Tax on Argentina's richest people came into effect on Friday (local time). The tax has been levied in order to make fund provisions for medical supplies and relief to businesses in a global economy battered by coronavirus pandemic. The law passed by Senate in December last year approves the tax on Argentinians who have assets exceeding 200 million pesos (around 2.3 million USD)

The center-left government of President Alberto Fernandez hopes to raise about $3 billion from taxing the richest 12,000 of Argentina's 44 million inhabitants.&nbsp;

As per the law, taxable individuals will pay up to 3.5 per cent of the assets declared in the country and upto 5.25 per cent assets abroad.

The proceeds will be used to buy medical supplies, aid small and medium enterprises, fund social aid, and to provide natural gas to people off the energy grid.

Argentina's center-right opposition has criticised the taxes and has called them 'confiscatory'.

Argentina has been badly hit by the coronavirus, with more than 1.9 million confirmed cases of infection and more than 47,000 deaths.

The pandemic has exacerbated the already high poverty rate in a country which has been in recession since 2018, and has an unemployment rate of 11.7 percent.

In its annual report on economic inequality, Oxfam said Monday the world's 1,000 richest people had recouped their coronavirus-related losses within nine months, while it could take the world's poorest more than a decade to recover from the impacts of the global health crisis.

(With AFP inputs)

Tax on Argentina's richest people came into effect on Friday (local time). The tax has been levied in order to make fund provisions for medical supplies and relief to businesses in a global economy battered by coronavirus pandemic.

Tax on Argentina's richest people came into effect on Friday (local time). The tax has been levied in order to make fund provisions for medical supplies and relief to businesses in a global economy battered by coronavirus pandemic. The law passed by Senate in December last year approves the tax on Argentinians who have assets exceeding 200 million pesos (around 2.3 million USD) The center-left government of President Alberto Fernandez hopes to raise about $3 billion from taxing the richest 12,000 of Argentina's 44 million inhabitants. As per the law, taxable individuals will pay up to 3.5 per cent of the assets declared in the country and upto 5.25 per cent assets abroad. The proceeds will be used to buy medical supplies, aid small and medium enterprises, fund social aid, and to provide natural gas to people off the energy grid. Argentina's center-right opposition has criticised the taxes and has called them 'confiscatory'. Argentina has been badly hit by the coronavirus, with more than 1.9 million confirmed cases of infection and more than 47,000 deaths. The pandemic has exacerbated the already high poverty rate in a country which has been in recession since 2018, and has an unemployment rate of 11.7 percent. In its annual report on economic inequality, Oxfam said Monday the world's 1,000 richest people had recouped their coronavirus-related losses within nine months, while it could take the world's poorest more than a decade to recover from the impacts of the global health crisis. (With AFP inputs)

Argentina's 'millionaire tax' comes into effect

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoker with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Blinken called India a pre-eminent partner in the Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, European Union has backtracked from its earlier stance of restricting COVID vaccine exporft to Northern Ireland. Read this and more in our morning news brief.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-secretary-of-state-anthony-blinken-discusses-quad-reaffirms-growing-ties-with-india-360182">Blinken highlights India's role as a pre-eminent partner in the Indo-Pacific</a>

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It was Blinken's first telephonic conversation with Jaishankar after he assumed the charge of the top American diplomat early this week

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-backtracks-on-restrictions-on-covid-vaccine-export-to-northern-ireland-360193">EU backtracks on restrictions on COVID vaccine export to Northern Ireland</a>

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Export restrictions to Northern Ireland were being mulled in order to address the vaccine shortage in the continent

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-protest-in-poland-as-abortion-law-comes-into-effect-360186">Thousands protest in Poland as abortion law comes into effect</a>

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Protesters have defied coronavirus restrictions and sub-zero temperatures to rally after the controversial judgement was given legal force on Wednesday

Biden speaks to Putin, calls for Alexei Navalny's release

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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoker with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Blinken called India a pre-eminent partner in the Indo-Pacific.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoker with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Blinken called India a pre-eminent partner in the Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, European Union has backtracked from its earlier stance of restricting COVID vaccine exporft to Northern Ireland. Read this and more in our morning news brief. Blinken highlights India's role as a pre-eminent partner in the Indo-Pacific It was Blinken's first telephonic conversation with Jaishankar after he assumed the charge of the top American diplomat early this week EU backtracks on restrictions on COVID vaccine export to Northern Ireland Export restrictions to Northern Ireland were being mulled in order to address the vaccine shortage in the continent Thousands protest in Poland as abortion law comes into effect Protesters have defied coronavirus restrictions and sub-zero temperatures to rally after the controversial judgement was given legal force on Wednesday Biden speaks to Putin, calls for Alexei Navalny's release ×

Morning news brief: US underlines India's importance, EU backtracks on export control, and more

The European Union on Friday over threats to restrict vaccine exports to Northern Ireland. This followed after the UK voiced "grave concerns" over the proposed move. The EU had earlier warned that it would invoke Article-16 over its intentions to bar export of Europe-made vaccines to non-EU members. The move was being mulled&nbsp;in order to address the vaccine shortage in the continent. Invoking Article 16 results in overriding part of the Brexit deal that allow free-flow of good across the Irish border.

"The Commission will ensure that the Ireland / Northern Ireland Protocol is unaffected," the EU Commissioner said in a statement late Friday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier told EU chief Ursula von der Leyen of his "grave concerns about the potential impact" the European bloc's decision might have.

The European scheme to monitor and bar exports of vaccines produced in EU plants has also been criticised by the World Health Organization.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-says-uk-coronavirus-variant-to-become-more-dominant-in-us-by-march-360187">Fauci says UK coronavirus variant to become more dominant in US by March</a> 
 
The WHO said the move was part of a "very worrying trend" that could jeopardise the global supply chain for vaccines.

