World News Roundup: China counters Uighur criticism with explicit attacks on women witnesses; Myanmar court files more charges against Suu Kyi, police crack down on protests and more

Amid scramble for COVID-19 vaccine, Latin America turns to Russia As Bolivia struggled late last year to secure deals with large drug firms to supply COVID-19 vaccines, the incoming president, Luis Arce, turned to Russia for help.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

China counters Uighur criticism with explicit attacks on women witnesses

China, under growing global pressure over its treatment of minority Muslim Uighurs in far west Xinjiang, is mounting an unprecedented and aggressive campaign to push back, including explicit attacks on women who have made claims of abuse. As allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang mount, with a growing number of Western lawmakers accusing China of genocide, Beijing is focusing on discrediting the female Uighur witnesses behind recent reports of abuse.

Myanmar court files more charges against Suu Kyi, police crack down on protests

Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared at a court hearing via video conferencing on Monday as supporters marched in several towns and cities in defiance of a crackdown after the bloodiest day since the Feb. 1 military coup. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of protesters in the main city of Yangon on Monday, witnesses said. They later combed through side streets firing rubber bullets and at least one person was hurt, media reported.

Yemenis reel from poverty, hunger as U.N. pleads for funds and war's end

Unable to find work, Ahmed Farea has sold everything including his wife's gold to feed and house two young daughters in one small room. Elsewhere in Yemen's capital Sanaa, widow Mona Muhammad has work but struggles to buy anything more nutritious than rice for her four children amid high prices.

Europeans push IAEA Iran resolution despite warnings by Russia, Tehran

Britain, France and Germany are pressing ahead with a U.S.-backed plan for a resolution by the U.N. nuclear watchdog's board criticising Iran for curbing cooperation with the agency, despite Russian and Iranian warnings of serious consequences. The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors is holding a quarterly meeting this week against the backdrop of faltering efforts to revive Iran's nuclear deal with major powers now that U.S. President Joe Biden is in office.

First UAE ambassador arrives in Israel, eyes Tel Aviv embassy

The first United Arab Emirates ambassador to Israel arrived there on ‮M‬onday pledging to build up new bilateral relations and officials said he would scout for an embassy location in the Tel Aviv area. Mohamed Al Khaja, former chief of staff to the UAE foreign minister, was due to present his credentials to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the start of a three-day visit.

Amid scramble for COVID-19 vaccine, Latin America turns to Russia

As Bolivia struggled late last year to secure deals with large drug firms to supply COVID-19 vaccines, the incoming president, Luis Arce, turned to Russia for help. By the end of December, Bolivia clinched its first major COVID-19 vaccine deal, with enough shots for some 20% of the population. The first Sputnik V doses arrived in the country in late January, just as virus cases were spiking.

France's Sarkozy awaits verdict in corruption trial

A French court will deliver its verdict in the corruption trial of former president Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday, with prosecutors demanding he face jail time. Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012 and remains influential among conservatives, is accused of trying to bribe a judge and of influence peddling in exchange for inside information on an investigation into his presidential campaign finances.

UK's Prince Philip, 99, moves hospital for heart tests

Britain's Prince Philip, the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth, was transferred to a different hospital in central London on Monday to have tests for a pre-existing heart condition as well as receive treatment for an infection. Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was admitted to London's private King Edward VII hospital two weeks ago for treatment for an unspecified, but not related to COVID-19, infection.

Khashoggi's fiancée says Saudi crown prince should be punished "without delay"

The fiancée of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi called on Monday for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to be punished after a U.S. intelligence report found he had approved the killing. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post criticising Saudi policies, was killed and dismembered by a team linked to the crown prince in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

China says Taiwan pineapple ban not about politics as war of words escalates

China on Monday denied accusations by Taiwan that a ban on pineapples from the island was about politics, saying it was purely a matter of biosecurity, in an escalating war of words that has added to existing tensions. China announced the ban last week, citing "harmful creatures" it said could come with the fruit, threatening China's own agriculture.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)