WHO: Governments unprepared to combat global COVID-19 surge
Geneva — The World Health Organization is warning that governments throughout the world are unprepared to combat the global surge of COVID-19, which is putting millions of people at risk of severe disease and death. “COVID-19 is still very much…
US-Australia talks focus on China’s ‘coercive behavior,’ climate change
WASHINGTON/SYDNEY — The United States and Australia kicked off high-level talks Tuesday that will focus on China’s “coercive behavior,” as well as the AUKUS nuclear submarine project, mounting tensions in the Middle East and climate change, officials said. The annual…
Historic space mission commander tours South African schools
Esteemed American astronaut, geoscience professor and artist Sian Proctor is touring South African schools to emphasize the importance of education in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Her goal is to inspire students to pursue careers in the sciences and…
UN agency raises 20% of needed African drought aid
HARARE, Zimbabwe — The U.N. World Food Program has faced challenges in raising $400 million for its Southern Africa drought response, collecting just one-fifth of what it needs to help seven countries in the region, a WFP spokesperson said on…
Fossils suggest even smaller ‘hobbits’ roamed Indonesian island 700,000 years ago
washington — Twenty years ago on an Indonesian island, scientists discovered fossils of an early human species that stood at about 1.07 meters tall — earning them the nickname “hobbits.” Now a new study suggests ancestors of the hobbits were…
Wall Street rallies to bounce back from its worst day in nearly 2 years, as Japanese stocks soar
New York — U.S. stocks are bouncing back, and calm is returning to Wall Street after Japan’s market soared earlier Tuesday to claw back much of the losses from its worst day since 1987. The S&P 500 was rallying by…
Bangladesh at a crossroad, says senior UN official
“Young people and people from every range of life across Bangladesh, across the entire country, came out on the streets to celebrate,” UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis remarked. Some of the celebrations following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation took a…
Humanitarians urge Security Council to stop ‘freight train of suffering’ in Sudan
Edem Wosornu of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, and Stephen Omollo, Assistant Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), briefed ambassadors in the wake of the recent confirmation of famine in the Zamzam displacement camp, home to 500,000…
UN rights office reports escalation in strikes on schools in Gaza
According to the office at least 17 schools have been hit, raising serious concerns about compliance with principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including distinction, proportionality and precaution. OHCHR also pointed to an escalation in such attacks. Since last Monday,…
Japan’s Nikkei 225 soars 10% and other world markets are mixed after the week’s rollercoaster start
Bangkok — Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index soared more than 10% on Tuesday, rebounding after a rollercoaster start to the week that sent markets tumbling in Europe and on Wall Street. European markets were mostly lower, with Germany’s DAX down…