Covid-19: Israel leads in vaccination rates – but is ‘not out of the woods yet’

 JERUSALEM, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) —The top scientist advising Israel’s government on coronavirus has described the country’s early vaccination rate as “amazing” – but warned it will not be enough to overcome the disease for months yet. So far some one-and-a-half-million people – more than 15% of the population, including half…

Bangladesh seeks Pakistan’s apology for committing genocide in 1971

DHAKA, Jan 8 (NNN-BSS) — Dhaka today reiterated its call toPakistan to offer an official apology for the genocide committed inBangladesh’s Liberation War of 1971. The call was made while the newly appointed High Commissioner ofPakistan to Bangladesh Imran Ahmed Siddiqui paid a courtesy call onState Minister for Foreign Affairs…

South Korean delegation heads to Iran over seized oil tanker

SEOUL, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A South Korean delegation left for Iran onThursday to negotiate the early release of an oil tanker and its crew seizedin strategic Gulf waters this week. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had seized the South Korean-flagged Hankuk Chemi — which it said was carrying 7,200…

Iraq court orders Trump arrest over drone strike on Iran general

BAGHDAD, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Baghdad court has issued a warrant for the arrest of US President Donald Trump as part of its investigation into the killing of a top Iraqi paramilitary commander. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq’s largely pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network, died in…

Covid-19: Asian nations toughen virus curbs as Europe fights new strain

TOKYO, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Countries in Asia were stepping up theirfight against the coronavirus to suppress a contagion they hadpreviously tamed, as warnings grew in Europe over a new fast-spreadingvariant. Japan declared a state of emergency in Tokyo as the capital regionclocked a 24-hour record of almost 2,500 infections,…

US Congress certifies Biden win over Trump

WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Congress formally certified Joe Biden as the next US president on Thursday, dealing a hammer blow to Donald Trump whose supporters stormed the Capitol hours earlier, triggering unprecedented scenes of mayhem in the seat of American democracy. Lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives…

Latin America’s Lima Group does not recognize Venezuela’s Pres Maduro National Assembly

LIMA, Jan 7 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — The Lima Group, a regional bloc comprised mostly of Latin American nations, said that it does not “recognize the legitimacy or legality of the National Assembly installed on January 5” in Venezuela. “This illegitimate National Assembly is the product of the fraudulent elections of December…

Brazil’s deadly police kills a Black man; daughter accuses government of “killing poor people”

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 7 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Crowds gathered in a Rio de Janeiro cemetery to bury Marcelo Guimarães, the latest victim to be killed by police in Brazil, home to some of the world’s deadliest security forces. Guimarães was killed on Monday at the entrance to the City of…

France to cull 600,000 ducks to contain an avian influenza virus

PARIS, Jan 7 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — France is to cull around 600,000 poultry birds as it tries to contain an avian influenza virus that is spreading among duck flocks in the southwest of the country, the farm ministry said. France is among European countries to have reported highly contagious strains of…

Update: US Senate rejects first challenge to certifying Biden win

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Senate late Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected the objection by some Republican lawmakers to certifying Arizona’s electoral vote for Joe Biden, after a riot by Donald Trump supporters forced a delay in the process. The lawmakers voted 93 to 6 against the effort to reject…