Dubai restaurants have begun offering discounts to customers who have been inoculated against coronavirus, amid a vaccination drive as the emirate seeks to fight the pandemic without closing its doors.
The United Arab Emirates says it has already vaccinated some 2.5 million of its population of about 10 million, the second highest rate globally after Israel.
-Spread love, not Rona- say social media fliers for three restaurants run by Gates Hospitality, offerings a 10 percent discount to residents who have taken the first dose of a vaccine and 20 percent for those who have taken two. 
Diners must show proof of inoculation, such as a medical certificate, to get the discount. 
While some people welcomed the move, it raised eyebrows on social media.
-There's two ways to look at it, either it's another marketing stunt, or a genuine motivation to get more people vaccinated- said one tweet. 
The UAE, made up of seven emirates including Dubai, began mass inoculations in December after approving vaccines made by Chinese firm Sinopharm and US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. 
Dubai's health authority said this week it would have to scale back on vaccinations after Pfizer announced shipment delays due to works at its key plant in Belgium. The Sinopharm vaccine is still freely available. 
Despite a sharp spike in cases since the New Year, Dubai is still open for tourism and restaurants and services are operating, although with rules on masking and distancing.
Over the weekend the guidelines were tightened, with the number of people allowed at social gatherings slashed from 200 to 10, and restaurants and cafes ordered to increase spacing between tables from two metres to three. 
The glitzy emirate has also suspended non-essential surgery in hospitals after a surge in Covid-19 infections. 
While other tourist destinations are applying tight restrictions to control the pandemic, Dubai reopened to visitors in July. 
On Sunday, the UAE announced 3,579 Covid-19 cases, a new high for the 13th consecutive day. It has so far recorded over 277,000 infections, including 792 deaths.

Diners must show proof of inoculation, such as a medical certificate, to get the discount

Reform Social & Grill in The Lakes is one of the restaurants offering discounts for those who have taken the Covid-19 vaccine

Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners

US President Joe Biden has held phone calls with four leaders since taking the oath of office on Jan. 20.
Biden held talks with America’s northern and southern neighbors on Friday.
His first call was to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Biden and Trudeau discussed a range of issues, including relations between the two countries, the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening economic ties, defense, climate change and the Keystone XL pipeline.
On the same day, Biden had a conversation with Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in which they discussed migration and promoting development in the Northern Triangle of Central America -- Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador -- besides combatting COVID-19.
On Saturday, the US president and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke over the phone, discussing climate change, containing COVID-19 and ensuring global health security.
On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron became the fourth leader to hold phone talks with Biden. Two men discussed relations and cooperation, the White House said.
During the call, Biden expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral ties with France, according to a statement.
-President Biden also stressed his commitment to bolstering the transatlantic relationship, including through NATO and the United States’ partnership with the European Union- said the statement.
"The leaders agreed on the need for close coordination, including through multilateral organizations, in tackling common challenges such as climate change, COVID-19 and the global economic recovery," it said.
The leaders, the statement added, also agreed to work together on shared foreign policy priorities including China, the Middle East, Russia and the Sahel.

Joe Biden has phone calls with leaders of Canada, Mexico, UK and France so far

Biden's first call was to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

US president speaks to 4 leaders since assuming office

Nine more Chinese miners trapped underground for over two weeks have been confirmed dead, local government officials said Monday, leaving one unaccounted for after a blast at the site.
A group of 22 were trapped hundreds of metres underground by an explosion at the Hushan mine in eastern Shandong province on January 10, with some relying on food and medicine delivered through long shafts drilled by rescue teams.
Eleven survivors were finally brought to the surface on Sunday in a major breakthrough for a rescue operation that has captivated the nation. 
-From Sunday afternoon to this afternoon, rescue workers have not stopped searching, and found a further nine trapped miners who unfortunately all died- the mayor of Yantai city, Chen Fei, said at a briefing Monday.
-Along with one miner who died on Thursday, the bodies of the nine deceased miners were all lifted out of the mine.-
Rescue teams will not stop searching until the last remaining miner is found, Chen said, adding that high underground water levels in a section of the mine had complicated rescue operations.
The initial explosion occurred in the mine's ventilator shaft, causing a blockage that damaged the cable car.
Chen said that all nine miners had been killed by the impact of a secondary explosion in the mine on January 10 as they were trying to escape, judging from their positions.
Rescue operations sped up dramatically on Sunday as a blockage in the ventilator shaft was cleared.
Contact was first established a week ago with a group of 11 miners trapped in a section of the mine around 580 metres (1,900 feet) below the surface.
One of them was seriously injured in the initial explosion and died after falling into a coma.
Another miner was found alive by rescuers as they attempted to reach the group.
Mining accidents are common in China's dangerous and poorly regulated sector.

