World News

UPDATED: At NATO, Biden says defence of Europe a “sacred obligation”

U.S. President Joe Biden told fellow NATO leaders on Monday the defence of Europe, Turkey and Canada was a "sacred obligation" for the United States, a marked shift from his…

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Decisions for NATO’s first summit with Biden

NATO leaders hold their first summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, aiming to repair transatlantic ties after his predecessor Donald Trump said the Western military alliance was "obsolete".…

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UPDATED: G7 calls for study in China on COVID origins, agree on increased climate finance

Group of Seven leaders called for a transparent, science-based study, including in China, into the origins of COVID-19, to be convened by the World Health Organization, a draft communique showed.…

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UPDATED: G7 provides 1 billion COVID vaccine doses, will work to give more – communique

Group of Seven countries will provide 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses over the next year and work with the private sector, the G20 and other countries to increase the contribution…

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Malta’s UN Permanent Representative elected Chair of the UN Economic and Financial Committee

Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, Malta's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has been elected Chair of the UN Second Committee (Economic and Financial Committee) for the 76th Session of the UN…

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What is a global minimum tax and what will it mean?

Finance Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations have said they are close to a landmark accord setting a global minimum corporate tax rate, an agreement that could…

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UPDATED: G7 nations near historic deal on taxing multinationals

Group of Seven rich nations will seek to overcome long-standing differences on Saturday and strike a landmark deal to close the net on large companies that they say do not…

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U.N. refugee agency scorns Denmark’s law on asylum claims

The U.N. refugee agency has voiced strong opposition to a law passed by Denmark's parliament that would allow processing of claims lodged by asylum seekers outside Europe, calling it an…

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World food price index surges in May to highest level since 2011 -FAO

World food prices rose in May at their fastest monthly rate in more than a decade, posting a 12th consecutive monthly increase to hit their highest level since September 2011,…

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Israel is set for a change of government. Who? When? Why?

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is on the verge of being toppled from power after more than a decade in office. The 71-year-old right-winger looks set to be ousted…

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No recovery in global jobs market from pandemic until at least 2023 – ILO

At least 220 million people are expected to remain unemployed globally this year, well above pre-pandemic levels, with a weak labour market recovery exacerbating existing inequalities, the International Labour Organization…

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WHO approves Sinovac COVID shot in second Chinese milestone

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it has approved a COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech for emergency use listing, paving the way for a second Chinese shot to be…

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WHO faces potential shake-up

The World Health Organization, battling to coordinate the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, agreed on Monday to study recommendations for ambitious reforms made by independent experts to strengthen the…

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Nature funding must triple by 2030 to protect land, wildlife and climate

Global annual spending to protect and restore nature needs to triple this decade to about $350 billion by 2030 and rise to $536 billion by 2050, a U.N. report said…

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Pressure builds for schools to put climate change study on curriculum

International bodies and pressure groups are calling for climate change studies to become a standard part of the school curriculum worldwide, saying the step is vital to reach targets on…

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Diplomats say Turkey pushed NATO allies into softening outrage over Belarus plane

Turkey pushed NATO allies into watering down an official reaction to the forced landing by Belarus of a passenger plane and the detention of a dissident journalist on Sunday, two…

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Rising global temperatures ‘inexorably closer’ to climate tipping point – U.N.

There is now a 40% chance that global temperatures will temporarily reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the next five years -- and these odds are rising, a…

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EU partly to blame for Mediterranean migrant deaths -UN

The European Union is partly to blame for deaths of migrants taking boats across the Mediterranean due to unanswered distress calls, obstruction of humanitarian rescue efforts, and so-called “pushbacks” to…

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In climate push, G7 agrees to stop international funding for coal

The world’s seven largest advanced economies agreed to stop international financing of coal projects that emit carbon by the end of this year, and phase out such support for all…

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U.N. bodies set up ‘One Health’ panel to advise on animal disease risks

The World Health Organization and three other international bodies have formed a team of experts to help develop a global plan to prevent the spread of diseases from animals to…

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What is going on between Israel and the Palestinians?

Weeks of violent clashes in East Jerusalem have ignited the heaviest fighting in years between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. At the core of the violence that…

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Disputes and divisions in the Eastern Mediterranean are not on maps but in the hearts and minds of all of us involved, our histories and traditions – Evarist Bartolo

The following is a speech delivered by Malta's Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo on Friday 14th May, which CDEIU is carrying as it presents a timely invitation to 'dare to dream'…

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Inquiry into pandemic finds WHO should have declared global emergency earlier

The International Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response issued its report on Wednesday into the global handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling for a new transparent global system to be set up for…

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Pandemic plateauing with deaths and cases declining – WHO

The World Health Organization said on Monday the world was seeing a plateauing in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with declines in most regions including the Americas and Europe, the…

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G7 should invest $1 trillion per year for sustainable COVID recovery

G7 countries should invest $10 trillion to stoke an investment-driven recovery that puts COVID-19 vaccines in arms and triggers a sweeping energy transformation to slow climate change, according to a…

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Biden to join eastern European NATO states summit, focus seen on Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden will join a virtual summit of eastern European NATO states held in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Monday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said, with a focus…

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WHO issues benchmarks for sodium content in food

Excessive salt in food and beverages is putting people at greater risk of potentially fatal heart disease and strokes, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday, issuing fresh guidelines…

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WHO chief Tedros plans to seek re-election – Stat News

(Reuters) - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, plans to run for a second five-year term as the head of the agency, Stat News reported on Monday,…

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UN chief appeals to address inequalities to end AIDS by 2030

Inequalities in addressing AIDS threaten global efforts to stamp out the disease as a public health threat by 2030, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned in a report published on the…

