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Three new studies shed more light on the Omicron variant of coronavirus suggesting the risk of hospitalisation is lower than with previous variants. But there are still questions to be answered, says James Naismith, Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Oxford, about how quickly it can spread and for how long – something that will have a huge impact on recovering economies. The price of liquified natural gas is spiking around the world to around eight times what it was earlier in the year. Anne-Sophie Corbeau at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University tells us why, and Nikos Tsafos at the Center for Stretegic and International Studies in Washington, DC, explains how Chinese demand for energy is contributing to rising prices. Apple’s investors want to investigate the company’s behaviour in China, including allegations of forced labour in the supply chain, and they might just get that: the US financial regulator has blocked Apple’s proposals to prevent shareholders from demanding those reports – Patrick McGee of the Financial Times tells us more. The Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s Elizabeth Hotson looks at the future of high street retail, and in Hong Kong, authorities have removed a statue commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre under cover of darkness. throughout the programme we’re joined by Samson Ellis - Taipei Bureau Chief Bloomberg News and Diane Brady, Assistant Managing Editor of Forbes.

Picture: A coronavirus poster on a phone box Credit: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire