WORLD
New Covid cases in NY break previous records
Thursday's figure was an 11 per cent increase over Wednesday's 67,090 positive cases, Xinhua news agency reported citing the data. The state's overall infection tally currently stood at 3,330,403. Meanwhile, a total of 7,373 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised across the state after 606 more were admitted in the past 24 hours.
Russia to host 'Troika Plus' meet on Afghanistan
In November, Islamabad hosted a Troika Plus meeting during which Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said that the engagement with the Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) government in Afghanistan must continue in order to help consolidate peace and stability. The group had also previously met in Qatar in August to discuss political solutions to the conflict during the IEA's takeover of Afghanistan.
Uncertainty looms ahead for US after lurching from crisis to crisis in 2021
The nation faced a crisis of democracy; surges in the Covid-19 pandemic; a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan dimming its global perception; a challenge from China to its status as the premier superpower; a crisis of illegal immigration at the border with Mexico; electoral reverses for Biden's Democratic Party; and a legislative logjam, but amid them, all ties with India continued to grow.
Vienna nuke talks make 'good progress' in sanctions removal: Iran's top negotiator
Ali Bagheri Kani, also Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for political affairs, on Thursday made the remark in an address to Iranian media ahead of a New Year break in the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the remaining parties to the deal, namely China, Russia, Britain, France plus Germany (P4+1), according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Since the beginning of the eighth round of the talks on Monday, the main focus of the negotiations was on the removal of the sanctions on Iran, Bagheri Kani said.
New 'surge hubs' to be set up in UK amid Omicron wave
Temporary structures capable of housing around 100 patients will be erected on the grounds of eight hospitals across the country, with work starting as early as this week, NHS England has said. NHS trusts have also been asked to identify areas such as gyms and education centres that can be converted to accommodate patients and more sites could be added to create up to 4,000 "super surge" beds across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.
4 killed, 15 injured in blast in Pakistan's Quetta
The wounded people are being treated in the trauma centre of the hospital, said the spokesperson. Police told local media that the explosion occurred near the Government Science College in the Jinnah Road area of Quetta when a group of students were coming out of the college building after concluding a meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.
US CDC warns against cruise travel as Omicron drives up Covid-19 cases
"The Covid-19 Travel Health Notice level has been updated from Level 3 to Level 4, the highest level. This reflects increase in cases onboard cruise ships since identification of the Omicron variant," said the CDC. Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants, the agency added. "The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships, and the chance of getting Covid-19 on cruise ships is very high, even if you are fully vaccinated and have received a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose," said the CDC.
China renames 15 places of Arunachal Pradesh in its map
China's Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a statement stating that they have 'standardised' names for 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh, to be used on Chinese maps. This is the second time China has renamed the names of the places of Arunachal Pradesh. Way back in 2017, China had changed names of six places. Renaming of names comes just two days ahead of implementing new border law.
President Biden, Putin hold phone call amid heightened tensions over Ukraine
Biden on Thursday urged Russia to "de-escalate tensions with Ukraine" and made it clear that the US and its allies and partners will "respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine," according to a statement by White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki on the phone call.
The hunger story of every household in Afghanistan
Kubra, an Afghan widow, resides in Bamiyan. All her firewood was stolen when they had fled their home amid the chaos after the Taliban moved towards Kabul in August this year, while the flour she bought months back is going to end in a couple of days.
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