An overloaded ferry carrying school children reportedly sank in a river resulting in the deaths of 10-11 children in Cambodia. The incident took place in the Campbell Province about 53 kilometers southeast of the capital of Nam Fen.

Cambodia Boat Mishap: At least 11 children dead after boat sinks in Kandal province

In Haiti, health professionals are battling a cholera outbreak in the country's capital. Haiti's government have announced that at least eight people had died from the disease.

Haiti: Rise in Cholera cases amidst lack of availability of basic services

Police in Gambia on Saturday announced they were launching an investigation into the deaths of dozens of children, amid growing concern over imported medicines.&nbsp;Following the deaths of 66 children, most from acute kidney failure, police said in a statement they were putting senior officers on the investigation.

India is investigating cough syrups made by a local pharmaceutical company after the World Health Organisation said they could be responsible for the deaths.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Gambia Cough Syrup deaths: All you need to know

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President Adama Barrow authorised the health authorities "to suspend the license of the suspected... importer" involved in the case, his office said on Saturday evening.&nbsp;

The foreign ministry was to communicate "his government's most profound concern" to the Indian embassy, it added.

Barrow on Friday promised to boost health measures including better quality control over imported medicines.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cough-syrup-case-who-yet-to-provide-exact-one-to-one-casual-relation-of-deaths-in-gambia-522919">Gambia cough syrup row:&nbsp;Indian body says WHO yet to provide 'one to one causal relation of deaths'</a>

He said the government would leave "no stone unturned" to get to the bottom of the incident.

The WHO on Wednesday issued an alert over four cough and cold syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India over possible links to the deaths.

Laboratory testing had found unacceptable levels of potentially life-threatening contaminants, the WHO said, adding that the products may have been distributed beyond the West African country.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-alleges-made-in-india-cough-syrup-linked-to-death-of-66-kids-in-gambia-probe-underway-522809">WHO alleges 'made in India' cough syrup linked to death of 66 kids in Gambia, probe underway</a>

Gambian health authorities had on September 23 ordered a recall of all medicines containing paracetamol or promethazine syrup.

Barrow announced a raft of measures to avoid future tragedies, including the creation of "a quality control national laboratory for drugs and food safety".

He also promised to update the nation's drugs-related laws to ensure regulation could prevent any such incidents in the future.&nbsp;He praised the work of the health ministry in preventing further deaths.&nbsp;He said the outbreak was "now under control, with only two cases reported in the last two weeks".

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Police in Gambia on Saturday announced they were launching an investigation into the deaths of dozens of children, amid growing concern over imported medicines. Following the deaths of 66 children, most from acute kidney failure, police said in a statement they were putting senior officers on the investigation.

Police in Gambia on Saturday announced they were launching an investigation into the deaths of dozens of children, amid growing concern over imported medicines. Following the deaths of 66 children, most from acute kidney failure, police said in a statement they were putting senior officers on the investigation. India is investigating cough syrups made by a local pharmaceutical company after the World Health Organisation said they could be responsible for the deaths. Watch | Gravitas: Gambia Cough Syrup deaths: All you need to know President Adama Barrow authorised the health authorities "to suspend the license of the suspected... importer" involved in the case, his office said on Saturday evening. The foreign ministry was to communicate "his government's most profound concern" to the Indian embassy, it added. Barrow on Friday promised to boost health measures including better quality control over imported medicines. Also read | Gambia cough syrup row: Indian body says WHO yet to provide 'one to one causal relation of deaths' He said the government would leave "no stone unturned" to get to the bottom of the incident. The WHO on Wednesday issued an alert over four cough and cold syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India over possible links to the deaths. Laboratory testing had found unacceptable levels of potentially life-threatening contaminants, the WHO said, adding that the products may have been distributed beyond the West African country. Also read | WHO alleges 'made in India' cough syrup linked to death of 66 kids in Gambia, probe underway Gambian health authorities had on September 23 ordered a recall of all medicines containing paracetamol or promethazine syrup. Barrow announced a raft of measures to avoid future tragedies, including the creation of "a quality control national laboratory for drugs and food safety". He also promised to update the nation's drugs-related laws to ensure regulation could prevent any such incidents in the future. He praised the work of the health ministry in preventing further deaths. He said the outbreak was "now under control, with only two cases reported in the last two weeks". WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Gambia police launch enquiry into cough syrup related deaths, President says outbreak 'now under control'

The World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to provide the exact "one to one causal&nbsp;relation of deaths," said sources at the Indian drugs standards body after the UN agency linked deaths of 66 children in Gambia to India-made cough syrups, media reports said.&nbsp;

"While all required steps will be taken, as a robust regulatory authority, WHO has been requested to share with CDSCO at the earliest the report on the establishment of a causal relation to the deaths with the medical products in question, photographs of labels/products, etc," PTI quoted an official source as saying.&nbsp;CDSCO stands for the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-registers-decline-in-female-infant-mortality-rate-smriti-irani-522839">Also read |&nbsp;India registers decline in female infant mortality rate: Minister Smriti Irani</a>

The WHO had issued a warning on Wednesday (October 6) against allegedly "contaminated" cough syrups manufactured in Haryana by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited as a possible cause of deaths in the West African nation.

The WHO earlier informed the Drugs Controller General of India that it is providing medical assistance to Gambia. After the deaths were reported, the health organisation suspected the use of medicines to be the prime reason for the deaths. It highlighted that medicines might have been contaminated with diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol and later confirmed the samples to be positive as well.&nbsp;

As per WHO's tentative result, four out of the 23 samples found diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol.

The CDSCO said that it responded to the WHO immediately and took up the matter with the authorities.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-alleges-made-in-india-cough-syrup-linked-to-death-of-66-kids-in-gambia-probe-underway-522809">Also read |&nbsp;WHO alleges 'made in India' cough syrup linked to death of 66 kids in Gambia, probe underway</a>

The source further added that a detailed investigation was launched into the matter with the Haryana State Drugs Controller.&nbsp;

