Biden in South Carolina to address HBCU graduates, honor Jim Clyburn

DOVER, Del. - Delaware’s universal indoor mask mandate ends Friday morning, as their school mask requirements remain in effect through next month.Earlier this week, Gov. John Carney signed a revision of the State of Emergency order that lifted the state’s universal mask mandate, effective at 8 a.m. Also in Monday's revision to the State of Emergency order, Governor Carney temporarily extended the mask requirement in both public and private K-12 schools and child care facilities. As a result, that requirement will expire at 11:59 p.m.

Simon Cowell will miss the next round of auditions for Britain's Got Talent as he has contracted Covid-19.The 62 year old will be unable to judge the latest round of hopefuls on the ITV talent show while he self-isolates. A spokesperson for the music mogul confirmed the news to Mail Online, saying: "Simon was unable to attend filming today as he was isolating at home after testing positive for Covid-19." Current rules for contracting Covid-19 state people need to isolate for ten days but may leave after five if certain conditions are met. Alesha Dixon, David Walliams and Amanda Holden were spotted heading in to film the show and will be left with golden buzzer duties until the show's creator returns.

COLOMBO (News 1st): The foreign exchange shortage experienced in Sri Lanka will be short-lived, said the country’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.Speaking to officials at the Finance Ministry of Friday (11), Rajapaksa said the government expects to minimize the effects the forex shortage might have on the people.On Monday (7) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed the officials to take steps to immediately release the containers containing essential items at the custody of Customs.The President also appointed a committee headed by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities including food, and this committee met for the first time on Friday (11).A statement from the Finance Ministry noted that though there is a shortage of Milk Powder, Gas, Wheat Flour, and Cement in the local market, there are sufficient stocks of all other essential items and there will be no shortage.In addition, the tax reliefs granted by the government for essential food items not being enjoyed by the people were discussed and it was revealed at the meeting that errant traders abuse the concessions granted by the government and sell goods at exorbitant prices.The implementation of a new mechanism to expedite the release of essential commodities including food to the market, and to regulate and oversee this matter, was also discussed.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are investigating after they say six people were stabbed inside if a Kensington home as they slept Friday morning.The incident happened around 4 a.m. on the 3000 block of North Front Street. Police say a family member went from bedroom to bedroom stabbing the six victims with two different knives that were described as kitchen knives.FOX 29’s Steve Keeley reports that all six of the stabbing victims are between the ages of 26 and 46. A 46-year-old woman is in critical condition after suffering stab wounds to the head and neck during the incident.

From symptoms to subvariants, UN health agency explains all that you need to know about Omicron

PARIS :

France will deploy thousands of police in and around Paris and set up checkpoints at toll stations on major roads leading into the capital to keep so-called "Freedom Convoy" motorists out, the city's police force said.

₹9.57 lakh crore for the economy was far sharper than ₹2.12 lakh crore in GDP growth that was lost in 2008-09 global financial crises, yet the government was able to contain consumer price inflation (CPI) to within 6.2% as opposed to CPI ballooning to 9.1% during the global financial crisis.

Britain without taking any coronavirus tests starting Friday after the government scrapped one of the final restrictions imposed over the past two years in response to Covid-19.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Thousands of Sri Lankan health workers continued their strike action for the fifth consecutive day on Friday (11), despite a court issuing an order against a nurses trade union that is also taking part in the strike.Health workers in Sri Lanka have been staging demonstrations and strikes since November 2021 to draw attention to the issue of salary anomalies.Their major demands include the rectification of salary anomalies, higher allowances, and an increase in overtime rates.Supplementary and paramedical services, nursing services, and professionals from 16 health services including medical laboratory technologists, pharmacists, radiologists, public health inspectors, and family health officers are participating in the indefinite strike.Thousands of poor patients who visited government hospitals were turned away, as a result.A Sri Lankan court on Thursday (10) issued two enjoining orders preventing the strike action by the Government Nursing Officer’s Association from continuing.The Attorney General filed an action against the Government Nursing Officer’s Association and its president Saman Rathnapriya, seeking an enjoining order from the court to immediately suspend the trade union action of the said union.The Attorney General appraised the court of the present deplorable conditions in hospitals due to patient care being severely affected.District Court Judge of Colombo Aruna Aluthge issued two enjoining orders preventing the union from continuing the said trade union strike endangering the lives of the patients.As a result of the strike, over this week the activities at the Colombo General Hospital, Kandy General Hospital, 24 Teaching Hospitals, 26 General Hospitals, 46 Base Hospitals, 410 District

Prince Charles getting Covid again should be "ringing royal alarm bells," according to an expert who warns of some "regal whiplash". The 73-year-old is set to snatch an almost 200-year record by becoming the oldest person to be crowned monarch.

