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Israel to Offer Fourth Vaccine Dose to Some Groups; England Trims COVID-19 Self-Isolation Period from 10 Days to Seven; U.S., NATO and Russia to Meet in January; Xi Jinping Poised to Extend Reign; Some Asia Pacific Countries Seeing Record New COVID-19 Cases; Colombia's Struggles; See Ursid Meteor Shower Today. Aired 10-10:40a ET
Aired December 22, 2021 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): No time to lose: Israel begins rollouts of a fourth COVID-19 dose amid Omicron fears.
And:
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): Why did NATO have to expand? Why withdraw from the ABM treaties?
ANDERSON (voice-over): President Putin stands his ground, blaming the West for increased tensions in Europe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Walking the streets of China's capital, it's not hard to see who is in charge. There are pictures
of President Xi Jinping.
ANDERSON (voice-over): We look back on the year that was for the Chinese Communist Party and the man at its center, Xi Jinping. His influence at
home and on the global stage is coming up.
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ANDERSON: A good evening from Abu Dhabi, where it is 7:00 in the evening. Welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD.
As countries around the world brace for the Omicron surge, one nation, Israel, will begin offering vulnerable groups a fourth dose of COVID
vaccine. Its prime minister says Israel is standing at the forefront of the global effort to deal with the pandemic.
While the Delta variant is still predominant globally, the WHO says Omicron has now been detected in 106 countries. Elliott Gotkine is in Jerusalem.
This decision is pending former approval by senior health officials, as I understand it.
But which groups will be getting a fourth dose and which vaccine will they be getting?
Is it clear?
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the vaccine will inevitably be the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. That's the one pretty much everyone here has
received thus far. It will be a bit of a surprise if it was something else.
Initially it will be over 60s, medical workers and people with suppressed immune systems. But if history is any guide, it will then be rolled out to
other age groups and the rest of the population as a whole, Becky.
ANDERSON: One member of the panel of vaccine experts admitted they don't have the data on whether this fourth shot is actually necessary. Yet,
they've gone ahead.
What itself the thinking here?
Is it clear?
GOTKINE: I think the thinking really is to err on the side of caution. You are right, there isn't a lot of data about the effectiveness or the need
for a fourth dose of the COVID vaccine.
But looking at the spread of the Omicron variant in places like the United States and the United Kingdom, looking at the recent spike in Israel and
seeing the findings of the effectiveness of a third dose, in terms of protection from infection and also protection from falling ill, I think
they've concluded the reward of giving people a fourth dose outweighs the risk.
And I think that is probably the thinking here and why they are going ahead. They know they can't stop the spread of the Omicron variant or of
cases spiking. Naftali Bennett talking of a doubling every 2-3 days of cases. They know they can't stop that.
So what they're trying to do is slow its spread and offer the best protection they can to Israelis. Becky.
ANDERSON: How do Israelis feel about what is going on at present?
And how the government is coping?
GOTKINE: Becky, there are people who will say, look, I've had three shots; that's enough, to be quite frank. But I guess we will get the sense of the
appetite for a fourth dose once it's rolled out.
Usually after these announcements, it's rolled out swiftly. Once it's rolled out, once we've seen the uptake, one would expect them to be
reasonably high. Then we get a better sense of the appetite or weariness of Israelis for having and additional COVID vaccine shot.
Of course, if we go toward a fourth one, perhaps eventually we'll need a fifth or a sixth.
At the same time, the government is still pushing hard to ramp up the vaccination of children in the country. We're just over 10 percent have
been vaccinated so far and the government really wants it to be much, much higher.
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ANDERSON: Elliott, thank you.
As Omicron spreads, France has become the latest country to start vaccinating younger children. Kids age 5-11 can now get shots. That is
coming a day after France recorded its daily high in COVID infections for this year, almost 73,000.
The health minister today warning that number can top 100,000 by the end of the month. Cyril Vanier is connecting us from Paris, the French capital is
feeling the brunt of the surge.
