British regulators warned Wednesday that people who have a history of serious allergic reactions shouldn’t receive the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as they investigate two adverse reactions that occurred on the first day of the country’s mass vaccination program.
The U.K.’s Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is looking into whether the reactions were linked to the vaccine. The two people affected were staff members with the National Health Service who had a history of allergies, and both are recovering. Authorities have not specified what their reactions were. https://apnews.com/article/uk-allergic-reaction-pfizer-vaccine-64ddccd70c38a39f880da27941db3540

Germany's Angela Merkel calls for tougher coronavirus restrictions
In a passionate speech to parliament Chancellor Merkel called for a lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. https://p.dw.com/p/3mSU0

As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, transportation officials around the world have been looking for ways to keep passengers and crew safe on board planes.
On November 25, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) released new guidelines for the country's airline industry, which it oversees.
But one of those suggestions — that personnel like flight attendants wear disposable diapers so they don't need to use the bathroom — has raised some eyebrows.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/china-civil-aviation-administration-coronavirus-guidance-intl-hnk/index.html

Anderson Cooper breaks down the various efforts by President Trump and the GOP to overturn the election results. https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/12/11/trump-ag-lawsuits-election-loss-kth-sot-vpx.cnn

Seven volunteer firefighters homes destroyed along with the department's fire station. Yet that did not stop the team from working around the clock, evacuating neighbors, extinguishing the flames, and fighting to save remaining homes.
Within days, 2019 CNN Hero Woody Faircloth learned of the tragedy and sprang into action, sourcing and delivering RVs for them to stay until they can get back on their feet. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/22/us/wildfires-california-emergency-rv-firefighters-shelter-cnnheroes/index.html

Dr. Sanjay Gupta breaks down the similarities and differences between Pfizer and Moderna's coronavirus vaccines as the Pfizer vaccine is rolled out and the Moderna vaccine comes close to FDA emergency-use authorization. https://edition.cnn.com/videos/health/2020/12/16/moderna-pfizer-vaccine-comparison-gupta-sot-ac360-vpx.cnn

The nation struggles to contain a surge so alarming it has spurred California to dispense thousands of body bags and line up refrigerated morgue trucks. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-california-nursing-homes-d042fd93c4d9f65f39f255fa3ca03b7f

Ah yes, "ze Autobahn". Few other landmarks represent Germany more than its freeway system. Cologne's cathedral is distinctively West German, and the TV Tower in Berlin is a GDR feat of engineering, but the Autobahn (literally "car runway") connects the whole country. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/autobahn-germany-history/index.html

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez believes the Democratic Party needs new leadership, telling in an interview that it’s time for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to go. But the left, she said, currently has no plan on how to fill the subsequent leadership vacuum. https://theintercept.com/2020/12/16/aoc-nancy-pelosi-needs-to-go-but-theres-nobody-to-replace-her-yet/

"A local resident on Ailuk discovered a boat with 649 one-kilogram bricks of cocaine," said Marshall Islands Attorney General Richard Hickson. Police said the discovery last week was the largest volume of cocaine to ever wash into the Marshall Islands, which has seen hundreds of kilos of cocaine found near multiple islands over the past two decades. The drug haul has an estimated street value of over $US80 million. https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/433026/marshall-islands-destroy-record-cocaine-haul

Woman loses dog under massive amounts of sea foam
Several people jumped into action to save a dog that got lost under massive amounts of sea foam covering an Australian beach. https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2020/12/15/australia-beach-foam-dog-lost-jr-orig-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/around-the-world/

Italy has ordered a nationwide lockdown over much of the Christmas and New Year period in an effort to combat a rise in coronavirus cases.
The country will be under "red-zone" restrictions over the public holidays, with non-essential shops, restaurants and bars closed, and Italians only allowed to travel for work, health and emergency reasons.
Limited home visits will be allowed. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55372491

Reports from Britain and South Africa of new coronavirus strains that seem to spread more easily are causing alarm, but virus experts say it’s unclear if that’s the case or whether they pose any concern for vaccines or cause more severe disease.
Viruses naturally evolve as they move through the population, some more than others. https://apnews.com/article/new-coronavirus-strain-england-explainer-74ea2d47820b8dcac02f95ad9440f533

If the Brits panic you know what happen if that mutation comes to the USA!! India, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, Jordan and Hong Kong suspended travel for Britons after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a mutated variant of the virus, up to 70% more transmissible, had been identified in the country. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman closed their borders completely. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain/shaken-by-new-coronavirus-strain-world-shuts-the-door-on-britain-idUSKBN28V1FF

This is the world that press photographers captured in 2020, a world beset by every sort of catastrophe — natural and unnatural disaster, violent and non-violent conflict.
And, in every corner of that world, the coronavirus.
https://apnews.com/article/AP-photos-2020-virus-racial-injustice-2dffd369c407c5b313f3db0c1fa35377

Ray Dalio founded and manages the largest hedge fund in the world, Bridgewater Associates. He warns that if we don't reform capitalism to narrow the wealth gap in this country, we’ll not only see greater polarization, but also a worse economy for all. https://youtu.be/pYZxD1Nnglw

Wombats, snails, ferrets: The animals that brought us joy during the pandemic https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/23/world/2020-covid-pandemic-animals-intl-hnk-dst-scli/index.html

The day before Christmas Eve, the pilot stayed in the air a little less than two hours. He first flew from Friedrichshafen to Ulm, then suddenly turned around and made a few unusual turns in the air space north of Lake Constance. Evaluations of his flight data show: The man traced the shape of a syringe. With the campaign, he wanted to draw attention to the upcoming corona vaccinations. https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/gesellschaft/impf-kampagne-ueber-friedrichshafen-pilot-zeichnet-riesige-spritze-in-den-himmel-a-fa98ef6f-c1b0-47e3-a8f8-231bc6822a3b

The foundations of the American experiment have been shaken — by partisan rancor, disinformation, a president’s assault on democracy and a deadly coronavirus pandemic. https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-michigan-north-carolina-c331eaa4bfb954d5584d8c712eb0a7e8

Hackers knocked out one of Germany's biggest news organizations over the Christmas holiday. Such criminal attacks, which often come with ransom demands, have become a lucrative business model. https://p.dw.com/p/3nL00