Dec 03 WHO says measures used against delta should work for omicron By Jim Gomez, Associated Press That means continuing to push for higher vaccination rates, abiding by social-distancing guidelines, and wearing masks, among other measures, public health officials say. Continue reading
Dec 03 Ukraine says Russia amassed over 94,000 troops at border By Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press Ukrainian and Western officials recently voiced alarm about a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine, saying they feared it could herald an invasion. Continue reading
Dec 02 Travel bans punish countries for doing necessary work to end the pandemic, South Africa epidemiologist says By Kenichi Serino When omicron, a new variant of Covid-19, was discovered by South African scientists, the United States moved quickly to implement a travel ban against the country, a move the country's leading epidemiologist has called "outrageous" and "an overreaction."… Continue reading
Dec 02 Watch 6:13 Does South Africa's COVID uptick signal greater threat from omicron? Here's what we know By William Brangham, Courtney Norris While we don't know whether the omicron variant will lead to more severe cases of COVID-19, its ability to spread is becoming clearer. Cases in South Africa are spiking at the fastest rate since the pandemic began, and European officials… Continue watching
Dec 02 U.S., EU and allies hit Belarus with coordinated sanctions By Lorne Cook, Associated Press The four have targeted Belarus since President Alexander Lukashenko won yet another term in office last year after elections that the West and other observers say were fraudulent. Continue reading
Dec 02 Aid official says Afghanistan's crises 'progressively getting worse' By Lee Keath, Associated Press United Nations figures from early November show almost 24 million people in Afghanistan, around 60 percent of the population, suffer from acute hunger. That includes nearly 9 million people who live in near-famine. Continue reading
Dec 02 U.S. warns Russia to stay away from Ukraine amid troop buildup By Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press The Kremlin has voiced concern about a possible escalation of fighting in eastern Ukraine's separatist conflict as the U.S. issued a strong warning to Russia to stay away from Ukraine. Continue reading
Dec 02 Omicron and delta spell return of unpopular restrictions By Lori Hinnant, Associated Press Governments face a thorny calculus made more difficult by the prospect of backlash, increased social divisions and the fear of being voted out of office. Continue reading
Dec 01 Watch 5:41 India extends door-to-door vaccine campaign as omicron variant worries officials By Fred de Sam Lazaro The trajectory of omicron infections is being watched closely in India, where the official death toll from COVID-19 is approaching half a million. The true toll is likely much higher. Memories are still fresh of the devastation caused by the… Continue watching
Dec 01 Watch 5:43 Officials pessimistic about agreement between U.S. and Iran amid tense talks By Nick Schifrin For the first time Wednesday, the recently elected Iranian government is negotiating its nuclear program with the world powers who signed the nuclear deal back in 2015. Iran wants relief from economic sanctions. The U.S. and Europe want Iran to… Continue watching