More travel is restricted as virus variants spread
To curb the spread of new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus, both the US and the EU are looking for ways to further restrict travel, following in the footsteps of countries like Australia, New Zealand, Ghana and South Korea Strict travel restrictions have proven to be effective proven to control the infection rate on land.
President Biden will ban non-citizens of South Africa from traveling to the United States starting Saturday and will extend similar bans that former President Donald Trump imposed on travel from Brazil, the United Kingdom and other European countries.
The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, recommended on Monday restricting unnecessary travel to prevent blanket border closings that would hamper trade and the movement of cross-border workers. Travel without restrictions would still be possible for family, professional and health reasons that are considered essential.
Official Comment: “The situation in Europe with the new variants has led us to make difficult but necessary decisions,” wrote the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Twitter. “We have to be safe and not prevent essential travel.”
The likely collapse of the Italian government
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will present his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella today, his office said, which is very likely to trigger the collapse of the Italian government as it faces a still spiraling coronavirus epidemic and vaccine adoption is halted.
More than 80,000 Italians have died from the virus. The government, which has made slow but steady progress in vaccinating its public health workers, has seen a surge in speed and threatened to sue Pfizer for shortages of vaccine doses.
Mr Conte’s government failed to obtain an absolute majority in a Senate vote of confidence last week after Matteo Renzi withdrew from the coalition in protest at Mr Conte’s management of the epidemic.
Shortly: What will happen after Mr Conte offers to resign remains unclear. Mr. Conte could stay in command and lead a new government coalition with a different party group. Other options include more thorough restructuring under a different prime minister or even elections to elect a new parliament.
The house delivers its impeachment lawsuit against Trump
For the second time in just over a year, the House of Representatives on Monday sent an impeachment order against Donald Trump to the Senate, placing his political destiny in the hands of 50 Republican senators.
The trial itself won’t begin until Feb.9, and it is unlikely that there will be a conviction unless 17 Republicans vote alongside Democrats against Mr Trump. Several Republicans, including Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, have signaled that they are ready to condemn the former president, but their number is well below that threshold right now.
Money Matters: The Senate confirmed that Janet Yellen, an employment economist and former chairman of the Federal Reserve, became Secretary of the Treasury on Monday. Regardless, President Biden’s Finance Department will expedite the process of putting Harriet Tubman’s portrait on the front of the $ 20 bill.
Supreme command: Mr Biden lifted his predecessor’s ban on transgender troops serving in the military.
Connected: The Justice Department’s Inspector General announced an investigation into whether current or former officials wrongly attempted to use the Department’s powers to reverse the results of the presidential elections.
If you have 10 minutes, it’s worth it
What it really was like to work for Trump
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading US infectious disease expert, was an advisor to seven presidents. But the past year struck him like no other. Though his calm advice made him popular with many Americans, the politicization of the pandemic made him a villain to others – so much so that he received death threats.
In a comprehensive interview, Dr. Fauci paid last year’s tribute. During all this he never thought of stopping: “I had the feeling that it would be better for the country and better for the cause that I stay.”
The following also happens
Portuguese choice: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Portugal’s center-right president, was re-elected for a second term on Sunday, but the vote also confirmed the rise of far-right politician André Ventura, who founded his party less than two years ago.
Malka Leifer: An Israeli woman accused of sexually abusing dozens of students at an Australian school where she was the headmistress was extradited from Israel and completed a seven-year deportation process that tested relations between the two countries had asked.
Snowfall in Madrid: The record-breaking snow cover in the Spanish capital this month devastated the already endangered Cañada Real district, which is home to around 8,000 people.
Snapshot: Above, a man receiving a second dose of the coronavirus vaccine in Tel Aviv. In Israel, which is the world leader in vaccinating its population against the virus, early data shows a significant decrease in infection after just one two-dose vaccination and better than expected results for people who received both doses.
Playback: After Salisbury Cathedral in England became a vaccination center, its organists began to provide musical accompaniment to the vaccinations – and they even take inquiries.
Looting by the Nazis: The owners of a rare 300-year-old violin refuse to compensate the heirs of a Jewish music dealer, which jeopardizes a refund system that has existed in Germany for almost two decades.
Capitalism memorabilia: Selling products related to the 2008 financial crash, dotcom bubble and even the Enron scandal has become a thriving niche online market.
What we read: This ranking from Bloomberg of the best and worst places during the pandemic across several different metrics. (New Zealand holds the top spot for now.)
Now a break from the news
“I understand that Sartre’s name is associated with a fashionable brand of café philosophy, and since you can find some ‘suctorialists’ for every so-called existentialist (if I may use a polite term), this Made in England The Translation of Sartre’s First Novel ‘La Nausée’ should be a success. “- – Vladimir Nabokov on Jean-Paul Sartre “Nausea”
“I don’t think many of the Danielle Steel people will buy a book in which a character is eaten inside out by a voracious moray eel – but for those who like what Harris is so brilliant at, a book review is not required . “- – Stephen King on Thomas Harris “Hannibal”
“If there was any doubt about her stature as an outstanding American writer of her own generation or of any other generation, ‘Beloved’ will calm her. In three words or less, it’s hair loss. “- – Margaret Atwood on Toni Morrison “Lover”
“It shows with great power how each of us, unconscious as we may be, can be the vehicle of the story that made us. Well, we can die in that vehicle, kids, or we can drive up the street. “- – James Baldwin on Alex Haley’s “Root”
“Rex Reed is a cheeky, snoopy, bitchy man who sees with sharp eyes and writes with a mean pen and manages to turn all of us into voyeurs. If this sounds like I don’t like Rex Reed, let me correct that impression. I love Rex Reed. “- – Nora Ephron on Rex Reeds “Do you sleep naked?”
That’s it for this briefing. I wish you a good Tuesday.
– Natasha
Many Thanks
Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh took the break from the news. You can reach the team at [email protected].
PS
• We hear “The Daily”. Our latest episode is about Aleksei Navalny and the future of Russia.
• Here is our mini crossword puzzle and a clue: Classic toys on a string (four letters).
• Our live briefing on coronavirus has been running for a year. It is believed to be the longest continuous coverage of the pandemic in the world.
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