Although the EU has rowed back from the Article 16 threat, a Commission statement said if there were vaccines circumventing the&nbsp;European system, "the EU will consider using all the instruments at its disposal".

The EU earlier justified the "safeguard measure" as an attempt to keep member states' vaccine rollouts on track.

(With AFP inputs)

The European Union on Friday over threats to restrict vaccine exports to Northern Ireland. This followed after the UK voiced "grave concerns" over the proposed move.

The European Union on Friday over threats to restrict vaccine exports to Northern Ireland. This followed after the UK voiced "grave concerns" over the proposed move. The EU had earlier warned that it would invoke Article-16 over its intentions to bar export of Europe-made vaccines to non-EU members. The move was being mulled in order to address the vaccine shortage in the continent. Invoking Article 16 results in overriding part of the Brexit deal that allow free-flow of good across the Irish border. "The Commission will ensure that the Ireland / Northern Ireland Protocol is unaffected," the EU Commissioner said in a statement late Friday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier told EU chief Ursula von der Leyen of his "grave concerns about the potential impact" the European bloc's decision might have. The European scheme to monitor and bar exports of vaccines produced in EU plants has also been criticised by the World Health Organization. Also Read | Fauci says UK coronavirus variant to become more dominant in US by March The WHO said the move was part of a "very worrying trend" that could jeopardise the global supply chain for vaccines. Although the EU has rowed back from the Article 16 threat, a Commission statement said if there were vaccines circumventing the European system, "the EU will consider using all the instruments at its disposal". The EU earlier justified the "safeguard measure" as an attempt to keep member states' vaccine rollouts on track. (With AFP inputs)

EU backtracks on restrictions on COVID vaccine export to Northern Ireland

Warning that vaccine hording by wealthy nations would drag out the pandemic, World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that these countries should avoid mistakes of the past. Dr Tedros expressed his displeasure at the skirmish among wealthy countries to secure vaccines when poorer nations are yet to receive adequate doses&nbsp;

"The pandemic has exposed and exploited the inequalities of our world," he told journalists, warning that there now was "the real danger that the very tools that could help to end the pandemic -– vaccines –- may exacerbate those same inequalities."

"Vaccine nationalism might serve short-term political goals. But it’s ultimately short-sighted and self-defeating," he said.

The WHO co-leads the COVAX facility, which is working to procure vaccines and ensure doses are delivered equitably around the world.

The facility expects to begin delivering doses within a few weeks, and Tedros said the aim was for vaccination of health workers and older people to be underway in all countries within the first 100 days of 2021.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/hungary-becomes-first-country-in-eu-to-approve-chinese-vaccine-sinopharm-as-europe-grapples-with-virus-360101">Hungary becomes first country in EU to approve Chinese vaccine Sinopharm as Europe grapples with virus</a>

WHO has stressed many times that the only way to defeat the pandemic and improve the world economy is to ensure that the priority groups in all countries get coronavirus vaccine.

Tedros urged the world avoid repeating past mistakes, pointing to the HIV/AIDS crisis, where wealthy countries acquired life-saving medicines nearly a decade before they became affordable in poorer countries.

He also pointed to the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, when vaccines only reached poorer nations after the outbreak was over.&nbsp;

"I don't think that is a good history. It is bad history," he said.

The WHO chief cautioned that "if we hoard vaccines, and if we are not sharing... there will be a catastrophic moral failure."

But in addition, he warned, "it keeps the pandemic burning, and...(will) slow global economic recovery."

"Is that what we want? It is our choice."

(With AFP inputs)

Warning that vaccine hording by wealthy nations would drag out the pandemic, World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that these countries should avoid mistakes of the past.

Warning that vaccine hording by wealthy nations would drag out the pandemic, World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that these countries should avoid mistakes of the past. Dr Tedros expressed his displeasure at the skirmish among wealthy countries to secure vaccines when poorer nations are yet to receive adequate doses "The pandemic has exposed and exploited the inequalities of our world," he told journalists, warning that there now was "the real danger that the very tools that could help to end the pandemic -– vaccines –- may exacerbate those same inequalities." "Vaccine nationalism might serve short-term political goals. But it’s ultimately short-sighted and self-defeating," he said. The WHO co-leads the COVAX facility, which is working to procure vaccines and ensure doses are delivered equitably around the world. The facility expects to begin delivering doses within a few weeks, and Tedros said the aim was for vaccination of health workers and older people to be underway in all countries within the first 100 days of 2021. Also Read | Hungary becomes first country in EU to approve Chinese vaccine Sinopharm as Europe grapples with virus WHO has stressed many times that the only way to defeat the pandemic and improve the world economy is to ensure that the priority groups in all countries get coronavirus vaccine. Tedros urged the world avoid repeating past mistakes, pointing to the HIV/AIDS crisis, where wealthy countries acquired life-saving medicines nearly a decade before they became affordable in poorer countries. He also pointed to the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, when vaccines only reached poorer nations after the outbreak was over. "I don't think that is a good history. It is bad history," he said. The WHO chief cautioned that "if we hoard vaccines, and if we are not sharing... there will be a catastrophic moral failure." But in addition, he warned, "it keeps the pandemic burning, and...(will) slow global economic recovery." "Is that what we want? It is our choice." (With AFP inputs)

WHO chief decries COVID vaccine hording by wealthy nations

Despite international calls against his execution, a Baluch man was hanged by Iran for murder, abduction and 'terrorist' links on Saturday. Javid Dehghan Khalad was put to death early in the morning in the restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Mizan Online reported.

The execution came just a day after the United Nations made an appeal to Iran against it. Mizan said Dehghan was arrested in June 2015 and later convicted of being "one of the leaders" of a "terrorist" group linked to the jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice).

Also known as Mohammad Omar, he had been found guilty of carrying out "armed action against the state", the website said.

Dehgan was found to have been involved in the killing of two Revolutionary Guards' members in 2015. He was also accused of leading a raid aiming to abduct five border guards one of whom was killed.

