North Carolina reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person in Mecklenburg County. (Raleigh News and Observer)
Portugal reports a record 15,333 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 624,469. The country also reports a record 274 deaths in the past 24 hours, surpassing 10,000 deaths from COVID-19. (SIC Notícias)
Turkey signs a deal with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for the production of its Sputnik V vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
A mass shooting in Indianapolis, Indiana, leaves six dead and one injured. (WXIN-TV)
Eleven of the miners who went missing two weeks ago in Qixia, Shandong, China, after the gold mine where they worked collapsed, are rescued alive. Another miner is found dead, while ten others are still missing. (BBC News)
Israel opens an embassy in Abu Dhabi, four months after the signing of the agreement, while the United Arab Emirates approves the establishment of an embassy in Tel Aviv. (AFP via Dawn)
Israel–United Arab Emirates relations, Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement Israel opens an embassy in Abu Dhabi, four months after the signing of the agreement, while the United Arab Emirates approves the establishment of an embassy in Tel Aviv. (AFP via Dawn)
Portugal reports a record 275 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 10,469. (DGS)
Serbia reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant in a person who travelled from London and later began experiencing mild symptoms. (N1)
The Israeli cabinet agrees to close Ben Gurion International Airport and ban all incoming and outgoing international passengers from the airport, beginning at midnight tomorrow. Cargo flights, medical evacuations and firefighting flights are exempted from this rule. (The Washington Post)
Australia suspends their travel bubble with New Zealand for the next 72 hours after New Zealand's first community case in months was confirmed to be of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa. (BBC News)
Austria begins to require people aged 14 or older to wear FFP2 masks in shops, pharmacies and hospitals, as well as on public transport. (France 24)
Bahrain approves the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use in the country. (Al Jazeera)
COVID-19 vaccine Moderna says that their vaccine would work against the new variants found in South Africa and the United Kingdom. (Reuters)
COVID-19 vaccine The Therapeutic Goods Administration approves the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine for use in Australia. (ABC Australia)
Hong Kong approves the BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in the city. (The Standard)
Mexico's richest person and billionaire Carlos Slim tests positive for COVID-19. (Forbes)
Moderna says that their vaccine would work against the new variants found in South Africa and the United Kingdom. (Reuters)
Nevada reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2 in a person with no recent travel history. (AP)
Nine of the miners who went missing during a mine collapse in Qixia, Shandong, China, are found dead by rescue workers. Yesterday another miner was found dead, bringing the death toll to 10, while eleven others were rescued alive. Another miner is still missing. (BBC News)
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces that the second state of emergency in the province will be extended to February 8. (CP24)
Spain reports a record 93,822 new confirmed cases over the weekend, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,593,582. (elDiario)
The Therapeutic Goods Administration approves the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine for use in Australia. (ABC Australia)
Turkey receives 6.5 million doses of the Sinovac Biotech vaccine. (Daily Sabah)
Virginia reports their first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person from Northern Virginia with no recent travel history. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Alaska reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Newsminer)
An EF3 tornado hits Fultondale, Alabama, killing one person and injuring 30 others. (AP)
Indonesia surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
Iran approves the Sputnik V vaccine for use in the country. (Ynet News)
Kentucky reports its first two cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (AP)
Portugal reports a record 291 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 11,012. (Expresso)
Thailand reports a record of 959 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, including 914 cases in Samut Sakhon reported yesterday evening, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 14,646. (Bangkok Post)
The number of worldwide confirmed COVID-19 cases surpasses 100 million. (NBC News)
The United Arab Emirates reports a record 3,601 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 285,147. (Arab News)
A collision between a bus and a truck in Dschang, West, Cameroon, kills 53 people and leaves 29 others injured with severe burns. (AFP via Manila Bulletin)
A short squeeze causes GameStop stock to increase tremendously after Reddit users predicted a hedge fund closure over the last week. (The Guardian) (AP)
Alabama confirms their first three cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in two children and an adult from Montgomery and Jefferson counties. (U.S. News & World Report)
Cyprus announces a cautious easing of the second nationwide lockdown beginning February 1 following a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases that peaked after Christmas. (France 24)
GameStop short squeeze A short squeeze causes GameStop stock to increase tremendously after Reddit users predicted a hedge fund closure over the last week. (The Guardian) (AP)
