Pandemic

WHO says member states reach agreement to tackle future pandemics

Members of the World Health Organization reached an agreement to prepare the world for future pandemics after more than three years of negotiations, the organisation said early on Wednesday. The…

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Future pandemic could cause $13.6 trln economic loss -Lloyd’s of London

Another human pandemic could cause economic losses of $13.6 trillion for the global economy over a five-year period, commercial insurance market Lloyd's of London predicted. The impact would mainly be…

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WHO Negotiations Stalemate on Governments’ Role in Future Pandemics

The World Health Organization ended discussions about how to protect the world from future pandemics without reaching an agreement. Now, it's up to governments to decide whether to continue the…

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WHO chief worried about missing deadline for pandemic accord

GENEVA, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Countries risk missing a May deadline for agreeing a legally binding treaty on fighting pandemics and this would be a big blow for future generations,…

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Wars raise profit outlook for US defense industry in 2024

When the Pentagon pulled the world's biggest defense contractors into a meeting to tell them to ramp up production shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, one CEO hesitated, saying they did…

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Drugmakers propose swift pandemic response benefiting poorer countries

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Global drugmakers are lobbying for wealthy nations to fund a supply mechanism that would secure vaccines for low-income countries without delay in case of a new pandemic, but said…

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European Commission to issue €50 billion in long-term bonds by June 2022 to finance the recovery

Following the successful start of borrowing to finance the NextGenerationEU recovery in June 2021, and in line with its strategy for open and transparent communication to financial markets, the European…

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Greece is bouncing back from pandemic rout, says PM Mitsotakis

ATHENS, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Greece is on track to produce a primary surplus from 2023, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday, saying the country's economy had shown resilience…

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Consensus reached for year-end WHO talks on pandemic treaty

South Africa said on Tuesday that consensus has been reached to hold a special session of the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision-making body this year to consider negotiating a new…

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UPDATE – Time for change: Queen sets out UK Johnson’s post-pandemic agenda

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to tackle inequality and "level up" the country on Tuesday with a post-pandemic raft of laws presented by Queen Elizabeth to parliament. In a ceremony stripped…

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Pandemic deters thieves, fuels domestic violence, German police say

BERLIN (Reuters) - The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rise in domestic violence, online fraud and child pornography last year in Germany, although there were fewer break-ins and car thefts as…

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Spanish hotel chain Melia sues government for lockdown damages

MADRID, March 17 (Reuters) - Spain's largest hotel chain Melia Hotels has filed a complaint against the government with an administrative court seeking 116 million euros ($138 million) in damages…

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Coronavirus pandemic restrictions can help or hinder schoolchildren with anxiety disorders

The Conversation - Parents fear children stuck at home for almost a year during the coronavirus pandemic, will lose critical social skills. And children with selective mutism, a severe form…

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EU says pandemic disproportionately affects women, especially in frontline jobs

BRUSSELS, March 5 (Reuters)M - Women in European Union countries have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic because they make up the vast majority of workers in health and…

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Malta: Pensions of those born between 1956 and 1961 will not be affected by COVID pandemic

Persons born between 1956 and 1961 will not suffer a negative impact as a result of the Covid pandemic. This was announced by Ministers Michael Falzon and Clyde Caruana. During…

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European countries tightening anti-pandemic measures amid rising COVID-19 infections

Reuters/CDE - Several European countries including Italy, Spain and France have tighten COVID-19 containment measures amid new outbreaks, with massive vaccination programs underway. Italy reported on Saturday 18,916 new COVID-19…

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Danish supermarket to help small, shuttered businesses survive lockdown

COPENHAGEN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Danish supermarket cooperative Kvickly has pledged to set aside some of its extra proceeds made while smaller retailers were shut down by coronavirus restrictions and…

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China’s New Year travel restrictions slow, but don’t stop oil demand recovery

China's efforts to keep people from travelling for Chinese New Year because of several clusters of COVID-19 infections are forcing analysts to revise first-quarter fuel demand estimates, but are not…

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Pandemic declared Word of the Year 2020

The 2020 prize for Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year went to an obvious choice: pandemic. The term had the most online dictionary lookups of any word, Merriam-Webster said on its…

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Italy approves new stimulus package to aid ailing business

Italy's government has approved a new package worth around 10 billion euros ($11.9 billion) to support businesses hit by the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Under the measures approved…

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Malta: Special unit set up to treat elderly with COVID-19, Charmaine Gauci says

The health authorities have set up a special unit to treat elderly with COVID-19, Charmaine Gauci announced on Friday. The superintendent of Public Health is giving details on the COVID-19 situation…

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Malta: “Big family gatherings should be avoided this Christmas ” – Minister Fearne

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne reaffirmed that the maximum number of people who can gather outside is 6, and stressed that what cannot be done outside should…

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First rescEU ventilators dispatched to Czechia

Following a request for assistance from Czechia, the EU is immediately sending a first batch of 30 ventilators from rescEU - the common European reserve of medical equipment set up…

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Malta: Radisson Blu will close temporarily in two days

The Radisson Blu hotel in St Julian's will close temporarily in two days. In a statement, the hotel says the situation has not been easy due to the Coronavirus. Source:…

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European Parliament approves plans for coronavirus testing centre

The European Parliament's Committee on Budgets has approved plans for a coronavirus testing facility for MEPs and staff. A request was made by the Parliament's President David Sassoli for €990,000…

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Israel to lock down nationwide in main holiday season amid COVID-19 surge

Israel will enter a three-week nationwide lockdown starting on Friday to contain the spread of the coronavirus after a second- wave surge of new cases, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said…

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Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

The Times looks at the upcoming budget. It welcomes government plans not to increase taxes in the short-term to deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic. However, it says…

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Climate change bigger economic risk than pandemic, ECB’s Schnabel says

The coronavirus pandemic demonstrates in the clearest terms why central banks must take a bigger role in fighting climate change even if the issue at first appears unrelated to monetary…

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