Germany: Justice Minister Marco Buschmann of the FDP called on the rest of the government to end the last remaining COVID prevention measures.

Epidemiologist and German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach of the SPD suggested doing so would be "foolish."
dw.com/en/germanys-ne… Germany still has relatively cautious regulations in place. Until in April 2023, when the current infection prevention law is due to expire, FFP2 masks must be worn on all long-distance trains and buses, in all hospitals and care homes, and in all doctors' offices.

This is quite striking.

Xi actually acknowledged that “China is so huge. There are 1.4 billion people. Everyone has their own opinions, even on the same matter” in his new year address. But he also emphasized the importance of 'consensus-building', which critics might argue is monopolized by the Communist Party.

Tesla supplier Panasonic seeks to balance US and Chinese markets in tech war - Financial Times ft.com/content/10ae18… The US is a particularly important market for Panasonic’s car battery business. The Japanese group runs a $5bn gigafactory in Nevada with electric vehicle maker Tesla.

China's Economic Activity at Slowest Since 2020 as Covid Spreads - Bloomberg bloomberg.com/news/articles/… China’s economy was faltering before the Covid Zero pivot as the curbs to prevent the spread of infection depressed economic activity and kept the country isolated from the rest of the world.

Why Benedict XVI, a German pope, is at odds with the German church - The Washington Post washingtonpost.com/world/2022/12/… In Germany, the pace of secularization, a force Benedict XVI spent decades warning about, has been dramatic.

Abuse scandals, including one that showed Benedict mishandling cases, have hastened the emptying of pews.

The CDC said on Friday that it is tracking a new variant of concern dubbed XBB.1.5.

It estimates XBB.1.5 makes up 40.5% of new infections across the country.

XBB.1.5's prevalence is largest in the Northeast.
cbsnews.com/news/covid-var… Scientists and public health officials have been closely monitoring the XBB subvariant family for months because the strains have many mutations that could render the Covid-19 vaccines, including the Omicron boosters, less effective and cause even more breakthrough infections.

Vivienne Westwood: Tributes for 'Queen of British Fashion' after her death - BBC bbc.com/news/uk-641221… Julian Assange's wife Stella, whose wedding dress was created by Westwood, hailed the designer as a "pillar of the anti-establishment".

Breaking: Qin Gang is named China's next foreign minister.

https://twitter.com/bbcchinese/status/1608786778340605953

The White House snubbed Qin for most of his time in Washington, but has been scrambling to open doors to him since realizing that he was on the cusp of emerging as a key player in Beijing.
semafor.com/article/12/29/…

China steps up Covid variant monitoring as countries impose entry curbs - Financial Times ft.com/content/e9d2c4… A research team at a major Beijing university that has begun submitting sequenced samples said about 80% of their specimens were the Omicron sub-variant BF.7, while 20% were BA.5.2. Both are spin-offs of the BA.5 strain.

Putin says Russia expects China's Xi to make state visit in spring - CNBC cnbc.com/2022/12/30/put… “Despite its current troubles, the Russian leadership may prefer it that way. Moscow may be wary of becoming too tied to — and too dependent on — China as well.”
theatlantic.com/international/…

'When was it too late?' Some U.S. Jews wonder about their place in America. - The Washington Post washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/… Warm pride in Jewish parts of the national zeitgeist such as “Seinfeld” has given way to cold calculations about what if.

US Census Bureau redefines meaning of 'urban' America - The Associated Press apnews.com/article/census… Around 4.2 million residents living in 1,140 small cities, hamlets, towns and villages that lost their urban designation were bumped into the rural category.

Only around 33% of UK voters are familiar with party manifestos, with 10% claiming “always” to read them and 23% claiming to read them “sometimes”.
prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/democ… With the decline of social class as the main focus of allegiance a number of alternative allegiances has grown up, recently for example around “wokeism”.

Bangladesh on Wednesday launched its first metro rail service in the capital Dhaka, with officials and commuters hopeful it will help ease traffic in one of the world's most densely populated and congested cities. In Dhaka, with 10.3 million people packed in 305 square kilometers (117.76 square miles), the average driving speeds have dropped to less than 7 kilometers (4.3496 miles) an hour right now from 21 kilometers an hour 10 years ago.

China's economy begins to reopen after 3 years of Covid isolation - Financial Times ft.com/content/9f2170… Investors and analysts predict a brighter year ahead after Covid disrupted supply chains and forced stoppages on factory floors, as the Chinese economy recovers and begins to reconnect with the rest of the world.

Italy: Milan's main airport, Malpensa, had already started testing passengers arriving from Beijing and Shanghai on December 26, and the results showed almost one in two passengers was infected.
reuters.com/business/healt… Italy’s move to test all air arrivals from China for coronavirus came as the likes of France, the UK and others said they had no plans to follow suit or were waiting for further information.
ft.com/content/117b66…

» Inside the Trilateral Commission: Power elites grapple with China's rise - Nikkei Asia asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/The-… "Some websites say that all the significant events in the world have been predetermined by the Trilateral Commission," one Japanese professor said to laughter from the veteran attendees.

Tech Giant Aims to Cut Ties With Russia - The New York Times nytimes.com/live/2022/11/2… If Putin gives his final assent at their meeting later in the day, Kudrin is expected to leave his current role of heading the Audit Chamber, a government accountability body, for a leading position at Yandex.

Lecturers, teachers and Royal Mail staff in UK walk out in coordinated strike - The Telegraph telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/11/2… It will be the biggest strike of its kind, affecting an estimated 2.5 million students, with the union warning of escalated action in the new year if the row is not resolved.

Advanced chips and the factories making them have become a substitute for arms and armies in the East-West stand-off because they are a critical component of our modern lives.
ft.com/content/d3935b… China already accounts for almost a fifth of the world’s semiconductor production — significantly surpassing that of the US. It can now make low-end chips that use 14nm technology and older at home.

» Emirates Sees ‘Tsunami’ of Bookings Once China Reopens to International Flights - Bloomberg bloomberg.com/news/articles/… While most aviation markets are already “rebounding at pace,” the dropping of Covid-related curbs in the world’s second-largest economy will trigger a “tsunami” of bookings, Emirates President Tim Clark said Wednesday.