The number of gun deaths in the United States underwent a “historic” increase in 2020, possibly due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and poverty, according to a report by health authorities published.  　The US racked up 19,350 firearm homicides in 2020, up nearly 35 percent as compared to 2019, and 24,245 gun suicides (up 1.5 percent), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its report.  　The CDC deemed both the murders and suicides by firearm &ldq

　Hong Kong has plummeted down an international press freedom chart as authorities have wielded a draconian new security law to silence critical news outlets and jail journalists, a new report said. 　For two decades, media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders has ranked countries and territories around the world by how free their press is. 　Hong Kong, a regional media hub for both international and local media, has been steadily slipping down the table under Chinese rule. 　In the last ye

　Nearly half of LGBTQ youth aged 13 to 24 in America seriously considered committing suicide last year, according to a survey released. 　The poll of nearly 34,000 people was conducted by The Trevor Project, a non-profit that works to prevent suicide among young people in the LGTBQ community. 　This annual survey “demonstrates that rates of suicidal thoughts have trended upward among LGBTQ young people over the last three years,” said Amit Paley, the organization’s executive d

　Global military spending reached an all-time high of $2.1 trillion in 2021 for first time, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 　The world military expenditure increase has not died down despite the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spending rose by 0.7 percent last year, and it was the seventh consecutive yearly increase. 　The five largest spenders were the US, China, India, the UK and Russia, which together accounted for 62 percent of the total ex

  　Even as a new omicron wave gathers speed in some parts of the world, most countries are pushing ahead with reopening travel and easing restrictions in a bid to move past the COVID-19 era. 　In March, Norway claimed the No. 1 spot in Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Ranking. After scrapping all of its travel restrictions, the country scored the highest among the 53 economies ranked with the most Vaccinated Travel Routes open and loose social curbs. The United Arab Emirates and Ireland r

　Global preferences for city destinations have changed, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 　UK-based Euromonitor picked Paris as No. 1 destination for city tours in 2021, based on its new index, comprising six performance pillars, including “tourism policy” and “health and safety.” 　Previously before the pandemic, Asian cities, such as Hong Kong and Bangkok, placed higher, with rankings based on the number of international arrivals. In 2021, travelers chose to visit Eu

The United Nations says the number of people without enough to eat on a daily basis reached all-time high last year and is poised to hit "appalling" new levels as the Ukraine war affects global food production

　The United States’ approval rating in South Korea jumped at one of the steepest rates among Asian countries in 2021, a poll showed. 　The approval rating of US leadership in South Korea climbed to 59 percent last year from 30 percent a year earlier, according to Gallup. 　The increase marks the second highest among 33 Asian countries where the poll was conducted between April 2021 and January 2022. 　The median approval of US leadership in Asia was 41 percent.  　The approval rate f

Palestinians attend prayers on the 27th day of Ramadan at Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem. Ramadan is a sacred month of the year for Muslims, in which they fast every day of the month, from sunrise to sunset. It is a month of self-reflection, as well as practicing generosity and positivity.  The 27th day of Ramadan is called “Laylat al -Qader.” According to Muslim tradition, the Koran, Islam’s holy book, was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed during the night of Laylat al-Qad

　A majority of people in the United States continue to support a mask requirement for travel on airplanes and other shared transportation, a poll finds. A ruling by a federal judge has put the government’s transportation mask mandate on hold. 　The poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that despite opposition to masks that included verbal abuse and physical violence against flight attendants, 56 percent of those surveyed favor requiring people on plane

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine -- New satellite images show apparent mass graves near Mariupol, where local officials accused Russia of burying up to 9,000 Ukrainian civilians to conceal the slaughter taking place in the ruined port city that's almost entirely under Russian control. The images emerged just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday claimed victory in the battle for Mariupol, despite the presence of an estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters who were still holed up at a giant ste

　Even as a new omicron wave gathers speed in some parts of the world, most countries are pushing ahead with reopening travel and easing restrictions in a bid to move past the COVID-19 era. 　In March, Norway claimed the No. 1 spot in Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Ranking. After scrapping all of its travel restrictions, the country scored the highest among the 53 economies ranked with the most Vaccinated Travel Routes open and loose social curbs. The United Arab Emirates and Ireland rounded