


Two US Carrier Groups Conduct Exercises in South China Sea
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Two US carrier groups conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea on Tuesday, days after an American warship sailed near Chinese-controlled islands in the disputed waters that have emerged as another flashpoint in strained Sino-US relations.

North Korea Upgraded Nuclear Missile Program in 2020, Says UN Diplomat
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – North Korea maintained and developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programs throughout 2020 in violation of international sanctions, said a UN diplomat with knowledge of a confidential report given to Security Council members on Monday.

Slapping Sanctions on Kremlin Officials ‘Nonsensical’: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Countries who introduce sanctions against members of the Russian presidential administration are making a mistake, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

China Reports No New Local COVID-19 Infection for First Time in Nearly Two Months
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – China reported no new locally transmitted mainland COVID-19 case for the first time in nearly two months, official data showed on Monday, adding to signs that it has managed to stamp out the latest wave of the disease.

US Senate Eyes Speedy Trump Impeachment Trial
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US Senators say a historic second impeachment trial for former president Donald Trump could last just a matter of days in what is shaping up to be a speedy process.

Venezuelan President Maduro Says Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine ‘Is Safest’
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday that in his opinion Russia’s Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine is the safest.

Dozens of Paris Protesters ‘Arbitrarily Detained’: Amnesty
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A slate of detentions carried out on Dec 12 during a Paris protest by tens of thousands of people against France’s controversial security bill were “arbitrary”, Amnesty International France said Monday.

Trump Access to Intelligence Briefings to Be Determined by Officials: White House
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The White House said Saturday that US President Joe Biden will leave the decision about whether or not former president Donald Trump will have access to sensitive intelligence briefings up to Intelligence officials.

Austria Ready to Produce Russian, Chinese Vaccines If Approved by EU: Chancellor
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Austria is ready to produce Russian and Chinese COVID-19 vaccines if they are registered by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper published on Sunday.

Handling of Trump's Election Fraud Claims Cost US Taxpayers $519 mln
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Lawsuits related to former US president Donald Trump's claims that the November presidential election was rigged and damage caused during the January 6 Capitol riot have cost US taxpayers $519 million so far, according to The Washington Post's estimates.

Hundreds Protest against COVID-19 Restrictions in Denmark
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hundreds of people took to the streets of Copenhagen on Saturday night to protest against Denmark's COVID-19 restrictions and the country's plans for a digital vaccination certificate.

Guterres: UN Will Seek to Unite World, Reverse Myanmar Coup
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged Friday that the United Nations will do everything it can to unite the international community and create conditions for the military coup in Myanmar to be reversed.

Number of COVID-19 Vaccinations Worldwide Exceeds Number of Cases: WHO Chief
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The number of COVID-19 vaccinations has now overtaken the number of cases reported since the start of the pandemic, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

Biden Says 'Erratic' Trump Shouldn't Get Intel Briefings
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US President Joe Biden said Friday that Donald Trump’s “erratic behavior” should prevent him from receiving classified intelligence briefings, a courtesy that historically has been granted to outgoing US presidents.

France: Two Missing, One Seriously Hurt in Bordeaux Garage Explosion
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An 89-year-old was seriously hurt and two other people are missing after an explosion in a garage in the French city of Bordeaux on Saturday, firefighters said.

World Faces Some 4,000 COVID-19 Variants
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The world faces around 4,000 variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, prompting a race to improve vaccines, Britain said on Thursday, as researchers began to explore mixing doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots.

Biden, S Korea’s Moon Discuss Denuclearization of Korean Peninsula
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in have pledged to upgrade their two nations’ alliance and pursue a “comprehensive” strategy on North Korea in a phone call.

Anti-Coup Protest in Myanmar's Second City
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A group of protesters waved banners and chanted anti-coup slogans in Myanmar’s second city of Mandalay on Thursday in the first such street protest against this week’s army takeover, images on social media showed.
