Diplomacy

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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U.S. tells G7 that it is back at the table to help with global recovery

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration told allies on Friday it was re-engaging with them to help steer the global economy out of its worst slump since the Great Depression, a…

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‘All hypotheses remain open’, says WHO after experts all but dismiss lab leak

The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, appears to have rejected comments made on Tuesday by the team of experts studying the origins of the Covid-19…

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U.S. seeks to build bridges on global economy

Global finance chiefs meet on Friday for the first time since Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump as U.S. president, vowing to rebuild bridges with allies to steer the world economy…

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White House to scrutinise WHO report that says COVID-19 unlikely from Chinese lab

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is looking forward to scrutinizing data included in a World Health Organization report released on Tuesday that said the COVID-19 virus did…

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Nigeria’s candidate closes in on WTO top job after rival withdraws

Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a step closer to becoming the first African and first woman to lead the World Trade Organization, after a South Korean rival withdrew on Friday following months of…

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U.N. Security Council calls for release of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi

The United Nations Security Council called for the release of Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others detained by the military and voiced concern over the state of emergency, but…

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Global COVID-19 cases surpass 102.5 mln, deaths exceed 2.22 mln

The number of global COVID-19 cases exceeded 102.58 million, with over 2.22 million fatalities recorded as of Monday, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The global case count reached…

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WHO team in Wuhan hold “good discussions” with Chinese counterparts

WUHAN, China, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A World Health Organization-led team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday visited the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China's…

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WHO team visits Wuhan market where first COVID infections detected

WUHAN, China, Jan 31 (Reuters) - A World Health Organization-led team of experts investigating the origins of COVID-19 visited Huanan market on Sunday, the wholesale seafood centre in the central…

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WHO experts begin meetings with Chinese scientists today

WHO experts in Wuhan began meeting with Chinese scientists today, with the group planning a number of visits to labs, markets and hospitals. The group had to first spend two…

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U.N. chief worried by power of social media companies

NEW YORK, Jan 28 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday he is "particularly worried" about the power of social media companies and that a regulatory framework should…

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WHO issues new clinical advice on treating COVID-19 patients

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued fresh clinical advice on Tuesday for treating COVID-19 patients, including those displaying persistent symptoms after recovery, and also said it advised using low-dose anti-coagulants to prevent…

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Merkel, Biden agree to stronger cooperation

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed in a phone call on Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic can only be overcome through closer international cooperation, a government spokesman in…

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IEA says oil, gas methane emissions down 10% in 2020 as output fell

Global emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas production dropped 10% in 2020 mainly because of lower output as opposed to concerted climate action, a report…

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UPDATED: World is on the brink of a ‘catastrophic moral failure’ on vaccines- WHO chief

The world is on the brink of "catastrophic moral failure" in sharing COVID-19 vaccines, the head of the World Health Organization said on Monday, urging countries and manufacturers to spread…

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WHO stops short of advising proof of COVID-19 shots for travel

The World Health Organization refrained from advising proof of COVID-19 vaccination or immunity as a condition for international travel, citing “critical unknowns” regarding their efficacy in reducing transmission and limited…

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WHO team arrives in China’s Wuhan to investigate COVID-19 origins

WUHAN, China (Reuters) - An international team of scientists led by the World Health Organization arrived on Thursday in China's central city of Wuhan to investigate the origins of the…

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U.N. chief Guterres seeks to stay on for second term – Bloomberg News

(Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the five permanent members of the Security Council that he would like to stay on for a second term, Bloomberg News reported…

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World food price index rises for seventh month running in Dec -FAO

World food prices rose for a seventh consecutive month in December, with all the major categories, barring sugar, posting gains last month, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.…

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WHO Europe urges safe flexibility on timing of COVID-19 vaccine doses

European countries rolling out the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine should be flexible on the time between the first and second doses, the World Health Organization's director for the region said on…

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China plays down WHO concern about delay in coronavirus team’s trip

China played down on Wednesday World Health Organization (WHO) concern about a delay in authorisation for a visit by team of experts looking into the origins of the novel coronavirus,…

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UNICEF appeals to make 2021 ‘safer, healthier world for children’

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday that more than 371,500 children would be born on the first day of 2021. “The children born today enter a world far…

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WHO reiterates COVID-19 will not be last pandemic

World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday warned that the coronavirus crisis will not be the last pandemic. In a video message marking Sunday's first International Day of…

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WHO reassures Santa is immune to Covid-19 and will be able to deliver Christmas presents

Amid all the daily news bulletins from the World Health Organisation on the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on the Covid-19 WHO Health Emergencies…

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WHO confirms COVID variant ‘substantially’ more infectious

The World Health Organization (WHO) in Europe met on Wednesday to discuss the new coronavirus variant, which has wreaked havoc on the UK and caused high alert across Europe. The WHO's…

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U.N. says Mladenov will not take up role as U.N. Libya envoy

Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres he will be unable to take up the role as United Nations Libya envoy next year due to "personal and…

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WHO members to meet on Wednesday on new virus variant

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has called a meeting of members for Wednesday to discuss strategies to counter a new, more infectious variant of the coronavirus that…

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WHO investigators heading to China in early January to probe virus

World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Friday an international team led by the U.N. agency would be going to China in the first week of January to investigate the…

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Migrants and refugees say COVID-19 has dramatically worsened their lives

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a highly negative impact on the living and working conditions of refugees and migrants reveals a new WHO study, launched on International Migrants Day.More than…