WHO has also confirmed that soon India will share the certificate of analysis.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to provide the exact "one to one causal relation of deaths," said sources at the Indian drugs standards body after the UN agency linked deaths of 66 children in Gambia to India-made cough syrups, media reports said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to provide the exact "one to one causal relation of deaths," said sources at the Indian drugs standards body after the UN agency linked deaths of 66 children in Gambia to India-made cough syrups, media reports said. "While all required steps will be taken, as a robust regulatory authority, WHO has been requested to share with CDSCO at the earliest the report on the establishment of a causal relation to the deaths with the medical products in question, photographs of labels/products, etc," PTI quoted an official source as saying. CDSCO stands for the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation. Also read | India registers decline in female infant mortality rate: Minister Smriti Irani The WHO had issued a warning on Wednesday (October 6) against allegedly "contaminated" cough syrups manufactured in Haryana by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited as a possible cause of deaths in the West African nation. The WHO earlier informed the Drugs Controller General of India that it is providing medical assistance to Gambia. After the deaths were reported, the health organisation suspected the use of medicines to be the prime reason for the deaths. It highlighted that medicines might have been contaminated with diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol and later confirmed the samples to be positive as well. As per WHO's tentative result, four out of the 23 samples found diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol. The CDSCO said that it responded to the WHO immediately and took up the matter with the authorities. Also read | WHO alleges 'made in India' cough syrup linked to death of 66 kids in Gambia, probe underway The source further added that a detailed investigation was launched into the matter with the Haryana State Drugs Controller. WHO has also confirmed that soon India will share the certificate of analysis. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Gambia cough syrup row: Indian body says WHO yet to provide 'one to one causal relation of deaths'

East Africa was thrown into a whirlwind following the announcement by Ugandan health authorities of an Ebola outbreak that also claimed the lives of several people in the country's west of the capital, Kampala. New Uganda Sudan Ebola-virus outbreak means FDA-licensed vaccine for Zaire ebolavirus cannot be used that means that virologists and scientists have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a stronger and more efficient shield to this virus that has been classified as lethally fatal.

World of Africa | Ebola virus re-emerges in Uganda

Amidst TikTok facing wrongful death lawsuits after two California girls fatally hung themselves after watching “blackout challenge” videos on the platform, another case of the deadly online trend has emerged from Scotland where a 14-year-old boy lost his life.

Leon Brown, 14, was found unresponsive in his room last on August 25 by her mother Lauryn Keating, who issued a warning to other families on Thursday about the dreaded game.

She later learned that her son lost his life while trying the “blackout challenge”, a viral trend that is believed to have caused the brain injury which led to the death of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee last month.

Under this challenge, kids film themselves holding their breath until they fall unconscious due to lack of oxygen before sharing the videos on social media.

TikTok has been facing the ire following several deaths, with some parents even suing the video-sharing app over claims that the platform’s algorithm promotes “blackout challenge” videos.

After learning that her son had died due to the dreaded challenge, Keating told Scotland’s Daily Record&nbsp;that one of her son’s friends informed her of Leon taking the challenge on Facetime.

“One of Leon’s friends told me he had been doing the challenge on Facetime with them after seeing it on TikTok,” she told the paper.

“My Leon thought he would be the one to try it first. Him and his friends probably thought it was a laugh and a joke. I went on TikTok and wrote out words similar to blackout challenge. The amount of video results that came up on it is ridiculous,” she added.

Leon’s death came just weeks after Archie Battersbee was taken off life support on August 16. The 12-year-old was also a victim of the “blackout challenge”.

Responding to the deaths, TikTok recently urged users to flag&nbsp;the challenge by clicking the symbol that says “Report.”

However, the app is reportedly still loaded with footage depicting the potentially fatal challenge, according to the New York Post.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Amidst TikTok facing wrongful death lawsuits after two California girls fatally hung themselves after watching “blackout challenge” videos on the platform, another case of the deadly online trend has emerged from Scotland where a 14-year-old boy lost his life.

Amidst TikTok facing wrongful death lawsuits after two California girls fatally hung themselves after watching “blackout challenge” videos on the platform, another case of the deadly online trend has emerged from Scotland where a 14-year-old boy lost his life. Leon Brown, 14, was found unresponsive in his room last on August 25 by her mother Lauryn Keating, who issued a warning to other families on Thursday about the dreaded game. She later learned that her son lost his life while trying the “blackout challenge”, a viral trend that is believed to have caused the brain injury which led to the death of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee last month. Under this challenge, kids film themselves holding their breath until they fall unconscious due to lack of oxygen before sharing the videos on social media. TikTok has been facing the ire following several deaths, with some parents even suing the video-sharing app over claims that the platform’s algorithm promotes “blackout challenge” videos. After learning that her son had died due to the dreaded challenge, Keating told Scotland’s Daily Record that one of her son’s friends informed her of Leon taking the challenge on Facetime. “One of Leon’s friends told me he had been doing the challenge on Facetime with them after seeing it on TikTok,” she told the paper. “My Leon thought he would be the one to try it first. Him and his friends probably thought it was a laugh and a joke. I went on TikTok and wrote out words similar to blackout challenge. The amount of video results that came up on it is ridiculous,” she added. Leon’s death came just weeks after Archie Battersbee was taken off life support on August 16. The 12-year-old was also a victim of the “blackout challenge”. Responding to the deaths, TikTok recently urged users to flag the challenge by clicking the symbol that says “Report.” However, the app is reportedly still loaded with footage depicting the potentially fatal challenge, according to the New York Post. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

14-year-old from Scotland becomes latest victim of TikTok’s ‘blackout challenge’

As per reports, UK has registered 95% more covid deaths compared to 2021. While Wales and England have recorded biggest increase in deaths, only north-west UK witnessed decrease in covid deaths.

UK registers 95% more covid deaths compared to 2021

North Korea has declared a “shining victory” in its battle with Covid-19, as Kim Jong-Un's sister suggested that he was among those who contracted the virus.

Kim's sister blames South Korea for spreading COVID-19 in North Korea

Civil society organisations gave a clarion call to people in Belfast on Saturday to protest against a sharp rise in the number of people dying on the streets of Northern Ireland’s capital.

The social activists claimed that the spiralling cost of living, along with a public health emergency like Covid, is making more vulnerable people homeless, reports The Guardian.

In recent months, an estimated 14 people have died, out of which nine were found dead on the streets, the rest in homeless accommodation.

Among the most recent fatalities include a 19-year-old woman, yet to be named, and Jade Gorman, 23, who had lived on the streets but was found dead in an apartment. Officials suspect drug overdose related deaths. In two weeks of June, six homeless men reportedly died of overdoses.

According to the government report&nbsp;published in March, drug-related deaths in Northern Ireland have spiked from 92 a decade ago to 218 in 2020, the highest on record.

Just over half of the fatalities were men aged 25-44. Death rates were highest among people aged 25-34.

Belfast mayor Tina Black, council party group leaders and statutory agencies met on Friday to discuss the crisis.

“I’ve done homeless work for 10 years and never seen this amount of distress and tragedy,” The Guardian quoted Paul McCusker, a city councillor and founder of The People’s Kitchen, the charity organising the march, as saying.

“In one hour last Sunday, we were dealing with three overdoses and one cutting; four people slumped over bins. That’s just one hour in Belfast city centre on a Sunday evening.”