"We urge the authorities to halt the imminent execution of Javid Dehghan, to review his and other death penalty cases in line with human rights law," the Geneva-based Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights wrote on Twitter before the execution.

"We strongly condemn the series of executions –- at least 28 –- since mid-December, including of people from minority groups," it added.

London-based rights group Amnesty International has alleged Dehghan's trial was "grossly unfair" with the court relying on "torture-tainted confessions" and ignoring abuses committed during the investigation.

(With agency inputs)

Despite international calls against his execution, a Baluch man was hanged by Iran for murder, abduction and 'terrorist' links on Saturday. Javid Dehghan Khalad was put to death early in the morning in the restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Mizan Online reported.

Despite international calls against his execution, a Baluch man was hanged by Iran for murder, abduction and 'terrorist' links on Saturday. Javid Dehghan Khalad was put to death early in the morning in the restive southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Mizan Online reported. The execution came just a day after the United Nations made an appeal to Iran against it. Mizan said Dehghan was arrested in June 2015 and later convicted of being "one of the leaders" of a "terrorist" group linked to the jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice). Also known as Mohammad Omar, he had been found guilty of carrying out "armed action against the state", the website said. Dehgan was found to have been involved in the killing of two Revolutionary Guards' members in 2015. He was also accused of leading a raid aiming to abduct five border guards one of whom was killed. "We urge the authorities to halt the imminent execution of Javid Dehghan, to review his and other death penalty cases in line with human rights law," the Geneva-based Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights wrote on Twitter before the execution. "We strongly condemn the series of executions –- at least 28 –- since mid-December, including of people from minority groups," it added. London-based rights group Amnesty International has alleged Dehghan's trial was "grossly unfair" with the court relying on "torture-tainted confessions" and ignoring abuses committed during the investigation. (With agency inputs)

Despite UN appeal, Iran hangs ethnic Baluch for 'terror'

India on Saturday strongly condemned the vandalisation of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the city of Davis in California and took up the matter with the US, seeking appropriate action against those responsible for the "despicable act".

The statue, which was gifted by India, was vandalised at the city's Central Park on January 28.

"The government of India strongly condemns this malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said the Indian embassy in Washington has taken up the matter with the US Department of State for a thorough investigation into the incident and appropriate action against those responsible for it.

In a statement, the MEA said the US Department of State has conveyed that the act of vandalism is unacceptable and expressed the hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice as quickly as possible.

"The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has separately taken up the matter with the city of Davis and local law enforcement authorities, which have initiated the investigations," it said.

The MEA said the Mayor of Davis has deeply regretted the incident and informed that they have initiated an investigation.

"Local Indian community organisations have condemned the act of vandalism," the ministry said.

India on Saturday strongly condemned the vandalisation of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the city of Davis in California and took up the matter with the US, seeking appropriate action against those responsible for the "despicable act".

India on Saturday strongly condemned the vandalisation of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the city of Davis in California and took up the matter with the US, seeking appropriate action against those responsible for the "despicable act". The statue, which was gifted by India, was vandalised at the city's Central Park on January 28. "The government of India strongly condemns this malicious and despicable act against a universally respected icon of peace and justice," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said the Indian embassy in Washington has taken up the matter with the US Department of State for a thorough investigation into the incident and appropriate action against those responsible for it. In a statement, the MEA said the US Department of State has conveyed that the act of vandalism is unacceptable and expressed the hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice as quickly as possible. "The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has separately taken up the matter with the city of Davis and local law enforcement authorities, which have initiated the investigations," it said. The MEA said the Mayor of Davis has deeply regretted the incident and informed that they have initiated an investigation. "Local Indian community organisations have condemned the act of vandalism," the ministry said.

India condemns vandalisation of Gandhi statue in California

One in five people in the European Union, or more than 92.4 million of the bloc's population experienced poverty, said a United Nations report. This amounts to 21.1 per cent of the population experiencing poverty. The observation has been made by Olivier De Schutter, a UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, who interviewed dozens of EU officials to make his assessment.

De Schutter warned that the EU institutions -- which include the commission, the European Central Bank and the council of ministers -- must use the current covid crisis to "reinvent themselves" to fight poverty.

He also criticised EU&nbsp;policymakers for being focussed on austerity and balanced budgets rather than lifting tens of millions of Europeans out of poverty.

Currently, "EU member states are asked to be competitive and lean: they are pardoned for not being social enough," said the report.

EU member states all too often "compete with each other in very unhelpful ways", stifling social progress.

"They race to the bottom by lowering taxes, wages, and worker protections because they think that's how they can attract investors and improve... competitiveness," said De Schutter.

He also slammed the EU's much vaunted Green Deal, a vast programme that is meant to ensure the EU becomes carbon neutral by 2050.

"The fight against poverty is the missing piece of this Green Deal" even though it was presented as a key component, he said.

"But as long as this good intention is not translated into concrete actions, millions will continue to struggle for a decent standard of living in a society that leaves them behind."

He urged the EU to implement its so-called European Pillar of Social Rights, which should include minimum income guarantees and legally binding targets to erase poverty.

It "is an opportunity that should not be wasted," he said.&nbsp;

One in five people in the European Union, or more than 92.4 million of the bloc's population experienced poverty, said a United Nations report. This amounts to 21.

