FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021 09

News in brief Peacekeeping mission u Sudan’s hybrid United Nations-African Union mission Norwegian rescuers hunt for in Sudan’s Darfur ends in Darfur ended its 13-year peacekeeping operations in the conflict marred region, even as recent violent clashes leave residents fearful. “The joint United ten missing after landslide Nations-African Union mission in the Darfur region of Sudan (UNAMID) officially ended operations yesterday, when the Government of Sudan The landslide destroyed homes in a village close to Oslo will take over responsibility for the protection of civilians in the area,” the mission said in a statement. While the bitter conflict that began in 2003 and claimed 300,000 lives has largely subsided, 10 people were tribal clashes last week left at least 15 people dead and dozens wounded missing,• including u A Chinese delegation met with leaders two children, and Chinese 10 were injured delegation of Nepal’s ruling party, opposition KNOW WHAT to Nepal met with the leaders of both the ruling party and the opposition, China’s foreign ministry Reuters | Oslo spokesman Wang Wenbin said. Guo Yezhou, vice minister in the international department of the According to the Communist Party of China, is the most senior foreign orwegian rescuers de- Norwegian Water official to visit Nepal since Prime Minister K.P. Sharma ployed drones and dogs Resources and Energy to negotiate unstable Oli decided to dissolve the country’s parliament this N Directorate (NVE) clay soil in a search for 10 peo- month and call for an early parliamentary election. ple still missing yesterday after what happened was a Man shot dead in gunfire u Minneapolis a landslide in southern Norway so-called “quick clay Police shot and swept away more than a dozen slide” of approximate- exchange with Minneapolis Police killed a man in an buildings the previous day. ly 300 by 700 metres exchange of gunfire during a traffic stop in the Another 10 people were in- (328 to 766 yards) southern part of the city, in the first killing by jured, one critically, after the a member of the department since the death landslide in the residential area of George Floyd, authorities said. The Bureau in the Gjerdrum municipality, Destroyed houses are seen in a crater left behind by the landslide of Criminal Apprehension was called in to handle about 30 km (19 miles) north of “We are still searching for A Dalmatian dog was rescued homes were built three years the investigation. Details about the identity, the capital, Oslo. survivors,” the head of the po- during the night. after the report was published. background or race of the man who was shot were Conditions remained chal- lice operation at the site, Roger Yesterday, Pettersen asked lo- In a rare public statement, not immediately known. lenging, with the clay ground Pettersen, told reporters, adding cals not to send up fireworks to Norway’s King Harald said the u Republican senator says he will still too unstable for emergency that both children and adults celebrate New Year’s Eve so as landslide had left a deep im - Republican workers to walk on and tem - were missing. to not interfere with the heli- pression. Senator Josh challenge Biden victory in Congress peratures registering -1 Celsius During the night, police copters and drones. “My thoughts are with all Hawley pledged to challenge Democrat President-elect Joe (30F) at 0600 GMT. used drones with heat-seeking Separately, questions were be- those who are affected, injured Biden’s victory when Congress convenes to officially tally The edges of the crater con- equipment to search for survi- ing asked about why construc- or have lost their homes, and the electoral votes, which could trigger a lengthy debate tinued to break away, author- vors in the debris. Helicopters tion was allowed in the area. those who now live in fear and in the Senate but has virtually no chance of overturning ities said, asking people not to have tried lowering military and Broadcaster TV2 said a 2005 uncertainty of the full extent of the results. Hawley, the junior senator from Missouri who approach the area. Some 1,000 police with search-and-rescue geological survey for municipal the catastrophe,” the 83-year- was elected in 2018, said in a statement, that “some states, people have so far been evac- dogs on some structures be - authorities labelled the area at old monarch said in a statement particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws.” uated. lieved stable enough to stand on. high risk of landslides. But new released by the royal palace. u Turkish police detained Turkish police detain people suspected of ties to the Islamic State suspects Islamic State militant group in an operation targeting a total of 35 foreign suspects in Istanbul, state-owned Biden, Trump to campaign in Georgia on eve of Senate runoffs Anadolu news agency reported. It said the counter-terror squad police carried out simultaneous raids on 34 addresses in 14 districts of the city after receiving Reuters | Washington intelligence about possible militant attacks over the New Year period. the state’s Republican governor, publican incumbent Senators resident-elect Joe Bid - Brian Kemp, to resign. