French ambassador expelled from Mali

BAMAKO — Mali's military leaders are expelling the French ambassador over what they called "outrageous" comments made by the French foreign minister about the transitional government.France

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US, Russia clash at UN Security Council over Ukraine

NEW YORK — There have been angry clashes between Russian and US envoys at the UN Security Council, after the US called a meeting to discuss Moscow's troop build-up on its borders with Ukraine.US

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Plea to send lonely African animal home from India

NEW DELHI — Twenty-four years ago, a young elephant named Shankar was plucked from the wilderness of Africa, loaded onto a plane to India, and placed in the Delhi zoo. Now, a plea in the city's high

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Truckers cause chaos in Canadian capital after second day of protests

OTTAWA — Protesters against a vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the US-Canada border have brought Canada's capital city to a standstill for a second day.Thousands of demonstrators joined the

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Priest killed by gunmen in Pakistan attack

PESHAWAR — Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Christian priest and wounded another as the clerics drove home from church in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday, police said.Two attackers

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UAE intercepts ballistic missile during Israeli president's visit

ABU DHABI — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile in the third such incident this month, the country’s Defense Ministry announced.The attack came as

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North Korea releases photos captured by missile in space

SEOUL — North Korean state media has released photographs it says were taken from its biggest missile launch since 2017.The pictures show parts of the Korean peninsula and surrounding areas seen from

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Myanmar: Voices of the people must be ‘heard and amplified’

NEW YORK — As Myanmar nears the first anniversary of the military coup that saw the arrest of national icon Aung San Suu Kyi and her civilian government dissolved, the UN chief said on Sunday that he

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Zelenskyy urges for calm as Biden plans to send troops to Eastern Europe

KEIV — High-stakes diplomacy continued on Friday in a bid to avert a war in Eastern Europe. US President Joe Biden announced that American troops "will be moved" to Eastern European NATO countries

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Mattarella re-elected president in eighth round of voting

ROME — Sergio Mattarella was re-elected as the country's president for a new seven-year term in the eighth round of voting in the Italian parliament.After days of stalemate, Italian party heads urged

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Russian daily COVID count surpasses 110,000 due to Omicron onslaught

MOSCOW — The daily count of new COVID-19 infections in Russia spiked above 110,000 on Saturday as the highly contagious Omicron variant races through the vast country.The state coronavirus task force

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Ricarda Lang and Omid Nouripour elected to lead German Greens

BERLIN — Germany’s Greens party elected a new leadership team Saturday that vowed to continue fighting for the party’s core issues, especially combating climate change, as it adjusts to its role

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South Korea to launch economic security center in March

SEOUL — South Korea's Foreign Ministry will open an economic security center in March to help ensure stable supply chains of strategically vital goods and draft diplomatic strategies for emerging

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Northern Ethiopia: A record 9 million now need food assistance

GENEVA — After 15 months of conflict in Ethiopia, almost 40 percent of Tigrayans are suffering an extreme lack of food, according to data released by the World Food Program (WFP) on Friday.Meanwhile,

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Iran nuclear talks in Vienna paused: EU

BRUSSELS — Talks on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), were paused, the European Union (EU) said on Friday.The European External Action Service

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End leprosy discrimination laws ‘without delay’, UN rights expert urges

GENEVA — More than 100 laws that remain in place around the world which discriminate against people affected by leprosy, should be abolished, an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday, calling

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Lebanon crisis robbing young people of their futures: UNICEF

BEIRUT — More than four in 10 young Lebanese over just a 12-month period, reduced spending on education to buy basic food, medicine and other essential items, and nearly a third, have been forced to

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Team from UN mission in Colombia attacked, vehicles torched

BOGOTA — The UN Mission in Colombia was the target of an attack on Thursday, when three vehicles that were part of a joint expedition traveling through a remote area, were approached by armed individuals,

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UN remembers ‘unprecedented horror and calculated cruelty' of Holocaust

NEW YORK — The Holocaust “defined the United Nations”, Secretary-General António Guterres told a virtual ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday, recalling that the UN Charter was

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Australia pledges $700 million to protect Great Barrier Reef amid climate change threat

CANBERRA — The Australian government on Friday pledged 1 billion Australian dollars ($700 million) to protect the Great Barrier Reef, months after it narrowly avoided being placed on the UN's cultural

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Race is on to reach sunken US fighter jet

WASHINGTON — A race against time is under way for the US Navy to reach one of its downed fighter jets - before the Chinese get there first.The $100m (£74m) F35-C plane came down in the South China Sea

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US bans telecom giant China Unicom over spying concerns

WASHINGTON — China Unicom has become the latest Chinese telecoms giant to be banned from the US over "significant" national security and espionage concerns.The Federal Communications Commission

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Family who died in freezing cold by US-Canada border identified

TORONTO, Canada — Canadian authorities believe the deaths of four Indian nationals found steps away from the Canada-US border are connected to a human smuggling scheme.Jagdish Patel, 39, Vaishailben

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UAE restores flights to five African countries

ABU DHABI — Emirates will resume passenger operations between Dubai and five African countries starting from Jan.29.The restoration of services will include Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dar El Salaam, Tanzania;

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UK lifts COVID restrictions as omicron threat recedes

LONDON — Most coronavirus restrictions including mandatory face masks were lifted in England on Thursday, after Britain’s government said its vaccine booster rollout successfully reduced serious illness

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UAE restores flights to five African countries

ABU DHABI — Emirates will resume passenger operations between Dubai and five African countries starting from Jan.29.The restoration of services will include Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dar El Salaam, Tanzania;