Eleven survivors were finally brought to the surface on Sunday in a major breakthrough for a rescue operation that has captivated the nation

A group of 22 were trapped hundreds of metres underground by the explosion on January 10, with some relying on food and medicine delivered through long shafts

Nine trapped Chinese miners confirmed dead, one still missing

Donald Trump will go on trial in the US Senate soon after an impeachment case against the former president is transmitted by the House of Representatives on Monday, top lawmakers announced.
The House impeached the Republican leader for a historic second time on January 13, just one week before he left office, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to send the article of impeachment to the Senate. 
The step is necessary in order to launch the trial process.
-I have spoken to Speaker Pelosi who informed me that the article will be delivered to the Senate on Monday- Chuck Schumer, the new Democratic Senate majority leader, said in a floor speech Friday.
-A trial will be held in the United States Senate and there will be a vote whether to convict the president- Schumer told his colleagues.
Trump was impeached on a single charge of "incitement of insurrection" for his role in whipping up his supporters during a speech in Washington on January 6, the day a pro-Trump mob stormed Congress with deadly consequences.
The Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, severely reprimanded the outgoing president and left the door open for voting to convict Trump. 
He however has sought a delay in an impeachment trial until February, arguing Trump needs time to hire lawyers and mount a defense.
But on Friday, McConnell, now the Senate minority leader, acknowledged the Democrats' timetable.
-As I understand, it must be headed our way Monday. By Senate rules, if the article arrives, we have to start a trial right then- he said on the floor.
McConnell spoke of the "unprecedentedly fast" process in the House, where Trump was impeached in a single day.
-The sequel cannot be an insufficient Senate process that denies former president Trump his due process or damages the Senate or the presidency itself- he said.
He also said that delaying the trial would have provided time for the Senate to confirm members of new President Joe Biden's cabinet, and consider crucial legislation like a coronavirus pandemic rescue package.

A trial will be held in the United States Senate and there will be a vote whether to convict the president

Trump was impeached on a single charge of "incitement of insurrection"

Trump impeachment to be sent to Senate Monday

The 10 known survivors trapped since a deadly Jan. 10 gold mine explosion in northern China have been using laser pointers and loudspeakers to try to find their missing colleagues, state media reported on Friday.

The rescue operation, which has been able to get food and medicines to the miners, was expected to take at least another two weeks, authorities have said.
White bottles of food and water sent down to the trapped workers had a note stuck on them saying, “We are all waiting for you, keep going!”, photos shared by propaganda department officials with Reuters on Friday showed.
The food items sent to the workers include millet porridge, quail eggs, pickles and sausages and medical supplies included disinfectant, masks and cotton socks.
-The physical condition, psychological condition and living environment of 10 miners in the middle section of the mine are good- the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party, reported on Friday.
-The miners continued to search for other trapped persons through laser pointer projection and loudspeaker shouting- it said.
A total of 22 workers were trapped in the Hushan mine by the Jan 10 blast in Qixia, a major gold-producing region under the administration of Yantai in coastal Shandong province.
One has died and 11 were not in contact with the rescue teams, according to a Xinhua radio report on Thursday.
At least 15 days may be needed to clear the “severe blockages” as rescuers continued to drill shafts to reach the 10 men, officials said on Thursday.
At the site, security was tight on Friday and Reuters journalists were not permitted to get close to the rescue operation.
Workers in orange high visibility clothing could be seen operating heavy machinery. At the entrance to the site, a medical tent had been set up to administer COVID tests for rescue workers.
About 570 people are involved in the rescue, the newspaper said.
China’s mines are among the world’s deadliest. It has recorded 573 mine-related deaths in 2020, according to the National Mine Safety Administration.

