*) Trump pardons ex-strategist Steve Bannon, dozens of others
We begin in the US, where President Donald Trump has pardoned former chief strategist Steve Bannon as part of a late flurry of clemency action benefitting over 140 people, including rap stars and former members of Congress.
The pardons and commutations were announced in the final hours of Trump's White House term.
The last-minute clemency follows separate waves of pardons over the last month for Trump associates convicted in the FBI’s Russia investigation, as well as for the father of his son-in-law.
*) A dozen troops removed from inaugural duty after vetting
With the US's Capitol tightly locked down ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration, the FBI has removed a dozen members of the National Guard from duty.
Two were removed for having expressed anti-government sentiment on their social media. The rest were removed for other reasons, which were not linked to extremism.
More than twenty-five thousand members of the National Guard have been deployed in Washington following the storming of the Capitol building by Trump supporters earlier this month.
*) US determines China committed genocide in Xinjiang region
The Trump administration has accused China of committing “genocide and crimes against humanity” over its repression of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region.
Outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement.
China has been widely condemned for keeping more than a million Uighur Muslims in what have been described as “concentration” camps.
Beijing insists they are vocational training centres designed to stop Uighur Muslims turning to extremism.
*) EU aims to have 70 percent of its population vaccinated by summer
The European Union says member states should vaccinate at least 70 percent of their adult populations by this summer to control the coronavirus pandemic.
But officials have yet to say how they plan to boost capacity. The EU has so far secured more than 2-point-3 billion doses for its population of 450 million.
But only two developers have received regulatory approval. Meanwhile, the EU commission says it's working to develop vaccination certificates that will allow travel within the bloc.
And finally…
*) Netflix tops 200 million subscribers amid growth in pandemic
Netflix has said its global subscriber rolls crossed 200 million at the end of 2020.
It has also projected it will no longer need to borrow billions to finance its broad slate of TV shows and movies.
The world's largest streaming service had raised $15 billion through debt since 2011.
Wednesday, January 20, 2021Wed, 20 Jan 2021 08:43:06 +0000
An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 has shaken western and central Argentina and parts of neighbouring Chile.
The US Geological Survey reported that the epicentre was near the town of Pocito, in San Juan province, about 1,000 kilometres from capital Buenos Aires.
The US Tsunami Warning System said no tsunami warning has been issued for the earthquake and no casualties or significant damage have been reported.
*) Guatemala troops, police break up Honduran migrant caravan
Guatemalan security forces have broken up a caravan of some 4,000 Honduran migrants trying to reach the United States.
Migrants who are desperate to escape poverty, unemployment, gang and drug violence are hoping for a better life in the US under the leadership of Joe Biden.
They are planning to reach Guatemala and then Mexico, walking all the way to the United States.
*) Biden to prioritise legal status of immigrants after inauguration
President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil an immigration bill on day one of his administration.
The bill will provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the US without legal status.
With the bill, Biden will keep his campaign promise to Latino voters and other immigrant communities.
*) Hundreds of youths clash with police in Tunisia
Hundreds of young Tunisians have clashed with police in cities across Tunisia, throwing stones and gasoline bombs in the capital, Tunis.
Tunisia has seen the new wave of street clashes since the north African country marked the 10th anniversary of its revolution last week.
The young people take the streets to protest the country's deep social and economic crises.
And finally…
*) Michelin awards first star to a vegan restaurant in France
A vegan restaurant in the French southwest has won a Michelin Guide star.
ONA, which stands for “animal-free origin”, is the first vegan restaurant in France to win a star.
The restaurant also won a green star, which Michelin introduced only last year to reward establishments with a strong record for ethical practices.
Tuesday, January 19, 2021Tue, 19 Jan 2021 08:43:38 +0000
We start in the US where the FBI is screening National Guard members to make sure they do not pose a security risk during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.
Security officials have raised alarms over rising threats since the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol by pro-Trump rioters.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the Guard members are also getting trained to identify potential insider threats.
*) Trapped Chinese workers in gold mine still alive
Miners trapped underground in eastern China for more than a week after a blast at a gold mine have managed to send up a note to rescuers.
Twelve workers have been trapped since a blast occurred in a gold mine near Qixia city in eastern Shandong province last week.
The note said four of the workers were injured and that the condition of others was deteriorating because of a lack of fresh air and water.
*) China economy grows in 2020 despite pandemic
The Chinese economy has grown 2.3 percent in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.
The Asian giant became the only major economy in the world to avoid a contraction last year.
Growth in the three months ending in December rose to 6.5 percent over a year earlier, up from the previous quarter’s 4.9 percent.
*) Aid effort intensifies after Indonesia quake
Rescuers have intensified their work to find those buried in the rubble after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported 70 people died in the hardest-hit city of Mamuju and 11 in the neighbouring district of Majene.
Nearly 800 people were injured, with more than half of them still receiving treatment for serious injuries.
And finally…
*) Wheelchair climber attempts to scale Hong Kong skyscraper
Paraplegic athlete Lai Chi-wai has become the first in Hong Kong to climb more than 250 metres of a skyscraper while strapped into a wheelchair.
Lai could not make it to the top of the 300-metre-tall Nina Tower due to safety concerns but his feat raised money for spinal cord patients.
The event clocked more than $670,600 in donations.
Monday, January 18, 2021Mon, 18 Jan 2021 10:30:30 +0000
The US House of Representatives has voted 232-197 to impeach Donald Trump over last week’s Capitol riots. The articles of impeachment will now be sent on to the Senate for trial.
