World News Roundup: Arrest in Thailand of second drug kingpin tightens dragnet on huge syndicate; Wuhan residents remember coronavirus 'whistleblower' doctor a year after his death and more

Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at a hospital in the city, became one of the most visible figures in the early days of the outbreak in Wuhan when he tried to sound the alarm about its appearance, but was reprimanded by police for "spreading rumours." 'Playing with fire': Twitter's India snub sparks debate on compliance, free speech Twitter Inc's refusal to comply with an Indian government directive to block more than 250 accounts and posts has put the social media giant at the centre of a political firestorm in one of its key markets.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Arrest in Thailand of second drug kingpin tightens dragnet on huge syndicate

A second senior leader of a vast drug syndicate has been arrested, a Thai narcotics official said, as a transnational dragnet tightens on the Sam Gor group, which police say dominates the $70 billion annual Asia-Pacific drug trade. The October arrest of Hong Kong citizen Lee Chung Chak in Bangkok preceded last month's high-profile arrest in the Netherlands of Tse Chi Lop, a China-born Canadian national who police suspect is the top leader of the syndicate, also called "The Company".

Wuhan residents remember coronavirus 'whistleblower' doctor a year after his death

A year after his death from COVID-19, residents in the Chinese city of Wuhan say they remain grateful to the "whistleblower" doctor who first sounded the alarm about the outbreak before it received official recognition. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at a hospital in the city, became one of the most visible figures in the early days of the outbreak in Wuhan when he tried to sound the alarm about its appearance, but was reprimanded by police for "spreading rumours."

'Playing with fire': Twitter's India snub sparks debate on compliance, free speech

Twitter Inc's refusal to comply with an Indian government directive to block more than 250 accounts and posts has put the social media giant at the centre of a political firestorm in one of its key markets. Government officials, business people and ordinary netizens are split over free speech and the U.S. company's compliance practices, in a controversy that comes soon after Twitter's top lobbyist in India resigned.

Tunis police block off city centre against planned protest

Police locked down a large area of central Tunis on Saturday, blocking roads to prevent a major protest backed by the country's powerful labour union, prompting angry criticism from members of parliament. Large numbers were expected to rally to mark the 2013 killing of a prominent activist and to protest against police abuses that they say have imperilled the freedoms won in the 2011 revolution that triggered the "Arab spring".

U.S. to drop Houthi terrorist designation due to Yemen crisis

The United States intends to revoke the Houthi movement's terrorist designation in response to Yemen's humanitarian crisis, reversing one of the Trump administration's most criticised last-minute decisions. The move, confirmed by a State Department official on Friday, came a day after President Joe Biden declared a halt to U.S. support for the Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen, which is widely seen as a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Iran top diplomat urges Biden to return to nuclear deal

Iran's foreign minister urged Washington to act fast to return to the nuclear accord, pointing out that legislation passed by parliament forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if U.S. sanctions are not eased by Feb. 21. Mohammad Javad Zarif also referred to elections in Iran in June. If a hardline president is elected, this could further jeopardize the deal.

South Africa's Ramaphosa says access to concessional loans key to Africa's recovery

Access to loans on favourable terms will be crucial to Africa's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Saturday. Ramaphosa, who is the outgoing chair of the African Union (AU), told the bloc's summit that even though the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have deployed significant financial resources for the coronavirus outbreak response, more needed to be done.

Thousands protest Myanmar coup despite internet ban

Thousands of people took to the streets of Yangon on Saturday to denounce this week's coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi despite a blockade on the internet by the junta. In an upwelling of anger in the country's largest city protesters chanted, "Military dictator, fail, fail; Democracy, win, win" and held banners reading "Against military dictatorship". Bystanders offered them food and water.

Italy's Salvini says no vetoes after meeting with Draghi

Italy's League leader Matteo Salvini said the right-wing party would decide next week whether to back a government led by Mario Draghi but common ground had emerged in discussions on Saturday. "Unlike others we don't think just saying no gets you anywhere ... the best interest of the country must come before any personal or party interest," Salvini told reporters after meeting the former European Central Bank chief.

Blinken presses China on Xinjiang, Hong Kong in call with Beijing's top diplomat

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi in a phone call on Friday the United States will stand up for human rights and democratic values in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, the State Department said. Blinken also pressed China to condemn the military coup in Myanmar, and he reaffirmed that Washington will work with allies to hold China accountable for efforts to threaten stability of Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait, the department said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)