World News Roundup: Satellite images show China emptying military camps at border; Mumbai court stops arrest of associate of 22-year-old and more

Opponents of the Feb. 1 military coup are deeply sceptical of junta assurances, given at a news conference on Tuesday, that there would be a fair election and it would hand over power, even as police filed an additional charge against Suu Kyi. Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested again while in jail, papers say Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been arrested again, on suspicion of assisting one of 12 fugitives China captured at sea last year, his Apple Daily tabloid and Oriental Daily said on Wednesday, without citing a source.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Satellite images show China emptying military camps at border flashpoint with India

China has dismantled dozens of structures and moved vehicles to empty out entire camps along a disputed Himalayan border, where Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a face-off since last summer, satellite images released on Wednesday show. The nuclear-armed neighbours last week announced a plan to pull back troops, tanks and other equipment from the banks of Pangong Tso, a glacial lake in the Ladakh region, that became a flashpoint in the prolonged border dispute.

Mumbai court stops arrest of associate of 22-year-old climate activist

A Mumbai court on Wednesday granted bail to an associate of a 22-year-old climate activist whose arrest for promoting an action plan for farmers' protests has caused outrage across the country. Police had sought the arrest of Nikita Jacob, a Mumbai-based lawyer, for allegedly working together with activist Disha Ravi on a "tool-kit" or a document that it said was used to foment violence during a mass protest by farmers in Delhi last month.

Sudan summons ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations: spokesman

Sudan has summoned its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations over the latest developments in the ties between both countries, a spokesman for the Sudanese foreign ministry told Reuters on Wednesday. Sudan's foreign ministry had said on Sunday that Ethiopian forces crossed into Sudanese territory in an act of "aggression", but the spokesman did not specify if consultations would be about that particular incident.

Myanmar coup protesters mass again, reject army's claim it has public support

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Myanmar on Wednesday, rejecting the army's assertion that the public supported its overthrow of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and vowing they would not be cowed in their bid to end military rule. Opponents of the Feb. 1 military coup are deeply sceptical of junta assurances, given at a news conference on Tuesday, that there would be a fair election and it would hand over power, even as police filed an additional charge against Suu Kyi.

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested again while in jail, papers say

Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been arrested again, on suspicion of assisting one of 12 fugitives China captured at sea last year, his Apple Daily tabloid and Oriental Daily said on Wednesday, without citing a source. Lai, detained while awaiting a bail hearing on Thursday, has been charged with colluding with foreign forces under a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong last year.

Exclusive: Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine supply to the EU 30% below plans, sources say

Pfizer has not yet delivered to the European Union about 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses that were due in December, EU officials said, leaving it about one-third short of the supplies it had expected by now from the U.S. company. The delay is another blow to the EU, which has also been hit by delays in deliveries from Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca and U.S. company Moderna, and had also faced earlier delays on the Pfizer vaccine.

Gunmen storm Nigerian school, kidnap students

Unidentified gunmen attacked a secondary school in Nigeria's Niger state overnight and abducted many students, the state governor's spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The assailants stormed the Government Science college in the Kagara district at around 2 a.m., overwhelming the school's security detail, according to local residents.

Britain says UAE should show that Dubai's Sheikha Latifa is alive

Britain wants to see proof that Sheikha Latifa, one of the ruler of Dubai's daughters, is still alive after the BBC showed a video in which she said she was being held against her will in a barricaded villa, the foreign minister said on Wednesday. "It's deeply troubling and you can see a young woman under deep distress," Dominic Raab said.

U.S. ship sails in South China Sea by China-claimed islands

A U.S. Navy warship sailed by islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Wednesday in a freedom of navigation operation, marking the latest move by Washington to challenge Beijing's territorial claims in the contested waters. The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said destroyer USS Russell "asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law."

Afghanistan peace talks under threat as major Taliban spring offensive takes shape

Unusually intense fighting in the winter by Taliban insurgents has spurred Afghan government preparations for more violence in the warmer spring, which international players fear will further endanger the nation's fragile peace process. Nearly a year after Washington signed a troop-withdrawal deal with the Taliban that called for a reduction in violence by all sides, attacks by the group have escalated, according to General Scott Miller, the head of U.S. forces and the NATO-led non-combat Resolute Support mission.