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June 2020

Salud

BLM: UK military banned from ‘taking the knee’ as ‘too political’

by notiulti

British military are banned from ‘taking the knee’ in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests after commanders said it was too political

  • Ministry of Defence has stopped British forces personnel from ‘taking the knee’
  • Commanders worried the show of solidarity with BLM protests is too ‘political’
  • Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says armed forces should reset ‘woeful’ record on discrimination

By William Cole For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

British servicemen and women have been banned from ‘taking the knee’ because the act has become too ‘political’, it is claimed.

The Ministry of Defence have told uniformed forces personnel that they should not perform the symbolic gesture which is used to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

It is believed that commanders from at least one of branches of HM Armed Forces are worried that allowing officers to take the knee would cause political issues following mass protests on streets across the country.

But the view jars with Chief of the Defence Staff Nick Carter’s promise, in a letter to all commanders, to take action to stamp out racism from the ranks.

The Ministry of Defence have told uniformed forces personnel that they should not perform the symbolic gesture which is used to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement

And the move may cause division within lower ranks as well, with BAME officers and others who already support the movement unlikely to stop because of political concerns.

‘Stopping racism isn’t political,’ Ben McBean, a black Royal Marine who lost limbs in Afghanistan, told the Sun.

He added that troops who believed #BlackLivesMatter would do it anyway and suffer the punishments.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: ‘The MOD does a not tolerate racism and promotes diversity and equality. The recent protests have reminded us that we all have a role to play shaping a better society.’

Taking the knee has however proved controversial, with two Metropolitan Police officers criticised for kneeling outside Downing Street in front of BLM protestors.

Taking the knee has however proved controversial, with two Metropolitan Police officers criticised for kneeling outside Downing Street in front of BLM protestors

Taking the knee has however proved controversial, with two Metropolitan Police officers criticised for kneeling outside Downing Street in front of BLM protestors

Kent Police's chief constable Alan Pughsley took the knee at a BLM event recently

Kent Police’s chief constable Alan Pughsley took the knee at a BLM event recently

While largely peaceful at the time, the event later descended into chaos as projectiles were thrown over the gates at Number 10 and several officers were chased and injured on Whitehall.

Following the incident, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was among the first in Cabinet to discuss taking a knee, referring to it as something ‘from the Game of Thrones’ and ‘like a symbol of subjugation’.

Downing Street later said Mr Raab was giving a ‘personal opinion’ when he said taking a knee was a symbol of subjugation.

It comes as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the armed forces needed to ‘reset’ their ‘woeful’ record on discrimination against black and minority ethnic personnel.

The Cabinet minister told The House magazine that his own department had historically ‘not done well enough’ in either recruiting or welcoming people from a black, asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background.

And Mr Wallace said: ‘From a purely selfish point of view, by not having more BAME personnel, not having more women, we are losing the opportunity to have some great talent. So it’s really, really important that this is stopped, crushed, got rid of, and we have to double our efforts.’

What are the origins of ‘taking the knee’?

The ‘taking the knee’ protest was started in 2016 by American football player Colin Kaepernick. He famously knelt for the US national anthem before playing for the San Francisco 49ers, to demonstrate against police brutality.

He is believed to have taken the idea from how the US military honour fallen comrades.

Kaepernick said at the time: ‘I am not going to get up to show pride in a country that oppresses black people and people of colour.

‘To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.’

The action was hugely controversial in the US, with critics including Donald Trump saying it disrespected soldiers and the flag.

However, it spread more widely across US sports over the following years.

It was initially tolerated by the NFL, before an edict was issued in 2018 insisting all players on the field during  the national anthem must stand.

That ban was overturned earlier this month following outrage over George Floyd’s death. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodel said: ‘We were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.’

Many believe it destroyed Kaepernick’s career – he has not played a game since his contract ended in 2017.

It has been widely adopted around the world following George Floyd’s death, with police officers in the UK joining in with the action in public.

It was also used by Premier League footballers before matches last night.