The physical condition, psychological condition and living environment of 10 miners in the middle section of the mine are good

Rescuers work at the Hushan gold mine where workers were trapped underground after the Jauary 10 explosion, in Qixia, Shandong province, China January 22, 2021.

China says 10 workers trapped in gold mine are searching for others

Workers trapped in a gold mine in China since Jan. 10 may have to wait another 15 days before they can be rescued because of a blockage on their intended escape route, officials said on Thursday.A total of 22 workers were trapped underground after an explosion at the Hushan mine in Qixia, a major gold-producing region under the administration of Yantai in Shandong province on the northeast coast.
One is confirmed to have died, while 11 are known to be alive. The remaining 10 are missing.
Rescuers were drilling new shafts on Thursday to reach 10 of the men in the middle section of the mine, more than 600 metres from the entrance, who have been sent food and medical supplies. Another survivor has been found in a different section.
The shafts include one 711-mm (28-inch) diameter shaft that rescuers hope to use to bring the survivors to safety.
However, at least another 15 days may be needed to clear obstacles, Gong Haitao, deputy head of Yantai’s propaganda department, told a news conference at the headquarters of the rescue operation.
A “severe blockage” 350 metres down was much worse than feared, officials said, adding that it was about 100 metres thick and weights some 70 tonnes.
Thick smog, reeking of chemicals, hung over the muddy road leading up to the mine site and a row of ambulances on standby in a carpark, reducing visibility to a few hundred metres.
Police have sealed off the road to the mine, cutting through muddy apple orchards and warehouses, to ensure rescue efforts are not hampered. Health workers in white protective gear took temperatures beside mounded earth and tents as part of COVID-19 precautions.
About 600 people are involved in the rescue, with as many as 25 ambulances waiting at the scene, as well as neurosurgeons, trauma specialists and psychologists.
A Reuters team saw fire trucks and cars coming and going through a checkpoint on an approach road.
China’s mines are among the world’s deadliest. It has recorded 573 mine-related deaths in 2020, according to the National Mine Safety Administration.

A total of 22 workers were trapped underground after an explosion at the Hushan mine in Qixia

Security members keep watch at an entrance to the Hushan gold mine, where workers are trapped underground after the January 10 explosion, in Qixia, Shandong province, China January 21, 2021.

Trapped China gold miners have to wait 15 days for rescue

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage and a tsunami warning was not issued.
The quake hit about 310 kilometres (193 miles) southeast of Davao city on the main southern island of Mindanao at a depth of 95 kilometres at 8:23 pm local time (1223 GMT), according to USGS.
Residents in Jose Abad Santos town near the southern tip of the island lost electricity for about 15 minutes after the quake shook the region but there was no damage, police chief Captain Glabynarry Murillo told AFP.
-From our vantage point at the police station we saw many residents rushing outside- said Murillo.
-We also rushed outside because the police station is a three-storey building.-
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of aftershocks but said damage was not expected.
-It was felt extensively because it's a major earthquake but it's deep so it won't be damaging to the infrastructure because it's considerably far (from the island)- Renato Solidum, director of the institute, told DZBB radio station.
The Philippines is regularly rocked by quakes due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

The quake hit about 310 kilometres (193 miles) southeast of Davao city

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of aftershocks but said damage was not expected

7.0-magnitude quake strikes off southern Philippines: USGS

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday braved temperatures well below freezing to take a bare-chested dip into icy water in an Orthodox ritual marking the baptism of Jesus.
The Russian leader shed a thick coat and boots, as temperatures hovered at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) and stepped into a pool surrounded by snow and facing a large cross made of ice outside Moscow.
The 68-year-old Russian leader immersed himself three times while crossing himself, in line with tradition.
The Kremlin said in a statement that the tradition "celebrates one of the main Christian holidays -- the baptism of the Lord."
Every year on January 19, tens of thousands of Orthodox believers mark Epiphany by dunking themselves in ponds or rivers.
Russian authorities install wooden steps to facilitate access for worshippers throughout the country wishing to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ.
While the ritual has become popular among Russian politicians and even foreign diplomats, the Orthodox Church has said the event is not actually a canonical tradition and dismiss it as a fad.

