Reuters World News Summary
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
UK says it shares U.S. concerns over WHO COVID-19 mission to China
British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday he shared concerns about the level of access given to a World Health Organization COVID-19 fact-finding mission to China, echoing criticism from the United States. The White House on Saturday called on China to make available data from the earliest days of the novel coronavirus outbreak, saying it had "deep concerns" about the way the findings of the WHO's COVID-19 report were communicated.
UK downplays risk of EU poaching City of London business
Britain on Sunday downplayed the risk of the European Union taking business away from the City of London after Brexit, saying the real challenges come from New York, Tokyo and other areas. Britain completed its exit from the EU at the end of 2020, but the last-minute free trade deal that replaced membership of the bloc did not include arrangements for free trade in financial services - the engine of Britain's economy.
Israel plans to reopen restaurants in March, restart tourism with Cyprus
Israel plans to reopen restaurants around March 9 and restart tourism with Cyprus as part of a gradual return to normality thanks to a COVID-19 vaccination campaign, officials said on Sunday. With more than 41% of Israelis having received at least one shot of Pfizer Inc's vaccine, Israel has said it will partially reopen hotels and gyms on Feb. 23 to those fully inoculated or deemed immune after recovering from COVID-19.
Masked and nervous Catalans vote in election that will gauge separatist strength
Catalan voters headed to the polls on Sunday for an election that will test the strength of the Spanish region's pro-independence movement, but in an era dominated by the coronavirus crisis rather than separatist sentiment. A steady trickle of mask-wearing voters turned up at polling stations that were replete with pandemic precautions: Temperatures taken on arrival, election workers in protective suits or visors, separate entrances and exits, hand gel on tap and floor markings to ensure social distancing.
Truth panel could help Mexico with slavery legacy, says Martin Luther King III
A truth and reconciliation commission could help Mexico come to terms with a legacy of African slavery, civil rights activist Martin Luther King III said during a visit to the Latin American country. King, the eldest son of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, is visiting Mexico to join a government commemoration of Afro-Mexican liberation hero Vicente Guerrero, who as the nation's second president abolished most slavery in 1829, before the practice was ended in Britain and the United States.
Himalayan rescuers recover more bodies as flash flood death toll rises to 50
Rescuers pulled out nine more bodies from the site of a flash flood in a Himalayan region of northern India on Sunday, a week after the disaster struck, bringing the death toll to 50 with more than 150 people still missing, officials said. The flash flood in Uttarakhand state, triggered by what scientists said could have been a large avalanche of glacier ice, sent water, rocks and debris surging down the Dhauliganga river valley, destroying dams and bridges.
Russians set for candle-lit Valentine's Day protests after Navalny jailing
Supporters of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny plan to hold candle-lit gatherings in residential courtyards across Russia on Sunday despite warnings that they could be arrested. Navalny's allies have declared a moratorium on street rallies until the spring after police detained thousands of people at protests in the past few weeks against the opposition politician's arrest and imprisonment.
Hundreds of thousands protest in Myanmar as army faces crippling mass strike
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Myanmar for a ninth day of anti-coup demonstrations on Sunday, as the new army rulers grappled to contain a strike by government workers that could cripple their ability to run the country. Trains in parts of the country stopped running after staff refused to go to work, local media reported, while the military deployed soldiers to power plants only to be confronted by angry crowds.
Sailors kidnapped off Nigeria return to Turkey, describe death threats and forest captivity
Fifteen Turkish sailors kidnapped by pirates last month in the Gulf of Guinea arrived back in Turkey on Sunday and the ship's captain described how they faced death threats and were held in a forest during their three-week ordeal. The sailors hugged relatives as they arrived before dawn at Istanbul Airport, where they were greeted by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and other officials, two days after news of their release in Nigeria emerged.
Couples in Thailand tie the knot on elephants on Valentine's Day
Fifty-two couples in Thailand got married while riding elephants on Sunday, in an annual Valentine's Day mass wedding ceremony at a botanical garden in a province east of Bangkok. Dancers and a band led the procession of elephants and couples and a local official, also on an elephant, oversaw the signing of the marriage licence.
