- 35 people have died since wildfire outbreak started
- In California fires have burned 4,375sq miles – 16,000 firefighters are on duty
- 399 new Covid-19 deaths and 33,369 new cases reported yesterday
- Trump’s first indoor rally since June yesterday defied Covid laws
- US ambassador to China Terry Branstad is to retire
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11.30am BST
The US ambassador to China is leaving his post, the embassy has confirmed. Terry Branstad will retire and leave Beijing early next month. The 73 years old former governor of Iowa leaves at a time when relations are strained, notably over bilateral trade, allegations about information security, and the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier, before the move was confirmed, secretary of state Mike Pompeo thanked Ambassador Branstad on Twitter for his more than three years of service.
I thank Ambassador Terry Branstad for his more than three years of service to the American people as U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.
Ambassador Branstad has contributed to rebalancing U.S.-China relations so that it is results-oriented, reciprocal, and fair. This will have lasting, positive effects on U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific for decades to come.
11.25am BST
The other coast of the US has also got natural disaster worries, with the prospect of more storms. Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Tropical Storm Sally is expected to become a hurricane on Monday and reach shore by early Tuesday, bringing dangerous weather conditions, including risk of flooding, to a region stretching from the western Florida Panhandle to southeast Louisiana.
Sally could produce rain totals up to 24 inches (61 centimeters) by the middle of the week, forecasters said. Its maximum sustained winds Monday morning were 60 mph (95 kph) report the Associated Press.
Continue reading…35 people have died since wildfire outbreak startedIn California fires have burned 4,375sq miles – 16,000 firefighters are on duty399 new Covid-19 deaths and 33,369 new cases reported yesterdayTrump’s first indoor rally since June yesterday defied Covid lawsUS ambassador to China Terry Branstad is to retireSign up for our First Thing newsletter 11.30am BSTThe US ambassador to China is leaving his post, the embassy has confirmed. Terry Branstad will retire and leave Beijing early next month. The 73 years old former governor of Iowa leaves at a time when relations are strained, notably over bilateral trade, allegations about information security, and the coronavirus pandemic.Earlier, before the move was confirmed, secretary of state Mike Pompeo thanked Ambassador Branstad on Twitter for his more than three years of service.I thank Ambassador Terry Branstad for his more than three years of service to the American people as U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.Ambassador Branstad has contributed to rebalancing U.S.-China relations so that it is results-oriented, reciprocal, and fair. This will have lasting, positive effects on U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific for decades to come. 11.25am BSTThe other coast of the US has also got natural disaster worries, with the prospect of more storms. Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Tropical Storm Sally is expected to become a hurricane on Monday and reach shore by early Tuesday, bringing dangerous weather conditions, including risk of flooding, to a region stretching from the western Florida Panhandle to southeast Louisiana.Sally could produce rain totals up to 24 inches (61 centimeters) by the middle of the week, forecasters said. Its maximum sustained winds Monday morning were 60 mph (95 kph) report the Associated Press. Continue reading…