Foreign
NATO condemns Russia’s 'reckless, unprovoked attack' on Ukraine
February 24, 2022, 1:59 pm
WASHINGTON – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday strongly condemned Russia’s "reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine," saying it puts at risk countless civilian lives. "Once again, despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen… Read More
Ukraine warns against ‘staged provocation’ by Russia
February 24, 2022, 1:23 pm
KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine’s foreign minister warned late Wednesday against a “staged provocation” by Russia as tensions between Moscow and Kyiv remain high. “Worrying reports from Crimea on the entire night shift of Titan chemicals plant in Armyansk evacuated from the facility,” Dmytro… Read More
Russia announces special military operation in eastern Ukraine
February 24, 2022, 1:12 pm
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation early Thursday in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region. In a televised address, Putin said the people of Donbas turned to Russia for help, according to Russian news agency TASS. “In this regard...I decided to conduct… Read More
Russia-Ukraine crisis: What you need to know
February 23, 2022, 10:09 pm
ANKARA – The Russia-Ukraine crisis, which began about eight years ago, has taken on new dimensions following Moscow's controversial recognition of the independence of separatist regions in the country's east. In a speech late Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the recognition of… Read More
SoKor's daily Covid-19 cases surge to new high 171,452
February 23, 2022, 9:05 pm
SEOUL – South Korea's new Covid-19 infections soared to another high of over 170,000 on Wednesday, nearly doubling from a week earlier, as the highly contagious omicron variant continued to spread across the country. The country reported 171,452 new Covid-19 infections, including 171,271 local… Read More
Inmate pardoned by victim's kin dies of heart attack out of joy
February 23, 2022, 4:46 pm
TEHRAN, Iran – A 55-year-old man from the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran spent 18 harrowing years on death row, with his life constantly hanging by a thread. Sentenced to death by a local court in 2003 on charges of "premeditated murder" of an acquaintance, Akbar's life was reduced… Read More
Canada announces sanctions against Russia over Ukraine
February 23, 2022, 3:17 pm
TRENTON, Canada – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced sanctions on Tuesday against Russia, calling its recognition of two breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent states "illegal" and "unacceptable." Speaking at a press conference, Trudeau said Canada "strongly condemns" Russian… Read More
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
