WORLD
G20 calls on IMF to prepare for new SDR allocation
"We call on the IMF to make a comprehensive proposal for a new Special Drawing Rights general allocation of USD 650 billion to meet the long-term global need to supplement reserve assets," G20 finance ministers and central bank governors said in a communique during the virtual spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Joe Biden supports Jordan's king, affirming two-state solution
Biden expressed "strong US support for Jordan and underscore the importance of King Abdullah II's leadership to the United States and the region," the White House said in a statement on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The two leaders also discussed bilateral ties, Jordan's important role in the region, and strengthening cooperation on political, economic, and security issues.
Russia urges Ukraine, NATO to stop military preparations amid Donbas tensions
"We support a settlement of the conflict in Donbas exclusively by peaceful means," the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. Russia has noticed a disinformation campaign by Ukraine and some Western countries, which are trying to accuse Russia of intensifying the conflict in Donbas and on the Russian-Ukrainian border, she said.
AstraZeneca, blood clots link 'plausible but not confirmed': WHO
In an interim statement on Wednesday, the WHO's Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) said that the events under assessment are very rare, with low numbers reported among the almost 200 million individuals who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine around the world, Xinhua news agency reported.
US Fed officials see some time before tapering asset purchases
"The Federal Reserve's asset purchases since last March had materially eased financial conditions and were providing substantial support to the economy," the Fed said in the minutes of its March 16-17 meeting released on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
59 killed in 24 hours in Afghanistan
"Within the past 24 hours, our team has documented 59 deaths, including eight civilians, nine Afghan National Defense and Security Forces members, and 42 Taliban militants," Xinhua news agency quoted the group, Reduction in Violence (RiV), as saying in a statement.
AstraZeneca's UK vaccine trial on kids comes to a halt
The trial, which started in February, is evaluating whether the vaccine generates a strong immune response in those aged between 6 and 17. While the trial has been paused, Professor Andrew Pollard from the University of Oxford ruled out safety concerns with the trial itself, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
Japanese prefecture declares medical emergency
Osaka reported 878 new infections on Wednesday, the largest daily spike since the outset of the outbreak, reports dpa news agency.The surge is attributed to more contagious variants of the coronavirus, Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura told a news conference.
Suez Canal traffic normal despite ship's engine breakdown
"The SCA has swiftly tackled a sudden break in an engine of one of the passing ships, oil tanker M/T Rumford, through the canal," Xinhua news agency quoted the SCA as saying in a statement on Tuesday. Carrying 62,000 tonnes of oil, the ship was passing the canal in the south convoy when the trouble occurred, it added, explaining that SCA's tug boats have helped solve the problem.
All US adults eligible for Covid-19 vaccine by April 19: Joe Biden
Biden announced the new timetable after his visit to a vaccination site in Alexandria, Virginia, moving up his original deadline of May 1 by nearly two weeks, the Xinhua news agency reported. Biden said that 150 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered within his first 75 days in office, in line with a stated goal of 200 million shots by his 100th day in office.
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