A member of the Social Democratic and Labour party (SDLP), McCusker, said that there are not enough accommodation, addiction services and mental health treatment to take care of the rising number of young homeless people.

&nbsp;“Most people we work with take a cocktail of drugs, which puts them at greater risk,” he said. The cost of living was having a “massive” impact on homelessness, <a name="_Hlk109484136">McCusker </a>added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Civil society organisations gave a clarion call to people in Belfast on Saturday to protest against a sharp rise in the number of people dying on the streets of Northern Ireland’s capital.

Civil society organisations gave a clarion call to people in Belfast on Saturday to protest against a sharp rise in the number of people dying on the streets of Northern Ireland’s capital. The social activists claimed that the spiralling cost of living, along with a public health emergency like Covid, is making more vulnerable people homeless, reports The Guardian. In recent months, an estimated 14 people have died, out of which nine were found dead on the streets, the rest in homeless accommodation. Among the most recent fatalities include a 19-year-old woman, yet to be named, and Jade Gorman, 23, who had lived on the streets but was found dead in an apartment. Officials suspect drug overdose related deaths. In two weeks of June, six homeless men reportedly died of overdoses. According to the government report published in March, drug-related deaths in Northern Ireland have spiked from 92 a decade ago to 218 in 2020, the highest on record. Just over half of the fatalities were men aged 25-44. Death rates were highest among people aged 25-34. Belfast mayor Tina Black, council party group leaders and statutory agencies met on Friday to discuss the crisis. “I’ve done homeless work for 10 years and never seen this amount of distress and tragedy,” The Guardian quoted Paul McCusker, a city councillor and founder of The People’s Kitchen, the charity organising the march, as saying. “In one hour last Sunday, we were dealing with three overdoses and one cutting; four people slumped over bins. That’s just one hour in Belfast city centre on a Sunday evening.” A member of the Social Democratic and Labour party (SDLP), McCusker, said that there are not enough accommodation, addiction services and mental health treatment to take care of the rising number of young homeless people. “Most people we work with take a cocktail of drugs, which puts them at greater risk,” he said. The cost of living was having a “massive” impact on homelessness, McCusker added. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Amid rise in homeless people deaths, activists call for protest in Ireland’s Belfast

A landslide has wreaked havoc in Peru's Huari Province. Over 150 homes have been damaged. However, no deaths have been reported yet.

Landslide hits Peru's Huari Province, no deaths have been reported yet

22 teenagers were found mysteriously dead at a #tavern in South Africa. Some say there were killed in a stampede, others say they died due to poisoned drinks. What's the truth? Why are authorities tight-lipped about the matter? Palki Sharma Upadhyay reports.

Gravitas: South Africa Nightclub Horror: 22 teenagers found dead

According to reports, 42.4% of the population is malnourished in North Korea. On the other side, unchecked spread of the virus in North Korea could be problematic, as the first covid case was reported on May 12th.

North Korea: Kim Jong-Un declares 'Gravest national emergency'

North Korea is battling its first COVID-19 outbreak. Over 2 million 'fever' cases have been reported so far while 65 have been reported dead.

Over 2 million 'Fever' cases reported in North Korea | COVID supplies flown in from China

North Korea: Over 2 million 'Fever' cases reported

North Korea is battling its first COVID-19 outbreak. Both US and South Korea have offered to help fight the outbreak as North Korea is in urgent need of medications.

North Korea COVID: US & South Korea offer to help fight the outbreak

An estimate of 9 million died due to pollution in 2019 which means one of every 6th death recorded in that year was due to pollution. Since the death rate is so high, it makes pollution at par with smoking which sees more than 8 million deaths annually

1 in 6 deaths due to pollution in 2019, modern pollutants spike deaths

North Korea's Supremo Kim Jong-Un has now ordered the military to stabilize the distribution of Covid medicines in Pyongyang. This comes as authorities ramped up efforts to curb the virus flare up in the country

North Korea imposes nationwide lockdown as it continues to witness COVID spike

The COVID crisis in North Korea is creating an upheaval. Cases are exploding and the death toll has reached 42 now. Watch this report.

The COVID crisis in North Korea explodes as death toll reaches 42

COVID-19 cases are exploding in North Korea. It reported 21 new 'fever' death. Kim Jong-un announced a lockdown to control the outbreak.

An exploding COVID-19 crisis in North Korea: 21 new 'fever' death reported

A mysterious liver disease has caused the death of three children in Indonesia, the health ministry of the country said. &nbsp;

The deaths have taken the global toll to at least four. &nbsp;

In recent weeks, a severe type of acute hepatitis has been found in around 170 children across 11 countries, media reports said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns over this ailment of “unknown origin”. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-sparks-panic-deadly-hypersonic-missile-launched-to-deter-foreign-ships-475890" hreflang="en">China sparks panic: Deadly hypersonic missile launched to deter foreign ships</a>

Before signs of liver inflammation, the symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. &nbsp;

Earlier, one death was reported. &nbsp;

Last month, three children died in hospitals in Jakarta after displaying some symptoms, said health ministry of Indonesia. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Unconfirmed reports link Jack Ma to government probe, Alibaba's shares fall 9% in Hong Kong&nbsp;

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Aged two, eight and 11, these children experienced jaundice, fever, convulsions and loss of consciousness, said ministry’s spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi. &nbsp;

“At the moment, we suspect the cases as acute hepatitis, but we need to confirm that they are not due to known hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and Rb,” Tarmizi said. &nbsp;

The health ministry is also investigating the cause of the disease by carrying out several virus tests, she added. &nbsp;

The parents have been asked by the ministry to head to hospital immediately if a&nbsp;child shows any of these symptoms. &nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A mysterious liver disease has caused the death of three children in Indonesia, the health ministry of the country said. The deaths have taken the global toll to at least four.

A mysterious liver disease has caused the death of three children in Indonesia, the health ministry of the country said. The deaths have taken the global toll to at least four. In recent weeks, a severe type of acute hepatitis has been found in around 170 children across 11 countries, media reports said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns over this ailment of “unknown origin”. Also Read | China sparks panic: Deadly hypersonic missile launched to deter foreign ships Before signs of liver inflammation, the symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Earlier, one death was reported. Last month, three children died in hospitals in Jakarta after displaying some symptoms, said health ministry of Indonesia. Watch: Unconfirmed reports link Jack Ma to government probe, Alibaba's shares fall 9% in Hong Kong × Aged two, eight and 11, these children experienced jaundice, fever, convulsions and loss of consciousness, said ministry’s spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi. “At the moment, we suspect the cases as acute hepatitis, but we need to confirm that they are not due to known hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and Rb,” Tarmizi said. The health ministry is also investigating the cause of the disease by carrying out several virus tests, she added. The parents have been asked by the ministry to head to hospital immediately if a child shows any of these symptoms. WATCH WION LIVE HERE (With inputs from agencies)

“Unknown origin”: Mysterious liver disease causes deaths of three children in Indonesia  

An emergency has been imposed in the small central American nation of El Salvador after the country recorded over 60 killings in the last 48 hours. El Salvador has been split by multiple street gangs and reported a series of violent incidents from different regions of the country.

