United Nations, USA | XINHUA | UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Wednesday called for more international diplomacy to unlock progress in Syria. “If this highly internationalized conflict is to move toward resolution, we need a more constructive and comprehensive international diplomacy on Syria to try to unlock …
Read More »EU lawsuit against AstraZeneca might be hard to prove, say experts
Rome, Italy | XINHUA | The European Union (EU) announced this week it was suing pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for breach of contract amid major delivery shortfalls, a case that legal analysts said could be hard to prove. A spokesman for the European Commission told Xinhua Wednesday that AstraZeneca had indicated …
Read More »No change of phase in lockdown at UN Headquarters in New York: spokesman
United Nations, USA | XINHUA | There is no change of phase in lockdown at UN Headquarters in New York despite the New York State’s recent loosening of restrictions, said a spokesman on Wednesday. “There’s no official change of phase to announce at this point. So, we will continue to …
Read More »U.S. Fed keeps interest rates near zero as recovery picks up
Washington, USA | XINHUA | The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its benchmark interest rates unchanged at the record-low level of near zero, as economic recovery gathers momentum on COVID-19 vaccination progress and strong fiscal support. “Amid progress on vaccinations and strong policy support, indicators of economic activity and …
Read More »India suffering calamitous surge of COVID-19 cases, int’l community extending help
Beijing, China | XINHUA | Over the past week, India has been reporting more than 300,000 new COVID-19 cases each day, while medical oxygen is running out and patients are still waiting for treatment in overloaded hospitals. The international community has pledged assistance for India, with many countries agreeing to …
Read More »European Parliament ratifies EU-UK trade deal
Brussels, Belgium | XINHUA | The European Parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly gave its seal of approval to the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) that had been agreed on Christmas Eve last year. The decision was adopted by 660 votes in favour, five against …
Read More »BiH can learn a lot from China, MPs say
Sarajevo, Bosnia | XINHUA | Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) can learn a great deal from China, said members of BiH’s Parliamentary Assembly after a video meeting with Chinese legislators on Monday. “It was impressive what four of us heard during the presentation of our colleagues from China. Not only about …
Read More »EU brings AstraZeneca to court over vaccine supply shortfall
EU’s executive body says AstraZeneca has failed to honour its obligations toward the 27-member bloc. Brussels, Belgium | Xinhua | The European Union (EU) has brought pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to court over its failure to respect the commitment to deliver COVID-19 vaccine doses to its member states, said a European Commission …
Read More »Shearer and Henry inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame
Henry won the Golden Boot award four times and scored a club-record 175 Premier League goals in 258 matches for Arsenal Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Premier League record goal scorer Alan Shearer and four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Thierry Henry have today been announced as the first two players …
Read More »UN chief commends all countries reaching zero malaria goal
United Nations | Xinhua | United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday commended all countries that have reached the target of zero malaria. “We commend all countries that have reached the ambitious target of zero malaria,” said the secretary-general in his message for the World Malaria Day, which falls on …
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