World News Roundup: UK, Ireland say breakthrough needed in Brexit; Northern India chokes on toxic smog day and more

Belarus police arrest dozens in street protests Police in Belarus on Sunday arrested dozens of people in Minsk demonstrating against Alexander Lukashenko, leader of the ex-Soviet country, a witness said and several media outlets reported.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

UK, Ireland say breakthrough needed in Brexit talks this week

There has to be a breakthrough this week on a post-Brexit trade agreement, British and Irish ministers said on Sunday, as London's top negotiator went back into talks saying progress had been made in recent days. Without a deal, around $1 trillion worth of trade would be at risk of disruption through tariffs and tougher rules after the Dec. 31 expiry of Britain's transition period for leaving the European Union.

Northern India chokes on toxic smog day after Diwali festival

Hundreds of millions of Indians in north India woke up on Sunday to toxic air following Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, after many revellers defied bans on using firecrackers to celebrate. The capital New Delhi was blanketed with a thick haze, with the average pollution level over 9 times what is considered safe by the World Health Organization.

In COVID-19 vaccine race, Hungarian village firm takes global role

In an unassuming house in rolling hills east of the Hungarian capital, a small family firm is helping oil the wheels of the world's big pharmaceutical companies on the path to a coronavirus vaccine. Biologist Noemi Lukacs, 71, retired to Szirak, her birth village, to establish English & Scientific Consulting (SciCons) and manufacture a genetic sensor so sensitive that a few grams can supply the entire global industry for a year.

Belarus police arrest dozens in street protests

Police in Belarus on Sunday arrested dozens of people in Minsk demonstrating against Alexander Lukashenko, leader of the ex-Soviet country, a witness said and several media outlets reported. The witness said police used rubber bullets against the protesters. Interfax news agency said police had used tear gas to disperse the crowd near the Pushkinskaya metro station.

Forces from Ethiopia's Tigray region bombed Eritrean capital, Tigray leader says

Rebellious forces from Ethiopia's Tigray region fired rockets at the airport in Eritrea's capital Asmara on Saturday evening, their leader said on Sunday, confirming earlier reports of a major escalation in a 12-day old conflict in Ethiopia. "Fighting is still continuing on several fronts" in Ethiopia, Debretsion Gebremichael told Reuters in a text message.

Erdogan visits breakaway Northern Cyprus after ally wins vote

Turkish President Erdogan visited breakaway Northern Cyprus on Sunday to meet its newly elected leader who backs his call for a "two-state" solution to the divided island's five-decade conflict if U.N.-mediated talks yield no results. With Turkey's support, former prime minister Ersin Tatar won a tight presidential vote last month that could further strain ties with the internationally-recognised Cypriot government to the south. Tatar's predecessor had backed reunification.

Germans should brace for 4-5 months of severe COVID-19 measures, minister says

Germans should brace for another 4-5 months of severe measures to halt the rise in coronavirus infections and should not expect the current rules to be eased quickly, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told weekly Bild am Sonntag. "We're not out of the woods yet", he said referring to infection numbers. "We cannot afford a yo-yo shutdown with the economy constantly opening and closing."

Philippines' typhoon deaths rise as worst floods in 45 years hit north

The death toll from the deadliest cyclone to hit the Philippines this year has climbed to 67, while many areas remained submerged in a northern region hit by the worst flooding in more than four decades, officials said on Sunday. President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Tuguegarao province to assess the situation in Cagayan Valley region, which was heavily flooded after Typhoon Vamco dumped rain over swathes of the main Luzon island, including the capital, metropolitan Manila.

Gunmen in western Ethiopia kill at least 34 people in bus attack, rights body says

Gunmen in western Ethiopia killed at least 34 people in an attack on a bus on Saturday night, the national human rights body said on Sunday, as fears grow of a security vacuum in the country amid a military campaign in the north. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said the number of people killed was likely to rise after what it called a "gruesome" attack on the passenger bus in the Benishangul-Gumuz region. It said there were reports of "similar" attacks, and of people fleeing the violence, in other parts of the region.

Israel promotes settlement plan for sensitive East Jerusalem area

Israel moved ahead on Sunday with a settler housing plan in a sensitive area near East Jerusalem, a step critics said was aimed at shoring up the project before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office. On its website, the Israel Land Authority (ILA) invited contractor bids for building 1,257 homes in Givat Hamatos, under a plan revived in February by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after it had been effectively frozen by international opposition.