The Russian Investigation Committee on Wednesday opened a criminal case against Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny over alleged embezzlement of donations.
In a statement, the committee said investigators have collected enough evidence to initiate an investigation on large-scale fraud.
The committee said Navalny and his supporters gathered more than 588 million rubles (about $8 million) for non-profit organizations and then allegedly stole 356 million rubles ($4.8 million) of the amount and spent it for personal purposes.
-He [Navalny] acquired property, material values, and paid for his vacation abroad [with this money], among other things. The funds collected from citizens for the needs of the non-profit organizations were stolen- it said. 
Navalny has been at odds with the country's authorities for many years. 
He accuses Russian officials of taking advantage of their position, using undue influence, and spending budget money for their own needs. 
He also claims the Russian Federal Security Service was behind his alleged poisoning this year.

Investigative committee accuses opposition politician of stealing donation money collected for non-profit organizations

Alexey Navalny claims the Russian Federal Security Service was behind his alleged poisoning this year

Russia launches ‘fraud’ probe against Navalny

The United States and European Union on Tuesday demanded that China release a citizen journalist jailed for reports from Wuhan, with top US diplomat Mike Pompeo accusing Beijing of covering up Covid-19.
Zhang Zan, a former lawyer in custody since May, was Monday handed four years in prison over her early online accounts that provided a rare unvarnished glimpse of the city where the mysterious respiratory illness was first detected a year ago.
Pompeo in a statement called on China to "release her immediately and unconditionally."
"The Chinese Communist Party has shown once again it will do whatever it takes to silence those who question the party's official line, even regarding crucial public health information," outgoing President Donald Trump's secretary of state said.
Zhang's reports challenged Beijing's official narrative that the government valiantly defeated the virus, questioning hospital capacity and access to virus testing in the early days and showing aggression on the part of Chinese authorities to her filming on her phone.
The 37-year-old was sentenced by a Shanghai court for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."
Pompeo is an outspoken critic of Beijing who has attacked China over its role in the origins of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 1.7 million lives worldwide.
Amid criticism of Trump's handling of Covid-19, widely seen as a factor in his election defeat, Pompeo has not ruled out theories, dismissed by mainstream scientists, that China deliberately unleashed the virus.
Pompeo said Tuesday that Beijing's censorship of Zhang was more evidence of how a "controllable outbreak turned into a deadly global pandemic."
-Lying is a feature, not a bug of authoritarian regimes- Pompeo said.
The Chinese government's "fear of transparency and its ongoing repression of fundamental freedoms are a sign of weakness, not strength, and a threat to all of us."
The European Union demanded that China release Zhang as well as 12 Hong Kong activists detained at sea.
"According to credible sources, Ms. Zhang has been subject to torture and ill-treatment during her detention and her health condition has seriously deteriorated. It is crucial that she receives adequate medical assistance," EU foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano said in a statement.
The EU statement comes as the bloc finalizes on an investment deal with China after seven years of painstaking negotiations, despite concerns about Beijing's rights record.

Zhang Zan, a former lawyer in custody since May, was Monday handed four years in prison

Police attempt to stop journalists from filming outside a Shanghai court where citizen journalist Zhang Zhan was tried for her early reports from Wuhan on Covid-19

US, EU urge release of Wuhan citizen journalist

Fifty journalists and media workers were killed in connection with their work in 2020, the majority in countries that are not at war, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Tuesday.
The figure shows an increase in the targeting of reporters investigating organised crime, corruption or environmental issues, the watchdog said. 
It highlighted murders in Mexico, India and Pakistan.
Eighty-four percent of those killed this year were "deliberately targeted" for their work, RSF said in its annual report, compared to 63 percent in 2019.
-For several years now, Reporters Without Borders has noted that investigative journalists are really in the crosshairs of states, or cartels- said Pauline Ades-Mevel, RSF editor-in-chief.
Mexico was the deadliest country, with eight killed. "Links between drug traffickers and politicians remain, and journalists who dare to cover these or related issues continue to be the targets of barbaric murders," said the report.
None of the Mexico killings had yet been punished, added RSF, which has compiled annual data on violence against journalists around the globe since 1995.
Five journalists were killed in war-torn Afghanistan, it said, noting an increase in targeted attacks on media workers in recent months even as peace talks between the government and Taliban are ongoing.
RSF also highlighted the case of Iranian opposition figure Ruhollah Zam, who ran a popular social media channel that rallied regime opponents, and who was executed in December.
His execution "confirms Iran's record as a country that has officially put the most journalists to death in the past half-century," it said.

