North Korea enters lockdown amid detection of COVID cases

Published

4 years ago

May 12, 2022

North Korea has entered a strict national lockdown following the confirmation of its first official case of COVID-19

According to North Korean state media, an Omicron outbreak in the country’s capital of Pyongyang has been detected, but the exact number of cases remain unknown.

North Korea’s KCNA stated it was “the biggest emergency incident” that breached the country’s “quarantine front.”

According to the same report, the country’s leader Kim Jong-un was in emergency talks to prepare the nation’s response.

NORTH KOREA LOCKDOWN — North Korea enters strict lockdown.

Are North Koreans vaccinated against COVID-19?

North Korea has not officially rolled out a coronavirus vaccine programme.

North Korea has rejected offers to use the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine and AstraZeneca jabs.

Instead, the nation had aimed to keep out the virus by keeping its borders closed since the start of the pandemic.

The hard border situation however has led the country into a fragile economic state, with reports of mass food shortages and critical supplies.

Kim Jong-un was in emergency talks to prepare the nation’s response.

Has COVID been in North Korea undetected?

There have been signs that the virus may be quietly spreading in North Korea.

Since 2020 when the pandemic was first declared, there have been numerous “unconfirmed” cases of the virus in North Korea.

The country’s neighbours, China and South Korea, have also both seen outbreaks – with China right now keeping firm on its “COVID-Zero” policy – with city’s like Shanghai right now in lockdown.

Iran live updates: Trump Says Iran strikes to continue for four to five weeks

Published

20 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Ahron Young

What’s happening in the Middle East?

President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, with Iran now entering a transitional period under a three man leadership council
Trump says U.S. strikes on Iran could last four to five weeks, outlining objectives including destroying missile capabilities, dismantling Iran’s navy and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon
The U.S. military confirms four American service members have been killed, and the White House says U.S. forces have destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval ships
Iran says it sees “no limit” to its right to self defence and will not negotiate, as missile and drone attacks continue across Israel and Gulf states
More than 500 Iranians have been killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes, with additional deaths reported in Lebanon, Israel and the UAE
Shipping, aviation and energy markets have been disrupted, Qatar has halted LNG production, UAE stock markets have closed temporarily, and oil and gas prices have surged

News

Israel strikes Tehran anew as conflict escalates and global markets react

Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

Published

20 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

Israel has launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned the campaign could last up to a month, framing the operation as a move to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

Iran has retaliated with missile attacks, while its Revolutionary Guards claim responsibility for assaults on oil tankers in the Gulf. The escalating hostilities are already disrupting global shipping lanes and air travel, sending shockwaves through international markets.

With reports of the first U.S. casualties emerging and Washington declaring the Tehran operation a success, tensions across the Middle East are intensifying rapidly. The question now is how far this conflict could spread — and at what cost.

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News

U.S. and Israel strike Iran as missiles hit Gulf bases and oil surges

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

The United States and Israel have launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, striking leadership targets and more than 500 military sites in what President Trump has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

Explosions have rocked Tehran, with civilians fleeing the capital as U.S. sea and air assets carry out sustained attacks. Washington says the mission is designed to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and has even called on Iranians to rise up against the regime.

Iran has retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While many projectiles were intercepted, a U.S. base in Bahrain sustained damage.

Gulf states long seen as stable hubs for global business are now directly in the firing line, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Oil prices are climbing and tankers are diverting from the Strait of Hormuz as markets react to the escalating conflict. U.S. aircraft carriers, advanced fighter jets and missile destroyers remain in position, signalling more strikes could follow.

With global leaders scrambling diplomatically, the world is watching to see whether this spirals further or shifts back to negotiations.