Withdrawal of restrictions

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Boris Johnson ending Covid isolation rules is a "distraction" from the PM's lockdown party scandal, according to a Scots health expert.

SYDNEY :

Charli XCX has said that the criticism she’s received on social media lately has taken a toll on her mental health.The singer-songwriter, who releases her fifth album ‘Crash’ on March 18, issued a statement on Twitter yesterday (February 10) to explain that she’s temporarily stepping back from the platform due to the “negativity” surrounding her current campaign.“I’ve always had a pretty open dialogue with you guys and so I just wanna mention a few things that have been on my mind recently,” Charli began.“I have been feeling like I can’t do anything right at the moment.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The new University of Vavuniya was declared open by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday (11).The University of Vavuniya is the 17th State University in Sri Lanka and was established with effect from the 1st of August 2021 via an Extraordinary Gazette on the 8th of June 2021 that elevated the Vavuniya Campus of the University of Jaffna, to a separate state university in Sri Lanka.The new state university was established for the purpose of providing, promoting, and developing higher education in the branches of learning of Business Studies, Applied Science, and Technology Studies.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of he World Health Organization (WHO), Buti Manamela, Deputy Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology of South Africa, Dr Joe Phaahla, Minister of Health of South Africa and Meryame Kitir, Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy of Belgium today visit a number of public and private sector partners that are collaborating to develop and build WHO’s global mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in South Africa.

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Protester numbers outside New Zealand's parliament have increased as police scaled back efforts to clear anti-vaccine demonstrators involved in violent clashes a day earlier.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry has warned against the use of fake vaccination cards to avoid being vaccinated against COVID-19.Dr. Anwar Hamdani, attached to the Health Ministry said information on all those who have been vaccinated are with the Health Ministry, and it is a futile attempt to evade being vaccinated.“Getting vaccinated is a social responsibility and therefore everyone must get vaccinated against COVID-19,” he said.At the same time, the Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services Dr.

Despite key party figures expressing support and posing for pictures with protesters, the Conservative Party is joining pleas to end disruptive blockades against COVID restrictions.

Ottawa police on Thursday provided an update on their ongoing enforcement measures against trucker protests demonstrating against COVID-19 vaccine mandates throughout parts of the city.

Disruptive blockades protesting COVID-19 mandates are escalating in Ontario, prompting more calls for the province to take action. So why has Ontario Premier Doug Ford been mostly absent over the unrest? Eric Sorensen explains the possible strategy behind keeping a low-profile, as concerns grow over potentially politicizing pandemic strategy.

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Unhappy Olympic athletes are calling out organizers of the Beijing Games with a litany of complaints about everything from COVID-19 protocols to inadequate catering.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a meeting with leaders of opposition parties Thursday evening, where he said he briefed them on the latest developments of the trucker convoy protests and blockades.

Camilla Parker-Bowles has broken her silence after she was handed the future title of 'Queen Consort' by the Queen on the eve of the Platinum Jubilee last weekend.The Duchess of Cornwall, 74, said she was "very, very honoured" and "very touched" to be bestowed the honour by Her Majesty while on a royal visit to Nourish Hub community food centre in West London.She went ahead with the public appearance after testing negative for Covid despite spending the previous evening with husband Prince Charles, who remained in self-isolation after contracting the virus for the second time yesterday (February 10).Charles, who is said not to be experiencing any symptoms of the virus, was forced on Thursday to cancel his visit the Great Hall at Winchester Castle and the unveiling of a statue of Jewish-British historical figure Licoricia of Winchester.It was also revealed that he had seen his mum the Queen two days before testing positive.Describing the situation, Camilla told Willie Hartley Russell, high sheriff for Berkshire: "He’s diagnosed now. Luckily (she’s negative).

