News in Brief

Date: 13 October 2021 - 21:41

News ID: ۹۵۴۰۱

PARIS (France 24) - A British submarine accused of sinking a French fishing trawler in 2004 had “nothing to do with” the incident, the UK vessel’s former captain said Tuesday, adding that the submarine was docked on the day of the tragedy. Relatives believe the trawler sank after a submarine caught its nets and dragged it down.
The families of the five crew members who died on the Bugaled Breizh on January 15, 2004 are hoping an inquest at the High Court in London will confirm their view that the boat was pulled down by the British submarine HMS Turbulent.

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MANILA (CNN) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte suggested that people reluctant to receive a COVID-19 shot should be inoculated while asleep. “I know many people are still hesitant. That’s the problem, those people who do not want to get vaccinated ... Let’s enter their houses and vaccinate them while asleep. End of story,” Duterte said, as quoted by the newspaper the Inquirer. The president also urged the population to comply with restrictions, including social distancing and a requirement to wear masks. To date, the country has logged nearly 2.7 million cumulative COVID-19 cases and 39,660 deaths. Nearly 27 million people in the Philippines have received at least the first shot, and more than 23.3 million are fully vaccinated.

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PRISTINA (Reuters) - Ten Serbs and 10 police officers were injured on Wednesday when police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd that became hostile after raids on suspected smugglers in a volatile area of Kosovo populated by the Serb minority. Kosovo police said officers met resistance with firearms and grenades in Mitrovica as they carried out an operation to seize smuggled goods in several towns on Wednesday. Police chief Samedin Mehmeti said 10 officers were injured in the clashes. Interior Minister Xelal Svecla said the police operation was “not directed against any nationality”.

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BEIJING (CGTN) -Beijing announced on Wednesday that it firmly opposes Indian vice president’s visit to a disputed area on the China-India border, urging New Delhi to refrain from moves that complicate boundary issues and bring China-India relations back on the right track and steady development. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks when asked about Indian Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu’s visit to the so-called “Arunachal Pradesh”, CGTN reported. China has never recognized the so-called “Arunachal Pradesh”, the spokesperson stressed. Zhao also called on the Indian side to truly respect China’s major concerns and take concrete actions to maintain peace and stability in the China-India border region.

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PARIS (AFP) - A French soldier has died during a maintenance operation in northern Mali, Defence Minister Florence Parly said on Wednesday, bringing France’s death toll since the start of anti-jihadist operations in the region to 53. The soldier, identified as non-commissioned officer Adrien Quélin, “died [on Tuesday] following an accident that occured during a maintenace operation in Timbuktu”, Parly wrote on Twitter. The government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, told French TV an investigation was under way.