Covid-19 variants are to be known by letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid stigmatising nations where they were first detected, the World Health Organization announced Monday.

After a 14-month suspension amid the coronavirus pandemic, Algeria is reopening its airspace and allowing flights to and from a handful of countries. However, many conditions are still being imposed on arrivals to the North African nation to stem t...

World leaders must make a "new commitment" to a more equal distribution of coronavirus vaccines to bring the pandemic under control, the heads of four major global organizations said on Tuesday. Their joint rallying cry comes as concerns rise that ...

A smashed goldfish bowl, panicked birds in a cage, scores of animals needing treatment. The loss or injury of treasured pets has added to the grief and trauma of Gaza residents after last month's deadly conflict. Neriman, a nine-year-old Palestinia...

Japanese fans and public figures rallied in support of tennis star Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, offering sympathy after she withdrew from the French Open and opened up about her battles with depression. The four-time Grand Slam winner's career is follow...

A decade of war in Syria has left nearly half a million people dead, a war monitor said Tuesday, in a new toll that includes 100,000 recently confirmed deaths. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the conflict has claimed 494,...

Covid-19 variants are to be known by letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid stigmatising nations where they were first detected, the World Health Organization announced Monday. The new system applies to variants of concern -- the most troubling of ...

Israel inched closer to lifting Covid restrictions Tuesday as its caseload remains tiny following a sweeping nationwide vaccination campaign. People are no longer required to show vaccination certificates to enter restaurants and entertainment ven...

China has jailed a popular blogger for "defaming martyrs" after he suggested the death toll of the China-India border clash last year was higher than the official count of four. Qiu Ziming -- with over 2.5 million followers on China's twitter-like ...

A major US-Australia joint military exercise will go ahead this year despite pandemic concerns but will be significantly scaled-back, a senior Australian military officer said Tuesday. The biannual "Talisman Sabre" war games -- seen as a key symbol...

Fifteen tutoring firms have been hammered with millions of dollars of fines over alleged fraud, Chinese state media said Tuesday, as the government's chastening of the tech sector seeps into the private education businesses. The groups, including m...

A climate change summit hosted by South Korea has drawn ridicule for kicking off with a promotional video suggesting it was taking place in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. The opening ceremony for the P4G, or Partnering for Green Growth, summi...

Inter Milan's Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal is receiving hospital treatment after testing positive for coronavirus, his national team said Monday. The diagnosis means the 34-year-old will miss Thursday's World Cup qualifier between Chile and Arge...

Maroon-robed Tibetan nuns vigorously debate Buddhist precepts, while monks dash across an astro turf pitch on the roof of the world to kick a football. The Tibetan Buddhist College, one of the highest places of learning on Earth, has over 900 stude...

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern toured flood-hit areas of the country's South Island on Tuesday, expressing shock at the destruction left when three months' worth of rain fell in three days. Swollen rivers swept away bridges and landslide...