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Mundo

White House says Trump has been briefed on alleged Russian bounties on U.S. troops – CBS Evening News

by notiulti
  1. White House says Trump has been briefed on alleged Russian bounties on U.S. troops CBS Evening News
  2. Suspicions of Russian Bounties Were Bolstered by Data on Financial Transfers The New York Times
  3. Trump says reports that Russia paid Taliban to kill U.S. troops were not “credible” CBS News
  4. Rep. Jim Banks: Russian bounties to Taliban story may be putting US lives at risk — here’s how Fox News
  5. Russian bounty hunting: Trump’s latest scandal | TheHill The Hill
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Negocio

Canada’s economy plunged record-breaking 11.6 per cent in April: StatCan

by notiulti

OTTAWA —
Statistics Canada says the economy saw its largest monthly drop on record in April as it came to a near standstill due to the pandemic, but early indications point to a rebound in May as businesses began to reopen.

The agency said Tuesday gross domestic product fell 11.6 per cent in April with non-essential businesses shut for the full month following a 7.5 per cent decline in March.

However, Statistics Canada said its initial flash estimate points to growth of three per cent in May. The estimate will be revised and finalized at the end of July.

Economists on average expect a drop of 13 per cent for April, according to financial markets data firm Refinitiv.

Manufacturing was down 22.5 per cent in April as many factories either shuttered or greatly reduced capacity in line with public health measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 — a move that hit the automotive sector hard as the output of motor vehicles plunged 97.7 per cent.

Even sectors that had increases in March weren’t spared in April like food manufacturing, which dropped 12.8 per cent in April as outbreaks at meat processing plants forced them to shut down.

The accommodation and food services sector dropped 42.4 per cent in April, as customers replaced eating out with staying in, hitting a sector that saw a 37.1 per cent decline in March.

Output from bars and restaurants in particular plunged 40.8 per cent as local and provincial states of emergency forced their closure, or limited operations to take-out and delivery.

Accommodation services fell 45.7 per cent, Statistics Canada says, owing to restrictions on travel between provincial and international borders.

And then there was sports.

As COVID-19 iced the National Hockey League season and put the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer on the sidelines, the arts and entertainment sector declined 25.6 per cent, further affecting companies in the accommodation and food services sectors.

Down too was construction by 22.9 per cent, concentrated largely in Ontario and Quebec, while a similar decline was noted in retail trade as brick-and-mortar stores stayed closed and consumers spent less while staying at home.

Poring through the data, Statistics Canada noted a jump in output of 17.3 per cent from online shopping as households shifted their shopping habits.

The silver lining in the horrible April numbers may be that it marked the bottom of this short but extremely deep recession, CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld said.

In a note, he wrote that the flash estimate for May is roughly half of what was expected, but the rebound may be more robust in June with more economic reopenings taking place.

“But thereafter, repairing the rest of the March and April wreckage will be a slower process, as recent COVID-19 flare ups here and elsewhere are showing the hazards of moving too far ahead of the virus,” he wrote.

“Markets were expecting the April news, and we can’t tell if the flash estimate for May will be treated as a disappointment.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2020.

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Tecnología

Dinosaurs that lived 200 million years ago used three toes to walk through mud like guinea fowls

by notiulti

Dinosaurs that lived 200 million years ago may have used three toes to walk through mud just like modern-day guinea fowls, study shows

  • Scientists compared guinea fowl tracks to those of meat-eating theropods
  • Similarities suggested dinosaurs also moved in a looping motion with their legs
  • Researchers said the motion had lasted 200 million years due to advantages

By Luke Andrews For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Dinosaurs that lived 200 million years ago may have walked using their three toes to cut through mud just like the game bird guinea fowl does today.

Scientists made the find after comparing tracks made by the birds to imprints left in rocks by meat-eating theropods, a group that eventually gave rise to Tyrannosaurus rex, that roamed through moder-day Connecticut during the Early Jurassic period.

The dinosaur footprints showed ‘similar movement’ to the birds, suggesting they also moved in a looping motion, used their claws to create entry and exit paths in the soil, and also collapsed and opened their feet in the same way.

Researchers said the motion may have survived so long because of its ability to ‘provide a stable base when spread, yet collapse to facilitate extraction from deformable substrates’.