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Israeli settlers rage through Palestinian town

JERUSALEM — Israeli settlers in a convoy of cars rampaged through a Palestinian town in the West Bank near Nablus on Monday evening, marking the latest in a string of violent incidents involving settlers

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COVID was widespread in Europe weeks before first confirmed cases, claims Norway study

OSLO — Researchers in Norway say COVID-19 was likely far more widespread in Europe, and around the world, before a first official diagnosis was made.Scientists at Akershus University Hospital near Oslo

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Kurdish-led forces say they have retaken Syrian prison seized by IS

DAMASCUS — A Kurdish-led militia alliance says it has regained full control of a prison in north-eastern Syria seized by the Islamic State (IS) group six days ago.A spokesman for the US-backed Syrian

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We cannot abandon the people of Afghanistan, Guterres tells Security Council

NEW YORK — With Afghanistan “hanging by a thread” six months after the Taliban takeover, the world cannot abandon the country now – for the sake of its people and overall global security, UN Secretary-General

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Biden expected to nominate first black woman to US Supreme Court

WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden will honor his commitment to make an African-American woman his first nomination to the Supreme Court, the White House says.She would replace the liberal justice,

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Australian scientists find 'spooky' spinning object in Milky Way

PERTH — Australian scientists say they have discovered an unknown spinning object in the Milky Way that they claim is unlike anything seen before.The object - first discovered by a university student

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Prince Andrew denies close friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell

WASHINGTON — Britain’s Prince Andrew has denied being a close friend of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, in a legal response to the woman who is suing him in the US for sexual assault.Lawyers

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US rejects Russian demand to bar Ukraine from Nato

WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Washington has made no concessions to the main Russian demands over Ukraine and NATO, in a written response delivered to Moscow on Wednesday.Shortly

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Netherlands to ease Covid restrictions despite rising case numbers

AMSTERDAM — The Dutch government has said it will ease its Covid-19 restrictions, among Europe's toughest, from Wednesday.Dutch hospitality settings, including bars, restaurants and museums, have

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Dozens feared lost as 'smuggling' boat capsizes off Florida

MIAMI — US Coast Guard officials are searching for 39 people who are feared missing after their ship reportedly capsized on Saturday night off the Florida coast.Officials were alerted on Tuesday morning

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Syria: 700 child detainees held in prison under siege

GENEVA — Four days after Daesh (so-called ISIL) terrorists launched apparently coordinated attacks on a large prison in northeast Syria in a bid to free fighters detained there, the UN Human Rights Office,

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UN mission calls for probe into deadly attack in South Sudan

JUBA — Authorities in South Sudan must investigate a report of deadly intercommunal violence in Jonglei State earlier this week, the UN mission in the country, UNMISS, said on Tuesday.The attack reportedly

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Bachelet deplores military coup in Burkina Faso

GENEVA — UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet deeply deplores this week’s military takeover in Burkina Faso, her office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.OHCHR has called for a swift return to constitutional

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Rising caseloads, disrupted recovery, higher inflation: New IMF forecast

NEW YORK — The global economy is entering 2022 in a weaker position than previously expected, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced on Tuesday, in an update to their World Economic Outlook

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Senior humanitarian describes 'horror scenes' in Syria camps

NEW YORK — Well below zero temperatures hitting Syria this week have turned camps for internally displaced people into disaster zones, the UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator warned on Monday.Speaking

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Unified Libya will come only via ballot box, Security Council hears

NEW YORK — Libya is at a “delicate and fragile juncture in its path to unity and stability”, the UN Political Affairs chief told the Security Council on Monday, urging the international community

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Global ‘learning crisis’ continues with millions still hit, says Guterres

NEW YORK — Almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures continue to disrupt the lives of over 31 million students, exacerbating what the United Nations’ Secretary General called “a

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No free ride for COVID, it's here for the foreseeable future: Tedros

GENEVA — The world must accept that COVID-19 is with us “for the foreseeable future”, even if it is possible to end the acute phase of the pandemic this year, UN health agency chief, Tedros Adhanom

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Guterres calls on Burkina Faso coup leaders to ‘lay down their arms’

NEW YORK — Following Sunday’s coup in Burkina Faso carried out by sections of the armed forces, the United Nations’ Secretary-General is following the developments in the landlocked West African

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Dozens of Chinese warplanes fly near Taiwan after US-Japan show of naval might

HONG KONG — China sent 39 warplanes into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Sunday, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said, the largest such incursion this year.The flights by the People's

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Shots heard near Burkina Faso presidential palace

OUAGADOUGOU — Shots have been heard near the presidential palace in Burkina Faso's capital amid a mutiny by soldiers.Gunfire has also been heard at several barracks in Ouagadougou, with soldiers

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Bringing dry land in the Sahel back to life

ROME — Millions of hectares of farmland are lost to the desert each year in Africa’s Sahel region, but the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is showing that traditional knowledge, combined

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As millions fall behind, how can we bridge the growing education gap?

