AP Top Political News at 11:48 p.m. EST
Biden aims to distribute masks to millions in 'equity' push
Biden aims to distribute masks to millions in 'equity' push
A late sprint on the final bend earned Norway's Jarl Magnus Riiber the gold medal in the Nordic combined event as he edged out Ilkka Herola of Finland by four tenths of a second at the FIS Ski World Championships on Friday. Japan's Ryota Yamamoto recorded the longest ski jump of the competition to top the standings heading in to the 10km cross-country ski race, but he was soon left behind as the stronger skiers engaged in a tough battle at the front of the field. On the final lap, reigning champion and World Cup leader Riiber was perfectly positioned behind Herola, with Norway's Jens Luraas Oftebro in third and Japan's Akito Watabe in fourth, but Watabe was dropped as the front three crested the final hill and the race for the line began.
A late sprint on the final bend earned Norway's Jarl Magnus Riiber the gold medal in the Nordic combined event as he edged out Ilkka Herola of Finland by four tenths of a second at the FIS Ski World Championships on Friday. Japan's Ryota Yamamoto recorded the longest ski jump of the competition to top the standings heading in to the 10km cross-country ski race, but he was soon left behind as the stronger skiers engaged in a tough battle at the front of the field. On the final lap, reigning champion and World Cup leader Riiber was perfectly positioned behind Herola, with Norway's Jens Luraas Oftebro in third and Japan's Akito Watabe in fourth, but Watabe was dropped as the front three crested the final hill and the race for the line began.
In today’s Global Bulletin, Hanway Films and Cinetic Media give a first look at Tony Stone’s “Ted K,” Amazon Prime Video orders a second season of “El Internado: Las Cumbres,” Greenlit goes global, Abundantia Entertainment plans for a “Keepers of the Kalachakra” adaptation, Brigid O’Shea steps down from DOK Leipzig and BMG Production Music hires […]
As the European Film Market prepares to launch on Monday in a digital format, its new director Dennis Ruh talks to Variety about the rationale behind the structure that he has chosen, and the challenges he’s faced in staging this edition of the event. Why will the European Film Market take place March 1-5 in […]
The White House COVID-19 response team holds a news briefing.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's grip on power appeared to be slipping on Friday, a day after the army called on him to quit. Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in the capital Yerevan to demand his downfall, and a leading opposition figure called on the army to rebel against him. Pashinyan told his supporters on Thursday he was firing Onik Gasparyan, the chief of the army's general staff.
A crucial day for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine as a panel of expert advisers meets Friday to review its safety and effectiveness. That panel of doctors, infectious disease experts and medical researchers is expected to vote to in favor of the vaccine’s use at the end of the meeting. The Food and Drug Administration is then likely to authorize it for emergency use within a day or so - with three to four million doses expected to be rolled out next week. That would make J&J’s vaccine the third one available in the U.S. after those made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, and it would be the only one that requires just a single injection. Unlike the other two, J&J’s vaccine can be stored in normal refrigerator temperatures instead of ultra-cold storage. That makes distribution a lot easier. A trial found that J&J’s vaccine was 66% effective at preventing moderate-to-severe cases of COVID-19. And it was 100% effective at preventing hospitalizations 28 days after vaccination. Ahead of the decision, J&J shares fell modestly in early trading Friday.
England lock Jonny Hill is relishing the prospect of facing one of the best second rows in the game when he confronts Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones in Saturday's Six Nations clash in Cardiff.
Police in Bangladesh on Friday baton charged and fired tear gas at hundreds of students demonstrating in the capital after a prominent writer and government critic died in jail.
