Morning news brief: UK goes into lockdown, North Korea requests vaccine, and more

Amid rising coronavirus cases,England will go back into a full national coronavirus lockdown, with schools closed and people required to stay at home until at least mid-February. On the other hand, North Korea has submitted the application with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations(GAVI).

North Korea was among a group of developing countries that requested shipments of COVID-19 vaccines, despite declaring itself free of the virus, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Nearly 56 million people in England will return to a full coronavirus lockdown, possibly until mid-February, to try to cut spiralling infection rates, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.

The United States on Monday denounced Iran's plan to step up uranium enrichment as "nuclear extortion," breaching a 2015 nuclear pact with major powers and possibly complicating efforts by US President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the deal.