NEW YORK — The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on education, laying bare a crisis that was already causing widespread concern well before the spread of the virus. Robert Jenkins, the Director

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Taliban begin talks with western officials in Oslo

KABUL — Members of the Taliban are meeting with western officials in Norway for the first talks in Europe since the group took control of Afghanistan.The talks, set to last three days, will cover human

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US orders families of embassy staff to leave Ukraine

WASHINGTON — The US has ordered the relatives of its embassy staff in Ukraine to leave amid rising tension in the region.The State Department has also given permission for non-essential staff to leave

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Blast kills 6 people in Afghanistan’s Herat province

KABUL — At least six people were killed in a blast that struck a passenger minivan in Afghanistan’s western Herat province on Saturday.According to local Afghan media Tolo news, Herat commander Mawlawi

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Ukraine accuses Germany of 'encouraging Putin' over refusal to send weapons to Keiv

KEIV — Ukraine's foreign minister has accused Germany of undermining unity among the country's allies and of “encouraging” Vladimir Putin by refusing to deliver arms to Keiv.Earlier on Saturday,

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UK claims Russia seeking to replace Ukraine government with pro-Moscow ally

LONDON — The British government on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to replace Ukraine’s government with a pro-Moscow administration, identifying a former Ukrainian lawmaker it claims the Kremlin

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Bringing dry land in the Sahel back to life

ROME — Millions of hectares of farmland are lost to the desert each year in Africa’s Sahel region, but the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is showing that traditional knowledge, combined

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Young Kashmiri woman beats odds to become successful dairy entrepreneur

By Mohammad ImranSRINAGAR — Poverty had pushed Shahzada Akhtar, a young woman from south Pulwama, to the brink of suicide. She was fighting depression of joblessness and pressure to pay off debts of

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Blast kills 6 people in Afghanistan’s Heart province

KABUL — At least six people were killed in a blast that struck a passenger minivan in Afghanistan’s western Herat province on Saturday.According to local Afghan media Tolo news, Herat commander Mawlawi

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Norway invites Taliban for talks in Oslo

OSLO — Norway has invited representatives of the Taliban to Oslo on Jan. 23–25 for meetings with the Norwegian authorities and representatives of the international community, as well as with other

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Texas man arrested for making election-related threats to govt officials: DOJ

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a Texas man was arrested Friday for “allegedly sending threatening election-related communications to government officials” in January

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Tunisia’s president stresses declared reforms aim to achieve justice

TUNIS — Tunisia’s President Kais Saied Saturday affirmed that the reforms declared last December seek to preserve freedom and public funds, and achieve justice. This came during a telephone call conducted

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Eritrean refugees ‘scared and struggling to eat’ amid aid obstacles

GENEVA — For the first time in weeks, aid teams have reached refugee camps in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, only to find that some Eritrean nationals living there have likely died of preventable diseases,

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Booster shots needed against omicron, CDC studies show

NEW YORK — Three studies released on Friday offered more evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the omicron variant, at least among people who received booster shots.They are the first large

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Man arrested for indecent exposure at public in Dubai

DUBAI — Dubai Police arrested a man in the city for obscene behaviour in public.On Friday, Dubai Media Office tweeted that initial investigations showed the man was suffering from a severe mental disorder.“Dubai

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Former aides to ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy jailed for opinion poll fraud

PARIS — France's former interior minister and aide to ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to one year in prison by a Paris court.Claude Guéant was jailed on Friday for his role in the

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Is subvariant BA.2 a more transmissible strain of COVID and should we be worried?

LONDON — Just as governments across Europe have voiced their intentions to ease COVID-19-related restrictions, the specter of another wave of the virus is sparking concern among the scientific community.Omicron

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Pope Francis pledges justice for abuse victims after report faults Benedict XVI

ROME — Pope Francis has promised justice for victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church after a report faulted his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI.A long-awaited report on sexual abuse in the Munich

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Cases drop for first time as Africa’s fourth COVID-19 wave ebbs

GENEVA — For the first time in Africa since the peak of the Omicron wave, weekly COVID-19 cases dropped significantly and deaths dipped, the World Health Organization (WHO) informed on Thursday.Newly

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Extreme poverty rises 3% in West Africa due to COVID-19

ABUJA — Extreme poverty in West Africa rose by nearly three per cent in 2020, another fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, a UN-backed report launched on Thursday that looks at the socio-impact of the

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UNRWA condemns demolition of Palestinian home in East Jerusalem

GAZA — The UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, on Thursday urged Israeli to immediately halt all evictions and demolitions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, after an entire

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Rare coral reef discovered near Tahiti is ‘like a work of art’

PARIS — One of the largest coral reefs in the world has been discovered by a UN-supported scientific mission off the coast of Tahiti. Announcing the stunning find on Thursday, UNESCO said that divers

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Letters of support pour in for Kerala nun who lost rape case against bishop

KOCHI, India — Letters of support have been pouring in for an Indian nun after a bishop she had accused of repeatedly raping her was cleared by a trial court last week.For the past two days, my social

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Ukraine president hits back at Biden comments

KYIV — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has hit back at comments made by his US counterpart Joe Biden about a "minor incursion" by Russia into his country.Biden had suggested that

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Kazakhstan unrest: 'If you protest again, we'll kill you'

ALMATY — The armed men in uniforms checked every ward, shouting that they were looking for people wounded in mass unrest that had left scores dead.Asel, who had been shot in the violence and was being

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Hindu priest arrested for hate speech

LUCKNOW, India — Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, a militant Hindu priest, has been arrested over a vitriolic speech he gave against Muslims last month.the 58-year-old head of the powerful Dasna Devi temple

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Biden predicts Russia will invade Ukraine, warns Putin of severe costs

WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden has said he thinks his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will "move in" on Ukraine, but does not want "full-blown war"."My guess is he will

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First foreign aid plane arrives in Tonga from New Zealand

AUCKLAND — The first foreign aid plane has arrived in Tonga, carrying much-needed water and supplies for the Pacific nation.New Zealand said its military plane landed at Tonga's main airport after

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Laying out 2022 agenda UN General Assembly president calls for fostering hope, solidarity

NEW YORK — Amid the resurgent COVID pandemic, the President of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, stressed the importance of solidarity and fostering hope, as he outlined his priorities for the remainder

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Omicron: Is racism behind West’s rejection of South African evidence for milder infection?