The evidence is pretty clear, Omicron is highly transmissible. The surge in cases reflects that in France and elsewhere. Hospitalizations, though,
paint a more accurate picture of the prevalence of severe disease.
What's the picture where you are?
CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you are absolutely right to frame it that way. I would engage people who want to understand the spread of the
virus to look not so much at infection numbers but at hospitalization numbers and death rates.
I had an epidemiologist explain that to me the other day, because there are so many variants country-to-country on how many get tested, where, et
cetera, that -- and also from, comparing periods of time, the same thing. Maybe people are getting tested more now than a year ago.
So if you want to understand how virus is spreading, look at hospitalization rates. Here in France, over the last two months, I pulled
those numbers, infections have been multiplied by about 10, from roughly 7,000 to 70,000 from early November until now.
Thankfully, hospitalizations and deaths have not been increasing by nearly that much. Hospitalizations have been multiplied by just over 2 and the
number of people requiring intensive care, so the ICU rate, has been multiplied by 3. That is still a lot. Think about it.
The number of people France has had to deal with in hospital and the number of people requiring intensive care treatment has been multiplied by three.
It is a lot. But thankfully, it is not on par with the rise in infections.
That tells you, well, it tells you that vaccines have been working to a degree. And there is this pocked of population, unvaccinated; while they
represent a minority, they represent a majority of the people who end up in hospital and need intensive care.
ANDERSON: Kids to get shots, what is the thinking?
VANIER: The thinking is to widen the pool of people who are vaccinated. Right now, the prevalence of the virus is very high in teenagers and
younger children.
Anecdotally, my son is 11 years old; he has been sent home twice when his school has had to shut down his entire age group and send them home for a
week because of multiple cases in their classes.
It's not something we'd seen before. So anecdotally, we see this virus is circulating very rapidly among children. Thankfully, they don't usually get
very serious cases of it. But that's why France wants the younger group vaccinated.
It's not mandatory; a lot of parents will decide whether we do it for children. But the idea is to extend the pool of people who have some degree
of immunity with respect to the virus.
ANDERSON: Cyril, always a pleasure, sir, stay safe, thank you. Cyril Vanier is in Paris.
AstraZeneca is working with Oxford University to come up with a vaccine to combat the Omicron variant. Remember, this is highly transmissible and able
to evade current vaccines.
The vaccine maker tells CNN, it's already taken what it calls preliminary steps. AstraZeneca is one of the main suppliers of vaccines to less
developed countries. Those vaccines could prove crucial to stopping the spread of this newest variant, as we have been reporting.
It's now the dominant strain in a host of countries, including the United Kingdom.
Well, the U.K.'s medicines regulator has approved the pediatric Pfizer BioNTech for 5- to 11-year olds. The regulator says it is safe and
effective.
From today, England is trimming the COVID-19 self isolation period for vaccinated people to seven days from 10, with an all-clear from two lateral
flow tests. This is an attempt to halt worker shortages. It comes as the British prime minister rules out any more restrictions, at least before
Christmas.
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ANDERSON: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz explains.
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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Prime minister Boris Johnson is under growing pressure to announce tougher restrictions to deal with the record
breaking case numbers in recent days, largely by Omicron.
Still after an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday, the prime minister said the government would review the data hour by hour and warned everyone to
think twice and remember the guidance.
That's exactly what so many people are doing, choosing to self isolate, choosing to cancel their Christmas plans. Even the queen is doing this. She
cancelled her annual Christmas retreat. Sources say she will spend this season at Windsor Castle out of an abundance of caution, due to the surge
in cases.
This is also causing issues for businesses, many closing doors because of staff sickouts, because of so many clients simply canceling. It's put huge
pressure on the country. The country's finance minister announced support for businesses, a $1 billion support package for businesses.
