COVID-19: China Approves 1st Homegrown Vaccine

China has disclosed that it has approved its first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, Sinopharm developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, for general use, making it an addition to the vaccines currently in use to fight the global pandemic. The approval comes after the Country launched a vaccination campaign ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday in February. This alongside Britain’s inexpensive AstraZeneca vaccine will give poorer countries access to the vaccine after the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been snapped up by richer countries.

Israel and Morocco Agree To Full Diplomatic Relations

Israel and Morocco have made a deal to normalise relations, Donald Trump has announced, marking the fourth agreement between an Arab government and the Jewish state this year. “Another HISTORIC breakthrough today!” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!”

Image of UAE Flag

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced on Sunday that it plans to grant all infectious disease experts and doctors in the country a 10-year golden visa, especially those assisting to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This announcement was made in a series of tweets by the Prime Minister of UAE, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Others eligible include graduates with a minimum of 3.8 Grade Point Average (GPA) from a UAE-accredited university and all Ph.D. holders in the UAE. The Prime Minister tweeted, “UAE Golden Visa will also include UAE-based physicians as well as engineers in the fields of computer science, electronics, programming, electricity, and biotechnology.

2021: Australia, China And Several Others Celebrate New Year In Style

Parts of the world have begun ushering in the New Year while Nigeria eagerly awaits 2021. As at the time of reporting, Countries in the Oceania and Asian time zone have marked the start of 2021, with millions around the world celebrating the New Year at home because of COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged 2020.

COVID-19: Israel Receives 1st Batch Of Pfizer Vaccine As UK Begins Mass Vaccination

Israel has on Wednesday announced that it has received the first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from Brussels, the country's health ministry said. According to the ministry, the first batch of vaccines arrived on a DHL cargo flight at the Ben Gurion airport, outskirts of Tel Aviv, adding that another batch is expected on Thursday. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu while receiving the shipment said, "I believe in this vaccine" adding that the vaccines are expected to be approved by the regulatory authorities "in the coming days."

Bahrain Longest Serving PM, Salman Al Khalifa Dies At 84

Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the longest serving Prime Minister of Bahrain since its independence in 1971 has died at age 84 at Mayo Clinic Hospital in the United States. The Bahrain News Agency confirmed the death on Wednesday, saying "The Royal Court mourns His Royal Highness ... who passed away this morning at Mayo Clinic in the United States of America." King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has announced a week of mourning of the deceased where flags will be flown at half-mast in honour of the late PM.