By Thalif Deen – UNITED NATIONS  - The numbers are staggering— as reflected in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which has triggered a new round of food shortages, famine and starvation. According to the Rome-based World Food Programme (WFP) 690 million people do not have enough to eat. while130 million additional people…

(WEBPUBLICAPRESS) New York - In a sweeping new article in the forthcoming January/February issue of Foreign Affairs, Samantha Power argues that the incoming Biden administration should pursue foreign policy initiatives that can quickly highlight the return of American expertise and competence. “Unlike in the recent past, today the United States has a potent competitor on the…

By Thalif Deen - UNITED NATIONS  - The world’s major military powers exercise their dominance largely because of their massive weapons arsenals, including sophisticated fighter planes, drones, ballistic missiles, warships, battle tanks, heavy artillery—and nuclear weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). But the sudden surge in the coronavirus pandemic last week, particularly in…

  By Mark-Malloch Brown — LONDON – (Project Syndicate) - For most of its 75-year existence, the United Nations has struggled to strike a balance between its lofty founding aspirations and realities on the ground. But in today’s fast-changing geopolitical environment, the organization may be facing its biggest challenge yet. For much of…

The first COVID-19 vaccines will soon be licensed for public use and the EU has already secured access to a share of the doses. Yet many questions surrounding safety, efficacy and logistics remain unanswered. News last week of a promising coronavirus vaccine candidate from Pfizer and German firm BioNTech prompted ecstatic headlines. The vaccine…

FRANKFURT (Germany) * Hurriyet Daily News - Positive data on BioNTech and U.S. partner Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine is an unlikely success for the married couple behind the German biotech firm, who have devoted their lives to harnessing the immune system against cancer. Pfizer said on Nov. 9 said its experimental vaccine was more than 90% effective in…

WebPublicaPress (New York/Berlin) – The agreement that could see Europe secure 200 million doses of an experimental coronavirus vaccine is set to be approved on Wednesday by the European Commission, DW (Deutsche Welle) reported.  A European Commission spokesman said Tuesday that the EU had concluded negotiations with Pfizer and BioNTech to secure millions…