World

Iraq is tightening security along its 600 km (400 mile) border with Syria to curb the movement of Islamic State militants, drug smuggling and other illegal activities.

The Philippines is now free of the highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu virus, the Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday, citing a declaration by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

South Africa's second wave of COVID19 cases, which has already far outpaced its first, could be driven even higher by postChristmas holiday homecoming and overcrowded funerals, the health minister said on Monday.

U.S. Presidentelect Joe Biden will wait for a recommendation from his intelligence advisers on whether to share classified information with President Donald Trump after the Republican leaves office, Biden's top aide said on Sunday.

Austria on Sunday extend its third COVID19 lockdown into February, hoping to drive down infection rates despite an influx of variants that spread the coronavirus more easily.

Britain's government hopes it can meet its target for rolling out COVID19 vaccines and be able to consider easing lockdown restrictions by March, foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday.

Brazil's health regulator is seeking further data on Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine before considering its approval for emergency use.

The G7 will discuss issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, technological changes, scientific discoveries and open trade.

The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, rose to 119 on Saturday from 79 on Friday.

Mexico has registered its worst week yet of the pandemic, with a record number of infections from the new coronavirus and more than 7,000 COVID19 deaths, government data showed on Saturday.

Portugal's Finance Minister Joao Leao has tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said on Saturday, a day after he took part in an inperson meeting in Lisbon with top EU officials including Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

All federal prisons in the United States have been placed on lockdown, with officials aiming to quell any potential violence that could arise behind bars as law enforcement prepares for potentially violent protests across the country in the runup to Presi...

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday fired longrange ballistic missiles into the Indian Ocean on the second day of a military exercise, state media reported.

Azerbaijan will begin vaccinating citizens against COVID19 on Monday, using a batch of 4 million doses from China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, the health ministry said on Saturday.

Azerbaijan will allow cafes and restaurants to open their doors to customers from Feb. 1 but other coronavirus lockdown restrictions will be extended until April, the government said on Saturday.

The FBI is questioning dozens of people in the killing of Brian Sicknick, a police officer who died a day after physically engaging with a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump who stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, and other assaults on law enforc...