Articles by Focus Washington

U.S. President Joe Biden pushed for the first major legislative achievement of his term on Friday, turning to a bipartisan group of local officials for help on his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan, Reuters informed. […]

White House Secures Deals for 200 Million More COVID Vaccine Doses

President Joe Biden announced Thursday that his administration has secured deals for another 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, bringing the U.S. total to 600 million, CNBC reported. “Just this afternoon, we signed the final […]

Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Corruption Authority Arrests 65 as Crackdown Continues

The Kingdom’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) has arrested 65 Saudis and expats while 411 are still under investigation as the agency continues its crackdown against fraud, bribery and other crimes, Arab News informed. Among […]

Oil Loses More Steam After OPEC Reduced Demand Forecast

Oil prices dropped for a second day on Friday, pulling further back from a one-year high after OPEC again lowered its demand forecast and the International Energy Agency said the market was still over-supplied, Reuters […]

EU Ready to Work With Biden Administration to Settle Trade Disputes

The European Union on Thursday acknowledged a move by the new U.S. government to refrain from imposing additional tariffs on EU goods in a long-running dispute over aircraft tariffs, and said it was ready to […]

Pelosi Introduces Bill to Award Capitol Police With Congressional Gold Medals

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced legislation on Thursday to award congressional gold medals to the U.S. Capitol Police and Washington’s police force for protecting the Capitol on Jan. 6 against an assault […]

If Senate Does Not Convict Trump, ‘He Can Do This Again,’ Democrats Warn

Democratic prosecutors making the case that Donald Trump incited a deadly insurrection by encouraging his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol warned the Senate on Thursday that if it fails to convict the former […]

Kremlin Critic Navalny Back in Court for Slander Trial Amid Tensions With West

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny returned to court on Friday for a trial on slander charges he calls politically motivated amid mounting tensions between Russia and the West over his jailing, Reuters reported. Navalny, President Vladimir […]

Anti-Trump Republicans Face Major Challenge in Launching Third Party

A group of former Republican officials considering a new center-right political party to counter former President Donald Trump’s influence would face steep challenges in shaking up a U.S. political system that has favored two-party rule […]

India Warns U.S. Social Media Firms after Dispute with Twitter

Indian technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad warned U.S. social media firms on Thursday to abide by the country’s laws, a day after a face-off between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration and Twitter over content regulation, […]

Trump Impeachment Trial Resumes With Democrats to Focus on Riot’s ‘Terrible Toll’

The third day of Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial got underway on Thursday, with the Democrats who are making the case for his conviction for inciting the deadly rampage at the U.S. Capitol set to […]

Oil Drops After Strong Rally as New COVID Variants Weigh

Oil prices fell on Thursday, paring recent gains, as renewed lockdowns and emergence of new coronavirus variants weighed on the prospects for a swift demand recovery, Reuters informed. Brent crude fell 28 cents, or 0.5%, […]

Global Stocks Nudge Higher, Sustained by Bottomless Stimulus

Global shares rose for a ninth day running on Thursday, just off record highs, as investors digested recent gains, while bulls were sustained by the promise of more free money after a benign U.S. inflation […]

protection against coronavirus infection

Britain’s Coronavirus Variant a Concern, ‘Likely to Sweep the World’, Says Scientist

The coronavirus variant first found in the British region of Kent is a concern because it could undermine the protection given by vaccines against developing COVID-19, the head of the UK’s genetic surveillance programme said, […]

Qatar Working for Return to Iran Nuclear Accord

Qatar is working to de-escalate tension in the region by advocating for a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, state media quoted its foreign minister as saying, Reuters writes. “The State of Qatar is […]

Dozens of Former Republican Officials in Talks to Form Anti-Trump Third Party

Dozens of former Republican officials, who view the party as unwilling to stand up to former President Donald Trump and his attempts to undermine U.S. democracy, are in talks to form a center-right breakaway party, […]

Suu Kyi Aide, Electoral Officials Arrested in Myanmar, Biden Approves Sanctions

A close aide to ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained in a new wave of arrests following last week’s military coup, a party official said on Thursday, as Washington moved a step […]

Biden Raises Concerns With Chinese President in First Official Phone Call

President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone Wednesday evening for the first time since taking office, according to the White House, CNBC informed. According to a White House statement, Biden raised […]

Treasury Yields Slump Following Fed Chair Powell’s Comments on Employment

U.S. Treasury yields slumped on Thursday morning, after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell painted a gloomy picture on U.S. employment due to the coronavirus pandemic, CNBC informed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note […]

Paul Manafort Can’t Be Prosecuted in NY after Trump Pardon, Double Jeopardy Ruling Stands

Paul Manafort, the Republican consultant who at one point ran Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, cannot be prosecuted in New York state court for conduct related to his prior federal criminal convictions, a court ruling […]

Saudi Aramco Prepares $10 Billion Loan for Pipeline Business Buyers

Saudi Aramco is preparing a financing package of up to $10 billion that it could offer to buyers of its pipeline business unit, three sources said, as the oil giant seeks to extract value from […]

Oil Rally Extends for 9th Day on Supply Cuts, Demand Hopes

Oil extended its rally for a ninth day on Wednesday, supported by producer supply cuts and hopes that vaccine rollouts will drive a recovery in demand, Reuters writes. The American Petroleum Institute said on Tuesday […]

World Shares Hit Fresh All-Time Highs

World shares rose to new all-time highs overnight and European indexes strengthened, with market sentiment generally upbeat on the prospect of fiscal stimulus and vaccine rollouts and ahead of a speech by U.S. Federal Reserve […]

Senators Vote to Proceed with Trump’s Impeachment Trial, but Conviction May Prove Elusive

A divided U.S. Senate voted largely along party lines on Tuesday to move ahead with Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on a charge of inciting the deadly assault on the Capitol, but conviction appears unlikely barring […]

New Hate Symbols on U.S. Warships Including Noose Spark Navy Condemnation

The U.S. Navy’s top admiral on Tuesday condemned two new racist incidents involving hate symbols on warships, which sources said included a noose that was left on a Black sailor’s bed, Reuters reported. The incidents, […]

Senator Shelby Not to Run for Reelection in 2020

On Monday, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) announced that he would not run for re-election in 2022, according to The Hill. “Today I announce that I will not seek a seventh term in the United States […]

New Variants Threaten to Reverse Progress against COVID-19

The falling trend in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. is threatened by new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus, reported The Hill. After the post-Thanksgiving period when a pick was reached in cases, hospitalisations and […]

Two Capitol Riot Suspects who Took Private Plane to DC Arrested in Texas

According to the FBI, two Dallas individuals were arrested and charged in connection to the Capitol riots in Washington D.C. last month, reported The Hill. The two, reported to be real estate agents named Katherine […]

‘Cowboys for Trump’ Leader Released from Jail

The leader of the group so-called “Cowboys for Trump” is to be released from jail by a federal district court judge, while he’s awaiting trial on charges related to the Capitol riots, according to The […]

February 9, 2021 Focus Washington

COVID May Have Taken ‘Convoluted Path’ to Wuhan, WHO Team Leader Says

The head of a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of COVID-19 said bats remain a likely source and that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility that warrants further investigation, […]