Jan. 8, 2021 2:42 pm ET
Countries around the world are accelerating their efforts to vaccinate their populations against Covid-19 in response to rising infections, public pressure, and fear of new, highly contagious variants of the coronavirus.
In an emerging race between the virus and vaccinations, some countries that previously took a cautious approach to authorizing and procuring vaccines, such as South Korea and Australia, are now bringing forward their timetables. Some other countries that were already pushing to inoculate swaths of their population quickly, such as the U.K. and Israel, are looking to further speed up their rollouts.
A year into the pandemic, the growing urgency behind vaccination programs shows how most of the world is still struggling to contain the virus with social-distancing measures alone. Stubbornly high infections, pressure on hospitals, public weariness with restrictions on everyday life and fear of accumulating economic damage are prompting
Israel Faces Fourth Election in Two Years After Parliament Is Dissolved
Disagreements over a budget law bring an end to a short-lived unity government led by Benjamin Netanyahu Israel is divided over the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges including allegedly accepting gifts such as champagne, cigars and jewelry. WSJ’s Dov Lieber explains. Photo: Gali Tibbon/Associated Press (Originally Published May 24, 2020) By Updated Dec. 22, 2020 5:20 pm ET
TEL AVIV Israel’s Parliament was dissolved after the short-lived unity government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to pass a new budget, sending the country to a fourth election in less than two years.