Diplomacy

World Bank seeks board approval for $12 bln coronavirus vaccine financing plan

World Bank President David Malpass said he is seeking board approval for a $12 billion coronavirus vaccine financing plan to help poor and developing countries secure a sufficient share of…

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David Attenborough leads call for world to invest $500 bln a year to protect nature

British broadcaster David Attenborough led a call from conservation groups on Wednesday for the world to invest $500 billion a year to halt the destruction of nature, warning that the…

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North Korea tells U.N. that now it has ‘effective war deterrent’

North Korea has a “reliable and effective war deterrent for self-defense” and will now focus on developing its economy, North Korea’s U.N. Ambassador Kim Song said on Tuesday, though he…

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Global partnership to make available 120 million affordable, quality COVID-19 rapid tests for low- and middle-income countries

A set of agreements to make available, for low and middle-income countries, affordable, high-quality COVID-19 antigen rapid tests were today announced by the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Organizations…

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Five groups ousted from U.N.-backed responsible investment list

Five investors have been removed from the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment, in the first such move by the group for those failing to meet its minimum requirements. The…

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UK to increase WHO funding by 30%

The U.K. will increase funding for the World Health Organization by 30 percent to £340 million over the next four years, the government said ahead of Boris Johnson’s speech at…

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EU leader Michel lashes out at Britain over post-Brexit plan

European Union leader Charles Michel used the virtual pulpit of the U.N. General Assembly on Friday to lash out at Britain for its threats to renege on parts of the…

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Pope to UN: Use COVID crisis to come out better, not worse

Pope Francis urged world leaders Friday to use the coronavirus emergency as an opportunity to reform the injustices of the global economy and the “perverse logic” of the nuclear deterrence…

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WHO warns that global COVID-19 death toll could hit 2 million before vaccine in wide use

The global death toll from COVID-19 could double to 2 million before a successful vaccine is widely used and could be even higher without concerted action to curb the pandemic,…

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Europe’s Covid-19 cases, hospitalisations head in wrong direction: WHO

Rates of COVID-19 infections and hospital bed occupancy are rising in Europe, where authorities need to work to halt spread ahead of the influenza season, a top World Health Organization…

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If world handles climate like COVID-19, U.N. chief says: ‘I fear the worst’

The United States, China and Russia fought on Thursday during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the coronavirus pandemic after U.N. chief Antonio Guterres had warned the body that…

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Some northern hemisphere countries having difficulty sourcing more flu vaccines – WHO

Some northern hemisphere countries are having trouble obtaining additional flu vaccines amid increased demand, but health workers and elderly should be prioritised in case of any shortages, the World Health…

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Pandemic slashes worldwide income from work by a tenth: ILO

Income earned from work worldwide dropped by an estimated 10.7%, or $3.5 trillion, in the first nine months of 2020, compared to the same period a year ago, the International…

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro blames indigenous people for Amazon fires in U.N. speech

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro told the United Nations that indigenous people in the Amazon were to blame for fires in the rainforest this year and attacked the media for spreading…

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UN General Assembly: Trump accuses Beijing of unleashing ‘plague’

U.S. President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that China must be held accountable for having “unleashed” COVID-19 on the world, prompting Beijing to accuse him…

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Russia’s Putin wants stronger WHO, proposes conference on coronavirus vaccine

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that the World Health Organization should be strengthened to coordinate the global response to the coronavirus pandemic and proposed…

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Covid-19 vaccination: 156 countries join global scheme – WHO

A total of 156 countries have joined the global COVAX scheme intended to ensure fair distribution of supplies of future vaccines against COVID-19, an alliance led by the World Health Organization (WHO) said.…

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World leaders to mark United Nations at 75 as pandemic challenges organization

World leaders will come together, virtually, on Monday to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, as the deadly coronavirus pandemic challenges the effectiveness and solidarity of the 193-member…

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WHO endorses protocol for testing African herbal medicines as potential treatment for coronavirus

The World Health Organization has endorsed a protocol for testing African herbal medicines as potential treatments for the coronavirus and other epidemics. Covid-19 has raised the issue of using traditional…

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Covid-19 situation in Europe is alarming – WHO

While worldwide coronavirus have exceeded the 30 million mark, according to official data, it is the Old Continent which is causing the biggest headaches to the World Health Organisaton. “The…

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Global economic recovery may take 5 years, World Bank chief economist says

The global economic recovery from the crisis originated by the coronavirus pandemic may take as much as five years, the World Bank's chief economist Carmen Reinhart said on Thursday. "There…

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WHO appeals to keep health workers and patients safe

WHO appeals to keep health workers and patients safe The World Health Organization (WHO) called on governments and health care leaders to address persistent threats to the health and safety…

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WHO’s Ryan: Need consistent messaging, must not turn COVID-19 into “political football”

The World Health Organization's top emergency expert, asked on Thursday about contradictory remarks by President Donald Trump and U.S. health officials, said that it was important for all countries to…

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WHO warns hospitalisations of 15-49-year-olds infected with Covid-19 increasing

The average age of people infected with Covid-19 is coming down, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) expert, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove. She has told a social media webcast…

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World Tourism Organization says international travel could take four years to recover

International tourist arrivals plunged 65% in the first half of 2020 compared to last year, data from the World Tourism Organization showed, translating into an estimated $460 billion loss in…

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Half the world’s schoolchildren still unable to attend classrooms

Around 872 million school children – or half of the world’s student population – are still unable to attend schools in person because of the pandemic. Henrietta Fore, executive director…

