News brief: New virus strain, power play in US and Russia, and more

UK mutant strain in India: Total 20 test positive for new Covid variant

A total of 20 people who returned to India from the United Kingdom have tested positive for the new coronavirus variant so far | READ MORE

Trump approves sale of 3,000 smart bombs worth $290 million to Saudi Arabia

The United States has approved another $290 million precision-guided bomb sale to Saudi Arabia, according to a notice to Congress released Tuesday | READ MORE

Chinese court jails 10 of 'Hong Kong 12' activists; two teenagers to be sent back

A Chinese court Wednesday jailed 10 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists for up to three years over a bid by the group to flee the city by speedboat to seek sanctuary in Taiwan | READ MORE

New coronavirus variant hits US as Biden vows all-out effort

The first known US case of a highly infectious coronavirus variant has been detected in Colorado | READ MORE

Russia opens new case against Navalny, the Putin critic who was poisoned in August

Russian investigators on Tuesday claimed to have opened a new criminal case against Alexei Navalny, the outspoken Kremlin critic who was recently poisoned | READ MORE

China has all it needs to vaccinate millions, except proof its vaccines work

Hospitals all over China have almost everything necessary for a mass vaccination drive: millions of doses | READ MORE

'Love wins,' Harry and Meghan say in 2020 reflections on first podcast

Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on Tuesday thanked essential workers and offered encouragement to people who suffered during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in their first podcast released on Spotify | READ MORE