A deep scar on the world’s conscience

13 Sept 05:36 Key points summarised by AI

The COVID-19 pandemic, responsible for nearly 7 million deaths, exposed profound vaccine inequality, leading to one preventable death every 24 seconds in the first year of vaccination.
The People's Vaccine Alliance, a coalition of over 100 organizations including world leaders and Nobel laureates, issued an open letter demanding governments embed equity and human rights in future pandemic responses.
The letter condemns prioritizing wealthy nations and private profits, advocating for publicly funded medical innovations to be treated as a "global common good" to maximize public benefit.
Signatories urge governments to dismantle intellectual property barriers, ease patents on COVID-19 tests and treatments at the WTO, and support technology transfer to boost manufacturing capacity in the Global South.

Macron condemns those who 'sought to bring down the Republic' after rioting mars nationwide protests

Today 12:56 Key points summarised by AI

President Macron condemned widespread rioting and looting during nationwide protests, blaming far-left activists and criminals for the "unrestrained violence" and vowing accountability for those who "sought to bring down the Republic."
Over 2,400 arrests were made as protests against rising living costs and poor school conditions escalated, causing extensive damage to public buildings and businesses in cities like Paris, Limoges (where City Hall burned), Marseille, and Lyon.
The unrest, which organizers hoped would revive the "yellow vest" movement, saw political leaders trade blame, with Macron instructing prefects to protect public buildings and potentially ban future protests to prevent further disorder.