The 68-year-old Russian leader immersed himself three times while crossing himself, in line with tradition

Putin takes icy plunge to mark Orthodox Epiphany

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake trembled Argentina's west-central San Juan province Monday night, according to the nation's disaster agency.
The National Institute for Seismic Prevention (INPRES) said the quake struck at 11.46 p.m. local time Monday (0246GMT Tuesday) with a depth of 8 kilometers (around 5 miles).
A series of aftershocks were recorded with lesser magnitudes of 4.4, 4.9, and 4.1 during the early hours of Tuesday, affecting San Juan and towns of Caucete, Mirayes, and Barreal as well as the Media Agua Valley, the INPRES said.
-So far, there are no fatalities- Governor Sergio Unac told a news conference following the quake, adding that local authorities continue to analyze the damage.
Several locations experienced power cuts, while in the town of Zonda four people were evacuated from their homes.
Unac said the electricity service is now gradually being re-established.
-At this moment I want to transmit calm to the families, after the earthquake that we have experienced in San Juan- the governor on Twitter called on families affected by the quake.
-Let us put into practice all the measures that we have learned to prevent incidents, while we are committed to knowing the impact of the earthquake to collaborate in everything necessary.-
No tsunami alert has been issued by authorities yet.
The South American nation is also in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 1.8 million cases and nearly 46,000 deaths.

Quake strikes west-central San Juan province, no casualties reported so far

Several locations experienced power cuts, while in the town of Zonda four people were evacuated from their homes

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Argentina

President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is set to pledge on Tuesday that he will work to revitalize damaged American diplomacy and build a united front to counter the challenges posed by Russia, China and Iran.In a speech a day before Democrat Biden takes over from Republican Donald Trump, whose four-year tenure was marked by unilateral American action that often upset allies, Blinken will pledge to act together with them and with humility.
Blinken, 58, a veteran foreign policy hand who is a close confidant of Biden, will also explain why U.S. leadership is vital for the world, while promising a foreign policy that will deliver for the American people.
-When we’re not engaged, when we don’t lead, then one of two things happen: either some other country tries to take our place, but probably not in a way that advances our interests or values. Or no one does, and then you get chaos- Blinken will say, according to his prepared remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee later on Tuesday.
-Either way, that does not serve the American people.-
His comments to the U.S. Congress will come two weeks after the building representing American democracy was stormed by thousands of members of a pro-Trump mob as they attempted to overturn Biden’s election victory.
The unprecedented attack stunned the world, further bruised America’s standing in it and gave ammunition to U.S. adversaries globally. Aware of the damage, Blinken is set to put frequent emphasis on humility in his speech. “Humility because we have a great deal of work to do at home to enhance our standing abroad,” he will say, according to his prepared remarks.
Biden will be taking on a much different world from the one he left four years ago as President Barack Obama’s vice president. China has assumed a larger global role, ranging from multilateral institutions to assisting development in Africa and Latin America. Ties between Washington and Beijing have sunk to their worst in decades, prompting Cold War comparisons.
Blinken’s remarks show that the incoming administration is aware of the changed nature of the challenge.
-We’ll engage the world not as it was, but as it is. A world of rising nationalism, receding democracy, growing rivalry with China, Russia, and other authoritarian states, mounting threats to a stable and open international system, and a technological revolution that is reshaping every aspect of our lives, especially in cyberspace- Blinken will say.

A veteran foreign policy hand who is a close confidant of Biden, will also explain why U.S. leadership is vital for the world, while promising a foreign policy that will deliver for the American people

Antony Blinken, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state, speaks as President-elect Biden announces his national security nominees and appointees at his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., November 24, 2020.

