World News Roundup: Ukrainians near conflict zone try to guess Putin's next move; Omicron, found in Europe 11 days ago, jolts markets on vaccine fears and more

Armed officers entered the camp, which runs along a disused railway line, before workers in protective suits pulled down tents and plastic shelters. Attack on Ukraine would be costly, NATO warns Moscow Russia would pay a high price for any new military aggression against Ukraine, NATO and the United States warned on Tuesday as the Western military alliance met to discuss Moscow's intentions for massing troops on the border of the former Soviet republic.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ukrainians near conflict zone try to guess Putin's next move

Anatoliy Hrebeniuk was a child of the Soviet Union - he grew up after World War Two in a land where Russians and Ukrainians were united as neighbours within the bloc. Today he lives some 50 km (30 miles) from the front line of fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in a conflict that has simmered for seven years.

Omicron, found in Europe 11 days ago, jolts markets on vaccine fears

The chief executive of drugmaker Moderna set off fresh alarm bells in financial markets on Tuesday with a warning that existing COVID-19 vaccines would be less effective against the new Omicron variant than they have been against Delta. Major European stock markets fell around 1.5% in early trade, Tokyo's Nikkei index closed down 1.6%, crude oil futures shed more than 3%, and the Australian dollar hit a one-year low as Stephane Bancel's comments spurred fears that vaccine resistance may prolong the pandemic.

Washington caps year of drills to deter China with ten-day military exercise

The United States on Tuesday completed ten days of joint military drills in Asian waters with Japan and other allies as it ups the ante on deterring China from pursuing its territorial ambitions amid growing tension in the region over Taiwan. The ANNUALEX drill included 35 warships and dozens of aircraft in the Philippine Sea off Japan's southern coast. The U.S. and Japanese forces were led by the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson carrier, which was also joined by ships from Canada, Australia, and for the first time, Germany. On Tuesday, the Vinson was being shadowed by a Chinese navy ship.

Russia says NATO deploying 'significant' hardware near its borders

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused NATO on Tuesday of deploying a significant amount of military hardware near Russia's borders and said Moscow could respond to security threats from Western countries and Ukraine if necessary. U.S., NATO and Ukrainian officials have raised the alarm in recent weeks over what they say are unusual Russian troop movements near the border with Ukraine, and have suggested that Moscow might be preparing to launch an attack. Moscow has denied any plans to do so.

French police evict migrants from camp on Channel coast

Police on Tuesday tore down a makeshift camp near the northern French port of Dunkirk where scores of migrants who say they are fleeing war, poverty and persecution in the Middle East were hunkered down with hopes of reaching Britain. Armed officers entered the camp, which runs along a disused railway line, before workers in protective suits pulled down tents and plastic shelters.

Attack on Ukraine would be costly, NATO warns Moscow

Russia would pay a high price for any new military aggression against Ukraine, NATO and the United States warned on Tuesday as the Western military alliance met to discuss Moscow's intentions for massing troops on the border of the former Soviet republic. The West has already shown that it can wield economic, financial and political sanctions against Moscow, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters ahead of talks of the alliance's foreign ministers in the Latvian capital Riga.

A Brazilian town empties as migration to U.S. accelerates

Amid tearful goodbyes, Ana Paula Souza, her husband and their infant son set off for the United States, one of hundreds of families to depart the small Brazilian town of Alpercata in recent months. Nestled in the hills of southeastern Minas Gerais state, Alpercata has been sending its townspeople north for decades. But as locals grapple with a pandemic that has killed jobs, battered Brazil's currency and sparked double-digit inflation, a piecemeal migration from this poor, okra-farming area has become an exodus.

Barbados ditches Britain's Queen Elizabeth to become a republic

Barbados ditched Britain's Queen Elizabeth as head of state, forging a new republic on Tuesday with its first-ever president and severing its last remaining colonial bonds nearly 400 years after the first English ships arrived at the Caribbean island. At the strike of midnight, the new republic was born to cheers of hundreds of people lining Chamberlain Bridge in the capital, Bridgetown. A 21-gun salute fired as the national anthem of Barbados was played over a crowded Heroes Square.

Far-right figure Zemmour announces presidential run to 'save' France

Far-right French pundit Eric Zemmour announced his candidacy for president on Tuesday with a video in which, to ominous music and footage of street violence, he said he wanted to save France from decadence and minorities that "oppress the majority". A former journalist who has been convicted of inciting racial hatred, he is the top contender to challenge Marine Le Pen, leader of the more established far-right National Rally, for a place in a second round against President Emmanuel Macron.

Greece to make vaccinations for people over 60 mandatory, PM says

Greece said on Tuesday it would make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for people aged 60 and over in a move to quell a resurgent virus that is burdening a frail healthcare system. Authorities said those who failed to comply from Jan. 16 would face a recurring monthly fine of 100 euros.

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