*) Trump impeachment article goes to Senate

An article of impeachment against Donald Trump has been delivered to the US Senate.

The House of Representatives has charged Trump with inciting the deadly insurrection at the Capitol earlier this month.

The trial is scheduled to start in two weeks as leaders of both parties agreed to a short delay to give Trump's team and House prosecutors time to prepare.

*) McConnell offers support for power sharing with Democrats

US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says he's in support of a power-sharing agreement with Democrats.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and McConnell are at odds over Republican demands that Democrats promise to protect the filibuster, which requires a 60-vote supermajority to advance most legislation.

*) Second night of riots in Netherlands over curfew

Rioters looted shops and ransacked supplies for a second day as they again clashed with police in several cities across the Netherlands.

Protests and riots began after the government announced a new daytime curfew, the first since World War II.

The lockdown will be in effect until February 10.

*) Anger grows over virus lockdown in Lebanon

At least 30 people were injured in Lebanon's Tripoli after anti-curfew protesters clashed with security forces.

The protests were triggered by a total lockdown put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The country of 6 million has seen over 280,000 cases and 2,404 deaths from the virus.

And finally…

*) New Patagonian dinosaur may be largest yet

Paleontologists in Argentina say they've found what could be the largest dinosaur to have ever roamed the planet.

The Titan-o-saur was a plant-eating dinosaur about 35 metres long which existed around 98 million years ago.

Experts realised the significance after piecing the vertebrae and pieces of bone together.

*) Netherlands anti-curfew protests spark clashes with police, looting

Anti-lockdown protests turned to riots in the Netherlands, prompting police to use tear gas, water cannons and dogs to disperse thousands.

At least 55 were arrested after chaos erupted in the country's main cities against the implementation of a new daytime curfew, the first since World War II.

It was the worst violence to hit the country since the pandemic began. The lockdown will be in effect until 10 February.

*) Taiwan reports second day of incursions by Chinese air force

Taiwan has reported a second day of incursions into its airspace by 12 Chinese Air Force fighters jets.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has increased military activity near the island in recent months.

Meanwhile, the US military has sent the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier into the South China Sea for what it says is to ensure freedom of the seas.

*) Portugal president wins election

Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has won a second term in office after winning an election with 61 percent of the vote.

Rebelo de Sousa, a centre-right moderate, will serve a five-year term that will be his last due to term limits.

Socialist candidate Ana Gomes came second with 13 percent but close behind in third was Andre Ventura, a newly arrived right-wing populist who won 12 percent.

*) Thousands evacuated as storm makes landfall in Mozambique

Mozambique is reeling from Cyclone Eloise, which made landfall early on Saturday.

Nearly 7,000 people have been displaced, while some 130,000 hectares of crops destroyed by heavy downpours.

Forecasters are warning of widespread flooding and strong winds as the storm heads inland.

And finally…

*) SpaceX sets another world record

SpaceX has set another world record.

A Falcon 9 rocket carried 143 satellites into orbit on a jam-packed rideshare.

That's the most satellites launched by a single rocket.

The devices are owned by several companies, each paying at least a million dollars to send their tech into space.

*) Death toll climbs in twin suicide attack in Baghdad

At least 32 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in two suicide bombings in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

It's believed that two assailants detonated their explosive vests in an outdoor market. It's the first such attack in the city's commercial area in several years.

The bombings come amid heightened political tensions as Iraq looks to have early elections in October.

*) Biden orders masks, travel clampdown in new war on Covid

US president Joe Biden has signed a series of executive orders aimed at bringing the coronavirus pandemic under control.

Working with top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, Biden has asked people to wear a face mask for the first 100 days of his presidency.

New quarantine rules for those arriving in the US have also been introduced.

*) Turkish foreign minister meets EU counterpart in Brussels

After a year that produced numerous disagreements between Turkey and the EU, the signs for 2021 are more encouraging.

EU's Chief of Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell says the atmosphere between the two countries has improved.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is currently in Brussels, meeting officials from the EU and also NATO.

