In the spotlight: the Omicron wave shakes up and weakens China one month before the Winter Olympics
Audio 05:35
"Beijing is clinging to its strategy," to ensure "that there will be no bad surprises in a month when the Winter Olympics open," notes the South China Morning Post.
© AP / Mark Schiefelbein
By: Véronique Rigolet Follow
4 min
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The concern is even displayed on the front page of the Hong Kong press. "
How long will Beijing's zero Covid strategy hold up as Omicron rages around the world?"
"Asks the
South China Morning Post
which emphasizes that"
China is the last country to maintain this zero tolerance policy with regard to Covid, while many Western nations are betting everything on vaccination to reduce hospitalizations
" . While 13 million people have been strictly confined for 2 weeks in Xi'An, China has also just placed a million additional inhabitants in Yuzhou in the south of the country.
Radical measures which "
should certainly allow China to prevent the explosion of Omicron, but which will not be enough in the long term in the face of the surge of the virus
", warn analysts,
still in the South China Morning Post
, while "
Chinese vaccines are significantly less effective than messenger RNA vaccines
." "
China could become a major geopolitical risk in 2022
", also estimates
Le Temps
, the Swiss daily which relies on studies by
Eurasia
, a consulting company very critical of the Chinese strategy of "zero Covid" which could according to she "
slow down, if not put a stop to the primary engine of global economic growth
”that is China, thus impacting economies around the world.
For the time being "
Beijing clings in any case to its strategy
", to ensure "
that there will be no bad surprises in a month during the opening of the Winter Olympics
", notes the
South China Morning Post
, "
a way also to save time while waiting for the development of effective vaccines
", analyzes a specialist in the Chinese daily.
Austria could review its vaccine obligation project
"
Austria suddenly calls into question the general vaccination obligation
" which should come into force at the beginning of February, headlines
Die Welt
which explains "
the doubts are increasing, including within the federal government in Vienna while for weeks thousands of people are demonstrating against this project
”.
Barely 70% of Austrians are vaccinated, reports the German daily, which emphasizes that reluctance to vaccination "
remains as strong despite the announcement of coercive measures
".
The Austrian government is therefore considering other approaches, and in particular bonuses encouraging vaccination, "
vouchers for all people wishing to be vaccinated
", explains
Die Welt,
who recalls that Germany also provides for the imposition of compulsory vaccination with, like Austria, “
a system of financial fines
”, for the recalcitrant.
Berlusconi dreams of the future president of Italy
"
At 85 years old, the old Cavaliere, three times Italian Prime Minister, now dreams aloud of the Quirinal
", of the presidency of the Italian Republic, explains the correspondent in Rome of
El Pais
. While the mandate of the current head of state, Sergio Mattarella is coming to an end, Sylvio Berlusconi is preparing to stand as a candidate for the elections scheduled for January 24, assures
El Pais
who specifies that "
his center-right allies promise him their support
”, facing Mario Draghi, the current Prime Minister who does not rule out also competing.
"
The race for Quirinal holds the country in suspense
", estimates for its part the correspondent of the Belgian daily newspaper
Le Soir
which explains that "
the ambitions of Draghi remain masked while his departure in the race for the presidency could represent the act of death of the government of national unity
”.
This is also one of Berlusconi's arguments which advocates "
the absolute necessity of his retention as Prime Minister
", adds
El Pais
.
Berlusconi, who has already started to launch his old-fashioned support campaign, "
by sending various parliamentarians, politicians and party leaders paintings from his impressive collection of art,
"
El Pais
still reports
.
Decisive day for Prince Andrew accused of sexual assault
This made the headlines of the international press, "
The secret agreement of Epstein could also save Andrew
", headline
La Repubblica
which explains like the
New York Times
that the lawyers of the prince will ask this afternoon in New York dismissed the sexual assault complaint citing "
this $ 500,000 agreement between the complainant and billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2009
" in exchange for his silence.
This deal also covers anyone connected to the billionaire in this matter.
"
This is the last throw of the dice of the prince
," said the British newspaper
Metro
, while the
Daily Telegraph
points out that the absence of a no further action this afternoon, Prince Andrew will face "
to a long process of depositions which could involve close members of the royal family
”.
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