Former head of CIA calls assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist ‘criminal and reckless act’
John Brennan said he did not know who was to blame for the murder of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
By Agence-France-Presse| Posted by Susmita Pakrasi | Washington, Washington
UPDATED ON NOV 29, 2020 01:51 AM IST
The former head of the CIA labelled the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist on Friday a “criminal” act that risks inflaming conflict in the region. John Brennan said he did not know who was to blame for the murder of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
“This was a criminal act & highly reckless. It risks lethal retaliation & a new round of regional conflict,” Brennan said in a series of tweets. “I do not know whether a foreign government authorised or carried out the murder of Fakhrizadeh,” he said. “Such an act of state-sponsored terrorism would be a flagrant violation of international law & encourage more governments to carry out lethal attacks against foreign officials.”
'As PM, I take full responsibility': Johnson as UK's Covid toll crosses 100,000
AFP, London
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 11:49 PM IST
- UK is the first country in Europe where more than 100,000 people have died from coronavirus.
Antony Blinken succeeds Mike Pompeo as 71st secretary of state
AP, Washington
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 11:31 PM IST
- Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration.
First private space crew paying $55M each to fly to station on a SpaceX rocket
AP, Cape Canaveral
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 11:01 PM IST
- The first crew will spend eight days at the space station, and will take one or two days to get there aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule following liftoff from Cape Canaveral. Each of these first paying customers intends to perform science research in orbit.
Rate of guns seized at US airport checkpoints jumped in 2020
AP, Washington
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 10:36 PM IST
- The Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that screeners found 3,257 firearms on passengers or in their carry-on bags in 2020, or about 10 for every million travelers. About 83% of the guns were loaded.
Moderna Covid-19 jabs can be up to six weeks apart: WHO
AFP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 10:33 PM IST
The WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) also insisted international travellers should not be prioritised for any Covid-19 jabs for the time being.
Poland's population rapidly shrinking under pandemic
AP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 10:21 PM IST
Poland, a nation with a population of more than 38 million, registered 357,400 births last year, the lowest number since 2005, and some 486,200 deaths from various causes, the highest number registered since the war, in which Poland lost millions of citizens.
Eli Lilly, Regeneron Covid-19 antibodies study data shows promising results
AFP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 10:19 PM IST
Giving people ready-made antibodies can help those who are at high risk of severe disease because of weak immunity or underlying conditions.
New warning system in Bangladesh to tackle rising landslide risk
Reuters
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 09:52 PM IST
Initially, the new alerts are likely to be introduced in May, when the monsoon season begins, in Cox's Bazar in southeast Bangladesh.
Trump impeachment trial faces challenge from Republican Senator Paul
Reuters
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 09:38 PM IST
Senator Rand Paul, a Trump ally, has pledged to force a vote on whether the Constitution allows the Senate to try the former president who is now a private citizen. Trump left office on Jan. 20.
Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron push for return to pre-Trump cooperation
Bloomberg
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 09:30 PM IST
A week after Joe Biden’s inauguration, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron used virtual addresses to the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda to talk up the value of international cooperation and to push for coordinated action on issues ranging from digital taxation to trade and climate change.
Iran approves Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine
AFP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 09:22 PM IST
Iran, which is fighting the Middle East's deadliest outbreak, has said it will only rely on vaccines made by Russia, India or China, while also working to produce a homemade jab.
UK hits grim Covid-19 death toll figure of 100,000
PTI, London
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 09:06 PM IST
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) assessment of death certificate data reveals that there have been nearly 104,000 deaths since last year.
China hopes Joe Biden will 'learn a lesson' from Donald Trump's wrong policies
ANI, Beijing
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 08:34 PM IST
"We hope the new US administration will learn from the Trump administration's lessons where they carried out the wrong policies on China," said Zhao Lijian, spokesperson, China's Foreign Ministry.
Watchdog group to track hiring of ex-Trump aides
Bloomberg
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 08:14 PM IST
- The Campaign Against Corporate Complicity, which kicks off Tuesday, said it’s building a list of former officials and aides who were involved in what the group says were the Trump administration’s most controversial actions.
Thai court acquits 80-year-old writer of defaming monarchy
AP
PUBLISHED ON JAN 26, 2021 08:01 PM IST
The court last week gave a record sentence of 43 1/2 years under the law to a woman arrested six years ago who posted audio clips online deemed critical of the monarchy. The former civil servant had her nominal sentence of 87 years halved because she pleaded guilty.