World surpasses 4mn Covid deaths as WHO warns casualties are higher than reported
The world passed the tragic milestone of four million recorded Covid-19 fatalities on Wednesday, the World Health Organization said, adding that the pandemic's true toll was probably higher.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the landmark had been reached, more than 18 months since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019.
"The world is at a perilous point in this pandemic. We have just passed the tragic milestone of four million recorded Covid-19 deaths, which likely underestimates the overall toll," Tedros told a press conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva.
The UN health agency's director-general said some countries with high vaccination coverage were now "relaxing as though the pandemic is already over", dropping public health measures and planning to roll out booster shots.
Shocking inequity' in vaccine access
But he said that far too many countries all over the world were seeing sharp spikes in cases and hospitalisation, due to fast-moving virus variants and a "shocking inequity" in global access to vaccines.
"This is leading to an acute shortage of oxygen, treatments and driving a wave of death in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America," Tedros said.
"Vaccine nationalism, where a handful of nations have taken the lion's share, is morally indefensible
"At this stage in the pandemic, the fact that millions of health and care workers have still not been vaccinated is abhorrent."
Tedros said variants were currently outpacing vaccines due to the inequitable distribution of available doses, which he said was also threatening the global economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.
"From a moral, epidemiological or economic point view, now is the time for the world to come together to tackle this pandemic collectively."
SOURCE: AFP

It’s not just the cities. Extreme heat is a growing threat to rural America.
- 7 hours ago

Hinge CEO Justin McLeod says dating AI chatbots is ‘playing with fire’
- 21 minutes ago

The paradox driving Trump’s bad polling numbers
- 7 hours ago

Three ways Trump’s attack on Iran could spin out of control
- 7 hours ago

How the Supreme Court paved the way for ICE’s lawlessness
- 7 hours ago

Samsung confirms Unpacked for early July
- 21 minutes ago

Pakistan reaffirms commitment to eradicate torture, uphold human dignity: FO
- 12 minutes ago

This time, it’s Trump’s war
- 7 hours ago

PM lauds economic team for balanced budget, highlights Pakistan’s role in Iran-Israel ceasefire
- 17 minutes ago

T-Mobile’s satellite service officially launches in July
- 21 minutes ago

The Steam Deck OLED is back in stock
- 21 minutes ago

The new lies spreading about climate change
- 22 minutes ago