India, 92% of Covid-19 deaths since start of year were unvaccinated

Today's headlines: protests against the war in Ukraine continue in St Petersburg and other Russian cities, with hundreds of arrests; Israel expropriates Jerusalem's Alexander Nevsky Church from the Russians; the majority party in Georgia wants to speed up its entry into the EU; the Pope will visit East Timor by the end of the year.

INDIA

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) reports that in 2022 about 92% of people who died of Covid-19 were not vaccinated. In terms of case fatality rate (cfr), the Omicron-dominated third wave had the lowest figure (0.35%;) the Delta-driven second wave had a case fatality rate of 1.29%. Omicron took only 18 days to reach its peak number of cases, compared to 49 for Delta. 

RUSSIA

In St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and other cities, protests continued under the slogan "Peace in Ukraine, Putin in The Hague!", which led to the arrest of hundreds more people in recent days. The Security Committee has called for the formation of a special section of the police to control "extremist pacifists".

UKRAINE - RUSSIA

The Russian Defence Ministry listed for the first time the losses suffered by the army, speaking of 498 dead and 1957 wounded. In contrast, Kiev sources speak of 6,000 dead among Moscow's soldiers. The UN has declared that one million refugees have left Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict.

ISRAEL

An Israeli court stripped the Russian government of ownership of the Alexander Nevsky Church in Jerusalem. Judge Mordechai Kaduri annulled the registration that gave Moscow control of the "Alexander courtyard" not far from the Holy Sepulchre, an area famous for its excavations and architecture. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will decide the fate of the complex.

GEORGIA

The political committee of the majority party in Georgia, the Georgian Dream, has decided, after consultation with Prime Minister Irakli Garibasvili, to propose that the country join the European Union as soon as possible. The "political context" and the "new conditions of international relations" are said to be behind the acceleration.

NORTH KOREA

A project dedicated to greenhouse crops, the only one of its kind in North Korea and created two years ago to feed the rural population, has only served to enrich the tables of the party leaders in Pyongyang. The farm is located in the village of Jungphyong, in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong, is 490 acres in size and includes about 300 greenhouses. 

ARMENIA

The Armenian parliament elected the new President of the Republic in the second round of voting. The choice fell on the Minister of Industrial Development, Vaagn Khachaturyan, with 71 votes out of a total of 107. An economist, the new president was also mayor of Yerevan and is considered to be very loyal to Prime Minister Nikol Pasinyan. 

TIMOR EAST

Pope Francis has confirmed the apostolic journey to East Timor, which will take place this year, although there is no precise date yet. This was confirmed by the chargé d'affaires of the nunciature, Msgr Marco Sprizzi, during a meeting with the press in Dili. The visit was planned for September 2020 with Indonesia and New Guinea but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.