Osaka reports 490 new cases in the past 24 hours, a new single-day record since the pandemic began. (Nihon Keizai Shimbun)
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) begins to introduce saliva tests to detect active COVID-19 infections in children between the ages of 3 and 16 in all DHA facilities and DHA-run screening centers across Dubai. These tests are more than 90% accurate, making them a viable alternative to nasal swab tests which are uncomfortable and harder to use to test children. (Gulf News)
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program The China National Space Administration successfully launches the Chang'e 5 robotic spacecraft from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site. It is China's first sample return mission, and if the mission is successful it will be the first lunar sample return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. Chang'e-5 will bring back at least 2 kilograms of lunar soil. (The Guardian)
The China National Space Administration successfully launches the Chang'e 5 robotic spacecraft from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site. It is China's first sample return mission, and if the mission is successful it will be the first lunar sample return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. Chang'e-5 will bring back at least 2 kilograms of lunar soil. (The Guardian)
COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia The number of new confirmed cases in Malaysia increases by a record 2,188 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 58,847. Of these new cases, 1,632 of them are from Selangor, the majority being from the Teratai cluster involving factory workers. (Malay Mail)
The number of new confirmed cases in Malaysia increases by a record 2,188 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 58,847. Of these new cases, 1,632 of them are from Selangor, the majority being from the Teratai cluster involving factory workers. (Malay Mail)
COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia imposes mandatory COVID-19 screening for 1.7 million foreign workers due to a high number of cases among these workers. In addition, authorities impose a fine of RM50,000 per worker if employers house their foreign staff in crowded spaces. (The Straits Times) Malaysia reports a single-day record of 2,555 recoveries, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 49,056. (New Straits Times)
Malaysia imposes mandatory COVID-19 screening for 1.7 million foreign workers due to a high number of cases among these workers. In addition, authorities impose a fine of RM50,000 per worker if employers house their foreign staff in crowded spaces. (The Straits Times)
Israel–Saudi Arabia relations Saudi Arabia agrees to allow Israeli commercial flights to cross its airspace for the first time, following high-level talks between Saudi officials and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia agrees to allow Israeli commercial flights to cross its airspace for the first time, following high-level talks between Saudi officials and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. (Reuters)
2020 SO Unknown astronomical object 2020 SO makes its closest approach to Earth at a perigee distance of approximately 0.13 lunar distances (50,000 km; 31,000 mi). Researchers, who discovered 2020 SO on September 17, 2020, are still unsure whether the object is a small near-Earth asteroid or an artificial object. The booster of Surveyor 2's Atlas-Centaur rocket, launched by NASA in 1966, is suspected by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (CNET)
Arecibo Observatory The Arecibo Observatory's telescope receiver collapses into the reflector dish, according to the National Science Foundation. The radio telescope was due to be decommissioned and dismantled after support cables broke on August 10, 2020. (The Guardian)
The Arecibo Observatory's telescope receiver collapses into the reflector dish, according to the National Science Foundation. The radio telescope was due to be decommissioned and dismantled after support cables broke on August 10, 2020. (The Guardian)
Unknown astronomical object 2020 SO makes its closest approach to Earth at a perigee distance of approximately 0.13 lunar distances (50,000 km; 31,000 mi). Researchers, who discovered 2020 SO on September 17, 2020, are still unsure whether the object is a small near-Earth asteroid or an artificial object. The booster of Surveyor 2's Atlas-Centaur rocket, launched by NASA in 1966, is suspected by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (CNET)
Chinese space program The China National Space Administration probe Chang'e 5 lifts off from the surface of the moon as it begins a journey back to Earth after collecting samples of lunar soil. The ascender will rendezvous with the orbiter, transferring over the samples, and the orbiter will then land at a location in Inner Mongolia, China. (BBC News)
The China National Space Administration probe Chang'e 5 lifts off from the surface of the moon as it begins a journey back to Earth after collecting samples of lunar soil. The ascender will rendezvous with the orbiter, transferring over the samples, and the orbiter will then land at a location in Inner Mongolia, China. (BBC News)
JAXA space probe Hayabusa2 delivers the first ever subsurface asteroid samples to Earth. The capsule, containing a small amount of material from Apollo asteroid 162173 Ryugu, landed in the Australian outback. (CBS News)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches a cargo ship into orbit to re-supply the International Space Station. (CBS News)
Uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches a cargo ship into orbit to re-supply the International Space Station. (CBS News)
China National Space Administration (CNSA) spacecraft Chang'e 5 returns to Earth carrying samples of lunar rocks and soil from the surface of the Moon. The capsule will be airlifted to Beijing for formal opening and the samples will be made available to scientists in other countries, according to the CNSA. (The Guardian)
Chinese space program China National Space Administration (CNSA) spacecraft Chang'e 5 returns to Earth carrying samples of lunar rocks and soil from the surface of the Moon. The capsule will be airlifted to Beijing for formal opening and the samples will be made available to scientists in other countries, according to the CNSA. (The Guardian)
The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launches communications satellite CMS-01 into a geostationary orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. (Space.com)
A review of some recent medical studies shows that memory T cells may play a role in a phenomenon known as cross-reactivity, which researchers found may perhaps give certain people, in some cases, some level of immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 even without them having been exposed to or infected with the virus, or having received a vaccine. There are certain structural and clinical similarities between the virus that causes COVID-19 and the other coronaviruses that are related to it, which cause SARS and MERS. (MSN)
Chinese space program The maiden flight of the Long March 8 orbital launch vehicle is launched from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site at 04:37 UTC, carrying five satellites. (Reuters)
The maiden flight of the Long March 8 orbital launch vehicle is launched from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site at 04:37 UTC, carrying five satellites. (Reuters)
The Solar Orbiter spacecraft makes its closest approach to Venus. (Space.com)
2020 in paleontology Scientists at the Russian Academy of Sciences announce the discovery of a "well-preserved" woolly rhinoceros carcass in Abyysky District, Sakha, Russia, which was revealed by melting permafrost in August. The Russian Academy of Sciences says that the woolly rhinoceros was likely 3 or 4 years old when it died by drowning in the river, and could be anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 years old. (ABC News)
Scientists at the Russian Academy of Sciences announce the discovery of a "well-preserved" woolly rhinoceros carcass in Abyysky District, Sakha, Russia, which was revealed by melting permafrost in August. The Russian Academy of Sciences says that the woolly rhinoceros was likely 3 or 4 years old when it died by drowning in the river, and could be anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 years old. (ABC News)
COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, COVID-19 vaccine China approves BBIBP-CorV made by Sinopharm for general use, after the vaccine was considered to be 79.34% effective. (CNN) The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The patient is a 23-year-old woman who travelled from the United Kingdom to Shanghai on December 14 and later tested positive for COVID-19. (France 24)
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The patient is a 23-year-old woman who travelled from the United Kingdom to Shanghai on December 14 and later tested positive for COVID-19. (France 24)
