Foreign
Moderna begins vaccine trials for children under 12
March 16, 2021, 9:02 pm
ANKARA – Moderna began Covid-19 vaccine trials on children aged between six months and 12 years, according to a statement on Tuesday. The first participants were administered doses in the Phase 2/3 study, called the KidCOVE study, the US pharmaceutical and biotechnology said. "We are encouraged… Read More
Ireland suspends Oxford vaccine rollout over clot fears
March 15, 2021, 8:34 am
LONDON – Following similar moves by other EU countries last week, Ireland on Sunday suspended the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine over fears of serious blood clots. After consulting with the Norwegian Medicines Agency on Saturday and discussions with the Health Products Regulatory… Read More
5 EU states urge talks on ‘fair’ vaccine distribution
March 15, 2021, 8:33 am
BRUSSELS – Some 5 EU member states on Saturday called for a summit meeting on the "fair distribution" of vaccines developed for the novel coronavirus pandemic. Leaders of Austria, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Latvia sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen… Read More
WHO yet to validate ‘Indonesia strain’
March 14, 2021, 8:24 pm
JAKARTA – Vaccination spokesperson for the Health Ministry Dr. Siti Nadia Tarmizi said the mutation of the new coronavirus N439K, which was first detected in Indonesia in November 2020, has yet to receive special attention from the World Health Organization (WHO). "This is actually a single… Read More
Asteroid passing by near Earth on March 21 poses no danger
March 13, 2021, 7:53 pm
ANKARA – A large asteroid around 0.9 kilometers (.56 miles) wide will pass close by the Earth on March 21, US space agency NASA said Thursday. Called 2001 FO32, it will make its closest approach to the Earth at a distance of 2 million kilometers (1.25 million miles), according to the NASA-owned… Read More
Prince William: 'We are very much not a racist family'
March 12, 2021, 9:18 am
LONDON – Prince William on Thursday denied that Britain’s royal family was racist, in his first public remarks since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, William’s brother and sister-in-law, made allegations in a TV interview. “We are very much not a racist family,” William told Sky News.… Read More
UK: Harry and Meghan spur freedom of speech debate
March 11, 2021, 6:17 pm
LONDON – The fallout from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah continued apace on Wednesday, with journalist Piers Morgan dramatically quitting his position as host of one of the United Kingdom's (UK) top morning TV shows in defense of his freedom of speech. Morgan, 55, had been… Read More
Women leaders on rise worldwide
March 9, 2021, 6:35 pm
ANKARA – The number of women who perform duties as leaders or high-ranking executives in international organizations has increased over recent years. A total of 58 countries were governed by a woman between 1960 and 2021, according to data from Germany-based statistics company Statista. In the… Read More
Virus saw calls to women's helplines rise fivefold: UN
March 9, 2021, 2:23 pm
GENEVA – Calls to helplines have increased fivefold in some countries as rates of reported intimate partner violence increase because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations said Monday. Restricted movement, social isolation, and economic insecurity are increasing women's vulnerability to… Read More
42 of 100 people play mobile games once daily
March 7, 2021, 11:25 am
ISTANBUL – More than 40 out of 100 people play mobile games at least once a day, according to a recent survey. AdColony, global advertising, and marketing platform surveyed 1,250 people on mobile games and social media platforms in Europe, Middle East and the Africa (EMEA) region. While 88 of… Read More
'Stay the course', WHO urges amid rise in virus cases
March 4, 2021, 2:37 pm
GENEVA – A senior World Health Organization (WHO) doctor warned on Wednesday of a worrisome rise in Covid-19 cases after weeks of falling infections and urged people to observe counter-measures to check the virus even as vaccinations continue. Maria Van Kerkhove, one of the WHO's leading… Read More
WHO to allocate 237M COVAX shots by end of May
March 3, 2021, 2:17 pm
GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said Tuesday 11 million vaccine doses to fight Covid-19 will be delivered this week, and 237 million shots allocated to 142 economies and countries through the COVAX facility by the end of May for equitable distribution of jabs. WHO… Read More
Japan rejects China’s claim over disputed Islands
March 2, 2021, 9:20 pm
ANKARA – Japan on Tuesday strongly criticized and dismissed China's claim over disputed islands in the East China Sea, saying the claim breaks international law. “The activities of Chinese government vessels are based on Beijing’s claims and represent a violation of international law,”… Read More
More than 87K scientific papers released on virus: study
March 2, 2021, 7:16 pm
ANKARA – Scientists from all around the world have published more than 87,000 papers on the coronavirus from the beginning of the pandemic until October, a recent study published by the Ohio State University showed. "It is an astonishing number of publications – it may be unprecedented in the… Read More
World saw 13,654 quakes of magnitude 4 or above in 2020
March 2, 2021, 2:39 pm
ANKARA – Around the world, there were 13,654 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher in 2020, the strongest of which was recorded in the US. Around 500,000 earthquakes, minor or major, occur on Earth every year, about 100,000 of which are felt, while around 100 cause damage. According to the US… Read More
UN says 18 anti-coup protesters killed in Myanmar
March 1, 2021, 7:01 pm
GENEVA – The UN Human Rights Office on Sunday condemned escalating violence against protesters in Myanmar, calling on the country’s military junta to immediately halt the use of force. “We strongly condemn the escalating violence against protests in Myanmar and call on the military to… Read More
Italy's ambassador to DR Congo killed in ambush
February 23, 2021, 3:08 pm
YAOUNDE, Cameroon – An Italian diplomat was among three people killed Monday in an attack on a UN convoy in the restive Democratic Republic of Congo, said local and Italian authorities. According to local sources, the convoy was attacked in an attempted kidnapping near Goma, the capital of North… Read More
US arrests 'El Chapo' wife on drug trafficking charges
February 23, 2021, 9:09 am
WASHINGTON – US authorities on Monday arrested the wife of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, the leader of a Mexican drug organization known as the Sinaloa Cartel, in Virginia, said the Justice Department. Emma Coronel Aispuro, 31, was arrested at Dulles International Airport "on charges… Read More
US surpasses 500K coronavirus deaths: Johns Hopkins
February 23, 2021, 9:01 am
WASHINGTON – The US surpassed half a million coronavirus-related deaths Monday as the country continues to grapple with the pandemic. In all, 500,071 deaths were related to Covid-19 complications while more than 28 million cases have been recorded, according to data from Johns Hopkins… Read More
WHO official says pandemic to end early 2022
February 22, 2021, 2:10 pm
DENMARK, COPENHAGEN – The World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Europe on Sunday said he believes the coronavirus outbreak will end in early 2022. Hans Kluge told Danish state broadcaster DR that Covid-19 will still be prevalent in 2021, but it will be more manageable than in… Read More
