United States
Biden, wife to receive Covid-19 vaccine on Monday
On Friday morning, Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams also received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination on live TV, in a bid to instill confidence among Americans. Later in the day, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell were vaccinated by attending physician Brian Monahan at the Capitol.
US Congress passes 2-day stopgap funding bill to avert govt shutdown
The Republican-majority Senate also passed the measure by a voice vote to extend the government funding deadline from December 18 to December 20.
US okays Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as pandemic surge worsens
The Moderna approval comes exactly a week after the US Food and Drug Administration okayed a shot from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
Will be 'more assertive' in countering China in Pacific: US Navy
"Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily," the document said, noting their "growing aggressiveness" and calling China "the most pressing, long-term strategic threat."
Top US general meets Taliban in Qatar
The reports on Thursday said that Milley had a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Taliban negotiators in Doha on Tuesday as part of efforts to broker a negotiated peace settlement between the Afghan government and the militant group, Xinhua news agency reported. The Pentagon's top military officer then flew to Kabul on Wednesday to discuss the peace process with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Biden picks first Native American Interior Secretary
According to US media reports, if confirmed by the Senate, it will place a Native American in a cabinet secretary position for the first time in the US history and mark a turning point for a 171-year-old Interior Department that has often had a fraught relationship with 574 federally recognised tribes.
Moderna Covid-19 vaccine all set for FDA emergency approval
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) of the FDA voted 20-0 in favour of getting Moderna's shots into the arms of American 18 years and older, with one expert abstaining. Exactly a week ago, the same panel endorsed Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine in a 19-4 vote. The EUA came within the next 24 hours. Vaccinations using Pfizer's shot began December 14 in the US.
China expanding role in South Asia; likely to become more contested: US think tank
"China's expanding presence in the region is already reshaping South Asia, which is simultaneously emerging as an area where US-China and regional competition plays out"
Putin condemns US withdrawal from key military agreements
He further noted that the US accumulated a global network of military bases, and the country's military budget amounts to $770 billion, contrasting the Russian budget that is way lesser, stressing that Russia displays a less aggressive policy than the US. The president said that due to a reluctance from the US side to continue dialogue and negotiations in relation to the INF Treaty, the United States cannot expect Russia to leave things the way they are.
Immunization: US Vice President Mike Pence to take Covid-19 vaccine publicly
They will be joined by US Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who will also receive the vaccine, the White House said on Wednesday. US President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday said that Dr Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser, asked him to get vaccinated against Covid-19 "sooner than later."
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