World News Roundup: China plans peace envoy for conflict-riven Horn of Africa; Russia sends troops to Kazakhstan to put down the deadly uprising and more

Russia has massed some 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and though Moscow says it has no plans to invade its neighbour, President Vladimir Putin has demanded legally-binding guarantees that NATO will not expand further eastwards. European Court rules Northern Ireland gay cake case inadmissible A complaint of discrimination previously dismissed by Britain's highest court against a bakery that refused to make a cake with a pro-gay message was inadmissible, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

China plans peace envoy for conflict-riven Horn of Africa

China said on Thursday it would appoint a special envoy to foster peace in the turbulent Horn of Africa and wanted to shift focus on the continent to trade over infrastructure. Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the comments in Kenya, which has been active in diplomatic efforts to halt war in Ethiopia since late 2020 between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's federal government.

Russia sends troops to Kazakhstan to put down the deadly uprising

Russia sent paratroopers into Kazakhstan on Thursday to help put down a countrywide uprising after deadly violence spread across the tightly controlled former Soviet state. Police said they had killed dozens of rioters in the Central Asian country's main city Almaty. State television said 13 members of the security forces had died, including two found decapitated.

Pope decries Church conservatives encased in "suit of armour"

Pope Francis took an apparent dig at conservatives resisting change in the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, lamenting those whose religion he said was self-referential and encased in a "suit of armour". On the Feast of the Epiphany, Francis seemed to direct specific criticism at those who have balked at his decision to restrict the traditionalist Latin Mass, saying the liturgy could not be trapped in a "dead language."

Analysis-Sudan transition needs reset after civilian leader's exit puts military back in driving seat

The resignation of Sudan's prime minister puts the military firmly back in control of the country but facing a population angry that its hopes for democratic rule have been set back yet again. Unless a new course towards a transition and credible elections can be charted, more instability within and beyond Sudanese borders is likely, analysts and diplomats say.

Britain warns Russia over Ukraine: we're working on high-impact sanctions

Britain warned Moscow on Thursday that it was working with Western partners on high-impact sanctions targetting Russia's financial sector should it invade Ukraine. Russia has massed some 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and though Moscow says it has no plans to invade its neighbour, President Vladimir Putin has demanded legally-binding guarantees that NATO will not expand further eastwards.

European Court rules Northern Ireland gay cake case inadmissible

A complaint of discrimination previously dismissed by Britain's highest court against a bakery that refused to make a cake with a pro-gay message was inadmissible, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday. Ashers Baking in Belfast was found guilty of discrimination in 2015 for refusing to make a cake for a customer iced with the words "Support Gay Marriage" because of the owners' Christian beliefs.

Canada, other nations vow action against Iran over reparations for downed jet

Canada, Britain, Sweden and Ukraine on Thursday said they had abandoned efforts to talk to Tehran about reparations for an airliner downed by Iran and would try to settle the matter according to international law. Most of the 176 people killed when Iran shot down the Ukrainian jet in January 2020 were citizens from those four countries, which created a coordination group that seeks to hold Tehran to account.

World food prices hit 10-year high in 2021

World food prices jumped 28% in 2021 to their highest level in a decade and hopes for a return to more stable market conditions this year are slim, the U.N.'s food agency said on Thursday. The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) food price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 125.7 points in 2021, the highest since 131.9 in 2011.

Tokyo shivers under unusually heavy snowfall

The Japanese capital of Tokyo shivered under an unusually prolonged snowfall on Thursday, with heavy snow warnings issued for the city and surrounding areas for the first time in four years. Tokyo often sees snow once or twice a winter, but substantial accumulations are rare. Thursday's fall was brought about by a combination of a low pressure system and temperatures that have chilled the city for well over a week.

Mexico nears 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 as cases surge after holidays

Mexico is likely to surpass 300,000 deaths from COVID-19 this week - the fifth highest death toll worldwide - as infections rise after the holiday season, fueled by the Omicron coronavirus variant and largely unrestricted tourism. Infections have more than doubled to 20,000 during the last week when many U.S. tourists visited Mexico. Eleven of Mexico's 32 states decided not to resume in-person school classes this week with cases climbing fast.