The risk posed by the omicron covid-19 strain is still “very high,” the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday. The warning came after the number of new Covid-19 cases in the world rose by 11% last week from a week earlier, but the number of new deaths fell by 4%. “This equates to less … Read more
Rome’s Pope Francis on Sunday expressed concern about a drop in the birth rate. “Many couples do not choose a child or choose only one child. It is a tragedy, ”Francis said, following a traditional prayer from the angel of the Lord, addressing thousands of people in the rainy St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. … Read more
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudo told local media in a year-end interview that Western democracies must be united against China, which is trying to “face us up.” “We need to work better together and be strong so that China cannot, you know, schema and divide us against each other,” Trudo told Global Television. The Canadian … Read more
The world’s oldest hockey tournament, the Spengler Cup, in which the hockey team of Slovan “Slovan” represented by Latvian goalkeeper Krister Gudlevsky was to take part this year, will not take place, Slovak hockey expert Tomáš Prokops reports on Saturday. It has already been reported that the Canadian national team and the Ambri-Piotta team left … Read more
EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis warned in an interview published on Friday that the blockade of Lithuanian imports imposed by China in response to Vilnius’ rapprochement with Taiwan is increasingly affecting companies in other EU member states as well. In a conversation with the German newspaper Die Welt, Dombrovskis said that the European Commission (EC) … Read more
Millions of people around the world are facing travel disruptions and increased restrictions on the spread of Covid-19 this Christmas as the rapid spread of omicrons has led to tighter security bubbles and canceled flights. Italy, Spain and Greece have tightened restrictions, again making it mandatory to wear masks even when outdoors. Catalonia, in northern … Read more
People who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 will not have to adhere to self-isolation when returning from the Vatican and Romania, according to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (IPCC). The list of “red” countries includes several countries in southern Africa, according to a government decision: Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Swatin, Lesotho, … Read more
Former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev said on Friday that the US had become “arrogant and self-confident” after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and that this had led to NATO enlargement. “How can anyone in such positions rely on equal relations with the United States and the West?” Gorbachev asked in a conversation with the … Read more
Beijing could impose official economic sanctions on Lithuania, which is forging closer ties with Taiwan, the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda newspaper Guangxi Shibao reported in English. The Lithuanian news portal “15.min.lt” reported on Wednesday that the government’s position is often reflected in this newspaper, however, the threats expressed in the articles are not always implemented … Read more
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned of “another storm” describing the dramatic spread of the coronavirus omicron in Europe. Since the identification of omicron less than four weeks ago, it has been detected in at least 38 of the 53 countries in the WHO European Region, according to the WHO Regional Director Hans … Read more