International
Biden to broaden Covid vaccine mandate in major White House speech
AFP
US President Joe Biden will announce wider vaccine mandates for federal employees as part of a new effort to wrestle Covid-19 back under control in a speech Thursday that comes as his own political fortunes are slipping.
The White House says Biden will lay out a “six-pronged” plan.
One major part will be mandatory vaccinations for all federal employees and federal contractors, a source familiar with the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. Currently, government workers either need to have a vaccine or submit to regular testing.
“The president has signed an Executive Order to take those actions a step further and require all federal executive branch workers to be vaccinated,” the source said.
Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, told CNN on Thursday the president will push to ramp up vaccines and testing across the board, although he has limited powers, and there is no plan for anything like a national vaccine passport.
“That means reducing hospitalizations. That means putting in place more testing requirements and putting in place more protections in the form of boosters to make sure people have an even greater level of protection,” Psaki said.
The administration’s early success in rolling out vaccinations and promoting mask wearing gave Biden a lift after taking office.
After leading the world in coronavirus deaths under former president Donald Trump, the United States became a model for how to beat the pandemic.
On July 4, Biden even held a big White House barbecue to celebrate US Independence Day and freedom from lockdowns.
But the emergence of the hard-to-stop Delta variant over the summer has sent cases back to crisis levels, with hospitals in some states once more overflowing with the sick and dying.
Seeing his entire agenda on things like the economy or climate change overshadowed by the pandemic, Biden badly needs to change its course or at least demonstrate he is in charge.
The strategy will involve both the public and private sectors, said a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“As the president has said since day one, his administration will pull every lever to get the pandemic under control,” the official said.
But much of the problem is beyond Biden’s reach.
The federal government has distributed free vaccine supplies across the country and also became the world’s largest donor to poorer nations.
However, state governments, notably in Republican Texas and Florida, have actively resisted imposing mask mandates, while swaths of their populations refuse to get vaccinated — even as cases around them soar.
Biden and his supporters have taken to calling the current virus surge a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
Despite the role played by Republican leaders, Biden, who is simultaneously taking a hit from the traumatic US exit from Afghanistan, is getting much of the blame.
In the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, 52 percent approved of Biden’s handling of the pandemic, down from 62 percent of adults in June.
Biden’s overall approval average ratings are firmly below 50 percent for the first time in his presidency.
According to the Washington Post-ABC News survey, only 44 percent approve of his performance, compared to 50 percent in June.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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