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world news Dialuna 11 Januari 2021

South Korean diplomat in Iran over seized ship, frozen funds

(AP) — A South Korean Persian Gulf because of the zens on the ship, were sepa-
diplomatic delegation ar- vessel’s “environmental pol- rately meeting in Delhi, India
rived in Iran on Sunday to lution," a claim rejected by to negotiate the release of
negotiate the release of a the vessel's owner. The crew, the Burmese sailors aboard,
vessel and its crew seized including sailors from In- according to semi-official
by Iranian forces amid an donesia, Myanmar, South ISNA news agency.
escalating financial dis- Korea and Vietnam, remain
pute between the coun- in custody at the port city of Iran's state-run media an-
tries, Iranian state-run Bandar Abbas near the Strait nounced First Vice Foreign
media reported. of Hormuz. Minister Choi Jong-kun's
arrival with a photo showing
The South Korean-flagged A South Korean diplomat him meeting with his Iranian
tanker seizure by Iran's Rev- based in Iran met one of counterpart. It wasn't clear
olutionary Guard in the cru- the crew members, a South how long the visit would last.
cial Strait of Hormuz came Korean, last week, accord-
as Iranian officials have been ing to South Korean Foreign The South Korean delega- an international program de- administration of President
pressing South Korea to re- Ministry Spokesman Choi tion, including representa- signed to distribute coronavi- Donald Trump, who uni-
lease some $7 billion in assets Young-sam. The crew mem- tives from Seoul's Central rus vaccines to participating laterally withdrew the U.S.
tied up in the country's banks ber told the diplomat he and Bank, were set on Monday countries. from Tehran’s nuclear deal
due to American sanctions. It 19 other sailors were all were to meet Iran's Central Bank in 2018 and reimposed sanc-
appeared the Islamic Repub- safe and didn't suffer any chief Abdolnasser Hemmati “It is our natural right to tions that the agreement had
lic was seeking to increase its mistreatment. South Korea to discuss the trapped funds, be able to use this money,” suspended. Last week, Iran
leverage over Seoul ahead of has requested that Iran pro- semi-official Mehr news Hemmati was quoted as say- ramped up uranium enrich-
South Korea's pre-scheduled vide evidence to back up its agency reported. In recent ing on Sunday. "We hope that ment levels at Fordo, its key
regional trip, which included claim that the South Korean weeks, Hemmati has com- the American pressure will underground nuclear facil-
a stop in Qatar. ship violated environmental plained that Iran was strug- also decrease.” ity, bringing the country a
protocols, he added. gling to transfer some $220 technical step away from
Iran maintains the tanker and million held in South Korean The ship seizure was the lat- weapons-grade purity levels
its 20-member crew were Diplomats from Iran and banks to pay for COVID-19 est in a series of escalations of 90%.
stopped in the mouth of the Myanmar, which had 11 citi- vaccines through COVAX, in the waning days of the

Once-jailed nationalist wins Kyrgyzstan presidency

gave Sadyr Zhaparov a Sunday, under which the
landslide 79% victory also Zhaparov, who was impris- presidency will gain powers
approved a referendum to oned in 2017 on conviction formerly held by the parlia-
change the constitution to of involvement in the kid- ment.
give the presidency more napping of a regional gover-
power. nor, spearheaded Jeenbekov's Kyrgyzstan, which is a mem-
removal from office. ber of Russia-dominated eco-
The vote followed the ouster The unrest marked the third nomic and security alliances,
of the previous president in time in 15 years when a lead- hosts a Russian air base and
October. er of the 6.5-million nation depends on Moscow’s eco-
on the border with China nomic support. It formerly
The ex-Soviet Central Asian was forced out by a popular was the site of a U.S. air base
nation sank into turmoil af- uprising. Like the previous that served as a key transport
ter a parliamentary election uprisings that toppled presi- hub for the war in Afghani-
that was swept by pro-gov- dents in 2005 and 2010, the stan.
ernment parties. Opposition latest turmoil was driven by
supporters accused authori- clan rivalries that shape the Russia has voiced concerns
(AP) — A nationalist poli- gyzstan’s president last ties of rigging the vote and country’s politics. about the turmoil in Kyrgyz-
tician who was released year has been elected as forced President Sooronbai stan but refrained from sup-
from prison amid pro- his replacement. Voters Jeenbekov to step down on Zhaparove pushed for the porting any of the presiden-
tests that overthrew Kyr- in Sunday’s election that Oct. 15. constitutional referendum tial candidates.

Africa exceeds 3 million COVID-19 cases, 30% in South Africa

(AP) — Africa passed the mile- of the disease, driven by a variant of strictions should be taken to slow the initiative in April.
stone of 3 million confirmed cas- the virus that is more contagious and spread of the disease, while balanc-
es COVID-19 on Sunday, includ- spreading quickly. Many hospitals are ing the need to encourage economic South African health minister Zweli
ing more than 72,000 deaths, ac- reaching capacity, yet the numbers of growth. The government has already Mkhize said that his aim is to see 67%
cording to the Africa Centers for those infected are expected to contin- reimposed measures including a ban of the country's 60 million people
Disease Control and Prevention. ue rising, according to health experts. on the sales of liquor, the closure of vaccinated by the end of 2021, a goal
bars and restricting the number of that many health experts say is laud-
South Africa, with more than 1.2 mil- South Africa's seven-day rolling aver- people who can attend public gather- able but unrealistic.
lion reported cases, including 32,824 age of daily new cases has risen over ings.
deaths, accounts for more than 30% the past two weeks from 19.86 new
of the total for the continent of 54 cases per 100,000 people on Dec. 26 Later in January, South Africa expects
countries and 1.3 billion people. The to 30.18 new cases per 100,000 people to receive its first delivery of a vac-
high proportion of cases in South on Jan. 9, according to Johns Hop- cine, 1.5 million doses of the Astra-
Africa, could be because the coun- kins University. Zeneca shot. The government said its
try carries out more tests than many first priority will be to inoculate the
other African countries. South African President Cyril Ra- country's 1.25 million health work-
maphosa will meet with his Cabinet ers. It expects to receive more vac-
South Africa is battling a resurgence this week to consider if further re- cines through the WHO's COVAX