World

President Joe Biden launched initiatives on Thursday to rein in the raging COVID-19 pandemic, tackling his top priority on his first full day in the White House as he tries to turn the page on Donald Trump’s tumultuous leadership

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, congratulated Biden in front of the press in Beijing on Thursday and expressed hope that the relationship would be put back on the right track.

A Tokyo court rejected on Thursday a lawsuit by Japanese living in Europe who sought to retain their nationality even after taking foreign citizenship, instead of losing it automatically, as happens now.

Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh has proposed the resignation of his entire government after two ministers announced their withdrawal, local media reported on Thursday.

Russia has asked social networks, including video-sharing app TikTok, to stop the spread of posts encouraging minors to take part in unsanctioned rallies on Saturday in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Britain is refusing to give full diplomatic status to the European Union’s ambassador in London, causing a row between the recently divorced parties, the BBC reported on Thursday.

Facebook executives will field questions from an Indian parliamentary panel on Thursday about the changes to WhatsApp’s privacy, a source said, days after the messaging platform was asked by the country’s technology ministry to withdraw them.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who brokered the talks process between Donald Trump and the North’s leader Kim Jong Un, on Thursday congratulated Joe Biden on his inauguration as US president, tweeting: “America is back.”

Under current rules, Japanese people who acquire another passport are asked to relinquish their Japanese citizenship, but in 2018 eight plaintiffs started legal proceedings, arguing the rule was unconstitutional.

Analysts said Mr Trump’s deep pockets would be more than sufficient to float a new political party. It, however, remains uncertain if the ‘Patriot Party’ would be able to garner a massive chunk of public goodwill to rival the two major contemporary political parties in the United States.

Among the 17 executive orders and presidential actions Biden signed on Wednesday were moves to rejoin the Paris climate accord, end a travel ban from several Muslim-majority countries, and halt Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organisation.

Leaders from around the world congratulated newly sworn-in U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday, expressing cautious optimism over future relations after four years of tumult under Donald Trump.

Biden, sworn in along with Vice President Kamala Harris, in his inaugural address, spoke glowingly about the US democracy, tested to the limit by the acrimony over the outcome of the November 3, 2020, presidential election, saying finally, democracy prevailed.

United States President Joe Biden has signed a string of executive orders, memorandums and directives that will reverse some of his predecessor Donald Trump’s most divisive policies, including rescinding the so-called “Muslim ban”, rejoining the Paris climate accord, and ending the process to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Some of the executive actions undo significant actions from Donald Trump’s administration, including halting the travel ban from Muslim-majority countries, and ending the declaration of a national emergency used to justify funding construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border.

Pope Francis told U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday that he was praying that God would guide his efforts to bring reconciliation in the United States, while the nation’s bishops condemned Biden’s pro-choice stand on abortion.

Outgoing U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen attended the inauguration of new President Joe Biden on Wednesday after skipping both a farewell ceremony for Donald Trump and the usual protocol of welcoming his successor to his home at the Naval Observatory.

Kamala Harris has been sworn in as vice-president, becoming the first woman in American history – as well as the first woman of African American and south Asian descent – to hold the post.