Switzerland

GENEVA, January 21. /TASS/: A recent report penned by the US Department of State in the run-up to the Geneva meeting about Russia’s so-called ‘disinformation’ on Ukraine is impossible to comprehend, and Moscow has already expressed its reaction on this score, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"These papers, which the [US] Department of State specifically prepared for today’s meeting, are impossible to read," Lavrov said following his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

GENEVA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The United States and the European Union have downgraded their dispute at the World Trade Organization over steel and aluminium tariffs applied by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 and subsequent EU retaliation, documents filed at the WTO show.

The two sides agreed in October to suspend their tariffs and work on a deal to combat "dirty" production and overcapacity in the industry in the next two years, with China clearly the focus of their attention.

GENEVA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday raised the cases of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed, two U.S. citizens detained in Russia and repeated Washington's call for their release during talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.

The top diplomats of Russia and the United States met in the Swiss city amid soaring tensions over Ukraine, after talks between their deputies last week failed to achieve a breakthrough.

GENEVA (AP) — The United States and Russia sought to lower the temperature in a heated standoff over Ukraine, even as they reported no breakthroughs in high-stakes talks on Friday aimed at preventing a feared Russian invasion.

Armed with seemingly intractable and diametrically opposed demands, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Geneva for roughly 90 minutes at what the American said was a “critical moment.”

GENEVA, Jan 20 (NNN-TASS) — The COVID-19 total caseload all over the world has surpassed 330 mln, while the death toll has reached 5.55 mln, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated.

   According to the latest data, as many as 332,617,707 people were infected with COVID-19 and some 5,551,314 others died. The COVID-19 incidence rose by 3,156,986 in the last 24 hours and the number of fatalities climbed by 6,889.

   On Jan 12, there was registered a new high of 3,519,158 COVID-19 daily cases. The WHO counts only officially confirmed data provided by the countries.   

GENEVA, Jan 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Global employment will not recover to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2023, with a projected shortfall in hours worked this year equivalent to 52 million full-time jobs, according to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

While an improvement compared with 2021, hours worked globally are expected to remain 2 per cent below levels seen before the arrival of COVID-19, according to the ILO’s outlook for 2022 released on Monday.

GENEVA, Jan 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The overall number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide has exceeded 325 million and the number of fatalities has exceeded 5.53 million, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

   As on Monday Jan 17, as many as 326,279,424 novel coronavirus cases and 5,536,609 coronavirus-associated deaths were registered across the globe. The number of confirmed cases grew by 2,669,054 over the past day and the number of fatalities increased by 6,916.

   The WHO statistics is based on officially confirmed data from the countries.

GENEVA (AP) — Athletes at the Beijing Olympics were urged by human rights activists Tuesday to avoid criticizing China because they could be prosecuted.

The International Olympic Committee has said athletes will have freedom of speech at next month’s Winter Games when speaking to journalists or posting on social media. However, the Olympic Charter rule that prohibits political protests at medal ceremonies also requires “applicable public law” to be followed.

GENEVA (AP) — The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization said Tuesday that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic — deaths, hospitalizations and lockdowns — could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly.

Dr. Michael Ryan, speaking during a panel discussion on vaccine equity hosted by the World Economic Forum, said “we may never end the virus” because such pandemic viruses “end up becoming part of the ecosystem.”

GENEVA (AP) — Seven activists have gone on trial in Switzerland on Monday over charges including alleged trespassing and resisting arrest, over their roles in a campsite protest against the expansion of a limestone quarry in rolling Swiss countryside.