One in five people in the European Union, or more than 92.4 million of the bloc's population experienced poverty, said a United Nations report. This amounts to 21.1 per cent of the population experiencing poverty. The observation has been made by Olivier De Schutter, a UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, who interviewed dozens of EU officials to make his assessment. De Schutter warned that the EU institutions -- which include the commission, the European Central Bank and the council of ministers -- must use the current covid crisis to "reinvent themselves" to fight poverty. He also criticised EU policymakers for being focussed on austerity and balanced budgets rather than lifting tens of millions of Europeans out of poverty. Currently, "EU member states are asked to be competitive and lean: they are pardoned for not being social enough," said the report. EU member states all too often "compete with each other in very unhelpful ways", stifling social progress. "They race to the bottom by lowering taxes, wages, and worker protections because they think that's how they can attract investors and improve... competitiveness," said De Schutter. He also slammed the EU's much vaunted Green Deal, a vast programme that is meant to ensure the EU becomes carbon neutral by 2050. "The fight against poverty is the missing piece of this Green Deal" even though it was presented as a key component, he said. "But as long as this good intention is not translated into concrete actions, millions will continue to struggle for a decent standard of living in a society that leaves them behind." He urged the EU to implement its so-called European Pillar of Social Rights, which should include minimum income guarantees and legally binding targets to erase poverty. It "is an opportunity that should not be wasted," he said.

More than 92 million people in EU experience poverty: UN report

Team of World Health Organisation experts visited an exhibition that celebrated China's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan. News agency AFP mentioned this to be a 'propaganda' exhibition. The experts toured the exhibition after a meeting at the hospital that treated first confirmed COVID-19 case a year ago.

The media has been kept away from the experts and details such as itinerary are trickling through WHO tweets. The group of experts was driven to the Jinyintan Hospital, the first to receive officially diagnosed Covid-19 patients in late 2019, as the horrors of the virus emerged in the central Chinese city.

Team member Peter Daszak welcomes the hospital visit as an "Important opportunity to talk directly w/ medics who were on the ground at that critical time fighting COVID!"

On Saturday afternoon, the team visited a cavernous exhibition that applauds the emergency response of Wuhan health authorities in the chaotic, terrifying early stages of the outbreak -- as well as the agility of the Communist leadership in controlling a crisis without precedent.

The WHO mission comes with heavy political baggage -- China refused the team access until mid-January and there are question marks over what the experts can hope to find a year after the virus first emerged.

On Friday, the WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan sought to manage expectations.

Success "is not measured necessarily in absolutely finding a source on the first mission", he told a press conference in Geneva.

"This is a complicated business, but what we need to do is gather all of the data... and come to an assessment as to how much more we know about the origins of the disease and what further studies may be needed to elucidate that."

Last week, China warned the United States against "political interference" during the trip, after the White House demanded a "robust and clear" investigation.

The WHO insists the probe will stick tightly to the science behind how the virus jumped from animals -- believed to be bats -- to humans.

(With AFP inputs)

Team of World Health Organisation experts visited an exhibition that celebrated China's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan. News agency AFP mentioned this to be a 'propaganda' exhibition.

Team of World Health Organisation experts visited an exhibition that celebrated China's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan. News agency AFP mentioned this to be a 'propaganda' exhibition. The experts toured the exhibition after a meeting at the hospital that treated first confirmed COVID-19 case a year ago. The media has been kept away from the experts and details such as itinerary are trickling through WHO tweets. The group of experts was driven to the Jinyintan Hospital, the first to receive officially diagnosed Covid-19 patients in late 2019, as the horrors of the virus emerged in the central Chinese city. Team member Peter Daszak welcomes the hospital visit as an "Important opportunity to talk directly w/ medics who were on the ground at that critical time fighting COVID!" On Saturday afternoon, the team visited a cavernous exhibition that applauds the emergency response of Wuhan health authorities in the chaotic, terrifying early stages of the outbreak -- as well as the agility of the Communist leadership in controlling a crisis without precedent. The WHO mission comes with heavy political baggage -- China refused the team access until mid-January and there are question marks over what the experts can hope to find a year after the virus first emerged. On Friday, the WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan sought to manage expectations. Success "is not measured necessarily in absolutely finding a source on the first mission", he told a press conference in Geneva. "This is a complicated business, but what we need to do is gather all of the data... and come to an assessment as to how much more we know about the origins of the disease and what further studies may be needed to elucidate that." Last week, China warned the United States against "political interference" during the trip, after the White House demanded a "robust and clear" investigation. The WHO insists the probe will stick tightly to the science behind how the virus jumped from animals -- believed to be bats -- to humans. (With AFP inputs)

WHO COVID team visits hospital, 'propaganda' exhibition in Wuhan

More than 200,000 people have fled Central African Republic to escape form the violence, said UN refugee agency UNHCR. Nearly half of those who escaped crossed border into Democratic Republic of Congo. CAR has been marred by violence over December election result.&nbsp;

The CAR army, backed by UN, Russian and Rwandan troops, has been battling rebels seeking to overturn a Dec. 27 vote in which President Faustin-Archange Touadera was declared the winner.

"Refugees have told UNHCR that they fled in panic when they heard gun shots, leaving their belongings behind," spokesman Boris Cheshirkov told journalists in Geneva

Central African Republic has struggled to find stability since 2013 rebellion that ousted former president Francois Bozize

Former prime minister Martin Ziguele, who came third in the Dec. 27 election, said on Friday there was fighting across the country every day, preventing movement between towns, and pushing more people to flee.

"Everyone is focused on the main transport route between the capital and eastern Cameroon for supplies, but inside the country, there is no movement," Ziguele told Reuters by phone from Bangui.

"I cannot leave Bangui and go 90 km (60 miles) without a heavily-armed army escort. Imagine then the population. Add the curfew and the state of emergency, it is really an apocalyptic situation," Ziguele said.

In a statement on Friday, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, a regional body of 12 member states, called for a ceasefire and urged armed groups to "disengage from the encirclement of Bangui" and allow people and goods to move freely.

The body will also ask the United Nations Security Council to lift an arms embargo imposed on CAR that has restricted the flow of weapons to the army since 2013.

(With AFP inputs)

More than 200,000 people have fled Central African Republic to escape form the violence, said UN refugee agency UNHCR. Nearly half of those who escaped crossed border into Democratic Republic of Congo.

