Tuesday, January 12, 2021

'Raped twice': Pakistan virginity tests block justice for victims January 12, 2021 at 08:58PM

The "two-finger test" requires a doctor to insert their fingers into the victim's vagina and record whether they "entered easily" or not. Other visual virginity tests -- sometimes using glass rods -- look for signs of healed tears or scarring.

US carries out its 1st execution of female inmate since 1953 January 12, 2021 at 08:45PM

Lisa Montgomery, 52, was pronounced dead at 1:31 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a lethal injection at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. She was the 11th prisoner to receive a lethal injection there since July when President Donald Trump, an ardent supporter of capital punishment, resumed federal executions following 17 years without one.

How Donald Trump's 2nd impeachment will unfold January 12, 2021 at 08:24PM

The House is expected to impeach President Donald Trump for his encouragement of supporters who stormed the US Capitol, a vote that would make him the first American president to be impeached twice.

Kim Jong UN pledges to strengthen nuclear arsenal January 12, 2021 at 07:52PM

Kim is looking to grab the attention of the incoming Biden administration, analysts say, with his country more isolated than ever after closing its borders to protect itself against the coronavirus pandemic. A nuclear summit between Kim and outgoing US President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February 2019 broke down over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

YouTube removes new content uploaded to Trump's channel January 12, 2021 at 06:41PM

US cancels ambassador's controversial trip to Taiwan January 12, 2021 at 06:24PM

US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft was due to begin a three-day visit Wednesday, which would have involved meetings with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and foreign minister Joseph Wu as well as delivering a speech. She would have been the third high-level US official to visit Taiwan in recent months.

Covid: China puts 28 million people in 4 cities under lockdown January 12, 2021 at 05:27PM

Most of the new patients were reported near the capital Beijing, but a province in northeast China also saw a rise in new cases, official data showed on Wednesday, amid a resurgence that has seen more than 28 million people under home quarantine.

Top US generals condemn Capitol attack in message to troops January 12, 2021 at 04:46PM

"The violent riot... was as direct assault on the US Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process," said a memorandum signed by all eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led by the chairman, General Mark Milley.

Brazil researchers report disappointing 50.4% efficacy for CoronaVac January 12, 2021 at 08:13AM

A coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac showed "general efficacy" of 50.4% in a late-stage trial in Brazil, researchers said on Tuesday, barely enough for regulatory approval and far short of earlier indications.

Twitter blocks 70,000 QAnon accounts after US Capitol riot January 12, 2021 at 03:20AM

Welcome to Brexit - now hand us your sandwich January 12, 2021 at 03:52AM

Britons arriving in the Netherlands since the start of the year have found that leaving the European Union might have cost them more than they realised, including their lunch. "Do you have meat on all the bread?", a Dutch customs officer asks a man who has just arrived in the port of Hook of Holland, as he holds up his foil-wrapped sandwich. "Yeah? OK, then we take them all, I'm sorry. Welcome to the Brexit, sir."

Japan PM says may widen state of emergency beyond Tokyo January 12, 2021 at 02:26AM

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he is considering extending a state of emergency further beyond Tokyo to include Aichi prefecture, home to Toyota Motor Corp, and other central and western areas to curb the spread of COVID-19.

China says WHO experts to visit Wuhan in virus origins probe January 12, 2021 at 12:58AM

World Health Organisation experts will visit the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected in late 2019, at the start of their investigation into the origins of the pandemic, China said on Tuesday. China largely brought the virus' local spread under control last spring, but is currently dealing with a new outbreak in the province of Hebei adjacent to Beijing.

Indonesia retrieves 'black box' from crashed Sriwijaya Air plane: Official January 11, 2021 at 11:44PM

Indonesian authorities have retrieved one of the black boxes from a Sriwijaya Air plane that crashed into the Java Sea at the weekend, a navy spokesman said on Tuesday. The recording device was being transported to Jakarta's port, spokesman Fajar Tri Rohadi told Reuters.

Pakistan policeman killed in attack on polio vaccine team January 12, 2021 at 12:27AM

The United Nations says endemic polio has been eliminated in every country of the world apart from Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan, where vaccination teams are viewed with suspicion.

Trump protest outside Twitter HQ over ban flops January 11, 2021 at 11:29PM

Messages posted this weekend on popular far-right forum TheDonald.win had called on pro-Trump activists to assemble outside the tech giant's offices, which are largely deserted as staff work from home due to the pandemic.

AstraZeneca files bid for EU vaccine approval January 11, 2021 at 11:56PM

AstraZeneca and Oxford University have applied for authorisation for their coronavirus vaccine in the European Union with a decision possible by January 29, The European Medicines Agency said on Tuesday. ​​The jab would be the third available for the 27-nation EU after the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna drugs, as the bloc struggles to speed up the rollout.

WHO team will fly from S'pore to Wuhan on Jan 14: China January 11, 2021 at 09:55PM

A World Health Organization team of international experts investigating the origin of the novel coronavirus will arrive in the Chinese city of Wuhan from Singapore on Thursday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said his organisation looked forward to working with China on the mission to identify the source of the virus and how it entered the human population.

Indonesia's Sriwijaya flew old planes and neglected routes January 11, 2021 at 09:14PM