Monday,  Sept. 14th, 2020

The United Arab Emirates approves Sinopharm’s vaccine for frontline workers following successful Phase III clinical trials in Abu Dhabi. “The results of studies during the final stages of the Phase III trial showed that the vaccine is effective and resulted in a strong response, and the generation of antibodies to the virus. Studies on the safety of the vaccination have been reviewed and showed that it is safe and safe for use”, says Minister of Health Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais. The WHO-recognized trial began on July 16 and involved 31,000 volunteers. (The National).

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong files a lawsuit against ExxonMobil for their products contributing to the emissions that cause global warming and climate change. (CTMirror)

Satellite imagery shows that a big chunk of ice shattered into many small pieces from the last remaining ice shelf in Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden, Greenland. (BBC)

The first discovery of the perfectly preserved remains of a cave bear, believed to be 22,000 to 39,500 years old (Late Pleistocene), is made in Lyakhovsky Islands, Siberia in the thawing permafrost.(AP)

The Royal Astronomical Society announces that they have detected a gas called phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus that indicates microorganisms may inhabit Earth’s inhospitable neighbor. If confirmed, it would be the first known extraterrestrial life. (Reuters)

 

Sunday, Sept. 13th, 2020

Nvidia announce that they are acquiring Arm Holdings, the market-dominant designer of smartphone processors, for US$40 billion in the semi-conductor industry’s largest-ever deal. (BBC)

South Korea eases its tough social distancing measures for the next two weeks until September 28 in the Seoul Capital Area. The government lifts a ban on on-site dining after 9 pm local time, though it still requires restaurants and cafes to restrict seating and record patrons’ names and contact details. Effective tomorrow, franchise coffee shops will resume normal operations, after restricting service to takeouts. (CNA)

It is announced that Israel will enter a three-week nationwide lockdown starting on September 18 to contain the spread of COVID-19 after a second-wave surge of new cases. During the lockdown, Israelis will have to stay within 500 metres of their houses, but can travel to workplaces that will be allowed to operate on a limited basis. Schools and shopping malls will be closed but supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open. (Reuters)

It is announced that Saudi Arabia will lift all travel restrictions for citizens on January 1, the state news agency SPA said. The kingdom will also partially lift its suspension of international flights on September 15 to allow “exceptional categories” of citizens and residents to travel. (Arab News)

Two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies are shot while parked at a metro station in Compton. A small crowd, including demonstrators, gathers near the hospital in Lynwood where the deputies were transported. Witnesses say members in the group were chanting anti-law enforcement slogans and at one point tried to get inside the hospital. (KABC-TV)

Protests erupt in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania after police shot and killed a man following a domestic disturbance who charged police with a knife. Police use “chemical agents” against protesters outside the police station after members of the crowd allegedly damaged police vehicles and bricks were thrown at the police station and the post office window. (Lancaster Online)

Around 200 people in Istanbul, Turkey demonstrate against French magazine’s Charlie Hebdo’s decision to republish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (France24)

Belarusian security forces close off Independence Square and October Square in Minsk, as 100,000 people gather in the capital calling for President Alexander Lukashenko to resign. At least 250 protesters are detained by police. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)

Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman resigns in protest of holiday lockdown, he also accuses the government of failing to act earlier and deliberately picking Rosh Hashanah as the start date of closure. (Times of Israel)

The End