WORLD
Kabul University attack mastermind Mohammad Adil sentenced to death by Supreme Court
In a statement on Friday, the Supreme Court said that five other collaborators of the attack were sentenced to various jail terms on charges of treason, transfer of explosive materials and cooperation with the Islamic State (IS) terror group which claimed responsibility.
Japan's military unit to make pilot-less fighter planes to counter China
Nikkei Asia is reporting that the 15-year project has acquired urgency to counter China's cascading advancement of hi-tech weaponry. Currently, Tokyo stands outmanned and outgunned by its larger neighbour, the daily observes. It points out that China possesses more than 1,000 fourth-generation fighter jets that can reach supersonic speeds, about triple as many as Japan. It has also began deploying fifth-generation stealth fighters.
Iran vows punishment against Qasem Soleimani's assassins
On January 3, 2020, Soleimani, along with an Iraqi militia commander, were killed near the Baghdad International Airport in an American airstrike. On Friday, Brigadier General Esmail Qa'ani, the incumbent Commander of the Quds Force, described Soleimani as a "hero of the Islamic nations" who defeated the hegemonic powers through his resistance.
China ready to work with ASEAN to further enrich partnership, says Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Noting that China and ASEAN will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their dialogue relations in 2021, Wang said that Beijing looks forward to the new opportunities it will bring for enhancing relations between the two sides. The State Councillor also called on the two sides to work together to defeat the raging Covid-19 pandemic, do their best to bolster regional economic recovery, and stay committed to sustainable development.
US Congress overrides Donald Trump's defence spending bill veto
The Republican-controlled Senate held a rare New Year's Day session to debate the move, which had already been voted for by the House of Representatives. The $740 billion bill will fund defence policy for the year to come. Trump, who leaves office in a few weeks, objected to certain provisions in the bill.
China approves first self-developed Covid-19 vaccine
The interim results of its phase-3 clinical trials show 79.34 per cent efficacy against Covid-19, meeting the standards of the World Health Organization and the NMPA, according to a press conference by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against Covid-19, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Singapore-UK free trade deal kicks in as Brexit transition period ends
The EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement will no longer apply to trade between UK and Singapore when the new deal kicks in, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry on Thursday. Both countries have completed their respective domestic procedures for the FTA's provisional application, which enables them to apply treaty commitments on a provisional basis until the FTA is ratified by both countries and enters into force, The Straits Times reported.
US deploys warships in Taiwan strait on 2021 eve: Caustic message to China
USS John S. McCain and USS Curtis Wilbur, steamed through the Taiwan Strait on New Year's Eve, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. This was the 13th occasion in 2020 that US warships had passed through the Taiwan strait, which China claims as its own. The US 7th Fleet described the passage as adhering to international law and demonstrating the American commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific," according to the report.
WHO approves Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use
While many countries rely on their own regulatory systems for vaccine approvals, some countries with weak system depend on WHO's nod to a great extent for rolling out their national vaccination programmes. The WHO's emergency validation also enables Unicef and the Pan-American Health Organization to procure the vaccine for distribution to countries in need, the UN health agency said on Thursday.
UK Court slaps $28.7 million penalty payment to Pakistan High Commission
A high court in London has ordered debiting at least $28.7 million from the accounts of the Pakistan High Commission in London over non-payment of the penalty by Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to the foreign assets recovery firm Boardsheet LLC. As per the court's order, the amount had to be debited from the accounts of the Pakistan High Commission in the UK by December 30.
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