President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is an ardent advocate of population increase and has called for families to have more children Ankara, Turkey | Xinhua | As a country that once boasted one of the youngest populations in Europe, Turkey has been aging fast in recent years, which is slowly dragging its …
Read More »UN chief calls for end to slavery’s legacy of racism
United Nations | Xinhua | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for an end to the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade: racism. The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans was instrumental in shaping modern conceptions of race. To rationalize the inhumanity of the slave trade, Africans were portrayed as less …
Read More »COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy does not increase complications at childbirth: study
Los Angeles, U.S. | Xinhua | A newly published study has found that receiving a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy does not lead to increases in the frequency of complications around the time of childbirth. The findings, published in JAMA, provide further assurances about the safety of mRNA vaccines for this particularly …
Read More »IAEA chief visits Ukraine to discuss nuclear safety support
Kiev, Ukraine | Xinhua | International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday for talks with senior Ukrainian officials on delivering urgent technical assistance to ensure the security of the country’s nuclear facilities, the IAEA said. The aim of Grossi’s visit is to “initiate prompt safety …
Read More »Oil prices drop amid positive signs from Russia-Ukraine peace talks
New York, U.S. | Xinhua | Oil prices declined on Tuesday as Russia-Ukraine peace talks showed progress. The West Texas Intermediate for May delivery lost 1.72 U.S. dollars, or 1.6 percent, to settle at 104.24 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for May delivery decreased 2.25 …
Read More »Though West pushes for higher oil exports, Gulf states give cold shoulder
Since 2017, the Gulf states and Russia have forged a stable energy alliance under the umbrella of OPEC+ Cairo, Egypt | Xinhua | Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, key members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), have remained hesitant to increase oil and gas …
Read More »Biden proposes 20 pct minimum tax on wealthiest in White House budget plan
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The Biden administration on Monday proposed a new 20-percent minimum tax on the the wealthiest, vowing to fix the tax code to ensure corporations and wealthy people “pay their fair share.” “This minimum tax would apply only to the wealthiest 0.01 percent of households – those …
Read More »U.S. biological activities in Ukraine a “devil’s plan”: Russian Foreign Ministry
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called Washington’s military biological activities in Ukraine a “devil’s plan,” Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reported Sunday. “There are too many gaps in this diabolical plan that still have to be filled,” Zakharova said. Russia’s Defense Ministry said earlier that …
Read More »Biden administration proposes 6.9 bln USD in FY 2023 budget for countering Ukraine war
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday proposed 6.9 billion U.S. dollars in its fiscal year 2023 budget proposal, which is aimed at addressing what it views as threats stemming from the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “This funding will enhance the capabilities …
Read More »G7 rejects Russia’s demand to pay gas deliveries in rubles
Berlin, Germany | Xinhua | The Group of Seven (G7) has agreed to reject Russia’s demand to pay gas deliveries in rubles, said German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck on Monday. Russia’s demand was “a unilateral and clear breach of existing contracts,” Habeck, who is also the German minister for economic affairs and …
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