Section: The Manila Times (Philippines)
After Ebola, World Bank creates pandemic insurance plan
SENDAI, Japan: The World Bank announced Saturday a new program to mobilize funds quickly against virulent disease outbreaks after the world was caught unprepared in the 2014 Ebola disaster in West Africa. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the new Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) will accelerate global and national responses to...
‘Politics beat art’: Russian officials bash Ukraine Eurovision win
MOSCOW: Russian lawmakers on Sunday lashed out at arch-rival Ukraine’s “political” victory in the Eurovision song contest, as pro-Kremlin media insisted Moscow’s entrant was robbed. Ukrainian performer Jamala won the glitzy contest Saturday with her ballad “1944” about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars by Soviet authorities during...
US, Russia step up war of words
REDZIKOWO, Poland: The United States and Russia on Friday (Saturday in Manila) accused each other of mounting an aggressive military presence in northern Europe, with Moscow vowing to “end threats” posed by a US missile shield near its border. The stepped-up war of words came as Poland on Friday broke ground on the northern section of a US...
US, Russia step up war of words over missile shield
REDZIKOWO, Poland: The United States and Russia on Friday accused each other of mounting an aggressive military presence in northern Europe, with Moscow vowing to “end threats” posed by a US missile shield near its border. The stepped-up war of words came as Poland on Friday broke ground on the northern section of a US missile defence shield...
Obama denounces Russia’s ‘aggressive’ military stance in Europe
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama warned Russia about its military build-up in northern Europe Friday as he hosted leaders from five Nordic countries at the White House. “We are united in our concern about Russia’s growing, aggressive military presence and posture in the Baltic-Nordic region,” Obama said at the end of the meeting. As...
US missile shield starts up in Romania to Russian fury
DEVESLU, Romania: A US anti-missile defense system in Romania aimed at protecting NATO members from threats by “rogue” nations became operational on Thursday in a move that infuriated Russia. The missile interceptor station located in Deveselu, southern Romania, will help defend NATO members against the threat of short and medium-range ballistic...
Wars displace record 40.8 million people in the world, report shows
LONDON: The number of people internally displaced by conflicts around the world rose last year to a record 40.8 million people, a report out on Wednesday showed. “This is the highest figure ever recorded and twice the number of refugees worldwide,” said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), co-authors of the report with the...
Tokyo has high hopes for Abe’s unofficial meeting with Putin
TOKYO: Japanese officials say they have high expectations for improved bilateral relations going into Friday’s summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in which a longstanding territorial dispute and a potential visit to Tokyo by the Russian leader will likely be discussed. The scheduled...
Japan’s Abe meets Putin in Russia
TOKYO: Japanese officials say they have high expectations for improved bilateral relations going into Friday’s summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in which a longstanding territorial dispute and a potential visit to Tokyo by the Russian leader will likely be discussed. The scheduled...
New NATO supreme commander vows tough line on Russia
MONS, Belgium: NATO’s new supreme commander US General Curtis Scaparrotti said on Wednesday that he would “strengthen” the alliance’s stance in eastern Europe against a resurgent Russia. At a handover ceremony from his predecessor Philip Breedlove, the former commander of US forces in Korea also said NATO should consider whether to...
