Morning news brief: N Korea fires missile, AstraZeneca updates vaccine efficacy, and more

North Korea may have fired ballistic missile into the sea, reports say

North Korea launched at least two projectiles suspected to be ballistic missiles on Thursday, officials in South Korea, Japan, and the United States said | READ MORE

Biden to hold first press conference after breaking 100-year record without one

After seven weeks into his Oval Office tenure, Joe Biden will give his first formal press conference as president today, at 1:15 p.m. ET | READ MORE

AstraZeneca says Covid vaccine 76% effective in updated US trial data

British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca has revised down the efficacy figure for its two-dose Covid vaccine following a clinical trial held across the United States, Peru and Chile | READ MORE

Nike faces social media storm in China over Xinjiang statement

Anger with Nike Inc erupted on Chinese social media late on Wednesday after China`s netizens spotted a statement from the sporting goods giant saying it was "concerned" about reports of forced labour in Xinjiang and that it does not use cotton from the region | READ MORE

Olympics torch relay starts in Fukushima as North Korea launches missiles

The Olympic torch relay set off from Fukushima on Thursday, beginning a four-month countdown to the Summer Games in Tokyo, delayed from 2020 and the first-ever organised during a global pandemic | READ MORE

From prison camp to ballot box: North Korean defector seeks British election win

Sixteen years after she was left to die unremembered outside a labour camp in North Korea, Jihyun Park will enter the British political history books if she wins office in local elections this May | READ MORE

Prince Harry takes role fighting 'avalanche of misinformation'

Britain's Prince Harry -- who is often at war with the British press -- was on Wednesday announced as a commissioner for a US study into misinformation online | READ MORE