North America

5 cases of Omicron variant confirmed in New York state: governor

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The state of New York has confirmed five cases of the coronavirus Omicron variant, Governor Kathy Hochul said Thursday, bringing the total number of US detections of the new strain to eight. “New York State has confirmed five cases of the omicron variant,” Hochul said in a Twitter post aimed at reassuring residents of the nation’s fourth most populous state that the detections were not unexpected. “Let me be […]

US announces another case of Covid Omicron variant

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Health authorities in the midwestern US state of Minnesota announced Thursday they had found another case of the Omicron coronavirus variant on American soil, this time in a man with no known recent international travel history. Like the first identified US case in California, the patient was vaccinated, and had mild symptoms from which he has now recovered. Minnesota officials said he had also received a booster. He returned to […]

Baldwin denies pulling trigger in ‘Rust’ shooting

Alec Baldwin has said he did not pull the trigger of the gun he was holding that killed a cinematographer on the movie set of “Rust.” In his first major interview since the tragedy in October, the US actor also said he has “no idea” how a live round had gotten onto the set of the low-budget Western in New Mexico. “The trigger wasn’t pulled — I didn’t pull the trigger,” he said in an […]

US announces first Omicron case in traveler returning from S.Africa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReozzQiGDn0 WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Wednesday announced its first confirmed case of the Covid-19 Omicron variant had been detected in California, in a fully vaccinated traveler who had recently returned from South Africa and was recovering from mild symptoms. Top health official Anthony Fauci said authorities “knew it was just a matter of time” before the strain was found in the country, reminding Americans that vaccination, boosters and masking in […]

Biden to review Covid travel ban ‘week to week’

MINNEAPOLIS, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he would decide on a weekly basis whether to extend US travel bans on southern Africa, depending what happens with the worrying new Omicron variant of Covid-19. Asked how long travel restrictions that took effect Monday on South Africa and seven other southern African countries would remain in place, Biden said it “kind of depends.” The US president, who was boarding Air Force One […]

Three students killed in US high school shooting: police

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Three students were killed and six other people including a teacher were wounded Tuesday in a shooting at a high school in rural Oxford, Michigan, local police said. A 15-year-old student was taken into custody and a handgun was seized after the shooting at Oxford High School, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “There was no resistance during the arrest and the suspect has asked for a […]

Pentagon plans stronger US posture toward China, Russia

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US military will re-inforce deployments and bases directed at China and Russia, while maintaining forces in the Middle East adequate to deter Iran and jihadist groups, the Pentagon said Monday, referencing results of a review. The US Defense Department will be upgrading and expanding military facilities in Guam and Australia, underscoring its focus on China as the country’s leading defense rival, officials said. The details of the “global posture […]

Canada confirms first Covid Omicron infections

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canada said Sunday it has detected its first cases of the new Omicron strain of Covid, in two people who had traveled recently to Nigeria. Both patients are in isolation while public health authorities trace their possible contacts, said federal and Ontario provincial officials. “I was informed today by the Public Health Agency of Canada that testing and monitoring of Covid-19 cases has confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant of […]

US health panel says Merck pill can prevent grave Covid infections

An anti-Covid pill developed by Merck has proved effective in treating the disease, the US Food and Drug Administration said Friday in a much-awaited preliminary report. But the report, from an FDA advisory panel, cautioned that pregnant women should not use the drug, known as molnupiravir, saying the potential benefits do not outweigh the risks for those patients. The report is meant to provide guidance to an FDA experts panel convening Tuesday to consider whether […]

US, Canada restrict travel from southern Africa as new variant sparks concern

by Daniel Woolls with AFP bureaus The United States, Brazil, Canada, and Saudi Arabia became the latest countries Friday to restrict travel from southern Africa, where a new Covid strain labelled a “variant of concern” has been discovered in a potentially heavy blow to the world’s efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic. The World Health Organization said the new variant is more infectious than the dominant, highly transmissible Delta strain, and renamed this B.1.1.529 strain […]

Three white men found guilty of murdering Black jogger in US

by Chris Lefkow WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Three white men were found guilty of murder Wednesday for shooting dead an African American man after chasing him in their pickup trucks, following a racially-charged trial in the southern US state of Georgia that gripped the nation. Travis McMichael, who shot Ahmaud Arbery, his father Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, who took part in the chase, were all convicted of multiple counts of […]

Canada starts vaccinating children 5-11 years old against Covid

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Canada began immunizing children aged 5-11 against Covid-19 Wednesday, joining a handful of nations including Israel and the United States in offering shots to this age group. At Montreal’s convention center, a few dozen youngsters were among the first to receive the Pfizer doses authorized since last Friday for this age group. To help ease their fears of needles, additional measures have been taken such posting stickers of unicorns or hockey […]