JOHANNESBURG — South African scientists — praised internationally for first detecting the Omicron variant — have accused Western nations of ignoring early evidence that the new Covid variant was

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Backlash as US billionaire dismisses Uyghur abuse

WASHINGTON — Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya is under fire for saying that he — and most Americans — "don't care" about abuses against the Uyghur minority in China.Sri Lankan-born

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US Capitol riot committee issues subpoena to Rudy Giuliani

WASHINGTON — The congressional panel investigating last year's US Capitol riot has issued a subpoena to former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.The House of Representatives

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UAE calls for UN Security Council meeting on Houthi terrorist attacks in Abu Dhabi

NEW YORK — The United Arab Emirates submitted a letter to Norway, the United Nations Security Council President for the month of January, requesting a meeting of the Council to address the Houthi terrorist

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Washington imposes sanctions on Hezbollah financiers

WASHINGTON — The US imposed sanctions on three business owners and their company for allegedly providing financial backing to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, the Treasury said on Tuesday.Adel Diab,

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Many countries to implement tourist taxes in 2022

PARIS — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the travel sector is fighting to revive itself in the face of restrictions and closures. Countries that have relied heavily on tourism in the past are particularly

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UK confirms plan to use military to limit small boat crossings from France

LONDON — Boris Johnson's government has confirmed reports that it is planning to involve the military in operations in the English Channel to try to limit the number of migrant crossings in small

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Borrell, Al-Hajraf discuss EU-GCC cooperation

BRUSSELS — European Union High Representative Josep Borrell met the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf and the GCC Chief Negotiator Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Harbi here on

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Indonesia's new capital named Nusantara, planned in Kalimantan Island

KUALA LUMPUR — Nusantara, to be built in the eastern Island of Kalimantan, was chosen as the name of the new capital by Indonesian top authorities, said an official on Monday.Minister of National Development

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Palestinian PM calls for halting Israeli settlements, reopening US Consulate

RAMALLAH — Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called on the United States administration to put pressure on Israel in order to halt building settlements, and urged for re-opening the US Consulate

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Seoul: N. Korea fires two apparent ballistic missiles

SEOUL — North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles eastward from an airfield in Pyongyang on Monday, South Korea's military said, in the recalcitrant regime's fourth show

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UN starts development projects in aid to Lebanese, Syrian refugees

BEIRUT — The UN on Monday said it began implementing more than a dozen development projects funded by a Beirut-based fund in aid to Lebanese and Syrian refugees, in addition to the Palestinians, mainly

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India’s economic reforms and welfare programs empowering the poor

NEW DELHI — The Indian government is pursuing its economic growth and reforms strategy with a human face. Although present government has been able to improve on many economic parameters including “Ease

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French lawmakers ban unvaccinated from public venues with new virus law

PARIS — The French parliament approved a law Sunday that will ban unvaccinated people from all restaurants, sports arenas and other venues as part of government efforts to protect hospitals amid a record

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Wealth of world's 10 richest men doubled in pandemic, Oxfam says

LONDON — The pandemic has made the world's wealthiest far richer but has led to more people living in poverty, according to the charity Oxfam.Lower incomes for the world's poorest contributed

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New Zealand sends flight to assess Tonga damage

WELLINGTON — New Zealand has sent a plane to Tonga to assess the damage after a huge volcanic eruption triggered a tsunami.The eruption has covered the Pacific islands in ash, cut power and severed communications.Up

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Pioneering US military pilot Charles McGee dies at 102

WASHINGTON — Charles McGee, a highly decorated American pilot who battled racism and segregation in the military, has died aged 102.He passed away in his sleep on Sunday morning, his family said. "He

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Europe's noisy, law-breaking unvaccinated minority is falling out of society

LONDON — Before Covid-19, Nicolas Rimoldi had never attended a protest.But somewhere along the pandemic's long and tortuous road, which saw his native Switzerland imposing first one lockdown, then

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UK teens held over Texas synagogue siege: as Briton named as hostage-taker

LONDON — Two teenagers have been arrested in England as part of the investigation into a hostage-taking incident at a synagogue in Texas on Saturday.British citizen Malik Faisal Akram, 44, from Blackburn,

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Thousands without power as US and Canada hit by winter storm

CHARLOTTE, N. Carolina — A major winter storm has brought heavy snow and ice to parts of the US and Canada, putting more than 80 million people under weather warnings.More than 145,000 people are without

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Security Council condemns Houthis' holding of UAE flagged ship

NEW YORK — The United Nations Security Council members have condemned the Houthis' seizure and holding of the UAE flagged ship "Rawabi" off the Yemen coast and urged de-escalation and a

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Tigray aid operations ‘about to grind to a halt’, warns WFP

ROME — Aid and food distribution operations in northern Ethiopia are about “to grind to a halt” amid ongoing fighting, bloodshed and a lack of funding that is making humanitarian access impossible,

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UN rights office warns against rising hate speech in Western Balkans

GENEVA — Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in neighboring Serbia, must condemn and refrain from any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said

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Child and woman injured following rocket attack in Iraq

GENEVA — “A child being hurt is a child too many”, said the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Iraq on Friday, following a rocket attack against a school in Baghdad the previous night,

