Capitol riot: Policeman tells 6 January hearing he feared he would die
A police officer who defended the US Capitol during a riot by Donald Trump supporters on 6 January has said he feared he would be crushed by the mob. “This is how I’m going to die,” a tearful Aquilino Gonell told a Congressional committee as…
China rocket debris ‘disintegrates over Indian Ocean’ – Chinese media
Debris from a Chinese rocket that had been hurtling back towards Earth has disintegrated over the Indian Ocean, China says. The bulk of the rocket was destroyed during the re-entry, but parts landed at a location 72.47° East and 2.65° North, Chinese state-run media reported….
US jobs figures fall far short of expectations
US employers hired fewer workers than expected last month despite a huge stimulus package that saw the government send $1,400 (£1,000) cheques to most Americans. Just 266,000 jobs were added in April and the unemployment rate edged up to 6.1%, according to the Bureau of…
Big Chinese rocket segment set to fall to Earth
Debris from a Chinese rocket is expected to fall back to Earth in an uncontrolled re-entry this weekend. The main segment from the Long March-5b vehicle was used to launch the first module of China’s new space station last month. At 18 tonnes it is…
Al-Aqsa mosque: Dozens hurt in Jerusalem clashes
At least 163 Palestinians and six Israeli police officers have been hurt in clashes in Jerusalem, Palestinian medics and Israeli police say. Most were injured at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades as Palestinians threw stones and bottles. Tensions…
Alexei Navalny: Thousands across Russia defy ban on protests
Thousands of people around Russia have joined unauthorised rallies to protest against the detention of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny. They are calling for Navalny, who has been on hunger strike for weeks, to receive proper medical care. More than 1,000 people were reportedly arrested….
Australia provokes China anger over scrapped deals
Australia has scrapped agreements tied to China’s Belt and Road initiative, prompting anger from Beijing and adding further strain to tense relations between the countries. The federal government used new powers to rip up two deals made between the state of Victoria and China. Canberra…
Pakistan hotel bomb: Deadly blast hits luxury venue in Quetta
A bomb explosion at a luxury hotel in the Pakistani city of Quetta has killed at least four people and wounded 12. The Chinese ambassador to Pakistan is suspected to have been the target of the attack in the car park of the Serena Hotel,…
India reports highest worldwide rise in daily Covid-19 cases
India reported 314,835 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday, the highest daily increase in cases worldwide since the pandemic began. The country also recorded its highest number of new Covid-19 deaths at 2,104 fatalities. The stark figures come as health care and other essential services across…
Is Russia going to war with Ukraine and other questions
Sabre-rattling or preparations for war? Since mid-March, there have been many warnings from Ukraine and Western governments that Russia is massing troops in Russian-annexed Crimea and around the eastern Ukraine conflict zone. Russia’s intentions are far from clear, but here’s a quick guide to the…
Fukushima: Japan approves releasing wastewater into ocean
Japan has approved a plan to release more than one million tonnes of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. The water will be treated and diluted so radiation levels are below those set for drinking water. But the local fishing…
George Floyd’s younger sibling tells court: ‘I miss my brother’
George Floyd’s younger sibling has testified “I miss my brother” as prosecutors prepare to rest their case against the ex-officer accused of murdering him. After the state of Minnesota spent more than two weeks making the case against Derek Chauvin, his defence team will begin…
US official: Health authorities are taking reports of blood clots and J&J vaccine “seriously”
US health agencies are working to assess whether the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine is associated with a very small increased risk of rare blood clots, a federal official told CNN. “The CDC and the FDA are taking these concerns about blood clots and the…
Russian ‘troop build-up’ near Ukraine alarms Nato
Russia has warned Nato against sending any troops to help Ukraine, amid reports of a large Russian military build-up on its borders. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would take “additional measures” if Nato were to make such a move. Sporadic, low-level clashes continue in…
US continues to administer more than 3 million Covid-19 vaccine doses a day, according to CDC data
About 165 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the United States, according to data published Sunday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC reported 165,053,746 total doses have been used so far — about 79% of the 207,891,295 doses…
South Korea reports 473 new coronavirus cases as health minister warns of fourth wave
