Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
WHO's Tedros 'very disappointed' China hasn't granted entry to coronavirus experts
ZURICH/GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday he was "very disappointed" that China has still not authorized the entry of a team of international experts to examine the origins of the coronavirus.
The 10-strong team had been due to set off in early January as part of a long-awaited mission to probe early cases of the coronavirus, first reported over a year ago in China's Wuhan.
Iran vows "decisive response" to any Israeli move against it
Iran said on Tuesday it would deliver a "decisive response" to any Israeli move against it, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would not allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons, a news agency close to the Revolutionary Guards said. On Monday, Iran said it resumed 20% uranium enrichment at a nuclear facility, a move that coincides with rising tensions with the United States in the last days of President Donald Trump's term. The decision is the latest of several Iranian breaches of a 2015 nuclear accord with world powers.
U.S. hits Iran with fresh sanctions as Trump term nears end
The United States on Tuesday blacklisted a Chinese company that makes elements for steel production, 12 Iranian steel and metals makers and three foreign-based sales agents of a major Iranian metals and mining holding company, seeking to deprive Iran of revenues as U.S. President Donald Trump's term winds down. In a statement, the U.S. Treasury Department named the China-based company as Kaifeng Pingmei New Carbon Materials Technology Co Ltd. (KFCC), saying it specialized in the manufacture of carbon materials and provided thousands of metric tonnes of materials to Iranian steel companies between December 2019 and June 2020.
Chilean lawmakers propose making coronavirus vaccine mandatory
Chilean lawmakers on Tuesday presented a bill before Congress that would make vaccination against the coronavirus mandatory as the country's center-right government pushes to inosculate the majority of its population by mid-year. The bill would modify the country's health code, which already requires vaccination against smallpox, whooping cough and other diseases, according to the opposition Christian Democracy party lawmakers who submitted the legislation.
WHO recommends two doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine within 21-28 days
People should get two doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine within 21-28 days, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as many countries struggled to administer the jabs that can ward off the COVID-19 virus. Many are experiencing intensifying pressure on their health services due to surging coronavirus cases and the emergence of new variants that appear to spread more easily.
North Korea's Kim says economic plan failed as rare party congress begins
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his five-year economic plan had failed to meet its goal "on almost every sector" as he kicked off the ruling Workers' Party congress on Tuesday, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday. The rare political gathering, which Kim last hosted in 2016, has drawn regional attention as he is expected to unveil a new five-year economic plan and address foreign policy just two weeks before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
Bleak start to new year for Britain as it enters third lockdown
Britain began its third COVID-19 lockdown on Tuesday with the government calling for one last major national effort to defeat the spread of a virus that has infected an estimated one in 50 citizens before mass vaccinations turn the tide. Finance minister Rishi Sunak announced a new package of business grants worth 4.6 billion pounds ($6.2 billion) to help keep people in jobs and firms afloat until measures are relaxed gradually, at the earliest from mid-February but likely later.
From embargo to embrace, Saudi Arabia pushes Gulf detente
Embracing Qatar's ruler, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince pushed a deal to end a row with Doha at a Gulf summit on Tuesday to try to strengthen an Arab alliance against Iran, although a final declaration contained only a general pledge of solidarity. The kingdom's foreign minister said Riyadh and its Arab allies agreed to restore ties with Doha to end a boycott imposed in mid-2017, in a deal backed by Washington but which a United Arab Emirates official suggested would take time.
Crowds in Rio mourn man slain by police; his daughter calls them 'bandits'
Crowds gathered on Tuesday in a Rio de Janeiro cemetery to bury Marcelo Guimarães, the latest victim to be killed by police in Brazil, home to some of the world's deadliest security forces. Guimarães was killed on Monday at the entrance to the City of God favela, after dropping off his son for his first day of school. His family said Rio's military police, known for their deadly raids on poor, Black neighborhoods, shot him from inside an armored vehicle as he drove past on a motorcycle.
Ethiopian police release detained Reuters cameraman without charge
Ethiopian police released Reuters cameraman Kumerra Gemechu on Tuesday after detaining him without charge for 12 days. Police had told his lawyer Melkamu Ogo that their lines of inquiry included accusations of disseminating false information, communicating with groups fighting the government, and disturbing the public's peace and security. However, Ogo said he had seen no evidence.
