Manila, Philippines | Xinhua | World boxing champion and Philippine senator Manny Pacquiao announced on Sunday that he will run for president of the Philippines in the 2022 elections. Pacquiao, 42, said he officially accepted the nomination to be the standard-bearer of the PDP-Laban faction led by Senator Aquilino Pimentel. “We are …
Read More »Strengthen democracy in face of future crises: UN chief
United Nations | Xinhua | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for efforts to strengthen democracy in face of future crises by learning from COVID-19. “As the world struggles to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating consequences, we must learn from the lessons of the past 18 months …
Read More »Taliban hands over seized cash, gold to Afghan central bank
Kabul, Afghanistan | Xinhua | The Taliban have handed over about 12.3 million U.S. dollars cash and some gold to Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the country’s central bank, a bank statement said on Thursday. The cash and gold bars found in the houses of former administration’s officials and local offices of former …
Read More »U.S. use of drones under scrutiny after deadly strike in Afghanistan
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The use of drones by the U.S. military against targets in other countries has come under scrutiny again following a deadly strike that it carried out recently in Kabul, Afghanistan, which was alleged to have wrongly killed multiple civilians there, including young children. U.S. Secretary of …
Read More »U.S. trade coalition urges Biden administration to end “misguided trade war” as tariffs hurt businesses
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | Americans for Free Trade, a coalition of more than 150 industry associations that are united in the fight against tariffs, on Tuesday urged the Biden administration to end the “misguided trade war” initiated by the previous administration as tariffs continue to hurt American businesses across the …
Read More »Putin to self-isolate after COVID-19 detected in entourage
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that he will observe self-isolation for a certain period of time in connection with the COVID-19 cases detected in his entourage. Putin voiced his decision during a phone conversation with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, the Kremlin said in a press …
Read More »“Serious” possibility of complete economic collapse in Afghanistan, says UN chief
Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that the possibility of a complete economic collapse in Afghanistan is “serious.” Guterres was in Geneva on Monday to convene a high-level ministerial meeting on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. He highlighted the acute and urgent need for …
Read More »Americans worry more about a divided nation than terrorism 20 years after 9/11 attacks
Shanksville, US | DENG XIANLAI & XU JIANMEI – XINHUA | The weather turned crisp and clear after a sudden downpour that sheeted the site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93, the fourth plane of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, crashed 20 years ago, claiming all lives onboard. Windy …
Read More »Former UK PM urges rich nations to transfer COVID-19 vaccines to needy countries
London, UK | XINHUA | Wealthy Western nations’ hoarding of vaccines will result in thousands of needless deaths from COVID-19 in the world’s poorest countries every month, unless urgent steps are taken to distribute jabs more fairly, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said. “Thousands will die this month …
Read More »ANALYSIS: 20 years of counterterrorism proves holistic approach, global cooperation as true solution
Beijing, China | XINHUA | Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, which ushered in a global war on terror. Despite the progress made in international efforts to fight terrorism, the world remains beset with its tangible threats. If history is any guide, military predominance and hegemony …
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