Catch up on the hottest topics on The Big Story, The Straits Times' weekday online news programme.

The adverse effects associated with mRNA Covid-19 booster shots are similar to those of the first two doses of such vaccines, and there is no increase in the frequency of such effects, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said in its Nov 16 report on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines.

HSA said there were 200 adverse events reported after 854,268 people received the mRNA booster doses as at end-October. This amounted to 0.02 per cent of the doses administered.

Meanwhile, a new protocol, dubbed Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures + Test, will be piloted to allow fully vaccinated people to do a test before participating in an expanded list of activities.

This protocol will be used at selected meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, spectator sports and live performance events, where capacity limits and zoning requirements will be eased in a calibrated manner.

Mr Richard Ireland, acting president of the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers, weighs in on this new development.

Overseas, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Joe Biden met virtually on Tuesday (Nov 16) to discuss how to manage their countries' growing competition to avoid a conflict, saying it is their responsibility as the world's two major powers to come to the table.

China bureau chief for The Straits Times Tan Dawn Wei discusses this development.