Biden's top diplomat, Blinken, vows to revitalize alliances, U.S. leadership

A young woman identified as having taken part in the storming of the US Capitol reportedly stole a laptop from top Democrat Nancy Pelosi's office and hoped to sell it to a Russian spy agency, according to an FBI criminal complaint.
The complaint, filed late Sunday in a US District Court in Washington, seeks the arrest of Riley June Williams of Pennsylvania on grounds including "violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds."
The Washington Post reported Monday night that federal authorities said they had arrested Williams, but the report included few details.
Relying on several photos and videos of the chaotic January 6 intrusion, an FBI agent said Williams was seen near the office of House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
A witness, identified in the court document only as W1 but who claimed to be "the former romantic partner of Riley June Williams," alleged that Williams planned to send the laptop to a friend in Russia to sell it to the SVR foreign intelligence agency. 
That sale "fell through for unknown reasons, and Williams still has the computer device or destroyed it," the affidavit says. 
It was unclear whether a laptop from Pelosi's office was actually stolen. The FBI said it was continuing to investigate.
Several videos show the woman believed to be Williams actively directing fellow rioters, urging them "upstairs, upstairs, upstairs."
The complaint says Williams' mother in the city of Harrisburg was shown pictures taken in the Capitol and confirmed a thin, bespectacled brown-haired woman in several pictures was her.
She said her daughter had "taken a sudden interest in President Trump's politics."
Williams had traveled to Washington with her father, though the two were separated during the chaos that day.
The complaint says that after Williams returned home, she packed a bag and told her mother she was leaving "for a couple of weeks."
-It appears that Williams has fled- the complaint says.
Scores of those who forced their way into the Capitol have been identified and arrested, usually with the help of photos and videos posted on social media.
The Capitol remains on heavy lockdown ahead of the inauguration Wednesday of Joe Biden as president -- an event the rioters had hoped to prevent.

The Washington Post reported Monday night that federal authorities said they had arrested Williams

An FBI agent said Riley June Williams was seen near the office of House speaker Nancy Pelosi

FBI says Capitol rioter allegedly hoped to sell Pelosi laptop to Russia

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) plans to authorise the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again next week, 22 months after the plane was grounded following two fatal crashes.
-For us, the MAX will be able to fly again starting next week- after publication of a directive clearing the jet, EASA director Patrick Ky said in a video conference.
-We have reached the point where our four main demands have been fulfilled- Ky said during the conference, organised by the German association of aviation journalists.
The MAX was grounded in March 2019 after two crashes that together killed 346 people -- the 2018 Lion Air disaster in Indonesia and an Ethiopian Airlines crash the following year.
Investigators said a main cause of both crashes was a faulty flight handling system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS.
Meant to keep the plane from stalling as it ascends, the automated system instead forced the nose of the plane downward.
The findings plunged Boeing into crisis, with more than 650 orders for the 737 MAX cancelled since last year.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered Boeing to revamp the jet and implement new pilot training protocols, before finally approving the plane for a return to service in November.
Ky had already indicated in October that EU approval was likely after Boeing promised a new sensor would be added to prevent the type of problems that caused the 737 crashes.

The MAX was grounded in March 2019 after two crashes that together killed 346 people

EU regulator to approve Boeing 737 MAX flights next week

A small fire at an apparent homeless encampment less than a mile away from the US Capitol Building on Monday prompted the building to enter lockdown, a reflection of the heightened state of alarm at the complex.
The incident involved a tent near the Capitol Building, DC Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo said. The fire was on the 100 block of H St SE, authorities said, and was reported extinguished around 10:30 a.m. ET. There were no injuries.The report prompted US Capitol Police to tell people inside the building to stay inside, away from windows and to not leave due to what was initially described as an outside security threat. The city's security around its downtown has been significantly strengthened in the wake of the deadly riot earlier this month and President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
Capitol authorities evacuated the west front of the building as well as the first-floor crypt.
-I just tried to leave (the Longworth House Office Building) after getting my Covid test, only to be told that the building is now on lockdown. Apparently some external threat. Propane tanks under some bridge. Stuck in my office- a Democratic congressman told CNN.