The Senate, currently not in session, won’t hold a trial before January 20, when Democrat Joe Biden will be sworn in as president.
Trump will, however, face a Senate trial after leaving office, and, if convicted, would be barred from seeking the presidency again in 2024.
*) Israel launches major air strikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria
Israeli air strikes on east Syria have killed at least 57 people, in the deadliest strikes since the start of the conflict.
Syrian regime media said that Israel struck sites in Al Bukamal, a border town on the Euphrates river, as well as Deir Ezzor.
Those killed include at least 14 Syrian regime forces, 16 Iraqi militia fighters and 11 Afghan members of the pro-Iran Fatimid Brigade, according to a war monitor.
*) Ugandans lose voice, digital rights in pre-poll blackout
Ugandans head to the polls for a general election that pits President Yoweri Museveni against leading opposition candidate Bobi Wine.
The 76-year-old incumbent has rebuffed calls to step down after 34 years in power while authorities imposed an internet blackout on the eve of the polls.
With promises to end corruption, create jobs and invest in public services, Wine has captured the hearts of many Ugandans in his clash with Museveni.
*) WHO fact finding mission arrives in Wuhan
An international team of experts from the World Health Organisation has arrived in China to probe the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The team will investigate how the virus spread from animals to humans but the WHO has warned the public to keep expectations 'very low.'
China granted permission to the team earlier this week, just days after the WHO chief criticised Beijing for holding up the mission, after some delays.
And finally…
*) Tesla asked to recall 158,000 cars over safety-related defect
US road safety regulators have asked Tesla to recall 158,000 cars in America because of a safety-related defect.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the defect has been found in certain 2012 through 2018 Tesla Model S cars and 2016 through 2018 Model Xs.
The agency said that a problem with the cars' display screen and related failures result in loss of rear view camera and other safety-related functions.
Thursday, January 14, 2021Thu, 14 Jan 2021 07:42:30 +0000
*) US House votes on resolution to remove Trump by 25th Amendment
House Democrats in the US have voted to urge Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office.
But Pence has rejected it, telling the House Speaker he doesn't believe the resolution is in the best interests of the nation.
The House is now looking to impeach Trump for a second time on Wednesday.
*) Erdogan: Turkey hasn't given up on becoming EU member
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey is still committed to joining the European Union.
Speaking at a meeting with EU ambassadors in Ankara, the Turkish president said Turkey still sees its future with Europe.
Erdogan also said Turkey is ready to set a "positive agenda" with the EU, using a long-term perspective to help get relations with the bloc back on track.
*) Some 9,000 children died at Irish church-run homes in 1920-90s
Around 9,000 children died in Ireland's "mother and baby homes", where unmarried mothers were regularly separated from their infant children.
That's according to a report from Ireland's Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes that studied the homes over 76 years.
Religious orders and the Irish state dictated the running of the homes which housed unmarried pregnant women, lacked partner and family support, and faced social stigma.
*) Billionaire Republican donor Sheldon Adelson dies at 87
Billionaire casino magnate and donor to Republican and Jewish causes Sheldon Adelson has died of cancer at 87.
He was known for his tireless advocacy for Israel and right-wing causes, and for his impassioned opposition to the Palestinian cause.
One of the richest men in the world, Adelson was a prominent supporter of Trump and well-known in the American business community.
And finally…
*) WWF: Forest loss ‘hotspots’ bigger than California
The world has lost tropical forests equivalent to the size of California over a 13-year period, according to a new report by World Wide Fund for Nature.
More than 43 million hectares of forest were cleared in 24 deforestation hotspots across Asia, Latin America and Africa between 2004 and 2007.
Swathes of forest continue to be flattened each year, as biodiversity-rich areas are cleared to create space for livestock and crops.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021Wed, 13 Jan 2021 06:01:11 +0000
We begin in the US where the Trump administration has announced it is returning Cuba to the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The designation is one of several last-minute foreign policy moves that Trump’s administration is making before leaving office on January 20th.
On Saturday, the US also designated Yemen's Houthi rebels as a terrorist group.
*) Twitter suspends thousands of QAnon accounts
Staying with the US, Twitter says it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory following the attack on the US Capitol.
Amazon also said it was removing some QAnon products from its online marketplace due to a prohibition on offensive items or other inappropriate content.
The bans come as the Pentagon says 15,000 National Guard troops will be deployed for Joe Biden's January 20 inauguration amid fears of more violence.
*) Netanyahu orders new Israeli settlement in West Bank
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given the go ahead for the construction of 800 new homes for settlers in the occupied West Bank.
The announcement came ahead of this month’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who is critical of Israeli settlement policies.
All Jewish settlements in the West Bank are regarded as illegal by much of the international community.
*) Qatar-Saudi Arabia direct flights resume after thaw
A Qatar Airways jetliner has landed in Saudi Arabia, completing the first direct flight from Doha to Riyadh since a 2017 Riyadh-led boycott.
The resumption of direct flights came after Saudi Arabia reopened its borders and airspace with Qatar last week.
Qatar Airways tweeted that services to Jeddah and Dammam would resume later in the week.
And finally…
*) Gorillas at San Diego Zoo test positive for Covid-19
At least two gorillas at California's San Diego Zoo have caught the coronavirus.
It is believed to be the first outbreak among such primates in captivity.
California’s governor said two primates began coughing last week and tested positive for the virus, while a third is showing symptoms.
Tuesday, January 12, 2021Tue, 12 Jan 2021 06:24:19 +0000
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