*) Opposition leader Bobi Wine's lawyers barred from seeing him

Lawyers for Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine have been blocked from seeing him a week after he was placed under house arrest.

Security forces have been surrounding Wine's home in the capital Kampala since last week's election. President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner, but Wine rejected the results.

Officials say Wine can only leave his home under military escort because his presence threatens public safety.

And finally…

*) Japan refutes report of Olympics cancellation

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says his government is determined to go ahead with this year's delayed Tokyo Olympics.

His comments follow a report in The Times newspaper which claimed the government's focus is now on securing the games for Tokyo in the next available year, which is 2032.

The International Olympic Committee has said there is 'no Plan B' and It's also 'fully committed' to starting the Tokyo Games on schedule.

*) Newly sworn-in president takes US back to agreements revoked by Trump

US President Joe Biden has returned the country to the international climate agreement, suspended a ban on Muslims entering the US, and issued a series of other executive orders on his first day in office.

Within his first hours on the job, Biden made good on several campaign and post-election pledges.

Some of the president’s decisions can be seen as modest, but experts warn there still could be legal challenges.

Biden's choices are in stark contrast to former president Donald Trump's actions, as the former president took America out of global deals and challenged allies at home and abroad over policies.


*) Biden pledges to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days

President Biden has pledged to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days.

His bold statement comes after the United States passed the somber milestone of 400,000 deaths from the virus and recorded more than 24 million infections.

The new president also proposed a 1.9 trillion dollar Covid-19 relief package, which White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says will be based on an assessment of people's specific needs.

*) Kamala Harris's ancestral village celebrates in India

Celebrations over the inauguration extend all the way to Kamala Harris's ancestral village in India.

The new vice president’s maternal grandfather is believed to have been born in a village near the southeast coast, more than a century ago.

Harris, who was born to an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, visited the village when she was five.

Harris becomes the first woman, first Black American and first Asian American to win for Vice President.


*) Police use tear gas on ongoing anti-Moise rallies

Police in Haiti have used tear gas in clashes with protesters demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moise.

One woman was reported to have been shot in the arm and others were wounded by rubber bullets during the violence.

Opposition leaders organising the ongoing protest movement are pushing for Moise to step down in early February as Haiti's economic and social woes deepen.

Moise has said his term will end in February 2022 and that he is open to dialogue with the opposition.


And finally…

*) Last heir of Ottoman Empire dynasty dies at 90

The last surviving heir of the House of Osman, the royal dynasty that once ruled the Ottoman Empire has died at age 90 in Syria.

Prince Dundar Abdulkerim Osmanoglu passed away at a hospital on Monday in the Syrian capital Damascus, where he had been receiving treatment, his family said in a statement.

Osmanoglu was the grandson of Prince Mehmet Selim Efendi, son of Abdulhamid II, the legendary Ottoman sultan credited with prolonging the survival of the Ottoman Empire.

*) Trump pardons ex-strategist Steve Bannon, dozens of others

We begin in the US, where President Donald Trump has pardoned former chief strategist Steve Bannon as part of a late flurry of clemency action benefitting over 140 people, including rap stars and former members of Congress.

The pardons and commutations were announced in the final hours of Trump's White House term.

The last-minute clemency follows separate waves of pardons over the last month for Trump associates convicted in the FBI’s Russia investigation, as well as for the father of his son-in-law.

*) A dozen troops removed from inaugural duty after vetting

With the US's Capitol tightly locked down ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration, the FBI has removed a dozen members of the National Guard from duty.

Two were removed for having expressed anti-government sentiment on their social media. The rest were removed for other reasons, which were not linked to extremism.

More than twenty-five thousand members of the National Guard have been deployed in Washington following the storming of the Capitol building by Trump supporters earlier this month.


*) US determines China committed genocide in Xinjiang region

The Trump administration has accused China of committing “genocide and crimes against humanity” over its repression of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the announcement.

China has been widely condemned for keeping more than a million Uighur Muslims in what have been described as “concentration” camps.

Beijing insists they are vocational training centres designed to stop Uighur Muslims turning to extremism.

