WHO chief criticizes China over virus team
The U.N. health agency chief expressed rare displeasure with China over delays preventing a scientific team from investigating how COVID-19 originated.
Global Issues
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Vaccine nationalism hangs over 2021 recovery
Richer countries locked up most of 2021's COVID-19 vaccine supply despite the COVAX Facility's multilateral efforts to ensure all nations have equal access.
WHO lists first COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
The WHO listed Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine Comirnaty® for emergency use, the first such designation since the pandemic began earlier this year.
Vaccine approvals add promise for COVAX use
Britain and Argentina authorized emergency use of a coronavirus vaccine that adds momentum to its anticipated global use by international organizations.
WHO warns even deadlier pandemic may surface
WHO officials ended the year with a warning that a future pandemic more severe than the coronavirus may hit one day if the world is not ready.
WTO delays IP waiver proposal for pandemic
A proposal for WTO to suspend IP protections of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments is set to expire this month, kicking the issue over to 2021.
COVID-19 cases exceed 80 million worldwide
The world surpassed 80 million confirmed COVID-19 cases with 1.75 million deaths, as the coronavirus keeps accelerating and affects nearly every region.
Tug-of-war over pulled WHO Italy report
A suppressed WHO report on Italy's pandemic response says hospitals were "chaotic," dangers to elderly went unrecognized, and training was haphazard.
Swiss achieve first full-blown vaccine approval
Switzerland announced it has become the first government in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine using a standard process of regulatory approval.
COVAX vaccine rollout gets 2 billion doses
The COVAX Facility has secured almost 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine candidates for low-income and developing countries, organizations said.
WTO subsidy talks to curb overfishing drag on
Diplomats failed to meet an end-of-year deadline for a deal on halting government subsidies that contribute to overfishing, WTO officials said.
Study projects pandemic adds 168K child deaths
Hunger from the pandemic will likely cause millions more children to suffer from severe malnutrition and add 168,000 child deaths, a new study said.
Five years on, Paris climate accord recharges
World leaders honored five years of the 2015 Paris Agreement at a virtual summit energized by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's vow to rejoin it.
Global coronavirus cases exceed 70 million
Confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 70 million with 1.58 million deaths as the pandemic raged out of control and nations pinned hopes on rolling out vaccines.
UNEP report points to catastrophic warming
Unmet promises to cut carbon emissions put the planet on track for temperatures to rise "in excess of 3 degrees Celsius this century," UNEP reported.
Big pharma sees wide use of vaccines by late 2021
Several CEOs of leading drugmakers expressed confidence the pandemic can be brought under control starting sometime in the second half of next year.