WORLD

United Nations | Xinhua | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday mourned the death of Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, calling him a towering world figure for peace. “I was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an unwavering voice for the voiceless,” said Guterres in …

Bethlehem, West Bank  | Xinhua |  Palestinian tourists and pilgrims on Friday gathered at the square near the Church of Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, marking the start of Christmas celebrations in an atmosphere of joy and bliss. Hundreds of local merrymakers, including tourists and pilgrims, flocked …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday authorized American pharmaceutical company Merck’s oral antiviral for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19, the second pill approved for treating COVID-19 following the one from Pfizer. Merck’s pill, called molnupiravir, is authorized to use in adults with positive …

Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Eastwards expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is unacceptable, and there should be security guarantees in Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. Russia does not endanger anyone, and it is NATO’s constant expansion that has posed a threat, Putin said during his …

Beijing, China | Xinhua | The international community should strengthen solidarity and join hands in fighting terrorism, a senior Chinese diplomat said. The lessons of the boomerang effect are still fresh in memory, and must be learned by heart, Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao said on Wednesday at the opening ceremony …

New York, U.S. | Xinhua | Crude oil prices could soften in the coming months as looming oversupply is turning oil producers’ fortunes around, according to industry institutions and analysts. Meanwhile, a possible failure to revive the Iran nuclear deal by the first quarter of 2022 together with expected return of …

Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | Blanket vaccine booster programs are likely to prolong the COVID-19 pandemic rather than ending it, as a result of unequal distribution of vaccines between rich and poor countries, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized Pfizer’s oral antiviral tablets for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19, the first pill approved for COVID-19 treatment in the country. The pill, called Paxlovid, is authorized for use in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he will run for reelection in 2024 if he is in good health at the time. “Yes,” he said when asked by host David Muir if he plans to run for reelection in an interview aired Wednesday on ABC’s …

Brussels, Belgium | Xinhua | The European Union (EU) digital COVID-19 certificate will only be valid for travel for nine months, the European Commission said on Tuesday. The Commission said it had adopted a binding acceptance period of nine months (270 days) for vaccination certificates for the purposes of travel within …