Pictured above are the fossil footprints that were used in the study. They were created in the Early Jurassic by small meat-eating theropod dinosaurs ranging in modern-day Connecticut

In the study, published in Biology Letters, three guinea fowl walked through mud that was either solid, dry, firm or semi-liquid, before researchers took X-rays of their tracks. Their movements were also recorded by two cameras.

The images created were then used to model three-dimensional toe coordination in the birds, and animated to show their movements.

Guinea fowls were chosen for the study because their three-toed feet ‘closely resemble those of bipedal, non-avian dinosaurs, allowing the visible movements responsible for shallow tracks to be studied directly,’ according to the researchers.

Measurements were also taken from the fossils, housed in the Museum of Natural History at Amherst College.

Study author Dr Peter Falkingham, senior lecturer in vertebrate biology at Liverpool John Moores University, said: ‘Dinosaurs were moving in a very similar way to modern birds even 200 million years ago, many millions of years before birds evolved, even though they were quite different.

The results suggest that dinosaurs similar to coelophysis, pictured, may have walked just like guinea fowls. The researchers said this showed the evolutionary advantage of the movement

The results suggest that dinosaurs similar to coelophysis, pictured, may have walked just like guinea fowls. The researchers said this showed the evolutionary advantage of the movement

Dinosaurs similar to Dilophosaurus, also pictured, may also have walked like guinea fowl

Dinosaurs similar to Dilophosaurus, also pictured, may also have walked like guinea fowl

‘The similarity of motion, and the similarity of foot shape, between dinosaurs and birds today tells us how successful and versatile that foot has been evolutionarily.’

He pointed out that dinosaurs had long, muscular tails, while birds do not.

Guinea fowl have also been used in a study on dinosaurs in 2014, where researchers filmed them walking through poppy seeds to understand how dinosaur tracks are made.

The tracks were also x-rayed, to provide clues on how the footprints were made. The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Connecticut fossil tracks contain footprints from dinosaurs related to coelophysis and dilophosaurus.

What is the relationship between dinosaurs and birds?

Archaeopteryx in flight, pictured

Archaeopteryx in flight, pictured

Humble pigeons, clucking chickens and gobbling turkeys are all descendants of dinosaurs, scientists have learned.

The gradual evolution of birds from meat-eating theropods is thought to have begun about 160 million years ago, possibly as some smaller theropods moved into trees to search for either food or protection.

The discovery of a feathered Compsognathus in China in 1996, that lived during the Early Cretaceous, was the first indication that dinosaurs may have had feathers.

Another relative, Archaeopteryx, had been found a century earlier but was quickly classed as the first bird – due to the feathers covering its body.

But scientists re-assessed this analysis, and others. This also led to modern re-interpretations of dinosaurs, suggesting that many theropods may have had feathers.

Birds were the only dinosaurs to survive an asteroid hitting the Earth, possibly favoured by their small size, and later went on to colonise the globe.

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Entretenimiento

Strictly Come Dancing’s 2020 series ‘will run for 9 weeks instead of 13 and will start in October’

by notiulti

Strictly Come Dancing’s 2020 series will run for nine weeks instead of its usual 13 and won’t start until the end of October amid the COVID-19 crisis, according to new reports.

The hit BBC ballroom show is gearing up for a very different series during the pandemic and The Sun reports bosses have cut the series duration by a month and pushed back the start date to October 24.

Due to the reduced series run, it was claimed bosses will have fewer celebrities in the line-up, with the show’s Halloween and Blackpool specials coming up at two and four weeks into the schedule.

Keep dancing! Strictly Come Dancing’s 2020 series will run for nine weeks instead of its usual 13 and won’t start until the end of October amid the COVID-19 crisis, according to new reports (pictured 2019 champions Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse)

A source told the website: ‘BBC bosses are doing everything in their power to give the public as much Strictly as they possibly can and safely.

‘A heavily reduced schedule gives them a lot longer to pre-record certain segments to minimise risk. It does mean it will be starting much later in the year, and will finish very close to Christmas with the final currently scheduled for December 19.’

The 2019 series was won by soap star Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse, and started on September 21.