Still many people say this is simply not enough. This huge surge in cases could potentially put pressure on the health care system in the coming days
and weeks. That's why scientific advisors continue to push for tougher measures. Prime minister Boris Johnson sticking to his guns and waiting for
more data -- Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
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ANDERSON: As nations grapple with this spread, there is new information on the human toll of the novel coronavirus. The U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, say COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020, behind only heart disease and cancer.
Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us for more.
Elizabeth, those are some pretty stark numbers in that report. The increase in the death rate even starker among racial and ethnic minorities.
What do you make of it?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it's such a sad report. It makes your heart drop to read it, the number of people who died
of COVID-19, the difference this made in the mortality rate and how minority communities were affected even worse than the population as a
whole.
Let's take a look at these numbers, the CDC report found was, when they looked at mortality data for 2020, life expectancy in the U.S. was 77 years
old. That's down 1.8 years from 2019. That is a huge drop, the largest annual drop since World War II.
As you mentioned, the three leading causes of death, in this order, heart disease, cancer, COVID-19. Remember, COVID-19 was new last year. And
already it became the third leading cause of death.
In fact, COVID-19 was responsible for 10 percent of all U.S. deaths. And when you look at Black males, their death rate increase was 1.7 times
higher than for the general entire population and increases for Latino males was 2.5 times higher than you saw compared to the entire population -
- Becky.
ANDERSON: Why was that?
Is it clear?
COHEN: Yes, there are always lots of reasons for these things. But one of the main reasons is access to services and also discrimination against
people of color. That's been documented over and over again in the United States. It's a huge problem.
You see this across many different diseases, just outright discrimination and also having less access to services in many cases.
ANDERSON: It's 2021.
Can you believe that that is still happening?
So wrong.
Listen, what do you make of Israel's decision to roll out a fourth shot to over 60s and other vulnerable groups, despite no evidence actually a fourth
shot would be needed?
COHEN: You know, it's interesting; Israel rolled out third shots at the end of July before there was a whole lot of evidence. Now you see companies
following suit. The researchers said, you got to get on this train. This train has left the station.
If you wait for all the data to be all pretty and tied up in a bow, you are going to be late. You will not be able to catch that train. That's the
Israeli way. That's the way it's been throughout all of 2021, through the entire vaccine rollout. I think that's the way they are thinking, is that
we can't wait for all the data.
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COHEN: We will use our heads and see that things are not going well, that the vaccines don't work so well against Omicron. They have some power but
not as much as we'd like so they've ramped up their rollout.
ANDERSON: The prime minister pointing out the country has been a leader during this global pandemic.
What puts Israel in that leadership position, briefly?
COHEN: I think -- he didn't say, he didn't explain this really well. But I think he means their rollout was much quicker than other countries. They
were the first really to do the third shots; now the first to officially do the fourth shots. I think that's what he was referring to.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. All right. Elizabeth, always a pleasure. Thank you very much, indeed, news you can use with Elizabeth Cohen.
U.S. health officials recommend anyone with COVID-19 should isolate for 10 days.
What if are you vaccinated, how long should you isolate?
The latest is that is at cnn.com/health.
Playing the blame game: Vladimir Putin says NATO is responsible for his buildup of troops near Ukraine's border. He says it's for defense. The West
has a different interpretation.
And the rise on the world stage of a leader who is more powerful than ever. A look at where China stands as we wrap up 2021.
Plus despite setting new COVID case records, one country is determined it will not impose a new lockdown.
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ANDERSON: Well, the next move in a high-stakes chess match between the U.S., NATO and Russia could come in January. That is when the three plan to
meet to discuss Russia's growing military presence at Ukraine's border.
Russia says those troops are needed because it has nowhere to retreat if U.S. weapons show up in the Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and U.K. just sent experts to help protect against a cyber attack on Ukraine's infrastructure. Melissa Bell joins us live from
Moscow.
President Putin says the West's move arrived on his doorstep. This argument taken seriously by his administration and Moscow.
Does what he says stack up?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He explained it during the televised of the defense ministry yesterday.
