World News Roundup: Hong Kong court says Jimmy Lai bail denied; Myanmar junta chief urges economic action and more

Canada back in court defending pact with U.S. to turn back asylum-seekers The Canadian government will be back in court on Tuesday defending its agreement with the United States to turn back asylum-seekers in an effort to overturn a federal court decision that found the pact violated Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Hong Kong court says Jimmy Lai's bail denied because risk of further offenses

A Hong Kong court said on Tuesday its denial of bail for media tycoon Jimmy Lai, the most high-profile person charged under a new national security law, was due to the risk of his committing further offenses. High Court judge Anthea Pang rejected Lai's latest application last week but only made public the reasons for her decision on Tuesday.

Myanmar junta chief urges economic action as Western pressure grows

The leader of Myanmar's junta has called for energetic efforts to revive an ailing economy, state media reported on Tuesday, as Western countries considered more sanctions to press the generals to shun a violent crackdown on democracy protests. The call for focus on the economy came after a general strike shut businesses on Monday and huge crowds gathered to denounce the military's Feb. 1 coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, despite a warning from authorities that confrontation could get people killed.

Iran stops snap nuclear inspections, state-run daily urges caution

An Iranian government newspaper warned on Tuesday that overly radical actions in the nuclear wrangling with the West may lead to the country's isolation after Tehran ended snap inspections by United Nations inspectors. Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Kazem Gharibabadi, said it had ended implementation of the so-called Additional Protocol at midnight (2030 GMT) on Monday. The agreement allowed the IAEA to carry out short-notice inspections.

Armed group denies killing Italian ambassador in Congo

An armed group in eastern Congo, accused by the government of carrying out an ambush on a United Nations convoy in which Italy's ambassador and two other people were killed, has denied any involvement in the attack. Congo's interior ministry on Monday blamed a Hutu militia called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which is active near where ambassador Luca Attanasio, 43 and his bodyguard Vittorio Iacovacci, 30, were shot.

Israel to debate Iran with Biden 'below radar' for now, radio says

Israel will address disputes with the United States over Iran "below the radar" for now, a top Israeli broadcaster said on Tuesday, citing sources involved in a strategizing session convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Netanyahu government has decided to avoid public spats with U.S. President Joe Biden over his desire to return to a 2015 Iran nuclear deal, but that approach could change depending on the actions of the Biden administration, Army Radio added.

Indian climate activist granted bail in sedition case over farm protests

A Delhi court on Tuesday granted bail to 22-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi, who was arrested for sedition over the creation of an online toolkit to help protesting farmers. Judge Dharmender Rana said there was little to hold Ravi, a founder of the local chapter of Swedish climate crusader Greta Thunberg's movement, in custody any longer.

Greek doctors protest 'suffocating' conditions at COVID-19 clinics

Greek hospital doctors went on a day-long strike on Tuesday and dozens marched in Athens to protest "suffocating" conditions at hospitals on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. With around 6,000 deaths, Greece has fared better than much of Europe in containing the pandemic and prevented its health service, battered by years of financial crisis, from collapsing.

UK PM Johnson says optimistic about fully reopening in June

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that he was very optimistic that all COVID-19 restrictions in England would end on June 21, and added that the government would hold a review into the use of vaccine certificates. Johnson unveiled a map out of lockdown for England on Monday that would keep some businesses shuttered until the summer, saying caution was necessary to ensure there were no reversals on a "one-way road to freedom".

Facebook 'refriends' Australia after changes to media laws

Facebook said on Tuesday it will restore Australian news pages after negotiating changes with the government to a proposed law that forces tech giants to pay for media content displayed on their platforms. Australia and the social media group have been locked in a standoff for more than a week after the government introduced legislation that challenged Facebook and Alphabet Inc's Google's dominance in the news content market.

Canada back in court defending pact with U.S. to turn back asylum-seekers

The Canadian government will be back in court on Tuesday defending its agreement with the United States to turn back asylum-seekers in an effort to overturn a federal court decision that found the pact violated Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A victory for the government would mean asylum-seekers would continue to be turned back at the Canadian border under conditions a court found violated their rights. A loss would force Ottawa to rethink refugee management at the world's longest undefended border.