The incident involved a tent near the Capitol Building, DC Fire and EMS spokesman Vito Maggiolo said

Capitol Building put on alert after a small fire several blocks away

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island on Jan. 15 has risen to 81, the country’s disaster agency said late Sunday.
The National Disaster Management Agency reported that the bodies of eight people were found during search and rescue operations.
A total of 70 people were killed in Mamuju Regency and 11 in Majene Regency after the magnitude 6.2 quake struck six kilometers (3.73 miles) northeast of Majene city at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
Authorities reported Saturday that 253 seriously injured people were treated in hospitals in the region and the number of those evacuated to safe areas was approximately 28,000.
Several buildings were severely damaged, including the office of the West Sulawesi governor, Mamuju Hospital and a minimarket.
The strong quake also caused power and phone service outages and landslides along roads.&nbsp;Earthquakes regularly strike parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire.
On Feb. 23, 1969, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 rocked Majene, killing 64 people and injuring 96 others.

Around 28,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas, say officials

The strong quake also caused power and phone service outages and landslides along roads

Death toll from earthquake in Indonesia climbs to 81

An international alliance of 36 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) representing 13 countries has petitioned the UN Human Rights Council, complaining against systematic Islamophobic actions in France.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Managing Director of the UK-based CAGE Advocacy Group Muhammad Rabbani, a signatory to the complaint, said the French government’s policies have led to “securitization” of Muslim life and shutdown of their places of worship, charities, and NGOs.
-In the last few days, the French interior minister has closed down further nine mosques. France is attempting to export its model of Islamophobia across the EU- he said.
About the International community’s response, Rabbani said although the backlash in the aftermath of the offensive caricatures of Prophet Muhammed by French weekly Charlie Hebdo, followed by calls of boycotting French products did jolt the establishment in Paris, things have remained unchanged at the policy level.
He said that France’s treatment of Muslims has encouraged the far-right populists in Europe.
-France is arguably the testing laboratory for European Islamophobia. It is, therefore, crucial that it is challenged robustly and in an organized fashion so it does not expand beyond the French borders- Rabbani added.
He also informed that the International Coalition of NGOs is also planning to take legal actions against the French government to ensure the rights of Muslims are protected. The group will also highlight the violation of international rights obligations by France.
Feroze Boda, the spokesperson of ​the Association of Muslim Professionals of South Africa (AMPSA), also told Anadolu Agency that French President Emmanuel Macron’s hostile policies are more than just hostile. The AMPSA is also a signatory to the complaint.
-They are aimed at eradicating Islam under the guise of France’s ideology of liberty and egalitarianism- he added.

-They unapologetically discriminate against Muslims among others, tarnishing the dignity of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) under the disguise of free speech, attacking the wearing of the hijab, raiding Muslims homes, masjids and organization and banning Muslim charities- Boda said.
Drawing parallels between Macron’s policies to the apartheid experienced in South Africa, the AMPSA spokesperson said the experiences during the apartheid regime will enable his organization to provide insight and expertise to the other international complainants.
According to the press statement, the NGOs have forensically identified and documented evidence of structural Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims in France.
The statement said that the documents chart the history of discrimination against Muslims since 1989 and find that France has violated several basic rights that are protected in legislations ratified by Paris.
-France exploited acts of political violence to entrench Islamophobia in policing and the judiciary. State policies designate religious practice as a sign of risk and is highly similar to failed Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) models- said the statement.
The statement also alleged that the French government has weaponized Laicite (French version of secularism) to justify the intrusion of the state in the religious and political practice of Muslims.
-France stands in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. France infringed on freedoms of children, specifically to target Muslim children in violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child- the statement added.
The document also calls upon the UN to ensure that France upholds and enforces the UN Universal Declaration/International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (UDHR/ICCPR) and every directive on the prohibition of discrimination and racism.
The statement further urges France to enact or rescind legislation where necessary to prohibit any such discrimination and to "take all appropriate measures to combat intolerance on the grounds of religion in this matter”.
The NGO’s also sought the intervention of international bodies in the wake of the lack of real or any effective remedy within the French legal system to tackle this discrimination.

