Global
Major news in the battle for global COVID-19 vaccine equity today as the US said it would support waiving patents on the vaccines. This comes after months of lobbying in a campaign started by India and South Africa at the WTO back in October. The waiver, opposed by major pharmaceutical companies, had previously been blocked by countries including the US, the UK, Japan, Switzerland, Brazil, Norway and EU nations. Those who supported the waiver campaign argued that, given the pandemic is global in nature and the virus is regularly mutating, it cannot be fully defeated unless the world’s population is vaccinated, not just those in rich nations. Shares in Moderna, Pfizer and BioNtech tanked on the news, Moderna by as much as 9.7%.
More from Bloomberg News here.
Colombia
As mentioned in a previous newsletter, major street protests have been taking place in Colombia for more than a week. Though they started over a now withdrawn tax bill, demonstrators say they are now protesting police brutality, inequality and more. The protests have been met violently by security forces and at least 24 people have been killed. President Ivan Duque is calling for a "national dialogue initiative”.
A useful write-up from CNN here.
Egypt
Remember The Ever Given, the cargo ship that drew the world’s attention when it blocked the Suez Canal for a week? Well, Egypt is refusing to return it to its owner.
More from EuroNews here.