Foreign

Trump administration formally pulls US out of WHO

Trump administration formally pulls US out of WHO

July 8, 2020, 9:39 am

ANKARA – President Donald Trump's administration has officially withdrawn the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak, a top Democrat confirmed Tuesday. "Congress received notification that POTUS officially withdrew the US from… Read More

Oil down with more Covid-19 cases in key US states

Oil down with more Covid-19 cases in key US states

July 8, 2020, 8:59 am

ANKARA – Crude oil prices were down on Tuesday as the rising number of new coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in some key US states is dampening the outlook for oil demand in the country. International benchmark Brent crude was trading at USD42.66 per barrel at 0648 GMT for a 1.02-percent loss after… Read More

NoKor rules out more talks with US

NoKor rules out more talks with US

July 7, 2020, 8:20 pm

ANKARA – North Korea on Tuesday reiterated that it will not hold a dialogue with the US, slamming South Korea for “meddling" in its affairs. In a statement carried by state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kwon Jong Gun, director general of US affairs at the Foreign Ministry, said:… Read More

UN warns of more animal-to-human viruses

UN warns of more animal-to-human viruses

July 7, 2020, 6:07 pm

WASHINGTON – Further outbreaks will emerge unless governments take active measures to prevent other zoonotic diseases from crossing into the human population, according to a UN report Monday. Covid-19, Ebola, MERS, West Nile and Rift Valley fever are caused by viruses that have jumped from… Read More

UN: Terrorists must not exploit post-virus fragilities

UN: Terrorists must not exploit post-virus fragilities

July 7, 2020, 2:12 pm

ANKARA – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged countries to prevent terror groups from exploiting fragilities caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). "Psycho-social, economic and political stresses associated with Covid-19 have risen dramatically," Guterres said at… Read More

India becomes 3rd worst virus-hit country, cases near 700K

India becomes 3rd worst virus-hit country, cases near 700K

July 6, 2020, 3:49 pm

NEW DELHI – India on Sunday became the third worst virus-hit country in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases after the US and Brazil. India registered 24,248 positive cases in the last 24 hours taking the tally to 697,413, according to the Health Ministry. The death toll… Read More

Nearly 25K virus cases in India in record daily jump

Nearly 25K virus cases in India in record daily jump

July 5, 2020, 6:18 pm

NEW DELHI, India – With 24,850 new cases and 613 deaths in the last 24 hours, India Sunday saw its biggest surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases. The country’s tally of infections rose to 673,165 as the death toll zoomed to 19,268, according to the Health Ministry data. The total… Read More

WHO suspends hydroxychloroquine trial for second time

WHO suspends hydroxychloroquine trial for second time

July 5, 2020, 3:14 pm

GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday said it stopped a clinical trial of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients. “WHO today accepted the recommendation from the Solidarity Trial’s International Steering Committee to… Read More

WHO reports record single-day surge in global Covid-19 cases

WHO reports record single-day surge in global Covid-19 cases

July 5, 2020, 1:59 pm

GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday reported 212,326 new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day increase since the pandemic broke out. The biggest increase was reported in the Americas region with 129,772 new cases, said the… Read More

China's Covid-19 complex to produce over 100M vaccine

China's Covid-19 complex to produce over 100M vaccine

July 3, 2020, 8:59 pm

ANKARA – China has completed the construction of a research laboratory and workshop complex in the city of Wuhan for producing vaccines to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the state-run media said on Friday. While the laboratory is capable of research and studying pathogenic… Read More

Asian countries interested in Russian-made drugs vs. Covid-19

Asian countries interested in Russian-made drugs vs. Covid-19

July 3, 2020, 3:15 pm

MOSCOW – Asian countries have expressed interest in Russian-produced drugs and vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said Thursday. In an open interview with TASS, First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman, Morgulov said the… Read More

WHO documents over 176K Covid-19 cases globally in past 24 hours

WHO documents over 176K Covid-19 cases globally in past 24 hours

July 3, 2020, 10:27 am

GENEVA – Over 176,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection were registered worldwide on July 2, with the overall number of such cases exceeding 10.53 million, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its daily bulletin on Thursday evening. As of 11 p.m. Moscow time on July 2, as… Read More

Global e-waste surges 21% in 5 years: UN report

Global e-waste surges 21% in 5 years: UN report

July 3, 2020, 9:31 am

GENEVA – The world produced a record 53.6 million tons of electronic waste in 2019, the weight of 350 big cruise ships, a UN report said on Thursday. The report said the e-waste – discarded products with a battery or plug – surged 21 percent over the past five years, predicting that it will… Read More

Jade mine landslide kills over 110 in northern Myanmar

Jade mine landslide kills over 110 in northern Myanmar

July 2, 2020, 10:14 pm

YANGON, Myanmar – More than 100 miners were killed in a landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar, the country’s emergency services reported on Thursday. The landslide in the state of Kachin was caused by heavy rain, triggering a "muddy wave" which buried the miners, the Fire Service said… Read More

UN Security Council adopts resolution on Covid-19

UN Security Council adopts resolution on Covid-19

July 2, 2020, 9:34 am

UNITED NATIONS – The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution on Covid-19, demanding a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations on its agenda. Resolution 2532, which won the unanimous support of the 15 members of the council, calls on all parties to armed… Read More

Coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia surpass 153K

Coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia surpass 153K

July 2, 2020, 8:19 am

JAKARTA – The number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in Southeast Asian countries rose to 153,171, officials confirmed on Wednesday, including 4,418 fatalities and 86,812 recoveries. At least 2,600 new cases were reported, with 62 people having died of the virus while 1,535… Read More

Asean, Australia diplomats pledge cooperation vs. Covid-19

Asean, Australia diplomats pledge cooperation vs. Covid-19

July 1, 2020, 3:51 pm

HANOI – Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Australian foreign ministers convened Tuesday in a virtual meeting to discuss cooperation amid the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and outlining a plan for economic recovery in the Indo-Pacific region. The two… Read More

US could see 100K daily coronavirus cases: expert

US could see 100K daily coronavirus cases: expert

July 1, 2020, 2:05 pm

WASHINGTON – The US could see as many as 100,000 new coronavirus infections daily, the nation's top infectious disease expert told a Senate hearing Tuesday. "We are now having 40,000+ new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around," said… Read More

Chinese President Xi signs new Hong Kong security law

Chinese President Xi signs new Hong Kong security law

July 1, 2020, 8:11 am

ANKARA – China’s president on Tuesday signed a decree imposing a controversial new security law on Hong Kong, local media reported. Xi Jinping signed the decree after the Standing Committee of China’s 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China’s top legislative body, unanimously voted to… Read More

UN rights office 'horrified' at mass graves in Libya

UN rights office 'horrified' at mass graves in Libya

June 30, 2020, 6:59 pm

GENEVA – The UN Human Rights Office said Tuesday it is "horrified" by the recent discovery of mass graves in and around the Libyan city of Tarhuna. UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Liz Throssell said her office was "horrified by the discovery of mass graves in Tarhuna and its surroundings".… Read More