5 things to know about January 4: Transition, coronavirus, Congress, Iran, China

India has approved two coronavirus vaccines and is now starting one of the most ambitious immunization programs ever. The 1.35 billion country plans to inoculate 300 million people by August. In the United States, about 4.2 million doses of vaccine have been administered, and health experts say things need to be accelerated to keep pace with vaccination goals. During the past month in the U.S., more than 100,000 people have been in the hospital battling Covid-19 every day. If infection rates worsen, a doctor said that we could be facing a “total collapse” of the health system. It is further proof that a vaccine does not offer an immediate solution to the pandemic. In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted that restrictions on coronavirus may become more stringent as cases increase, although vaccines are already being administered.

The 117th Congress was installed yesterday and some things look a little different. On the one hand, the chambers are historically diverse, with record numbers of women, black and Latino members and those who identify themselves as LGBTQ. In the House, Republicans achieved a net gain of 11 seats, narrowing the Democratic majority. Some members of Congress, including Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, will step down to take office in the next Biden government. Other things, however, remain the same: Nancy Pelosi won a fourth non-consecutive term as mayor, despite some defections from her own party.

The United States and Iran are increasing tensions in the Persian Gulf over the anniversary of the death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a US drone attack on January 3. Some Iranian military forces have increased their readiness levels in recent days, according to U.S. sources, including the movement of short-range ballistic missiles to Iraq, where they could potentially attack American bases. Similar attacks took place last year after Soleimani’s death. Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller also ordered a United States aircraft carrier to stay in the Persian Gulf region after its scheduled move.

Wall Street will expel three Chinese telecommunications companies to comply with a Trump order that prohibits Americans from investing in companies that the government suspects are owned or controlled by the Chinese military. China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom have all been listed on the New York Stock Exchange for years, but most of their businesses are located in China. Therefore, although trading volumes are low in the US, the decision may affect stock values ​​elsewhere. The Trump administration has been putting pressure on Chinese companies like these for some time. Trump recently signed new rules that could force Chinese companies to exit US stock exchanges if they do not meet U.S. audit standards.

Sending love to a CNN legend.

Shocking. Amazing. A completely unexpected and never before seen confrontation.

No, you can’t get a ride.

They range in age from 75 to 97, and their combined age is 1,042 years. These are some GOOD genes.

Whatever you’re waiting for here … it’s worse.

A British judge rejected a US request to extradite Julian Assange to America, ruling that such a move would be “oppressive”. The United States has said it will appeal the decision.

That’s the amount of diamonds in a ring that just set a new Guinness World Record for, well, diamonds in a ring. The bauble weighs 5.8 ounces – more than a quarter of a pound – and occupies half the user’s hand.

Pope Francis, who criticized people who are supposedly going on vacation in Europe to escape the pandemic. He said he was “sad” to learn of such behavior.

It’s long, but this explanation of the forced perspective at Disney’s theme parks is just as fascinating. If you want to skip the math, the examples of this optical illusion start around the 10-minute mark. (Click here to view.)