World News Roundup: Ireland says given no forewarning about triggering of Brexit clause; Protesting Indian farmers begin hunger strike after week of clashes and more

Travellers from other regions, including neighbouring countries, will have to have tested negative before arrival in the country, Alireza Raisi, spokesman for the national coronavirus task force, said on state TV.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ireland says given no forewarning about triggering of Brexit clause

Ireland was not consulted by the European Commission before it briefly sought to restrict some exports of COVID-19 vaccines by invoking an emergency Brexit clause related to Northern Ireland, Ireland's European Affairs Minister said on Saturday. The EU abruptly reversed the plan to use the Article 16 clause to restrict exports of COVID-19 vaccines from crossing the Irish border into the United Kingdom within a matter of hours on Friday after it sent shockwaves through Northern Ireland, London and Dublin.

Protesting Indian farmers begin hunger strike after week of clashes

Indian farmers began a one-day hunger strike on Saturday in protest against new agricultural laws after a week of clashes with authorities that left one dead and hundreds injured. Angry at what they see as laws benefiting large private buyers at the expense of producers, tens of thousands of farmers have been camped at protest sites on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi for over two months.

Vietnam reports 34 new COVID-19 cases, speeds up vaccine procurement

Vietnam reported 34 new COVID-19 infections early on Saturday in its latest coronavirus outbreak, and seeks to accelerate procurement of vaccines. Of the new cases, 32 were detected in Hai Duong province, the epicentre, and two in neighbouring Quang Ninh province, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. It added that the country has recorded more than 1,700 cases since the disease was detected a year ago, including 873 locally transmitted infections.

UAE adopts amendments to grant citizenship to investors and other professionals

The United Arab Emirates has adopted amendments that would allow the Gulf state to grant citizenship to investors and other professionals including scientists, doctors and their families, the government said on Saturday. "The UAE cabinet, local Emiri courts and executive councils will nominate those eligible for the citizenship under clear criteria set for each category," Dubai's ruler and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said in a twitter post.

Iran imposes mandatory quarantine for travellers from Europe

Travellers to Iran from Europe will be required to self-quarantine for two weeks after testing negative upon arrival, a health official said on Saturday. Travellers from other regions, including neighbouring countries, will have to have tested negative before arrival in the country, Alireza Raisi, spokesman for the national coronavirus task force, said on state TV.

Exclusive: China gene firm providing worldwide COVID tests worked with Chinese military

BGI Group, the world's largest genomics company, has worked with China's military on research that ranges from mass testing for respiratory pathogens to brain science, a Reuters review of research, patent filings and other documents has found. The review, of more than 40 publicly available documents and research papers in Chinese and English, shows BGI's links to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) include research with China's top military supercomputing experts. The extent of those links has not previously been reported.

More than 200,000 flee 'apocalyptic' conflict in Central African Republic

More than 200,000 people have fled fighting in the Central African Republic (CAR) since violence erupted over a December election result, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday, with nearly half crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo. The CAR army, backed by U.N., Russian and Rwandan troops, has been battling rebels seeking to overturn a Dec. 27 vote in which President Faustin-Archange Touadera was declared the winner.

Man charged over suspect package sent to UK AstraZeneca vaccine plant

A man has been charged after a suspicious package was sent to a factory in Wales that produces AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine resulting in a temporary suspension of manufacturing, British police said on Saturday. The Wockhardt plant in Wrexham provides so-called fill-and-finish capacity for AstraZeneca's British supply chain, which is the final manufacturing step of putting vaccines into vials or syringes and packaging them.

Myanmar military says it will protect and follow constitution

Myanmar's military on Saturday said it would protect and abide by the country's constitution and act according to law, amid concerns in the country that the armed forces might attempt to seize power. In an official statement, the military said recent remarks by its top general about abolishing the constitution were misinterpreted by media and some organisations. Russia and Turkey open monitoring centre for Nagorno-Karabakh

Russia and Turkey opened a joint centre on Saturday to observe a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh that was agreed following a flare-up in the conflict in the region last year, Azerbaijan's defence ministry said on Saturday. The centre, which both countries agreed to set up in November, was officially opened in the Agdam region of Azerbaijan. It will be staffed by up to 60 servicemen each from Turkey and from Russia, the defence ministry said in a statement.