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Situation in India ‘beyond heartbreaking’ – WHO chief

The situation in India, where COVID-19 cases have surged, is "beyond heartbreaking", and the World Health Organization is sending extra staff and supplies there to help fight the pandemic, WHO…

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David Beckham leads global vaccination drive

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and founder of the 7 Fund for UNICEF, David Beckham, is fronting a global initiative to inspire confidence in vaccines and encourage parents around the world to…

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U.S. must halve emissions to galvanize global climate action – UN chief

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres wants the United States to commit this week to at least halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 -- a move he said could…

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WHO says world seeing increased COVID-19 cases across all age groups

GENEVA, April 19 (Reuters) - A leading epidemiologist at the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday the latest rise in COVID-19 infections worldwide reflected increases among all age groups.…

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WHO, agencies urge countries to suspend sale of live wild mammals at markets

International agencies including the World Health Organization urged countries to suspend the sale of live wild mammals in food markets, warning they may be the source of more than 70%…

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IEA ups oil demand forecast as vaccinations brighten outlook

Vaccine rollouts are brightening the outlook for global oil demand, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday, though rising cases in some major oil-consuming countries show a recovery may…

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NATO forces to leave together from Afghanistan

A coalition of NATO-led troops in Afghanistan will leave the country in coordination with a planned U.S. withdrawal by Sept. 11, Washington's top diplomat said on Wednesday, ahead of a…

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WTO chief seeks solutions to ‘glaring’ vaccine inequity

The head of the World Trade Organization said on Monday a meeting this week to tackle "glaring" inequity in COVID-19 vaccine allocation will be attended by major manufacturers and look at solutions such as…

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WHO chief laments ‘shocking imbalance’ in COVID-19 shot distribution

There is a “shocking imbalance” in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide and most countries do not have anywhere near enough shots to cover health workers and others at high-risk,…

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World food price index rises in March for 10th month running -FAO

World food prices rose for a 10th consecutive month in March, hitting their highest level since June 2014, led by jumps in vegetable oils, meat and dairy indices, the United…

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Causal link between AstraZeneca shot and clots “plausible but not confirmed” – WHO

GENEVA, April 7 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's advisory vaccine safety panel said on Wednesday a causal link between the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and rare cases of blood clots…

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WHO says AstraZeneca benefits outweigh risks; assessing latest data

The World Health Organization expects there will be no reason to change its assessment that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 outweigh any risks, a regulatory official told…

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Ukraine says NATO path is only way to end war in eastern region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that a path towards membership of NATO was the only way to end war in the eastern Donbass region after speaking to the…

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Claims that vaccinated people are more likely to infect others have no scientific basis – WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has strongly denied claims that Covid-19 vaccines were among the factors causing the spread of new variants of the virus. These reports were being fuelled…

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Israel’s Netanyahu in court for corruption trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legal and political troubles will play out simultaneously on Monday, at his corruption trial and in the president's residence. Judges ordered Netanyahu to be in…

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U.N. experts alarmed by Russian security contractors’ ‘abuses’ in Central Africa

U.N. experts expressed alarm over reports of executions and other abuses by Russian security contractors in Central African Republic and over their close contacts with U.N. peacekeepers. Russia first sent…

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WHO says Europe vaccine rollout ‘unacceptably slow’ amid ‘worrying’ case surge

Europe's rollout of vaccinations against COVID-19 is "unacceptably slow," the World Health Organization's European head said on Thursday, raising concern that delays in giving shots could prolong the pandemic as…

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World leaders back idea of treaty on future pandemics

Leaders of 23 countries and the World Health Organization on Tuesday backed an idea to create an international treaty that would help deal with future health emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic by…

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COVID-19 probably passed from bats through another animal – WHO report

A joint WHO-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that the virus was probably transmitted from bats to humans through another animal, and that a lab leak was "extremely…

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North Korea accuses U.N. Security Council of ‘double standard’ over missile tests

North Korea said on Monday that the U.N. Security Council showed a double standard as its sanctions committee criticised the country's recent missile test as a violation of U.N. resolutions. North Korea launched a…

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U.N. migration agency says 2,276 persons died trying to reach Europe last year but true toll higher

More than 2,200 people perished at sea trying to reach Europe last year, more than a third on the increasingly busy route to Spain’s Canary Islands, the U.N. migration agency.…

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At NATO, Blinken warns Germany over Nord Stream 2

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, under construction from Russia to Germany, ran counter to the European Union's own interests and undermined Ukraine. Speaking on…

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U.N. staffer who complained of sexual assault loses dismissal case – documents

A policy adviser who filed a sexual assault complaint and was later fired by the U.N. agency fighting AIDS has lost an appeal against her dismissal for misconduct and been refused a…

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U.N. body raises global economic growth forecast for 2021 to 4.7%

The global economy is set to grow by 4.7% this year thanks to a stronger-than-expected recovery in the United States, a report by the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development…

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Twenty years on, EU turns cold on Mercosur trade deal

As the European Union looks forward to a fresh start with the United States under a new president, it is riddled with doubts over another transatlantic relationship. A trade pact…

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UPDATED: African Union says benefits outweigh risks of AstraZeneca COVID shot

The African Union said on Thursday that African countries should continue to use AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, echoing the World Health Organization (WHO) by saying the shot's benefits outweighed risks. The…

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UPDATED: WHO Europe urges countries to keep using AstraZeneca COVID vaccine

The benefits of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh any risks and countries across Europe should continue to use it to help save lives, the World Health Organization's European director said…

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WHO vaccine safety panel to issue findings on AstraZeneca on Friday

The World Health Organization's vaccine safety panel is now due to issue its findings on the AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot on Friday, a WHO spokesman said. The WHO's global advisory committee…

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