The latest short-form news audio from FSN Bureaus worldwide
Australian Industry leaders are calling for an overhaul of the country's Covid isolation rules, to combat chronic staff shortages.
The Federal Government is holding talks with industry, to decide which sectors should qualify for relaxed isolation rules.
Shaun Bindley reports.
GENERIC: http://fsnradionews.com/feeds/0112iso-sb-gen.mp3
COURTESY AIR NEWS MEDIA - AUSTRALIA
US President Joe Biden is calling for a change in Senate rules in a bid to pass voting rights legislation.
The President says he supports ending the filibuster to allow the laws to pass with a simple majority - not the 60 elusive votes they currently require.
Kate Fisher reports from Washington
IN: A senator
OUT: SOC
DUR: 1'03"
US President Joe Biden has launched a fresh effort to secure the passage of new voting rights laws in the United States Senate.
Two pieces of legislation are currently awaiting a vote there, and the President says he now favors changing Senate rules to allow the laws to pass with a simple majority - not the 60 elusive votes they currently require.
In a speech in Atlanta, the President presented the issue as fundamental to the future of American democracy.
IN: "Will we choose…."
OUT: "…Senate stand?"
DUR: 30 seconds
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0111voting-biden.mp3
But several prominent civil rights leaders stayed away from the President's speech, complaining that he should have come to the issue far earlier in his Presidency.
US officials have confirmed that flights were temporarily halted at some West Coast airports Monday.
The stoppages occurred around the same time that North Korea tested a ballistic missile.
Ira Spitzer has more from San Francisco.
IN: The Federal Aviation ..
The US's leading infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, has accused Republican Senator Rand Paul of attacking him for political gain.
During a Senate hearing on Tuesday Mr Fauci said Mr Paul had made false claims about him that have encouraged threats on his life.
Kate Fisher reports form Washington
IN: President Biden
OUT: SOC
DUR: 48 seconds
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is getting ready to start raising interest rates, to cool the U.S. economy.
He addressed concerns about continued inflation, at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.
Caroline Malone reports from Washington.
IN: Fed Chair
OUT: Caroline Malone, Washington
DUR: 0:35
The World Health Organization is predicting that 50% of people in Europe will get Covid-19 within the next two months.
That warning came on the same day that a top US official predicted that most Americans will get Covid as a result of the Omicron strain of the virus.
Dr. Janet Woodcock, the Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration was speaking hours after the US recorded a single-day record of 136,000 people hospitalized with the virus.
IN: "I think it's hard…."
OUT: "…while this happens"
DUR: 18 seconds
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0111covid-fda.mp3
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Nearly 25 per cent of American hospitals say they are suffering chronic staff shortages due to the wintertime spread of the virus in the United States.
On Air Force One today, Press Secretary Jen Psaki repeated the White House contention that the US has the tools necessary to fight the Omicron threat.
IN: “Covid as it is….”
OUT: “….a year ago”
DUR: 21 seconds
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0111tools-psaki.mp3
A third Chinese city has gone into full lockdown….impacting more than 5 million people.
The city of Anyang reported just two cases of Covid-19, but the authorities ordered all of its residents confined to their homes.
Our Beijing Correspondent Patrick Fok reports.
IN: "The authorities…."
OUT: "…under lockdown"
DUR: 43 seconds
IN: "The journalist-turned-politician..."
OUT: SOC
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0111sassolideath-rc-generic.mp3
Mali has announced it is recalling all of its ambassadors in West Africa - in response to severe sanctions that have been imposed on the country by the Economic Community of West African States. The 15 member states in the group announced they were closing all borders with Mali - after the nation's ruling military junta announced it was delaying plans to return the country to a civilian government.
Nabil Ahmed Rufai reports.
IN: "The West African…."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 57 secs
http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0111Malionecowas-nar.mp3
Intro:
India has revised its COVID-19 testing guidelines - effectively discouraging asymptomatic patients from getting tested.
Experts say this will hide the true impact of the pandemic in the country.
But officials believe it will reduce the burden on medical facilities, as Ishan Garg reports from New Delhi.
IN: The new guidelinesNorth Korea has fired what could be a ballistic missile in the second suspected missile launch in less than a week. The latest test comes a day after the United Nations ended discussions on how to respond to last week's launch of what North Korea claimed was a "hypersonic missile."
Phoebe Amoroso reports from Tokyo.
IN: "North Korea launched ..."
The CEO of pharmaceutical company Pfizer says his company is working on a vaccine to target the omicron variant of COVID. He says Pfizer has already begun manufacturing it.
US Correspondent Rachel Silverman has details.
IN: Pfizer CEO
OUT:SOC
DUR: 33
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0110bourla-rs-generic.mp3