Ades-Mevel said RSF had also noted the "developing" trend of violence against media workers covering protests, notably in the United States following the killing of George Floyd, and in France against a controversial new security law.
The total number of journalists killed in 2020 was lower than the 53 reported in 2019, although RSF said fewer journalists worked in the field this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the first part of the report, published this month, RSF said it was concerned that measures imposed by governments to fight the pandemic had contributed to a "significant peak in violations of press freedom".
It listed 387 jailed journalists, which it called "a historically high number". 
Fourteen of those had been arrested in connection with their coverage of the coronavirus crisis, it said.
On Monday Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who sent dispatches from Wuhan during the chaotic initial stages of the outbreak, was jailed for four years for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble".
Chinese authorities have punished eight virus whistleblowers so far as they curb criticism of the government's response to the outbreak.

Eighty-four percent of those killed this year were "deliberately targeted" for their work

Reporters Without Borders said it was concerned that measures imposed by governments to fight the pandemic had contributed to a "significant peak in violations of press freedom"

50 journalists killed in 2020: watchdog

Donald Trump, after caving to pressure and signing a $900 billion coronavirus relief and stimulus package, faces another potential embarrassment this week in the waning days of his presidency with Congress poised to override his veto of a defense bill.
A two-thirds majority vote is needed in the 435-member House of Representatives and the 100-seat Senate, which appear able to strike down a Trump veto for the first time.
The $740.5 billion National Defense Authorization Act was passed this month by the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-majority Senate.
It passed by 335 votes to 78 in the House and 84 to 13 in the Senate.
But the NDAA was vetoed by Trump because it did not repeal Section 230, a federal law that provides liability protection to internet companies, and sought to strip several US military bases of the names of generals who fought for the pro-slavery South in the 1861-65 US Civil War.
The House is to vote to override Trump's veto later Monday and Democrats are optimistic they have enough Republican support to do so. The Senate will take the matter up on Tuesday.
For a real estate tycoon who prides himself as a master negotiator, the past few days have been an exercise in humiliation.
Trump threatened for days not to sign the Covid-19 relief and spending bill that had been hammered out by his own treasury secretary and had received broad bipartisan support in Congress.
Trump's surprise move risked shutting down the government from Tuesday and depriving millions of Americans of economic relief badly needed during the pandemic.
He finally backed down and signed the bill on Sunday evening at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida out of the sight of television cameras.
In an attempt to save face, Trump released a statement airing his grievances about the November 3 election and claiming that he had obtained a number of concessions.

The strange episode highlighted the degree to which Trump has become isolated as he rails on Twitter about his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
In a sign of his waning influence, the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post, one of Trump's most ardent supporters, published an editorial late Sunday telling him to "Stop the Insanity" and acknowledge he lost the election.
-Mr. President, it's time to end this dark charade- the newspaper said. -We understand, Mr. President, that you're angry that you lost.
--But to continue down this road is ruinous- the Post said. -If you insist on spending your final days in office threatening to burn it all down, that will be how you are remembered.
--Not as a revolutionary, but as the anarchist holding the match.-&nbsp;Trump's Twitter feed was uncharacteristically silent on Monday morning as he left Mar-a-Lago for another round of golf at the nearby Trump International Golf Club.

Trump threatened for days not to sign the Covid-19 relief

US President Donald Trump is facing a potential congressional override of his veto of the defense bill

In final days, a weakened Trump faces first veto override

&nbsp;Sydney, one of the world’s first major cities to welcome each New Year with a public countdown featuring a fireworks display over its well-known Opera House, has banned large gatherings that night amid an outbreak of the coronavirus.A mid-December resurgence of COVID-19 in the city’s northern beach suburbs has grown to 125 cases after five new infections were recorded on Monday. About a quarter of million of people there must stay in strict lockdown until Jan. 9
That has led to further restrictions of the already toned-down plans for the New Year’s Eve. New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian banned most people from coming to Sydney’s downtown that night and limited outdoor gatherings to 50 people.
-We don’t want to create any super-spreading events on New Year’s Eve, which then ruins it for everybody across the state moving forward- Berejiklian said at a news conference, adding that watching the fireworks from home was the ‘safest’ way to do so.
-On New Year’s Eve we don’t want any crowds on the foreshore around Sydney whatsoever- she said.
Only residents with permits for hospitality venues downtown will be allowed there on New Year’s Eve. Households across Sydney are only allowed to host 10 people until further notice.
NSW Police have issued 15 notices in Sydney for breaking public health orders since Christmas Eve.
-I would say to those people half contemplating doing anything stupid in the next few days, forget it- NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.
Australia’s health minister, Greg Hunt, backed the Sydney restrictions.
-What we have been doing is working- he said.
Because of swift border closures, lockdowns, widespread testing, social distancing and a high rate of public compliance with anti-virus measures, Australia has recorded just over 28,300 infections and 908 deaths related to the coronavirus.
Officials say this has given regulators time to evaluate vaccines without the pressure of mounting cases of COVID-19, as has been the case in much of Europe and the United States.
-Our approach is to under-promise and over-deliver- Hunt said, reiterating that the government is sticking to a March timetable to start vaccinations.

About a quarter of million of people there must stay in strict lockdown until Jan. 9

Fireworks light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during new year celebrations on Sydney Harbour, Australia, January 1, 2018.