Show bosses are also said to be pre-recording professional group dances which is another alleged reason for the show’s delay.

Pros: The hit BBC ballroom show is gearing up for a very different series during the pandemic and The Sun reports bosses have cut the series duration by a month and pushed back the start date to October 24 (pictured the pro dancers in May 2019)

Pros: The hit BBC ballroom show is gearing up for a very different series during the pandemic and The Sun reports bosses have cut the series duration by a month and pushed back the start date to October 24 (pictured the pro dancers in May 2019)

The Strictly team are said to be ‘confident’ the show will still be a ratings winner and will attract a stellar calibre of celebrity.

A  BBC spokesman declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

Strictly bosses previously revealed that this year’s series will be shorter than usual and stars will be in ‘couple bubbles’ amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following months of speculation as to whether to hugely popular BBC ballroom show would go ahead this winter, it will be back on screens, but with major changes as Britain emerges from a stringent lockdown.

A spokesman said: ‘The Strictly Come Dancing team are doing everything they can to bring the nation plenty of Strictly magic later this year.

Planning: Due to the reduced series run, it was claimed bosses will have fewer celebrities in the line-up, with the show's Halloween and Blackpool specials coming up at two and four weeks into the schedule (above 2019 finalists Amy Dowden and Karim Zeroual)

Planning: Due to the reduced series run, it was claimed bosses will have fewer celebrities in the line-up, with the show’s Halloween and Blackpool specials coming up at two and four weeks into the schedule (above 2019 finalists Amy Dowden and Karim Zeroual)

‘To ensure we deliver the high standards audiences know and love, and in light of the ongoing considerations around COVID-19, this year’s series of Strictly will have a slightly shorter run than usual.

‘The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us and further updates will be made in due course.

Strictly bosses are still trying to work out how to make the next series work amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.

While the global crisis has caused the future of many British TV shows to hang in the balance, BBC executives are pulling out all the stops to ensure the series can return to screens later this year.

Claims: A source said: 'A heavily reduced schedule gives them a lot longer to pre-record certain segments to minimise risk (pictured judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli)

Claims: A source said: ‘A heavily reduced schedule gives them a lot longer to pre-record certain segments to minimise risk (pictured judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli)

BBC Director of Content Charlotte Moore has revealed producers are still assessing contingency plans such as enforcing a face mask rule, dancing two metres apart and even quarantining celebrities and professional dancers.

Charlotte told The Times: ‘We’re looking at how that would work. Could you quarantine people? Can we test everyone before filming? There’s a lot of work being done. It’s a big task.’

She also said fans could see the show go on-air without a live audience, with the BBC also looking into testing participants’ temperatures and installing glass divides inside the studio ‘so that people feel even more protected’.

The Strictly set-up has included a live audience since the show first aired back in 2004, when it was fronted by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly.

Precautions: Show bosses are also said to be pre-recording professional group dances which is another alleged reason for the show's delay (above the 2019 cast)

Precautions: Show bosses are also said to be pre-recording professional group dances which is another alleged reason for the show’s delay (above the 2019 cast)

Insiders previously claimed keeping participants in isolation was not plausible due to family ties.

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We will continue to review all productions on a case by case basis and will continue to follow the latest news and advice from the Foreign Office, World Health Organisation and Public Health England.’

Bosses are also reportedly offering doubled fees to celebrities, with sources claiming TV executives are keen for the series ‘to remain the jewel in the BBC’s crown’ and have already put forward contract proposals in a bid to attract a ‘stellar line-up’ for this year’s upcoming series.

The celebrities taking part are set to be announced at the end of July and it is believed they will rehearse on Zoom until lockdown rules are eased.

Cut: Meanwhile, Strictly bosses have revealed that this year's series will be shorter than usual and stars will be in 'couple bubbles' amid the COVID-19 pandemic (pictured are judges, L-R,  Bruno, Motsi, Shirley and Craig)

Cut: Meanwhile, Strictly bosses have revealed that this year’s series will be shorter than usual and stars will be in ‘couple bubbles’ amid the COVID-19 pandemic (pictured are judges, L-R,  Bruno, Motsi, Shirley and Craig)

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Noticias

Mount Pearl dismisses 2 councillors for conflict of interest in Steve Kent probe

by notiulti

Mount Pearl city council voted to dismiss two councillors Tuesday afternoon, over allegations they had a conflict of interest they failed to declare in the Steve Kent harassment investigation.

