Biden White House pledges data, transparency, respect for free press
WASHINGTON — The press secretary of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., held her first news conference on Wednesday, seven hours after Mr. Biden’s inauguration, vowing to bring truth and transparency back to government.
In hidden message on White House website, Biden calls for coders
WASHINGTON — The recently updated website for the White House of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., carried an invitation for tech specialists savvy enough...
WHO plans slew of COVID-19 vaccine approvals for global rollout
BRUSSELS — The World Health Organization (WHO) plans to approve several COVID-19 vaccines from Western and Chinese manufacturers in coming weeks and months, a...
Biden to assume US presidency amid deep division, pandemic
WASHINGTON — Democrat Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, assuming the helm of a country beset by deep political divides and battered by a raging coronavirus pandemic.
N.Korea bans K-dramas, use of South Korean slang
SEOUL — North Korea is imposing stiff fines or prison for anyone caught enjoying South Korean entertainment or copying the way South Koreans speak as leader Kim Jong Un steps up a war on outside influences and calls for better homegrown entertainment.
Jack Ma makes first live appearance since October in online meet
SHANGHAI — Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma met 100 rural teachers in China via a live video meeting on Wednesday morning, in the businessman’s first appearance since October, triggering a sharp jump in the Hong Kong listed shares of the e-commerce giant.
‘Act big’ now to save economy, worry about debt later, Yellen says in Treasury...
WASHINGTON — Janet L. Yellen, US President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s nominee for Treasury Secretary, urged lawmakers on Tuesday to “act big” on coronavirus relief spending, arguing that the economic benefits far outweigh the risks of a higher debt burden.
Climate risks jostle with pandemic as fractured world struggles to respond, WEF says
LONDON — Failure to stem climate change poses as serious a global risk as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, in both the scale of impact and level of threat, top business and other leaders warned on Tuesday.
As WHO fumes at Western drugmakers, China fills void on vaccines
For months, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to come together to ensure a fair distribution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines among rich and poor nations. Now it’s starting to lose patience.
Incheon dethrones HK as Asia’s busiest airport
Hong Kong no longer has the busiest airport for international traffic in Asia after the coronavirus pandemic wiped out travel, leaving South Korea’s Incheon...
Independent pandemic panel critical of China, WHO delays
GENEVA — 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 criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) for not declaring an international emergency until Jan. 30.
Previous COVID infection may offer less protection from new variant
JOHANNESBURG — Previous infection with the coronavirus may offer less protection against the new variant first identified in South Africa, scientists said on Monday, although they hope that vaccines will still work.