Sri Lanka on Saturday approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.
It comes as the island nation battles a third wave of the virus, while suffering a restricted supply of vaccines from neighbouring India.
Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle, the minister overseeing the fight against the epidemic, said in a statement the government would order 5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Sri Lanka is seeking to secure other vaccines as the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, has suspended the delivery of AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine due to spiralling coronavirus infections in India.
Sri Lanka is the first country in South Asia to approve the Pfizer vaccine. It has also approved Russia's Sputnik and China's Sinopharm vaccines for emergency use.
The island nation reported 1,914 new cases and 19 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to federal health data, and its total number of active cases is higher than any point since the pandemic began.
Infections surged after crowded celebrations for traditional New Year last month.
Rescuers cleared the rubble in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday in a search for survivors, as flags were lowered to half mast to mark a day of mourning, a day after a Russian missile and drone attack killed at least 30 people.
A Ukrainian woman is the main suspect in a bomb attack that targeted a wealthy businessman in Monaco, officials said on Friday, adding that the suspect had fled to Germany and had likely not acted alone.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Thursday the launch of clinical trials for two potential treatments for the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the first patient enrolled in the study.
India has issued notices to messaging platforms Telegram and Signal asking them to explain safeguards around features that allow users to post messages without revealing their phone numbers, a government source said.
Rebels in Indonesia's restive easternmost region of Papua on Thursday shot dead an American pilot and set a civilian plane on fire in what a spokesperson for a local separatist group described as a message to the US and Indonesian governments.
Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Thursday, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 50, as drones and missiles struck residential buildings in what Russia said was a retaliation for recent attacks on its civil infrastructure.
Firefighters were battling to bring a wildfire in the Aude region of southern France under control on Thursday, as the country grappled with the lingering effects of Europe's recent heatwave.
Welcome to Pinoy Bulletin, your go-to source for staying informed about important announcements, exciting group activities, community events, and job opportunities!