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BELL: He explained, while he was looking for dialogue, he wanted to avoid bloodshed, the West had to expected that Russia would be prepared to use
military technical action, should he consider its aggressive moves.
He explained it clearly, saying, look, you cannot have an eastward expansion of NATO missiles that would be within several minutes striking
range from Moscow and for Moscow to be comfortable with that. This was the note he struck yesterday, Becky.
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PUTIN (through translator): But why, why did NATO have to expand?
Why withdraw from the ABM treaties?
What is happening now, the tension that is building up in Europe, is their fault. Armed conflict, bloodshed, this is absolutely not our choice. We do
not want such a development of events. But we want to be able to have at least understandable clearly stated legal guarantees.
This is the meaning of our proposals laid out on paper and sent to Brussels and Washington.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: For those who may not remember the Cold War, these were parts of the treaties that had essentially prevented the Cold War from being more heated
than it did become, anti-ballistic missile treaties signed in the early '70s, withdrawn from by the United States in 2002.
Still something of an obsession for Vladimir Putin. It is that quite genuine fear, I think, should there be any expansion, you would be talking
about Russia's doorstep. In that very same meeting we heard from him speaking at, we also heard from the defense minister, that he alleged
Eastern Ukraine and in possession of chemical weapons.
Now as farfetched as that latest suggestion is, these are some of the genuine fears expressed within Vladimir Putin's government. I think you
have to understand those fears to understand the demands being made by Moscow of the West.
Those demands have so surprised NATO and American diplomats by how far they've gone, that NATO guarantees it will not expand eastward, something
they won't do on account of its open doors policy and its agreements and arrangements already with Ukraine, also demanding NATO withdraw to within
its 1996 borders.
Any weaponry, manpower in Poland or the Baltic countries would have to withdraw back to its pre '96 line, something that none of those countries
will accept, something NATO says is a non-starter.
And amidst this fiery rhetoric, amidst this fear on both the Russian side and the Ukrainian side, when you consider those tens of thousands of
Russian troops, there is fear within NATO and in Washington at how far Vladimir Putin is willing to go.
A glimmer of light, some of those demands are acceptable for the West, the U.S. top envoy for Europe made that plain at a press conference, there will
be talks between Washington and Russia in January and that is something a few days ago seemed pretty unlikely.
ANDERSON: Yes. Melissa, thank you. Melissa Bell is in Moscow for you today.
Over the course of the past year, the Chinese president has gained power and stature and some now put Xi Jinping on par with Mao Zedong. Under
President Xi's stewardship, China is growing strong and wealthy and moving further away from the West. David Culver looks at where China stands as
2021 comes to a close.
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CULVER: Walking the streets, it's not hard to see who is in charge. There are pictures of President Xi Jinping all over. The poster addressing the
firefighter community.
At the center of life here is the Chinese Communist Party. But at the center of the party, this man, Xi Jinping.
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CULVER (voice-over): 2021 saw major steps to further consolidate power. In an early November meeting of China's ruling elites, the 400 or so top party
officials passed an almost unprecedented resolution, highlighting the role of its current leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the nation's
triumphant rise on the global stage.
VICTOR SHIH, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SAN DIEGO: He wants to really highlight his own contribution to the development of the party. That also
will seal his legitimate rule over China in the foreseeable future.
Of course, no one would challenge his power within the party.
CULVER: Inside national museums like this one, President Xi Jinping has elevated himself to be on par with past leaders like Deng Xiaoping.
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CULVER: And even the most famous, Mao Zedong.
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CULVER (voice-over): China has already become the second largest economy in the world, on track to surpass the U.S. It has successfully lifting
millions of its people out of poverty.
CULVER: Walking in the morning rush hour here in the Chinese capital, you feel the rush of energy, a lot of activity. At times it feels like everyone
in this country is on this constant drive for more ambition, more success. It's only amplified by a population of more than 1.4 billion people.
CULVER (voice-over): An incredible buying power, bolstered by new technologies, making it quicker and easier to spend money, not to mention
track people.