Sydney told to watch its famous New Year's Eve fireworks from home

A Chinese citizen journalist was jailed for four years Monday for her reporting from Wuhan as the Covid-19 outbreak unfurled, her lawyer said, almost a year after details of an "unknown viral pneumonia" surfaced in the central China city.
Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, was sentenced at a brief hearing in a Shanghai court for allegedly "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" during her reporting in the chaotic initial stages of the outbreak.
Her live reports and essays were shared on social media platforms in February, grabbing the attention of authorities, who have punished eight virus whistleblowers so far as they defang criticism of the government's response to the outbreak.
Beijing has congratulated itself for "extraordinary" success in controlling the virus inside its borders, with an economy on the rebound while much of the rest of the world stutters through painful lockdowns and surging caseloads a year on from the start of the pandemic in Wuhan.
Controlling the information flow during an unprecedented global health crisis has been pivotal in allowing China's communist authorities to reframe the narrative in their favour, with President Xi Jinping being garlanded for his leadership by the country's ruling party.
But that has come at a serious cost to anyone who has picked holes in the official storyline. 
The court said Zhang Zhan had spread "false remarks" online, according to one of her lawyers Zhang Keke, but the prosecution did not fully divulge its evidence in court.
-We had no way of understanding what exactly Zhang Zhan was accused of doing- he added, describing it as "a speedy, rushed hearing."
In return the defendant "didn't respond [to questions]... She refused to answer when the judge asked her to confirm her identity."
The defendant's mother sobbed loudly as the verdict was read out, Ren Quanniu, another member of Zhang's defence team, told reporters who were barred from entering the court.
Concerns are mounting over the health of 37-year-old Zhang, who began a hunger strike in June and has been force-fed via a nasal tube. 
Her legal team said her health was in decline and she suffered from headaches, dizziness and stomach pain, and that she had appeared in court in a wheelchair. 
-She said when I visited her (last week): 'If they give me a heavy sentence then I will refuse food until the very end.'... She thinks she will die in prison- Ren said before the trial.
-It's an extreme method of protesting against this society and this environment.- 
China's communist authorities have a history of putting dissidents on trial in opaque courts between Christmas and New Year in an effort to minimise Western scrutiny.

The sentencing comes just weeks before an international team of World Health Organization experts is expected to arrive in China to investigate the origins of Covid-19.
Zhang was critical of the early response in Wuhan, writing in a February essay that the government "didn't give people enough information, then simply locked down the city".
-This is a great violation of human rights- she wrote.
Rights groups and embassies have also drawn attention to her case, although diplomats from several countries were denied requests to monitor the hearing.
-Zhang Zhan's case raises serious concerns about media freedom in China- the British embassy in Beijing said, urging -China to release all those detained for their reporting.-
Authorities "want to use her case as an example to scare off other dissidents from raising questions about the pandemic situation in Wuhan earlier this year", added Leo Lan, research and advocacy consultant at the Chinese Human Rights Defenders NGO. 
Zhang is the first of a group of four citizen journalists detained by authorities after reporting from Wuhan to face trial.
Previous attempts by AFP to contact the other three -- Chen Qiushi, Fang Bin and Li Zehua -- were unsuccessful.

Zhang Zhan was jailed for four years

There was a heavy police presence outside the court on Monday

Chinese citizen journalist jailed for Wuhan virus reporting

Britain clinched a Brexit trade deal with the European Union on Thursday, just seven days before it exits one of the world’s biggest trading blocs in its most significant global shift since the loss of empire.

Below are some of the reactions:

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson:
“We have ... today resolved a question which has bedevilled our politics for decades and it is up to us, all together, as a newly and truly independent nation to realise the immensity of this moment and to make the most of it.”
Directly to the EU, he said: “We will be your friend, your ally, your supporter and indeed, never let it be forgotten, your number one market.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she expects Germany will be able to decide quickly whether to back the deal.
“The federal government will now closely examine the text of the agreement. But we are not starting at zero. The Commission has kept the member states in the loop during the entire negotiation process,” she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron:
“The unity and strength of Europe paid off. The agreement with the United Kingdom is essential to protect our citizens, our fishermen, our producers. We will make sure that this is the case.”
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, to Newstalk Radio:
“Today we finally get certainty that there is a trade deal that I think protects Ireland in the circumstances as well as we could possibly have hoped.”
European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier:
“The clock is no longer ticking,” Barnier told a news conference. “Today is a day of relief. But tainted by some sadness, as we compare what came before with what lies ahead.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen:
“It was a long and winding road. But we have got a good deal to show for it. It is fair, it is a balanced deal, and it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides,” she told a news conference.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium:
“This protects consumers on both sides of the Channel from billions in import tariffs on everyday goods. Given that four-fifths of UK food imports come from the EU, today’s announcement should afford households around the UK a collective sigh of relief.”
Tony Danker, Director-General of The Confederation of British Industry:
“This will come as a huge relief to British business at a time when resilience is at an all-time low. But coming so late in the day it is vital that both sides take instant steps to keep trade moving and services flowing while firms adjust.
“Above all, we need urgent confirmation of grace periods to smooth the cliff edge on everything from data to rules of origin and we need to ensure we keep goods moving across borders.
Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce:
“After four long years of uncertainty and upheaval, and just days before the end of transition, businesses will be able to muster little more than a muted and weary cheer...
“Let’s not forget that many businesses are already on their knees from the impact of the Coronavirus crisis, and most will have fewer resources available to implement the necessary changes with furloughed staff and Christmas holidays.”
Ian Wright, chief executive of the UK’s Food and Drink Federation:
“The Prime Minister promised UK businesses over a year of transition in which to adapt to a new set of rules. He has delivered us four working days. Food and drink manufacturers will do their best to keep food flowing. However, this week’s chaos at Dover and the last gasp nature of this deal means that there will be significant disruption to supply and some prices will rise.”
Richard Burge, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
“Businesses are aware this may not be the all-encompassing deal that was promised at the beginning of this venture. It’s important that both sides continue to be open minded to a need for future discussions, to ensure the best possible trade and access to goods and services in the years to come. Ensuring London remains a leading world city will require the best possible terms of trade.”
Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive of the Make UK manufacturers’ trade body:
“Industry will cautiously welcome the Government’s Christmas present of a provisional trade agreement that avoids the catastrophe of no deal; tariffs and quotas would have been a disaster for exporters but we will need to go through this with a fine tooth comb to understand exactly what the impact on manufacturers will be.”
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders:
“We await the details to ensure this deal works for all automotive goods and technologies, including specifics on rules of origin and future regulatory co-operation. A phase-in period is critical to help businesses on both sides adapt and efforts should now be sustained to ensure seamless implementation, with tariff-free trade fully accessible and effective for all from day one.”
Paul Everitt, chief executive of the ADS aerospace industry group:
“We recognise the deal does not meet all our ambitions and will examine the full legal text to ensure priority areas including aviation safety and chemicals regulation, customs and border control, and Northern Ireland are appropriately addressed

Airbus welcomed the news and said in a statement it was pleased the potential disruption from a no-deal scenario had been avoided.

Former British prime minister Theresa May:
“Very welcome news that the UK &amp; EU have reached agreement on the terms of a deal - one that provides confidence to business and helps keep trade flowing. Looking forward to seeing the detail in the coming days.”
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron:
“It’s good to end a difficult year with some positive news. Trade deal is very welcome - and a vital step in building a new relationship with the EU as friends, neighbours and partners. Many congratulations to the UK negotiating team.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez:
“I welcome the principle of agreement between the EU and the UK ... Spain and the UK continue their dialogue to reach an agreement on Gibraltar.”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo:
“In the end, there is only one thing that matters to me: ensuring the best possible protection for Belgium’s economic interests. We must protect our Belgian companies from unfair British competition.”
Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok said the Netherlands would “carefully study the draft texts”, especially agreements on a level playing field between the EU and the UK, the access of Dutch fishers to British waters and the governance of the agreement. “There is very little time to do this.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson: We have  today resolved a question which has bedevilled our politics for decades and it is up to us

Flags of the Union Jack and European Union are seen through interpreters booth ahead of the meeting of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in Brussels, Belgium December 9, 2020.

'A collective sigh of relief': The world reacts to Brexit trade deal

Gunmen on motorbike shot dead a women's rights activist and her brother north of Afghanistan's capital Thursday, officials said, as a wave of assassinations ravages the violence-wracked country.
Freshta Kohistani, aged 29, was the second activist to be killed in two days after a prominent pro-democracy advocate was gunned down in Kabul on Wednesday.
Their murders follow a similar pattern seen in recent weeks, in which prominent Afghans have died in targeted killings in broad daylight, several of them in the capital.
-Unknown gunmen on motorbike assassinated Freshta Kohistani in Kohistan district of Kapisa province- interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told reporters.
Kapisa provincial governor Abdul Latif Murad told AFP that the shooting had taken place near Kohistani's home and that her brother was also killed in the attack.
Kohistani had enjoyed a relatively large following on social media, and regularly organized civil society events in Kabul calling for women's rights. She was married and had one child.
Days before her death, she wrote on Facebook that she had asked for protection from the authorities after receiving threats.
She had also condemned the ongoing wave of assassinations of journalists and other prominent figures.
-Afghanistan is not a place to live in. There is no hope for peace. Tell the tailor to take your measurement, tomorrow it could be your turn- she tweeted in November.
Journalists, politicians and rights activists have increasingly been targeted as violence surges in Afghanistan, despite peace talks between the government and the Taliban.
On Wednesday, Mohammad Yousuf Rasheed, who led an independent election monitoring organisation, was ambushed and shot in morning rush-hour traffic in Kabul along with his driver.
His murder came a day after five people -- including two doctors working for a prison on the outskirts of Kabul -- were killed by a car bomb.
A prominent Afghan journalist was also shot this week while on his way to a mosque in the eastern city of Ghazni.
Rahmatullah Nekzad was the fourth journalist to be killed in Afghanistan in the last two months, and the seventh media worker this year, according to the Kabul-based Afghan Journalists Safety Committee.