More than 200,000 people have fled Central African Republic to escape form the violence, said UN refugee agency UNHCR. Nearly half of those who escaped crossed border into Democratic Republic of Congo. CAR has been marred by violence over December election result. The CAR army, backed by UN, Russian and Rwandan troops, has been battling rebels seeking to overturn a Dec. 27 vote in which President Faustin-Archange Touadera was declared the winner. "Refugees have told UNHCR that they fled in panic when they heard gun shots, leaving their belongings behind," spokesman Boris Cheshirkov told journalists in Geneva Central African Republic has struggled to find stability since 2013 rebellion that ousted former president Francois Bozize Former prime minister Martin Ziguele, who came third in the Dec. 27 election, said on Friday there was fighting across the country every day, preventing movement between towns, and pushing more people to flee. "Everyone is focused on the main transport route between the capital and eastern Cameroon for supplies, but inside the country, there is no movement," Ziguele told Reuters by phone from Bangui. "I cannot leave Bangui and go 90 km (60 miles) without a heavily-armed army escort. Imagine then the population. Add the curfew and the state of emergency, it is really an apocalyptic situation," Ziguele said. In a statement on Friday, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, a regional body of 12 member states, called for a ceasefire and urged armed groups to "disengage from the encirclement of Bangui" and allow people and goods to move freely. The body will also ask the United Nations Security Council to lift an arms embargo imposed on CAR that has restricted the flow of weapons to the army since 2013. (With AFP inputs)

More than 200,000 people flee CAR violence

World Health Organisation (WHO) experts are set to start their first site visit in Wuhan. On Friday, the experts met Chinese officials. The WHO probe is set to take place in Wuhan's food market that is considered to be the "ground zero" of coronavirus pandemic. The fieldwork will start in the afternoon (local time). The team of experts will visit hospitals, and will meet scientists, first responders and early coronavirus patients&nbsp;

Crucially, "field visits will include the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Huanan market, Wuhan CDC laboratory", the WHO said in a tweet late Thursday -- three sites now indelibly linked with the virus.

Hunan market is considered to be first major cluster of coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, the Wuhan Institute of Virology houses a virus testing facility which was weaponised by former US President Donald Trump, who until his final days in office pushed the unsubstantiated theory that the virus escaped from there.

The mission's exact itinerary remains unclear -- tweets from the WHO and their experts are so far the main source of information.

The highly politicised mission has been beset by delays with China refusing access until mid-January, while Washington has demanded a "robust and clear" investigation.

China on Thursday warned the US against "political interference" during a trip which the WHO insists will be tethered tightly to the science behind how the virus jumped to humans.

Beijing is desperate to take the air out of the blame game and instead train attention on its handling and recovery from the outbreak.

In a tweet late Thursday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had had a "frank discussion" with China's Health Minister Ma Xiaowei.

"I asked that the international scientists get the support, access &amp; data needed, and the chance to engage fully with their Chinese counterparts," he said.

The experts left a two-week quarantine on Thursday under the glare of the global media.

China's National Health Commission says 4,636 people have died in the country as a result of the virus.

The nation's GDP grew 2.3 per cent in 2020, the only major economy to do so.

World Health Organisation (WHO) experts are set to start their first site visit in Wuhan. On Friday, the experts met Chinese officials. The WHO probe is set to take place in Wuhan's food market that is considered to be the "ground zero" of coronavirus pandemic.

World Health Organisation (WHO) experts are set to start their first site visit in Wuhan. On Friday, the experts met Chinese officials. The WHO probe is set to take place in Wuhan's food market that is considered to be the "ground zero" of coronavirus pandemic. The fieldwork will start in the afternoon (local time). The team of experts will visit hospitals, and will meet scientists, first responders and early coronavirus patients Crucially, "field visits will include the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Huanan market, Wuhan CDC laboratory", the WHO said in a tweet late Thursday -- three sites now indelibly linked with the virus. Hunan market is considered to be first major cluster of coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, the Wuhan Institute of Virology houses a virus testing facility which was weaponised by former US President Donald Trump, who until his final days in office pushed the unsubstantiated theory that the virus escaped from there. The mission's exact itinerary remains unclear -- tweets from the WHO and their experts are so far the main source of information. The highly politicised mission has been beset by delays with China refusing access until mid-January, while Washington has demanded a "robust and clear" investigation. China on Thursday warned the US against "political interference" during a trip which the WHO insists will be tethered tightly to the science behind how the virus jumped to humans. Beijing is desperate to take the air out of the blame game and instead train attention on its handling and recovery from the outbreak. In a tweet late Thursday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had had a "frank discussion" with China's Health Minister Ma Xiaowei. "I asked that the international scientists get the support, access & data needed, and the chance to engage fully with their Chinese counterparts," he said. The experts left a two-week quarantine on Thursday under the glare of the global media. China's National Health Commission says 4,636 people have died in the country as a result of the virus. The nation's GDP grew 2.3 per cent in 2020, the only major economy to do so.

WHO coronavirus experts to start fieldwork in Wuhan

A day after GameStop shares rose 135% — a wild upswing spurred by an online army of investors on a mission to challenge the dominance of Wall Street — Robinhood, the stock-trading app at the center of it all, clamped down.

Almost immediately, GameStop’s shares plunged, falling 75% in 90 minutes.

The limits on trading by Robinhood and other online brokerages, put in place as fears of market instability grew more widespread, set off a furious outcry among small investors. They claimed that the very apps that had democratized trading — Robinhood in particular — were now doing the bidding of Wall Street.

Small groups of investors protested outside the New York Stock Exchange and at the Menlo Park, California, headquarters of Robinhood, a company that popularized the notion of commission-free trading. At least one aggrieved trader filed a lawsuit. Politicians on both the left and right weighed in. Before long, a trading strategy involving an obscure stock had morphed into a symbol of class warfare — pitting young upstarts against established Wall Street investors.

