Connect with us

International

Top figures in Covid fight leaving in WHO shake-up

Photo: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP

| By AFP |

Two of the World Health Organization’s most senior figures in the fight against Covid-19 are quitting next week, according to a letter from the WHO chief seen by AFP on Tuesday.

Indian paediatrician and clinical scientist Soumya Swaminathan is leaving her post as the WHO’s chief scientist, while Mariangela Simao of Brazil is departing as the UN health agency’s assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products.

The pair were among the top WHO officials leading global efforts to coordinate the response to the pandemic since Covid-19 was first detected in China in late 2019.

They have been part of the WHO’s public-facing team in the search for vaccines, tests and treatments to combat the pandemic.

Advertisement
20251204_amnistia_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

The departures were announced in a letter to colleagues written by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as part of a shake-up of his top team following his re-election for a second five-year term in May.

“I would like to express my abiding appreciation and respect to members of my senior leadership team whose appointments with WHO are coming to an end on November 30,” Tedros said in the letter.

“These distinguished individuals have my deepest gratitude for their commitment and contribution to the organisation over the last five years.”

Swaminathan and her team worked to keep up with and communicate the constantly-evolving science around Covid-19.

Simao often took the lead in explaining the search for vaccines and the WHO approval process for Covid jabs.

Advertisement
20251204_amnistia_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow

Also heading for the out door are former French health minister Agnes Buzyn, Tedros’s multilateral affairs envoy; and former British government minister Jane Ellison, who is leaving as executive director for external affairs and governance.

“The team has… helped steer WHO through a global pandemic that ravaged the health and well-being of the entire world and had a profound and ongoing impact on global public health,” Tedros said.

“Thanks to their leadership and expertise, these departing members of the senior leadership team made a truly positive difference, and their legacy is a strengthened and more agile, equitable, and resilient WHO.”

No announcements have yet been made on fresh appointments.

Advertisement
20251204_amnistia_mh_728x90
previous arrow
next arrow
Continue Reading
Advertisement
20251204_amnistia_mh_300x250

International

Japan lifts tsunami alert after strong 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits northern coast

A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s northern coast on Monday, triggering several tsunami waves of up to 70 centimeters, authorities said. The tsunami alert was lifted in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 11:15 p.m. local time (14:15 GMT) off the coast of Misawa, at a depth of 53 kilometers. Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) immediately issued a tsunami warning. The first wave reached a port in Aomori Prefecture at 11:43 p.m. (14:43 GMT), followed by others measuring up to 70 centimeters.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that an employee at a hotel in the city of Hachinohe confirmed that several people were injured. Live footage showed shattered glass scattered across roads, while many residents evacuated to the city hall seeking shelter.

The strong tremor was also felt in Sapporo, where emergency alerts were sent to residents’ mobile phones. A reporter in Hokkaido described a horizontal shaking that lasted around 30 seconds, making it difficult to stay standing.

Before the alert was lifted, the JMA had warned of the possibility of tsunami waves up to three meters high along Japan’s Pacific coast. Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara urged residents to remain in safe areas until the warning was officially lifted.

Advertisement

20251204_amnistia_mh_728x90

previous arrow
next arrow

Continue Reading

International

Interior Dept. redefines 2026 Patriotic Days, sparking criticism over removed civil rights holidays

A statement from the Department of the Interior announced that there will be eight designated “patriotic” days in 2026, most of them different from those recognized in the previous two years.

In addition to June 14, 2026—which marks both Flag Day and Donald Trump’s 80th birthday—the calendar includes Presidents’ Day on February 16, Memorial Day on May 5 in honor of U.S. soldiers killed in combat, Independence Day weekend from July 3–5, Constitution Day on September 17, and Veterans Day on November 11, which honors former service members.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19, 2026) and Juneteenth (June 19)—a holiday commemorating the end of slavery—are typically included among free-entry days but have now been removed.

Critics argue that the changes are designed to promote the president while downplaying the nation’s history of slavery and the civil rights struggle.

“The president didn’t just add his own birthday to the list; he removed the two holidays that commemorate the African American fight for civil rights and freedom. Our country deserves better,” lamented Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto on X.

Advertisement

20251204_amnistia_mh_728x90

previous arrow
next arrow

Starting in 2026, free admission on these eight selected days will apply only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. “Non-residents will pay the regular entrance fee and the applicable non-resident rates,” the National Park Service (NPS) stated.

The cost of an annual entry pass will rise to $80 for residents and $250 for non-residents. Those without an annual pass will be required to pay $100 per person to enter 11 of the most visited national parks, in addition to the standard entrance fee.

Earlier this year, Trump marked his 79th birthday—which coincided with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army—by organizing an unusual military parade in downtown Washington.

The United States has 63 national parks, federally protected areas designated by Congress. Last year, they received more than 330 million visitors.

Advertisement

20251204_amnistia_mh_728x90

previous arrow
next arrow

Continue Reading

International

Five laboratories investigated in Spain over possible African Swine Fever leak

Catalan authorities announced this Saturday that a total of five laboratories are under investigation over a possible leak of the African swine fever virus, which is currently affecting Spain and has put Europe’s largest pork producer on alert.

“We have commissioned an audit of all facilities, of all centers within the 20-kilometer risk zone that are working with the African swine fever virus,” said Salvador Illa, president of the Catalonia regional government, during a press conference. Catalonia is the only Spanish region affected so far. “There are only a few centers, no more than five,” Illa added, one day after the first laboratory was announced as a potential source of the outbreak.

Illa also reported that the 80,000 pigs located on the 55 farms within the risk zone are healthy and “can be made available for human consumption following the established protocols.” Therefore, he said, “they may be safely marketed on the Spanish market.”

Continue Reading

Trending

Central News