Freshta Kohistani, aged 29, was the second activist to be killed in two days

Freshta Kohistani, aged 29, was the second activist to be killed in two days after a prominent pro-democracy advocate was gunned down in Kabul on Wednesday

Afghan women's rights activist shot dead

Four former Russian policemen on trial for planting drugs on a prominent investigative journalist denied the charges against them on Thursday.
The arrest of reporter Ivan Golunov in June 2019 on trumped-up drug charges spurred a massive campaign calling for his release led by activists and Kremlin critics. 
His supporters and employer -- the independent Russian-language media outlet Meduza -- said the narcotics had been planted on him as revenge for his work.
Golunov, 37, was released days later after un unprecedented campaign in support of him, and the five police officers who arrested him were dismissed and taken into custody in January.
One of the five men has confessed to planting drugs on the journalist and is under house arrest. 
During a court hearing in the Moscow City Court on Thursday, former policeman Igor Lyakhovets, suspected of organising the fabrication of the evidence, refused to admit guilt, Russian news agencies reported.
His three subordinates also denied the charges.
The trial was adjourned until January 12 when Golunov is expected to be questioned, said the journalist's lawyer Sergei Badamshin.
-He's attending every hearing- Badamshin told AFP.
The investigative journalist's detention shone light on widespread corruption among Russia's police force, whose members are an essential pillar of President Vladimir Putin's 20-year rule.
Investigators have accused the men of falsifying the results of evidence-gathering operations and illegally buying, storing and transporting drugs.
Golunov is celebrated for detailed investigations into power structures in Russia including the shady funeral industry and corruption at Moscow city hall.
During his two decades in power, Putin has silenced most of his critics and a dwindling number of independent media outlets say they are coming under increasing state pressure.
The editor of an independent news website, Irina Slavina, died in Nizhny Novgorod in October after setting herself on fire following a police raid.

One of the five men has confessed to planting drugs on the journalist and is under house arrest

Ex-cops in Russian reporter's drugs arrest deny guilt

Thousands of truckers endured Christmas Eve stranded near a major British port, ensnared in the chaos unleashed by a new coronavirus strain, as Western nations accelerated vaccination programmes.
European nations on Wednesday had started easing travel bans on Britain to contain a new coronavirus strain that UK officials believe spreads faster, with thousands of lorry drivers stranded in Britain.
But some truckers feared there was little chance of making it across the Channel in time for the holidays, which have been marred around the world because of the pandemic.
-Home for Christmas? Forget it- said Laurent Beghin, a French driver who delivered his cargo of paint on Sunday but was still stuck in England as of Wednesday.
Scuffles broke out between police and truckers complaining of poor facilities and a lack of virus tests at one lorry park in southern England.
Passengers with negative virus tests on Wednesday also boarded the first Eurostar trains from London to France since border closures were introduced on Sunday, eager to spend Christmas with their families.
The new strain of the virus, which has also been detected in small numbers elsewhere, appears to spread more easily than other types but experts say there is no evidence it is more lethal or resistant to vaccines.
The co-founder of BioNTech -- which developed a coronavirus vaccine with Pfizer -- has said their prophylactic is "highly likely" to work against the new strain.
Fears over the strain, however, and surging coronavirus infections in general across the continent have severely dampened the mood over the holiday season in many countries.
Germany has been forced to cancel its famous Christmas markets and Pope Francis plans to bring the Vatican's Christmas midnight mass forward by two hours to meet Italy's curfew rules.

The European Union is preparing to kick off vaccinations across the bloc on Sunday, hoping to turn the corner in the fight against the virus, which has infected more than 78 million people worldwide with more than 1.7 million deaths.
The United States -- the worst-hit country in the world -- has already started inoculations, and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that more than one million people have been vaccinated.
CDC director Robert Redfield said it was "an early but important milestone", but officials admitted that the roll-out was behind schedule.
Moncef Slaoui, chief advisor of the government's Operation Warp Speed, said the objective of injecting 20 million people this month was "unlikely to be met".
Vaccinations were kicking off elsewhere in the world as well. Switzerland, Qatar and Dubai in the UAE were administered their first shots on Wednesday, while Serbia, hard-hit Mexico, and Costa Rica were set to begin on Thursday.

