Foreign

SoKor’s new Covid-19 cases hit record 38,691 amid Omicron wave

SoKor’s new Covid-19 cases hit record 38,691 amid Omicron wave

February 6, 2022, 1:04 pm

SEOUL -- South Korea's daily virus cases hit another high Sunday, exceeding 38,000, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant rages across the country following a holiday season. The country reported 38,691 new Covid-19 infections, including 38,502 local cases, raising the total to 1,009,688,… Read More

US: More than 350K people without power, more outages expected

US: More than 350K people without power, more outages expected

February 5, 2022, 1:16 pm

HOUSTON, TEXAS - A massive winter storm continues to pummel the US, leaving more than 350,000 people in the dark. Heavy snow, freezing rain, and ice brought down power lines across a 2,000-mile path from Arkansas and Tennessee, to Illinois and Ohio, to Kentucky and West Virginia. More than three… Read More

Highly virulent HIV variant discovered in Netherlands

Highly virulent HIV variant discovered in Netherlands

February 5, 2022, 1:05 pm

LONDON - A highly virulent variant of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) has been discovered in the Netherlands, a scientific study said on Thursday. Published in the journal Science, the analysis of more than 100 HIV patients revealed that those who contracted the variant, known as VB, had… Read More

EU proposes extension of coronavirus digital pass until 2023

EU proposes extension of coronavirus digital pass until 2023

February 4, 2022, 1:25 pm

BRUSSELS – The European Commission proposed an extension for EU digital coronavirus certificates until June 30, 2023. “The COVID-19 virus continues to be prevalent in Europe and at this stage, it is not possible to determine the impact of a possible increase in infections in the second half of… Read More

US military forces kill Daesh/ISIS leader in Syria raid: Biden

US military forces kill Daesh/ISIS leader in Syria raid: Biden

February 3, 2022, 10:03 pm

ANKARA – The so-called leader of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group was killed in an operation by US military forces on Wednesday night, the American president said on Thursday. In a written statement, Joe Biden announced the counterterrorism operation in northwestern Syria "to protect the American… Read More

UN agency launches AI-powered platform to boost sustainable dev't

UN agency launches AI-powered platform to boost sustainable dev't

February 2, 2022, 7:56 pm

GENEVA – The United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communication technologies launched a new community platform Tuesday driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that aims to step up global collaboration on the use of AI to drive sustainable development. The AI for Good Neural… Read More

WHO chief warns of 'very worrying increase' in Covid-19 deaths

WHO chief warns of 'very worrying increase' in Covid-19 deaths

February 2, 2022, 1:41 pm

GENEVA – There is a “very worrying increase” in Covid-19 deaths around the world and preventing transmission of the virus is still paramount, the head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Addressing a webinar, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last Sunday marked two years since a… Read More

US bracing for massive winter storm

US bracing for massive winter storm

February 2, 2022, 12:56 pm

HOUSTON, Texas -- A winter storm is expected to wreak havoc on a nearly 2,000-mile swath of the US over the next few days, bringing heavy snow, ice, and bitterly cold temperatures. The National Weather Service issued winter storm watches and warnings Tuesday from as far south as Texas and New… Read More

World's longest 'megaflash' of lightning confirmed over US

World's longest 'megaflash' of lightning confirmed over US

February 2, 2022, 12:53 pm

ANKARA -- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Tuesday two "megaflashes" of lightning, which set new world records for both length and duration, in North and South America. The record-breaking lightning bolt stretched 768 kilometers (477.2 miles) across parts of the southern US… Read More

EU, others condemn 'devastating effects' of coup in Myanmar

EU, others condemn 'devastating effects' of coup in Myanmar

February 1, 2022, 9:49 pm

BRUSSELS – Top diplomats from the EU, US, UK, Albania, Australia, Canada, Korea, Norway, New Zealand, and Switzerland deplored on Tuesday the “devastating effects” of the military takeover in Myanmar that took place a year ago. “We strongly condemn the military regime’s human rights… Read More

US warns Russia could invade Ukraine 'at any time'

US warns Russia could invade Ukraine 'at any time'