“You know the story of Robin Hood, this disenfranchised group of rebels stealing from the elite establishment and gifting that money to the poor,” said Travis Shetler, 21, a college student in Meadville, Pennsylvania, who bought shares of GameStop and Nokia in recent days. “The irony of an app like that pandering to the elite is quite obvious.”

Robinhood said the additional restrictions on trades of GameStop and some other companies were necessary to ensure it didn’t run afoul of government regulations. The curbs allowed users to only sell shares they owned and repurchase shares they had borrowed and sold, effectively halting the kinds of options bets that drove the rally. It also raised margin requirements for certain securities, meaning investors needed to keep more of their own money in their accounts when placing trades using funds they had borrowed from Robinhood. It later halted all margin trading involving GameStop and the movie theater chain AMC.

Webull, another trading app, said customers could only liquidate positions they already had in GameStop. Another, Interactive Brokers, put its own guardrails around several popular securities.

GameStop shares recovered some losses to end the day down 44%. The shares then rebounded significantly in the after-hours trading session, after Robinhood said it would “allow limited buys of these securities” on Friday. Many Robinhood customers used Twitter to post notices from the firm letting them know it had sold off some of their positions, without their permission. The firm said “unprecedented volatility” and an effort to help reduce risk may prompt it to sell certain shares and options contracts for GameStop and AMC.

Users were livid.

Daniel Li, a 22-year-old from Los Angeles County who bought GameStop stock two weeks ago, said Robinhood’s decision was “completely dishonest.”

“A lot of regular, hardworking Americans have been putting their money in hoping and praying they can get something out of it during a time when everyone is struggling,” he said. “It felt like it was not just a betrayal, but completely unethical in so many ways.”

The upheaval arrived at an inopportune time for Washington. With the Biden administration barely a week old, its nominee to be the next Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, Gary Gensler, has yet to have a hearing. And a standoff over the filibuster has delayed Congress’ attempts to organize itself into committees.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the incoming chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, responded to the market mayhem, vowing to hold a hearing on what he called the “broken” Wall Street system. “People on Wall Street only care about the rules when they’re the ones getting hurt,” he wrote on Twitter.

The restrictions placed on Robinhood traders even made allies of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas — who have spent the past three weeks sparring over the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“We now need to know more about Robinhood’s decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter. “As a member of the Financial Services Committee, I’d support a hearing if necessary.”

Cruz replied: “Fully agree.”

Though the trading platforms’ decision to curb speculative trading was deeply unpopular with casual traders, it was not unheard-of. Steps such as banning trading on margin — that is, using funds borrowed from your broker — are common for brokerages that face growing risks from volatile securities that are in the midst of a price spike. Through the end of trading Wednesday, GameStop’s stock was up 1,700% in January alone.

Robinhood, a firm backed by venture capital, said it had decided to limit the buying of securities like GameStop because of the regulations that govern it, including capital obligations mandated by the SEC, rather than pressure from Wall Street.

“To be clear, this was a risk-management decision, and was not made on the direction of the market makers we route to,” the company said in a statement. “We’re beginning to open up trading for some of these securities in a responsible manner.”

This week’s trading spree forced Robinhood to draw down on a line of credit of between $500 million and $600 million from six big Wall Street banks Thursday, most likely because it needs more cash to cover heightened margin requirements imposed by the central clearing facility for stock trades, a person familiar with the matter said. A spokesperson for the central clearing facility, the Depository Trust &amp;amp; Clearing Corp., confirmed that the clearinghouse had indeed increased its margin requirements.

Several hedge funds on the losing side of these trades have also struggled in recent days.

Large hedge funds, which often copy one another’s trades, wagered that the future prospects of companies like GameStop, AMC Entertainment and others were dim, and engaged in short-selling — a kind of trade where they would make money if those companies’ shares fell. But because small investors began taking the opposite side of the trade, egging on one another via message boards and buying up shares and options of those companies, their share prices rose instead.

As prices soared, those hedge funds were forced to absorb losses on their soured wagers. But the effects won’t necessarily stop there. If they’re battered badly enough, these funds could be forced to sell off shares in other companies to cover their losses — setting off a market downturn that would eventually ripple through businesses far removed from the action. As the GameStop saga played out, the S&amp;amp;P 500 suffered its largest daily decline in months Wednesday, falling 2.6%.

“The contagion risk is simple: There’s a bunch of hedge funds out there and they’re all doing the same things,” said Nathan Koppikar, a portfolio manager at the San Francisco short-selling fund Orso Partners.

In recent days, with GameStop shares soaring toward $500, phones on Wall Street were buzzing with texts sharing rumors about double-digit losses at a number of large hedge funds affected by the squeeze, say traders who received them.

While Melvin Capital, which needed a $2.75 billion infusion from the money managers Point72 and Citadel on Monday, appeared to be the worst hit, Point72 itself was also suffering. By the time markets closed Wednesday, returns at the firm, which is run by billionaire New York Mets owner Steven Cohen, had fallen nearly 15% year to date, according to a person with knowledge of the results. Part of the problem: A long-standing investment of roughly $1 billion that Point72 had made in Melvin, which manages money on Point72’s behalf.

That same evening, returns at Citadel, the large Chicago asset-management firm, were down by single digits, according to a person familiar with Citadel’s results. Citadel was also exposed to the market turmoil through its separate securities division, where it executes orders to buy and sell stock from Robinhood customers as part of an arrangement in which it, and other firms, pay the online brokerage firm for access to orders.

The situation facing the hedge funds is akin to a classic short squeeze: The amateur investors are pushing up the price of a stock the big players have bet against. And the pressure to avoid losses could force the shorts to buy, further driving up the price and making the casual traders a mint.

Even after Thursday’s fall tested their nerves, users in the online forums that launched GameStop’s improbable rise — like the Wall Street Bets forum on Reddit — encouraged one another to stay strong and hold their positions.