Even as vaccines are rolled out, many parts of the world are in the grip of worrying waves of infections, forcing governments to reimpose restrictions -- including lockdowns of varying intensity -- and severely curtail celebrations and gatherings over Christmas and the New Year.
Despite a new cluster of cases, Australia's biggest city Sydney still plans to celebrate the start of 2021 with its famous Harbour Bridge fireworks -- but people are being encouraged to watch it on TV at home.
And in Bethlehem -- which Christians believe is the birthplace of Jesus Christ -- Christmas mass will be held without worshippers and broadcast online.
Egypt has called off all New Year's celebrations in order to stem a rise in cases.
In Catholic-majority Philippines, many are choosing to spend Christmas alone instead of visiting family over fears of catching the virus or quarantine rules that make travelling expensive and cumbersome.
-Spending Christmas alone is odd because we know it as time to be with family- said Kim Patria, 31, who lives alone in Manila and decided not to travel to see his loved ones.
-What's clear I think is that this is a different Christmas, whether you spend it with family or alone.-

The European Union is preparing to kick off vaccinations across the bloc on Sunday

Around 16.4 million people entered the strictest “tier four” measures from Sunday, or 31 percent of England’s population

Virus dampens holidays worldwide as vaccinations gather speed

&nbsp;About 500 relatives of people who died of COVID-19 in Italy said on Wednesday they had begun legal action against regional and national authorities, seeking 100 million euros ($122 million) in damages.The civil lawsuit, which the plaintiffs presented to a Rome court, is against Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Health Minister Roberto Speranza and the governor of the northerly Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana.
The spokespeople of all three politicians did not respond to a request for comment.
Italy, the first Western country hit by the coronavirus, has reported seen more than 70,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the outbreak emerged in February, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth-highest in the world. The hardest-hit region is Lombardy, where the first COVID-19 patient was detected on Feb. 20.
The lawsuit is being brought by members of a committee called “Noi Denunceremo” (we will go to court), set up in April to represent the relatives of people who died in Bergamo, one of Lombardy’s worst-affected cities.
-This case is our Christmas gift to those who should have done what they were supposed to do, but didn’t- the group’s president, Luca Fusco, said in statement.
Concern about Italy’s management of the crisis was rekindled last week when prosecutors in Bergamo questioned Francesco Zambon, a World Health Organization (WHO)official who co-authored a report on Italy’s response to COVID-19.
The report said the response of Italy’s hospitals had been “improvised, chaotic and creative” and “it took some time before formal guidance became available.” It was published by the WHO on May 13 but was quickly removed from its website.
The WHO said it had been removed because of “factual inaccuracies”, but declined to say what these were.
The Noi Denunceremo committee said when the outbreak erupted in Lombardy local authorities and the central government failed to take rapid action which could have avoided the need for a national lockdown and the economic damage it has brought.
They also decried an alleged lack of preparedness, with neither Rome nor the Lombardy region having an updated plan in place to deal with a possible pandemic.
-The authorities will be asked for an average compensation of 259,000 euros per person for a total outlay of around 100 million euros- the group’s statement said.
In June, “Noi Denunceremo” asked prosecutors in Bergamo to investigate possible criminal responsibility in the management of the pandemic.
Conte was questioned by the prosecutors during the summer as a witness but is not under criminal investigation.

The lawsuit is being brought by members of a committee called “Noi Denunceremo”

Journalist Daniela Taiocchi leafs through an edition of the newspaper L'Eco di Bergamo in which ten pages of obituaries have been published due to the high number of deaths from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bergamo, Italy May 12, 2020.

Families of Italian Covid-19 victims seek $122 million from government

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday picked Connecticut education official Miguel Cardona for secretary of education, his transition team said, fulfilling a campaign pledge that he would nominate a teacher for the job.Reuters earlier cited a source as saying that Cardona, Connecticut’s commissioner of education and a veteran teacher and school administrator, would be Biden’s choice to lead the department.
Biden was set to introduce Cardona, who began his career as an elementary school teacher, at an event on Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware.
Cardona, 45, would also be another Latino addition to Biden’s top team, after advocacy groups urged the former vice president to appoint Hispanic Americans to senior roles.
If confirmed by the Senate, Cardona would help ensure that every student can “get a high-quality education from pre-K to post-high school, regardless of their zip code, parents’ income, race, sexual orientation and gender identity, or disability,” Biden’s transition team said in a statement.The department helps set education policy for younger children and universities and administers a college financial aid program.
The current education secretary, Betsy DeVos, a philanthropist and investor, has been a target of criticism from teachers unions and Democrats who question her commitment to public education.
Biden promised during his campaign against President Donald Trump to provide all 3- and 4-year-old children access to free preschool, and issued plans to boost teacher pay and reduce the funding gap between wealthy and low-income public schools.
Cardona would also work with Congress to ensure public health measures needed to “safely reopen the majority of our schools within the first 100 days of the new administration,” the statement said.
Public health experts are advising Americans to avoid gatherings to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, a message that Biden, who received the first dose of a vaccine against COVID-19 on Monday, has echoed.