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Russia could invade Ukraine after failure of talks, US warns

WASHINGTON — US officials warned on Friday that a Russian effort is underway to create a pretext for its troops to invade Ukraine."We are concerned that the Russian government is preparing for an

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Putin and Xi set to meet on opening day of Beijing Olympics

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the opening day of the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month, Moscow said on Friday."We are preparing for

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New French booster rule means 560,000 may see Covid pass deactivated

PARIS — Around 560,000 coronavirus health passes are at risk of deactivation in France, the Health Ministry said, as new rules surrounding booster shots for all adults goes into effect.Starting on Saturday,

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Volcano erupts in Pacific, islanders rush to escape waves

WELLINGTON — An undersea volcano erupted in spectacular fashion near the Pacific nation of Tonga on Saturday, sending large waves crashing across the shore and people rushing to higher ground, the Associated

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Fire breaks out at Kuwait's Al-Ahmadi refinery

KUWAIT — A fire broke out at a gas liquefaction unit at Al-Ahmadi Refinery on Friday, the National Petroleum Corporation (KNPC) said. The blaze that erupted at unit 32 for gas liquefaction, affiliated

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Thousands attend Hindu festival amid Covid surge in India

NEW DELHI — Tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims have gathered in the northern Indian city of Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) for a festival amid a massive surge in Covid-19 infections, BBC reported.Devotees

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Rocket scientist Somnath replaces Sivan as ISRO chief

NEW DELHI — S. Somnath, an eminent rocket scientist, has been appointed as the chairperson of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), a personnel ministry order issued on Wednesday said. K. Sivan,

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Djokovic faces deportation after Australian visa canceled for second time

MELBOURNE — Tennis star Novak Djokovic faces deportation again after the Australian government revoked his visa for a second time.Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said on Friday that he had used his ministerial

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Johnson's staff accused of more rule-breaking parties inside No 10

LONDON — Boris Johnson is already facing calls to resign over a drinks gathering he admitted to attending in May 2020, as accusation of Downing Street staff holding two leaving parties in No 10 on the

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North Korea launches possible ballistic missile

SEOUL — North Korea on Friday test-fired at least one unidentified projectile toward the country's east, CNN reported quoting South Korean and Japanese sources.It is unclear how many projectiles

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Children still ‘used and abused’ despite historic Colombia peace accord

BOGOTA — Despite a steady decrease in grave violations against children in Colombia since the signing of the 2016 Peace Agreement between the Government and FARC rebels, youngsters there continue to

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UN marks anniversary of devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake

PORT-AU-PRINCE — On 12 January 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, leaving its capital Port-au-Prince devastated. About 220,000 people were reportedly killed, among them, 102 United Nations

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‘Political will, responsible leadership' needed to end 7-year war in Yemen

NEW YORK — Seven years into the war in Yemen, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg reaffirmed to the Security Council on Wednesday that no long-term solution can be found on the battlefield, urging the warring

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Omicron fuels record weekly Covid-19 cases, but deaths ‘stable’

GENEVA — Fueled by Omicron, more than 15 million new cases of COVID-19 were reported around the world last week, by far the most cases reported in a single seven-day period, the World Health Organization

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German court finds Syrian colonel guilty of crimes against humanity

BERLIN — A court in Germany has sentenced to life a Syrian colonel for crimes against humanity at a notorious prison in Damascus, BBC reported.Anwar Raslan was linked to the torture of 4,000 people in

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'Terrified' British Council teachers still in hiding in Afghanistan

KABUL — Afghans who were employed to spread British values and teach English in Helmand province have told the BBC they are still in hiding from the Taliban and remain "terrified of reprisals".Around

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Senior Tories urge Johnson to quit after party apology

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing calls from senior Tories to stand down as prime minister after he admitted attending a drinks party during lockdown, BBC reported.The PM apologized

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UN calls for prompt, impartial investigations in Kazakhstan

GENEVA — As the death toll from the recent unrest in Kazakhstan mounts to 164, the UN Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday requested “prompt, independent, impartial investigations” into the

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Covid-19 vaccines may need to be updated, experts warn

GENEVA — Current COVID-19 vaccines may need to be updated to ensure their continued effectiveness against Omicron and future variants, an expert group appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO)

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Half of Europe to be infected with Omicron within weeks: WHO

GENEVA — The World Health Organization has warned that half of Europe will have caught the Omicron Covid variant within the next six to eight weeks.Dr Hans Kluge said a "west-to-east tidal wave"

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Djokovic admits breaking isolation while Covid positive

MELBOURNE — Novak Djokovic has admitted breaching isolation rules after testing positive for Covid-19 last month, describing it as an "error of judgement", BBC reported.In an Instagram post

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Taliban expands 'food for work' program amid humanitarian crisis

KABUL — The Taliban has said it is expanding its "food for work" program, in which donated wheat is used to pay tens of thousands of public sector workers, BBC reported.It comes as the United

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Biden pushes overhaul of US election laws in fiery speech

ATLANTA — US President Joe Biden has called for a historic change to Senate rules as he seeks to overhaul the country's election laws, BBC reported.In an impassioned speech, he said he supported

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European Parliament president David Sassoli dies aged 65

BRUSSELS — European Parliament President David Sassoli has died at the age of 65, BBC reported quoting his spokesman.The Italian former journalist and center-left politician had been seriously ill for

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UN top envoy: Resurgence of coups d'état consequence of 'out of step’ political practices