CULVER: Just to get into some of these stores and restaurants, you have to first take your temperature. It says that you are OK. Then you get a scan,
your health code. It then says, we're good to go.
One thing that is incredibly convenient about China is you don't really even need to carry your wallet places. Everything is on your phone,
including payment and ID.
CULVER (voice-over): 2021 marked 100 years since the party's founding in Shanghai. It's a triumphant rise that the leadership proudly displays at
so-called Communist Party pilgrimage sites, historically revered spots that downplay or ignore failures and controversies, from the tumultuous Cultural
Revolution to the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Instead, they focus on a century of successes. And China is now making other countries, including the U.S., increasingly uneasy with its rapid
military expansions.
CULVER: With all the power that President Xi has amassed, coupled with an increased military might, many believe one of his ultimate goals is to
reunify with Taiwan. He has not even ruled out taking the island by force, if necessary.
CULVER (voice-over): China has been putting military pressure on the self- ruling democracy. Xi stressing in a recent virtual meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden that, on Taiwan, the U.S. is playing with fire. Biden
trying to calm the rapidly rising tensions.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our responsibility as leaders of China and the United States is to ensure that the competition
between our countries does not veer into conflict, whether intended or unintended. It's simple, straightforward competition.
CULVER (voice-over): That's easier said than done, A deep rooted geopolitical battle is lingering into the new year, citing widespread
allegations of human rights abuses against China's Uighur population.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of country does this to people, to innocent people?
CULVER (voice-over): The U.S. announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter
Olympics.
CULVER (voice-over): With allies following, calls for boycotting the games, fueled in part by the case of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. The
three-time Olympian briefly disappeared in November after she accused a top Communist Party official of forcing her into sex.
The Women's Tennis Association suspended tournaments in China, calling for Peng to be able to speak freely and openly. But for now, it won't halt the
Winter Games, these the first Olympics to be held under President Xi. 2022 setting the stage for Xi to rule for an unprecedented third term and likely
beyond -- David Culver, CNN, Shanghai.
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ANDERSON: The pandemic, inflation and poverty, it's a terrible combination hitting some parts of the world very hard. And it's moved some people to
help others. We will show you how ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD.
And look up, the night sky is presenting an amazing show for you. Around the world, you can see the Ursid meter shower is after this short break.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. Let's get you up to date what we now about COVID at this hour. There is an awful lot of
developments at the moment.
Israel telling its citizens to get a fourth dose of the vaccine, at least those at the age of 60. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says do not waste
time, get vaccinated.
In France children ages 5 to 11 can now get a COVID jab. Just yesterday France set a new daily high for cases this year.
AstraZeneca is working with Oxford University on a new vaccine that specifically targets Omicron.
And the U.S. says COVID-19 was its third leading cause of death, behind only heart disease and cancer in 2020.
New cases in Asia breaking records, too, and that has some governments imposing restrictions. But Australia says it will not impose a new
lockdown. Selina Wang has more.
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SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Countries are scrambling to respond to Omicron. New South Wales hit another record, 307,000 new daily cases. But
prime minister Scott Morrison says they're not going back to lockdowns. Take a listen.
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SCOTT MORRISON, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: My message is to stay calm, get your booster, follow the common-sense behavioral measures as you're going
into Christmas. And we look forward to that.
Australians have worked very hard to have this Christmas together. And we want to protect that. One of the things we agreed today is we're not going
back to lockdowns.
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WANG: Just last week, the health minister of New South Wales said, based on modeling, the state could record up to 25,000 new daily COVID cases by
the end of January.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, they reported more than 1,000 patients in critical condition. It's reinstated strict social districting measures,
including a 9 pm nationwide curfew for restaurants and cafes. In Seoul, only four people are allowed in private gatherings.
China is doubling down on its zero COVID strategy. China reported 57 locally transmitted cases on Tuesday. They have mass testing of its
residents and advised them not to leave their homes unless necessary.
