Covid-19

Explained: The WHO’s New Global Pandemic Treaty

After more than three years of fierce negotiations, an international agreement on the prevention and control of pandemics was adopted on Tuesday at the World Health Organization (WHO). Here are the main points of the agreement, which has 35 articles. Objective  The objective of the WHO Pandemic Agreement is "strengthening pandemic prevention, ...

From War Zones to Wards: How LRC Keeps Lebanon Alive

A toll-free emergency number that most people in Lebanon have in mind during a crisis is the three-digit “140,” which connects to the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC). The volunteer-based, non-profit organization has proven to be life-saving in times of war and peace. Each year, the LRC handles over one million missions across the country, including ...

Cannes 2025: The 22 Films Competing for the Palme d'Or

Here is a list of the titles vying for the Palme d'Or, which will be awarded by this year's jury president, Juliette Binoche, and her seven fellow judges, including Oscar-winner Halle Berry and Succession star Jeremy Strong. 'A Simple Accident' by Jafar Panahi (Iran) The repeatedly detained Iranian director, who has been banned from making ...

Africa's Cardinal Turkson is Continent's Papal Frontrunner

Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson is seen as one of the Church's most influential men from Africa, where Christianity is quickly growing -- and which some believe could be the birthplace of the next pope. The 76-year-old born into a humble family of 10 children is the first clergyman from the west African country to receive a red hat, having been ...

Carlos Santana Postpones Shows After Testing Positive for Covid-19

Celebrated rocker Carlos Santana was forced to postpone several tour dates after testing positive for Covid-19, his manager said Wednesday. The 77-year-old guitar icon "experienced dehydration" before canceling Tuesday's show in San Antonio, and "out of an abundance of caution" is doing the same for Wednesday's performance in Sugar Land, Texas, ...

WHO Countries Reach Landmark Agreement on Tackling Future Pandemics

Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis. After more than three years of talks and one last marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organization's headquarters ...

Pandemic Treaty Talks Inch Towards Accord

Countries hope more than three years of negotiations on battling future pandemics will finally end Tuesday, after reaching a preliminary agreement last week. It has been more than five years since the Covid-19 pandemic began, killing millions of people and devastating economies. Experts say an accord has become even more crucial with new health ...

Europe Markets Extend Losses After Tariff Rout

European equities opened in the red on Friday, extending losses after US President Donald Trump's tariff offensive sparked a global stock market rout. Paris shed 0.9 percent to 7,533.26 points, Frankfurt fell 0.7 percent to 21,566.33 and London also dropped 0.7 percent to 8,416.32. Trump's harsher-than-expected "Liberation Day" levies sent ...

Growing Up Masked: The Psychological Challenges of a Confined Childhood

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted societies on an unprecedented scale, deeply altering ingrained customs and daily social interactions. Children, navigating crucial phases of their psychological and identity development, were confronted with a world of masked faces, limited social interactions and new anxieties. For infants, the human face is the ...

Elon Musk brands USAID as 'criminal organization' in growing row

Elon Musk attacked the US Agency for International Development on Sunday, calling it a "criminal organization" after Donald Trump moved to freeze the bulk of Washington's foreign assistance for three months. The Trump administration has since issued waivers for food and other humanitarian aid. But aid workers say uncertainty reigns -- and that ...

World Bank Sees Slow and Steady Global Growth

Global growth should remain stable this year and next, but at recent historic lows, the World Bank said Thursday, expressing particular concern about growth in developing countries. Growth should hit 2.7 percent in 2025 and 2026, in line with the level reached last year, the World Bank announced in a new report, adding that inflation and interest ...

Chinese economic growth among slowest in decades

China posted one of its slowest rates of economic growth in decades Friday, as leaders nervously eye a potential trade standoff with incoming US president Donald Trump. Beijing has announced in recent months its most aggressive support measures in years in a bid to reignite an economy suffering on multiple fronts, including a prolonged property ...