The latest short-form news audio from FSN Bureaus worldwide
White House chief medical advisor, Dr Anthony Fauci, says there is currently no need for a variant-specific booster, as the U.S. confronts a looming tidal wave of the new coronavirus variant Omicron.
Omicron has been detected in 36 states, according to the CDC, and infections are doubling every three days.
The White House is calling for Americans to get boosters, but there is no sign of lock-downs or more travel restrictions.
Nina-Maria Potts has more:
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Inflation in the UK has hit a 10 year high, according to the most recent figures.
The cost of living has jumped to 5.1% in the year ending November after the cost of fuel, clothing and energy all rose substantially.
Chris Jones has more from London
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British Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton is now Sir Lewis Hamilton.
The 36-year-old was knighted at Windsor Castle in the U.K. on Wednesday...just days after he lost out on the F1 world title to his rival Max Verstappen.
Giles Gibson reports from London.
England's travel red list has been removed.
Now, all fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England will be able to isolate at home instead of so-called 'quarantine hotels'. And if they test negative on a PCR test after two days they will be permitted to leave isolation.
The red list was put in place to slow down the spread of the omicron Covid-19 variant, after its emergence in Southern African countries.
Despite the government's efforts, the variant is now widespread in England with around a third of all cases in London attributed to Omicron.
And because of that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that continuing the red list restrictions didn't make sense anymore.
IN: "I mean it's quite clear…"
OUT: "...and get on with things."
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India has made it mandatory for international travelers from nearly fifty countries to undergo PCR tests upon arrival.
Previously they could instead choose a rapid antigen test that took only a couple of hours to produce results - as opposed to a PCR test, which can take up to 48 hours.
Authorities hope the new rules will help curb the spread of the Omicron variant, as Ishan Garg reports.
IN: The new rulesThe Japanese government systematically overstated construction orders data for years, and the practice may have inflated the country's GDP figures.
The revelations were made by one of the country's largest daily newspapers on Wednesday and have led to a swift apology in Parliament.
Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo.
Moe than 800 thousand Americans have now died from COVID-19.
That's the highest national death toll from the coronavirus pandemic.
Rachel Silverman has this report from San Francisco.
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US stocks fell on Tuesday ahead of a key Federal Reserve announcement.
US correspondent Kate Fisher reports
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Generic: http://fsnradionews.com/feeds/1214markets-kf.mp3
President Donald Trump's last chief of staff could face a criminal charge after a House panel investigating the January 6th attack on the US Capitol voted to hold him in contempt for defying a subpoena.
The committee also released a series of text messages from Donald Trump's son and Fox News hosts showing how they had urged Mark Meadows to get President Trump to call off the rioters.
The criminal contempt of Congress referral could be taken up by the full house as soon as Tuesday.
Kate Fisher reports from Washington.
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Projections based on the spread of the Omicron variant from around the world, suggest the United States is about to get a new spike in the number of cases.
The U.S. has recorded 50 million COVID infections, nearly a fifth of all cases globally.
Caroline Malone reports from Washington.
IN: More coronavirus deaths
OUT: Caroline Malone, Washington
DUR: 0:43
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Four days after a devastating tornado storm ripped through eight U.S. states, the scenes of chaos are only worsening.
In the worst-hit state of Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear has spoken of the “unspeakable trauma” as emergency crews continue to count the dead and search for the missing.
Meanwhile Amazon has come under mounting fire over its workplace safety conditions and its response to the storm.
Nina-Maria Potts has more.
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DUR: 40 seconds