Former Tigray Region president and fugitive Debretsion Gebremichael speaks out for the first time since going into hiding following the fall of Mekelle to federal forces in November 2020, saying "They [the federal government] have temporary military dominance", and "we are engaged in extended resistance". His current whereabouts are unknown.
S&P 500
-0.38%
$7,455
BTC
+2.65%
$61,693
OIL (WTI)
+
$68
January 31, 2021 (Sunday)
2.3 minutes to read
Armed conflicts and attacks
A suicide bomber blows himself up outside the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, while gunmen storm the hotel and open fire. Five people are killed in the al-Shabaab attack, including a former military general; ten civilians are wounded. The three other attackers are shot dead during a gun battle with security forces.
Health and environment
Israel agrees to transfer 5,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Palestinians to immunize frontline medical workers.
Minister for Primary Education Arie Slob announces that primary schools and daycare centres will reopen on February 8, but secondary schools and after-school clubs will remain closed.
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan announces a five-day lockdown in the Perth metropolitan, Peel, and South West regions, beginning at 6:00 pm AWST, after a quarantine hotel security guard tests positive for COVID-19, possibly of the B.1.1.7 variant.
Cuba reports a record 1,012 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 26,686.
Israel reports its first reinfection case of the 501.V2 variant in a 57-year-old man who recently travelled to Turkey and who previously recovered from COVID-19.
South Korea extends its social distancing restrictions for another two weeks amid concern around the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays and an increase in the number of cases.
Vietnam reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a 25-year-old man from South Africa who travelled to Hanoi on December 19 and tested positive for COVID-19 four days later while in quarantine.
Captain Tom, a British Army World War II veteran who raised millions of pounds for charity during the pandemic, is hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. He has not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine.
International relations
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns Russian authorities for using "harsh tactics" in protests that broke out following the arrest of Alexei Navalny.
The United Kingdom formally launches a visa scheme allowing all Hong Kong residents with British National (Overseas) passports (BNO), and their "immediate dependents", to fast-track their UK citizenship. At least 300,000 people are expected to apply. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China says that it will "no longer recognise" BNO passports as legal travel documents.
Law and crime
More than 5,000 people are detained by police at nationwide protests calling for the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Politics and elections
Nguyễn Phú Trọng is re-elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam for a third five-year term as top leader in Vietnam.
Get the app