Simon Cowell has been forced to pull out of Britain's Got Talent auditions after testing positive for Covid.The ITV entertainment show is back this year after being cancelled in 2021 because of the pandemic and auditions have been under way at the London Palladium.Due to his positive test result, the 62-year-old TV personality could not take his seat at the judge's table. Simon's spokesperson exclusively told Mail Online that the star is currently isolating at his London home after contracting the virus.His spokesperson said: "Simon was unable to attend filming today as he was isolating at home after testing positive for Covid-19." Simon was scheduled to be on the set of the talent competition on Thursday alongside his fellow judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams.A week before testing positive and withdrawing from the audition process, Simon was rushed to hospital after being caught in a horrific e-bike accident near his home in West London.The incident which happened last Thursday night saw Simon fall off his e-bike while reaching speeds of 20mph.This is the second e-bike accident the father-of-one experienced, just 18 months after breaking his back on an e-bike in Los Angeles.

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 23: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks before signing H.R.

President Joe Biden signs H.R. 3537, the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Dec.

As Omicron tightens its grip on the U.S., President Joe Biden has announced a slew of new measures to accelerate testing and vaccinations.

Today President Joe Biden addressed the nation on the rising threat of the Omicron variant and laid out new steps his administration is taking to combat what experts expect to be a deluge of cases in the coming weeks, including increased testing.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Tuesday is set to announce a number of new actions in the face of the rapidly-spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus, including access to 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests for Americans, increased support for overwhelmed hospitals and more vaccination sites nationwide.As families and friends begin to gather together amid a second straight holiday season with COVID-19, scientists are racing to better understand the omicron variant and whether it causes more serious disease. They do know that vaccination should offer strong protections against severe illness and death, which public health officials continue to push heading into the cold winter months. Biden, who is set to speak at 2:30 p.m.

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US President Joe Biden addresses graduates of South Carolina State University during their commencement ceremony on December 17, 2021, in Orangeburg, South Carolina. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 after coming in close contact with a staff member who tested positive for the virus, according to a White House statement. "On Monday morning, a mid-level staff member, who does not regularly have contact with the President, received a positive result for a COVID-19 test.," press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - The COVID-19 omicron variant is "just raging around the world," the White House's top medical adviser said Sunday, and President Joe Biden is planning to give "a stark warning of what the winter will look like" for unvaccinated Americans.Dr.

FILE - U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference in the State Dining Room at the White House on Nov.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said Sunday he cannot back his party’s signature $2 trillion social and environment bill, dealing a potentially fatal blow to President Joe Biden’s leading domestic initiative heading into an election year when Democrats’ narrow hold on Congress was already in peril.Manchin told "Fox News Sunday" that he always has made clear he had reservations about the legislation and that now, after five-and-half months of discussions and negotiations, "I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation."The White House had no immediate comment.

GREENVILLE, Del. (AP) - President Joe Biden on Saturday commemorated the 49th anniversary of the car crash that killed his first wife and infant daughter, visiting their graves at the Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church.Their deaths occurred just after Delaware voters elected Biden to the Senate in 1972 and the fatal car crash became a defining moment that has shaped his persona and career.His sons Beau and Hunter, ages 4 and 3 at the time, were seriously injured but survived the crash.

WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court panel on Friday allowed President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for larger private employers to move ahead.The 2-1 decision by a panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a decision by a federal judge in a separate court that had paused the mandate nationwide.The rule from the U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin are said to be sharply divided over Democrats' huge social and environment bill, with the holdout senator pushing to erase the measure's improved child tax credit, as leaders' hopes of passing the legislation before Christmas appear to be fading away.The rocky status of their talks, described only on condition of anonymity by a person familiar with them, was among several indications that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer faces a struggle to even begin debate on the massive measure before the holiday.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will award the Medal of Honor on Thursday to three U.S. soldiers who distinguished themselves by acts of valor while fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.The Medal of Honor is the U.S.

ATLANTA - An Associated Press review of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by former President Donald Trump has found fewer than 475 — a number that would have made no difference in the 2020 presidential election.Democrat Joe Biden won Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and their 79 Electoral College votes by a combined 311,257 votes out of 25.5 million ballots cast for president.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a briefing about the recent tornadoes in the Midwest in the Oval Office of the White House December 13, 2021 in Washington, DC.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Monday will sign an executive order aimed at saving Americans time and frustration when seeking a broad array of federal services, like renewing passports, applying for Social Security benefits and getting aid after natural disasters.Two senior White House officials confirmed details of the executive order, speaking on the condition of anonymity before the announcement.

Canada, in its most aggressive display so far against a proposed United States electric vehicle tax credit plan, has threatened to impose new tariffs on its biggest trading partner.