60 killings in last 48 hours, El Salvador imposes state of emergency amid increased deaths

In the United States, about a million individuals have died from COVID-19 in the last two years, although the entire extent of the pandemic's collateral harm is still being calculated.

According to a new study, the number of Americans who died from alcohol-related causes skyrocketed during the first year of the pandemic, as habits were disrupted, support networks strained, and treatment was delayed.&nbsp;

The number of alcohol-related deaths in the United States increased by 25.5 percent between 2019 and 2020, according to a study published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

This represents a significant increase over previous years; between 1999 and 2017, the average annual percent increase in alcohol-related mortality was 2.2 percent.

In the United States, there were 78,927 alcohol-related deaths in 2019 and 99,017 in 2020.

These deaths also included people killed in car accidents while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Alcohol-related deaths accounted for 2.8 percent of all deaths in 2019, rising to 3% in 2020.

Dr. Aaron White, main author of the study and a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, told CNN, "We're not surprised. It's bad, but we sort of expected to find something like this. "&nbsp;

Researchers looked through death certificates from the Centers for Disease Control for people 16 and older and found ones where alcohol was an underlying or&nbsp;contributing cause, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Friday.

This could include alcohol overdoses, liver illness, and car accidents in which the person was inebriated.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

In the United States, about a million individuals have died from COVID-19 in the last two years, although the entire extent of the pandemic's collateral harm is still being calculated.

In the United States, about a million individuals have died from COVID-19 in the last two years, although the entire extent of the pandemic's collateral harm is still being calculated. According to a new study, the number of Americans who died from alcohol-related causes skyrocketed during the first year of the pandemic, as habits were disrupted, support networks strained, and treatment was delayed. The number of alcohol-related deaths in the United States increased by 25.5 percent between 2019 and 2020, according to a study published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This represents a significant increase over previous years; between 1999 and 2017, the average annual percent increase in alcohol-related mortality was 2.2 percent. In the United States, there were 78,927 alcohol-related deaths in 2019 and 99,017 in 2020. These deaths also included people killed in car accidents while driving under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol-related deaths accounted for 2.8 percent of all deaths in 2019, rising to 3% in 2020. Dr. Aaron White, main author of the study and a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, told CNN, "We're not surprised. It's bad, but we sort of expected to find something like this. " Researchers looked through death certificates from the Centers for Disease Control for people 16 and older and found ones where alcohol was an underlying or contributing cause, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Friday. This could include alcohol overdoses, liver illness, and car accidents in which the person was inebriated. (With inputs from agencies)

US: Alcohol-related deaths soared 25% during first year of COVID-19 pandemic

New wave of covid is ripping through Hong Kong. There has been a deadly Omicron surge and a rising number of covid-19 deaths, there's a scare that Hing Kong could run out of coffins within days.

Hong Kong: Rising deaths amid deadly Omicron surge

A&nbsp;man&nbsp;shot&nbsp;and&nbsp;killed his&nbsp;three&nbsp;children&nbsp;and&nbsp;a fourth person before taking his own life on Monday (Feb. 28) in an outburst of gun violence that unfolded in a&nbsp;church&nbsp;near&nbsp;California's capital, police said.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Rod Grassmann told reporters near the scene that investigators were seeking clues to a motive for the bloodshed but believed the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/zain-nadella-son-of-ceo-satya-nadella-dies-at-26-microsoft-457703">&nbsp;Zain Nadella, son of CEO Satya Nadella, dies at 26: Microsoft</a>

The shooting erupted at about 5 p.m. local time inside The&nbsp;Church&nbsp;in Sacramento, located in the Arden-Arcade community on the eastern edge of Sacramento's city limits, Grassmann told reporters.

A&nbsp;church&nbsp;employee on an upper floor of the&nbsp;church&nbsp;at the time told authorities he heard a single gunshot, followed by several more shots before he ran out of the building&nbsp;and&nbsp;called police, according to Grassmann.

Sheriff's deputies arriving at the scene found&nbsp;five&nbsp;people shot to death -&nbsp;three&nbsp;children&nbsp;under the age of 15, the father&nbsp;and&nbsp;another adult who was not immediately identified by investigators, Grassmann said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-will-there-be-a-nuclear-war-your-questions-answered-457697">Russia-Ukraine conflict: Will there be a nuclear war? Your questions answered</a>

He said the father was believed to have shot the four other victims before turning the gun on&nbsp;himself. Authorities did not say whether the second adult was related to the other family members or whether the person was a&nbsp;man&nbsp;or woman.

Local television station KTVU cited Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones as saying that investigators believe the shooting unfolded during a supervised visit between the father&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;children,&nbsp;and&nbsp;that the fourth victim was the adult chaperone.

A man shot and killed his three children and a fourth person before taking his own life on Monday (Feb. 28) in an outburst of gun violence that unfolded in a church near California's capital, police said.

A man shot and killed his three children and a fourth person before taking his own life on Monday (Feb. 28) in an outburst of gun violence that unfolded in a church near California's capital, police said. Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Rod Grassmann told reporters near the scene that investigators were seeking clues to a motive for the bloodshed but believed the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. Also read | Zain Nadella, son of CEO Satya Nadella, dies at 26: Microsoft The shooting erupted at about 5 p.m. local time inside The Church in Sacramento, located in the Arden-Arcade community on the eastern edge of Sacramento's city limits, Grassmann told reporters. A church employee on an upper floor of the church at the time told authorities he heard a single gunshot, followed by several more shots before he ran out of the building and called police, according to Grassmann. Sheriff's deputies arriving at the scene found five people shot to death - three children under the age of 15, the father and another adult who was not immediately identified by investigators, Grassmann said. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Will there be a nuclear war? Your questions answered He said the father was believed to have shot the four other victims before turning the gun on himself. Authorities did not say whether the second adult was related to the other family members or whether the person was a man or woman. Local television station KTVU cited Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones as saying that investigators believe the shooting unfolded during a supervised visit between the father and the children, and that the fourth victim was the adult chaperone.

Five dead as man kills three children and himself in California church

Russia&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;were preparing Monday for their first&nbsp;talks&nbsp;since Moscow's invasion, as&nbsp;fighting&nbsp;raged and Western-led sanctions started to bite with the ruble collapsing.

