Fears of a Plague Outbreak in Russia: What to Know

Canada suspends plans to expand assisted dying to people with mental illness

People with mental illness alone were to be eligible for assisted dying in Canada in March 2027, but that has now been paused indefinitely.

Tiny wireless device records animal brains in the wild, lighter than a dime

Are H-1Bs in trouble? Immigration experts on why Cognizant, Infosys, Microsoft are not getting timely approvals on job visas

Dierlam V. Allegiant Resources: Texas court backs plug-well access; ranch rights dispute deepens

A Texas appeals court ruled that Allegiant Resources can access McFaddin Ranch to plug an inactive well. The dispute centers around the Remora Oil Unit No. 1 located near the San Antonio River. Virginia L. Dierlam, the ranch owner, previously secured a permanent injunction that limited access to the ranch. Allegiant argues that plugging the well is necessary to avoid environmental concerns, which the court acknowledged.

Texas ranch hit by wildfire returns for $180 million

Now listed for $180 million, Turkey Track Ranch encompasses 77,721 acres of breathtaking terrain. After rebounding from the Smokehouse Creek Fire, this property has rejuvenated its cattle operations and features nearly 26 miles of scenic Canadian River frontage, ensuring abundant water supply. With a lineage connected to essential battles and over a hundred years of family ownership, this sale is a unique opportunity to own a remarkable piece of history.

FBI foils alleged ISIS-linked attack plot at Mall of America by 18-year-old

Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, an 18-year-old, was arrested for planning an attack on the Mall of America. He agreed to buy an AK-47 and ammunition from an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS member. Mohamud expressed intentions to kill non-Muslims during a scheduled Hmong arts celebration. US authorities stated that his radicalization was identified well before his plan could be executed.

Russia warns of 'false' information as second plague case reported

MOSCOW — Russia warned Wednesday against "false" information as reports emerged of a second suspected case of plague in Siberia, with Washington and Brussels calling for transparency and neighbouring Mongolia tightening health surveillance. Russian news outlet People of Baikal reported last Friday that a 28-year-old woman employed at a plague research institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region had died of the disease, possibly after contracting it from a broken test tube. International concern has meanwhile grown over the death and suspicions that a second employee at the institute fell ill. The United States, the European Union and the World Health Organization have all called on Russia to be transparent about the situation. Mongolia's government said Wednesday that "health surveillance and monitoring measures (were) being implemented at the border" with Russia. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also urged Moscow to clarify "media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause" at the Irkutsk institute. Russian authorities have played down the reports, determining the w

Vance points to S. Korea's 'political dynamics' amid uncertainty over Alaska LNG project

WASHINGTON — U.S. Vice President JD Vance has pointed to "political dynamics" in South Korea amid uncertainty over Seoul's participation in a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Alaska, according to a U.S. media report Wednesday. "I think you have some political dynamics, frankly, in South Korea, but we're going to get this done, whether the current government or the next government in South Korea, or frankly, whether we have to work with the Japanese and other nations, to get it done," Vance told Alaska's News Source in an interview on Tuesday while traveling the state. Vance did not elaborate on what he meant by "political dynamics" in South Korea. "People are desperate for the gas that comes out of the state. It's cheaper, it's higher quality, it's more reliable because it's coming from Alaska as opposed to some tin-pot dictatorship," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced South Korea's U.S. investment projects under last year's bilateral trade agreement: the construction of a gas-fired power plant in Texas, eight large-scale nuclear power plants and th

The status of Iran's uranium enrichment programme

VIENNA — U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Reuters on Tuesday Iran must make a "meaningful" reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity to satisfy U.S. demands and end the countries' seven-month war. While it is not clear what exactly he meant, below is a summary of what is known, and not, about the current status of Iran's uranium enrichment programme, which is at the heart of its nuclear infrastructure. What did Iran have before the U.S. and Israel bombed? Israel launched airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities on June 13 of last year, soon followed by the United States. In a 12-day campaign, they destroyed or badly damaged the three uranium-enrichment facilities that were known to be operating in Iran at the time. They argued that Iran was getting too close to being able to produce a nuclear weapon, but the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it had no credible indication of a coordinated weapons programme. Iran was, however, enriching uranium to up to 60 percent purity, a short step from the roughly 90 percent of weapons grade. The IAEA, which had acces

WHO says cannot conduct full risk assessment on Russia plague

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Wednesday it could not produce a full risk assessment as it did not yet have the whole picture from Russia on the suspected plague death of a laboratory technician. The WHO, the United States and the European Union have urged Moscow to provide more information following the death of the 28-year-old woman in Irkutsk in Siberia. "We don't yet have the full picture of this event and we're not able to conduct a full risk assessment," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. "Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the international regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public and risks." Tedros said the anti-plague laboratory worker died after being hospitalised with severe pneumonia, with initial media reports suggesting pneumonia plague following an accidental lab exposure. "WHO is aware that the Russian government held a meeting on October 2 because they suspected a resident of the Irkutsk oblast had contracted a dangerous infection," he add

Wall Street retreats from its record as stocks fall worldwide

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are pulling back from their record on Wednesday. The S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent, a day after topping its prior all-time high set in August. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 302 points, or 0.6 percent, as of 1:54 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4 percent lower. Stocks felt pressure as yields swung in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed as high as 5.36 percent in the morning, up from 5.27 percent late Tuesday. Higher yields put downward pressure on prices for stocks and other investments. They can also slow the economy by making it more expensive for everyone to borrow money. But the 10-year yield eased back to 5.29 percent later in the day after the U.S. Treasury sold $39 billion of 10-year Treasurys at an auction, where the median yield was less than 5.26 percent. Yields also swung with oil prices, which continue to yo-yo amid uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the industry to return to normal. The International Energy Agency said Wednesday its members support accelerating the release of oil from in

Trump administration proposes $70,000 fee for int'l students to work in US

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the United States, the latest effort from the Trump administration to crack down on foreign enrollment. A proposed rule would require schools to pay the fee for every student who participates in the optional practice training program, known as OPT, which allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their time in school. Students are generally eligible for one year of work post-graduation, though certain science, technology, engineering and math majors are eligible for an additional two years. Schools would be required to pay the $70,000 for each new student's initial application to the program, and a $30,000 fee for each renewal. The change would represent a blow to American colleges and universities that heavily recruit students from overseas as a source of tuition revenue, as well as tech companies and other industries that hire many international students for technical roles. The OPT program allows international students to gain