WORLD

United Nations | Xinhua | Globally, around three in 10 people, or 2.3 billion, do not have handwashing facilities with water and soap available at home, said the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday. The situation is worst in the least developed countries, with over six in 10 people without access …

All of us have the potential to be food heroes. Our actions are our future. The process of transforming our agri-food systems — and making an impact on global hunger, healthy diets, environmental damage and waste — starts with you and me. COMMENT | By Qu Dongyu | This year’s World …

Santiago, Chile | Xinhua | Agriculture is one of the sectors hardest hit by climate-related disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Wednesday, which marked International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. “Anticipatory, short-term action must be based on longer-term resilience-building …

Beijing, China | Xinhua | China on Thursday opposed U.S. accusations of destabilizing the Taiwan region with intense military activities, urging the U.S. to stop making irresponsible remarks on Taiwan issues. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a press briefing. He commented on Pentagon spokesman John …

Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin praised China as a highly reliable partner for Russia during his annual question and answer session at the Russian Energy Week forum on Wednesday. “China is our largest trade and economic partner … Trade turnover between Russia and China is increasing, and …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | World Bank Group President David Malpass said on Wednesday that the COVID-19 pandemic is pushing up poverty and debt levels in low-income countries, highlighting a “tragic reversal” in development. “It’s already pushed nearly 100 million people into extreme poverty. That’s the added number in extreme poverty,” …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden will host Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the White House on Thursday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday. “The leaders will discuss the strong U.S.-Kenyan bilateral relationship and the need to bring transparency and accountability to domestic and international financial systems,” …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday projected that the global economy would grow by 5.9 percent in 2021, down by 0.1 percentage points from July’s forecast, according to the latest World Economic Outlook. “The global recovery continues but momentum has weakened, hobbled by the pandemic,” …

Kunming, China | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called for closer international cooperation on preserving biodiversity and providing related support to developing countries. “It is certainly important that national priorities and specificities of each state be taken into account, and special attention be given to the needs of …

United Nations | Xinhua | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday highlighted three areas for immediate action to launch a recovery from COVID-19 that benefits all, including the most fragile states. First, he called for measures to mitigate the debt crisis in many countries. While investments must be scaled up and …