World News Roundup: Ex-kickboxer Andrew Tate says Romanian prosecutors have no evidence against him; Cargo ship sinks off Japan, leaving two dead, nine missing and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Lockerbie bombing suspect to be arraigned in U.S. federal court

A Libyan intelligence operative suspected of making the bomb that blew up Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 and killed 270 people will be arraigned in a U.S. court on Wednesday, where prosecutors are also expected to ask for him to be detained through trial. Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi,71, is the first suspect in the attack to face criminal charges in the United States. He is scheduled to appear in a federal court in Washington.

Ex-kickboxer Andrew Tate says Romanian prosecutors have no evidence against him

Divisive internet personality Andrew Tate said on Wednesday there was no justice in Romania and that the case file against him in a criminal investigation for alleged human trafficking and rape was empty. Tate, his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects have been in police custody since Dec. 29 pending an ongoing criminal investigation on charges of forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, accusations they deny.

Cargo ship sinks off Japan, leaving two dead, nine missing

Two people died and nine were missing after a cargo ship sank off southwestern Japan early on Wednesday amid fierce winter winds, the coast guard said, as it continued to search for survivors. Six people who were rescued remained unconscious, while five had revived as of 8:30 p.m. local time (1130 GMT), the Japan Coast Guard said, partly citing information from its South Korean counterpart.

Germany clears way for scores of tanks for Ukraine, U.S. also poised

Germany cleared the way on Wednesday for Europe to send scores of battle tanks to Ukraine, and Washington was poised make a similar announcement - moves hailed by Kyiv as a potential turning point in the war and condemned by Moscow as escalation. Kyiv has been calling for months for Western main battle tanks that would give its forces greater firepower, protection and mobility to break through Russian defensive lines and potentially reclaim territory occupied by the invaders.

Ukraine confirms its troops have withdrawn from Soledar

Ukraine confirmed on Wednesday its troops had withdrawn from Soledar in eastern Ukraine, almost two weeks after Russian troops said they had captured the small salt-mining town. "In order to preserve the lives of service personnel, the Defence Forces withdrew from Soledar," military spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi was quoted as saying by state broadcaster Suspilne.

Former vice president Chen to become new Taiwan premier

Former vice president Chen Chien-jen will be Taiwan's new premier, the presidential office said on Wednesday, as part of a cabinet reshuffle following heavy losses for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at local elections last year.

Premier Su Tseng-chang submitted his resignation last week along with that of his cabinet ahead of the widely expected government reorganisation.

China says peak COVID infections exceeded 7 million daily, deaths more than 4,000 daily

China's daily new COVID-19 infections hit a peak of more than 7 million per day around Dec. 22, while deaths reached a daily peak of more than 4,000 on Jan. 4, the country's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday. The figures, published on the centre's website, come after a prominent government scientist said over the weekend that 80% of China's 1.4 billion population have already been infected, making the possibility of a big COVID-19 rebound over the next two or three months remote.

Defiant Indian students to hold more screenings of BBC documentary on Modi

Indian students said they would show again a BBC documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the government has dismissed as propaganda after a Tuesday campus screening was disrupted by a power cut and intimidation by opponents. The Students' Federation of India (SFI) plans to show the documentary, "India: The Modi Question", in every Indian state, its general secretary told Reuters on Wednesday.

WHO investigating links between cough syrup deaths, considers advice for parents

The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating whether there is any connection between manufacturers whose contaminated cough syrups it has linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in three countries, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. Citing “unacceptable levels” of toxins in the products, the WHO is seeking more information about the specific raw materials used by six manufacturers in India and Indonesia to produce medicines linked to the recent deaths, as well as whether the companies obtained them from some of the same suppliers, the person said. The WHO has not named any suppliers.

Strong clan loyalty, locals, helped mafia boss Messina Denaro stay hidden

When Salvatore Catalano discovered that mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro had lived just a short walk from his house in the western Sicilian town of Campobello di Mazara, he felt sick. Catalano's brother, Agostino, was a policeman who died in a 1992 bomb that killed anti-mob magistrate Paolo Borsellino - a attack that prosecutors say Messina Denaro helped mastermind.

(With inputs from agencies.)