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Number of deaths recorded on migratory routes register drop

The number of deaths recorded on migratory routes fell this year, although COVID-19 difficulties and so-called “invisible shipwrecks” mean the real number is probably much higher, officials at the U.N.…

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‘We are not afraid’: Wuhan residents say they hope WHO team finds virus origins

WUHAN, China (Reuters) - With investigators from the World Health Organization (WHO) set to visit China next year, residents of Wuhan are saying they want the team to come to…

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U.N. Security Council approves new U.N. envoy to mediate in Libya

The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday approved a proposal by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint Bulgarian Nickolay Mladenov as the U.N. Libya special envoy and Norwegian Tor Wennesland as the…

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14% of Covid-19 infected people are healthcare workers – WHO

Healthcare workers account for an estimated 3% of the world’s population, but account for 14% of all infections with COVID-19. WHO Secretary-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed this during remarks…

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WTO fails to agree rules to stop over-fishing, but will try again

World Trade Organization negotiators have failed to reach a deal by a year-end deadline to cut the subsidies that have helped decimate the world's fish stocks, but will try again next year, the…

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World Bank lends Bosnia $65.3 million to help pandemic-hit businesses

The World Bank announced it had approved a $65.3 million loan to Bosnia to help the Balkan country's micro, small and medium-sized enterprises withstand the coronavirus crisis. The loan will…

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Libya economic talks set for Geneva next week

The U.N. acting envoy on Libya Stephanie Williams will host an economic working group from Dec. 14-15 in Geneva, to discuss policy reforms, a U.N. spokeswoman said. The talks, co-chaired…

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WHO, Italian authorities under scrutiny after reports of removed report revealing Covid-19 mismanagement

The WHO and the Italian Government has been placed under scruting after allegations of a conspiracy between the health organisation and the country's health ministry to remove a report revealing…

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Finland’s economic slump among the mildest of OECD countries, says OECD

The Finnish economy will shrink by 3.3% this year and recover only gradually, but swift government support has cushioned the shock, making for a smaller output drop than in many…

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Majority in Swedish parliament backs ‘NATO option’ after Sweden Democrats shift

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A Swedish parliamentary majority in favour of readiness to join NATO as a possible security policy option has emerged for the first time after the far-right Sweden…

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Commit to Quit – WHO launches campaign to help people quit smoking

WHO launched a year-long global campaign for World No Tobacco Day 2021 - “Commit to Quit." The new WHO Quit Challenge on WhatsApp and publication “More than 100 reasons to quit tobacco" are being…

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Revamped, less political, UNESCO sets sights on tricky U.S. return

Four years after the United States quit UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency, over accusations of anti-Israel bias, diplomats say the Paris-based body has managed to put its house in…

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WHO hopes to have 500 million vaccine doses via COVAX scheme in first quarter of 2021

The World Health Organization hopes to have half a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines available for distribution by the global COVAX initiative in the first quarter of 2021, its chief…

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WHO warns against pandemic complacency amid vaccine rollout

World Health Organization officials on Friday warned governments and citizens not to drop their guard over the COVID pandemic now a vaccination was close, saying healthcare systems could still buckle…

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U.N. warns 2021 shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe

Next year is shaping up to be a humanitarian catastrophe and rich countries must not trample poor countries in a “stampede for vaccines” to combat the coronavirus pandemic, top U.N.…

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World food price index jumps in Nov to almost 6-year high -FAO

World food prices rose for a sixth month running in November, hitting almost a six year high with the index posting its biggest monthly increase since July 2012, the United…

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2020 likely world’s second hottest year, U.N. says

This year is on track to be the second hottest on record, behind 2016, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed. Five data sets currently place 2020, a year characterised by…

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United Nations and Ethiopia reach aid pact for war-hit Tigray

Ethiopia and the United Nations reached an agreement on Wednesday to channel desperately needed humanitarian aid to a northern region where a month of war has killed, wounded and uprooted…

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U.N. urges designation of seafarers as key workers

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly urged all countries to designate seafarers and other marine personnel as key workers on Tuesday after travel restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19 have…

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WHO issues fresh advice on mask-wearing for public, health workers

People living in areas with where COVID-19 is spreading should always wear masks in shops, workplaces and schools that lack adequate ventilation, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.…

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NATO urged to adapt to global, not just Russian, threats

NATO must significantly broaden its scope to help deal with climate change, future pandemics and terrorism while focusing on new security threats from China, a new high-level report commissioned by…

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China says ready to talk to NATO, urges correct outlook

China hopes NATO will adopt the correct outlook toward the country and stands ready to engage in dialogue with the group, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a regular briefing on Tuesday. She was reacting to a…

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Don’t put family and friends at risk this Christmas – WHO

Spending time with friends and family at Christmas is “not worth putting them or yourself at risk”, according to the head of the World Health Organization. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the…

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WHO sees progressive control of COVID-19 in 2021, cautions on Christmas

The World Health Organization's top emergency expert said on Thursday the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine should allow the world to gain progressive control over the disease next year. "Life…

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Adults, children must move more to stay fit in pandemic era – WHO

All adults should do a minimum of 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, even more vital for well-being and mental health in the COVID-19 era, the World Health…

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China gives pledge on access for COVID origins probe – WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has had assurances from China that an international field trip to investigate the origins of the new coronavirus will be arranged as soon as possible,…

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