Iran will receive deliveries of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine despite a ban on British and US-made shots.
The UK embassy in Tehran confirmed that the country would receive 4.2 million doses of the vaccine under the World Health Organisation’s Covax initiative.
The embassy said London had provided £548 million towards the initiative.
The embassy’s remarks came after Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki failed to acknowledge the vaccine’s ties to the UK.
The vaccine was designed by scientists at Oxford University and is manufactured by British-Swedish company AstraZeneca.
Iran’s top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had banned the health ministry from importing US and British-made vaccines, which he said were unreliable and may be used to spread the infection to other nations.
The first doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine began arriving in Iran on Thursday.
The Covax initiative aims to secure fair access to vaccines for poorer countries.
Authorities have yet to announce when vaccinations will start formally in the Middle East’s most affected country, which has recorded about 1.5 million cases and 58,256 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
“We hope to start the vaccination as soon as we get the Covid-19 vaccines,” Mr Namaki said.
Early data released this week suggests that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could reduce the spread of coronavirus by up to two thirds while also preventing serious illness.
Another Oxford study released on Friday showed that the vaccine was just as effective against the UK variant of the virus as well as the original strain.
Protection against symptomatic infection was similar for the new variant as well as the earlier strain, according to the study, which analysed swabs taken from volunteers from October to mid-January.
Meanwhile, British medical regulator said reports on vaccine side effects showed that the Oxford vaccine as well as the Pfizer-BioNTech drug were extremely safe.
Of the seven million doses delivered up until January 24, there were 22,840 reported reactions – three in every 1,000 people were adversely affected by the drug.
Almost all cases were mild, such as a sore arm or flu-like illness, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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