Politics
US may miss July 4 deadline to inoculate adults due
WASHINGTON: The slowing COVID-19 vaccination rate is worrying experts that the US may miss July 4 deadline to inoculate 70 per cent of its adult population. US officials are warning against complacency and states are ramping up measures to encourage reluctant residents to get a COVID-19 vaccine to achieve the vaccination goal set by President…
Suspect detained after gunshot near California university campus
LOS ANGELES: A suspect was taken into custody by police after a reported gunshot near a university campus in the US state of California, authorities said. The shooting near the campus of the Azusa Pacific University in the City of Azusa, Los Angeles County, took place reportedly at around 1 p.m. on Sunday, reports Xinhua…
Taliban warns departing US against new bases in region
ISLAMABAD: The Taliban on Wednesday warned the departing US military against setting up bases in the region, and Pakistan vowed no American bases will be allowed on its territory. Pakistan also said drone strikes from Pakistani territory were also a non-starter. The statements come amid speculation the United States, as it withdraws the last of…
US, China trade negotiators hold trade talks
BEIJING/WASHINGTON: US and Chinese trade negotiators on Thursday held talks over the two countries’ ongoing trade dispute for the first time since American President Joe Biden took office in January. The new US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai and China’s Vice Premier Liu He spoke on Thursday, both sides have confirmed in separate statements. “The…
US trusts Japan to prioritise public health safety at Olympics:
WASHINGTON: The United States government has extended its trust over Japan’s “commitment” to prioritise public health ahead of Tokyo Olympics this summer on July 23 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Kyodo News, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday (local time) said that the US trusts Japan’s commitment to prioritize public health as it…
Joe Biden urges ceasefire in Ethiopia’s Tigray region
WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has called for a ceasefire in Ethiopia’s conflict-ridden Tigray region in view of the escalating violence there. “Political wounds cannot be healed through force of arms,” dpa news agency quoted Biden as saying on Wednesday evening. He said belligerents in the Tigray region should declare and adhere to a ceasefire,…
US to boost efforts to find Covid-19 origin
WASHINGTON: US President Biden has ordered US intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the Coronavirus pandemic in China as a way to prevent future pandemics, the media reported. While making it clear that the agencies had not reached consensus on how the virus originated, Biden on Wednesday directed the agencies to “redouble their efforts”…
Global Covid-19 caseload tops 168
WASHINGTON: The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 168.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.49 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Thursday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 168,181,146 and…
US cities again funding police departments: Report
WASHINGTON: A year after the movement to “defund” law enforcement began to upend US municipal budgets, many American cities are again funding their police departments or proposing to increase expenditure, a media report said. While New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he would restore $92 million for a new precinct after dropping…
US initial unemployment claims drop for 4th week
WASHINGTON: Initial unemployment claims in the US dropped for a fourth straight week to 406,000, a new low since the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the labour market early last year, the Labour Department reported. In the week ending May 22, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits decreased by 38,000 from the previous week’s unrevised…