In the city which neighbors Vietnam, reported one case on Tuesday. In response to that, the city announced compulsory home quarantine and
schools, transport and public facilities shutdown. With the Winter Olympics less than 45 days away, China's zero COVID strategy will be pushed to the
limit -- Selina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, the pandemic has devastated Colombia's economy. Many say inflation is a huge concern, as prices for basic supplies have surged.
Stefano Pozzebon has a look at the crisis there.
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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With about a week until Christmas in one of Bogota's poorest neighborhoods, missionaries are
handing out meals to the homeless and everyone that needs it.
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POZZEBON (voice-over): The numbers they serve have grown steadily since COVID-19 hit. Before COVID, most of the people they would attend were drug
addicts. But things have changed.
CAMILO DEVIA, FUNDACION AMIGOS MISSION COLOMBIA: Right now there are more -- there is a need between the people that are addicted to drugs here and
the people that lost everything. There are too many old people here.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Millions in Colombia lost their job as a result of COVID-19. While the country is recovering, more than 40 percent live in
poverty. Among them are people like Edwin, who used to work as a mechanic and now lives on the street. More than a health emergency, COVID has taken
jobs away, he says.
POZZEBON: The pandemic has a devastating impact for informal workers in particular. They didn't have any social safety nets when the lockdowns were
imposed.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Distressingly, just as more people found themselves in need, prices have shot up across the board, from gasoline to food
supplies.
pause The price of meat increased almost 30 percent in 2021 in Colombia. That is the tip of the iceberg. Poultry is up over 20 percent. Fresh fruits
and vegetables, everything you want for a good Christmas meal is more expensive.
POZZEBON (voice-over): As a result, while this would likely not be a lockdown Christmas, the economic outlook is bleak. Colombia's situation is
far from unique. Inflation hit the entire region hard.
In South America, 2021 has been a year of rising prices and waning meals. According to UNICEF, 50 percent of Argentinian children under 6 eat less
that before COVID-19 hit. In Brazil, 90 million people are going hungry.
SANDRA CHAVES, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF BAHIA (through translator): They've never been in a situation as serious as it is now.
POZZEBON (voice-over): Tapping into international capital markets is not an option for most South American governments, making it hard to finance
the large public support projects common in the U.S. and Europe. As a result, the immediate future looks just as dreary.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development expects it will take at least two years to return to pre-COVID levels of wealth in Latin
America. The food charity in Bogota has finished their deliveries for today but the job is far from over. Tomorrow, somebody else will be hungry --
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories on our radar right now.
The U.S. economy did slightly better than expected this past summer. Official numbers say the third quarter economic growth expanded at an
annualized rate of 2.3 percent, up from the prior estimate of 2.1 percent.
The markets, let's remember, this is a shortened week; volumes are low and so what we see a reflection of relatively good feeling about these numbers.
But they can go up and down at will these days.
The U.S. national security adviser says the U.S. and Israel should develop a common strategy on security issues. Jake Sullivan spoke ahead of a
meeting with Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem and he said both countries share common interests on security.
A jury in New York has resumed deliberations in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell. The 59-year-old socialite denies grooming underage
girls for abuse by the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell could face up to 70 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Well, December is the busiest time for delivery companies but imagine delivering tons of cargo into space. Details of the International Space
Station's latest arrival is coming up.
And a drastic change of plan for Real Madrid.
Who is going to be playing in their team?
Tonight, somebody else's?
Up next.
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ANDERSON: Well, Santa won't be delivering presents until the weekend but the astronauts aboard the International Space Station got their gifts
today. I mean cargo sent from Earth on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
The Dragon will remain docked at the ISS for about a month before heading back to Earth with some return cargo.
On Earth this evening, it's a perfect time to see the Ursid meteor shower. It's visible every year, starting on the 17th in the Northern Hemisphere.
NASA says it may be a low-key affair since moonlight will wash out most of the shooting stars.
Viewers can usually see about five meteors per year but this year I'm afraid you will be lucky to see one or two per hour.
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