TOP HEADLINES 

• The European Union (EU) is ready to discuss the U.S.'s plan to lift the patents on COVID-19 vaccines if "concrete proposals" are put forward, according to Charles Michel, the President of the European Council. 

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron both, respectively, urged the U.S. to export vaccines made on its soil. "I call very clearly on the United States to put an end to export bans not only on vaccines but on vaccine ingredients, which prevent production," said Macron.

• The EU has concluded a deal with BioNTech/Pfizer for up to 1.8 billion extra doses of their vaccine, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.

• France is working on a tricolor classification system for countries according to the intensity of their respective COVID-19 outbreak to aid French people who would like to travel abroad this summer, the Secretary of State for Tourism Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne has said.

• The World Health Organization has said that countries should not offer vaccination to children until elderly people and those at risk have received jabs.

• India on Saturday reported its highest ever single-day COVID-19 death toll as cases continued to rise. States imposed stricter lockdowns, including Tamil Nadu, home to 67.8 million people and the site of the country's automobile manufacturing sector. 

• COVID-19 will no longer be circulating in Britain by August, the government's departing vaccine taskforce chief Clive Dix has told the Daily Telegraph, adding that a booster vaccine dose for Britain's vulnerable could be pushed back to next year. 

• China surpassed 300 million total vaccines doses administered. 

• The Latvian health ministry has ordered experts to urgently prepare proposals for tackling a fresh upsurge in COVID-19 cases. The government is expected to decide on the new restrictions at the beginning of next week.

• Romania began a vaccination drive in Bucharest's national library. Over 1,000 volunteers will work day and night, vaccinating anyone who wants the dose. The drive will go on until Monday. 

• The World Health Organization has approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm for "emergency use." European countries, including Hungary, and Serbia are already using the vaccine. More may join them following the announcement.

AROUND EUROPE 

Rahul Pathak in Madrid

Saturday will be the final full day of Spain's national state of alarm. The decree came into force last October as the country battled the effects of the second wave of the pandemic.

It allowed the 17 autonomous regions the power to enforce curfews and other restrictions, including a ban on non-essential travel between regions.

However, after midnight regional authorities will need court approval to impose restrictions on mobility and social gatherings.

So far, six regions have gone to their local courts to keep their respective curfews in place. 

All 17 local governments say they will lift restrictions on inter-regional travel, meaning Spaniards will be able to visit family and friends in other parts of the country for the first time in months.

Nawied Jabarkhyl in London

Travel and tourism firms have criticized the UK's long-awaited "green list" of 12 destinations people can visit without quarantining on return to England.

From 17 May, international travel will no longer be illegal, but only a dozen countries are on the list, far fewer than the industry hoped. It means travelers from any other destination would need to self-isolate for at least 10 days.

And vote counting continues across England, Scotland and Wales on Saturday after local elections earlier this week. The process takes longer than usual because of COVID-19 safety measures such as fewer people in counting halls. Early results show the incumbents in all three nations doing well, partly because of their handling of the virus.

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

CGTN Europe: Patent waivers not enough to end COVID-19 vaccine inequality, says WTO chief Okonjo-Iweala

CGTN China: Sinopharm: WHO approval shows intl recognition of vaccine's R&D, production, safety

CGTN America: Production losses for Hollywood amid the COVID-19 pandemic

CGTN Africa: Rwanda President seeks to bring first mRNA vaccine plant to Africa

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