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Covid-19 remains a threat as a virus variant has been spreading steadily around the globe, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday. "This virus, SARS-CoV-2, is circulating in every country right now and it still poses a threat," WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove said. "We have to remain vigilant because the virus is circulating, evolving and changing," she told a discussion on the WHO's social media channels. Van Kerkhove was the WHO's technical lead during the coronavirus pandemic that struck in 2019 and is now the UN health agency's interim director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve extended its support for a slowing U.S. economy on Wednesday, sounding a bit less optimistic about growth and saying it will keep buying $85 billion in bonds per month for the time being. In announcing the widely expected decision, Fed officials nodded to weaker economic prospects due in part to a fiscal fight in Washington that shuttered much of the government for 16 days earlier this month. The Fed indicated the recovery in housing had lost some steam, while noting some reversal in a recent spike in borrowing costs. "Available data suggest that household...

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2006 – An open letter from Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to the people of Afghanistan praises the strides their new government has made and assures them of the United States' continued commitment to its success. Rumsfeld recently returned from his 11th trip to Afghanistan and said he was impressed during his meetings with President Hamid Karzai, his Cabinet, the governor of Zabul province and U.S. troops deployed there. "I came away impressed by their determination and the progress that has been made on the political, economic, and security fronts," he wrote in a letter submitted to...

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2006 – Recognizing the need for a federal agency to take the lead in honoring U.S. servicemembers who died on foreign soil, Congress enacted legislation in 1923 to create the American Battle Monuments Commission. The U.S. cemetery in Cambridge, England, contains the remains of 3,812 of American war dead from World War II. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains and oversees American cemeteries and monuments around the world. They are commemorative sites honoring our nation's war heroes," retired Army Brig. Gen. John "Jack" Nicholson, secretary and chief executive...

3/8/2006 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AFPN) -- In 2005, he ran the New York City Marathon and skied down the Rockies. The fact he has one leg isn’t slowing him down. Tech. Sgt. Matthew Profitt is an active sportsman -- the 38-year-old reservist plays racquetball, bobsleds, canoes, cycles and runs. But, three years ago the 512th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron guidance and control section technician wasn’t sure he’d be alive today. Deadly Diagnosis In June 2003, while activated a second year to support the war on terrorism, Sergeant Profitt said he noticed an ulcer on his right shin. “It...

DeLay maintains his optimism Leader in limbo copes with new role after 'temporary' resignation 09:16 PM CDT on Thursday, September 29, 2005 By TODD J. GILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News WASHINGTON – Stripped of power, facing a huge pay cut, mounting legal bills, enemies calling for his scalp and backbenchers itching for his permanent departure, Tom DeLay vowed Thursday to stick it out. But in what role? Under indictment and forced from high office, would the Sugar Land Republican still have the ear of the House speaker and others whose loyalty he cultivated, coerced and enforced so effectively on...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A sweeping constitutional amendment proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would essentially tear up another of the state's big credit cards, limiting future Legislatures' ability to borrow from special accounts to pay general government expenses, the governor's finance director said Thursday. Aimed primarily at two funds that have been raided repeatedly - schools and transportation - as well as other special funds, the proposal is the centerpiece of a reform package Schwarzenegger will send the Legislature during a special session that began Thursday. If approved by lawmakers and the voters, the administration said those reforms will help fix...