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World - 2020-12-11
Charges in Beirut blast inquiry hit political pushback
Middle East

Charges in Beirut blast inquiry hit political pushback

  • Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah said on Friday charges brought against the prime minister and three former ministers over the Beirut port explosion smacked of “political targeting”.
  • The explosion, one of the biggest non-nuclear blasts on record, was caused by a massive quantity of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely at the port for years.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 05:35pm
EU Commission chief sees more chance of no Brexit trade deal
Europe

EU Commission chief sees more chance of no Brexit trade deal

  • Britain is more likely to leave the European Union’s orbit on Dec. 31 without a trade deal than with an agreement, an EU official quoted the head of the European Commission.
  • A no-trade deal Brexit would damage the economies of northern Europe, send shockwaves through financial markets, snarl borders and sow chaos through the delicate supply chains which stretch across Europe and beyond.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 05:30pm
Afghan government and Taliban agree Islamic law to guide peace talks
South Asia

Afghan government and Taliban agree Islamic law to guide peace talks

  • On Thursday, negotiations from the Afghan government and the Taliban have agreed to have the teachings of Islamic Law to guide their peace talks, and provide a platform for a post-war Afghanistan.
  • This breakthrough comes after talks between the concerned parties hit an impasse, which subsequently led to a rapid escalation in violence and internal strife.
Updated 11 Dec, 2020 05:26pm
Moderna begins study of COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents
USA

Moderna begins study of COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents

  • The trial will enroll 3,000 healthy participants in the United States and will assess the safety and effectiveness of two doses of the company’s vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, given 28 days apart.
  • Rival Pfizer/BioNTech have also sought EUA after their coronavirus vaccine’s two-dose regimen proved 95% effective against COVID-19 and had no major safety issues.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 03:38pm
Majority of Americans think the pandemic is getting worse: Poll
USA

Majority of Americans think the pandemic is getting worse: Poll

  • According to a recent Gallup poll, a majority of Americans (73%) think that the coronavirus pandemic is getting worse.
  • A majority (72%) of respondents stated that their lives have been disrupted by the pandemic, with 87% stating that this disruption will last beyond the first half of 2021.
Updated 11 Dec, 2020 02:04pm
Bird flu outbreak spreads to 20% of Japan's prefectures

Bird flu outbreak spreads to 20% of Japan's prefectures

  • The government is calling for extra vigilance because of the growing number of infections in Japan and in Europe, which is in the grip of an outbreak. Japan has suspended poultry imports from seven countries, including Germany.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 11:29am
EU leaders save landmark budget as Brexit looms

EU leaders save landmark budget as Brexit looms

  • Leaders were looking to salvage the EU's 1.8-trillion-euro ($2.1-trillion) budget and coronavirus recovery package, seen as vital for the continent's battered economies, after it was blocked by Hungary and Poland over provisions linking it to the respect for rule of law.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 09:18am
US hits Chechen leader, Yemenis, Haitians with sanctions

US hits Chechen leader, Yemenis, Haitians with sanctions

  • Additionally, three Haitians -- one a gang leader and two who were government officials at the time -- accused of responsibility for the November 2018 La Saline attack that left 71 people dead were also named for sanctions.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 09:10am
Bethlehem to hold midnight mass without public

Bethlehem to hold midnight mass without public

  • Days before, the PA imposed a new lockdown in several governorates in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and extended a curfew in force in the evenings and weekends throughout the territory to combat a surge in novel coronavirus infections.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 09:06am
States respond to Texas bid to overturn US election at Supreme Court
USA

States respond to Texas bid to overturn US election at Supreme Court

  • Officials from Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin already have called the lawsuit, which aims to throw out the voting results in the four states.
  • What Texas is doing in this proceeding is to ask this court to reconsider a mass of baseless claims about problems with the election that have already been considered,
Published 11 Dec, 2020 02:07am
Biden taps Susan Rice as top domestic policy adviser amid new Cabinet picks
USA

Biden taps Susan Rice as top domestic policy adviser amid new Cabinet picks

  • Biden also selected former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to serve a second tenure as agriculture secretary, Obama White House aide Denis McDonough as secretary of Veterans Affairs.
  • The choice of Rice, 56, as Biden's top domestic policy adviser came as somewhat of a surprise given her extensive background in foreign affairs.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 12:55am
Serbia's parliament adopts 2021 budget, sees growth at 6pc
Europe

Serbia's parliament adopts 2021 budget, sees growth at 6pc

  • The spending plan includes a 5.9% increase in pensions and 6.6% increase in minimum wages, as well as a 5% rise of salaries of medical workers.
  • A total of 330 billion dinars ($3.40 billion) would be spent on capital investments, such as infrastructure.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 12:47am
US sanctions on Turkey over Russian defense system are imminent
USA

US sanctions on Turkey over Russian defense system are imminent

  • The long-anticipated step, which is likely to infuriate Ankara and severely complicate relations with the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden.
  • The US State Department could alter its plans and widen or narrow the scope of planned sanctions against Turkey, a NATO ally for decades.
Published 11 Dec, 2020 12:33am
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