2020's alternative universe is not going away
Updated 0502 GMT (1302 HKT) January 3, 2021
At a recent Saturday protest outside London's Stratford train station -- comprised of bindi-wearing hippies, conspiracy theorists in balaclavas, and middle-aged men in waterproof jackets -- a protester with the grassroots, anti-lockdown group StandUpX yelled into a megaphone.
Iran steps up nuclear plans as tensions rise on anniversary of Suleimani’s killing
As Tehran moves on uranium enrichment, Washington braces for retaliation a year after the Quds Force commander’s assassination
Iran has announced plans to enrich uranium up to 20% purity, just a step away from weapons-grade levels, as tensions with the US ratchet up during the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed it had been notified of Iran’s decision to increase enrichment at the Fordow facility, buried in a mountainside to protect it from military strikes, although Tehran did not say when the process would begin.
The weekend also marks the first anniversary of a US drone strike that killed top general Qassem Suleimani, with Washington apparently bracing for possible retaliation.
The Dawn of the DragonHow Xi Jinping Has Transformed Chin
Deep in Siberia, at the same latitude as Hamburg, China begins. It only comes to an end some 4,000 kilometers away, on the beaches of the tropical island Hainan. Both are places of great beauty.
In the north, the Heilongjiang, the Black Dragon river, winds silently eastward. It marks the border to Russia, where it is known as the Amur. The pine forests of the Taiga stretch out behind it.
Nations introduce lockdowns, curfews and school closures to fight Covid-19 resurgence
Countries across the world tightened restrictions on their populations Saturday to fight a resurgence in the coronavirus, as the European Union offered to help drug companies expand vaccine production to improve distribution "bottlenecks".
From local curfews to alcohol bans and complete lockdowns, governments are trying to tackle a surge in cases.
The coronavirus has killed more than 1.8 million people globally since emerging in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.
India’s approval of own COVID vaccine criticised for lack of data
Opposition politicians and former ministers warn approval may be premature and risky after government fast-tracks Covaxin.
India on Sunday granted emergency approval to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin but faced questions after taking the step without publishing efficacy data for the homegrown coronavirus vaccine.
The news, announced by the drugs controller general of India (DCGI) who did not take questions, was hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers as a success in India’s self-reliance push.
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