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U.N. chief to push pandemic ceasefire at world leaders meeting, but fears opportunities lost

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will use his annual address to world leaders next week to push for a global ceasefire until the end of 2020 so countries can fight the…

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World still at the beginning of the pandemic, WHO expert warns

The world is still at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, a World Health Organization special envoy on Covid-19 has said. Dr David Nabarro described the situation as “grotesque” during…

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U.N. chief to appoint special envoy to broker peace in Libya

The U.N. Security Council asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a special envoy to broker peace in Libya, although Russia and China abstained from voting on the resolution that also…

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Elbow bumps should be avoided too – WHO

No hugs, kisses, shaking of hands was the order of the day to avoid contagion as the coronavirus pandemic brought a new normal in our daily lives. In saluting each…

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OPEC turns 60

In 1973, Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries brought the U.S. economy to its knees. Now, the cartel created 60 years ago is more likely to do…

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U.N. human rights chief says reports of Belarus violence are alarming

The United Nations human rights chief said on Monday her office was receiving "alarming reports" of the ongoing violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in Belarus. "Reports continue to indicate unnecessary…

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Ex-WHO head says just $5 per person a year could prevent future pandemic

Spending $5 per person annually on global health security over the next five years could prevent a future “catastrophic” pandemic, according to a former head of the World Health Organization…

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Coronavirus pandemic preparedness panel slams collective failure to head warnings

A collective failure by political leaders to heed warnings and prepare for an infectious disease pandemic has transformed “a world at risk” to a “world in disorder”, according to a…

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WHO head urges rich nations to join vaccine scheme by Friday deadline

Countries should join the World Health Organization's (WHO) COVAX vaccine facility by a Friday deadline to help ensure that immunizations are fairly and efficiently distributed, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom…

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WHO Europe warns of tougher months ahead with more deaths

The World Health Organization expects Europe to see a rise in the daily number of Covid-19 deaths in October and November, the head of the body’s European branch has told…

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WHO reports record daily rise in new coronavirus infections

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded a record one-day rise in the number of new coronavirus infections, with 307,930 reported over 24 hours. The agency said that deaths rose…

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EU seeks urgent debate on Belarus at U.N. rights body

The European Union is requesting an urgent debate on Belarus at the top U.N. rights body next week, describing a “deterioration” in the situation there, a letter written by the…

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WHO says $700 million raised so far for COVID-19 vaccines initiative for poor

International donors have raised $700 million - less than half the target - to purchase future coronavirus vaccines for poor countries in a global initiative to ensure eventual vaccines do…

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UNICEF chief urges firms to fight COVID-19 with public sector partners

Firms should look toward public-private partnerships in the fight against COVID-19, the head of United Nations' children's agency told business leaders. The pandemic could provide a rare opportunity for companies…

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AstraZeneca vaccine trial pause a “wake-up call”, says WHO

AstraZeneca's pause of an experimental vaccine for the coronavirus after the illness of a participant is a "wake-up call" but should not discourage researchers, the World Health Organization's (WHO) chief…

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U.N. warns Coronavirus pandemic threatens lives of millions of children

Disruptions to health services due to the pandemic are putting millions of additional lives at risk worldwide, the United Nations said Wednesday, warning that Covid-19 could reverse decades of progress…

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Asia summits underway amid U.S.-China friction

Southeast Asian foreign ministers kicked off a series of regional summits on Wednesday expected to seek collaboration to fight global threats, and to try to de-escalate a tit-for-tat rivalry as…

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UPDATED: WHO says vaccine safety top priority, as AstraZeneca pauses study

Safety of a prospective vaccine for COVID-19 comes "first and foremost", the World Health Organization's chief scientist said on Wednesday, as a trial of a candidate from AstraZeneca was paused,…

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G7 foreign ministers condemn Navalny’s ‘confirmed poisoning’

The Group of Seven foreign ministers condemned the “confirmed poisoning” of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in the strongest terms, according to a statement released by the U.S. State Department. “We,…

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IEA sees oil market stuck between no major slowdown but stalled recovery

The global economy is likely not headed for any major slowdown due to COVID-19 but piled-up storage and uncertainty over China's oil demand cloud oil markets' recovery, an official with…

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Bartolo discusses Libya, Eastern Mediterranean in meeting with Arab League

Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo repeated calls for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict during a meeting with the Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Malta…

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UPDATED: WHO warns widespread COVID vaccinations not expected until mid-2021

The World Health Organization does not expect widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 until the middle of next year, a spokeswoman said on Friday, stressing the importance of rigorous checks on their…

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World food price index rises for 3rd month running in August -FAO

World food prices rose for a third month running in August, led by coarse grains, vegetable oils and sugar, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday. The Food and…

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U.S. blacklists ICC prosecutor over Afghanistan war crimes probe

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, over her investigation into whether American forces committed war crimes…

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U.S. will not pay what it owes WHO this year

The United States said on Wednesday that it will not pay some $80 million it currently owes to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) and will instead redirect the money…

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Europe can live with COVID-19 with local lockdowns – WHO regional director

Europe can live with COVID-19 without a vaccine by managing outbreaks with localised lockdowns, the World Health Organization's director for the region said on Tuesday, adding he did not expect…

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COVID-19 can wipe out health care progress in short order: WHO

More than 90% of countries have seen ordinary health services disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with major gains in medical care attained over decades vulnerable to being wiped out in a short period, a World Health Organization survey showed. The Geneva-based body has…

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