
U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico are expected to remain closed to non-essential travel until Dec. 21 at the earliest amid a rising number of U.S. coronavirus cases, officials in Washington and Ottawa said on Wednesday.

The Chinese city of Shanghai has said that all imports of what it qualified as “high risk” frozen foods should be tested for coronavirus and have packaging disinfected before being stored or sold locally.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was beaming on Wednesday after his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin praised his masculinity in a speech, triggering a flood of jokes online about a budding bromance.

The Secretary of the United States Navy has called for the establishment of a new fleet at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. “We can’t just rely on the Seventh Fleet in Japan,” Kenneth Braithwaite said while addressing the Naval Submarine League’s annual symposium, which was held virtually this year.

Uruguayan authorities have pledged to respond to complaints from the Spanish fleet fishing in the South Atlantic and which normally operates from the port of Montevideo where they call for supplies and cargo transshipments.

President Donald Trump asked senior advisers last Thursday about potential options for attacking Iran's main nuclear site, US media report. The advisers warned him that military action could spark a broader conflict, officials were cited as saying.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson triggered anger Monday in Scotland when he called the decision to grant Scotland governing powers ”a disaster,” and said he did not support granting the nation any additional powers. The reported comments come as surveys show rising support for a second independence referendum.

A Chinese citizen journalist who covered Wuhan's virus outbreak is facing up to five years in jail, according to newly released documents. Zhang Zhan, a 37-year-old former lawyer, has been held in detention since she was arrested in May.

A rare painting by Winston Churchill featuring the famously bibulous British World War II leader's favourite brand of whisky fetched nearly £1 million at auction in London on Tuesday.

The S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrial average notched record closing highs on Monday as news of another promising coronavirus vaccine fanned hopes of eradicating Covid-19, while spiking infections and new shutdowns threatened to hobble a recovery from the pandemic recession.