International

• Thursday, September 2nd 2021 - 08:04 UTC

  Pope Francis refers to Afghanistan confusing statements from Merkel and Putin

  

  Despite having screened an interview to a Spanish radio station, Pope Francis nevertheless on Wednesday confused statements from German Chancellor Angela Merkel with those from Russian president Vladimir Putin.

• Wednesday, September 1st 2021 - 09:54 UTC

  Latin America and Caribbean expected to grow 5.9% in 2021, ECLAC says

  

  A new “Economic Study of Latin America and the Caribbean” report released Tuesday by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) raised its growth forecast for the region from 5.2% in July to 5.9%.

• Wednesday, September 1st 2021 - 09:29 UTC

  High income countries called on to share Covid-19 vaccines quickly

  

  The former Co-Chairs of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, and Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, have expressed their deep concern at the slow pace of redistribution of COVID-19 vaccines from high income to low-income countries.

• Wednesday, September 1st 2021 - 08:58 UTC

  WHO names coronavirus Colombian strain “Mu” and says it is “of interest”

  

  The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a new SARS-Cov-2 variant which has been named “Mu” and was first detected in Colombia last January.

• Wednesday, September 1st 2021 - 07:22 UTC

  FAO Director-General points at digitalization if small island states are to achieve their goals

  

  The Chinese biologist Qu Dongyu, who has been serving as Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has called on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to rely on innovation and digitalization to speed up the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Tuesday, August 31st 2021 - 09:26 UTC

  US puts an end to 20 years of military presence in Afghanistan

  

  The United States has ended its military presence in Afghanistan after 20 years, General Frank McKenzie of the Central Command (CENTCOM), announced Monday at a press conference from the Pentagon.

• Tuesday, August 31st 2021 - 09:05 UTC

  China limits video gaming (“spiritual opium”) by teenagers to three hours a week

  

  China has implemented strict regulations regarding video gaming by minors below 18, which will be limited to three hours a week to combat what authorities have described as the “spiritual opium”.

• Tuesday, August 31st 2021 - 08:56 UTC

  Chile announces sanitary protocol for tourists on cruise expeditions to Antarctica

  

  Chile announced on Monday that foreign tourists on cruise expeditions to Antarctica can call and land in the country as long as they comply with a strict sanitary protocol. Andrea Wolleter, head of Chile's tourism services made the announcement following on reiterated petitions from organizations linked to the tourism industry as well as regional and city officials.

• Tuesday, August 31st 2021 - 08:53 UTC

  Argentina, Cuba ratify willingness to strengthen bilateral ties

  

  Argentina's International Economic Relations Secretary Jorge Neme held a meeting Monday in Havanna with Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, during which both countries ratified their intention to strengthen bilateral ties.

• Monday, August 30th 2021 - 08:51 UTC

  Hurricane Ida hits Louisiana, brings back memories of Katrina

  

  Electricity supply in New Orleans was cut and the property was damaged Sunday as Hurricane Ida hit the State of Louisiana, it was reported.