Cardona, 45, would also be another Latino addition to Biden’s top team

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden speaks about the recent massive cyber attack against the U.S. and also other Biden administration goals in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., December 22, 2020.

Biden names former public school teacher Miguel Cardona for secretary of education

The families of victims killed in two crashes by Boeing Co’s 737 MAX want U.S. regulators to rescind approval for the planes to fly again, following a Senate report that raised concerns about the re-approval process.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted its 20-month safety ban of the 737 MAX on Nov. 18 after green-lighting design changes by Boeing to address issues involved in two fatal crashes in Indonesia in late 2018 and in Ethiopia in early 2019.
But a lengthy Senate Commerce Committee report released on Friday found that Boeing officials “inappropriately coached” FAA test pilots during its recertification efforts.
-The Committee found wrongful and potentially unlawful behavior that must be investigated to determine whether the MAX recertification process was tainted- families of Ethiopian crash victims said in the Dec. 22 letter to the FAA and Department of Transportation that was reviewed by Reuters.
Asked for comment, the FAA said it had worked closely with other international regulators to conduct “a thorough and deliberate review” of the 737 MAX.
-We are confident that the safety issues that played a role in the tragic accidents involving Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 have been addressed through the design changes required and independently approved by the FAA and its partners- a spokesman said.
Boeing declined to comment. When the Senate report was released on Dec. 18, Boeing said it takes “seriously the committee’s findings and will continue to review the report in full.”
-With the first U.S. flight of the 737 MAX set to occur within days, we call for the plane to be immediately grounded based upon the new revelations- the families wrote.
A total of 346 people died in the two crashes.
American Airlines is set to fly the plane on Dec. 29 for the first time in the United States with commercial passengers since the plane’s global grounding in March 2019.

A total of 346 people died in the two crashes

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chief Steve Dickson brings a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to a stop after an evaluation flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. September 30, 2020.

Families of crash victims want U.S. to rescind approval for Boeing 737 MAX to fly again

More than 40 countries are still banning or restricting travel from Britain in a bid to contain a new strain of the coronavirus believed to spread faster.
Scotland had already closed its border with the rest of the United Kingdom before the new strain was made public.
Here is an update on the situation so far.

EU nationals and residents were allowed into France from Britain Wednesday as long as they had a negative Covid test, allowing lorry drivers who had been blocked for two days by the ban to return home. 
All Britons, except hauliers, bus and train drivers and those who live in the EU, are still not allowed to cross the Channel.

Germany is banning on all arrivals from the UK and South Africa -- where the new strain has also appeared -- until January 6. Anyone entering must now have a negative test.

Flights from Britain are banned until December 31, and "people regardless of nationality should not travel from Britain by air or sea".
Anyone who arrived since December 8 must self-isolate by "staying in your room" for 14 days.

UK travel ban lifted but all passengers, including EU nationals, must have a negative PCR test just before the trip. 
They should also self-isolate for 10 days.
One case of the new strain has already been found in the country.

Spain and Portugal are suspending flights, with Madrid only allowing its nationals or residents to enter from Britain until January 5.

Poland -- which has a large expat community in Britain -- has banned all incoming UK flights.

Italy has blocked flights from Britain until January 6 and prohibited entry of people who have stayed there during the last 14 days.
The new strain has been found in one person who recently returned from the UK.

Moscow is suspending British flights for a week.

Finland and Austria are suspending flights for two weeks and Switzerland until further notice, with travellers who have arrived from Britain or South Africa ordered into quarantine.
Baltic nations Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as Hungary and Luxembourg have also halted flights, while in the Balkans Croatia, Macedonia and Albania followed suit with Bulgaria and suspended them until January 31.
Romania has banned all flights to and from the UK for two weeks, as has the Czech Republic.
Norway, Sweden and Denmark suspended flights for 48 hours.
Stockholm also closed its border with Denmark, which has detected nine cases of the new strain on its soil.
Belgium has suspended both flights and Eurostar rail services from Britain.

India has suspended all flights until December 31, with anyone arriving from Britain on transit flights to be tested.

The former British colony has banned all incoming UK flights, and extended the quarantine of passengers who arrived from Britain in the last fortnight.

Canada has banned all UK flights for 72 hours, with those who had already arrived from Britain subject to screenings.

Turkey has suspended flights from Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands and South Africa.

Saudi Arabia and Oman said they were closing their borders entirely for at least a week.
Israel said it was barring entry to foreign citizens travelling from Britain, Denmark and South Africa, while Jordan is banning UK flights for a fortnight, as is Iran.
Kuwait has added Britain to a list of "high-risk" nations and banned flights.

Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia have all banned flights from Britain, with Algeria deciding to stop repatriating its nationals.
Mauritius, a former British colony, has also barred travel from the UK and South Africa.

