Manchin and Sinema have agreed to let Medicare negotiate bulk purchases of some drugs.

This will be a signal victory if it gets passed into law, even though it is limited to only some drugs and some patients (those covered by Medicare), because it will break through the barrier that has held for 50 years. Extending the exception policy should be easier than creating it.

In more civilized countries, the national medical system provides all prescription drugs to patients. Italy's system, for example, distributes insulin gratis to all diabetics that need it.

How China imposes total repression on everything that Uyghurs do.

*1bn people will suffer extreme heat at just 2C heating, say scientists.*

In New Zealand, a few thousand anti-vaxxers mounted a protest outside Parliament, advocating a twisted mishmash of various right-wing lunacies.

People have a right to rally nonviolently for any views, including these. But if they violate (or threaten to violate) measures to stop the spread of Covid-19, they should be subject to immediate vaccination as a public safety measure.

Singapore will charge for treatment for Covid-19 infection of people who are unvaccinated by choice.

This is fair, and will convince many to get vaccinated and thus be safer.