China, ROK agree to deepen ties
China and South Korea have agreed to deepen cooperation in various fields as their foreign ministers held talks in the Chinese city of Xiamen.
Wang Yi said Beijing stands ready to work with Seoul on the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issues, accelerate strategic synergy, and complete the second phase of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement at an early date.
Chung Eui-yong reiterated Seoul's commitment to the development of inter-Korean relations and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, adding that South Korea expects China to continue to play an important role in that process.
The two sides also agreed to set up a mechanism for the mutual acceptance of health codes, conduct cooperation on vaccines, and expand the "fast track" arrangement.
Hungarian authorities issue GMP certificate to Sinopharm vaccine
China's drug maker Sinopharm has announced that its COVID-19 vaccine has acquired the certificate of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) issued by the Hungarian National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition (OGYEI).
This is the first Chinese COVID-19 jab authorized for emergency use by a member of the European Union and the first to be certified by the Hungarian authority.
Argentine president in self-isolation for suspected COVID-19 infection
The Argentine President has confirmed that his antigen test for COVID-19 was positive after developing a mild fever and slight headache.
Alberto Fernandez is in self-isolation and awaiting further confirmation from more conclusive testing.
The announcement came on the day of his 62nd birthday.
Fernandez was inoculated with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine on January 21, a day after the country's health regulator approved it for use among those aged 60 and older.
Iran's foreign ministry rejects 'step-by-step' lifting of sanctions: Press TV
Iran has rejected any "step-by-step" lifting of sanctions imposed against it.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh was quoted by state broadcaster Press TV as saying that the definitive policy of Tehran is the lifting of all U.S. sanctions.
Washington earlier said that the talks scheduled for next week in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal will focus on "the nuclear steps that Iran would need to take in order to return to compliance" with that agreement.
U.S., Japan, South Korea hold meeting on Korean Peninsula situation
Senior national security officials of the United States, Japan, and South Korea have sat down to discuss U.S. policy review on North Korea and other regional issues.
The White House says the officials shared their concerns about Pyongyang's "nuclear and ballistic missile programs" and "reaffirmed their commitment to address and resolve these issues through concerted trilateral cooperation towards denuclearization."
The dialogue also covered issues of the pandemic, climate change, and the situation in Myanmar.
Russia fines Twitter for failure to delete illegal content
A Moscow court on Friday fined Twitter 8.9 million rubles, or about 117,000 U.S. dollars, for violating Russia's Internet legislation by failing to remove content banned in the country.
Part of the content in question urged minors to take part in illegal protests, promoted drug use, and spread child pornography.
Twitter has 60 days to pay the fines from the day the ruling comes into force.