That’s the plan for Shawn Daumer, 19, a real estate agent in Valparaiso, Indiana, who put about $40,000 into shares of GameStop on Jan. 19. By the end of the day Wednesday, he was more than $420,000 in the black.

Thursday, however, was a different story: On paper, he lost nearly $200,000.

“I’m still up 500%,” Daumer said. “I’m OK.”

And he had no intention of selling GameStop, which had soared to as high as $483 on Thursday, before tumbling to settle at $193.60. The price, he said, would rise again — if all goes well.

“We’re going to $1,000,” he said.

A day after GameStop shares rose 135% — a wild upswing spurred by an online army of investors on a mission to challenge the dominance of Wall Street — Robinhood, the stock-trading app at the center of it all, clamped down.

A day after GameStop shares rose 135% — a wild upswing spurred by an online army of investors on a mission to challenge the dominance of Wall Street — Robinhood, the stock-trading app at the center of it all, clamped down. Almost immediately, GameStop’s shares plunged, falling 75% in 90 minutes. The limits on trading by Robinhood and other online brokerages, put in place as fears of market instability grew more widespread, set off a furious outcry among small investors. They claimed that the very apps that had democratized trading — Robinhood in particular — were now doing the bidding of Wall Street. Small groups of investors protested outside the New York Stock Exchange and at the Menlo Park, California, headquarters of Robinhood, a company that popularized the notion of commission-free trading. At least one aggrieved trader filed a lawsuit. Politicians on both the left and right weighed in. Before long, a trading strategy involving an obscure stock had morphed into a symbol of class warfare — pitting young upstarts against established Wall Street investors. “You know the story of Robin Hood, this disenfranchised group of rebels stealing from the elite establishment and gifting that money to the poor,” said Travis Shetler, 21, a college student in Meadville, Pennsylvania, who bought shares of GameStop and Nokia in recent days. “The irony of an app like that pandering to the elite is quite obvious.” Robinhood said the additional restrictions on trades of GameStop and some other companies were necessary to ensure it didn’t run afoul of government regulations. The curbs allowed users to only sell shares they owned and repurchase shares they had borrowed and sold, effectively halting the kinds of options bets that drove the rally. It also raised margin requirements for certain securities, meaning investors needed to keep more of their own money in their accounts when placing trades using funds they had borrowed from Robinhood. It later halted all margin trading involving GameStop and the movie theater chain AMC. Webull, another trading app, said customers could only liquidate positions they already had in GameStop. Another, Interactive Brokers, put its own guardrails around several popular securities. GameStop shares recovered some losses to end the day down 44%. The shares then rebounded significantly in the after-hours trading session, after Robinhood said it would “allow limited buys of these securities” on Friday. Many Robinhood customers used Twitter to post notices from the firm letting them know it had sold off some of their positions, without their permission. The firm said “unprecedented volatility” and an effort to help reduce risk may prompt it to sell certain shares and options contracts for GameStop and AMC. Users were livid. Daniel Li, a 22-year-old from Los Angeles County who bought GameStop stock two weeks ago, said Robinhood’s decision was “completely dishonest.” “A lot of regular, hardworking Americans have been putting their money in hoping and praying they can get something out of it during a time when everyone is struggling,” he said. “It felt like it was not just a betrayal, but completely unethical in so many ways.” The upheaval arrived at an inopportune time for Washington. With the Biden administration barely a week old, its nominee to be the next Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, Gary Gensler, has yet to have a hearing. And a standoff over the filibuster has delayed Congress’ attempts to organize itself into committees. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the incoming chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, responded to the market mayhem, vowing to hold a hearing on what he called the “broken” Wall Street system. “People on Wall Street only care about the rules when they’re the ones getting hurt,” he wrote on Twitter. The restrictions placed on Robinhood traders even made allies of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas — who have spent the past three weeks sparring over the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6. “We now need to know more about Robinhood’s decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter. “As a member of the Financial Services Committee, I’d support a hearing if necessary.” Cruz replied: “Fully agree.” Though the trading platforms’ decision to curb speculative trading was deeply unpopular with casual traders, it was not unheard-of. Steps such as banning trading on margin — that is, using funds borrowed from your broker — are common for brokerages that face growing risks from volatile securities that are in the midst of a price spike. Through the end of trading Wednesday, GameStop’s stock was up 1,700% in January alone. Robinhood, a firm backed by venture capital, said it had decided to limit the buying of securities like GameStop because of the regulations that govern it, including capital obligations mandated by the SEC, rather than pressure from Wall Street. “To be clear, this was a risk-management decision, and was not made on the direction of the market makers we route to,” the company said in a statement. “We’re beginning to open up trading for some of these securities in a responsible manner.” This week’s trading spree forced Robinhood to draw down on a line of credit of between $500 million and $600 million from six big Wall Street banks Thursday, most likely because it needs more cash to cover heightened margin requirements imposed by the central clearing facility for stock trades, a person familiar with the matter said. A spokesperson for the central clearing facility, the Depository Trust &amp; Clearing Corp., confirmed that the clearinghouse had indeed increased its margin requirements. Several hedge funds on the losing side of these trades have also struggled in recent days. Large hedge funds, which often copy one another’s trades, wagered that the future prospects of companies like GameStop, AMC Entertainment and others were dim, and engaged in short-selling — a kind of trade where they would make money if those companies’ shares fell. But because small investors began taking the opposite side of the trade, egging on one another via message boards and buying up shares and options of those companies, their share prices rose instead. As prices soared, those hedge funds were forced to absorb losses on their soured wagers. But the effects won’t necessarily stop there. If they’re battered badly enough, these funds could be forced to sell off shares in other companies to cover their losses — setting off a market downturn that would eventually ripple through businesses far removed from the action. As the GameStop saga played out, the S&amp;P 500 suffered its largest daily decline in months Wednesday, falling 2.6%. “The contagion risk is simple: There’s a bunch of hedge funds out there and they’re all doing the same things,” said Nathan Koppikar, a portfolio manager at the San Francisco short-selling fund Orso Partners. In recent days, with GameStop shares soaring toward $500, phones on Wall Street were buzzing with texts sharing rumors about double-digit losses at a number of large hedge funds affected by the squeeze, say traders who received them. While Melvin Capital, which needed a $2.75 billion infusion from the money managers Point72 and Citadel on Monday, appeared to be the worst hit, Point72 itself was also suffering. By the time markets closed Wednesday, returns at the firm, which is run by billionaire New York Mets owner Steven Cohen, had fallen nearly 15% year to date, according to a person with knowledge of the results. Part of the problem: A long-standing investment of roughly $1 billion that Point72 had made in Melvin, which manages money on Point72’s behalf. That same evening, returns at Citadel, the large Chicago asset-management firm, were down by single digits, according to a person familiar with Citadel’s results. Citadel was also exposed to the market turmoil through its separate securities division, where it executes orders to buy and sell stock from Robinhood customers as part of an arrangement in which it, and other firms, pay the online brokerage firm for access to orders. The situation facing the hedge funds is akin to a classic short squeeze: The amateur investors are pushing up the price of a stock the big players have bet against. And the pressure to avoid losses could force the shorts to buy, further driving up the price and making the casual traders a mint. Even after Thursday’s fall tested their nerves, users in the online forums that launched GameStop’s improbable rise — like the Wall Street Bets forum on Reddit — encouraged one another to stay strong and hold their positions. That’s the plan for Shawn Daumer, 19, a real estate agent in Valparaiso, Indiana, who put about $40,000 into shares of GameStop on Jan. 19. By the end of the day Wednesday, he was more than $420,000 in the black. Thursday, however, was a different story: On paper, he lost nearly $200,000. “I’m still up 500%,” Daumer said. “I’m OK.” And he had no intention of selling GameStop, which had soared to as high as $483 on Thursday, before tumbling to settle at $193.60. The price, he said, would rise again — if all goes well. “We’re going to $1,000,” he said.

