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☆ Leading WHO advisers call for 'realistic' COVID data from China at key meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Jennifer Rigby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The World Health Organization logo is pictured at the entrance of the WHO building, in Geneva, Switzerland, December 20, 2021. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseLONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Leading scientists advising the World Health Organization said they wanted a "more realistic picture" about the COVID-19 situation from China's top experts at a key meeting on Tuesday as worries grow about the rapid spread of the virus. The WHO has invited Chinese scientists to a virtual closed meeting with its technical advisory group on viral evolution on Tuesday, to present data on which variants are circulating in the country. Speaking to Reuters ahead of the meeting, she said some of the data from China, such as hospitalisation numbers, is "not very credible". A WHO spokesperson said that a "detailed discussion" was expected about circulating variants in China, and globally, with Chinese scientists expected to make a presentation.

☆ Major aid groups suspend work in Afghanistan AS Taliban bar women
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

KABUL, Afghanistan — Four major international aid groups on Sunday suspended their operations in Afghanistan following a decision by the country’s Taliban rulers to ban women from working at non-governmental organizations. Excluding women from schools and NGO work in Afghanistan “can and will lead to catastrophic humanitarian consequences in the short to long term,” the International Committee of the Red Cross warned. Half of Afghanistan’s population, or 24 million people, are in need of humanitarian aid, according to the group. The International Rescue Committee said it was dismayed by the Taliban decision, adding that more than 3,000 of its staff in Afghanistan are women. The Economy Ministry’s order comes days after the Taliban banned female students from attending universities across the country, triggering backlash overseas and demonstrations in major Afghan cities.

☆ Save the Children, others suspend Afghanistan efforts after Taliban bar on female staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The administration on Saturday ordered all local and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to send female staff home until further notice. The joint statement also highlighted the effect of the ban on female staff on thousands of jobs in the midst of an enormous economic crisis. Earlier, international aid agency AfghanAid said it was immediately suspending operations while it consulted with other organisations, and that other NGOs were taking similar actions. Chargé d'Affaires Karen Decker had posted on Twitter questioning how the Taliban planned to prevent hunger amongst women and children following the ban. She pointed out that the United States was the largest humanitarian aid donor to the country.

Russia and Ukraine are not currently engaged in talks to end the fighting, which is raging in the east and south and reached Kyiv again on Wednesday. Zelenskiy said this week Russia should start withdrawing by Christmas as a step to end the conflict, Europe's biggest since World War Two. Moscow rejected the proposal outright, saying Ukraine must accept the loss of territory to Russia before any progress can be made. [1/5] Rescuers and police officers examine parts of the drone at the site of a building destroyed by a Russian drone attack, as their attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 14, 2022. DRONES STRIKE KYIVViolence returned to Kyiv, with the first major drone attack on Ukraine's capital in weeks.

☆ Red Cross visits POWs held by Russia and Ukraine, commends progress
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the Geneva-based body has reached hundreds of prisoners on both sides. "My expectation is that these visits lead to more regular access to all prisoners of war," the statement cited ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric as saying. The U.N. human rights office said last month that its monitors had not been allowed access to Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia. The ICRC said it carried out a two-day visit to Ukrainian POWs last week, with another happening this week. It also visited Russian POWs last week and more such visits are planned by month-end.

☆ Trump doesn't have 'absolute immunity' over efforts to overturn 2020 election, judge says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Summer-Concepcion-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A federal judge on Monday rejected former President Donald Trump’s argument that he has “absolute immunity” in response to a lawsuit alleging he committed civil rights violations in his attempts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results. "For these reasons, the court concludes that former President Trump is not immune from monetary damages in this suit." NBC News has reached out to attorneys for Trump and the Republican National Committee for comment. “The court is also cognizant that the individual plaintiffs are Black voters who are particularly targeted by former President Trump’s baseless allegations of election fraud,” he continued. The case was filed before the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, while the then-president was challenging election results in numerous states.

☆ First international aid arrives in Ethiopia's Tigray since ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Tommy Wilkes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and Tigrayan forces signed a ceasefire on Nov. 2 to end two years of fighting that have killed thousands, shattered infrastructure and uprooted millions from their homes. The ICRC described the delivery into the regional capital Mekelle as the first international aid into Tigray since a previous ceasefire broke in August. We have discussed, agreed and signed," Abiy told Ethiopia's national parliament in his first comments on the ceasefire since it came into force. Abiy said on Tuesday that a territorial dispute between forces in Tigray and the neighbouring Amhara region should be resolved legally and through discussion. Authorities in Amhara last week welcomed the ceasefire agreement but made no mention of the disputed territory.

