*) Newly sworn-in president takes US back to agreements revoked by Trump

US President Joe Biden has returned the country to the international climate agreement, suspended a ban on Muslims entering the US, and issued a series of other executive orders on his first day in office.

Within his first hours on the job, Biden made good on several campaign and post-election pledges.

Some of the president’s decisions can be seen as modest, but experts warn there still could be legal challenges.

Biden's choices are in stark contrast to former president Donald Trump's actions, as the former president took America out of global deals and challenged allies at home and abroad over policies.


*) Biden pledges to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days

President Biden has pledged to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days.

His bold statement comes after the United States passed the somber milestone of 400,000 deaths from the virus and recorded more than 24 million infections.

The new president also proposed a 1.9 trillion dollar Covid-19 relief package, which White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says will be based on an assessment of people's specific needs.

*) Kamala Harris's ancestral village celebrates in India

Celebrations over the inauguration extend all the way to Kamala Harris's ancestral village in India.

The new vice president’s maternal grandfather is believed to have been born in a village near the southeast coast, more than a century ago.

Harris, who was born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, visited the village when she was five.

Harris becomes the first woman, first Black American and first Asian American to win for Vice President.


*) Police use tear gas on ongoing anti-Moise rallies

Police in Haiti have used tear gas in clashes with protesters demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moise.

One woman was reported to have been shot in the arm and others were wounded by rubber bullets during the violence.

Opposition leaders organising the ongoing protest movement are pushing for Moise to step down in early February as Haiti's economic and social woes deepen.

Moise has said his term will end in February 2022 and that he is open to dialogue with the opposition.


And finally…

*) Last heir of Ottoman Empire dynasty dies at 90

The last surviving heir of the House of Osman, the royal dynasty that once ruled the Ottoman Empire has died at age 90 in Syria.

Prince Dundar Abdulkerim Osmanoglu passed away at a hospital on Monday in the Syrian capital Damascus, where he had been receiving treatment, his family said in a statement.

Osmanoglu was the grandson of Prince Mehmet Selim Efendi, son of Abdulhamid II, the legendary Ottoman sultan credited with prolonging the survival of the Ottoman Empire.

*) 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.

*) Magnitude 6.4 quake hits Argentina

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.

*) FBI screens troops ahead of US inauguration

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.

*) Quake hits Indonesia’s West Sulawesi

At least seven people have died and hundreds more injured after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s province of West Sulawesi.

Officials say more than 3,000 people were left displaced as the tremors damaged at least 60 homes and flattened some large buildings.

Rescuers were searching for a dozen patients and staff who were trapped under the rubble of a collapsed hospital.

*) Deadly attacks on civilians in eastern DRC

At least 46 civilians have been killed in an attack by suspected militants on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Local security forces have been dispatched to the village in Irumu territory to investigate, provincial interior minister Adjio Gidi said by phone.

He blamed the Allied Democratic Forces for the raid, an armed group that is accused of carrying out a string of massacres in the region.

*) US rejects UN officials plea to reverse Yemen's Houthis terror designation

Top UN officials have been urging the US to roll back its decision to designate Yemen's Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation.

But the Trump administration has doubled down despite warnings that it would push the country into a large-scale famine and waylay peace efforts.

The US said the step is the right move if they want the political process to move forward.

*) Turkey begins Covid-19 vaccine rollout

More than a quarter of a million health workers have received the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine on the first day of Turkey’s national rollout campaign.

The campaign is seen as key to reducing the spread of the virus that has killed more than 23,000 people in the country.

Turkey has acquired three million doses of CoronaVac with more shipments expected in the coming months.

And finally…

*) Lady Gaga, J Lo to perform at Biden inauguration


Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez will take the stage at Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony in Washington next week.

It appears Hollywood is back and eager to embrace the new US president-elect after many big names stayed away from President Trump’s inauguration.

The primetime TV special hosted by Tom Hanks will also include other performers like Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato and Ant Clemons.

*) Trump impeached for a second time

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.

*) 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.