TOP HEADLINES

- A one-off tax of 99 percent on the profits gained during the pandemic by the world's 2,690 billionaires could raise $5.4 trillion, and they would still be $55 billion richer than when the pandemic began, according to analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies, the Patriotic Millionaires, the Fight Inequality Alliance and Oxfam. That money would also be enough pay for everyone on Earth to be fully vaccinated and give a stipend of $20,000 to every unemployed worker.

- Hungary reported 104 cases on Friday, its highest figure for two months. Meanwhile, its vaccination rate continues to rise only slowly – after holding some of the top spots in Europe for months earlier in the year, Hungary is now in 18th place, with 66.9 percent of Hungarian adults having had at least one dose, behind the average of 72.6 percent.

- Subscriptions for the Disney+ streaming service doubled over the past year, justifying the company's gamble of releasing movies jointly in theaters and online because of the pandemic. According to the entertainment giant, the service ended the quarter with 116 million subscribers, twice as many as it had this time last year.

- Israel is to require children as young as three to test negative before entering hotels, swimming pools, gyms and schools, as infections surge despite extensive adult vaccinations. The country will provide free tests for children aged between three and 12. Children aged 12 and over already need to show a Green Pass, reintroduced late last month, showing a person's vaccination and testing status and whether they had recovered from COVID-19.

- People aged 50 years or older can now get a booster jab in Israel, in addition to health care workers, prisoners and wardens, and people with pre-existing conditions. Around 60 percent of the population in Israel has had at least two doses of vaccine and more than 700,000 people have received a third dose.

- China has fully vaccinated 777 million people and distributed 832 billion doses, according to the country's Health Commission. Of the seven vaccines approved for use in the country, five require two doses, one requires three jabs, and another requires just one shot.

- The U.S. has authorized a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for people who have weak immune systems, such as organ transplant recipients. Other countries, including France, already have similar policies. The U.S. is still debating if it will authorize third doses for the general public. However, a million Americans might have already intentionally received unauthorized third doses, according to media reports.

- In the past 24 hours, Russia reported a record-breaking 815 new deaths. While Moscow, the country's capital, said hospitalizations attributed to the virus have halved over the past six weeks.

- A new report by Public Health England suggests two doses of the main vaccines used in the UK (Pfizer and AstraZeneca) are slightly more effective in stopping hospitalization because of infection against the Delta variant than against the Alpha variant (96 percent rather than 93 percent), but are are 10 percent less effective in stopping the transmission of the Delta variant.

AROUND EUROPE

Toni Waterman in Brussels 

Belgium's Safe Ticket, which proves a person is fully vaccinated, recovered, or recently tested negative for the virus, comes into effect on Friday. 

The pass will be used at outdoor events with more than 1,500 attendees. Holders of the QR code will be allowed to access concerts, festivals or sporting events without having to wear a mask or socially distance. 

Come late September, the Safe Ticket will also be used for indoor events, although it is not expected to be needed to access restaurants, as is the case in France. 

The ticket comes into effect as the number of fully vaccinated people in Belgium surpassed 80 percent. New infections, however, continue to rise – averaging 1,787 per day. 

Penelope Liersch in Budapest 

Hungary has reported its highest number of new cases for two months, with 104 infections reported on Friday. 

It was the highest number for a 24-hour period since June 21. Daily infection rates have been rising over the past week, as have the numbers for hospitalizations and those on ventilation.

It comes as other European countries continue to outperform Hungary in vaccine coverage. 

After holding some of the top spots for months earlier in the year, Hungary is now in 18th place. As of August, 66.9 percent of Hungarian adults have had at least one dose of vaccine, lagging the EU average of 72.6 percent. This week the coverage only increased by 0.2 percent. 

First dose vaccination numbers have been stalling for months and second dose numbers are quickly catching up, with 63.8 percent of the population receiving a second jab. 

Andrew Wilson in the UK

Hospital waiting lists are the longest they've ever been, with a record 5.45 million people waiting to start routine treatments in June, while cancer checks and referrals are up significantly from last year.

The number of alerts sent by the NHS COVID-19 App fell by a fifth last week. Positive cases have declined, and 75 percent of the adult population has now been fully vaccinated.

New research suggests close relationships have suffered in the past year, with one in five people experiencing a fallout with someone close during the pandemic. Many young people, however, report improved relations with their spouse or partner since lockdowns began.

Researchers are calling for an investigation into infection rates inside hospitals during the first wave of the coronavirus. Figures suggest one in 10 cases were acquired in hospitals.

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

CGTN Europe: A guide to the 294 different COVID-19 vaccines being developed

CGTN China: Chinese mainland reports 99 new confirmed COVID-19 cases

CGTN Africa: Libya receives 3rd batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

CGTN America: Pediatricians sound the alarm as Delta variant infects children

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CGTN Europe has been providing in-depth coverage of the novel coronavirus story as it has unfolded.