Coronavirus: Latest global developments

PARIS: Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

- UN chief urges global vaccination -

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres says the whole world must be vaccinated in order to bring the Covid pandemic to an end, otherwise variants will continue to spread.

- Covid-flu booster -

Moderna aims to roll out a combined Covid-flu-RSV booster vaccine in late 2023, saying it hopes the joint jab would encourage people to get an annual shot.

- Djokovic back home... -

Unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic arrives back home in Serbia with his dream of becoming the first man to win 21 Grand Slams on hold after a court threw out his bid to stay in Australia.

- ... to more bad news -

In another blow to the world number one, he could be barred from the French Open, his next possible Grand Slam tournament, if he doesn't get a jab.

- Canada OKs Covid pill -

Canada approves Pfizer's anti-Covid pill, Paxlovid, for adults at high risk, the first treatment against the virus which can be taken at home.

- Rich get richer -

The world's 10 wealthiest men doubled their fortunes from $700 billion to $1.5 trillion during the first two years of the pandemic as poverty and inequality soared, Oxfam says.

- Hit for jobs -

The Covid crisis is continuing to hit jobs hard, the UN's International Labour Organization says, warning it could take years for global employment to reach pre-pandemic levels.

- Hong Kong arrests -

Hong Kong police charge two Cathay Pacific flight attendants for contravening virus regulations after an Omicron outbreak in the territory is traced to their breach of quarantine.

- No tickets for Olympics -

China cancels plans to sell tickets to the public for the Winter Olympics in Beijing as the number of virus cases reaches the highest level there since March 2020.

- Boozy Brits -

Britons have been drinking increasingly dangerous levels of alcohol since the start of the pandemic, official figures show as experts warn the binge is likely to continue.

- Credit Suisse head resigns -

The head of Credit Suisse Antonio Horta-Osorio resigns less than a year after taking the reins of the scandal-hit bank after reports that he broke quarantine rules.

- China-N. Korea trade -

China says its border with North Korea has reopened for freight trains two years after it was shuttered by Pyongyang because of the pandemic.

- Red alert in Ecuador -

Ecuador declares a red alert in most of the country, including major population centres such as Quito and Guayaquil, following a 10-fold rise in cases. Schools have also been shut until January 21.

- New French strike -

French teachers' unions call a second major strike for Thursday in protest at the government's handling of the pandemic in schools.

- Aubameyang returns to Gunners -

Arsenal and Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is to return to his English Premier League club after coming down with the virus at Africa Cup of Nations.

- More than 5.5 million dead -

The coronavirus has killed at least 5,537,051 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Monday.

The United States has recorded the most Covid deaths with 850,605, followed by Brazil with 621,045 India on 486,451 and Russia 321,990.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.