NEW YORK — After a recent wave of attempts and coups d'état in Central African Republic, Mali, Sudan and Guinea, the UN Special Representative for the region told the Security Council on Monday

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UN chief condemns 'appalling' attacks in Nigeria

NEW YORK — The Secretary-General, António Guterres, strongly condemned on Monday the “appalling” attacks perpetrated over the weekend in Nigeria’s Zamfara State in which scores of civilians

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Russia downplays threat to Ukraine in talks with US

GENEVA — Russia has told the US that it has no intention of invading Ukraine, after officials from both countries met for high-stakes talks in Geneva, BBC reported.After a meeting that lasted for seven

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Preserve right of asylum, UN refugee agency urges EU Council presidencies

GENEVA — Amid record global displacement, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, on Monday urged European countries to prioritize the better protection of people fleeing war, conflict and persecution.UNHCR made

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Man gets genetically-modified pig heart in world-first transplant

BALTIMORE — A US man has become the first person in the world to get a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig, BBC reported.David Bennett, 57, is doing well three days after the experimental

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Ousted Myanmar leader Suu Kyi jailed for another four years

YANGON — A court in Myanmar has sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four more years in prison, in the latest of a series of trials, BBC reported.She was convicted for the illegal possession and

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Police arrest man for making Sulli Deals app to auction Muslim women in India

BHOPAL, India — Police in India have arrested a man suspected of creating an app that put up photos of more than 80 Muslim women for "sale" online last year, BBC reported.The open source app

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Djokovic wins court battle to stay in Australia

MELBOURNE — The judge hearing Novak Djokovic's challenge to an order by the Australian government revoking his entry visa has dramatically overturned the decision, BBC reported.Judge Anthony Kelly

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Thousands left homeless after fire destroys Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh

DHAKA — Thousands of people have been left homeless after a fire destroyed parts of a refugee camp for Rohingya Muslims in southern Bangladesh on Sunday, according to officials.About 1,200 houses were

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India begins booster shots as Covid-19 cases surge

NEW DELHI — India has begun giving booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to priority groups amid a surge in infections, BBC reported.Health and frontline workers and people above 60 years with comorbidities

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At least 19 killed in New York apartment block blaze

NEW YORK — At least 19 people, including nine children, have died after a fire in a New York apartment building, BBC and other news channels reported.Another 32 people were sent to hospital, several

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Kuwait reports big surge of COVID-19 cases

KUWAIT — Kuwait has reported on Sunday an unprecedented surge in the number of the coronavirus cases.The Ministry of Health urged citizens and expatriates to restrict travelling abroad to emergency cases

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Swedish Crown Princess Victoria's husband tests positive for COVID-19

STOCKHOLM — Swedish Crown Princess Victoria's husband, Prince Daniel, has tested positive for COVID-19, the Royal Court said on Sunday, one day following the Crown Princess's positive test. "The

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Israel allows stores to sell COVID-19 self-test kits

TEL AVIV — The Israeli health ministry on Sunday has permitted the country's food stores to sell rapid COVID-19 test kits in the hope of increasing availability and lowering prices of COVID-19

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Iraqi parliament holds 1st session toward forming new government

BAGHDAD — Iraqi parliament on Sunday held the first session in its fifth legislative term, signaling important progress in forming a new government.A total of 325 newly elected lawmakers out of the

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UK health advisors say there's 'no immediate need' for fourth COVID jab

LONDON — The UK Health Security Agency recommended against giving a fourth COVID-19 vaccine to the most vulnerable, stating that the need for further doses would continue to be reviewed.Priority should

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Cyprus foreign minister quits amid presidential run tussle

NICOSIA — Cyprus’ foreign minister announced his resignation on Sunday amid swirling speculation over his intention to run for president of the east Mediterranean island nation next year that he said

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At least 16 stranded snow-tourists die at Pakistan hill station

KARACHI — At least 16 tourists died in freezing temperatures after being stranded in their vehicles in northern Pakistan, where thousands had flocked to enjoy the snow, officials said on Saturday.With

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Kazakhstan tense as 164 killed in crackdown on protests, reports say

ALMATY — At least 164 people have died in Kazakhstan during violent anti-government protests, according to media reports citing health officials. If confirmed it would mark a sharp rise from the previous

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Omicron variant 105% more transmissible than Delta, French scientists find

PARIS — The Omicron variant of COVID-19 may be 105 percent more transmissible than Delta, the latest research by French scientists has suggested.Researchers used statistical models to assess the transmission

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UK deaths pass 150,000 as Germany plans to further restrict bars and restaurants

LONDON — Europe is once again seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases — here is our summary of the measures being taken across the continent.Several nations have been reporting record numbers of new daily

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Time to rethink tourism, an economic lifeline for millions

GENEVA — Hopes that the tourism industry would rebound from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been dented by the wildfire spread of the Omicron variant.In an exclusive interview with

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Working with nature to transform lives

GENEVA — So-called “nature-based solutions” are an important element in tackling the climate crisis, but they also play a major role in addressing other challenges, from food security, to health,

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22 freeze to death in cars stranded in snow in Pakistan town of Murree

ISLAMABAD — Murree was declared calamity hit on Saturday after at least 22 people froze to death in cars stranded in snow amid a glut of tourist influx that led to extreme traffic jams on roads leading

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Arab region to witness economic boom in '22,23 — ESCWA

BEIRUT — The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said Saturday that the Arab region would see an economic recovery in 2022 and 2023.In the 2020-2021 survey of social

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IAEA reinstalls cameras at Karaj nuclear facility