Indonesia reports a record 387 deaths and 10,974 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide totals to 28,855 deaths and 831,330 recoveries. (detikNews)
Morocco receives half a million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. (Morocco World News)
Mount Merapi on Java, Indonesia, erupts. No casualties have been reported. (The Guardian)
New Jersey confirms their first death from the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who had "significant underlying conditions." (Patch.com)
North Macedonia reports their first case of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person with no known travel history who recovered on January 22. (Xinhua)
Africa secures another 400 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. (AP)
Australia extends the suspension of their travel bubble with New Zealand for another 72 hours due to concerns about new variants of SARS-CoV-2. (NZ Herald)
COVID-19 vaccine Vaccine developer Novavax announces that their vaccine candidate is 89% effective in preventing severe COVID-19, based on trial data from the United Kingdom; their vaccine was less effective against new variants of the virus, based on data from South Africa. (Reuters)
Indonesia reports a record 476 deaths in the past 24 hours, 200 of which are from West Java, bringing the nationwide death toll to 29,331. (Bisnis)
Japan reports a record 113 deaths in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times)
Mexico surpasses India to have the third-highest death toll in the world. (Reuters)
Portugal reports new daily records for both cases and deaths, with 16,432 new cases and 303 deaths, bringing the nationwide cumulative totals to 685,383 confirmed cases and 11,608 deaths. (DGS)
Senegal reports their first case of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2 that originated in the United Kingdom. (AFP via Yahoo News)
Spain reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant in a 30-year-old man who travelled from South Africa to Vigo. (ABC.es)
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issues an outdoor mask mandate for the city during Super Bowl LV. (ESPN)
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission releases a report accusing Google of misusing its advertisement system to promote Alphabet Inc.'s own financial interests. (The Guardian)
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I receives the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Greek City Times)
The Food and Drug Administration approves the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use in the Philippines. (Bloomberg)
The Navajo Nation surpasses 1,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Arizona Republic)
The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Andorra reaches 100. (Andorra Difusió)
The World Tourism Organization reports that the global tourism sector lost $1.3 trillion in revenue in 2020, calling it "the worst year in tourism history". The organization attributes the loss to COVID-19. (AFP via i24NEWS)
Vaccine developer Novavax announces that their vaccine candidate is 89% effective in preventing severe COVID-19, based on trial data from the United Kingdom; their vaccine was less effective against new variants of the virus, based on data from South Africa. (Reuters)
Vietnam reports their first two locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in 55 days in Hải Dương and Quảng Ninh provinces, with one of them linked to the B.1.1.7 variant. (ABC Australia)
A Vanuatu patrol boat detains two Chinese fishing vessels near the Torres Islands in the Coral Sea for suspected illegal fishing. (The Guardian)
Arizona reports the first three cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Arizona Republic)
China–Vanuatu relations A Vanuatu patrol boat detains two Chinese fishing vessels near the Torres Islands in the Coral Sea for suspected illegal fishing. (The Guardian)
Fifteen people are killed in a COVID-19 facility due to a fire at the Matei Balș Hospital in Bucharest, Romania. (Digi 24)
Hungary approves the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine for use in the country, becoming the first EU member state to do so. (DW)
Malaysia reports a record 5,725 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 203,933. (The Star)
Novartis signs an agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech to help produce their vaccine. (MedicalXpress)
The CDC issues a rule requiring all travelers using public transportation to wear a mask while boarding, during the trip, and while disembarking. The rule also states face shields, bandanas, and scarves are not permissible forms of face covering. (Politico)
The FBI announces that two women are arrested in Pennsylvania for their roles in the January 6 riot. One of the women, Dawn Bancroft, made threats to shoot House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (The Independent)
The German Ministry of Interior bans entry to all travellers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa from tomorrow until February 17 in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, travellers from Lesotho and Eswatini will also be banned beginning January 31. (Dpa International)
Trudeau announces new measures to take effect "in the coming weeks" that will require incoming travelers to undergo mandatory PCR testing upon arrival and quarantine in a hotel for a maximum of three days at their own expense. (AP)
Algeria begins its vaccination program using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (ABC News)
Capital punishment in Iran Iran hangs Javid Dehghan, the former leader of the Salafi jihadist group Jaish ul-Adl, for the murder of two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. (Reuters)
