Coronavirus live news: Asian shares hit record high on stimulus hopes; Estonia tests vaccine 'passports'

Progress with vaccinations also boosts investor optimism; Spain cases pass 3m; boss of Johnson& Johnson says annual vaccine may be needed for ‘several years’What are the new UK anti-Covid border restrictions?Wuhan lab leak theory of Covid origin ‘unlikely’ says WHO teamEurope ’s oldest person survives Covid and set to celebrate 117th birthdayMuslim families complain to UN over Sri Lankan Covid cremations4.39amGMTThe hope of a large government stimulus to help theAmerican economy recover from the Covid-induced downturn, and further good progress with vaccinations programs around the world, have sent stock markets inAsia to an all-time high.MSCI ’s index of Asian shares outside Japan rose 0.8%, to eclipse its record high set in January following a strong lead fromWall Street on Tuesday where the tech-heavyNasdaq index closed at a record high.Inmainland China, theShanghai Composite hit a five-year high on the last trading day before the week-long lunar new year holidays. InAustralia, the ASX200 index was up 0.55%.It seems like right now the story is just getting started, and the momentum is building behind it, and that story includes the reopening, vaccines, the downward trend now in some of the virus cases we ’ve been seeing, supported by the stimulus talks and the Fed still on the sidelines.4.22amGMTKumamon, Japan ’s favourite cuddly mascot, is having a good pandemic.Theblack bear raked in a record ¥169.8bn ($1.62bn) in sales of goodsbearing his image last...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: US news Vaccines and immunisation Europe Health Science Source Type: news