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The most noticeable shift in how millions of Americans today view the threat from COVID-19 is that wearing a face mask is becoming increasingly unnecessary as pandemic laws relax across most of the United States. With the exception of Hawaii, every state is abandoning or plans to abandon mask laws as the Omicron outbreak subsides, with infections and hospitalizations falling even as the disease continues to kill roughly 2,000 Americans every day.  This month, California, Nevada, and New Mexico were among the states that repealed mask laws. Some of the country's largest firms are returning to some form of pre-pandemic existence, with others going even further and eliminating vaccine obligations for employees. Indoor mask rules for businesses were abolished in New York and Rhode Island this month, but they are still required in schools. By the end of March, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, and Washington, D.C. plan to let mask requirements expire. A Massachusetts school mask order is sl

After recent attacks that have left subway users on edge, New York City is considering building underground barriers. Michelle Go was struck and killed by a train at the Times Square subway station after an assailant shoved her onto the tracks without warning more than a month ago. Residents in New York City are concerned about an increase in violence against subway commuters, so the agency's transit commissioner stated on Wednesday that the city will test erecting barriers or doors on a select subway platforms. Michelle Go, a 40-year-old woman, was struck and murdered by a train at the Times Square subway station after an assailant shoved her onto the tracks without warning more than a month ago. "It doesn't work in a lot of places," Lieber said, adding that the installations would be tested in Times Square and two other high-traffic areas before being expanded if successful. "We'll also be testing new technologies to detect track intrusion using heat techno

At the White House, President Joe Biden hosts a virtual discussion on securing vital minerals. In a phone discussion with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just after Russia launched a nighttime invasion of Ukraine, US Vice President Joe Biden pledged "support and aid." During the call, Biden stated that the US will "continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people." He denounced Russian military forces' "unprovoked and unjustified strike." Zelenskyy asked Washington to "call on the leaders of the world to speak out unambiguously" against Russian President Vladimir Putin's "flagrant actions," according to a statement released by the US president. Biden had previously stated that he will meet with his G7 counterparts on Thursday to lay out additional punitive measures against Russia, and that the US and its partners would act "uniformly and decisively" and "impose significant sanctions on

Following a positive Covid test, the Queen has postponed engagements for the second time in a week. The monarch, who tested positive for the illness on Sunday, will continue with "light duties," according to Buckingham Palace. It was also announced that Thursday's virtual audiences will be rescheduled for a later date. The Queen, who is 95 years old, also canceled virtual engagements on Tuesday, but she did have a phone meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday. "Her Majesty continues to do minimal duties. There are no additional engagements planned for this week." While on light duties, the Queen is expected to study documents provided to her every day from UK government ministers and Commonwealth representatives, approving and signing them as necessary. The palace claimed in a statement announcing the Queen's positive test over the weekend that she was experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms." A number of persons are believed to have t

Boris Johnson has stated that the UK "cannot and will not just look away" from Russia's "hideous and brutal" invasion on Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin, the PM claimed, had launched a "massive invasion by land, sea, and air" without provocation. He stated that the United Kingdom and its partners will implement a "massive package" of sanctions to "hobble" Russia's economy. At 17:00 GMT, the Prime Minister will announce new measures against Russia in the Commons. Mr Johnson said in a pre-recorded TV address that Ukraine was not some remote country, but one "that has experienced freedom, democracy, and the opportunity to determine its own destiny for decades." He stated that the UK and the rest of the globe could not allow that freedom to be "simply wiped away." "Our job is clear: this heinous and barbaric effort of Vladimir Putin must fail internationally, politically, economically, and militarily,"

The questionnaires are part of a police investigation into 12 gatherings, six of which are said to have been attended by the Prime Minister. According to released documents, the police questionnaire given to Boris Johnson regarding the No 10 parties was the equivalent of the Prime Minister being interrogated under oath. Mr Johnson and other No 10 workers were asked to provide a "lawful exemption" or "fair cause" for the gatherings, according to a copy of the poll acquired by ITV News. According to ITV, the document is practically the written equivalent of a police interrogation under oath, making Mr Johnson the first prime minister to be subjected to such scrutiny. The document notifies respondents that they will be asked to make "a written statement under caution" and asks them to answer a series of questions. These include questions such as whether they "participated[ed] in a gathering" and, if so, for how long, why, and if anyone else was pres

Following Moscow's recognition of Ukraine's two separatist regions, the US has canceled high-level meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, which the West has seen as laying the basis for an invasion. Putin and US President Joe Biden had agreed to meet "in principle," according to French President Emmanuel Macron's office, with Biden accepting on the condition that Russia did not attack Ukraine. The Kremlin, on the other hand, has dismissed ideas of a summit as "premature." Putin signed military cooperation treaties with the breakaway republics of eastern Ukraine this week and despatched so-called "peacekeepers," while Russian senators approved Putin's proposal to send soldiers there. Ukraine's separatist republics despatched "peacekeepers," while Russian senators approved Putin's proposal to send soldiers to the country. A Biden-Putin summit "is clearly not in the plans,"

On Monday, Canada's parliament approved Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to employ rarely-used emergency powers to put a stop to pandemic-related protests that have shut down Ottawa's streets for more than three weeks. The Emergencies Act was passed by a vote of 185 to 151 in parliament, with the left-leaning New Democrats supporting the minority Liberal administration. Some opposition MPs have called Trudeau's extraordinary measures, which he unveiled a week ago, unnecessary and an abuse of power. Over the weekend, Canadian police in Ottawa were able to restore order. Initially, the demonstrators intended to put a halt to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers, but the occupation morphed into a larger anti-Trudeau rally. Protesters shut down the busiest land crossing between the two countries. Trudeau told reporters earlier on Monday that his government still required temporary emergency powers, citing "serious concerns" about threat

Colombia's constitutional court ruled on Monday to decriminalize abortion until 24 weeks of pregnancy, according to a statement from the court. The decision is a triumph for abortion rights groups who petitioned to have the procedure removed from the penal code. Colombia joins a group of Latin American countries, including Mexico and Ecuador, that have recently liberalized abortion access. In 2006, a Colombian court decision partially legalized abortion, allowing it only in circumstances of rape, fatal fetal malformation, and the woman's health, with no time constraints. Women would not be prosecuted for obtaining abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy under Monday's verdict, which was approved by five of nine justices. After that, the procedure will only be allowed under the original three circumstances. "Abortion will only be punished if it is performed after the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy, and this time limit will not apply to the three conditions outlined in Ru

According to news sources, US intelligence has discovered evidence that Russian forces deployed near the Ukrainian border have received actual orders to launch an assault. On Sunday, CBS News was the first to report that the Kremlin had given the go-ahead to commanders among the more than 150,000 troops stationed in possible attack areas. Face the Nation said that "on the ground commanders are drafting concrete plans for how they will manoeuvre in their sector of the battlefield. According to the New York Times, the Kremlin has also authorized an invasion. According to the publication, this intelligence caused Joe Biden to announce this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had chosen to carry out an attack. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, told CBS that the Biden administration is still persuaded that Russia is moving through with its strike plans. "Everything we're seeing, as President Biden stated, indicates that the choice we believe President Putin has