Trading curbs reverse GameStop rally, angering upstart traders

USA said it was "outraged" over the acquittal of journalist Daniel Pearl's killer Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. On Thursday, Pakistan Supreme Court ordered immediate release of the murder convict. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised India saying that India's vaccine making capacity was an asset to the world. Read this and more in our morning news brief.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-outraged-ready-to-prosecute-daniel-pearls-killer-omar-sheikh-after-pakistan-sc-acquits-him-359979">US outraged, ready to prosecute Daniel Pearl's killer Omar Sheikh after Pakistan SC acquits him</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-outraged-ready-to-prosecute-daniel-pearls-killer-omar-sheikh-after-pakistan-sc-acquits-him-359979"><img alt="Daniel Pearl" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="71e44c02-f3e1-46b3-a426-b9e317fb7a4e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Daniel%20Pearl.JPG" /></a> 
 
The White House statement came after Pakistan's Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had been convicted of masterminding the brutal murder of Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, by jihadists.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/un-chief-praises-indian-vaccine-making-capacity-calls-it-an-asset-359994">UN chief praises Indian vaccine making capacity, calls it an asset</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/un-chief-praises-indian-vaccine-making-capacity-calls-it-an-asset-359994"><img alt="UN Chief" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f9f85ad3-d383-4719-a39c-ca0c0f8ebe50" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Antonio%20Guterres.JPG" /></a> 
 
India has airlifted more than 6 million COVID-19 doses to nine countries in Phase-I under its initiative termed "Vaccine Maitri"

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-may-damage-sperm-quality-reduce-male-fertility-study-359981">Coronavirus may damage sperm quality, reduce male fertility: Study</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-may-damage-sperm-quality-reduce-male-fertility-study-359981"><img alt="Sperm count" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="19b65c19-02b7-45c6-b22d-eef8ca868561" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/corona.JPG" /></a> 
 
With the virus affecting several different parts of the body. Now a new report has added possible detrimental effects on male fertility to the already-long list.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/insufficient-data-german-board-says-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-should-not-be-used-for-over-65s-359945">'Insufficient data': German board says AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should not be used for over-65s</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/insufficient-data-german-board-says-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-should-not-be-used-for-over-65s-359945"><img alt="Coronavirus" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7a45374-cc37-495d-8839-f81afe71a5ac" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Germany_1.JPG" /></a> 
 
The AstraZeneca vaccine developed by Oxford University has not been granted approval for general use in the European Union(EU).

&nbsp;

Gravitas: Europe's vaccine rollout disaster

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USA said it was "outraged" over the acquittal of journalist Daniel Pearl's killer Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. On Thursday, Pakistan Supreme Court ordered immediate release of the murder convict.

USA said it was "outraged" over the acquittal of journalist Daniel Pearl's killer Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. On Thursday, Pakistan Supreme Court ordered immediate release of the murder convict. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised India saying that India's vaccine making capacity was an asset to the world. Read this and more in our morning news brief. US outraged, ready to prosecute Daniel Pearl's killer Omar Sheikh after Pakistan SC acquits him The White House statement came after Pakistan's Supreme Court upheld the acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had been convicted of masterminding the brutal murder of Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, by jihadists. UN chief praises Indian vaccine making capacity, calls it an asset India has airlifted more than 6 million COVID-19 doses to nine countries in Phase-I under its initiative termed "Vaccine Maitri" Coronavirus may damage sperm quality, reduce male fertility: Study With the virus affecting several different parts of the body. Now a new report has added possible detrimental effects on male fertility to the already-long list. 'Insufficient data': German board says AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should not be used for over-65s The AstraZeneca vaccine developed by Oxford University has not been granted approval for general use in the European Union(EU). Gravitas: Europe's vaccine rollout disaster ×

Morning news brief: US fumes over Daniel Pearl case, UN chief praises India

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