*) EU aims to have 70 percent of its population vaccinated by summer

The European Union says member states should vaccinate at least 70 percent of their adult populations by this summer to control the coronavirus pandemic.

But officials have yet to say how they plan to boost capacity. The EU has so far secured more than 2-point-3 billion doses for its population of 450 million.

But only two developers have received regulatory approval. Meanwhile, the EU commission says it's working to develop vaccination certificates that will allow travel within the bloc.


And finally…

*) Netflix tops 200 million subscribers amid growth in pandemic

Netflix has said its global subscriber rolls crossed 200 million at the end of 2020.

It has also projected it will no longer need to borrow billions to finance its broad slate of TV shows and movies.

The world's largest streaming service had raised $15 billion through debt since 2011.

*) Magnitude 6.4 quake hits Argentina

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 has shaken western and central Argentina and parts of neighbouring Chile.

The US Geological Survey reported that the epicentre was near the town of Pocito, in San Juan province, about 1,000 kilometres from capital Buenos Aires.

The US Tsunami Warning System said no tsunami warning has been issued for the earthquake and no casualties or significant damage have been reported.

*) Guatemala troops, police break up Honduran migrant caravan

Guatemalan security forces have broken up a caravan of some 4,000 Honduran migrants trying to reach the United States.

Migrants who are desperate to escape poverty, unemployment, gang and drug violence are hoping for a better life in the US under the leadership of Joe Biden.

They are planning to reach Guatemala and then Mexico, walking all the way to the United States.

*) Biden to prioritise legal status of immigrants after inauguration

President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil an immigration bill on day one of his administration.

The bill will provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the US without legal status.

With the bill, Biden will keep his campaign promise to Latino voters and other immigrant communities.

*) Hundreds of youths clash with police in Tunisia

Hundreds of young Tunisians have clashed with police in cities across Tunisia, throwing stones and gasoline bombs in the capital, Tunis.

Tunisia has seen the new wave of street clashes since the north African country marked the 10th anniversary of its revolution last week.

The young people take the streets to protest the country's deep social and economic crises.

And finally…

*) Michelin awards first star to a vegan restaurant in France

A vegan restaurant in the French southwest has won a Michelin Guide star.

ONA, which stands for “animal-free origin”, is the first vegan restaurant in France to win a star.

The restaurant also won a green star, which Michelin introduced only last year to reward establishments with a strong record for ethical practices.

*) FBI screens troops ahead of US inauguration

We start in the US where the FBI is screening National Guard members to make sure they do not pose a security risk during President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.

Security officials have raised alarms over rising threats since the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol by pro-Trump rioters.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the Guard members are also getting trained to identify potential insider threats.

*) Trapped Chinese workers in gold mine still alive

Miners trapped underground in eastern China for more than a week after a blast at a gold mine have managed to send up a note to rescuers.

Twelve workers have been trapped since a blast occurred in a gold mine near Qixia city in eastern Shandong province last week.

The note said four of the workers were injured and that the condition of others was deteriorating because of a lack of fresh air and water.

*) China economy grows in 2020 despite pandemic

The Chinese economy has grown 2.3 percent in 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The Asian giant became the only major economy in the world to avoid a contraction last year.

Growth in the three months ending in December rose to 6.5 percent over a year earlier, up from the previous quarter’s 4.9 percent.

*) Aid effort intensifies after Indonesia quake

Rescuers have intensified their work to find those buried in the rubble after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported 70 people died in the hardest-hit city of Mamuju and 11 in the neighbouring district of Majene.

Nearly 800 people were injured, with more than half of them still receiving treatment for serious injuries.

And finally…

*) Wheelchair climber attempts to scale Hong Kong skyscraper

Paraplegic athlete Lai Chi-wai has become the first in Hong Kong to climb more than 250 metres of a skyscraper while strapped into a wheelchair.

Lai could not make it to the top of the 300-metre-tall Nina Tower due to safety concerns but his feat raised money for spinal cord patients.

The event clocked more than $670,600 in donations.