Yahoo Finance's Akiko Fujita breaks down the top stories around the world.

Video Transcript

AKIKO FUJITA: Security forces in Myanmar shot and killed nine people one day after leaders from neighboring countries called for an end to the violence. The military reportedly started shooting demonstrators with little warning in several towns and cities across the country. Among the dead, a 19-year-old woman who was shot in the head in the city of Mandalay.

31 people have now been killed and nearly 1,300 protesters arrested since demonstrators began marching to oppose the military coup nearly a month ago. The junta has increasingly turned to violence to silence the demonstrations. On Tuesday, the military charged six journalists, including a reporter from The AP, for violating a public order. They were arrested over the weekend while covering the protests.

The Kremlin has vowed to retaliate against the US after Washington imposed sanctions against Russian officials and entities. Speaking to reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the Biden administration's actions, quote, "absurd and unjustified." He said it would be "impossible not to apply the principle of reciprocity." The sanctions were imposed in coordination with the European Union in direct response to the attempted assassination of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Navalny remains in a Russian prison after he was arrested upon his return to the country earlier this year. Moscow has not said when it plans to impose those reciprocal measures. And South Korean officials are investigating the deaths of two people who died within days of getting the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The patients in their 50s and 60s both had pre-existing conditions. The country's health agency has not confirmed the deaths were linked to the vaccine. AstraZeneca says it is aware of the investigation, but stands by the safety of the vaccine, citing data from its clinical trials.

Nearly 86,000 South Koreans have already received the first dose of that vaccine. But the country has delayed approval for those over 65, with officials raising concerns about its efficacy for the elderly.