Five Minute News 12/27/2021: Death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Omicron In France; Transgender Rights In Switzerland
Welcome to the Five-Minute News, a daily podcast from Meidas Touch and journalist Anthony Davis. Each day the program addresses a few of the biggest global news stories in the realms of health, inequality, climate, and politics, in a few short morning minutes so you can get up-to-date and then get on with your day.
Monday’s episode addresses the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Omicron becoming the dominant COVID-19 variant in France and the effects the virus is having globally; and Switzerland’s latest move in LGBTQ rights, shifting to make it easier for transgender individuals to legally change their name and the sex marked on their identification.
You can view the entire episode below, or catch it daily on your preferred podcast app.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African Bishop who earned a Nobel Peace Prize for his activism, was known for his stand against apartheid and racial inequality. He passed away at the age of 90, on December 26th.
In COVID-19 news, France has recorded more than 100k infections in a single day for the first time in the pandemic, with hospitalizations doubling over the past month, ICUs under strain, and more than 1,000 deaths with the virus in the past week. Most new infections are linked to the Omicron variant, expected to become the dominant variant in coming days.
In the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci warns not to get complacent about the variant, which may only be milder in patients who are vaccinated. Though the pandemic has canceled flights and holiday plans for many, it doesn’t seem to have hurt holiday shopping.
Switzerland makes a move towards trans rights, as people aged 16 and up will now be able to change their legally-recongized sex with a trip to the civil registry office, without an obligation to prove that they’ve completed any surgical gender confirmation procedures or are undergoing hormone therapy.
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