N. Korea’s Low Death Count Questioned Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday that nearly 10% of its 26 million people have fallen ill and 65 people have died amid its first COVID-19 outbreak, as outside experts question the validity of its reported fatalities and worry about a possible humanitarian crisis.
Troops Who Defended Mariupol Steel Mill Registered as POWs
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Amid fear of Russian reprisals, hundreds of Ukrainian fighters who surrendered after enduring the merciless assault on Mariupol’s steel factory were registered as prisoners of war, and the Ukrainian president vowed to seek international help to save them.
Thai Archival Find May Resolve Fate of Missing WWII US Flyer
U-TAPAO, Thailand (AP) — The remains of an American airman who went missing in action in World War II may finally be on their way home, thanks to a chance discovery of records in flood-threatened archives in Thailand.
North Korea’s Suspected COVID-19 Caseload Nears 2 Million
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday reported 262,270 more suspected COVID-19 cases as its pandemic caseload neared 2 million — a week after the country acknowledged the outbreak and scrambled to slow infections in its unvaccinated population.
Indonesia Lifts Outdoor Mask Mandate as COVID-19 Wanes
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia is lifting its outdoor mask mandate because its COVID-19 outbreak is increasing under control, President Joko Widodo said Tuesday. However, a mask mandate remains in place for indoor activities and public transportation, he said.
Sweden, Finland Push Ahead With NATO Bids as Turkey Objects
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden and Finland on Tuesday pushed ahead with their bids to join NATO even as Turkey insisted it won’t let the previously nonaligned Nordic countries into the alliance because of their alleged support for Kurdish militants.
Astronomers Capture 1st Image of Milky Way’s Huge Black Hole
WASHINGTON (AP) — The world's first image of the chaotic supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy doesn't portray a voracious cosmic destroyer but what astronomers Thursday called a “gentle giant" on a near-starvation diet.
Finland’s Leaders Call For NATO Membership ‘Without Delay’
HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s leaders said Thursday they’re in favor of rapidly applying for NATO membership, paving the way for a historic expansion of the alliance that could deal a serious blow to Russia as its military struggles with its war in Ukraine.
Ukrainians Make Gains in East, Hold On at Mariupol Mill
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's natural gas pipeline operator said Wednesday it would stop Russian shipments through a key hub in the east of the country, while its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Kyiv's military had made small gains, pushing Russian forces out of four villages near Kharkiv.
Marcos Presidency Complicates US Efforts to Counter China
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s apparent landslide victory in the Philippine presidential election is raising immediate concerns about a further erosion of democracy in Asia and could complicate American efforts to blunt growing Chinese influence and power in the Pacific.
