WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States added 792 deaths in 24 hours, the Johns Hopkins University tally showed Tuesday, as the country’s top infectious diseases expert warned there were “historic” challenges ahead. The world’s largest economy is the hardest-hit country by the pandemic, with 121,176 dead out of more than 2.34 million cases, according to the Baltimore-based institution at 8:30pm (0030 GMT Wednesday). Many states have largely lifted lockdown measures, and New York […]
Tag: US
Amazon pledges $2 billion investment to fight climate change
by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Amazon on Tuesday pledged to invest $2 billion in projects aimed at combatting climate change, stepping up efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the tech giant and others. The Climate Pledge Fund will back efforts by startups and other firms in multiple sectors to “facilitate the transition to a zero carbon economy,” Amazon said in a statement. The initiative “will look to invest in […]
Sanofi expands US vaccine venture in COVID-19 race
PARIS, France (AFP) — French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said Tuesday that it would invest $425 million to expand its vaccine development venture with US start-up Translate Bio as they aim to find a COVID-19 vaccine by next year. The companies have been working together since 2018, hoping to leverage Translate Bio’s work on new messenger RNA (mRNA) drugs that cause cells to create a specific protein for treating a range of diseases. Their work has […]
Anti-racism protests turn spotlight on icons of US history
by Cyril JULIEN Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON D.C., United States (AFP) — As the wave of anti-racism protests rocking the United States brings down monuments to figures linked to the country’s history of slavery, the spotlight is shifting to historic characters long considered untouchable. Although protesters initially focused on removing statues of Confederate generals, the movement has begun to turn its focus to icons of US history, including the nation’s founders Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, […]
Trump to extend US work visa freeze to year-end: White House
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump will prolong a ban on US employment permits to year-end and broaden it to include H-1B visas used widely in the tech industry, the White House said Monday. A senior administration official told journalists that the move would free up 525,000 jobs, making a dent in the high unemployment rate caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “President Trump is focused on getting Americans back to work as […]
Two killed, seven wounded in shooting at Juneteenth party: US media
Two people were killed and seven wounded in a shooting at a block party in the eastern US city of Charlotte, local media reported Monday. Five others were hurt when they were hit by vehicles during the gathering, which CBS affiliate station WBTV reported was part of extended celebrations over the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Police said they had responded initially to reports of a pedestrian hit […]
One killed, 11 wounded in Minneapolis shooting
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — One person died and 11 more were wounded in a shooting in the US city of Minneapolis, police said Sunday. Images streamed live to Facebook showed at least one person lying on the pavement as dozens gather around — some screaming for medical help. Other footage appeared to show businesses with shattered windows, and police cars at the scene. “12 people have suffered gunshot wounds,” Minneapolis police wrote on Twitter, […]
UN condemns systemic racism – without naming US
by Nina LARSON Agence France Presse The UN’s top human rights body on Friday condemned discriminatory police brutality and demanded a report on “systemic racism”, but rights groups accused Washington of wielding pressure to strip out any mention of the United States in the resolution. The UN Human Rights Council’s 47 members approved by consensus a revised resolution, which was presented by African countries for an urgent council debate, called following the death of George […]
YouTube hit with discrimination suit by black video artists
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — A lawsuit filed this week in federal court accuses YouTube of discriminating against African American video makers and viewers by factoring in race when it comes to filtering or monetizing content. The suit filed in a courthouse in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose on Tuesday seeks class action status and names as defendants the leading video sharing platform and its parent companies Google and Alphabet. “Under […]
Fauci confident in vaccine efforts, predicts no more US lockdowns
by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States does not need more widespread lockdowns to bring its COVID-19 outbreak under control, despite the fact that the national daily infection rate has stayed flat, leading government expert Anthony Fauci said Thursday. Speaking to AFP, the physician-scientist added he was optimistic the world would soon have a vaccine that would end the pandemic, calling early trial results “encouraging.” “I don’t think we’re going to […]
US questions new China virus figures, seeks observers
WASHINGON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Thursday questioned China’s credibility on reporting fresh coronavirus cases in Beijing and called for neutral observers to assess the extent of the outbreak. China has locked down the capital as it seeks to prevent a second wave of COVID-19, reporting 158 cases since a fresh cluster was detected last week. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, an outspoken critic of China, urged greater transparency during talks […]
US sees nearly 700 more virus deaths in 24 hours
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States lost another 687 people to the new coronavirus in the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 pm (0030 GMT) Thursday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. It marks the eighth day in which the daily toll from the virus has been fewer than 1,000, even as the US remains the country hardest-hit by the pandemic with a total of 118,381 deaths out of a total […]





