The United States will have to “pay a price” for its diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China said yesterday, just weeks after talks aimed at easing tense relations between the two sides.

Thus far, the signals are a bit encouraging. But we have really got to be careful before we make any determinations that it is less severe, or it really doesn’t cause any severe illness, comparable to Delta.”

A total solar eclipse plunged Antarctica from summer into darkness early Saturday in a rare astronomical spectacle witnessed by a handful of scientists and thrill-seekers -- and countless penguins.

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a video call tomorrow, with the two leaders set to discuss the tense situation in Ukraine.

The United States warned Saturday it would not allow Iran to “slow walk” international negotiations over its nuclear program while at the same time ramping up its atomic activities -- but stopped short of slamming the door on talks.

US President Joe Biden said he is developing comprehensive initiatives to make it difficult for Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine and that he would not accept Moscow’s “red lines,” as fears mounted that the simmering conflict could erupt into war.

The Omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries but no deaths have yet been reported, the WHO said on Friday, as authorities worldwide rushed to stem the heavily mutated Covid-19 strain’s spread amid warnings that it could damage the global economic recovery.

Apple Inc iPhones of at least nine US State Department employees were hacked by an unknown assailant using sophisticated spyware developed by the Israel-based NSO Group, according to four people familiar with the matter.

The United Nations on Thursday launched a campaign against gender-based violence on the internet, complete with the symbol ⓑ which can be added to social media posts.

Rejecting calls for a binding agreement regulating or banning the use of weapons often dubbed killer robots, Washington instead proposed at the United Nations on Thursday a “code of conduct”.

We’re going to fight this variant with science and speed, not chaos and confusion. This is a moment we can put the divisiveness behind us, I hope.” US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ON FIGHT AGAINST OMICRON COVID VARIANT

The United States and European Union on Thursday voiced strong concern at China’s “problematic and unilateral actions” in the South China Sea and stressed the need for close contact to manage “competition and systemic rivalry” with Beijing.

The World Bank’s board has backed transferring $280 million from a frozen trust fund to two aid agencies to help Afghanistan cope with a brewing humanitarian crisis after the US withdrawal, two sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The United States reported its first known case of community transmission of Omicron on Thursday hours before President Joe Biden was due to lay out his strategy to fight the coronavirus in the winter as the highly contagious variant spread across the globe.

Twitter yesterday said it had shut down nearly 3,500 accounts that were posting pro-government propaganda in six countries, including China and Russia.

The United States is by far the biggest contributor to global plastic waste in the world, according to a new report submitted to the federal government Wednesday that called for a national strategy to tackle the growing crisis.

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen urged a US Congress panel Wednesday not to get mired in drawn out debate amid a new push to set social media regulations, which have long been blocked by partisan combat.

The dress sword carried by Napoleon Bonaparte when he staged a coup in 1799 will go under the hammer at the weekend with five other weapons that belonged to the French emperor, US auctioneers announced.

At least three students were killed and six other people, including a teacher, were wounded on Tuesday in a shooting at a high school in Oxford, Michigan, and a student was quickly taken into custody, law enforcement authorities said.

The US military will reinforce deployments and bases directed at China and Russia, while maintaining forces in the Middle East adequate to deter Iran and jihadist groups, the Pentagon said Monday, referencing results of a review.