USA

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Rachel Spray is still grieving the loss of her fellow nurse who died after being exposed to the novel coronavirus at Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center. Now, as she stands in front of the gleaming glass and concrete hospital, she says she “dreads going in there” and fears she’ll be next.

That’s because like those in many U.S. hospitals, management is rationing supplies, she says, keeping medical-grade masks under lock and key.

ESTACADA, Ore. (AP) — Deadly windblown wildfires raging across the Pacific Northwest destroyed hundreds of homes in Oregon, the governor said Wednesday, warning it could be the greatest loss of life and property from wildfire in state history.

The blazes from the top of the state to the California border caused highway closures and smoky skies and had firefighers struggling to contain and douse flames fanned by 50 mph (80 kph) wind gusts. Officials in some western Oregon communities gave residents “go now” orders to evacuate, meaning they had minutes to flee their homes.

OROVILLE, Calilf. (AP) — Three people died in a wind-whipped Northern California wildfire that has forced thousands of people from their homes while carving a 25-mile path of destruction through mountainous terrain and parched foothills, authorities said Wednesday.

California Highway Patrol Officer Ben Draper told the Bay Area News Group that one person was found in a car and apparently had been trying to escape the flames.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s comments about the threat from the novel coronavirus attracted widespread attention after excerpts from journalist Bob Woodward’s book “Rage” were released. The excerpts also provide new details about the president’s thoughts on North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, racial unrest and a mysterious new weapon that Trump claims other world powers don’t know about.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Try as he might to change the subject, President Donald Trump can’t escape the coronavirus.

In April, the president tried to shift the public’s focus to the economy. In July, to defending the country’s “heritage.” In September, to enforcing “law and order.” But all along the way, the death toll from the coronavirus continued to mount.

And now, Trump’s own words are redirecting attention to his handling of the pandemic when he can least afford it — less than two months before Election Day.

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 08 (APP): The world must be ready when the next pandemic comes, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has said, urging countries to invest more in public health as part of their efforts to recover from coronavirus.

“COVID-19 is teaching all of us many lessons,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said at a media briefing in Geneva.

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 09 (APP): A virtual meeting of finance ministers from 60 countries, including Pakistan, and representatives of international financial institutions on Tuesday discussed ways and means to deal with the social and economic chaos brought on by the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

The meeting was convened by UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, the finance minister of Canada, Chrystia Freeland and her Jamaican counterpart, Nigel Clarke.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday that AstraZeneca’s decision to pause global trials of its experimental coronavirus vaccine was unfortunate but not an uncommon safety precaution in a vaccine development process.

AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it voluntarily paused trials, including late-stage ones, after an unexplained illness in a participant, to allow an independent committee to review safety data. It was working to expedite the review to minimize any potential impact on the trial timeline.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States military on Wednesday announced that it would be reducing its presence in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 troops this month, formalizing a move that had been long expected.

Last month, Reuters reported that the United States was expected to reduce its troops presence in Iraq by about a third.

The United States has around 5,200 troops that were deployed in Iraq to fight the Islamic State militant group. Officials in the U.S.-led coalition say Iraqi forces are now mostly able to handle the remnants of Islamic State on their own.

Washington, Sep 9 (PTI) US President Donald Trump has said the environmental policies of his Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden would "destroy" America's middle class while giving a "free pass" to the world's worst polluters like China, Russia, India, and many others.

In a major policy speech on his record of natural conservation and environmental protection", Trump told a gathering in Jupiter, Florida that his administration is proving every day that the US can improve its environment while creating millions of high-paying jobs.