“We deeply regret being forced to take such action,” Deputy Mayor Jim Locke said.

But the two councillors who had their seats vacated — Andrew Ledwell and Andrea Power — did not go quietly.

They proclaimed their innocence, vowed to fight the decision, and made allegations of their own.

“Simply put, I maintain my innocence. I am not in a position of conflict of interest,” Ledwell said.

“And through an appeal, I will be taking this kangaroo court to the Supreme Court trial division.”

Ledwell said he felt he must blow the whistle on what he called “a variety of transgressions” by council.

In his letter to the minister of municipal affairs, Ledwell said he outlined “financial concerns” from over the past few years, including an investigation into fraudulent activity involving around $100,000, plus millions in unpaid business taxes.

Ledwell also said he was calling in the police over having his Facebook messages to Kent read by officials at city hall.

Steve Kent, after a lengthy service as MHA for Mount Pearl North, became the city’s top bureaucrat in October 2017. (Terry Roberts/CBC)

Power, meanwhile, also maintained her innocence, and also vowed to file a Supreme Court appeal.

In a 45-minute statement delivered to the virtual council meeting, she also took issue with having her Facebook correspondence with Kent read, and made an array of allegations of her own.

“I have cried an ocean of tears due to the constant stress, bullying and harassment I have experienced from the mayor and deputy mayor,” Power said.

“My family life and my professional life has been affected.”

She also noted that she has filed respectful workplace and harassment complaints against Mayor Dave Aker, charging that he made misogynist comments.

Because of that, Aker recused himself from the vote involving Power.

All other councillors except Ledwell voted to declare her seat vacant.

Power was immediately kicked out of the virtual council meeting.

Ledwell was unanimously voted out of office, and departed as well.

‘We have much work to do’

Deputy Mayor Jim Locke said council was bound by the legislation governing the city in taking the actions Tuesday.

Locke said the remaining members of council will work hard to rebuild trust with employees and residents of Mount Pearl.

“We will immediately begin to work towards restoring a healthy and safe work environment, and a welcoming and trustworthy community,” Locke said. “We have much work to do.”

He also again defended the city’s viewing of messages from Kent’s Facebook messenger account, saying they were on a city-owned iPad whose content is governed by transparency laws.

“It was very obvious that the nature of the messages was not only inappropriate for the [chief administrative officer], but two sitting councillors were also involved in the communications,” Locke said.

Locke said they “released confidential council information” to Kent about the harassment investigation he had been facing since last fall.

Mount Pearl city council voted Tuesday to dismiss a pair of councillors over an alleged conflict of interest. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC)

Kent is former mayor of Mount Pearl, provincial cabinet minister and deputy premier. He left his post as MHA and elected politics in the fall of 2017 to take on the top civil service job with the city.

Last October, he was placed on paid leave. The city called in an outside investigator to probe Kent’s workplace interactions with city staff.

Both Ledwell and Power were alleged to have spoken to and/or voted on the harassment investigation involving Kent over a seven-month period between October 2019 and April 2020, and failed to disclose a conflict.

Kent resigned last week and sued the city for constructive dismissal and breach of privacy, citing those Facebook messages.

He took that action after the city told him it planned to table a motion to fire him for just cause.