VIENNA — Personnel of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have reinstalled cameras at Karaj nuclear site last December to replace cameras that were damaged in a sabotage attack in a tweet,

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Perthes launches comprehensive dialogue between Sudanese parties

KHARTOUM — The Head of the UN Mission in Sudan Volker Perthes announced Saturday the launch of a comprehensive dialogue between the Sudanese parties to reach an agreement to get out of the political

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Japanese billionaire Maezawa to explore Mariana Trench

TOKYO — Yusaku Maezawa, the billionaire entrepreneur who last month became the first Japanese civilian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), said Friday he now plans a trip to the Mariana

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Germany to relax quarantine, tighten dining rules amid Omicron spread

BERLIN — Germany is to relax its quarantine rules while bringing in additional restrictions for restaurants and bars, federal and state leaders agreed on Friday, in response to fears of a surge in

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Arab League welcomes UN-facilitated dialogue in Sudan

CAIRO — The Arab League (AL) welcomed on Saturday an announcement by the United Nations (UN) to work with the Sudanese sides for facilitating political transition and tackling difficulties amid stalemate

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Military staff step in to help strained London hospitals

LONDON — British troops were deploying Friday to hospitals in London that are struggling to cope with “exceptional” staff shortages amid the surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant.The

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Myanmar coup: The doctors and nurses defying the military

YANGON — A significant proportion of healthcare in Myanmar is now being delivered outside state hospitals, by doctors and nurses who oppose the military and are loyal to the National Unity Government

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Deadly Omicron should not be called mild, warns WHO

GENEVA — The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against describing the Omicron variant as mild, saying it is killing people across the world, BBC reported.Recent studies suggest that Omicron

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India's jobs crisis is more serious than it seems

NEW DELHI — Last week, a law graduate in India applied for a job as a driver.Jitendra Maurya was one of more than 10,000 jobless young people who turned up for interviews for 15 low-skilled government

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Australia investigates visas of more tennis players after vaccine row

MELBOURNE — Australia has said it is investigating the visas of other foreign tennis players, after detaining Novak Djokovic in a chaotic vaccine row, BBC reported.The men's world number one remains

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Russian troops fly in as crackdown continues

ALMATY — Russian-led forces have arrived in Kazakhstan at the request of the country's authoritarian president, amid a violent crackdown on anti-government protests, BBC reported.Officials have reported

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Emma Watson's pro-Palestinian Instagram post sparks 'anti-Semitism' spat

LONDON — A pro-Palestinian Instagram post from Hollywood star Emma Watson has sparked accusations of anti-Semitism from Israeli politicians, and a backlash against what many are calling the cynical weaponization

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Make history and eliminate cervical cancer forever, urges WHO chief

GENEVA — Though highly preventable and treatable, cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in reproductive-aged women globally, according to the UN health agency, kicking off Cervical

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France hits staggering new case record, Europe’s highest

PARIS — France announced a staggering 332,252 daily virus cases Wednesday, smashing a string of recent records, as hospitals prepared drastic measures to brace for patient surges and the government strained

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Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and UAE join Security Council

NEWYORK — The UN Security Council got five new members Tuesday, as Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates formally took up the posts they won in an election in June.Ambassadors made

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Belgium relaxes quarantine rules for vaccinated people

BRUSSELS — The requirement for fully vaccinated people to self-isolate if they have had a high-risk contact for coronavirus will be lifted in Belgium from Jan. 10, the country's federal and regional

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Polish president infected with COVID-19

WARSAW — Polish President Andrzej Duda was infected with COVID-19, a senior official said on Wednesday.The president is "fine" with "no severe symptoms and is under constant medical

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Kazakhstan government resigns, president declares state of emergency as fuel protests rage

ALMATY — The president of Kazakhstan has declared a two-week state of emergency in parts of the country after protests over fuel price rises turned violent, BBC reported.Big demonstrations were reported

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North Korea launches 'unidentified projectile' into sea

SEOUL — North Korea has fired what has been described as an unidentified projectile into the sea, said South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), BBC reported.The Japanese coast guard, which first

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Kazakhstan unrest: State of emergency declared after fuel protests

ALMATY — The president of Kazakhstan has declared a two-week state of emergency in parts of the country after protests over fuel price rises turned violent, BBC reported.Big demonstrations were reported

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French MPs snub government by refusing overnight vaccine pass debate

PARIS — Lawmakers in France refused to examine a bill transforming the country's Covid health pass into a vaccine pass overnight on Monday.It was a surprise rebuke to the government who had hoped

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Hong Kong tightens vaccine requirements in wake of first Omicron cluster

HONG KONG — Hong Kong's leader on Tuesday announced a further tightening of the city's vaccination rules, days after the city confirmed a first Omicron cluster that has prompted fears of a wider

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China locks down city of more than a million after 3 Covid-19 cases found

BEIJING — A city in central China has gone into lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to local authorities quoted by CNN.The municipal government of Yuzhou, Henan province said all 1.2 million

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Delhi chief minister tests positive for Covid-19 following political rally

NEW DELHI — Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of India's capital Delhi, has tested positive for Covid-19 — one day after he spoke at a political gathering in the northern state of Uttarakhand with

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Newborn baby found in airplane's toilet bin

PORT LOUIS — Airport staff in Mauritius have found a newborn baby boy abandoned in the rubbish bin of a plane's toilet, BBC reported.A 20-year-old woman from Madagascar, suspected of having given

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Helicopter crash kills two Israeli navy pilots

