Page 6 - aruba-today-20220126

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 26 January 2022
WHO chief makes case for 2nd term as Ethiopia criticizes him

By JAMEY KEATEN WHO. It opposes its basic
Associated Press principles of foundation.
GENEVA (AP) — World We still insist on this esteem
Health Organization chief organization to investigate
Tedros Adhanom Ghe- the case,” Tulu told The As-
breyesus laid out more sociated Press.
plans Tuesday to fight the Ethiopia’s ambassador in
virus as he pitched his case Geneva, Zenebe Kebede,
for a new five-year term sought to criticize Tedros for
and faced criticism from his using his office to advance
own country — Ethiopia — “his personal political inter-
over his comments about est” as the weeklong exec-
the embattled Tigray re- utive board session began
gion. on Monday.
Tedros, who like many Ethio- But he was interrupted by
pians goes by his first name, the chairman, who said the
is running unopposed for diplomatic complaint is-
a second term as WHO di- sued by Ethiopia had been
rector-general. That makes set aside earlier by the
his presentation to the U.N. board and was not up for
health agency’s executive discussion.
board a bit of a formality, Kebede was given back
since he is all but certain to the floor, resumed his state-
win re-election when the Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), removes ment, and was cut off
WHO Assembly takes place his protective face mask prior to speaking to the media regarding the coronavirus COVID-19 again.
and WHO’s global health priorities in 2022, during a new press conference, at the World Health
in May. Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. The Ethiopian diplomatic
Recently, Tedros, an ethnic Associated Press mission in Geneva issued
Tigrayan, has come under a communique Tuesday
new criticism from Ethio- conduct” after his sharp President Donald Trump harassment “with a victim- saying “such mistreatment
pia’s government, which criticism of the war and the over its early handling of and survivor-centered ap- against a member country
has been fighting militants humanitarian crisis in the the crisis and has faced proach is iron clad.” is unacceptable.” Its said its
in Tigray, for his comments Horn of Africa country. The pressure over its approach Many countries have ig- government was awaiting
on Twitter and elsewhere government nominated to China, where the out- nored or rejected WHO acknowledgement from
that condemned Ethiopia’s him for the job in 2017, but break first emerged two advice on ways to tackle WHO that it had received
blockade of international has since accused him of years ago. COVID-19, such as its calls Ethiopia’s “formal com-
access to Tigray. interfering in Ethiopia’s in- Last year, independent to avoid blanket travel re- plaint” about the alleged
He said WHO had not been ternal affairs, and claims investigators turned up strictions, or its calls to share “misconduct” of Tedros.
allowed to send any hu- he has “not lived up to the dozens of cases of sexual vaccines and the techno- Ethiopia claims Tedros is
manitarian aid to the re- integrity and professional abuse and exploitation in logical know-how to make an active member of the
gion since July, and has expectations required from Congo during a WHO-led them with less developed Tigray People’s Liberation
called for “unfettered” his office.” response to an Ebola out- nations. Front. Tedros was Ethiopia’s
humanitarian access to His current term as WHO’s break there in 2019. On Monday, Ethiopian foreign minister and health
Tigray, whose people are top official — perhaps Tedros said Tuesday he was government spokesman minister when the TPLF
facing enormous hunger the highest-profile job in “horrified” by those reports, Legesse Tulu said a WHO dominated the country’s
amid the war. global health — has been saying the agency’s re- official had indicated it ruling coalition.
Ethiopia’s government, in a overshadowed by the CO- sponse to them has been would postpone a decision In his speech on Tuesday,
Jan. 14 news release, said VID-19 pandemic. Under “robust” and his commit- to investigate Tedros. Tedros didn’t refer to the
it had sent a letter to WHO Tedros, WHO faced sharp ment to preventing such “If this is the case, it re- complaints from Ethiopia’s
accusing Tedros of “mis- criticism from former U.S. exploitation, abuse and ally shows the partiality of government.q

Thailand first in Asia to move to

decriminalize marijuana

though authorities have left ernment gazette. It follows leaving the legal status of
a grey area around its rec- the removal of cannabis recreational marijuana use
reational use. — a plant species to which in a grey area.
Health Minister Anutin both marijuana and hemp The Health Ministry mea-
Charnvirakul announced belong — last month from sure retains on its list of
that the Narcotics Control the list of illegal drugs under controlled drugs parts from
Board had approved the Thailand’s Narcotics Law. the cannabis plant that
dropping cannabis from Police and lawyers contact- contain more than 0.2% by
the ministry’s list of con- ed by The Associated Press weight of tetrahydrocan-
trolled drugs. said it was unclear if pos- nabinol, or THC, the psy-
Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Chanvirakul shows off a The delisting by the minis- session of marijuana would choactive ingredient that
bottle of extracted cannabis oil during a press conference at his try’s Food and Drug Admin- no longer be an offense gives users a high.
ministry in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. istration will now need to subject to arrest. A tangle Thailand in 2020 became
Associated Press be formally signed by the of related laws means that the first Asian nation to de-
Associated Press first country in Asia to ap- health minister and enters production and possession criminalize the production
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand prove the de facto decrim- into effect 120 days after of marijuana remains regu- and use of marijuana for
on Tuesday became the inalization of marijuana, its publication in the gov- lated for the time being, medicinal purposes.q