A 490-square-mile (1,270 sq km) iceberg broke off from Antarctica on the morning of February 26, the British Antarctic Survey said.This aerial footage, filmed on February 16, 10 days before the iceberg formed, according to the researchers, shows the large crack stretching into the distance.The British Antarctic Survey said that during January 2021, the rift seen in this footage “pushed northeast at up to 1 km per day.” Then, on the morning of February 26, the crack widened several hundred meters in the space of a few hours, and the rift broke free, becoming the iceberg.Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of British Antarctic Survey, said: “Our teams at BAS have been prepared for the calving of an iceberg from Brunt Ice Shelf for years. We monitor the ice shelf daily using an automated network of high-precision GPS instruments that surround the station. These measure how the ice shelf is deforming and moving.”The iceberg is about the same size as the sprawling city of Los Angeles, which is said to cover 469 to 503 square miles. Credit: British Antarctic Survey via Storyful
Britain's Prince Harry said in a rare one-on-one interview that he left royal life because the British press was "destroying" his mental health, and revealed he watches "The Crown."
Manchester City's 19-game winning run in all competitions makes Pep Guardiola the envy of every other Premier League boss but the Catalan has spoken of his admiration for West Ham's David Moyes.
Jimenez was taken to hospital after a clash of heads with Arsenal defender David Luiz during a match in November and has largely been working individually, although the Mexican has joined in some parts of group sessions recently. The 29-year-old international was a key player for Wolves last season with 27 goals and 10 assists in all competitions as they finished seventh in the league and reached the Europa League quarter-finals.
“Wu Assassins” is continuing at Netflix with a standalone movie. The film, titled “Wu Assassins: Fistful of Vengeance,” will be 90 minutes and will bring back series stars Iko Uwais, Lewis Tan, Lawrence Kao, and JuJu Chan Szeto. In addition, Pearl Thusi, Francesca Corney, Jason Tobin, and Rhatha Phongam will also star in the film. […]
Paris St Germain forward Neymar's return from injury is on schedule after he was ruled out for four weeks earlier this month with an adductor muscle injury, coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday. The Brazil international has been sidelined since limping off the pitch on Feb. 10 in a French Cup game against Caen, which ruled him out of PSG's Champions League last-16 first leg against Barcelona. "He has been following the protocol of the medical and performance sector," Pochettino told a news conference ahead of PSG's Ligue 1 trip to Dijon.
Iran is investigating an incident in which at least two Iranians were shot dead this week at the border with Pakistan, and Islamabad has handed over the body of one of the victims, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Friday. Iran said the shooting occurred in Pakistan, but Pakistani border officials said protests broke out on the Iranian side of the frontier after Iranian forces fired at people involved in the illegal Iranian fuel trade. A policeman was reported to have been killed in the unrest in Iran's southeast, but a provincial security official said calm had returned with the help of religious leaders.
Israel has led the world in COVID-19 vaccination with health ministry figures on Friday (February 25) showing 50% of the population has received at least one shot.But now the country is facing another challenge that other countries will have to grapple with - how to balance public health and the rights of the unvaccinated. Despite the strong government numbers, some officials privately estimate that 10% of Israelis over 16 - that's around 650,000 - do not intend to get vaccinated.Some employers already plan to ban unvaccinated workers from the office, which rights groups fear could cost them their jobs, especially for those where remote working is not possible. And asking employees to share their vaccine status could violate medical privacy rights. Some employers and advocates are concerned parliament hasn't passed any laws on returning to offices or offering protections for the unvaccinated.The health ministry did not comment when asked if legislation was being drawn up.Early discussions on guidelines and legislation point to employers, authorities and courts putting public health concerns before individuals' demand. This is Sharon Abraham-Weiss, executive director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, or ACRI. "The question is how do we reopen the market, the economy, and life, without harming people that cannot or would not get vaccinated."Israel's largest labor union suggested that unvaccinated workers who can't work at home show negative tests to their employers every 72 hours as a potential workaround.The "Green Pass system" was launched in the country last Sunday (February 21).A government-validated certificate is granted for those who have had both doses of the vaccine or have recovered from COVID-19. In one of its first applications, only those who carry this pass were allowed to attend a small open-air concert in Tel Aviv this week.
From offering assistance to medical workers to distributing meals and donating computers to needy schoolkids, Portuguese citizens are volunteering in droves in the wake of the economic and social crisis brought on by the pandemic.
Internet freedom advocates on Friday warned new Indian social media regulations could pose a threat to freedom of expression, after New Delhi announced plans for tough new rules that could force platforms to remove content it deems objectionable.