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. u Spain and Britain reached a preliminary agreement to keep the Pen and President Donald Biden, who takes office on The candidates square off in Gibraltar land border open, just hours before Britain’s full exit from the Trump will campaign next Jan. 20, will travel to on an election on Tuesday. European Union. As part of the agreement, Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory week in Georgia, holding due- Monday to campaign on behalf If the Democrats win both located on Spain’s southern tip, will remain part of European Union agreements ling events on the eve of runoff of Democratic Senate candi- seats, the Senate would be split such as the Schengen Area, Spanish Foreign Minister Gonzalez Laya said. elections that will determine dates Jon Ossoff and Raphael 50-50 with the Republican Par- who controls the US Senate and Warnock, his transition team ty, giving the tie-breaking vote the fate of Biden’s legislative said on Wednesday. Vice Pres- to Harris and control of both agenda. ident-elect Kamala Harris will congressional chambers to the COVID-19: Countries worst affected The visits come as Trump go to Savannah, Georgia, a day Democratic Party. Country Total cases Total escalates his fight with fellow earlier. More than 2.5 million votes deaths Global tally Republican leaders in the state On the same day Biden ap - have already been cast in the for not supporting his bid to pears in Atlanta, Trump will runoff races, according to the 1 USA 20,290,914 351,934 overturn the election results. travel to Dalton, Georgia, to hold Georgia secretary of state’s of- Joe Biden 2 India 10,282,624 148,950 83,524,652 On Wednesday, he called for a “victory rally” to support Re- fice. 3 Brazil 7,635,999 194,152 Deaths 4 Russia 3,159,297 57,019 US ‘most prolific ’ Samuel Little dies aged 80 5 France 2,620,425 64,632 1,820,315 Pope will not lead AFP | Washington 6 UK 2,488,780 73,512 Recovered: New Year services 7 Turkey 2,208,652 20,881 because of flare amuel Little, the United 8 Italy 2,107,166 74,159 59,116,405 SStates’ most prolific serial up of leg pain killer according to the FBI, died 9 Spain 1,936,718 50,837 New cases AFP | Moscow in aged 80, prison 93 10 Germany 1,739,696 34,033 officials said. -- mostly of ope Francis will not lead Little confessed to 93 mur- women -- were carried out 11 Colombia 1,626,461 42,909 +469,450 PNew Year’s Day services ders -- mostly of women -- car- by Samuel Little between 12 Argentina 1,613,928 43,163 because of a flare up of his ried out between 1970 and 2005, 1970 and 2005 New deaths sciatica condition, which but his coast-to-coast killing 13 Mexico 1,413,935 124,897 produces pain in his right spree went undetected for dec- 14 Poland 1,294,878 28,554 +8,957 leg, the Vatican said yes- ades. terday. The former boxer’s victims That factor combined with Figures as of closing It was the first time in were mostly drug addicts and the victims’ backgrounds meant Middle East years that Francis, who prostitutes, and in many cases many of the deaths were attrib- turned 84 this month, has the women were never iden- uted to drug overdoses or acci- Country Total new Total New Total Active Samuel Little cases cases deaths Deaths recovered cases had to skip a papal event for tified or their deaths were not dents, as well as natural causes. health reasons. investigated. in a statement. Little grew up in , A year-end vespers ser- After Little began naming Little was serving three con- dropped out of high school and Egypt 136,644 7,576 111,451 17,617 vice that the pope was to victims from behind bars, the secutive life-without-parole lived a “nomadic life,” shoplift- Saudi 362,741 +140 6,223 +9 353,853 2,665 lead yesterday afternoon Federal Bureau of Investigation sentences, after being jailed in ing or stealing to buy alcohol Arabia was be led by Cardinal Gio- last year confirmed Little’s in- 2014. and drugs, the FBI said. vanni Battista Re, and the volvement in at least 50 of the Also known as Samuel His criminal record began in UAE 207,822 +1,730 669 +4 184,442 22,711 Friday Mass will be said deaths, and described all his McDowell, Little stood 6ft 1956 with arrests for shoplift- Kuwait 150,584 +286 934 +1 146,517 3,133 by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, other claims as “credible.” 3in (1.9m) tall and typically ing, , drugs and breaking the Vatican Secretary of He died in hospital early knocked out his victims with and entering. Oman 128,867 +148 1,499 +2 121,890 5,478 State. Wednesday, with Los Angeles powerful punches before stran- He was accused of murdering The Vatican said the pope coroners yet to determine the gling them, leaving no obvious women in Mississippi and Flor- Qatar 143,834 +213 245 141,422 2,167 would lead his noon prayer cause of death, the California signs of homicide such as stab ida in the early 1980s but was today as scheduled. Department of Corrections said marks or bullet wounds. not convicted.