Covid-19: Estimated 4.3 million people in UK had coronavirus in week

LONDON, Jan 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — An estimated 4.3 million people in private households in Britain had COVID-19 last week, up from 3.7 million in the previous week and set a new record, the British Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Prevalence of the coronavirus continues to be highest in England,…

Terrorism hike in Central African Republic targets UN

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — United Nations Peacekeepers report a significant increase in terrorist attacks in the Central African Republic, a UN spokesman said. “Our colleagues at the peacekeeping mission there said they have noted a significant increase in the number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), especially in the…

US grants South Korea an Iran sanctions exemption

SEOUL, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States has granted South Korea a sanctions exemption, allowing the country to pay millions of dollars of overdue compensation to an Iranian investor over a 2010 dispute.   Seoul’s foreign ministry said it had received a “specific license” from the US Treasury Department…

Covid-19 picks up pace in Americas as Omicron spreads, regional health agency says

BRASILIA, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The spread of COVID-19 in the Americas driven by the Omicron variant of the virus has reached levels of transmission never before seen during the pandemic, with cases doubling to 6.1 million over the past week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said. Omicron has…

Britain and India to formally launch trade talks

LONDON, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain and India will on Thursday formally launch free trade agreement talks in New Delhi, seeking freer movement of goods and people with a deal projected to increase bilateral trade by billions of pounds. Britain has made a deal with India one of its post-Brexit…

Covid-19: Unvaccinated father in Quebec temporarily loses rights to visit son

MONTREAL, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Canadian father, unvaccinated against COVID-19 and “opposed to health measures”, lost the right to visit his 12-year-old after a Quebec judge ruled his visits would not be in the child’s “best interest.” The decision, initially reported by Quebec newspaper Le Devoir, was rendered Dec…

Covid-19: French teachers to strike over ‘chaotic’ pandemic strategy for schools

PARIS, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French teachers will walk off the job en masse on Thursday over what they say is the government’s failure to adopt a coherent policy for schools to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, or properly protect pupils and staff against infection. Teachers, parents and school administrators have…

US lays out case against ‘unlawful’ China maritime claims

WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States on Wednesday laid out its most detailed case yet against Beijing’s “unlawful” claims in the South China Sea, rejecting both the geographic and historic bases for its vast, divisive map. In a 47-page research paper, the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans and…

8 member states lose right to vote at UN due to unpaid dues

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — Iran and Venezuela are among the eight countries whose rights to vote at the United Nations have been revoked due to unpaid dues, a UN spokesperson said. In his letter to the General Assembly on Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a total of 11…

NATO-Russia Council meeting ends without clear result

BRUSSELS, Jan 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — Wednesday’s talks between representatives of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia concluded without a clear outcome, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg describing the differences between the two sides as “significant” and “will not be easy to bridge.” “This was not an easy…