The trial period for a U.S.-Taliban truce is set to begin Friday night. The seven-day “reduction of violence” precedes the signing of a peace agreement, paving the way for the eventual withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.
The viral epidemic that started in China is gaining an international foothold. At least 204 people have the coronavirus in South Korea, and two had died as of Friday morning. The first to fall ill contracted the disease in China, but officials now say it is spreading within South Korea, primarily in the southeastern city of Daegu. They have traced many of the cases back to a religious sect where an infected woman attended services before testing positive for the virus.
A 43-year-old German man killed nine people of foreign descent and injured six others in a shooting rampage on Wednesday outside Frankfurt, Germany. In a manifesto posted online, the suspect, who gave his name as Tobias Rathjen, called for the “complete extermination” of many “races or cultures in our midst.” Police said all of those killed had foreign backgrounds. Authorities found the alleged shooter and his 72-year-old mother dead at his home after the attack.
Medicine | A Texas doctor claims he’s found a cure for COVID-19, but the evidence is still out
