Joe Biden has warned that the fight to bring coronavirus under control in the US is a “wartime undertaking” – devoting much of his first full day in office to tackling the pandemic. The new president signed 10 executive orders on Thursday that are designed to ramp up testing, tackle vaccine shortages, and increase mask
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President Joe Biden starts his first full day in office pledging to unify the country and heal divisions after four turbulent years. America’s new leader, the country’s 46th president, is a seasoned political operator but the challenges he faces are legion. Taming the pandemic, dealing with the economic carnage it has reaped and calming a
Joe Biden spent his inaugural address preaching unity in a country riven with division. But on his first day in office he went solo to sign 15 executive orders and two directives. It was all aimed at undoing Trump’s work swiftly- from re-joining the Paris Climate accord, to a national mask mandate, to reversing the
Joe Biden is preparing to be sworn in as the next US president, replacing Donald Trump after a tumultuous four years. The inauguration ceremony is usually attended by millions of people – but instead, Mr Biden will address a small, socially distanced crowd in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the recent, deadly riots on
A jittery United States still reeling from the attack on the Capitol Building is readying itself for a change of leadership, with Joe Biden’s inauguration just hours away. The swearing-in ceremony will be unlike any other in history, taking place against the backdrop of a raging pandemic and profound political divisions across the country. Yesterday,
Two US Army National Guard members have been removed from duty during Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration because of ties to far-right militias, according to Associated Press. A US Army official and a senior US intelligence official confirmed the decision to AP on the condition of anonymity due to Defense Department media regulations. They did not
Donald Trump has scrapped a travel ban on people from countries such as the UK and Brazil – but incoming president Joe Biden intends to ignore it. Mr Trump said the ban would end on 26 January, the same day a new system comes in requiring everyone flying from outside the US to show a
The US Capitol Complex has been put in lockdown with no entry or exit due to an “external security threat”. US Capitol Police issued a warning to all buildings within the complex. A notice sent to House and Senate offices: “All buildings within the Capitol Complex: Due to an external security threat located under
Will Donald Trump be a spent political force when he is replaced on Wednesday by Joe Biden after a single term in office? The Republican party has not done well under his leadership. It has lost control of the White House, US Congress and the Senate to the Democrats. But Trump still has a loyal
Disgraced former music producer Phil Spector has died aged 81. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has confirmed he died of natural causes on Saturday evening. Image: Image of Spector dated 19 November 2019 (Pic: CDCR) TMZ says the 81-year-old was diagnosed with coronavirus four weeks ago and was transferred from his prison cell
America is finally waking up to the problems caused by its polarising politics. And if Sky News’ investigations into one small community in mid-west Ohio are anything to go by, it is going to be one heckuva big, continual challenge – long after the US inauguration on Wednesday. The Sky team in Ohio tracked down
The Trump administration has carried out its 13th federal execution since July – the most of any presidency in more than 100 years. Dustin Higgs was convicted of murdering three women in a Maryland wildlife refuge in 1996. The 48-year-old was the third inmate to receive a lethal injection at the federal prison in Terre
Police involved in protecting the Capitol building last week have spoken for the first time describing what happened as “brutal, medieval style combat”. The officers were outnumbered by hundreds of rioters, who federal prosecutors claim were intending to “capture and assassinate officials”. Officer Daniel Hodges was nearly crushed to death in the violence. Disturbing video
President-elect Joe Biden has revealed a $1.9trn (£1.4trn) stimulus package to help the US get through the coronavirus pandemic. The package includes $415bn for the virus response, around $1trn for households, and roughly $440bn for small businesses and hard-hit communities. Mr Biden said: “A crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight, and there’s
US airlines have put thousands of people on their no-fly lists for failing to wear face masks on board, as security measures are stepped up ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration. Delta Airlines has said it is going to ban passengers from taking firearms in their baggage on flights to Washington DC until the end of
Donald Trump has called for “no violence” ahead of what the FBI has warned are “armed protests” being planned at all 50 state capitals ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration – as removal vans were spotted outside the White House. One group has vowed an uprising will take place and government offices will be stormed if