The Dutch government says it is temporarily halting AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccinations for people under 60 following reports of very small number of people suffering unusual blood clots after receiving the shot.

Brazil says the commanders of the country's army, navy and air force will be replaced, a day after President Jair Bolsonaro replaced six ministers, including the defense minister.

A new wave of coronavirus has started in the Gaza Strip with over five hundred new infections reported on Wednesday.

As the world is struggling with the new coronavirus, which first emerged in China, Asian people are facing unprecedented hate crimes in Western countries.

A senior Iranian official says the country is monitoring results of safety probes into AstraZeneca vaccine.

As the Persian New Year nears, Iranians are gearing up to celebrate the festive occasion amid restrictions.

Iran has unveiled its fourth domestically-developed COVID-19 vaccine. The new jab, called Fakhra, has been developed by the Defense Ministry.

Hospitals across the occupied west bank are overfull and intensive-care units operating at over 100 per cent capacity with coronavirus patients in some cities, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Iran says herd immunity against coronavirus will be reached by inoculating 56 million people.

On March 13 then-United States president Donald Trump declared the coronavirus to be a national emergency. One year later, many believe that the world’s richest country has had the world’s worst national response to the pandemic.