South Korea on Monday reported 473 new Covid-19 cases in the previous 24 hours, bringing the national total to 105,752, according to a statement from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Seoul’s metropolitan area accounted for 276 of the total cases. Among the…
India records more than 100,000 new Covid-19 cases – its most in a single day since the pandemic began
India recorded 103,558 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, its highest single-day rise in infections so far in the pandemic. The number of new daily cases in India has risen steadily since March 10, with the country also reporting 741,830 active cases on Monday – its…
Yemen war: Many feared dead after fire at migrant detention centre
Many people are feared dead after a fire at a migrant detention centre in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Sunday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed eight deaths, but officials at the UN agency said as many 30 might have been killed. It is not…
Women’s Day: Protesters clash with police in Mexico
Police and activists have clashed in Mexico City at a march to mark International Women’s Day. Officers forced back protesters with tear gas and riot shields in the capital’s main square, the Zócalo. Protesters were calling for the government to address the country’s poor record…
Myanmar coup: Protesters flee after being ‘trapped’ overnight
Dozens of Myanmar protesters who had been cornered overnight by security forces in Yangon have escaped from the area where they were trapped. About 200 people were caught in a four-street area in Sanchaung district which the police sealed off. At least 40 people were…
Covid: Biden promises vaccines for all US adults by end of May
The US will have enough coronavirus vaccines for every adult by the end of May, President Joe Biden has said. This will be two months earlier than previously expected, but Mr Biden said the vaccination drive must be extended, too, and people convinced to take…
Brazil records highest daily number of Covid-19 deaths
Brazil reported 1,641 Covid-19 deaths on Tuesday — the highest single-day total of the pandemic, according to data from the country’s Health Ministry. The country has now recorded a total of 10,646,926 cases and 257,361 deaths, according to official data. Brazil has the second highest…
Kenya receives more than 1 million vaccines through COVAX
Kenya has received more than 1 million Covid-19 vaccines as part of the global COVAX program, according to a news release from the country’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday. A plane carrying 1.02 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine touched down just before midnight Tuesday…
Trump impeachment: When is his Senate trial and will he testify?
Donald Trump is about to stand trial in the US Senate for his role in the riot at the Capitol on 6 January. He says he won’t give evidence himself, so what can we expect? The former president is the first in US history to…
Covax: Canada defends taking vaccines from sharing scheme
Canada has defended its decision to draw on a supply of coronavirus vaccines from a global inoculation-sharing initiative known as Covax. Covax pools funds from wealthier countries to help buy vaccines for themselves and low-income nations. The scheme has announced a plan to deliver more…
Yemen war: Joe Biden ends support for operations in foreign policy reset
The US is to end its support for offensive operations by its allies in Yemen, which has been devastated by a six-year war in which more than 110,000 people are believed to have died. “The war in Yemen must end,” President Joe Biden said in…
Fauci hopes Covid-19 vaccinations for older children can start in late spring or summer
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he hopes there will be data to support Covid-19 vaccinations for older children by the late spring or summer. “I am hoping we will have the data to support initiating COVID-19…
Italy recommends AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 55
Italy will administer the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to people under 55 years old. They will start administering the vaccine to schoolteachers, army and police forces, prison staff and inmates. The decision follows a Wednesday meeting between the government and regional governors to discuss the country’s…
Africa will receive nearly 90 million vaccines from COVAX by February
Africa is to receive nearly 90 million Covid-19 vaccines in February in what will be the continent’s “largest ever mass vaccination campaign,” the World Health Organization announced in a statement on Thursday. In the statement, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said: “Africa…
Germany sees a new tougher line on China and Russia as Merkel leaves the political stage
FRANKFURT — Putting trade and business interests first has always been the German government’s mantra when it comes to the country’s relationship with China and Russia. Be it “Wandel durch handel,” which translates as “change through trade” in the case of China. German officials have…
