PoliticsReutersFactbox: Biden's Cabinet appointees get their day in Congress
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is set to take office on Wednesday with only a few of his top chosen deputies in place. The Democrat's Cabinet appointees are awaiting approval by the Senate, who are set to hold their first confirmation hearings on Tuesday. Biden's pick for Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, will meet with the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday at 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT).
WorldBBCCovid: Brazil approves and rolls out AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines
A nurse has received Brazil's first Covid-19 vaccine dose after regulators gave emergency approval to two jabs. Regulator Anvisa gave the green light to vaccines from Oxford-AstraZeneca and China's Sinovac, doses of which will be distributed among all 27 states. Brazil has the world's second-highest death toll from Covid-19 and cases are rising again across the country.
U.S.Associated PressNY gov explores buying virus vaccine directly from maker
Frustrated by the flow of coronavirus vaccine from the federal government, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday floated the idea of buying shots for New Yorkers directly from one of the vaccine makers, Pfizer. Regardless, Cuomo said he felt compelled to broach the idea as his state, like many others, faces tough vaccine math. At the current pace of federal vaccine shipments to New York, it could take six months or more to get shots to the 7 million residents already eligible under federal guidelines, let alone the roughly 12 million other New Yorkers.
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China says it is ready to help Kenya with debt
But after months of lockdown measures, the East African country's revenues have been pummeled, its debts are falling due and it is grappling with gaping fiscal deficits. In a statement the embassy in Nairobi said China attaches "great importance" to debt suspension and alleviation in African countries, including Kenya. The embassy said China has signed debt service suspension agreements with 12 African countries and provided waivers of matured interest-free loans for 15 under the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative.
WorldReutersRussia says all Azeri captives returned under Karabakh deal
Armenia has returned all Azeri prisoners who were captured during last year's conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, but the process with Armenian prisoners has been held up, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. The six-week conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh was brought to a halt in November by a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement under which Azeri and ethnic Armenian forces were expected to exchange all captives. Armenia has said that many of its prisoners of war remain in Azerbaijan, a problem it has raised with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group.
PoliticsThe IndependentMarjorie Taylor Greene suspended from Twitter after telling Trump supporters to ‘mobilise’
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was suspended from Twitter for 12 hours after sending out a now-deleted tweet telling Trump supporters to "mobilize". ProPublica preserved the deleted tweet, which said: "I encourage all Americans, not just the 75 million people who voted for President Trump, to mobilize and make your voices heard in opposition to these attacks on our liberties." A Twitter spokesperson told NPR that Ms Greene "has been temporarily locked out for multiple violations of our civic integrity policy".
WorldReutersIndependent pandemic review panel critical of China, WHO delays
An independent panel said on Monday that Chinese officials could have applied public health measures more forcefully in January to curb the initial COVID-19 outbreak, and criticised the World Health Organization (WHO) for not declaring an international emergency until Jan. 30. The experts reviewing the global handling of the pandemic, led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, called for reforms to the Geneva-based United Nations agency.Their interim report was published hours after the WHO's top emergency expert, Mike Ryan, said that global deaths from COVID-19 were expected to top 100,000 per week "very soon". "What is clear to the Panel is that public health measures could have been applied more forcefully by local and national health authorities in China in January," the report said, referring to the initial outbreak of the new disease in the central city of Wuhan, in Hubei province.
WorldAssociated PressPakistan PM angry over reports TV anchor knew about strike
Pakistan's prime minister reacted angrily Monday to media reports of a text exchange between an Indian TV anchor and a former media industry executive that suggests a 2019 Indian airstrike inside Pakistan was designed to boost Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chances for reelection. Imran Khan took to Twitter to respond to Indian media reports of an exchange on the WhatsApp messaging service between popular Indian TV anchor Arnab Goswami and Partho Dasgupta, the former head of a TV rating company.
PoliticsBBCBiden inauguration rehearsal paused amid US Capitol lockdown
The Capitol complex in Washington DC was briefly locked down after a security alert, two days before Joe Biden is inaugurated as US president. It came amid preparations for a rehearsal for Mr Biden's inauguration. Five people died after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, which is home to the US Congress, on 6 January.