Ukraine&nbsp;said Sunday it had agreed to send a delegation to meet Russian representatives on the border with Belarus, which would be the foes' first public contact since war erupted.

Belarus announced Monday that the venue for the&nbsp;talks&nbsp;had been prepared and they would start as soon as the delegations arrived.

However, with his government reporting hundreds of civilian deaths and Russian troops besieging key cities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was sceptical about the&nbsp;talks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kyiv-mayor-proud-of-citizens-spirit-anxious-about-future-457348">Kyiv mayor proud of citizens' spirit, anxious about future</a>

"As always: I do not really believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try," he said.

Russia&nbsp;invaded on Thursday and quickly announced it had neutralised key military facilities, but fierce&nbsp;fighting&nbsp;has since raged and&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;forces are reporting some success.

"The Russian occupiers have reduced the pace of the offensive," the general staff of the&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;armed forces said.

The United States has also said that&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;forces, backed by Western arms, are stymieing the advance of Russian troops.

Putin on Sunday ordered&nbsp;Russia's nuclear forces onto high alert in response to what he called "unfriendly" steps by the West.&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;has the world's largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and a huge cache of ballistic missiles.

The United States, the world's second largest nuclear power, slammed Putin's order as "totally unacceptable".

Germany said Putin's nuclear order was because his offensive had "halted" and was not going to plan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/medical-oxygen-supplies-may-run-out-in-24-hours-in-war-hit-ukraine-warns-who-457339">Medical oxygen supplies may run out in 24 hours in war-hit Ukraine, warns WHO</a>

Economic pressure

The campaign by the United States and its allies to build economic pressure on&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;also showed more signs on Monday of having an impact.

Russia's central bank announced Monday it was more than doubling its key interest rate to 20 percent because the Russian economy's situation had "drastically changed".

The value of the ruble also continued to collapse against the dollar and the euro on the Moscow Stock Exchange on Monday.

And the European Central Bank warned Monday that the European subsidiary of the Russian state-owned Sberbank was facing bankruptcy.

The Kremlin has brushed off sanctions, including those targeting Putin personally, as a sign of Western impotence.

Among the sanctions, the West has said it would remove some Russian banks from the SWIFT bank messaging system, and freeze central bank assets.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-temporarily-disables-google-maps-live-traffic-data-in-ukraine-457341">Google temporarily disables Google Maps live traffic data in Ukraine</a>

The United States and its allies are seeking to continue building the diplomatic and military pressure, as well as economic.&nbsp;

EU member states closed their airspace to Russian planes and many pledged arms for&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;-- but stressed they would not themselves intervene militarily.

Brussels announced it would provide 450 million euros ($500 million) for&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;to buy weapons and ban Russian central bank transactions, as well as restricting two Moscow-run media outlets.

British energy giant BP also said Sunday it was pulling its 19.75-percent stake in Rosneft, a blow to&nbsp;Russia's key oil and gas sector, which is partly reliant on Western technology.&nbsp;

The White House said it would hold a secure call with allies and partners Monday to discuss "developments" in&nbsp;Russia's attack on&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;and "coordinate our united response".&nbsp;

The UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency session Monday to discuss the conflict.

Also in response to hostilities, FIFA ordered&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;to play its home international fixtures in neutral venues and warned it was considering banning it from the 2022 World Cup.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-ruble-falls-to-117-per-us-dollar-a-decline-of-41-457280">Russia's ruble falls to 117 per US dollar, a decline of 41%</a>

Defending cities&nbsp;

On day four of an invasion that stunned the world, Ukrainian forces said Sunday they had defeated a Russian incursion into&nbsp;Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of Kyiv.&nbsp;

Ukrainian officials said they were&nbsp;fighting&nbsp;off Russian forces in several other areas, and claimed that 4,300 Russian troops had been killed.

The Ukrainian army said Monday morning that Russian forces had "several times" attempted to storm the outskirts of Kyiv overnight, but all attacks were repelled.&nbsp;

"The situation in the capital of our homeland is under control," said the army on Facebook.

Local media reported strong explosions heard throughout Sunday night in both Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovich said on Telegram early Monday the capital had been targeted overnight by three Russian missile strikes, one of which was intercepted.

The southern city of Berdiansk is now occupied by Russian soldiers, he added.

Ukraine&nbsp;has reported 352 civilian deaths, including 14 children, since the invasion began.&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;has acknowledged that a number of its forces had been killed or injured.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-united-nations-top-court-ukraine-registers-genocide-case-against-russia-457279">At United Nations' top court, Ukraine registers genocide case against Russia</a>

Humanitarian crisis

The United Nations has put the civilian toll at 64 while the EU said more than seven million people could be displaced by the conflict.

"We are witnessing what could become the largest humanitarian crisis on our European continent in many, many years," the EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic said.

Ukraine&nbsp;has called on its own civilians to fight&nbsp;Russia, with a brewery in Lviv in the country's west switching its production line from beers to bombs, making Molotov cocktails for the volunteer fighters.

At the Medyka border crossing with Poland, volunteer Jasinska said the long line of arrivals, mostly women and children, need warm clothes.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus | Ukraine War: Understanding Russian President Vladimir Putin

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-ukraine-war-understanding-russian-president-vladimir-putin-456846/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Crossing Medyka with his family, Ajmal Rahmani, an Afghan who fled Afghanistan for&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;four months before the US withdrawal, told AFP: "I run from one war, come to another country and another war starts. Very bad luck".

Putin has said&nbsp;Russia's actions are justified because it is defending Moscow-backed separatists in eastern&nbsp;Ukraine.

The rebels have been&nbsp;fighting&nbsp;Ukrainian government forces for eight years in a conflict that has killed more than 14,000 people.

Russia and Ukraine were preparing Monday for their first talks since Moscow's invasion, as fighting raged and Western-led sanctions started to bite with the ruble collapsing.

