WORLD

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 …

New York, U.S. | Xinhua | Oil prices rose on Tuesday, trying to recover from the prior session’s sell-off driven by Omicron fears. The West Texas Intermediate for February delivery added 2.51 U.S. dollars, or 3.7 percent, to settle at 71.12 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent …

Washington’s fixation with sanctions has little to do with their efficacy and everything to do with something else: American decline Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | Washington has “become addicted to sanctions” like a 5-year-old child who “is addicted to candy,” a U.S. columnist has said. “If there is one tool policymakers …

Brussels, Belgium | Xinhua | The European Commission on Monday granted conditional marketing authorization for Nuvaxovid, the fifth COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the European Union (EU). The authorization of the vaccine, developed by Novavax, followed a scientific recommendation based on an assessment of the safety, effectiveness and quality of the vaccine …

New York, U.S. | Xinhua | Oil prices fell sharply on Monday as a rapid spread of the Omicron variant dampened the prospects of fuel demand. The West Texas Intermediate for January delivery lost 2.63 U.S. dollars, or 3.7 percent, to settle at 68.23 dollars a barrel on the New York …

Jerusalem, Israel | Xinhua | Israeli researchers have found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, harms the human immune system, Ben-Gurion University (BGU) in southern Israel said on Monday. In a genetic study published in the journal iScience, BGU researchers tried to find out what causes the “stormy” nature of …

Islamabad, Pakistan | Xinhua | The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has decided to establish a humanitarian trust fund, launch a food security program, and facilitate to unlock financial and banking channels for Afghanistan to help the Afghan people facing looming humanitarian crisis, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Sunday. …