World News: 22 January 2023

China rings in Year of Rabbit with most COVID rules lifted
The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China. Each year is named after one of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac in a repeating cycle, with this year being the Year of the Rabbit. For the past three years, celebrations were muted in the shadow of the pandemic.

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Brazil and Argentina to begin preparations for common currency
The plan, set to be discussed at a summit in Buenos Aires this week, will focus on how a new currency which Brazil suggests calling the "sur" (south) could boost regional trade and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar, FT reported citing officials.
Politicians from both countries have discussed the idea already in 2019, but met with pushback from Brazil's central bank at the time.

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Italy’s Meloni eyes boost in strong energy ties with Algeria
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni is looking to boost already strong energy ties with Algeria to further wean Italy off Russian energy, a focus of her two-day visit to the North African nation. 
Italy and gas-rich Algeria now want to build on then premier Mario Draghi’s successful initiatives last year to boost Algerian energy supplies to Italy, the diplomat said.

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Peru closes Machu Picchu as anti-government protests grow
The Culture Ministry said it had closed the country's most famous tourist attraction as well as the Inca Trail leading up to the site "to protect the safety of tourists and the population in general."
There were 417 visitors stuck at Machu Picchu and unable to get out, more than 300 of them foreigners, Tourism Minister Luis Fernando Helguero said at a news conference.

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'Signs of cracks' within Iran's government as lively protests endure
Despite the regime's fierce repression, involving hundreds of killings, mass detentions and four executions so far, protests are continuing in Iran, though in different forms and more sporadically. 
Protests were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman died after being arrested by Iran's so-called morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. 

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Nigeria confirms diphtheria outbreak, monitors situation in 4 states
Diphtheria causes breathing difficulties, heart failure and paralysis. The people most at risk are unvaccinated or live areas or with poor sanitation.
Nigeria has not had a diphtheria outbreak of this magnitude in recent years. The nation's capacity to diagnose the disease and treat patients is limited in many remote areas.

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