Read more articles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

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Deportes

Lionel Messi scores goal No. 700 vs. Atletico, but did Barcelona deserve the penalty? | ESPN FC – ESPN UK

by notiulti
  1. Lionel Messi scores goal No. 700 vs. Atletico, but did Barcelona deserve the penalty? | ESPN FC ESPN UK
  2. Griezmann losing the fight to prove he’s not just another Barcelona transfer flop Goal
  3. Barcelona 2-2 Atletico Madrid – Match Report beIN SPORTS MENA Breaking News
  4. Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid result LIVE! Lionel Messi scores 700th goal, but LaLiga title hopes fade Evening Standard
  5. Joao Felix feeling pressure of transfer fee but can become Atletico star like Griezmann, says Xavier Goal India
  6. View Full coverage on Google News

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Salud

India’s App Ban Threatens China’s Rise as a Global Tech Power – Bloomberg

by notiulti
  1. India’s App Ban Threatens China’s Rise as a Global Tech Power Bloomberg
  2. After Pompeo says ‘tide is turning against Huawei,’ India reportedly weighs 5G ban on Chinese firm CNBC
  3. Ban on Chinese apps, including TikTok, surprises India content makers BBC News
  4. India got it right: TikTok is evil Washington Examiner
  5. TikTok ban undercuts ByteDance in one of the world’s biggest digital markets CNN
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News
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Negocio

Australian shares limp into new financial year, as S&P 500 posts best quarter since 1998

by notiulti

Australian shares are expected to have a very limp start to the new financial year.

It comes after the local share market plummeted by 11 per cent in the 2019-20 fiscal year, its worst 12 months since the global financial crisis (GFC).

Market analysts expect the volatility, which has been roiling investors since COVID-19 struck months ago, will continue up to the US presidential election in November.

ASX futures were down four points (or 0.1 per cent) by 7:15am AEST.

A weaker US greenback helped push the Australian dollar up 0.6 per cent to 69.02 US cents.

Spot gold was up 0.6 per cent to $US1,780 an ounce, close to its eight-year high.

Oil prices went backwards, with Brent crude falling sharply (-1.4pc) to $US41.14 per barrel — as traders cashed in their recent profits, and Libya’s state oil company flagged progress in talks to resume exports, potentially boosting global supply.

In local economic news, the Bureau of Statistics will release its May building approvals data, while CoreLogic’s latest results will show how much property prices fell in June.

A line graph showing the volatility of the ASX 200 index, and a big plunge in late-February.
The market plunged even before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.(ABC News (Alistair Kroie))

Rebounding from a low base

US markets were boosted by better-than-expected consumer confidence figures and a belief that the Trump administration will unveil even more stimulus, on top of the trillions which have already been injected into the economy.

“What everybody sees is if we can get something that puts an end to the spread [of the coronavirus] or the spread becomes less, there is literally so much money out there that the Fed has put out there that when we turn, it is going to be a rocket ship the other way,” said JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade in Chicago.

On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 gained 1.5 per cent on Tuesday (local time), and recorded its best quarterly surge (+19pc) in more than two decades (December 1998).

But that was after it suffered a 20 per cent plunge in the March quarter, its worst quarter since December 2008, at the height of the GFC.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 1.9 per cent — and posted its best quarter since 1999 (after surging by 30.6 per cent in the last three months).

The Dow Jones rose by 217 points, or 0.9 per cent, to close at 25,813 points.

It was the strongest quarter for the Dow (+17.8pc) since March 1987.

Gains were capped on the Dow, pressured by a drop in Boeing.

The aeroplane maker gave back some of Monday’s 14 per cent surge after Norwegian Air cancelled orders for 97 aircraft and said it would claim compensation for the worldwide grounding of the troubled 737 MAX, and for 787 engine troubles that hit its bottom line.

Also, the Conference Board said on Tuesday its consumer confidence index rose to a reading of 98.1 this month. But that was still 34.5 points below its pre-pandemic level.

“Consumers are less pessimistic about the short-term outlook, but do not foresee a significant pickup in economic activity,” said Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at the Conference Board.

The worst is yet to come

Earlier this week, the US government’s top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said there was no guarantee the United States will have an effective COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr Fauci also warned the virus spread “could get very bad”, a reminder that a full economic recovery could be a long road.

Simmering US-China tensions also remained a possible headwind, with Washington beginning to eliminate Hong Kong’s special status under US law.

That was in response to Beijing’s national security law for the territory. China said it would retaliate.

“This doesn’t improve Hong Kong’s status as a financial centre, to say the least, coming back from the protests and the virus over the last year,” said Ilan Solot, foreign exchange strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman in London.

ABC/Reuters

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