VOA常速英语:抗议保护警察肖像法案,巴黎示威再起

Leaders of the world's 20 biggest economies on Sunday will pledge to pay for a fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, drugs and tests around the world so that poorer countries are not left out and will extend debt relief to them. In a draft of a communique seen by the Reuters news agency, the leaders said they would spare no effort to ensure their affordable and equitable access of vaccines and therapeutics for all people, consistent with members' commitments to incentivize innovation. The communiqué called global immunization a "public good.” The leaders pledged to continue to use all available policy tools needed to safeguard lives, jobs and incomes, and encouraged the multilateral development banks to strengthen their efforts to help countries deal with the crisis. The summit of the world's richest countries is being hosted virtually by Saudi Arabia because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Islamic State's affiliate in Afghanistan is being blamed for a deadly morning mortar and rocket attack that killed at least eight people and wounded several others in Kabul on Saturday. Reuters Adam Reed reports. The explosions set off warning sirens from embassies and the attack comes two just days before a major conference to Afghanistan in Geneva. Afghanistan's ministry of interior said along with the dead, dozens more have been injured in the blasts, with many requiring hospital treatment. Spokesman Tariq Arian said "terrorists" mounted 14 rockets on a small truck and set them off. He added that an investigation was ongoing to find out how the vehicle got inside the city. One of the rockets landed close to the Iranian embassy. But it later said in a statement that there were no casualties among its staff. That's Reuters Adam Reed.

Several thousand people protested in Paris on Saturday against a bill that would make it a crime to circulate an image of a police officer's face with the intention that they should be harmed. Supporters say that officers and their families need protection from harassment, both online and in person when off duty. Opponents say the law would infringe on journalists' freedom to report and make it harder to hold police accountable for abuses such as excessive use of force.

Pope Francis has urged young economists, entrepreneurs and business leaders to promote post-pandemic development models that involve the poor. During the pandemic, Francis has decried that the people on the margins of society have been among those that suffered the most.

You can find more on our website hxen.net. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd, VOA news.