Beijing warns Five Eyes alliance not to interfere in HK

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has hit back at the Five Eyes alliance and warned it not to interfere in China’s internal politics, after the intelligence coalition urged Beijing to reconsider its actions in Hong Kong.

Thai protesters hit police HQ with paint, projectiles

Thousands of democracy activists marched on Thailand’s police headquarters in downtown Bangkok Wednesday on a second day of protest, after six people were shot during violent clashes.

Trump fires US election security official who rejected fraud claims

Donald Trump on Tuesday fired the government’s top election security official, who had rejected the president’s unsubstantiated claims of “massive” fraud in the vote he lost to Joe Biden.

Protesters gather as German MPs to seal pandemic powers in law

The German government’s power to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by decree is expected to be anchored in law on Wednesday, in a fast-track move that has prompted protests in the capital Berlin.

New vaccine breakthrough lifts global hope against pandemic

Global hopes of vanquishing the coronavirus pandemic were boosted Monday after a vaccine was found to be nearly 95 percent effective in a trial, bringing much-needed optimism amid surging infections and grueling new restrictions.

India’s daily Covid-19 cases below 30,000, lowest in four months

India on Tuesday registered 29,163 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, marking the lowest daily increase in four months, data released by the federal health ministry showed Tuesday.

Poland may block EU budget in fight on rule of law issues

Poland will block the new EU budget if the disbursement of EU funds is contingent on the observance of rule of law principles, a Polish government official said on Monday.

Trump loyalists mount last stand in Washington

Thousands of die-hard Donald Trump supporters rallied for a last stand Saturday in Washington, chanting “four more years” and blaming fraud for an election defeat that will force the president to vacate the White House after just one term.

Philippines’ typhoon deaths rise as worst floods in 45 years

The death toll from the deadliest cyclone to hit the Philippines this year has climbed to 67, while many areas remained submerged in a northern region hit by the worst flooding in more than four decades, officials said on Sunday.

Delhi air quality dips as thousands defy Diwali firecracker ban

Pollution levels soared in the Indian capital and surrounding regions of northern India on Sunday, a day after thousands of people defied a ban on firecrackers to mark Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

‘No evidence’ of compromised votes: US election officials

There is no evidence of compromised ballots or corrupt voting systems in the US election, officials said Thursday, as a top Democrat accused Republicans who refuse to accept President-elect Joe Biden’s win of “poisoning” democracy.

Death toll in typhoon-hit Philippines rises to 14

The death toll in the typhoon-battered Philippines has risen to 14, an official said Friday, after some of the worst flooding in years swamped villages and forced thousands to flee their homes.

Delhi records highest COVID-19 deaths, hospitals swamped

Delhi’s COVID-19 deaths rose by a record high on Thursday and it also reported the most number of infections in India, an increase attributed to the city’s toxic air and a lack of physical distancing in public places around a major festival.

Biden presses ahead with transition, names chief of staff

US President-elect Joe Biden pressed ahead with his transition Wednesday despite Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge defeat, naming a seasoned Democratic operative as chief of staff in his first public White House personnel choice.

Armenia detains critics of Karabakh peace deal

Armenia on Thursday arrested 10 leading opposition figures for violently protesting against a Russian-brokered peace deal that ended weeks of fighting with Azerbaijan and sparked fury with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Prosecutors announced the arrests hours ahead of a fresh demonstration called by the opposition against the accord that sees Armenia give up swathes of disputed territory in Nagorno-Karabkh to their long-standing foe.

Shoppers shrug off pandemic, pollution ahead of India’s biggest festival

Crowds packed New Delhi markets on Thursday ahead of India’s biggest holiday of the year, shrugging off record coronavirus cases and toxic smog in the capital.

Biden tells world leaders ‘America is back’...

The leaders of close US allies on Tuesday telephoned President-elect Joe Biden and pledged to work together but in an extraordinary break, America’s top diplomat Mike Pompeo insisted that Donald Trump would remain in power.

Pakistani Al-Qaeda bomb-maker killed in Afghanistan

A Pakistani bomb-maker who trained Taliban militants before switching allegiance to Al-Qaeda has been killed in western Afghanistan, the country’s intelligence agency said Tuesday.

Vatican admits mistakes, denies cover-up of US ex-cardinal abuse

The Vatican on Tuesday denied covering up sexual abuse committed by a US ex-cardinal, admitting papal mistakes but saying Theodore McCarrick’s crimes had for years been nothing but rumours.

Moscow to close bars and restaurants overnight

Bars, clubs and restaurants in Moscow face two months of overnight closures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Tuesday, as Russia’s daily tally of cases exceeded 20,000.

Brazil halts trials of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine

Brazil’s health regulator said it had suspended clinical trials of a Chinese-developed Covid-19 vaccine after an “adverse incident” involving a volunteer recipient, a blow for one of the most advanced vaccine candidates.

Russian peacekeepers deploy to Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian peacekeeping troops deployed to the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday as part of a ceasefire deal to end six weeks of heavy fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces.

US president-elect Biden announces coronavirus task force

Joe Biden, the new president-elect of the United States, on Monday announced the formation of a task force of medical experts to plan his response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Austrian police raid dozens of ‘Islamist-linked’ targets

Austrian police on Monday launched raids on more than 60 addresses allegedly linked to radical Islamists across four regions, with orders given for 30 suspects to be questioned, prosecutors said.

Fighting continues for key Karabakh town: Armenia

Armenia said on Monday that fighting was continuing for the key town of Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh, a day after Azerbaijan claimed to have captured it from Armenian separatist forces.

Tiruvarur celebrates victory of Kamala Harris

Hindustan Times, New Delhi 8 November 2020 - The ancestral village of US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris woke up early on Sunday to soak in the glory of “village daughter” Kamala becoming the first woman Vice President of the United States.

Europe looks to Biden to repair transatlantic ties

In a fairly rare show of unity, European Union leaders gave a simultaneous welcome to US President-elect Joe Biden, perhaps belying an eagerness to turn the page on the Donald Trump era. The outgoing US president made few friends across the pond as he labelled the European Union a “foe,” cheered for Brexit and said he had a “big problem with Germany”.

German protesters resist police attempts to stop march

Demonstrators in the German city of Leipzig on Saturday resisted attempts by police to stop them marching in a protest against the government and its measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump faces endgame Biden takes slim lead in Georgia

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden took a narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia early on Friday, edging closer to winning the White House in a nail-biting contest as a handful of undecided states continue to count votes.

Kremlin: Premature to judge effect of coronavirus curbs

The Kremlin said on Friday it was too early to judge how effective Russia’s coronavirus restrictions were without lockdowns, as the country reported a record daily number of new COVID-19 infections.