Polio strikes as misinformation fuels vaccine refusal in Pakistan, Afghanistan
The naturally occurring form of polio remains active in only two countries in the world: Pakistan and Afghanistan. Over 50 cases of so-called wild polio have been confirmed in the region this year despite continuing efforts to eradicate the disease….
G7 allies move ahead with $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian funds
Washington — The U.S. on Wednesday finalized its $20 billion portion of a long-awaited $50 billion loan to Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets. The funds are to be available by year’s end for economic and military aid. U.S. Treasury…
Chinese official urges Apple to continue ‘deepening’ presence in China
A top Chinese official has urged tech giant Apple to deepen its presence and investment in innovation in the world’s second largest economy at a time when supply chains and companies are shifting production and operations away from China. As…
Boeing reports $6 billion quarterly loss ahead of vote by union workers who have crippled production
EVERETT, Wash. — Boeing reported a loss of more than $6 billion in the third quarter and immediately turned its attention to union workers who will vote Wednesday whether to accept a company contract offer or continue their crippling strike,…
Experts demand answers from Russia over award-winning Ukrainian journalist’s death
That’s according to a group of independent UN human rights experts who said in a statement released on Wednesday they are urgently seeking confirmation of reports regarding the death of Roshchyna, who was forcibly disappeared in August 2023. The uncertainty…
Gaza: Israeli strikes delay polio vaccine campaign in the north
The UN health agency said pauses in the bombardment are key. “Humanitarian pauses are essential for its success, allowing partners to deliver vaccination supplies to health facilities, families to safely access vaccination sites and mobile teams of health workers to…
Civilians and peacekeepers at risk, amid escalating Lebanon conflict
Intensified Israeli airstrikes on 23 September forced nearly 120,000 people to flee their homes within a week, according to UNHCR. As of 20 October, that number has spiked to 809,000 displaced within Lebanon. A further 425,000 – of whom around…
Syria facing alarming regional spillover, UN envoy warns
“The fires of conflicts are raging the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza, and in Lebanon. And the heat is being felt in Syria too – spiralling escalation is already having a major impact on Syria and Syrian civilians,” Geir Pedersen…
US: North Korea has dispatched 3,000 troops to Russia for training
The United States said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops were dispatched to Russia earlier this month and are being trained there, possibly to fight alongside Moscow’s troops in their 32-month war against Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told…
E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder kills 1, sickens dozens in US
One person died and dozens fell ill from E. coli infections linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers in 10 states, led by Colorado, where 26 people were sickened, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday. The E. coli…