Cuban authorities announce that the country will tighten its measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and require all tourists to isolate after visiting the island until they test negative. (AP)
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)
Iran imposes a 14-day quarantine upon arrival for all travelers from Europe. (Reuters)
Malaysia reports a record 5,728 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 209,661. (New Straits Times)
South Carolina reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. The patient is a person from the Pee Dee region who previously travelled internationally. (WLTX-TV)
Taiwan reports its first death from COVID-19 since May 2020 in a woman in her 80s. (Focus Taiwan News Channel)
The Italian Medicines Agency approves the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy for all adults but recommends that other vaccines be given to people aged over 55. (Daily Sabah)
Tunisia becomes the third country in Africa to register the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine after the country approves the vaccine for one year. (Al-Arabiya)
Vietnam approves the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Straits Times)
Cuba reports a record 1,012 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 26,686. (Presna Latina)
Egypt receives its first shipment of 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. (Ahram Online)
Israel agrees to transfer 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Palestinians to immunize frontline medical workers. (BBC News)
Israel reports its first reinfection case of the 501.V2 variant in a 57-year-old man who recently travelled to Turkey and who previously recovered from COVID-19. (Times of Israel)
Lebanon surpasses 300,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Daily Star)
Nguyễn Phú Trọng is re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for a third five-year term as top leader in Vietnam. (Reuters)
Politics of Vietnam Nguyễn Phú Trọng is re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for a third five-year term as top leader in Vietnam. (Reuters)
South Korea extends its social distancing restrictions for another two weeks amid concern around the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays and an increase in the number of cases. (Bloomberg)
The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in France reaches 27,613, the most since December 1. (Reuters)
Vietnam reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a 25-year-old man from South Africa who travelled to Hanoi on December 19 and tested positive for COVID-19 four days later while in quarantine. (AAP via The West Australian)
Armenia approves the use of the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia. (Public Radio of Armenia)
Ballot Measure 110 goes into effect in Oregon, making it the first state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of specified Schedule I and Schedule II drugs. (ABC News)
British Columbia confirms 18 cases of the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom and South Africa. (CBC)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, visits Cameroon this week. He hopes peace and reconciliation can be found in the country, which is struggling amid an armed separatist movement in the Southwest and Northwest regions. (Catholic News Agency)
Italy eases its national restrictions by allowing the reopening of bars, restaurants and museums in 16 "Yellow-zone" regions. However, a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. will remain in place. (France 24)
Lithuania reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a woman from Vilnius who tested positive for COVID-19 in early January. (LRT)
Ontario reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a person from the Peel Region with no known travel history. (CP24)
Pakistan receives 500,000 doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine. (The News)
South Africa receives one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. (ABC News)
The Isle of Man lifts its second "circuit-breaker" lockdown after 20 days without a community case. (BBC News)
Twelve people are killed when two vessels sink close to a port on Colombia's Pacific coast, in Tumaco. (The Canberra Times)
2020–21 Premier League, Manchester United F.C. 9–0 Southampton F.C. Manchester United defeats Southampton 9–0 to equal the record for the largest winning margin in a Premier League match, equalling that of Leicester City's 0–9 victory against the same team in the previous season and their own 9–0 win against Ipswich Town in 1995. (ABC Australia)
2021 Muskogee shooting Five children and one adult are killed, and another person wounded, during a mass shooting at a home in Muskogee, Oklahoma. A 25-year-old male suspect who had been living with the victims is taken into custody. (Associated Press)
A peer-reviewed result published in the journal The Lancet finds Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to be 91.6% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection. It is the third major vaccine candidate to exceed 90% efficacy, along with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. (CBS on MSN)
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announces that he will step down as CEO during the third quarter. Current Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy is expected to replace him. (CNBC)
COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine A peer-reviewed result published in the journal The Lancet finds Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to be 91.6% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection. It is the third major vaccine candidate to exceed 90% efficacy, along with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. (CBS on MSN)
