Where things stand
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week confirmed that half of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That amounts to 129 million people; 160 million Americans have received at least one shot. This is a major milestone in our country s vaccination efforts, said White House senior COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt. Data from CNN and Johns Hopkins University shows the average U.S. daily COVID-19 death toll is at its lowest point since March 31, 2020 about 520 people are dying in America every day. Globally, it appears cases are on the decline, falling 14 percent last week, but remain high in countries including India, Argentina, and Nepal. And even as America rounds a corner, global vaccine distribution remains shockingly uneven. Just 0.3 percent of the world s vaccine doses have gone to low-income countries, a disparity that United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkır said was terrible, horrifying, and unacceptable.
UNGA president meets PM, discusses Rohingya, climate change issues
Diplomatic Correspondent
25th May, 2021 12:07:41
The President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly Volkan Bozkır held a meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday.
They discussed issues related to the Rohingya and climate change.
Earlier, Volkan Bozkır arrived in Dhaka early this morning on a two-day visit to hold meetings with top government leadership and discuss the Rohingya crisis and shared challenges.
He is scheduled to visit Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar to see for himself the plight of the forcibly-displaced Myanmar nationals, who took temporary shelter amid persecution, ethnic cleansing and genocide in Rakhine state.
Bangladesh will buy 1.5 crore Sinopharm vaccines from China; 1st consignment due in June
Star Digital Report
Star Digital Report
Bangladesh will buy 1.5 crore Sinopharm vaccines from China, and its first consignment is likely to arrive in Dhaka in June, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said today. Discussions on buying vaccines from China are positive. The deal in this regard is almost final. It will be complete very soon, he told reporters following a meeting with UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkır at the Foreign Service Academy.
The development comes at a time when the country is seeing a sharp rise in deaths and new cases of Covid-19 today.
Global vaccine distribution horrifying, unacceptable: UNGA president
Photo: Collected Star Digital Report Star Digital Report
The current state of global vaccine distribution is unacceptable and horrifying , the UN General Assembly president said today, pointing at the nationalistic attitude of developed countries and vaccine manufacturing nations. Only 0.3 percent of all vaccines is going to low-income countries. This is terrifying, horrifying. This is unacceptable. This is beyond all human and moral belief, Volkan Bozkır said while delivering his speech at the Bangabandhu Lecture Series organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Foreign Service Academy.
Bozkir arrived in Bangladesh on a two-day visit today.