☆ Red Cross Wants Digital Symbols to Deter Hackers From Healthcare Institutions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Catherine Stupp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The International Committee of the Red Cross proposed creating a digital equivalent to its distinctive red symbol to warn off hackers who attempt to break into medical institutions’ networks. Such a digital emblem would deter some but not all hackers, Red Cross advisers say, at a time when hospitals are frequently hit with cyberattacks. The Red Cross and its cyber advisers worked for more than two years on the project. Whatever option governments choose would need to be simple to install, said Matthew Smith, a professor of computer science at the University of Bonn in Germany, speaking at the Red Cross event. “As easy as placing a red cross on a building,” he said.

☆ Exclusive: Russia is prepared to quit Black Sea grains deal, writes to UN with demands
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

GENEVA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Moscow has submitted concerns to the United Nations about an agreement on Black Sea grain exports, and is prepared to reject renewing the deal next month unless its demands are addressed, Russia's Geneva U.N. ambassador told Reuters on Thursday. The agreement, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July, paved the way for Ukraine to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports that had been shut since Russia invaded. The agreement helped stave off a global food crisis: Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's biggest grain exporters and Russia is the number one fertiliser exporter. He said Guterres was committed to those efforts and to having an extended and expanded Black Sea Grain Initiative. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Emma Farge Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Russia is prepared to quit Black Sea grains deal, writes to UN with demands
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Red Cross pauses Ukraine field work for security reasons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary ICRC and Norwegian Refugee council pause field work on MondayBoth cite security fears after Russian missile attacksOperations continue, field work expected to resumeGENEVA, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The International Committee of the Red Cross and at least one other aid group paused their field work in Ukraine for security reasons on Monday after Russia fired missiles at cities across Ukraine. A second ICRC spokesperson later added that while field work had halted, aid workers were able to continue desk work. The Norwegian Refugee Council also said that it had halted its aid operations in Ukraine until it is safe to resume. "We cannot aid vulnerable communities when our aid workers are hiding from a barrage of bombs and in fear of repeated attacks," said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the NRC. A spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency said its operations continued, with staff sheltering during air raids.

☆ How the mind of an 80-year-old president is biologically different from a 45-year-old president's
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +23 min

It was 1988, and he'd approached President Ronald Reagan in the Cabinet room at the White House. People scoffed at the glowing hourlong media conference that President Donald Trump's White House doctor gave about his health. Reagan publicly announced he had Alzheimer's disease five years after he left the White House. Francis Shen, who teaches psychiatry at Harvard Medical School's Center for Bioethics, would like to see information about political leaders' cognitive health made public. Cognitive health should be no different, he said, because it also might affect the way presidents and members of Congress make important decisions.

☆ Yemen crisis: How you can help
▼ + stars: | 2015-04-06 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Since Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and intense fighting began in Yemen in late March, it’s estimated that 600 people have been killed. The International Committee of the Red Cross called for an immediate 24-hour ceasefire, to allow humanitarian aid in the most needed areas. As fighting continues in Yemen, several organizations are trying to help provide food, water and medical supplies that are desperately needed. While groups are trying to deploy the necessary resources to Yemen, some have had to temporarily evacuate their staffs for security reasons. Here’s how you can help:Action Against HungerCAREDoctors Without BordersInternational Committee of the Red CrossInternational Rescue CommitteeMercy CorpsOxfam InternationalSave the ChildrenUNICEFUnited Nations FoundationWorld Food Programme

☆ I'm a photographer who covered 9/11 and its aftermath. Here are the most gripping photos I took, and the stories behind them.
▼ + stars: | 2001-09-11 | by ( Alan Chin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

A month after that, I got an assignment to go to northern Afghanistan. Their soldiers had repelled a Taliban offensive in 1997, and massacred thousands of the Taliban prisoners they had captured. Air Force flights from as far away as Germany were dropping American military and humanitarian food packets in an effort to win hearts and minds. This was taken aboard the ferry connecting the east and west sides of the American military base. Even as the American war in Afghanistan ends in both ignominy and relief, the conflicts there and in dozens of other places continue.

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