XE Market Analysis: North America - Dec 21, 2020
A sharp decline in the pound and a correction in the reflation trade, which has seen the dollar and yen rebound while cyclical currencies, including the dollar bloc, underperform, have characterized and unusually active Monday session, especially one that comes at the beginning of Christmas week. The pound has been negatively impacted by the EU and UK missing yet another deadline to reach a future relationship agreement. The EU Parliament last week demanded that a text of an agreement be made available by midnight yesterday to allow time for elected members to scrutinise it before voting to ratify it. This is just the latest in a series of deadlines that have come and gone. The legal deadline is midnight of next Friday. Neither side has walked, however, and negotiations will continue this week. We still expect a deal, though the risk of a no-deal scenario is palpable. A new strain of the Covid coronavirus, meanwhile, has been detected
Dr Ugur Sahin and Dr Ozlem Tureci
When Dr Ugur Sahin took to the floor two years ago to speak in front of a room full of infectious disease experts, his company, BioNTech, which was largely focusing on cancer treatments, had never even brought a product to the market. However, Dr Sahin made an ambitious prediction when he said that his company may be capable of using the messenger RNA technology to rapidly develop a vaccine in the event of a pandemic.
In November this year, the Turkish-German doctor s prediction turned to reality when his company, in collaboration with Pfizer, announced that its vaccine candidate had proved 90 per cent effective in preventing the COVID-19 infection. With the announcement, the world breathed a huge sigh of relief, sparking a renewed sense of optimism premised on a hope that this could mark the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
POLITICO
A news release from Biden’s transition team described the appointees as “diverse, experienced, and talented individuals.”
President-elect Joe Biden arrives at the Queen Theater for a virtual appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Dec. 17, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. | Joshua Roberts/Getty Images
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President-elect Joe Biden further filled out the incoming White House communications team on Friday, tapping several former campaign staffers for assistant and deputy-level roles in the West Wing’s press shop.
The personnel announcements come after Biden campaign aides have expressed frustration in recent weeks that they were being passed up for posts in the new administration in favor of veteran officials from former President Barack Obama’s White House.
Moderna coronavirus vaccines head to states ahead of Christmas washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.