By Emma Sharman

Co-Editor-in-Chief

UK Begins Mass Covid-19 Vaccination: The very first person to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccination was a 91-year-old UK resident named Margaret Keenan. The vaccine was administered by a nurse named Mary Parsons. On Tuesday, December 8, “Thousands of vaccinations” were administered in the UK, the National Health service told the BBC (British Broadcasting Network). After the approval of the vaccine occurred last week, patients and health workers alike have been able to get vaccinated at approximately 50 different hospital locations throughout the UK, and counting. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been deemed 95% effective by United States regulators, and an additional vaccine- the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, has also been deemed “safe and effective” after being reviewed by independent scientists.

French Cabinet Backs Law Targeting Extremism: A bill that was created with the goal of squashing radical Islam was been approved by the French cabinet on December 9. It was created after a series of extremist attacks and is being referred to as “a law of protection” by Prime Minister Jean Castex, who is adamantly against the notion that the law is made to target religion. Despite this, critics of the bill (which would place a ban on malicious online speech and activity as well as regulate home-schooling) claim that its’ text targets the Muslim religion. 

Politicians, Activists, and Celebrities Urge Nigerian President to Release Protesters: Alicia Keys, Opal Tometi, Kerry Washington, and Greta Thunberg among 62 other activists, politicians, and celebrities all took part in signing an open letter that was addressed to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. The letter was written to urge the President to lift the ban on peaceful demonstrations that is currently in place. Another purpose was to convince the President to release jailed protesters and journalists along with returning confiscated IDs, passports and/or unfreeze bank accounts. The New York Times published pieces of the letter which read, “…their peaceful requests were met with state-sanctioned violence and suppression, as your administration meted out unwarranted force against its own citizens.”