36 NGOs from 13 nations seek UN body intervention to end Islamophobic actions and discrimination against Muslims in France

In the last few days, the French interior minister has closed down further nine mosques

Voluntary groups petition UN to end Islamophobia in France

&nbsp;Gun rights activists will converge on the Virginia state capital on Monday for an annual demonstration that falls at an especially tense time this year, after the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol and two days before the presidential inauguration.“Lobby Day” has authorities on alert in Richmond, about 110 miles (175 km) south of Washington, D.C., where Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on Wednesday, replacing Republican President Donald Trump.
Lobby Day takes place in a highly polarized climate, following a year in which anti-racist and white nationalist demonstrators clashed across the United States, and as strident Trump supporters cling to hope he can remain in power.
Nationwide pro-Trump demonstrations scheduled for Sunday largely fizzled after the FBI issued warnings and several states deployed the National Guard.
-We’re showing up to remind them that we’re still here- a gun rights activist, who identified himself only as Trevor, told Reuters outside the Virginia statehouse on Sunday evening, walking the perimeter to help plan the protest.
Virginians traditionally petition their lawmakers on Lobby Day at the start of the state’s General Assembly session, with the pro-gun Virginia Citizens Defense League taking a leading role in recent years.
Other groups including the anti-government “boogaloo” movement will attend Monday, as could liberal demonstrators. Lobby Day always falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday honoring the civil rights leader assassinated in 1968.
Boogaloo boys also walked the perimeter of the statehouse on Sunday, striking poses with semiautomatic rifles for photographers.
Philip Van Cleave, leader of the defense league, said demonstrators would come from as far away as New York and Texas. The group says it plans to petition state lawmakers to loosen gun curbs, as it has done during many Lobby Days in the past.
-We’ve been doing this for 25 years- Van Cleve added. -We’ve never had a single problem. No arrests, nothing.-
Police estimated last year’s crowd at 22,000.

Police estimated last year’s crowd at 22,000

Law enforcement officers patrol on the grounds of Virginia State Capitol, days ahead of President-elect Joe Biden inauguration, in Richmond, Virginia, U.S. January 17, 2021.

Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners

US president speaks to 4 leaders since assuming office

Nine trapped Chinese miners confirmed dead, one still missing

Trump impeachment to be sent to Senate Monday

China says 10 workers trapped in gold mine are searching for others

Trapped China gold miners have to wait 15 days for rescue

7.0-magnitude quake strikes off southern Philippines: USGS

Putin takes icy plunge to mark Orthodox Epiphany

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Argentina

Biden's top diplomat, Blinken, vows to revitalize alliances, U.S. leadership

FBI says Capitol rioter allegedly hoped to sell Pelosi laptop to Russia

EU regulator to approve Boeing 737 MAX flights next week

Capitol Building put on alert after a small fire several blocks away

Death toll from earthquake in Indonesia climbs to 81

Voluntary groups petition UN to end Islamophobia in France

Pro-gun demonstration set for Virginia capital in wake of Capitol siege

World

Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners

US president speaks to 4 leaders since assuming office

Nine trapped Chinese miners confirmed dead, one still missing

Trump impeachment to be sent to Senate Monday

China says 10 workers trapped in gold mine are searching for others

Trapped China gold miners have to wait 15 days for rescue

7.0-magnitude quake strikes off southern Philippines: USGS

Putin takes icy plunge to mark Orthodox Epiphany

Magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits Argentina

Biden's top diplomat, Blinken, vows to revitalize alliances, U.S. leadership

FBI says Capitol rioter allegedly hoped to sell Pelosi laptop to Russia

EU regulator to approve Boeing 737 MAX flights next week

Capitol Building put on alert after a small fire several blocks away

Death toll from earthquake in Indonesia climbs to 81

Voluntary groups petition UN to end Islamophobia in France

Pro-gun demonstration set for Virginia capital in wake of Capitol siege