Ukraine welcomes U.S. secretary of state amid Russia tensions, Tonga reels from volcanic eruption
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visits Ukraine amid tensions with Russia, Tonga slowly recovers after a massive volcano eruption, Hong Kong seizes hamsters from pet store over COVID-19 fears.
Video Transcript
- In our World View today, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is warning that Russia could launch an attack on Ukraine on very short notice. Speaking at the US Embassy in Kiev, Blinken called on Moscow to choose the path of peaceful diplomacy over renewed aggression, vowing consequences for Russia if it opts for the latter. The comments came amid fears Moscow is looking to invade Ukraine as it builds up tens of thousands of troops near its border.
Russia's also moved the military into Belarus for what it calls joint military exercises. Russia has denied any plans for military action. Blinken's visit to Kiev is the first of three stops planned this week to defuse tensions between Russia and Ukraine and he's set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Friday.
Well, phones have been reconnected in Tonga following a volcanic eruption, but residents may have to wait a little longer to get their internet connection restored. Communication to the island nation has been largely cut off since a massive eruption damaged its only underwater cable connecting residents to the rest of the web. The government now says repairs could take up to a month.
The explosion over the weekend marked the largest eruption in more than 30 years and triggered tsunamis as far away as Hawaii. Volcanic ash and saltwater from the waves have also contaminated local water supply, raising concerns about a disease outbreak, including cholera. And over in Hong Kong, thousands of people are volunteering to adopt hamsters after officials ordered they be euthanized over fears of a COVID-19 outbreak.
The order to kill 2,000 hamsters came on Tuesday after an employee at a local pet store tested positive for the coronavirus, along with several rodents. Since then all pet stores in the city have been ordered to hand over their hamsters to be euthanized and that's prompted scientists to weigh in from around the world saying there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in human infections. Hong Kong has taken aggressive steps to control COVID-19 as part of China's zero COVID policy. Local animal shelters have reportedly been flooded with calls from pet owners seeking advice on what to do next.
