WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Top scientist Anthony Fauci, the face of America’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, tested positive Wednesday for the virus on a rapid antigen test but is continuing to work from home while he recovers, the National Institutes of Health said. “He is currently experiencing mild symptoms,” the NIH said, adding the 81-year-old, who is fully vaccinated and double boosted, had not been in recent close contact with President Joe […]
North America
US panel recommends Covid vaccines for youngest children
by Issam AHMED Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A panel of experts convened by the US Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended Covid-19 vaccines Wednesday for children under five, the final age group awaiting immunization in most countries. Formal authorizations for Moderna and Pfizer should follow soon, with the first shots in arms expected early next week, just over a year-and-a-half after the first Covid vaccines were greenlighted for the elderly […]
Small gun makers boom as US demand soars
by Joshua Melvin Agence France-Presse GOFFSTOWN, United States (AFP) — Tony Hook flipped through cell phone pictures of finished work by his New Hampshire shop, explaining how one customer wanted mementos of major life events: a gun to mark each of his children’s births. Smaller gun makers like him are booming in the United States, thanks to ravenous and sometimes specialized demand for pricey limited-production pistols and custom rifles, engraved with bible passages or the […]
US panel weighs authorizing Covid vaccines for youngest children
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — After months of anxious wait for some parents, a panel of experts convened by the US Food and Drug Administration will meet Wednesday to weigh recommending Covid vaccines for the nation’s youngest children. Children under five are the only age group not yet eligible for Covid immunization in the United States and most other countries. If, as expected, panelists vote in favor of greenlighting the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, formal […]
Top US, Chinese national security figures hold ‘candid’ talks
BEIJING, China (AFP) — The top Chinese and US security advisers have held lengthy talks, with both sides describing them as “candid” following days of acrimonious exchanges over Taiwan and other flashpoint issues. Readouts of the meeting in Luxembourg on Monday were toned down compared with last week, when China’s defence minister warned his country would not “hesitate to start a war” over Taiwan, while the US defense secretary blasted Beijing’s “provocative, destabilising” military […]
US Senate gun measures gain support despite limited scope
by Paul Handley Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two horrific massacres in recent weeks have succeeded in bringing Democrats and Republicans close to the most significant federal legislation addressing US gun violence in three decades. Twenty senators — 10 from each party — reached a deal Sunday to put through legislation that would tighten some rules on gun sales and put more resources toward mental health treatment. The 10 Republicans are just […]
Hollywood stars pen letter calling for responsible gun depictions
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Hollywood stars including Amy Schumer, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo signed a letter published on Monday calling for movies and television shows to depict responsible gun ownership and to limit scenes involving children with firearms. The open letter, penned in response to recent US mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo, was also signed by top producers J.J. Abrams (“Lost”), Shonda Rhimes (“Bridgerton”) and Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. “Cultural attitudes […]
URGENT: Canada PM Trudeau says contracted Covid a second time
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time in less than five months, he said Monday, adding that he feels fine but is isolating. “I’ve tested positive for Covid-19. I’ll be following public health guidelines and isolating,” the Canadian leader said on Twitter, adding: “I feel okay.” Trudeau, who has received three doses of the Covid vaccine, also tested positive for the virus at the end of January. I’ve […]
US gas price hits a record $5 a gallon: auto group
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The average price of premium gasoline at the pump has surpassed $5 a gallon for the first time in the United States, the American Automobile Association (AAA) reported Saturday. That record level, coming on top of months of soaring inflation, represents the latest bad news for President Joe Biden just five months before crucial midterm elections. A year ago, the average price of gas in the US was […]
Justin Bieber says suffering from facial paralysis
Justin Bieber on Friday told fans in a video posted to Instagram that he’s been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which is causing him partial facial paralysis. The 28-year-old pop singer recently announced he was pausing his Justice World Tour due to illness, hours before his first slated concert in Toronto. Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is a complication of shingles that occurs when an outbreak impacts the facial nerve near one ear. In addition to facial […]
US Capitol riot probe puts Trump at heart of ‘attempted coup’
by Frankie Taggart Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A congressional panel investigating last year’s mob assault on the US Capitol laid out its case Thursday that Donald Trump and his claims of a stolen election were at the heart of what amounted to an “attempted coup” to remain in power. In a prime-time presentation of its findings from a year-long probe, the special committee sought to persuade a divided country of the existence […]
Biden sees unity on ‘substantive matters’ after summit criticism
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden insisted Thursday there was unity at an Americas summit, after the leaders of Argentina and Belize openly criticized him for excluding three leftist leaders. “Notwithstanding some of the disagreements relating to participation, on the substantive matters, what I heard was almost unity and uniformity,” Biden said. He said that he saw “almost total agreement” on issues such as managing migration and fighting climate change, and […]