Five children and one adult are killed, and another person wounded, during a mass shooting at a home in Muskogee, Oklahoma. A 25-year-old male suspect who had been living with the victims is taken into custody. (Associated Press)
Former Captain Regent Fausta Morganti dies from COVID-19 at the age of 76. (Corriere Romagna)
Fourteen people are killed and twelve others are injured after a coach overturned at a sharp turn near Uthal, Pakistan. (Dawn)
Ireland reports a record 101 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 3,418. (The Irish Times)
Kyrgyzstan is expected to receive 504,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in March. (24.kg)
Malaysia extends its movement control order in all states and territories except Sarawak until February 18. (CNA)
Malaysia reports a record 21 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 791. (The Star)
Manchester United defeats Southampton 9–0 to equal the record for the largest winning margin in a Premier League match, equalling that of Leicester City's 0–9 victory against the same team in the previous season and their own 9–0 win against Ipswich Town in 1995. (ABC Australia)
Mexico approves the use of Sputnik V vaccine in the country. (CTV News)
New Brunswick reports its first two cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Toronto Star)
Saskatchewan reports its first two cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the Regina area. (CBC)
Spain reports 724 deaths in the past 24 hours, the most since April. (El País)
Spain will restrict travel to South Africa and Brazil due to concerns about new variants of SARS-CoV-2. (Reuters)
Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine A peer-reviewed result published in the journal The Lancet finds Russia's Sputnik V vaccine to be 91.6% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection. It is the third major vaccine candidate to exceed 90% efficacy, along with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. (CBS on MSN)
Three Ethiopian opposition parties say that at least 52,000 civilians have died in Tigray. (Bloomberg)
General Motors announces the suspension of operations at its Fairfax, Ingersoll, and San Luis Potosí assembly plants due to a global shortage of semiconductors. (AFP via RFI)
Kansas reports its first case of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Ellis County. (The Wichita Eagle)
Kuwait will suspend entry for non-citizens for two weeks beginning February 7, due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. (Gulf News)
Medsafe provisionally approves the use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine in New Zealand with certain conditions. (RNZ)
Preliminary tests indicate that the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may reduce transmission of COVID-19 and not simply prevent symptomatic infections. (U.S. News & World Report via MSN)
Spain reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in Catalonia. Experts believe that it has no relation to South Africa, the variant's country of origin, and that it originated in Europe. (El Periódico)
The Czech Republic surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Arab News)
The number of people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United Kingdom surpasses 10 million. (ITV)
The United Arab Emirates reports a record of 3,977 new confirmed cases and 12 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 313,626 and the nationwide death toll to 878. (Al-Arabiya)
2021 Wooroloo bushfire The number of homes destroyed rises to 81, as a new bushfire to the north threatens the Bullsbrook township. (ABC Australia)
France reports four cases of the Lineage P.1 variant first detected in Brazil. (Reuters)
Henry Puna becomes the new Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum replacing Meg Taylor. (RNZ)
Iran receives its first shipment of 500,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (The Times of Israel)
Johnson & Johnson requests emergency approval for its vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration. (CNET)
New Zealand announces a new floating public holiday to commence in 2022 based on the Māori celebration of Matariki. (RNZ)
Palestine receives 10,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (Anadolu Agency)
Peru signs a deal with Pfizer to purchase 20 million doses of its vaccine. (Gestión)
Taiwan reports its first death of a foreigner from COVID-19. The patient was a British national in his 70s. It is also the first death from the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 reported in the country. (Taiwan News)
The number of homes destroyed rises to 81, as a new bushfire to the north threatens the Bullsbrook township. (ABC Australia)
AstraZeneca-Oxford developers say that their vaccine candidate is effective against the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (BBC News)
COVID-19 vaccine Variants of SARS-CoV-2 AstraZeneca-Oxford developers say that their vaccine candidate is effective against the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (BBC News)
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announces that the state will lift its mask mandate and gathering restrictions, which will take effect on Sunday. (The Des Moines Register)
Oklahoma reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant originated from Brazil in a woman who had a travel history. (KFOR-TV)
Scientists belonging to a German–Malagasy expedition announce the discovery of Brookesia nana, a lizard found in Madagascar. The male's body spanning only 13.5 millimetres (0.5 in), is potentially the smallest reptile on Earth. (BBC News)
South Korea surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19. (The Korea Herald)
