Joe biden

US President Joe Biden gathered governors from several western states to discuss the ongoing wildfire disasters afflicting several communities, and address ways to reduce fire risks WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden spoke Friday with governors of several western US states where severe wildfires are devastating communities, telling them the crisis highlights the urgent need for action to stem climate change. In a teleconference from the White House, the president saluted the "heroes" fighting the 66 wildfires now burning across parts of the scorched western landscape, and said more resources must be used in fighting the blazes. "They need more help," Biden said. "We can't ignore how the overlapping and intertwined factors of extreme heat, prolonged drought and supercharged wildfire conditions are affecting the country," Biden told the governors of seven western states, including California, Oregon and Montana. "Overlaying all of this is the necessity to successfully confront ... » Learn More about Wildfires highlight need for climate action, Biden says

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden said in an interview with the New York Times (NYT) that he will not act to roll back tariffs imposed against China immediately after taking office. Will not be cutting back tariffs immediately In addition, Biden will not cancel the Phase 1 agreement U.S. President Donald Trump had signed with China that requires the latter to buy more U.S. goods and services. The deal had led to a ceasefire in the trade dispute between the two countries. Trump had imposed 25 per cent tariffs on virtually all Chinese imports, which amount to US$550 billion (S$735 billion). China, on the other hand, has placed tariffs on US$185 billion worth of American goods. Fixing relations with U.S. allies to deal with China Ruling out any premature actions, Biden said: "I'm not going to prejudice my options." His approach to China will be to first build up -- or mend -- relations with traditional allies in Asia and Europe. This is so that they can "develop ... » Learn More about Biden says tariffs slapped by Trump on China imports won’t be lifted right away

The war against Covid-19 has changed because of the highly contagious Delta variant, the US Centers for Disease Control said, proposing a clearer message, mandatory vaccines for health workers and a return to universal masking. An internal CDC document said the variant, first detected in India and now dominant across the globe, is as contagious as chickenpox and far more contagious than the common cold or flu. It can be passed on even by vaccinated people, and may cause more serious disease than earlier coronavirus strains. The document, entitled "Improving communications around vaccine breakthrough and vaccine effectiveness", said the variant required a new approach to help the public understand the danger - including making clear that unvaccinated people were more than 10 times more likely than those who are vaccinated to become seriously ill or die. "Acknowledge the war has changed," it said. "Improve communications around individual risk among vaccinated." [[nid:538646]] ... » Learn More about ‘The war has changed,’ CDC says, calling for new response to Delta variant

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Friday, July 31, that there will be no nationwide mandate for Americans to get a COVID-19 vaccine, clarifying comments she made earlier during a televised interview. "To clarify: There will be no nationwide mandate. I was referring to mandates by private institutions and portions of the federal government," Walensky wrote in a Twitter post. "There will be no federal mandate." Earlier on Friday, when asked by a Fox News Channel interviewer, "Are you for mandating a vaccine on a federal level," Walensky said: "That's something that I think the administration is looking into." President Joe Biden's administration has been seeking ways to increase vaccination levels in the United States at a time when some Americans have persisted in their refusal to get the shot. Biden on Thursday urged local governments to pay people to get vaccinated and set new rules requiring federal workers to ... » Learn More about US CDC chief says there will be no federal mandate on COVID-19 vaccine

SYDNEY: It’s four more weeks of lockdown for Sydneysiders, with no end yet in sight. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is still to outline a roadmap out. Sydney feels like it is going through COVID Groundhog Day right now. And not just because many are having to cope with being confined to home or struggling to stay on top of homeschooling. Australia’s public policy approach to COVID also hasn’t significantly shifted from the settings of 2020. Despite the advent of astonishingly powerful vaccines and lessons from across the world, Australia still seems fixated on getting cases down to zero. Leaders are also reliant on lockdowns. Even Berejiklian, once so resistant to lockdowns, has now fallen into line. READ: Sydney posts record daily rise in COVID-19 cases, seeks military help It is vital, of course, that Australia vigorously controls the current outbreak. It can’t afford to let the virus run rampant. Too many remain vulnerable as most Australians have not yet ... » Learn More about Commentary: Sydney should know by now zero COVID-19 cases is a pipe dream

People wait in line for a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a testing site which is temporarily set up at a public health center in Seoul, South Korea, July 9, 2021. (REUTERS/File Photo) The war against COVID-19 has changed because of the highly contagious Delta variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said, proposing a clearer message, mandatory vaccines for health workers and a return to universal masking. An internal CDC document said the variant, first detected in India and now dominant across the globe, is as contagious as chickenpox and far more contagious than the common cold or flu. It can be passed on even by vaccinated people, and may cause more serious disease than earlier coronavirus strains. The document, entitled “Improving communications around vaccine breakthrough and vaccine effectiveness”, said the variant required a new approach to help the public understand the danger – including making clear that unvaccinated people were more than 10 times more ... » Learn More about ‘War has changed’, CDC says, calling for new response to Delta variant

China's most serious surge of coronavirus infections in months spread to two more areas Saturday -- Fujian province and the sprawling megacity of Chongqing. More than 200 cases have been linked to a Delta cluster in Nanjing city where nine cleaners at an international airport tested positive, with the outbreak spanning Beijing, Chongqing and five provinces as of Saturday. The nation where the disease first emerged has rushed to prevent the highly transmissible strain from taking root by putting more than one million people under lockdown and reinstituting mass testing campaigns. Worldwide, coronavirus infections are once again on the upswing, with the World Health Organization announcing an 80 percent average increase over the past four weeks in five of the health agency's six regions, a jump largely fuelled by the Delta variant. First detected in India, it has now reached 132 countries and territories. "Delta is a warning: it's a warning that the virus is evolving but it is ... » Learn More about China outbreak spreads as WHO sounds alarm on Delta