Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 500 million, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Globally, as of 8:36 p.m. CEST (1836 GMT) on Thursday, there have been 500,186,525 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 6,190,349 deaths, reported to WHO, according …
Read More »Putin eyes south, east as Russian energy supplies to west wane
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored the importance of diversifying energy exports as supplies in the western direction will be reduced in the foreseeable future. “Therefore, it is important to consolidate the trend of recent years: step by step, reorient our exports to the fast-growing markets of …
Read More »Oil prices rise as traders weigh prospect of EU ban on Russian oil
New York, U.S. | Xinhua | Oil prices climbed on Thursday as traders weighed the prospect of a European Union (EU) ban on imports of Russian oil. The West Texas Intermediate for May delivery added 2.70 U.S. dollars, or 2.6 percent, to settle at 106.95 U.S. dollars a barrel on the …
Read More »Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for 43 bln USD
San Francisco, U.S. | Xinhua | A filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday showed that Elon Musk has made an offer to buy Twitter. The billionaire has said he is willing to pay 54.20 U.S. dollars per share to buy 100 percent of the company. The …
Read More »COVID-19 still a global health emergency despite drop in cases, deaths: WHO
Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | As the number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths continues to decline, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that the pandemic remains a public health emergency, advising countries to be prepared to scale up COVID-19 response rapidly. “On COVID-19, there’s good news. Last week, …
Read More »UN chief calls for action to mitigate global impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict
United Nations | Xinhua | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for action to mitigate the global impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on food, energy and finance systems. The conflict is supercharging a three-dimensional crisis of food, energy and finance that is pummeling some of the world’s most vulnerable people, …
Read More »Biden announces additional 800 mln USD in aid to Ukraine
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday his administration will provide Ukraine with an additional 800 million U.S. dollars’ worth of military aid due to what Washington anticipated to be a “wider assault” by Russia in eastern Ukraine. “As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the …
Read More »India’s civil aviation watchdog bars 90 SpiceJet pilots from flying Boeing 737 Max planes
New Delhi, India | Xinhua | India’s civil aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has barred 90 SpiceJet pilots from flying Boeing 737 Max aircraft until they undergo the required training, local media reports said Wednesday. The watchdog cited issues with their simulator training. “For the moment, we have …
Read More »Russia accuses U.S.-funded labs of developing bio-weapons
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | U.S.-funded biological laboratories in Ukraine were engaged in developing components of biological weapons, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday. “It is impossible not to mention the activities conducted by the United States and its allies near the Russian borders,” Medvedev said …
Read More »Russia, Belarus to deepen integration amid Western sanctions: Putin
Vladivostok, Russia | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday at a joint press conference that it was important to deepen integration between Russia and Belarus in the face of all-out Western sanctions. Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko hosted the joint press conference at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s …
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