The Next Deadly Virus Is Already Here

Wall Street smiled Monday as U.S. stock markets leaped to record highs after drugmaker Moderna’s announcement that its COVID-19 vaccine was 94.5 percent effective in early results from phase 3 trials. But infections continue to rise globally, and in America, President-elect Joe Biden warned that “more people may die” from the virus if President Donald Trump doesn’t cooperate with his transition team on fighting the pandemic. (Sources: WSJ, AP)

2. Southern Threat

It could get worse. Scientists have confirmed human-to-human transmission of a rare virus in Bolivia that can cause Ebola-like hemorrhagic fevers. Is America better prepared for the next pandemic? Vote on Twitter. (Source: Guardian)

3. Naval Gazing

Russia is setting up its first naval base in Africa, on Sudan’s Red Sea coast, as America remains preoccupied with its domestic fissures. Not that Washington has turned dovish: Last week President Trump reportedly mulled attacking Iran’s nuclear program but was dissuaded by advisers worried about setting off a broader war. (Sources: FT, NYT)

4. Game On

Japan and the International Olympic Committee have declared plans to go ahead with the Tokyo Games next summer with spectators — even though it’s unclear when a vaccine will be widely available. It helps that Japan has yanked its economy out of a recession with a sharp surge of GDP growth. (Sources: Japan Times, Reuters)

And the Queen of England. And many more. French broadcaster Radio France Internationale on Monday accidentally published the obituaries of around 100 still-living celebrities, including film stars Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Clint Eastwood; Queen Elizabeth II; and musician and artist Yoko Ono. And it was the third time French entrepreneur-turned-politician Bernard Tapie had been killed off by a premature obituary.  

It's TikTok and Amazon rolled into one. Backed by social media and gaming giant Tencent, this Chinese video-sharing app is fast emerging as the next big digital platform, recording 500 million e-commerce orders in August as it prepares for its Hong Kong IPO — with a valuation of $50 billion — at the start of 2021.

2. Chingari

Less than five months after its launch, this Indian app with innovations like augmented reality filters has already drawn 30 million downloads as it fills the void left by New Delhi's ban on TikTok in late June. Available in multiple Indian languages, Spanish and English, the app is making a bid for both small-town India and global markets. Read more about what Chingari's chief told OZY recently.

3. Instagram Reels

Facebook's rival to TikTok, which also launched over the summer, has seen what Kuaishou is doing and it wants to catch up before it's too late. But building features to facilitate shopping alongside video sharing is one thing — reeling in users is an entirely different challenge. And so far, the reviews haven't been great.

4.  YouTube Shorts

The video giant is jumping on the bandwagon too — with its 15-second video platform that launched first in India in September. Sure, YouTube's an old fogey in comparison to its rivals but it has struck gold in unexpected markets such as North Africa. And its feature has the advantage of YouTube's large library of songs.

What do Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Marlon Brando and Leonardo DiCaprio have in common? They’ve all worn shirts made for them by Ascot Chang. The future of the iconic Hong Kong tailors lies with Justin Chang, whose grandfather started the enterprise after escaping Chinese communism in 1949. The slim and bespectacled third-generation tailor might just be the most stylish of them all, innovating to give classic looks a contemporary edge — shirts with stripes of different widths, for instance — that both heads of state and popstars can carry off.

2. Claude Kameni

African wax prints are her signature fabric — but her confidence is the motif that runs through all her designs. The Cameroonian who started in 2013 already counts Janet Jackson, Viola Davis and Amanda Seales among her customers. She has used only Black models for next year’s New York Fashion Week spring collection, in a nod to America’s racial churn. Gorgeous prints can make statements too.

3. João Pimienta

It’s hard to catch him — you’ll need to book weeks in advance for an in-person fitting with this São Paulo magician. But it’s worth every stitch he puts together. Pimienta finds inspiration for men’s clothes by exploring women’s wardrobes. His atelier is just as brilliant: a red-brick townhouse with traditional sewing machines clicking in rhythm.

That's what the BBC’s Katty Kay and OZY’s Carlos Watson discuss in the latest episode of When Katty Met Carlos, described by The Guardian as "one of the top political podcasts of 2020." Subscribe now onApple Podcasts,Stitcher, theiHeart Radio app orwherever else you get your podcasts.

Scientists are designing molecules known asprotein degraders that might soon work like the body’s sanitation workers: identifying disease-causing proteins, tagging them as garbage and shipping them off to the cell's waste disposal unit.

2. Nothing Fishy About It

You're smelling stinking fish. Your friend's savoring the pleasant aroma of roses. What's going on? It turns out your friend has a superpower: A genetic mutation that gives a tiny fraction of the human populationimmunity from the odor of fish, scientists in Iceland have found. 

Crushed red pepper and smoked paprika bring the heat, organo, parsley, basil and thyme the subtle flavors. Whisk them together, and you’ve got the perfect spice mix to massage over grilled meat. You can store this Argentine seasoning for a month.

2. Ras el Hanout

Peppercorn and rose petals might seem unlikely partners. But in this Moroccan special spice, they’re made for each other — with ginger, cardamom, cumin, coriander, turmeric and saffron each adding an additional twist. This can last six months.

3. Togarashi

It’sall aboutthe orange peel with this Japanese blend that also includes red chili flakes, ginger, peppercorns, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, poppy seeds and nori. A common condiment on Japanese tables, togarashi is eaten with soups, meat, noodles and tempura. 

Which self-governing territory lies on the coast but only recently took to fishing?

The false statement about dental care was: “America had the world’s costliest dental implants in 2018.” Actually, Singapore did. Carter H., Ruth R., Gus R., Joanna D., Patricia P., Caroline R., Jill L., Jerry, Eric A., Dotty R., Patricia E., Christina L., Catherine L., Pamela H., Jack T., Annette M., Heidi S., Cindy W., Roy K., Marisa C., Tae Y., Annette T., Sharon G., Celia J., Trish, Kim A., Lori O., Karin F., Audrey S., Kate P., Paulette W., Janet B., Jennifer A., Kathleen C., Paulette A., Stacey G. — you ALL got it right!