February 1, 2022, 1:06 pm

WASHINGTON – Russia could invade Ukraine "at any time," the US said on Monday amid soaring tensions between the Kremlin and the West. "We feel it's important to be open and candid about the threat from Russia. It's not just words of course. You're seeing specifics that we've been laying out… Read More

15M people under wind chill alerts in US after Nor'easter storm

15M people under wind chill alerts in US after Nor'easter storm

January 31, 2022, 1:54 pm

NEW YORK – More than 15 million people across the US Northeast, Appalachians and southern Florida are under wind chill alerts Sunday morning as arctic air filters south and east behind the departing Nor'easter, which delivered a mix of heavy snow and gale along much of the US East Coast on… Read More

Hundreds of children recruited by Yemen rebels killed in 2021: UN

Hundreds of children recruited by Yemen rebels killed in 2021: UN

January 31, 2022, 12:55 pm

SANAA, Yemen – A total of 562 children recruited by Houthi rebels were killed in fighting in war-torn Yemen last year, a UN report found. The report prepared by UN experts said 562 children aged between 10 and 17 years old died on the battlefield in the period between January and May 2021. “In… Read More

NoKor confirms test-firing of Hwasong-12 ballistic missile

NoKor confirms test-firing of Hwasong-12 ballistic missile

January 31, 2022, 12:21 pm

SEOUL – North Korea announced Monday it test-fired a Hwasong-12 "intermediate and long-range" ballistic missile the previous day. The accuracy of the weapons system "being produced and deployed" has been confirmed, according to Pyongyang's state media. "The evaluation test-fire of Hwasong… Read More

Honduras swears in Xiomara Castro as 1st female president

Honduras swears in Xiomara Castro as 1st female president

January 28, 2022, 1:07 pm

BOGOTA, Colombia – Xiomara Castro was sworn in as Honduras' first female president Thursday in a ceremony attended by US Vice President Kamala Harris, who later met with Castro to tackle immigration and other issues between the two countries. "Our relationship with Honduras is an important one,"… Read More

US calls for Security Council meet to address Russia, Ukraine

US calls for Security Council meet to address Russia, Ukraine

January 28, 2022, 10:41 am

WASHINGTON – The US called Thursday for the UN Security Council to hold an open session to address the West's concerns that Russia is in the midst of preparations to invade Ukraine. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the session would "discuss a matter of crucial importance… Read More

New version of Omicron spreading rapidly in parts of Asia, Europe

New version of Omicron spreading rapidly in parts of Asia, Europe

January 27, 2022, 5:42 pm

IZMIR, Turkiye – A new version of the coronavirus Omicron strain detected in parts of Asia and Europe is spreading much faster than the original variant, a member of Turkiye’s Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board has warned. The BA.2 sub-variant can cause a more rapid increase in the number… Read More

Life near eastern Ukraine's front line: 'I don't want war'

Life near eastern Ukraine's front line: 'I don't want war'

January 27, 2022, 12:38 pm

AVDIIVKA, Ukraine -- Since 2014, under the shadow of war, an octogenarian ex-schoolteacher who lives in a roofless house near the line of contact in eastern Ukraine has clung with all his might to the house he once shared with his wife. Oleksandr Panov, 80, lives in Avdiivka, a city in Ukraine’s… Read More

Pope Francis says Ukrainians 'deserve peace'

Pope Francis says Ukrainians 'deserve peace'

January 26, 2022, 9:00 pm

VATICAN CITY – Ukrainians “deserve peace,” Pope Francis pleaded in special prayers Wednesday as the threat of war with Russia continued to loom over the former Soviet republic. “I ask you to pray for peace in Ukraine, and to do it often throughout this day,” Francis said at the end of… Read More

More than 50M people currently impacted by urban conflict: UN

More than 50M people currently impacted by urban conflict: UN

January 26, 2022, 2:54 pm

WASHINGTON – More than 50 million people are currently being impacted by fighting inside towns and cities around the world, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday. Speaking at the opening of a UN Security Council debate on how to protect civilians caught up in urban conflict,… Read More