Israeli authorities close off access to its Mediterranean beaches following an offshore oil spill that has devastated more than 100 miles (160 km) of the country's coastline. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority calls the spill "one of the most serious ecological disasters" in the country’s history. The cause of the spill is currently under investigation. (The Independent)
Israel reopens many sectors of their economy as part of an easing of lockdown restrictions. However, while shops are open to all residents, access to leisure sites is limited to people who have received a vaccine or who have recovered from COVID-19. (France 24)
Malaysia receives its first shipment of 312,390 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. This allows the starting date of the vaccination campaign to be brought forward to February 24. (Malay Mail)
Taiwan confirms their first three cases of the Lineage P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 first detected in Brazil, prompting the government to impose a 14-day quarantine for all travelers arriving from Brazil at a centralized facility beginning February 24. (The Straits Times)
The International Atomic Energy Agency reaches an agreement with Iran to allow inspectors to resume monitoring their nuclear program for up to three months. However, the agreement bars inspectors from doing snap inspections and also prohibits them from reviewing footage taken at the nuclear sites. (Al Jazeera)
Facebook takes down the main page of the military of Myanmar a day after two protesters were killed. The social media site said that the account violated its policies of "incitement to violence and coordinating harm". Earlier, the military had blocked Internet access in many parts of the country. (BBC News)
Rwanda will allow individual and non-contact outdoor sports activities to resume on February 23 due to a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. (New Times)