| |  |  | The Reuters Daily Briefing | Thursday, December 23, 2021 by Hani Richter | Hello Here's what you need to know. Large holiday gatherings in U.S. not safe even if boosted, Fauci says, U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon carjacked at gunpoint, and case data and vaccine news mark small victories in Omicron battle.
| | | | | Today's biggest stories  Doreen Vickers, 83, waits as a health worker fills a syringe with a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Appleton Village Pharmacy, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Widnes, Britain January 14, 2021. REUTERS/Jason Cairnduff World Two vaccine makers said their shots protected against the Omicron coronavirus variant as UK data suggested it may cause proportionally fewer hospital cases than the Delta strain, though public health experts warned the battle against COVID-19 was far from over.
Russia wants to avoid conflict with Ukraine and the West, President Vladimir Putin said, demanding an "immediate" response from the United States and its allies to Moscow's demand for security guarantees.
Rising COVID-19 infections in China's city of Xian have spurred a lockdown of its 13 million residents, with stretches of highway eerily bare, as many people queued in the cold to get their noses swabbed at testing sites.
Nigeria destroyed more than a million doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines in a bid to assure a wary public that they have been taken out of circulation.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised outgoing Chinese Ambassador Li Jinjun for helping to improve relations between Pyongyang and Beijing, state media reported, as the envoy left office after seven years in the post. |  Tesla Chief Executive Office Elon Musk speaks at his company's factory in Fremont, California, June 22, 2012, as the car company began delivering its Model S electric sedan. REUTERS/Noah Berger Business Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said he was "almost done" with his stock sales after selling over $15 billion worth in more than one month.
A Moscow court said it had fined Twitter 3 million roubles ($40,920) for failing to delete content Russia deems illegal, the latest in a string of penalties against foreign technology firms.
The United States authorized Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 pill for people ages 12 and older at risk of severe illness, the first oral and at-home treatment as well as a new tool against the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
Chinese gaming and social media company Tencent will pay out a $16.4 billion dividend by distributing most of its JD.com stake, weakening its ties to the e-commerce firm and raising questions about its plans for other holdings.
A weak yen may be hurting Japanese households more than in the past, as the country's increasing reliance on more expensive raw material imports pushes up the cost of living, Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said. | | | | | | | | | Video of the day  Hong Kong university removes Tiananmen statue A leading Hong Kong university has dismantled and removed a statue from its campus site that for more than two decades has commemorated pro-democracy protesters killed during China's Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. | | | Thanks for spending part of your day with us. | | | | | |
