1,000 cases for ninth day as Macau shuts gaming hubs, restricts eateries to combat surge in infections
Health officials in Hong Kong confirm 1,650 Covid-19 cases, including 128 imported infections, and one additional death ⌘ Read more

Shenzhen tightens Covid-19 controls with 48-hour negative test result required to use public transport after three new cases found
Shenzhen residents will need to present negative nucleic acid test results issued within 48 hours to take the subway, or travel by taxi and other public transport, according to a government notice issued on Thursday. ⌘ Read more

Are Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong expats still living the dream? Burnout, stress and loneliness rife since Covid-19, survey says
Almost 12,000 expatriates around the world were interviewed, including in the Asia-Pacific region, for a well-being survey. 95 per cent of ‘top managers’ in Singapore mentioned burnout symptoms while almost half the Hong Kong respondents were planning to return home. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: French face Covid-19 upsurge, other Europeans see increase
French vaccination chief said there was no doubt about an upsurge as daily new cases reached 95,000. Other European countries are also seeing an increase. Centre being built centre in Britain to develop vaccines against new variants. ⌘ Read more

From Indonesia to Pacific, women less likely to have 2 Covid-19 vaccine shots than men
Women have borne the brunt of hardship two years after the pandemic, a new UN report shows. ⌘ Read more

Chinese university student’s marathon two-week packing job for absent friends earns praise of a nation
A 15-day bag-packing effort by a Chinese university student for dorm mates stranded by Covid-19 goes viral. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: Is North Korea getting ready to declare victory over Covid-19?
Pyongyang only acknowledged that it had a coronavirus outbreak last month. Yet state media claims cases are already plummeting and says just 73 people have died – a widely disputed fatality rate of 0.002 per cent, the lowest in the world. ⌘ Read more

European nations tell China ‘self-isolation’ is stoking ‘mistrust’ in plea for easing of Covid-19 curbs
European ambassadors from Switzerland, France, Norway, Italy and Croatia have appealed to China to relax rules that prevent face-to-face meetings, saying direct communication will help reduce international tensions. ⌘ Read more

**“This decision is not only a hollow response to Covid-19, but it sends the message that intellectual property rights outweigh the rights to health and life.”

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/06/covid-19-wto-ministerial-decision-on-trips-agreement-fails-to-set-rules-that-could-save-lives/**
“This decision is not only a hollow response to Covid-19, but it sends the message that intellectual property rights outweigh the rights to health and life.”

[amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2…](https://www.amnesty. … ⌘ Read more

Masks, Covid-19 test kits, plastic bottles: more than 9,000kg of litter found on Hong Kong’s hiking trails, seashore last year, green group says
Plastic bottles, bottle lids and buoys top three types of rubbish commonly found on seashore, while cigarettes, tissue paper and food packaging dot hiking trails, green group Ecobus says. ⌘ Read more

China’s Covid-19 health code system is ripe for abuse and must not outlast the pandemic
A recent scandal in Henan province that saw protesters issued bogus red health codes to restrict their movements shows how open the system is to misuse. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong health experts propose 5 key groups, including animal care workers, be vaccinated against monkeypox before exposure
Pre-exposure jab considered for five target groups, but should not be given within four weeks before or after a Covid-19 vaccine is administered. ⌘ Read more

Chinese mRNA booster fights Omicron 4 times better than inactivated Covid-19 vaccines, researchers say
AWcorna vaccine produced 4.4 times more Omicron antibodies than for those boosted with Sinovac, scientists behind clinical trial write in Cell Research journal. ⌘ Read more

WTO strikes landmark deals after tense Geneva talks, prompting cheers
The World Trade Organization concluded hard-won deals on fishing subsidies, food insecurity and Covid-19 vaccines in a landmark bundle of agreements secured through hectic round-the-clock talks in Geneva. ⌘ Read more

How Hong Kong’s ‘Covid-19 heroes’ rose to the challenges they faced
The Post talks to some of Hong Kong’s ‘Covid-19 heroes’, people who have risen to the challenges thrown at them by the virus over the past two years. ⌘ Read more