Diplomacy

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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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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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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NATO Operation Sea Guardian focused patrols return to Central Mediterranean

The flagship Hellenic Navy frigate Salamis and the Croatian Navy missile boat Dubrovnik, supported by aircraft and submarines from Greece, Italy and Turkey, deployed to the Central Mediterranean as part…

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Italy and France approve J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine, also gets WHO emergency listing approval

Italy’s medicines agency AIFA and France’s health regulator, the Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS), said on Friday they have approved the use of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Johnson &…

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WHO tries to quash nervousness about AstraZeneca vaccine

The World Health Organization squarely endorsed AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine on Friday, as Thailand joined a number of smaller European countries in suspending use of the shot because of sporadic reports…

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UPDATED: WHO says its advisory committee looking at AstraZeneca vaccine issues

A World Health Organization expert advisory committee is currently looking at AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after some countries paused distribution of it, but there is no reason not to use it,…

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20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine rolled out under COVAX: WHO chief

More than 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been provided to 20 countries under COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access), the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday. So far,…

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“Get back to basics”- WHO Director warns European countries

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Europe rose last week ending a six-week decline, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday. More than one million new cases of…

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World food price index rises in February for ninth month running -FAO

World food prices rose for a ninth consecutive month in February, hitting their highest level since July 2014, led by jumps in sugar and vegetable oils, the United Nations food…

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World Bank readies COVID-19 vaccine funds for around 30 African countries

The World Bank is preparing emergency financing to help about 30 African countries access COVID-19 vaccines, the global lender told Reuters, as the continent scrambles to secure doses and start…

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168 million children worldwide have missed school for a year

Worldwide, more than 168 million children have had their schools completely shut for almost a year, according to UNICEF, due to coronavirus lockdowns. One in seven children – 214 million…

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Historic day for WTO as first female and first African takes the helm

The World Trade Organization’s first female and first African director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala began work on Monday, ending a six-month leadership void at the global trade watchdog. After a long campaign…

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Risk of human spread of H5N8 bird flu deemed low: WHO

The risk of human-to-human spread of the H5N8 strain of bird flu appears low after it was identified for the first time worldwide in farm workers in Russia, the World…

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WHO says working with EC to manage regional COVID vaccine donations

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the European Commission to coordinate COVID-19 vaccine donations for other countries on the continent, the head of its European office. Hans Kluge,…

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Hunger in Central America skyrockets

The number of people going hungry in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua has nearly quadrupled in the last two years, the United Nations said, as Central America has been…

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41 died by drowning in the Mediterranean’s latest migrant tragedy

(CDeNews) - The UNHCR team and IOM team in Porto Empedocle confirmed that they have verified the accurate testimonies about a shipwreck that took place on Saturday 20 February in…

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U.N. Secretary-General warns he world faces a pandemic of human rights abuses in the wake of Covid-19

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has written an op-ed for the Guardian in which he warns that the world “faces a pandemic of human rights abuses in the wake…

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Japan gets unanimous G7 support for this summer Olympics

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Saturday Group of Seven leaders gave unanimous support for his bid to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer, as the…

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White House says U.S. not inviting Russia to G7

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - The Biden administration is not inviting Russia to join the G7 group of world leaders, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Friday, backing…

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Individual vaccine arrangements undermine fair distribution, WHO head says

ZURICH — The World Health Organization on Thursday urged nations producing COVID-19 vaccines not to distribute them unilaterally but to donate them to the global COVAX scheme to ensure fairness.…

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WHO alerts six African countries after Ebola outbreaks

The World Health Organization has asked six African countries to be alert for possible Ebola infections, as Guinea on Tuesday reported new cases and Democratic Republic of Congo said its…

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WHO says new global Covid cases fell 16% last week

The number of new Covid cases reported worldwide fell 16% last week, to 2.7 million, the World Health Organization has said. The number of new deaths reported also fell 10%…

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U.S. reassures Turkey over executions after Erdogan calls response ‘a joke’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday reassured Ankara that Washington blames the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for the executions of 13 kidnapped Turks in northern Iraq, after Turkey called…

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WHO approves AstraZenecaCOVID-1 9 vaccine for emergency use

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday listed AstraZeneca and Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, widening access to the relatively inexpensive shot in the developing world. "We now have all the pieces…

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In NATO debut, Biden’s Pentagon aims to rebuild trust damaged by Trump

President Joe Biden's administration will use a NATO defense gathering this week to begin what is expected to be a years-long effort to rebuild trust with European allies shaken by…

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Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala makes history as head of WTO

GENEVA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Three months after the Trump administration rejected her, former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received unanimous backing on Monday to become the first woman and first African director-general…

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UK’s Johnson to host virtual G7 meeting to push for global vaccine roll-out

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a virtual meeting of G7 leaders next week to call for action to ensure equal global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, and to prevent…

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UN warns at least 400,000 Yemeni children under 5 could die of starvation this year

At least 400,000 Yemeni children under 5 could die of starvation this year without urgent intervention amid soaring rates of severe malnutrition driven by war and the coronavirus pandemic, four…

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WHO team member says China refused to provide WHO team with raw data on early COVID cases

China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of the pandemic, one of the team's investigators said, potentially complicating…

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ICC elects next chief prosecutor

Parties to the International Criminal Court on Friday elected Britain’s Karim Khan as the new prosecutor for a nine-year term starting on June 16. Khan won a secret ballot against…

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