Morning news brief: COVID-19 variant 'Omicron', cyberattack by China and more

The new South African strain has been designated as a source of concern by the WHO because it has a high number of mutations (32).South Africa claims it is being penalised rather than praised for finding Omicron, a potentially dangerous new variant of COVID-19.

World on alert as new COVID-19 variant 'Omicron' spreads to more countries

Just days after being discovered in South Africa, the new possibly more infectious omicron strain of the coronavirus has appeared in additional European nations, sending governments around the world rushing to stem the spread.

Omicron: South Africa says it's being 'punished' for detecting new COVID-19 variant

South Africa claims it is being penalised rather than praised for finding Omicron, a potentially dangerous new variant of COVID-19.As facts about the spread surfaced, governments throughout the world banned travel from southern Africa, prompting the foreign ministry to issue the announcement.

Israel becomes the first country to shut all borders over fear of new variant

Being the first country to shut all its borders, Israel has said that it would ban the entry of all foreigners into the country.

In a bid to get rid of anonymous trolls, Australia to come up with new laws

The Australian government has been examining new legislation to tackle the problem of online trolls. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that under the new law, social media giants will be required to provide details of users who post defamatory comments.

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