The Pigeon Express
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has warned that Covid-19 infections could be growing exponentially in a congested residential area of the city and said the number of overall cases had increased due to an outbreak in pet hamsters. Chief Executive Lam urged Hong Kong people to avoid gatherings before next week’s Lunar New Year as […]
Chinese social media users have supported Beijing’s narrative that Canada sent a package of “poison” into China’s capital, explaining how the Omicron variant of Covid-19 entered the city. One viral post on Weibo suggested that someone “deliberately” sent the alleged contaminated letter to Beijing, further warning other users to “be alert toward international mail,” according […]
A folk singer from the Czech Republic has died after deliberately catching Covid, according to reports. Hana Horka, 57, was unvaccinated and had posted on social media that she was recovering after testing positive, but died two days later. Her son, Jan Rek, said she got infected on purpose when he and his father had […]
Authorities in Hong Kong are seizing a number of hamsters to be euthanised following a Covid outbreak. Crowds gathered outside the Little Boss pet store as the animals were carried away in boxes. Families who have bought a hamster from the store since 22 December have been told to hand over their pet for euthanasia. […]
The Beijing Winter Olympics app that all Games attendees must use contains security weaknesses that leave users exposed to data breaches, analysts say. The My2022 app will be used by athletes, audience members and media for daily Covid monitoring. The app will also offer voice chats, file transfers and Olympic news. But cybersecurity group Citizen […]
The head of the World Health Organisation warned world leaders that the coronavirus pandemic “is nowhere near over”. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned against the assumption that the newly dominant Omicron variant is significantly milder and has eliminated the threat posed by the virus. The intervention comes as some European nations saw record new case […]
The US Supreme Court has blocked President Joe Biden’s rule requiring workers at large companies to be vaccinated or masked and tested weekly. The justices at the nation’s highest court said the mandate exceeded the Biden administration’s authority. Separately they ruled that a more limited vaccine mandate could stand for staff at government-funded healthcare facilities. […]
Boris Johnson faces calls to resign after he admitted attending a drinks party during lockdown. The prime minister apologised for the way he handled the event in the Downing Street garden in May 2020 and said he understood the public’s “rage” over it. Cabinet members including deputy PM Dominic Raab rallied round Mr Johnson. But […]
Indian cities such as capital New Delhi and Mumbai could peak next week after rising rapidly, experts say, as the country reports the highest number of daily cases since late May. The 247,417 new infections on Thursday were more than 30 times higher daily cases from a month ago, rising as the more transmissible Omicron […]
A doctor in China’s Zhoukou city has been charged with a crime for allegedly treating a fever patient while working at a hospital without a fever clinic. Patients with possible Covid symptoms in China can only get treatment at specially designated hospitals. The doctor, only known by their surname Guo, was charged on suspicion of […]
Indian officials are investigating a private laboratory accused of faulty Covid-19 tests on passengers on two flights from Italy last week. At least 173 passengers from Rome, and 125 travellers from Milan tested positive on arrival in Amritsar. Thirty of them were tested again at the airport but only three people tested positive for Covid […]
Tennis star Novak Djokovic admitted there were mistakes on his immigration forms and to meeting a journalist despite testing positive for Covid, as Australia mulls deporting him. Djokovic made the admissions in an Instagram post to clarify “ongoing misinformation” about his movements. The men’s tennis number one is hoping to play in the Australian Open […]