Foreign
Int’l community condemns Russian move in eastern Ukraine
February 22, 2022, 8:17 pm
VIENNA/ROTTERDAM/NUR-SULTAN/TBILISI – Global condemnations have poured in following Russia’s recognition of Ukraine’s breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states. EU members Austria, Netherlands, Czechia and Slovakia issued reactions to Russia's decision to recognize… Read More
Putin orders 'peacekeeping operations' in eastern Ukraine
February 22, 2022, 1:52 pm
KRAMATORSK, Ukraine – Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed his country’s armed forces late Monday to carry out “peacekeeping operations” in the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. The two separate presidential decrees ordered Russia's Foreign Ministry to conduct… Read More
Death toll climbs to 67 from deadly rains in Brazil
February 17, 2022, 10:39 am
BUENOS AIRES – At least 67 have died after heavy rains hit Petropolis in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, authorities said Wednesday. The death toll from floods and landslides includes 22 men, 37 women and eight children, according to a report by Brazilia’s G1. Fifty-four houses were… Read More
European gas prices decline as Russia-Ukraine tensions abate
February 16, 2022, 8:18 pm
ANKARA – Natural gas prices in Europe started to decline on Wednesday after Russia announced a partial withdrawal of troops from the Ukrainian border. Natural gas prices for March future contracts, traded on the TTF, the Netherlands-based virtual natural gas trading point, reached as high as… Read More
Long Covid less common among vaccinated: study
February 16, 2022, 4:39 pm
LONDON – A study by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found that people who have been fully vaccinated are less likely to be affected by long Covid after contracting the virus. The investigation reviewed 15 national and international studies on the effects of long Covid. Eight looked at the… Read More
SoKor's daily cases hit grim milestone of 90K amid Omicron woes
February 16, 2022, 3:00 pm
SEOUL – South Korea's daily Covid-19 cases spiked to an all-time high Wednesday amid worries that the number could further increase as the government might ease current tough social distancing curbs later this week. The country reported 90,443 new Covid-19 infections, including 90,281 local… Read More
Canada eases test requirements for inbound fully vaxxed travelers
February 16, 2022, 2:35 pm
OTTAWA – Canada is easing the on-arrival test requirements for fully vaccinated travelers starting February 28 as the latest wave of Covid-19 driven by the Omicron variant has passed its peak, Public Health Agency of Canada announced Tuesday. According to the press release, travelers may still… Read More
World spends daily average of 7 hours online: Report
February 15, 2022, 9:48 pm
ANKARA – The amount of time people across the world spend online has surged remarkably in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the trend showing no sign of slowing, according to a new report. The report, titled "DIGITAL 2022 – Global Overview," was released by the New York-based agency We… Read More
UN chief speaks with Russian, Ukrainian foreign ministers
February 15, 2022, 11:33 am
WASHINGTON – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke separately Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba amid growing fears of a conflict in Ukraine. Speaking at a press conference at UN headquarters, the UN chief said he is "deeply… Read More
Russian invasion of Ukraine could spark new refugee influx in EU
February 14, 2022, 9:42 pm
WARSAW – The possible invasion of Ukraine by Russia is expected to lead to a new influx of refugees in the heart of Europe, say experts. Poland, a country with barely any experience in dealing with refugees, is expected to be the most affected by the influx. In view of this, the Polish… Read More
South Korea daily infections surpass 50K for 3rd straight day
February 12, 2022, 5:46 pm
SEOUL – South Korea's new Covid-19 infections reached a fresh daily high Saturday as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continued to spread fast across the nation. The country reported 54,941 new Covid-19 infections, including 53,797 local cases, raising the total to 1,294,205, according… Read More
Lack of accurate info fails US Covid-19 response: media
February 12, 2022, 3:00 pm
NEW YORK – Public health officials in the United States are frustrated by a fractured and undervalued health data infrastructure in the battle against the coronavirus disease 2019, calling the lack of accurate and real-time information as "one of the greatest failures of the US response to the… Read More
British PM urges Russia to defuse Ukrainian border tension
February 11, 2022, 12:11 pm
LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Russia on Thursday to de-escalate tensions on its border with Ukraine as military exercises are underway in neighboring Belarus. In a meeting with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki, Johnson made clear the only solution to the crisis is… Read More
Actors Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin to tie the knot in March
February 11, 2022, 10:12 am
SEOUL – Star actor Hyun Bin and his on-screen partner in the hit drama "Crash Landing On You," Son Ye-jin, will get married next month after two years of dating, their agencies said Thursday. The couple plans to hold a wedding at an undisclosed place in Seoul next month with only their parents,… Read More
WHO seeks $16B from rich countries to narrow vax gap, fight Covid
February 10, 2022, 2:05 pm
GENEVA – The World Health Organization on Wednesday renewed its appeal to high-income countries to stump up USD16 billion (PHP800 billion) for its program to give lower- and middle-income nations equal access to vaccines, treatments, and personal protective equipment. The ACT-Accelerator is… Read More
World's biggest black diamond sold for $4.2-M in London
February 10, 2022, 12:46 pm
LONDON – The world’s largest cut diamond was sold for more than USD4 million (PHP200 million) at the UK’s famous auction house Sotheby’s on Wednesday. The extremely rare diamond, named “The Enigma”, was open for bidding from Feb. 3 to 9. The rare fancy black carbonado diamond weighing… Read More
Japanese princess hospitalized for Covid-19, pneumonia
February 10, 2022, 12:44 pm
ISTANBUL – The first member of Japan’s imperial family infected with the coronavirus has been hospitalized after being diagnosed with pneumonia. Princess Yoko, 38, was reported to have caught Covid-19 on Tuesday but the latest medical reports showed doctors diagnosed her with pneumonia,… Read More
South Korea reports record nearly 50K new Covid-19 cases
February 9, 2022, 8:24 pm
ANKARA – South Korea on Wednesday reported nearly 50,000 new COVID-19 cases, a new record driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant of coronavirus. During the past 24 hours, 49,567 new cases were confirmed, pushing the total caseload to over 1.13 million, the Korea Disease Control and… Read More
China decries US arms sale deal with Taiwan
February 9, 2022, 6:32 pm
ISTANBUL – China on Wednesday criticized the US arms sale to Taiwan, saying it will take measures to defend the territorial integrity of the country. “The Peoples Liberation Army will take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, thwart external… Read More
German, French, Polish leaders meet to prevent war in Europe
February 9, 2022, 1:32 pm
BERLIN – The leaders of Germany, France and Poland urged Russia on Tuesday to back away from military threats and pursue a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis. "Our common goal is to prevent a war in Europe," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a joint news conference in Berlin with… Read More
