Tag: TRUMP

US approves Covid therapy, G20 pushes for global vaccine access

  by Agence France Presse bureaus WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US drug regulators gave emergency approval to a Covid-19 antibody therapy on Saturday and G20 nations pushed for global access to vaccines as the pandemic led to further closures in parts of the world. With cases surpassing 12 million in the United States, the highest in the world, many Americans were nonetheless heading to airports to travel for next week’s Thanksgiving holiday despite health […]

Trump’s son Don Jr positive for Covid-19: spokesman

  by Jerome Cartillier Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr has tested positive for Covid-19 and is quarantining without symptoms, the latest in a long list of infections among those with links to the White House. “Don tested positive at the start of the week and has been quarantining out at his cabin since the result,” his spokesman said. “He’s been completely asymptomatic so […]

Trump to take part in virtual APEC summit Friday: US official

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump will take part on Friday in the virtual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, a senior US official said, as the president continues to reject the results of this month’s election. The APEC forum, hosted this year by Malaysia but held online because of the Covid-19 pandemic, brings together 21 Pacific Rim countries, accounting for about 60 percent of global GDP. “President Trump will participate in tomorrow’s virtual APEC […]

Biden denounces ‘irresponsible’ Trump fight to reverse election

  by Jerome Cartillier with Michael Mathes and Shaun Tandon in Washington Agence France Presse WILMINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday accused Donald Trump of brazenly damaging democracy as the incumbent pressed on with a campaign to reverse his election loss through fraud claims and personal outreach to election authorities. Trump is behind “incredibly damaging messages being sent to the rest of the world about how democracy functions,” Biden told […]

Trump fires US election security official who rejected fraud claims

  by Paul HANDLEY Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump on Tuesday fired the government’s top election security official, who had rejected the president’s unsubstantiated claims of “massive” fraud in the vote he lost to Joe Biden. Trump announced on Twitter the termination “effective immediately” of Chris Krebs, who leads the agency that jointly declared “the November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.” Trump, who refuses to acknowledge […]

White House planning for second Trump term despite defeat: official

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House is planning for President Donald Trump to serve a second term despite his reelection loss, a top official said Friday. “We are moving forward here at the White House under the assumption that there will be a second Trump term,” the outgoing president’s trade advisor Peter Navarro said on Fox Business Network. Trump has yet to concede nearly a week after US media announced that his […]

New covid outbreak hits US Secret Service: over 130 agents infected with COVID, says US media

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Secret Service, which guards President Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden, and the White House, has been struck by an outbreak of Covid-19, US media reported Friday. The Washington Post said that more than 130 Secret Service agents were infected by coronavirus or in quarantine due to contact with infected people. The outbreak came after numerous agents traveled to campaign rallies with Trump where many officials and most […]

‘Time will tell’: Trump comes closest yet to admitting defeat

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) –US President Donald Trump came close but stopped just short on Friday of acknowledging he lost the November 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden and said “time will tell.” Trump, who has refused to concede he lost the election, was speaking at a briefing at the White House on the Covid-19 pandemic. “Ideally we won’t go to a lockdown,” he said. “I will not go. This administration will not be going […]

Trump refuses to concede, Biden leads on Covid

by Sebastian Smith with Angela Weiss in Wilmington WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump, who is refusing to concede election defeat, injected new volatility Monday by firing his defense secretary, while President-elect Joe Biden made good on a promise to focus on leading the country out of the Covid-19 crisis. With construction already starting in central Washington for the January 20 inauguration ceremony, an awkward and potentially chaotic transition period is underway. Trump, […]

Biden to name virus team as worldwide cases top 50 million

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The global tally of people infected by the coronavirus shot past 50 million on Monday, as United States President-elect Joe Biden geared up to name the scientists who will lead the country’s response to its disastrous outbreak. The incoming leader made the pledge in his first speech since being projected as the winner of the presidential election, signaling he plans to prioritize the pandemic from the outset. Covid-19 has […]

World leaders congratulate Biden, focus on unity

Agence France Presse World leaders rushed to congratulate US president-elect Joe Biden, with many expressing hopes of unity and cooperation following four years of explosive Donald Trump diplomacy. While Trump refused to accept the results of the election, many world leaders made it clear they backed the announcement that Biden had won with running mate Kamala Harris: – Germany – “Congratulations!” said Chancellor Angela Merkel. “I wish luck and success from the bottom of my […]

Historic’: Congratulations, reactions across US after Biden win

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential election, bringing an end to Donald Trump’s turbulent four years in office, set off a flood of congratulations and reactions. Here is a selection: – Barack Obama: ‘Historic and decisive’ – “In this election, under circumstances never experienced, Americans turned out in numbers never seen. And once every vote is counted, President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris will have won a historic […]