☰
HomeLiving Beyond BordersGZERO WorldSignalIn 60 SecondsPuppet RegimeGZERO World PodcastContact UsAbout UsCareersPrivacy PolicyTerms

Hard Numbers: Sputnik V jabs for Gaza, US and allies discuss Iran, Mexico's Pfizer scam, fluorescent species

February 18, 2021
Gabrielle Debinski
A Palestinian worker prepares to unload a shipment of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank February 4, 2021.

2,000: The embattled Gaza Strip received its first batch of COVID vaccines, with 2,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V jab sent to the enclave, which has a population of 2 million. Amid an ongoing debate over whether Israel should supply vaccines to the Palestinians, the jabs were sent by the Palestinian Authority — which controls the West Bank — not the Israeli government.

3: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks Thursday with counterparts from three allied states — Germany, France, and the UK — on how to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran recently said that if the Western signatories don't live up to their end of the bargain, it will block the UN nuclear watchdog from inspecting some of its sites as of next week.

6: Mexican authorities arrested six people in the northern state of Nuevo León for trafficking fake COVID vaccines, presenting them as the coveted Pfizer shots which are scarce in Mexico. Suspects allegedly tried to sell the jabs for $2,000 a pop.

2: Two species of large rodents called springhares have been discovered to glow in the dark. Scientists say the animals have a pinky-orange tinge under UV light, joining a small club of mammals like platypuses and some squirrels that share the rare trait.

More from GZERO Media

Hard Numbers: No daylight in Honduran presidential race, Japan’s lead banker sends bonds falling worldwide, Bird flu spreads like wildfire, Republicans seek to avoid Tennessee catastrophe

Luis Fernando Cerimedo, advisor of Presidential candidate Nasry Asfura of the National Party of Honduras (PN), speaks during a press conference after the general election, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, December 1, 2025.
REUTERS/Jose Cabezas

There are close presidential races, and then there’s the one in Honduras, where just 515 votes separate the top two candidates following Sunday’s election in the Central American nation.

What’s next for Zelensky?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects a guard of honor by the Irish Army at Government Buildings during an Irish State visit, in Dublin, Ireland, on December 2, 2025.
REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Even though an energy corruption scandal is roiling his leadership, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky isn’t necessarily in a rush to accept a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war – especially if the terms are unfavorable.

Tools and Weapons – In Conversation with Ed Policy

Microsoft

In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Ed Policy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, to discuss how purpose-driven leadership and innovation are shaping the future of one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises. Ed shares how technology and community-focused initiatives, from Titletown Tech to health and safety innovations on the field, are transforming not just the game of football, but the economy and culture of Green Bay itself. He explains how combining strategic vision with investment in local startups is keeping talent in the Midwest and creating opportunities that extend far beyond Lambeau Field.

Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.

The kids are not alright

The Gen Z group led by Miraj Dhungana escalates their ongoing demonstrations, confronting police outside the prime minister's official residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Nov. 26, 2025.
Sanjit Pariyar/NurPhoto

Youth unemployment is making headlines from China to Canada, with many countries’ rates at historic highs. The fallout is fueling Gen Z discontent, creating migration pressures, and threatening social unrest in nations around the globe.

Hard Numbers: Mother Nature batters South and Southeast Asia, Netanyahu asks for a pardon, Aussies get in kayaks to protest coal, Trump commutes sentence of fraudster, Leo makes first foreign trip as pope

People stay at a school, which is functioned as the temporary shelter at flooded area, on November 30, 2025 in Sumatra, Sumatra. The authorities in Indonesia were searching on Sunday for hundreds of people they said were missing after days of unusually heavy rains across Southeast Asia that have killed hundreds and displaced millions.
Photo by Li Zhiquan/China News Service/VCG

800: The death toll from the tropical storm that battered parts of Southeast Asia is now close to 800.

About UsCareers PressContact Us Privacy PolicyTerms of Use
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.