Your Tuesday Briefing: Israel collects data on fourth dose

December 28, 2021

By Melina Delkic

Writer, Briefings

Good morning. We're covering Israel's study of a fourth Covid vaccine dose and Saudi Arabia's push to become a cultural hub.

A proposal to expand fourth doses is awaiting formal approval from Israel's Ministry of Health.Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Israel tests fourth shots

A hospital near Tel Aviv on Monday began a study to test the safety and effectiveness of a fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine as health officials deliberated over using the strategy for vulnerable people nationwide.

Officials at Sheba Medical Center said that their study was the first of its kind in the world and involved 150 medical personnel who had received a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least four months ago. Initial results are expected within days.

The moves in Israel, an early leader in Covid vaccinations and boosters, are being closely watched as governments worldwide struggle with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. The U.S. and parts of Europe have broken case records, and hospitals have started to fill up again.

Experts advising the Israeli government last week recommended the fourth doses for people over 60, the immunocompromised and medical workers.

Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.

In other developments:

The top U.S. Covid adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, raised the possibility of a vaccination requirement for domestic air travel.
An Australian lab erred and told 400 people they had tested negative for Covid.
Mikaela Shiffrin, a U.S. skier and top medal contender at the Beijing Olympics, said she had tested positive.
South Korea approved Pfizer's coronavirus pill for emergency use.

A home that was flattened by Typhoon Rai in Loboc, Philippines.Ezra Acayan for The New York Times

The Philippines grapples with destruction

Super Typhoon Rai made landfall on Dec. 16. As of Monday, it had killed 389 people, injured 1,146 others and left 65 missing, official figures show. More than half a million people were still in evacuation centers or staying with friends and relatives.

Our reporters visited the aftermath, amid miles of destruction and death.

In the central province of Bohol, where many of the storm deaths were recorded, overturned vehicles were piled up; countless trees and debris littered the terrain; and people were scouring ruins to find anything left. Electricity and telecommunications had yet to be restored.

Residents in some remote areas were running out of food, officials said. The U.N. is working on getting aid money to the affected regions.

Quotable: "This is a very sad Christmas," said Antero Ramos, 68, who lost his wife and two of his daughters when the bodega they were using for shelter in Ubey collapsed. "We had to bury them immediately because the funeral parlor could not get to the bodega because of the debris that was still on the roads."

The future: The country's Climate Change Commission called for urgent action at the local level "to build community resilience against extreme climate-related events and minimize loss and damage."

The Red Sea International Film Festival, held this month in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was a place to see and be seen.Iman Al-Dabbagh for The New York Times

Saudi Arabia builds a culture hub

Conflicts and crises have battered Arab artistic capitals like Cairo, Beirut, Damascus and Baghdad. The Middle East's cultural mantle is up for grabs, and Saudi Arabia is spending lavishly to seize it.

The kingdom announced that it would support the production of 100 films by 2030. Stars like Hilary Swank and Naomi Campbell showed up for the recent Red Sea International Film Festival, held on a former execution ground. The government is financing initiatives to foster Saudi filmmakers, visual artists, musicians and chefs.

The movies are touching on themes that would have been taboo in the kingdom before — romance, nudity, pregnancy out of wedlock. It represents a swift change: After a 35-year ban on cinemas ended in 2018, the country now has 430 screens with a target of 2,600 by 2030.

Context: The change is driven by the de facto Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who wants to shake off the kingdom's staid image by building an entertainment industry. Right now, it's largely funded by oil money. But in the wealthy nation, where movie tickets are about $18 each, many are hoping it will pay off.

Roadblocks: Creators around the Middle East are hesitant to move their careers to the conservative monarchy, where alcohol is banned and dissenters are jailed for mild criticisms. Many point to lackluster results for a similar push in the United Arab Emirates as evidence that it won't pan out.

THE LATEST NEWS

Asia Pacific

Toyama, Japan, on Monday. Some cities in western Japan experienced record snowfall.Jiji Press/Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images

Heavy snow pummeled northern and western Japan and broke records in some areas on Monday, Kyodo News reported.
A court in Myanmar postponed verdicts in the case of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's deposed civilian leader, to Jan. 10, Reuters reported.
Chinese social-media users launched criticisms online of the Tesla chief Elon Musk after his satellite nearly collided with China's space station.

Around the World

The Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is regarded as a possible U.S. ally. Hadi Mizban/Associated Press

Iraq's Federal Supreme Court certified the victory of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, upholding October election results and clearing the path for a new government.
Somalia's president suspended the country's prime minister and marine forces commander on Monday, escalating a dispute that threatens to further destabilize the nation.
Difficulties including an antisatellite weapon and friction over Ukraine are challenging the U.S. and Russian space alliance.
After some corruption cases were dropped against their country's abdicated king, Spaniards are weighing whether they want Juan Carlos back.

A Morning Read

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise sits atop the standings in Belgium. Its owners also own Brighton of England's Premier League.Kristof Van Accom/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images

The Premier League has long had a gravitational pull on European soccer: English clubs serve as the most reliable market for players and send salaries soaring.

In recent years, though, the nature of that impact has changed; it no longer exists at one remove. Instead, the international ownership groups behind them have invested in overseas teams directly, while sharing staff, knowledge and tactics — which gives them unfiltered influence on championships across Europe and around the world, our columnist writes.

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