World News in Brief: January 1

1/1/2021 - 5:29:13 PM

The World Health Organization listed Pfizer and BionTech's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, in a move seeking to speed access in the developing world.

Fireworks are seen above Sydney Harbor Bridge in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 1, 2021. Australia's New Year's Eve celebrations have been hampered by fresh COVID-19 cases in Sydney and Melbourne, with the public urged to spend the occasion at home. (Photo: Xinhua)

* A vaccine developed by a unit of China National Biotec Group (CNBG) is 79.34% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 and the company has filed an application for regulatory approval in China for its general public use.

* A new variant of the novel coronavirus does not appear to cause more severe illness than other variants, according to a matched study by Public Health England.

* A more infections variant of COVID-19 that has swept through the United Kingdom has been identified in Florida, marking the third known US state to identify such a case.

* Large crowds took to the streets at midnight in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, celebrating the arrival of 2021 after a year marred by a deadly pandemic that killed thousands there and required the city to be locked down between the end of January and early April.

* Australia welcomed 2021 with subdued celebrations as fresh coronavirus restrictions and border closures at its two most populous states forced families to ditch New Year plans.

* Canada will require air travellers aged 5 and up to test negative for COVID-19 before arrival, starting Jan. 7.

* Brazil reported more than 1,000 deaths from the coronavirus for a third day in a row.

* German Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked citizens for their commitment in 2020 and called for continuous solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in her New Year's speech on Thursday.

* Russia recorded 27,039 more COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, slightly down from 27,747 a day earlier, the country's COVID-19 response center said Friday. The national tally of COVID-19 cases has increased to 3,186,336, including 57,555 deaths and 2,580,138 recoveries, the center said.

* Another 55,892 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the highest daily increase in coronavirus cases since the pandemic began in the country, according to official figures released Thursday. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 2,488,780, the data showed.

* Bulgaria's COVID-19 cases and deaths in 2020 reached 202,266 and 7,576, respectively, according to data published by its Unified Information Portal midnight Friday. The Balkan country reported 1,046 new infections and 61 deaths in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, 1,192 people recovered, raising the total recoveries to 119,527, showed the data.

* Chad has locked down its capital N'djamena for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic and has declared a dusk to dawn curfew due to a rise in infections.

* About 4,000 additional positive tests for COVID-19 in the last two to three days have yet to be formally confirmed in Ireland, meaning the situation is worse than recent record daily figures suggest, a senior health official.

* All travellers entering Norway will have to take a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of arrival from Jan. 2, the country's justice ministry said.

Source: NDO

Existential danger from COVID-19 pandemic

The danger from the COVID-19 pandemic is still latent, threatening people’s health and lives in the context that the immunity provided from the COVID-19 vaccine has decreased. Many other dangerous diseases are also likely to break out when the global vaccination rate slows down, due to inequality in access to health services, vaccine hesitancy, and consequences of economic recession.

Vietnam among ASEAN countries recording EV sales surge

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is witnessing a rise in the sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Maybank Investment Bank Research (Maybank IB Research).

International friends bid farewell to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

The respect paying ceremony for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued on the morning of July 26 at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, with high-level delegations from foreign countries and international organisations paying their last respects and expressing deep condolences.

Global outpouring of grief for Vietnamese Party chief

A wave of condolences have poured in from world leaders, international organisations, rulling parties, Communist parties and partner parties following the death of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, a revered leader in Vietnam and world: Australian Senate President

President of the Australian Senate Sue Lines has expressed her deepest sympathy over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and affirmed that he is a revered leader both in Vietnam and across the world.

Vietnam hopes UN, ASEAN coordinate closely, effectively over Myanmar issue: Ambassador

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), on June 5 had a meeting with UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop during her working visit to New York.