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WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President-elect Joe Biden has expressed full confidence in his son Hunter, a frequent target of Republican attacks, after it was revealed last week that he was under a federal tax investigation. During his unsuccessful re-election campaign, President Donald Trump launched repeated accusations against Hunter and said the Bidens were a “corrupt” family and a “criminal enterprise.” “We have great confidence in our son,” Biden said, sitting next to […]
by Claire Doyen with AFP bureaus in Africa JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — After being relatively spared by coronavirus, Africa is bracing for the pandemic’s second wave, noting how the microbe has once more cut a swathe through rich countries in Europe and North Africa. The continent’s most-hit nations are again having to contemplate stringent public health measures as they await the arrival of the vaccine cavalry. In South Africa, the start of summer has […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US military warned Thursday its warships would be “more assertive” in responding to violations of international law, citing in particular Beijing, which has expansionist ambitions in the South China Sea. In a document setting objectives for the US Navy, Marines and Coast Guard for the coming years, the Pentagon stressed that several countries, notably Russia and China, “are contesting the balance of power in key regions and seeking to […]
by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A US panel of experts on Thursday voted to recommend emergency approval of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, paving the way for six million doses to start shipping as soon as this weekend. The Food and Drug Administration is now expected to imminently grant an emergency use authorization (EUA), which would make Moderna’s vaccine the second to be approved in a Western country. The panel voted 20 in favor, […]
WILMINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming White House senior advisor, congressman Cedric Richmond, has tested positive for Covid-19 after having open-air “interactions” with Biden, the transition team said Thursday. Richmond traveled independently to the state of Georgia to campaign Tuesday with Biden for a pair of Democrats in tight runoff elections against incumbent Republican senators. “Richmond’s interactions with the president-elect happened in open air, were masked and totaled less than 15 […]
RENO, United States (AFP) — To cope with an influx of coronavirus patients, a hospital in Reno in the western US state of Nevada has transformed two floors of a nearby parking garage into a care unit dealing with patients experiencing less severe symptoms. The space gives Renown Health Hospital patients and staff a secure environment that has direct access to key hospital facilities — lab, pharmacy, food services — while freeing up intensive care […]
SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — Super cyclone Yasa flattened entire villages as it tore through Fiji, but there were no initial reports of casualties, aid agencies in the Pacific island nation said Friday. The top-of-the-scale Category Five storm made landfall on Fiji’s second-largest island Vanua Levu late Thursday, packing winds gusts of up to 345 kilometers an hour (210 miles an hour). The eye of the slow-moving cyclone took about four hours to gouge its way […]
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia kicked off a three-phase Covid-19 vaccination programme Thursday, with the health minister among those inoculated after the first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in the kingdom. Along with Health Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah, a woman in a wheelchair and another man were among the first to be administered the vaccine at a centre in Riyadh, an AFP photographer reported. “This is the beginning of the end of […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, the presidency said, adding that he would now self-isolate for the next week. “The president tested positive for Covid-19 today,” it said in a statement, adding that he had been tested after the “onset of the first symptoms”. Macron will now, in accordance with national regulations, “self isolate for seven days. He will continue to work and carry out […]
by Marc PRÉEL STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — Despite a sharper tone from authorities and new restrictions, Sweden, which has famously relied on non-coercive measures, is struggling to contain a strong second wave of Covid-19 it thought it could avoid. The capital Stockholm is once again at the epicenter of the epidemic and this week called on members of the public with medical training to help offset some of the burdens on healthcare. Lars Falk, a […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Vice President Mike Pence and his wife will get the Covid-19 vaccine Friday in a public display designed to boost national confidence, the White House announced Wednesday. Pence and his wife Karen Pence “will publicly receive a Covid-19 vaccine to promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people,” the White House said in a statement. The event, due to be held at […]
by Leon LORD SUVA, Fiji (AFP) — Fijians were warned Thursday that no part of the Pacific island nation would escape the wrath of approaching super cyclone Yasa, expected to bring flash floods, huge waves and widespread destruction. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama blamed the unfolding emergency on climate change and told islanders that the storm could be worse than a cyclone four years ago that killed dozens. The top-of-the-scale category five storm continued to gather […]