U.S.Business InsiderThe man accused of breaking the window Ashli Babbitt tried to climb through when she was shot during the Capitol insurrection has been arrested
Chad Barrett Jones, 42, of Coxs Creek, Kentucky, was arrested in Louisville on Saturday, the FBI said in a news release. Jones is accused of breaking a window of the Capitol building moments before Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot during the insurrection earlier this month. He's facing multiple charges, including assault on a federal officer, destruction of government property, obstruction of justice, unlawful entry on restricted building or grounds, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
WorldAssociated PressMoon urges Biden to learn from Trump's N. Korea diplomacy
North Korea has a history of staging weapons tests and other provocations to test new U.S. presidents, and Kim vowed to strengthen his nuclear weapons program in recent political speeches that were seen as aimed at pressuring the incoming Biden administration. The South Korean leader has been desperate to keep alive a positive atmosphere for dialogue in the face of Kim's vows to further expand a nuclear and missile program that threatens Asian U.S. allies and the American homeland. And while Moon acknowledged that Biden is likely to try a different approach than Trump, he stressed that Biden could still learn from Trump's successes and failures in dealing with North Korea.
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Saudi appeals court reduces sentence of U.S.-Saudi physician: documents
A Saudi appeals court has nearly halved a six-year jail sentence handed to a U.S.-Saudi physician whose case has been closely followed by Washington and suspended the rest of his term, court documents showed, meaning he will not have to serve any more time in prison. Prominent physician Walid al-Fitaihi was detained in 2017 under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's anti-corruption campaign, and was sentenced last month to six years in prison. U.S. senators condemned the sentencing.
WorldAssociated PressWHO raises 'concerns' about Mideast vaccine inequity
The World Health Organization has raised "concerns" about the unequal distribution of coronavirus vaccines in Israel, which has given shots to more than 20% of its population, and the occupied territories, where Palestinians have yet to receive any, an official said Monday. Rights groups say Israel has the responsibility as an occupying power to provide vaccines to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel says it has no such obligation and that its own population — including Arab citizens — is the priority, but that at some point it might consider sharing its supplies.
WorldThe IndependentFears of ‘inside attack’ at Biden’s inauguration, defence officials warn
US defence officials on Sunday warned of a looming threat to security allegedly from the people tasked with securing president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony on 20 January, and said they are in the process of vetting the troops deployed for the event. FBI is bracing for multiple armed protests in Washington DC, amid continuing calls of voters' fraud in the 2020 elections by Donald Trump supporters. Security concerns have gripped law enforcement agencies in the wake of the violent 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol by pro-Trump rioters, and fears of an “inside attack” has prompted them to deploy 25,000 troops in the city.
HealthBusiness InsiderFauci predicts that people will be able to go back to singing in church by mid-fall, when an 'overwhelming proportion' of the US has been vaccinated
Church services that resemble pre-coronavirus worship should resume in mid-fall, Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted Monday. Churches have been the sites of super-spreader events, since the virus spreads easily indoors when people are speaking loudly or singing in close quarters. Dr. Anthony Fauci predicts church services - with hugging, praising, and music-making - will be able to resume safely in mid-fall, if the US vaccinates people "appropriately, effectively, and efficiently."
SportsAssociated PressU.S. team sure of continuing in America's Cup after capsize
U.S. challenger American Magic is assessing the extent of damage to its racing yacht Patriot, which capsized and came close to sinking during racing Sunday in the America's Cup challenger series. Skipper Terry Hutchinson said American Magic is confident of making repairs and being able to continue in the Prada Cup series, which resumes in Auckland on Friday. Patriot, which lost its first three races in the challengers series, was leading Italian challenger Luna Rossa when it capsized rounding the final mark.
BusinessBusiness InsiderThe pandemic devastated airlines in 2020 and forced many out of business - here's the most notable that didn't make it to 2021
All 11 major US airlines remained intact but smaller regional carriers were forced to close or merge due to the drop in travel demand. A surprise announcement in February that the promising Qatar Airways-backed Air Italy would be liquidated set the stage for a year of losses even before lockdowns grounded the world's airlines. In the US, all 11 major airlines remained intact but smaller regional carriers folded amid an unprecedented drop in passengers that remains low even into the new year.
