Briefly

UNITED NATIONS

Up to $35 billion needed for aid during pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a 40 percent increase in the number of people needing humanitarian assistance around the globe, the UN said on Tuesday, as it appealed for roughly $35 billion to help many of those expected to be in need next year. "If everyone who will need humanitarian aid next year lived in one country, it would be the world's fifth-largest nation," UN Aid Chief Mark Lowcock said. The UN has set out 34 humanitarian response plans covering 56 countries for 2021, aiming to help 160 million of what it forecasts to be 235 million most vulnerable people worldwide facing hunger, conflict and the impacts of climate change, and the coronavirus pandemic.

UNITED STATES

Trump virus adviser leaves White House job

US President Donald Trump's controversial coronavirus adviser resigned on Monday, while hopes for a first wave of vaccinations before the end of 2020 received a further boost with an announcement from US firm Moderna. Scott Atlas, who tweeted in October "Masks work? NO", had submitted his resignation, effective as of Tuesday, Fox News reported. Lacking relevant experience, he also called in November for people in Michigan to "rise up" against COVID-19 measures. Atlas stepped down as hopes rose for a first wave of vaccinations before the end of the year after Moderna said it was filing for emergency authorization of its vaccine in the US and Europe.

IRAN

'No report received' on IRGC commander killed

A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry denied on Tuesday having received "any report" on the alleged killing of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, commander in Iraq. "We have not received any report in this regard so far and it seems to be fake news," Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a weekly news conference, as quoted by semiofficial Iranian Student News Agency. On Monday, media in Iraq published news about an IRGC commander having been killed in an airstrike at the Iraq-Syria border sometime between Saturday and Sunday, quoting unnamed "Iraqi security and local militia officials".

Agencies - Xinhua