TEL AVIV — An Israeli navy helicopter crashed near Haifa on the Mediterranean coast late Monday, killing two pilots.The Israeli military said on Tuesday that the helicopter was conducting a training

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Australians fume over testing amid Omicron surge

SYDNEY — Australians have expressed anger at facing Covid test shortages and price-gouging as the nation battles its most widespread infections yet, BBC reported.Last month Australia lifted most of its

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Guterres condemns violence targeting protestors in Sudan

NEW YORK — The United Nations’ Secretary-General condemned on Monday the continued violence targeting protestors in Sudan, following the 25 October military takeover.In his statement, António Guterres

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Kuwaitis in Europe advised to go back home amid Omicron surge

LONDON — Kuwait embassies in Germany, UK, France, Spain and Italy have advised their nationals to return to their homeland due to the unprecedented rise in the COVID-19 Omicron variant cases. In separate

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Erdogan says he will visit Saudi Arabia in February

ISTANBUL — Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday he will make a visit next month to Saudi Arabia, whose ties with Ankara have been strained in recent years.Asked about resolving issues in exports

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Map drawn from memory helps Chinese man reunite with family 3 decades after abduction

HONG KONG — A man who was abducted as a child in China more than 30 years ago has been reunited with his parents -- thanks to social media, online sleuths and a crude map drawn from memory, CNN reported.Li

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Concern over Xi'an residents' midnight quarantine

XI’AN — A midnight eviction of some residents in the Chinese city of Xi'an who were later taken to quarantine facilities has sparked concern on social media, BBC reported.Xi'an is at the epicenter

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India app that put Muslim women up for sale is shut

NEW DELHI — Police in two Indian states have registered cases after an app shared photos of more than 100 Muslim women saying they were on "sale", BBC reported.The accused include developers

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Sudan PM Abdallah Hamdouk resigns amid political deadlock

Saudi Gazette ReportKHARTOUM — Abdallah Hamdouk has resigned on Sunday from his position as Sudan's Prime Minister amid political deadlock.Hamdouk said in a televised speech that he decided to resign

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Abdallah Hamdouk resigns as Sudan' Prime Minister

Saudi Gazette ReportKHARTOUM - Abdallah Hamdouk on Sunday evening, has resigned from his position as Prime Minister of Sudan.Hamdok said during his resignation statement, "I decided to submit my resignation

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Europe tops 100 million COVID cases

PARIS — Europe has recorded over 100 million coronavirus cases, more than a third of all infections worldwide, since the start of the pandemic.The continent has once again become the pandemic's epicentre

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More people evacuated to relief centers as Malaysia floods continue

KUALA LUMPUR — Continuous heavy rain has resulted in floods in several low-lying areas in seven Malaysian states, with more people being evacuated to relief centers (PPS) on Sunday morning.Two districts

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UAE bans non-vaccinated citizens from traveling

ABU DHABI — The UAE has imposed a travel ban on Emirati citizens who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, starting January 10.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced the

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France demands masks for 11 to 6 year-olds

PARIS — French authorities announced Saturday that children six and older will have to wear masks in indoor places open to the public as new cases of the highly contagious omicron variant surge past

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UK coronavirus cases top 13 million

LONDON — Britain has reported another 162,572 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 13,100,458, according to official

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3 killed, 13 injured in Egypt due to unstable weather

CAIRO — Three people were killed and 13 others injured in Egypt since Thursday due to windy and rainy weather, Egyptian Health Ministry announced on Saturday.The ministry said a man was killed after

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Europe cracks down on New Year's Eve celebrations amid COVID-19 records

PARIS — Muted New Year's Eve celebrations took place across Europe as renewed COVID restrictions prevented large-scale events from taking place, and people were discouraged from gathering in large

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Brussels unveils plan for 'green' gas and nuclear label

BRUSSELS — The European Commission unveiled on Friday night a draft green label for nuclear and gas power plants, which aims to facilitate the financing of facilities that help combat climate change.The

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Biden brandishes ‘severe sanctions’ against Russia

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday warned that Russia would face tough response from the United States and the NATO Allies if its aggressive policy against Ukraine continued.Recalling his phone

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Stampede at Indian Hindu shrine kills 12, injures 20 others

NEW DELHI — Indian authorities said Saturday that at least 12 people were killed and 20 others were injured following a stampede at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.The Press Trust of

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Waves of Haitians risk treacherous sea journey to find better life

PORT AU PRINCE — The number of Haitians who have tried to migrate by unofficial channels to neighboring countries by boat has increased dramatically in 2021.They are being driven by economic hardship,

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Sudan: Refrain from ‘disproportionate use of force’ against protesters

GENEVA — Reported killings and injuries during peaceful demonstrations in Sudan is a cause for deep concern, said the UN human rights office on Friday (OHCHR).OHCHR also highlighted attacks, which reportedly

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People of Myanmar face ‘unprecedented’ crisis in 2022

GENEVA — The people of Myanmar are facing an unprecedented political, socioeconomic, human rights and humanitarian crisis with needs escalating dramatically since the military takeover and a severe COVID-19

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Three Tanzanian peacekeepers injured in Central African Republic

BANGUI — Three Tanzanian peacekeepers serving on the United Nations’ mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA) were injured on Thursday, when their vehicle struck an unidentified explosive device.One

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S. Korea emitted 701.3m tons of greenhouse gas in 2019: Environment Ministry

SEOUL — South Korea emitted a total of 701.3 million tons of greenhouse gas in 2019, Yonhap quoted the Environment Ministry as saying Friday.The 2019 figure, confirmed by the Greenhouse Gas Inventory

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