Russia and Ukraine were preparing Monday for their first talks since Moscow's invasion, as fighting raged and Western-led sanctions started to bite with the ruble collapsing. Ukraine said Sunday it had agreed to send a delegation to meet Russian representatives on the border with Belarus, which would be the foes' first public contact since war erupted. Belarus announced Monday that the venue for the talks had been prepared and they would start as soon as the delegations arrived. However, with his government reporting hundreds of civilian deaths and Russian troops besieging key cities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was sceptical about the talks. Also read | Kyiv mayor proud of citizens' spirit, anxious about future "As always: I do not really believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try," he said. Russia invaded on Thursday and quickly announced it had neutralised key military facilities, but fierce fighting has since raged and Ukraine forces are reporting some success. "The Russian occupiers have reduced the pace of the offensive," the general staff of the Ukraine armed forces said. The United States has also said that Ukraine forces, backed by Western arms, are stymieing the advance of Russian troops. Putin on Sunday ordered Russia's nuclear forces onto high alert in response to what he called "unfriendly" steps by the West. Russia has the world's largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and a huge cache of ballistic missiles. The United States, the world's second largest nuclear power, slammed Putin's order as "totally unacceptable". Germany said Putin's nuclear order was because his offensive had "halted" and was not going to plan. Also read | Medical oxygen supplies may run out in 24 hours in war-hit Ukraine, warns WHO Economic pressure The campaign by the United States and its allies to build economic pressure on Russia also showed more signs on Monday of having an impact. Russia's central bank announced Monday it was more than doubling its key interest rate to 20 percent because the Russian economy's situation had "drastically changed". The value of the ruble also continued to collapse against the dollar and the euro on the Moscow Stock Exchange on Monday. And the European Central Bank warned Monday that the European subsidiary of the Russian state-owned Sberbank was facing bankruptcy. The Kremlin has brushed off sanctions, including those targeting Putin personally, as a sign of Western impotence. Among the sanctions, the West has said it would remove some Russian banks from the SWIFT bank messaging system, and freeze central bank assets. Also read | Google temporarily disables Google Maps live traffic data in Ukraine The United States and its allies are seeking to continue building the diplomatic and military pressure, as well as economic. EU member states closed their airspace to Russian planes and many pledged arms for Ukraine -- but stressed they would not themselves intervene militarily. Brussels announced it would provide 450 million euros ($500 million) for Ukraine to buy weapons and ban Russian central bank transactions, as well as restricting two Moscow-run media outlets. British energy giant BP also said Sunday it was pulling its 19.75-percent stake in Rosneft, a blow to Russia's key oil and gas sector, which is partly reliant on Western technology. The White House said it would hold a secure call with allies and partners Monday to discuss "developments" in Russia's attack on Ukraine and "coordinate our united response". The UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency session Monday to discuss the conflict. Also in response to hostilities, FIFA ordered Russia to play its home international fixtures in neutral venues and warned it was considering banning it from the 2022 World Cup. Also read | Russia's ruble falls to 117 per US dollar, a decline of 41% Defending cities On day four of an invasion that stunned the world, Ukrainian forces said Sunday they had defeated a Russian incursion into Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of Kyiv. Ukrainian officials said they were fighting off Russian forces in several other areas, and claimed that 4,300 Russian troops had been killed. The Ukrainian army said Monday morning that Russian forces had "several times" attempted to storm the outskirts of Kyiv overnight, but all attacks were repelled. "The situation in the capital of our homeland is under control," said the army on Facebook. Local media reported strong explosions heard throughout Sunday night in both Kyiv and Kharkiv. Presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovich said on Telegram early Monday the capital had been targeted overnight by three Russian missile strikes, one of which was intercepted. The southern city of Berdiansk is now occupied by Russian soldiers, he added. Ukraine has reported 352 civilian deaths, including 14 children, since the invasion began. Russia has acknowledged that a number of its forces had been killed or injured. Also read | At United Nations' top court, Ukraine registers genocide case against Russia Humanitarian crisis The United Nations has put the civilian toll at 64 while the EU said more than seven million people could be displaced by the conflict. "We are witnessing what could become the largest humanitarian crisis on our European continent in many, many years," the EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic said. Ukraine has called on its own civilians to fight Russia, with a brewery in Lviv in the country's west switching its production line from beers to bombs, making Molotov cocktails for the volunteer fighters. At the Medyka border crossing with Poland, volunteer Jasinska said the long line of arrivals, mostly women and children, need warm clothes. Watch | Gravitas Plus | Ukraine War: Understanding Russian President Vladimir Putin Crossing Medyka with his family, Ajmal Rahmani, an Afghan who fled Afghanistan for Ukraine four months before the US withdrawal, told AFP: "I run from one war, come to another country and another war starts. Very bad luck". Putin has said Russia's actions are justified because it is defending Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The rebels have been fighting Ukrainian government forces for eight years in a conflict that has killed more than 14,000 people.

Russia, Ukraine set for talks as fighting rages

As the unprecedented rise in the number of coronavirus cases continues, India recorded 1,79,723 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday. &nbsp;

The count is 12.5 per cent higher than the previous day's figure. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-starts-administering-precaution-dose-of-covid-jab-to-60-age-group-healthcare-frontline-workers-443489" hreflang="en">India starts administering 'precaution dose' of Covid jab to 60+ age group, healthcare, frontline workers</a>

With 146 new fatalities in 24 hours, the nationwide death toll has reached 4,83,936, the Ministry said. &nbsp;

The active caseload has touched 7,23,619. It accounts for 1.66 per cent of the nation's total positive cases. &nbsp;

The resurgence of Covid cases seems to have been fuelled by the spread of Omicron variant.

The tally of Omicron cases in the country has also gone up and reached 4,033. Of these, 1,552 have been either recovered or discharged from hospitals. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/virus-is-evolving-continuously-indian-pm-narendra-modi-holds-a-covid-review-meet-as-cases-surge-443428" hreflang="en">'Virus is evolving continuously': Indian PM Narendra Modi holds a Covid review meet as cases surge</a>

Till now, a total of 27 states have reported the cases of the new variant of coronavirus, as per the Ministry. &nbsp;

In the last 24 hours, the recovery of 46,569 patients has increased the cumulative tally to 3,45,00,172. Now, the recovery rate in the nation is 96.62 per cent. &nbsp;

The spike in cases has risen the weekly positivity rate to 7.92 per cent. The daily positivity rate is 13.29 per cent. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

As the unprecedented rise in the number of coronavirus cases continues, India recorded 1,79,723 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday.