PoliticsThe WeekHow 'bewildered' Trump campaign aides would reportedly discreetly escape election challenge meetings
In the immediate aftermath of President-elect Joe Biden's victory in November, the leaders of President Trump's re-election campaign told him he had about a five to 10 percent chance of picking up enough outstanding votes in Georgia and Arizona and win a legal challenge against election practices in Wisconsin, which would overturn the results, Axios' Jonathan Swan reports in part of his series on the final two months of Trump's presidency. Trump initially told his campaign aides — including campaign manager Bill Stepien, senior adviser Jason Miller, and deputy campaign manager Justin Clark — that it was worth a shot, but he was simultaneously listening to another plan presented by attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell that was steeped in conspiracy theories.
WorldBusiness InsiderA Princeton professor warned students not to take his class while in China amid the country's tightening grip on dissent
Rory Truex, an assistant professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University, told students not to take his course on Chinese politics if they currently reside in China. Truex told the Daily Princetonian the course covers subjects the Chinese government may consider sensitive and could endanger students. American academics fear for their Chinese students in the wake of China's increasingly bold crackdown on political dissent at home and abroad.
SportsAssociated PressSouth African cricketers pleased with security in Pakistan
South African cricketers have set aside pre-tour security concerns and want to focus on their first test series in Pakistan in 14 years. The Proteas, who last toured Pakistan in 2007, kick off their tour with the first test in Karachi from Jan. 26. The government of Pakistan has provided presidential-like security with visitors' team buses being protected by security vans carrying dozens of armed personnel.
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Biden to end Keystone XL pipeline early on
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden may end the Keystone XL pipeline project as one of his first acts in office, a source familiar with his thinking told Reuters it could happen as early as day one. Biden, who will be inaugurated on Wednesday, was vice president when Barack Obama rejected the $9 billion project in 2015. Then two years later, Donald Trump issued a presidential permit that allowed the line to move forward.
PoliticsBBCMelania’s jacket and nine other defining images of Trump's presidency
After four years of President Donald Trump, the US is gearing up for a new leader on 20 January. Crowds are seen gathered at Mr Trump's inauguration ceremony on 20 January 2017. Days after the ceremony, the president accused the media of lying about attendance, claiming that TV footage and photos of the inauguration had made the crowds look smaller than they were.
PoliticsThe Independent‘We’re filled with hope’: Bidens open inauguration events with message of positivity after Capitol violence
President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden opened Sunday night's “We The People” concert – and 2021 Inauguration Week – with a message of hope and unity, telling their audience how they were “filled with hope” at the days, months, and years ahead. Acknowledging the “difficult transition process” faced by the incoming Biden administration, Dr Biden expressed compassion for Americans who ”have experienced loss over the last year", which has been strained by the deadly coronavirus pandemic. “To those who have experienced loss over the last year, know that Joe and I carry you in our thoughts and prayers each day,” said Dr Biden.
SportsAssociated PressKevin Na has a big finish and wins the Sony Open
The spoils at the Sony Open belonged to Kevin Na, a winner for the fourth straight season after coming from three shots behind with six holes to play for a one-shot victory with a birdie on the final hole. The consolation prize belonged to Chris Kirk, and it felt like a win. Kirk stepped away in May 2019 because of alcoholism and depression, a decision he feels saved himself, his family and his career.
CelebrityINSIDERMeghan Markle's estranged father Thomas Markle says he's making a documentary to 'figure out what went wrong' between them
Thomas Markle told The Sun that he's working with a cinematographer on a documentary about his life with estranged daughter Meghan Markle. Thomas Markle said he's making a documentary about Meghan Markle - and he hopes it will help "figure out what went wrong" in their relationship. Thomas, who has not spoken with Meghan and Prince Harry since before their royal wedding in 2018, told The Sun that he is working with a cinematographer and hopes to complete the project later this year.
“If you’re looking to win elections, it is probably best not to urge your supporters not to vote.”
“Warnock’s portrayal of himself as a dog lover, a means of overcoming white suspicions of Black men, smacked of pure genius.”
“Trump has done damage to the Republican brand among suburban voters that goes well beyond just races where he is on the ballot.”
“Once more, Democrats must profusely thank activist Stacey Abrams.”
“Overall, demographic trends show that the state’s electorate is becoming younger and more diverse each year.”