THE WORLD THIS WEEK
Here are the top news from last week.
Europe could be headed for COVID pandemic endgame: WHO
The Omicron variant has pushed the Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase and may bring it to an end in Europe, according to the WHO Europe director on Sunday.
"It's possible that the region is on the verge of a pandemic finale," Hans Kluge told AFP in an interview, adding that Omicron might infect 60% of Europeans by March.
Once the present Omicron outbreak in Europe diminishes, "there will be a worldwide immunity for quite several weeks and months, either because of the vaccine or because individuals have immunity due to the illness, and also reduced seasonality."
US President Biden warns Russia may invade Ukraine next month
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden has warned that there is a "clear chance" that Russia could invade Ukraine next month.
Meanwhile, Russia believes there is "little reason for confidence" in resolving the problem after the US rejected Russia's primary requests.
Tens of thousands of Russian troops have been stationed along Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, fueling concerns of an invasion.
Taiwan reports new large-scale Chinese air force incursion
Taiwan reported the largest incursion by China's air force in its air defence zone since October, with Taiwanese fighters rushing to warn away 39 aircraft in the latest flare-up in tensions.
For more than a year, Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained about repeated missions by China's air force near the democratically governed island, often in the southwestern part of its air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.
North Korea tests largest ballistic missiles since 2017
North Korea seemed to have fired one of its largest ballistic missiles in five years, adding to its greatest sequence of tests since Kim Jong Un seized office as he strives to re-establish his nuclear weapons on the agenda of the Biden administration.
According to preliminary assessments from Japan and South Korea, North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range missile for the first time since 2017. According to the two neighbours, the missile reached a height of up to 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) and a flying distance of roughly 800 kilometres.
Russia’s daily COVID-19 cases exceed 1 lakh for the first time
The coronavirus task force said that Russia's daily coronavirus cases surpassed 100,000 for the first time since the pandemic began on Saturday. Russia recorded 113,122 new daily infections, a record high for the ninth consecutive day, which officials attribute to the spread of the Omicron variety. Russia's coronavirus task force verified 668 fatalities in the last 24 hours, after Russia's coronavirus death toll surpassed 700,000 on Friday.
Author:
Vasundhara Tiwari
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