A pro-China candidate claims victory in teh Central American nation, but the results could take days. Other news today: several nations close their borders because of the omicron variant; five Kurdish peshmerga have been killed by the Islamic State in Iraq; professors fired in Russia for criticizing the rights situation in the country.
TAIWAN - HONDURAS
Xiomara Castro, the Honduran presidential candidate who had promised to cut relations with Taipei, has claimed victory, but it could take days to declare the real winner. Relations with Formosa Island are at risk: Honduras is one of only 15 countries in the world to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
PANDEMIA
Flight connections between Singapore and Malaysia reopen today, even if a first case of Covid-19 has already been detected. In Japan from tomorrow onwards the entry ban for all foreigners will return; also the Philippines, Indonesia and India have decided to increase border controls because of the omicron variant.
BANGLADESH
Doctors treating Khaleda Zia fear the opposition leader could die if she is not allowed to travel abroad. She has been in the hospital since Nov. 13 with cirrhosis of the liver. A court banned her from leaving the country after she was convicted of corruption in 2018. Supporters of her party have organized protests across the country.
IRAQ
Five Kurdish peshmerga have been killed by Islamic State fighters. The attack occurred in Diyala on Saturday night. The slain peshmerga hit a roadside bomb while on their way to assist injured people.
SOUTH KOREA.
South Korea today said it will provide million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Seoul pledged to support food and health services for Afghan refugees in neighboring countries, including Iran and Pakistan.
CHINA
Having escaped from a Chinese prison and remained at large for 40 days, North Korean Zhu Xianjian was re-arrested yesterday. The man was initially imprisoned on charges of illegal entry into China, theft and robbery after fleeing North Korea in 2013.
THAILAND
In a joint operation with U.S. police, law enforcement officials in Thailand in recent days dismantled one of the largest of counterfeit banknote smuggling networks. Police seized printers and counterfeit 0 bills.
RUSSIA
The Higher School of Economics, one of the most prestigious universities in Moscow, has fired two professors who had criticized the conditions of justice and rights in Russia, denounced by the students themselves. One of them, Gennadij Esakov, reported on Facebook a Gospel quote: "Blessed are those persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven".