Japan considers new COVID-19 emergency declaration Visitors wearing protective face masks offer prayers on the first business day of the new year at the Kanda Myojin shrine, which is known to be frequented by worshippers seeking good luck and prosperous business, in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday. Japan will consider issuing a new emergency declaration to tackle a record surge in COVID-19 cases, the head of the nation’s pandemic response said on Saturday. SD-Agencies UK refuses extradition of Assange A British judge on Monday rejected the United States’ request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges, saying he was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected allegations that Assange is being prosecuted for political reasons or would not receive a fair trial in the United States. But she said his precarious mental health would likely deteriorate further under the conditions of “near total isolation” he would face in U.S. prison. “I find that the mental condition of Mr. Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America,” the judge said. Roof collapse kills 25 in India At least 25 people have been killed and more than a dozen were injured after the cement roof of a shed at a crematorium in the town of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, India, collapsed on Sunday. Most of the victims were relatives of a local fruit farmer who came to attend his funeral. Others were waiting for the bodies of their deceased family members to be cremated. They were taking shelter at the shed amid heavy rains when the structure suddenly collapsed. Local reports said the death toll could increase as some of the victims have sustained serious injuries. Russia gives over 800,000 people its virus vaccine Russia’s health minister announced on Saturday that more than 800,000 citizens have received the country’s coronavirus vaccine, with more than 1.5 million doses distributed. Reuters reported that the TASS news agency quoted Mikhail Murashko as saying that from January 1, people who received the Sputnik V vaccine will receive an electronic verification certificate, with the health ministry maintaining a database of all those vaccinated. Russia has the world’s fourth-highest number of COVID-19 cases, with nearly 3.2 million people infected and more than 57,000 fatalities due to the virus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Argentina legalizes abortion Argentina has become the largest Latin American country to legalize abortion after its senate approved the historic law change by 38 votes in favor to 29 against, with one abstention. Elated pro-choice campaigners who had been keeping vigil outside Buenos Aires’s neoclassical congressional palace erupted in celebration as the result was announced at just after 4 a.m. on December 30. Women screamed with delight, sweeping their friends into tight hugs and jumping in ecstasy. Many wept tears of joy. US resumes Boeing 737 Max commercial flight American Airlines last week flew a Boeing 737 Max from Miami to New York with paying passengers on board, making the first commercial flight almost two years after the worldwide grounding of the troubled aircraft. American flight 718 carried about 100 passengers and landed on December 30 at LaGuardia Airport, according to an airline spokeswoman. Boeing’s 737 MAX jets have been grounded across the globe since early March last year following evidence of flaws. (SD-Agencies) | 