As the unprecedented rise in the number of coronavirus cases continues, India recorded 1,79,723 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Monday. The count is 12.5 per cent higher than the previous day's figure. Also Read: India starts administering 'precaution dose' of Covid jab to 60+ age group, healthcare, frontline workers With 146 new fatalities in 24 hours, the nationwide death toll has reached 4,83,936, the Ministry said. The active caseload has touched 7,23,619. It accounts for 1.66 per cent of the nation's total positive cases. The resurgence of Covid cases seems to have been fuelled by the spread of Omicron variant. The tally of Omicron cases in the country has also gone up and reached 4,033. Of these, 1,552 have been either recovered or discharged from hospitals. Also Read: 'Virus is evolving continuously': Indian PM Narendra Modi holds a Covid review meet as cases surge Till now, a total of 27 states have reported the cases of the new variant of coronavirus, as per the Ministry. In the last 24 hours, the recovery of 46,569 patients has increased the cumulative tally to 3,45,00,172. Now, the recovery rate in the nation is 96.62 per cent. The spike in cases has risen the weekly positivity rate to 7.92 per cent. The daily positivity rate is 13.29 per cent. (With inputs from agencies)

India records 1,79,723 fresh COVID-19 cases, 146 new deaths in 24 hours

The huge rise in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus seems to be continuing in India. &nbsp;

The country has recorded 1,59,632 new fresh cases and 327 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. &nbsp;

The nationwide death toll has reached 4,83,790 while the active caseload has touched 5,90,611, accounting for 1.66 per cent of the country’s total confirmed cases. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-state-maharashtra-imposes-new-restrictions-night-curfew-from-jan-10-443242" hreflang="en">Indian state Maharashtra imposes new restrictions; night curfew from Jan 10</a>

The tally of the Omicron cases in the country is also witnessing an upward trend. It has climbed to 3,623. Around 1,409 of these people have been recovered or discharged from hospitals. &nbsp;

So far, a total of 27 states have reported the new variant, the Ministry said. &nbsp;

In the last 24 hours, 40,863 patients have also recovered. The cumulative tally has reached 3,44,53,603. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covaxin-booster-offers-long-term-protection-against-severe-covid-infection-bharat-biotech-443236" hreflang="en">Covaxin booster offers long-term protection against severe Covid infection: Bharat Biotech</a>

The recovery rate of India till now is 96.98 per cent. &nbsp;

A total of 15,63,566 tests have been conducted across the country. &nbsp;

Owing to the sudden spike in new cases, the weekly positivity rate has climbed to 6.77 per cent. The daily positivity rate is 10.21 per cent. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The huge rise in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus seems to be continuing in India. The country has recorded 1,59,632 new fresh cases and 327 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday.

The huge rise in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus seems to be continuing in India. The country has recorded 1,59,632 new fresh cases and 327 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Sunday. The nationwide death toll has reached 4,83,790 while the active caseload has touched 5,90,611, accounting for 1.66 per cent of the country’s total confirmed cases. Also Read: Indian state Maharashtra imposes new restrictions; night curfew from Jan 10 The tally of the Omicron cases in the country is also witnessing an upward trend. It has climbed to 3,623. Around 1,409 of these people have been recovered or discharged from hospitals. So far, a total of 27 states have reported the new variant, the Ministry said. In the last 24 hours, 40,863 patients have also recovered. The cumulative tally has reached 3,44,53,603. Also Read | Covaxin booster offers long-term protection against severe Covid infection: Bharat Biotech The recovery rate of India till now is 96.98 per cent. A total of 15,63,566 tests have been conducted across the country. Owing to the sudden spike in new cases, the weekly positivity rate has climbed to 6.77 per cent. The daily positivity rate is 10.21 per cent. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid’s rise continues: India records 1,59,632 fresh cases, 327 deaths in 24 hours  

As situation worsens with the coming of new Covid variant, the US on Sunday reached 800,000 deaths due to the deadly virus, says a Reuters tally. The US is also struggling in its fights with Covid as there can be a potential new wave of infections.&nbsp;

Since the beginning of this year, the US has recorded over 450,000 deaths due to Covid. This is 57 per cent of all US deaths so far.&nbsp;

US government’s leading infectious diseases official, Anthony Fauci urged Americans to get &nbsp;a Covid-19 booster shot. Fauci has said that an extra shot provides “optimal” protection against Omicron.&nbsp;

While speaking on ABC news, he said, "Preliminary data show that when you get a booster, for example a third shot of an mRNA, it raises the level of protection high enough that it then does do well against the Omicron."

As per health experts, most deaths recorded this year were in unvaccinated people.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deeply-concerning-situation-covid-cases-surge-in-the-us-and-uk-amid-concerns-of-a-new-wave-436022">Also read |&nbsp;'Deeply concerning situation': Covid cases surge in the US and UK amid concerns of a new wave</a>

US deaths jumped from 600,000 to 700,000 in a little over 100 days. Also, the next 100,000 deaths&nbsp;took just 73 days, reports Reuters.

As of now, the US has the highest number of reported Covid deaths. It is then followed by Brazil and India. Also, the country will soon surpass 50 million cases.

While the newly emerged Omicron variant is taking over the US, the Delta variant still accounts for more than 99 per cent of all US cases.

Earlier, Fauci said that there were early indications that the Omicron variant was not more severe than strains encountered before. However, he cautioned that it would take weeks to fully understand the full severity of the Omicron variant.

(With inputs from agencies)

As situation worsens with the coming of new Covid variant, the US on Sunday reached 800,000 deaths due to the deadly virus, says a Reuters tally. The US is also struggling in its fights with Covid as there can be a potential new wave of infections.

As situation worsens with the coming of new Covid variant, the US on Sunday reached 800,000 deaths due to the deadly virus, says a Reuters tally. The US is also struggling in its fights with Covid as there can be a potential new wave of infections. Since the beginning of this year, the US has recorded over 450,000 deaths due to Covid. This is 57 per cent of all US deaths so far. US government’s leading infectious diseases official, Anthony Fauci urged Americans to get a Covid-19 booster shot. Fauci has said that an extra shot provides “optimal” protection against Omicron. While speaking on ABC news, he said, "Preliminary data show that when you get a booster, for example a third shot of an mRNA, it raises the level of protection high enough that it then does do well against the Omicron." As per health experts, most deaths recorded this year were in unvaccinated people. Also read | 'Deeply concerning situation': Covid cases surge in the US and UK amid concerns of a new wave US deaths jumped from 600,000 to 700,000 in a little over 100 days. Also, the next 100,000 deaths took just 73 days, reports Reuters. As of now, the US has the highest number of reported Covid deaths. It is then followed by Brazil and India. Also, the country will soon surpass 50 million cases. While the newly emerged Omicron variant is taking over the US, the Delta variant still accounts for more than 99 per cent of all US cases. Earlier, Fauci said that there were early indications that the Omicron variant was not more severe than strains encountered before. However, he cautioned that it would take weeks to fully understand the full severity of the Omicron variant. (With inputs from agencies)

As US Covid deaths reach 800,000, Fauci urges people to get booster shots

Germany's death toll on Thursday passed 100,000 as the European country continues to battle with the fourth wave of deadly coronavirus. It recorded 351 fatalities in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 100,119, reports the Robert Koch Institute.&nbsp;

Also, the weekly incidence rate hit an all-time high of 419.7 new infections per 100,000 people.&nbsp;

Earlier, a top virologist had warned that a further 100,000 people can die. Christian Drosten described it as a real emergency and said "We have to act right now." Also, doctors have warned that this wave could be the worst yet.

