World News Roundup: UK says 4,000 variants of virus that causes COVID-19 around the world; Kremlin says mass detentions at Navalny protests are not repressions and more

Largely restricted to the outskirts of New Delhi, the mostly peaceful protests were marred by violence on Jan 26., when some protesters entered the heart of the capital city after the Republic Day military parade and clashed with police. In first for Europe, Iran envoy sentenced to 20-year prison term over bomb plot An Iranian diplomat accused of planning to bomb a meeting of an exiled opposition group was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday in the first trial of an Iranian official for suspected terrorism in Europe since Iran's 1979 revolution.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

UK says 4,000 variants of virus that causes COVID-19 around the world

There are around 4,000 variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 around the world now so all vaccine manufacturers including Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca Plc are trying to improve their vaccines, a British minister said. "Its very unlikley that the current vaccine won't be effective on the variants whether in Kent or other variants especially when it comes to severe illness and hospitalisation," Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky.

Italy's Draghi looks to fractured parties to back new government

Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi was due to start talks with Italy's divided political parties on Thursday to seek backing for a new government to deal with the entwined health and economic crises. Draghi, one of the most respected figures in Italy who has received a mandate from the head of state to put together an administration, entered parliament in mid-morning and was due to see leaders of the smaller groups later in the day.

Kremlin says mass detentions at Navalny protests are not repressions

The Kremlin on Thursday rejected allegations of Russian state repression against opposition politician Alexei Navalny's supporters and said police had made mass detentions because protesters broke the law by taking part in illegal rallies. Police have detained thousands of people in recent weeks for taking part in rallies against Navalny's jailing, according to a protest monitor.

U.S. calls for dialogue to resolve India's farmers' protests Wading into a sensitive issue for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the U.S. embassy in New Delhi on Thursday urged his government to resume talks with farmers angry over agricultural reforms that sparked a months-long protest campaign. Largely restricted to the outskirts of New Delhi, the mostly peaceful protests were marred by violence on Jan 26., when some protesters entered the heart of the capital city after the Republic Day military parade and clashed with police.

In first for Europe, Iran envoy sentenced to 20-year prison term over bomb plot An Iranian diplomat accused of planning to bomb a meeting of an exiled opposition group was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday in the first trial of an Iranian official for suspected terrorism in Europe since Iran's 1979 revolution. Assadolah Assadi was found guilty of attempted terrorism after a foiled plot to bomb a rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) near Paris in June 2018, Belgian prosecution lawyers and civil parties to the prosecution said.

Myanmar junta blocks Facebook, clamping down on opposition to coup Myanmar's junta blocked Facebook on Thursday, shutting off an important channel of opposition to this week's military coup as sporadic protests flared. Military ruler General Min Aung Hlaing was moving quickly to consolidate his hold on power following the overthrow of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the detention of her and allied politicians on Monday.

Palestinian cave-dwellers worry over Israeli settler incursions Home for Palestinian Barakat Mour is a hillside cave in the West Bank, which he says is often under threat from Israeli settlers in the occupied territory. "You'll be sitting with your wife in the cave and the settlers will raid it without any notice," Mour, 60, told Reuters about his family's dwelling near the West Bank city of Hebron.

Ugandan rebel commander found guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity Ugandan former rebel commander Dominic Ongwen was convicted on Thursday of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, sexual enslavement, abducting children, torture and pillaging. Judges at the International Criminal Court said Ongwen, who himself was taken by the Lord's Resistance Army as a young boy, had acted out of free will in committing the crimes between 2002 and 2005.

Vaccine passports: path back to normality or problem in the making? Governments and developers around the world are exploring the potential use of "vaccine passports" as a way of reopening the economy by identifying those protected against the coronavirus. Those developing the technologies however, say such tools come with consequences such as potentially excluding whole groups from social participation, and are urging lawmakers to think seriously about how they are used.

Analysis: As polls tighten, Hungary's Orban steps up pre-election spending Ahead of an election next year, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is spending money on key groups of voters as opinion polls show a neck-and-neck race with an opposition united against him for the first time. The right-wing premier, in power since 2010, is under pressure to reopen the economy after a pandemic-driven crash that sent Hungary into its worst recession since the global financial crisis, ending seven years of steady growth.