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Hindu Monk Jailed after Calling for 'Genocide' of Muslims

Indian authorities have charged a Hindu monk with inciting religious violence after he called for the "genocide" of India's Muslims at a meeting of right-wing supporters, police said Monday.

Senior police officer Swatantra Kumar said Yati Narsinghanand Giri, an outspoken supporter of far-right nationalists who also heads a Hindu monastery, was initially arrested on Saturday on allegations that he made derogatory remarks against women. He appeared the following day in a court in the town of Haridwar, where he was sent into 14 days of custody for hate speech against Muslims and calling for violence against them.

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China Reopens Rail Freight Traffic with North Korea

China has restored railway freight traffic with North Korea that had been suspended over pandemic concerns, its foreign ministry said Monday.

Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the connection across the Yalu River between China's Dandong and Sinuiju in North Korea had been restored after "friendly consultation between the two sides."

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Turkey's Erdogan in Albania to Boost Bilateral Ties

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday visited Albania to talk with Prime Minister Edi Rama on strengthening bilateral ties and also inaugurate new apartments funded by Turkey for Albanians left homeless by the 2019 earthquake.

Upon landing Erdogan immediately headed to the northwestern town of Lac, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northwest of the capital Tirana, where Turkey has funded the building of a complex with 522 apartments at a cost of 42 million euros ($48 million).

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Iranian Diplomats Arrive in Saudi Arabia for Fist Time Since 2016

Three Iranian diplomats have arrived in Saudi Arabia to represent Tehran in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, state TV reported Monday.

The report said the diplomats arrived several days ago, marking the first time that Saudi Arabia is receiving diplomats from Iran since 2016. That's when Saudi Arabia severed relations with the Islamic Republic after Iranian hardliners attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.

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Trailblazing Arab Lawmaker Shakes Up Israeli Politics

Mansour Abbas broke a longstanding taboo when he led his Arab party into Israel's governing coalition last year. The bold move appears to be paying dividends.

Abbas, a once obscure politician, is the linchpin of the shaky union, securing hefty budgets and favorable policies for his constituents and even winning an audience with the king of Jordan.

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From Oil-Rich UAE, South Korea President Vows Climate Action

The president of South Korea on Monday vowed to world leaders that his fossil fuel-dependent country and the oil-rich United Arab Emirates would jointly expand their investments in renewable energy to tackle climate change.

During his visit to the UAE, President Moon Jae-in reiterated Seoul's commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, slash methane emissions and boost renewables as the nation known as one of Asia's biggest greenhouse gas emitters comes under growing pressure to combat climate change.

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Djokovic Lands in Serbia after Deportation from Australia

Novak Djokovic arrived in his native Serbia on Monday after being deported from Australia because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, ending his hopes of defending his Australian Open title.

The tennis star's exit from Australia closed at least the first chapter in a dizzying drama that has resonance in the world of elite sports, Australian pandemic politics and the polarized debate over the COVID-19 shots. But at the same time another chapter opened as questions arose over whether he would be barred from the next Grand Slam tournament, the French Open.

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U.N. Official Says Libya Elections Could be Rescheduled for June

A senior U.N. official said she is pushing for Libya to hold elections by June after the county missed a December deadline to elect its first president since the 2011 ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Stephanie Williams, the U.N.'s special adviser on Libya, told The Associated Press late Sunday that it is still "very reasonable and possible" for the country's 2.8 million voters to cast their ballots by June in line with the U.N.-brokered 2020 roadmap.

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Jordanian Officer Dead after Syria Border Clash with Gunmen

Jordan's military has said that an army officer was killed in a shootout with smugglers on the country's northern border with Syria.

A Jordanian military website said Capt. Muhammad Yassin Musa al-Khudayrat was killed and three others were injured when a group of smugglers opened fire on border guards.

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N. Korea Fires Short-Range Missiles in 4th Launch this Year

North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea Monday in its fourth weapons launch this month, South Korea's military said, with the apparent goal of demonstrating its military might amid paused diplomacy with the United States and pandemic border closures.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North likely fired two short-range ballistic missiles from an area in Sunan, the location of Pyongyang's international airport. The missiles were launched four minutes apart Monday morning and flew around 380 kilometers (236 miles) on a maximum altitude of 42 kilometers (26 miles) before landing in waters off the country's northeastern coast, it said.

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