Briefly

UNITED NATIONS

Vote paves way for Darfur mission end

The Security Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution to terminate the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, or UNAMID, from Dec 31.Resolution 2559, which won the unanimous support of the 15-member council, requests that the UN secretary-general begin the draw-down of UNAMID personnel on Jan 1, and complete the withdrawal of the remaining personnel by June 30, 2021. Exceptions are provided for those required for the mission's liquidation. The operation was established by the Security Council in July 2007 to help maintain and mediate peace in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, which had been plagued by a war between government forces and the indigenous population since 2003.

UNITED STATES

President's loyalists among 15 pardoned

US President Donald Trump has pardoned 15 people, including a pair of congressional Republicans who were strong and early supporters, a 2016 campaign official ensnared in the Russia probe and former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad. Trump's actions in his final weeks in office show a president who is wielding his executive power to reward loyalists and others who he believes have been wronged by a legal system biased against him and his allies. On Tuesday, Trump issued the pardons－not an unusual act for an outgoing president－even as he refused to publicly acknowledge his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, who will be sworn in on Jan 20.The pardons drew criticism from top Democrats.

Walmart sued over opioid crisis role

The US Justice Department sued Walmart over its role in the opioid crisis on Tuesday, alleging the giant retailer wrongly filled prescriptions and worsened a public health disaster. The suit accuses Walmart of irresponsible handling of orders, filling thousands of "invalid" prescriptions and ignoring red flags about problem orders as it sacrificed public health in a drive to boost sales. Authorities could seek billions of dollars in penalties in the litigation that followed a multiyear investigation, the department said in a statement. Nearly 450,000 people in the US lost their lives to overdoses from both prescription and illegal opioids between 1999 and 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Agencies - Xinhua