The surge in German cases comes after the country's general election in September.&nbsp;

Amid a surge, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the current curbs are "not enough." Reports claim coronavirus cases have been surging among the elderly in Germany even as nearly 68 per cent of the population have received both jabs.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indulgence-for-inoculation-germany-bars-unvaccinated-people-from-christmas-markets-430053">Also read |&nbsp;Indulgence for inoculation: Germany bars unvaccinated people from Christmas markets</a>

Health Minister Jens Spahn while stating the vaccine situation said, "Probably by the end of this winter, as is sometimes cynically said, pretty much everyone in Germany will be vaccinated, cured or dead."&nbsp;

In a bid to tighten restrictions to battle the virus, Germany has barred unvaccinated people from entering the famous Christmas markets in the country. Some of the traditional markets have already been cancelled.&nbsp;

This comes in at a time when Europe, once again, has become the epicentre of the virus. The WHO has warned that 700,000 more people could die from coronavirus in Europe by March 2022, taking the total to above 2.2 million.&nbsp;

The 53 countries of the WHO's European regions have already surpassed 1.5 million cumulative deaths from respiratory disease, WHO said. &nbsp;

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe said, "In order to live with this virus and continue our daily lives, we need to take a 'vaccine plus' approach. This means getting the standard doses of vaccine, taking a booster if offered, as well as incorporating preventive measures into our normal routines."

(With inputs from agencies)

Germany's death toll on Thursday passed 100,000 as the European country continues to battle with the fourth wave of deadly coronavirus. It recorded 351 fatalities in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 100,119, reports the Robert Koch Institute.

Germany's death toll on Thursday passed 100,000 as the European country continues to battle with the fourth wave of deadly coronavirus. It recorded 351 fatalities in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 100,119, reports the Robert Koch Institute. Also, the weekly incidence rate hit an all-time high of 419.7 new infections per 100,000 people. Earlier, a top virologist had warned that a further 100,000 people can die. Christian Drosten described it as a real emergency and said "We have to act right now." Also, doctors have warned that this wave could be the worst yet. The surge in German cases comes after the country's general election in September. Amid a surge, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the current curbs are "not enough." Reports claim coronavirus cases have been surging among the elderly in Germany even as nearly 68 per cent of the population have received both jabs. Also read | Indulgence for inoculation: Germany bars unvaccinated people from Christmas markets Health Minister Jens Spahn while stating the vaccine situation said, "Probably by the end of this winter, as is sometimes cynically said, pretty much everyone in Germany will be vaccinated, cured or dead." In a bid to tighten restrictions to battle the virus, Germany has barred unvaccinated people from entering the famous Christmas markets in the country. Some of the traditional markets have already been cancelled. This comes in at a time when Europe, once again, has become the epicentre of the virus. The WHO has warned that 700,000 more people could die from coronavirus in Europe by March 2022, taking the total to above 2.2 million. The 53 countries of the WHO's European regions have already surpassed 1.5 million cumulative deaths from respiratory disease, WHO said. Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe said, "In order to live with this virus and continue our daily lives, we need to take a 'vaccine plus' approach. This means getting the standard doses of vaccine, taking a booster if offered, as well as incorporating preventive measures into our normal routines." (With inputs from agencies)

Germany crosses 100,000 Covid deaths as weekly incidence rate hits another high

The World Health Organization is "very worried" about the new wave of Covid-19 infections in Europe amid a surge in cases. WHO’s Europe director, Dr Hans Kluge, while speaking to BBC has warned that 500,000 more deaths could be recorded by March.&nbsp;

As per Kluge, various factors have contributed to the growing cases, including winter season, insufficient vaccine coverage and increasing cases of transmissible Delta variant. While speaking to BBC, he said, "Covid-19 has become once again the number one cause of mortality in our region." He further added "We know what needs to be done" in order to fight the virus."

Talking about mandating vaccines, he said that this should be seen as "last resort." However, he added that &nbsp;it would be "very timely" to have a "legal and societal debate" about the issue.

Europe continues to record a wave of Covid-19 cases with countries struggling to battle the deadly coronavirus.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/europeans-protest-against-partial-lockdown-in-several-countries-7-people-injured-in-rotterdam-430724">Also read |&nbsp;Europeans protest against partial lockdown in several countries; 7 people injured in Rotterdam</a>

Various countries have introduced restrictions. The Netherlands has introduced a partial lockdown to curb the spread of Covid.&nbsp;

Restrictions have also been imposed for the unvaccinated people in Germany. People have been banned from restaurants. Similar restrictions have been imposed in Czech Republic and Slovakia.

People came down on the streets as they protested again the new curbs.&nbsp;

Dutch police fired warning shots on protestors in Rotterdam who have been angered by the new restrictions introduced to battle the deadly coronavirus. The police also used water cannons to disperse demonstrators as they set off fireworks in one of the main shopping streets.&nbsp;

Not just Rotterdam, but people in Austria have also been angered after the landlocked country made vaccines mandatory and introduced a full lockdown, starting from Monday.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization is "very worried" about the new wave of Covid-19 infections in Europe amid a surge in cases. WHO’s Europe director, Dr Hans Kluge, while speaking to BBC has warned that 500,000 more deaths could be recorded by March.

The World Health Organization is "very worried" about the new wave of Covid-19 infections in Europe amid a surge in cases. WHO’s Europe director, Dr Hans Kluge, while speaking to BBC has warned that 500,000 more deaths could be recorded by March. As per Kluge, various factors have contributed to the growing cases, including winter season, insufficient vaccine coverage and increasing cases of transmissible Delta variant. While speaking to BBC, he said, "Covid-19 has become once again the number one cause of mortality in our region." He further added "We know what needs to be done" in order to fight the virus." Talking about mandating vaccines, he said that this should be seen as "last resort." However, he added that it would be "very timely" to have a "legal and societal debate" about the issue. Europe continues to record a wave of Covid-19 cases with countries struggling to battle the deadly coronavirus. Also read | Europeans protest against partial lockdown in several countries; 7 people injured in Rotterdam Various countries have introduced restrictions. The Netherlands has introduced a partial lockdown to curb the spread of Covid. Restrictions have also been imposed for the unvaccinated people in Germany. People have been banned from restaurants. Similar restrictions have been imposed in Czech Republic and Slovakia. People came down on the streets as they protested again the new curbs. Dutch police fired warning shots on protestors in Rotterdam who have been angered by the new restrictions introduced to battle the deadly coronavirus. The police also used water cannons to disperse demonstrators as they set off fireworks in one of the main shopping streets. Not just Rotterdam, but people in Austria have also been angered after the landlocked country made vaccines mandatory and introduced a full lockdown, starting from Monday.

'Very worried': WHO warns of 500,000 deaths by March amid new wave in Europe

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