U.S. Senate confirms Burns as new ambassador to China

Washington (US), December 17: The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed President Joe Biden's nomination of Nicholas Burns as U.S. ambassador to China.

NATO, EU call for de-escalation of Russian-Ukrainian tensions

Brussels (Belgium), December 17: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Thursday called for de-escalation of Russian military build-up on the eastern borders of Ukraine,...

Turkey detains 14 suspects over links to IS

Istanbul (Turkey), December 17: Turkish security forces detained Thursday 14 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) in Turkey's financial and cultural hub Istanbul.

Egypt, Saudi agree to boost cooperation in maintaining regional security, stability

Cairo (Egypt), December 17: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Thursday agreed to boost...

Canada's minister urges people to avoid unnecessary travel amid surging Omicron cases

Ottawa (Canada) December 17: Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos on Wednesday urged Canadians with plans to travel abroad to cancel their trips as the Omicron variant...

S. Korea, U.S. trade officials hold talks to boost economic ties

Seoul (South Korea), December 16: Senior trade officials from South Korea and the United States discussed ways to deepen the two allies' economic ties, the...

New COVID-19 cases surge to record high; gov't to restore tougher virus...

Seoul (South Korea), December 16: South Korea's new coronavirus cases and critically ill patients surged to fresh record highs Wednesday, with the government tipped to...

U.S. committed to Singapore Declaration, open to dialogue with N. Korea: Lambert

Washington (US), December 16: The United States is committed to the Singapore Declaration that calls for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and normalization...

Israeli nurses strike over violence against medical staff

Jerusalem (Israel), December 16: The Israeli Nurses Association (INA) on Wednesday declared a 24-hour strike in all hospitals and clinics nationwide in protest of violence...

UN chief's spokesperson tests positive for COVID-19

United Nations, December 16: Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, confirmed Wednesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and will comply with...

EU to introduce stricter directives for improving energy performance of buildings

Brussels (Belgium), December 16: The European Union (EU) is pushing for new directives in an effort to upgrade its building stock in order to save...

U.S. Fed announces faster tapering of asset purchases amid rising inflation

Washington (US), December 16: The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced a faster tapering of the central bank's asset purchase program beginning in January amid...

U.S. fatalities in tornadoes top 90 as scientists clarify their formation

New York (US), December 16: U.S. state of Kentucky is awaiting President Joe Biden who is scheduled to survey tornado damage, meet with victims and...

Global debt reaches record 226 trln USD in 2020 amid pandemic: IMF

Washington (US), December 16: Global debt rose to a record 226 trillion U.S. dollars in 2020 as the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic...

Humanitarian aid continues during Afghanistan liquidity crisis: UN

United Nation, December 16: In an example of the cost of the Afghanistan liquidity crisis, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday 100 businesses closed in Jalalabad...

World Bank unveils 93 bln USD replenishment of IDA to support poorest...

Washington (US), December 16: The World Bank on Wednesday announced a 93-billion-U.S.-dollar replenishment package of the International Development Association (IDA) to help low-income countries respond...

Greece's retail businesses hit hard by pandemic, call for increased state support

Athens (Greece), December 16: Greece's retail sector has been hit hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey published on Wednesday by the...

Russia says NATO military aid to Ukraine only heightens tension

Moscow (Russia), December 16: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) continues to provide military assistance to Ukraine, which only escalates the internal conflict in the...

S.Korea's employment keeps rising for 9 months in November

Seoul (South Korea), December 15: South Korea's employment kept rising for the ninth consecutive month, with the jobless rate going down, statistical office data showed...

N. Korea to convene parliamentary meeting in February

Seoul (South Korea), December 15: North Korea will hold a session of its rubber-stamp legislature in February to discuss the state budget and issues of...

New COVID-19 cases surge to record high; gov't to restore tougher virus...

Seoul (South Korea), December 15: South Korea's new coronavirus cases and critically ill patients surged to fresh record highs Wednesday, with the government tipped to...

UN chief warns against criminal exploitation of COVID-19 recovery resources

United Nations, December 15: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday warned against criminal exploitation of COVID-19 recovery resources.

U.S. judge dismisses Trump's lawsuit seeking to shield tax returns from Congress

Washington (US), December 15: A U.S. federal judge ruled Tuesday to dismiss former President Donald Trump's bid to prevent the Department of the Treasury from...

Pfizer confirms high efficacy of COVID-19 antiviral pill

New York (US), December 15: U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. Tuesday said final results show that its novel COVID-19 oral antiviral tablets could reduce risk...

Putin, Macron discuss EU-Belarus migrant crisis, Ukraine over phone

Moscow (Russia), December 15: Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron Tuesday, where the leaders discussed the EU-Belarus...

U.S. Senate approves measure to raise debt ceiling ahead of looming default

Washington (US), December 15: U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved a measure to lift the nation's borrowing limit by 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars, just one day...

UNGA president says vaccinating world New Year's top priority

United Nations, December 15: Abdulla Shahid, president of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said Tuesday that his first goal for...