WORLD

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 …

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 …