As aid trickles into the South Pacific nation of Tonga, devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami, an Australian aid flight was forced to return to base due to a positive COVID-19 case onboard, a defence official said on Friday.
- WorldTop diplomats for U.S., Russia meet in Geneva on soaring Ukraine tensions
The top diplomats of Russia and the United States were to meet in Switzerland on Friday to discuss soaring tensions over Ukraine after a flurry of meetings between officials on both sides in the last week produced no breakthroughs.
- United KingdomUK Foreign Secretary Truss says she fully supports PM Johnson
UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss voiced on Friday her full support for embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying he was doing a fantastic job and there was no contest for the leadership.
- Future of MoneyRussia proposes ban on use and mining of cryptocurrencies
- EuropeAnalysis: German big business piles pressure on Lithuania in China row
Lithuania is under pressure from German companies to back down in a dispute with China to end a blockade of the Baltic state, as European trade officials struggle to defuse the row, people familiar with the matter said.
- Healthcare & PharmaceuticalsAnalysis: How Omicron highlights fading hope of herd immunity from COVID
- Asia PacificHong Kong warns people to stop trying to prevent COVID hamster cull
- EuropeSputnik V shows higher Omicron-antibody levels than Pfizer in preliminary study
- SportsOlympics Beijing Games torch relay confined to closed venues due to COVID
- Future of HealthDozens of firms to make cheap version of Merck COVID pill for poorer nations
- WorldA divided nation: Western Australia stays shut as COVID deaths mount in east
- United StatesU.S. to require COVID vaccines for essential workers crossing borders