Anyone who had been in Britain or South Africa in the past 30 days will not be allowed to enter El Salvador. The same goes for Panama and Paraguay.
Peru has gone further, banning all flights from Europe and any foreigner who had been in Britain in the last fortnight.
Chile and Argentina have banned flights from the UK, with anyone without a Chilean residence permit who had been in Britain in the past two weeks barred.

Scotland had already closed its border with the rest of the United Kingdom before the new strain was made public

India has suspended all flights until December 31, with anyone arriving from Britain on transit flights to be tested

Over 40 countries restrict travel from UK

Stranded lorry drivers saw the prospect of spending Christmas with their families fade on Wednesday even after France eased Covid travel restrictions from Britain.
The French government said Tuesday it would relax a temporary UK travel ban introduced after a new variant of coronavirus emerged, allowing EU nationals and residents of EU countries to enter provided they can show a negative Covid-19 test no more than 72 hours old.
But frustrated truckers said there was little chance of making it across the English Channel from Dover to France anytime soon.
-Home for Christmas? Forget it- said Laurent Beghin, a French trucker who delivered a cargo of paint to the UK on Sunday and was still stuck in England on Wednesday.
Beghin, who lives near Dunkirk in northern France, told AFP by phone that he hadn't been able to take the Covid test that would allow him to cross the Channel.
Christian Cosma, a Romanian national, is one of the lucky few to have made it back to the continent within hours of the travel ban being relaxed.

Cosma, who drives a light van, told AFP at a service station near Calais that he was exhausted from a long wait in testing conditions on the British side.
-It was awful, we waited for 50 hours or more, there were no toilets, nothing to eat- he said. -I looked for a local hotel, but everywhere was full.-Cosma's boss managed to get his driver a Covid test appointment, but he still had to travel for hours from the parking lot where had been waiting to the virus test site.
-I drove 300 kilometres (almost 200 miles) to do the test, and 300 kilometres back to Dover- he said.
On Wednesday, he was still 2,500 kilometres from home, with no chance of making it back to Romania for Christmas Eve on Thursday, but hopeful for the following day.
Cosma said he had his Covid test checked "four or five times in the terminal", and that there were 10 people "at most" on the ferry that took him across.
Truck drivers without a negative Covid test have been loading their trailers onto ferries as unaccompanied cargo, to be picked up by colleagues on the French side.

<h2>Back to UK? 'Don't bother asking'</h2>

While waiting, lorry drivers are having to put up with plenty of frustration they are not likely to forget soon.
Beghin said he found a small parking spot for the wait but was fined 70 pounds ($94) for illegal parking and had to move.
-Then we were boxed in like cattle at the airport, with 12 rows and more than 100 lorries per row- he said.
-It's disgusting, there's not even a shower, they just put up toilet booths. Yesterday we got two half-litre water bottles but nothing to eat- he said.
By Wednesday morning, there was no information available on where the truckers might take Covid tests, Beghin said.
-I told my boss, don't bother asking me to go to England again- he said.

The French government said Tuesday it would relax a temporary UK travel ban

Forget Christmas: Truckers struggle to cross Channel

US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller met Tuesday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul during an unannounced visit to Afghanistan.
Miller, who is acting head of the Pentagon until President-elect Joe Biden takes office next month, and Ghani discussed the ongoing talks with the Taliban, which the Defense Department said in a statement were a "historic opportunity" to achieve peace in the war-torn country.
Miller also met with the head of US forces in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller, "to gain his assessment of the overall security situation to include the current counterterrorism and Train, Advise and Assist missions, the level of Taliban violence and the ongoing drawdown of US forces," according to the statement.
Eager to put an end to America's "endless wars," the outgoing Republican President Donald Trump decided to reduce the US military presence in Afghanistan to 2,500 troops by January 15.
The move accelerates a timeline the US agreed on in an earlier deal with the Taliban, which provides for total withdrawal of American forces by May 2021 in exchange for security guarantees. 
The US military had some 13,000 troops in Afghanistan a year ago and had reduced the level to 4,500 as of November.
The Pentagon had been eager to maintain at least 4,500 troops in Afghanistan in the new year amid the peace talks, but officials say the military is complying with Trump's order.
However, Afghanistan is experiencing an upsurge in violence, with the Taliban carrying out almost daily attacks against government forces in recent weeks.
It is not certain that a new Democratic administration will accept the full withdrawal under the terms of the agreement struck between Washington and the Taliban earlier this year in Doha, Qatar.
At least five people, including four doctors working in a prison where hundreds of Taliban are being held, were killed Tuesday in Kabul when a bomb attached to their car exploded. 
Last week, US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley traveled to Doha to urge the Taliban to reduce violence in Afghanistan.

The US military had some 13,000 troops in Afghanistan a year ago and had reduced the level to 4,500 as of November

Municipal workers clean up debris at the site of a bomb attack in Kabul on December 22, 2020, the same day US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller met with Afghan leader Ashraf Ghani in the capital

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World

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Pentagon chief meets with Afghan president in Kabul