President Joe Biden announced on Monday, after coming under fierce criticism, that he was raising the maximum number of&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;allowed into the United States this year to 62,500 -- up from the 15,000 cap imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump.

The change follows backlash from allies over Biden's earlier decision to keep the Trump-era limits -- a politically costly moment of confusion that stood out in a White House notable for its iron discipline in its first three months.

"This erases the historically low number set by the previous administration of 15,000, which did not reflect America's values as a nation that welcomes and supports&nbsp;refugees," Biden said in a statement.

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"The new&nbsp;admissions&nbsp;cap will also reinforce efforts that are already underway to expand the United States' capacity to admit&nbsp;refugees, so that we can reach the goal of 125,000&nbsp;refugee&nbsp;admissions&nbsp;that I intend to set for the coming fiscal year."

The programme is only for&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;selected by US security and intelligence agencies from United Nations camps around the world.

The course correction was quickly welcomed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is controlled by Biden's Democratic party.

"I welcome the Biden administration's announcement that it will increase the number of&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;allowed to be resettled in the United States. This is an important step in continuing our proud, bipartisan tradition of providing&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;protection through resettlement," the committee chairman, Senator Bob Menendez, tweeted.

The American Civil Liberties Union, a powerful advocacy group, also voiced approval, saying that the country's "reputation" was at stake.

"We are pleased to see President Biden has abandoned the Trump administration’s abysmal&nbsp;refugee&nbsp;goal and recommitted to prioritizing helping people who are fleeing persecution around the globe," ACLU representative Manar Waheed said.

"We recognise that the goal may not be easy and it requires rebuilding a system that was decimated by the Trump administration, but candidate Biden promised," Waheed said. "He must fulfill that promise, lives are at stake."

Trump clamped down on&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;as part of the hardline border policies at the heart of his nationalist political platform.

Biden campaigned on promises to restore more traditional US attitudes. But he then backtracked after his government ran into difficulties in handling a surge of migrants entering the country illegally or claiming asylum at the Mexican border.

Last month, the White House said it needed more time to "rebuild" the post-Trump&nbsp;refugee&nbsp;program and would therefore keep the cap at 15,000 for the year.

After a top Democrat and&nbsp;refugee&nbsp;aid groups slammed Biden's target as "appallingly low" and "deeply disappointing," the White House issued a statement hours later saying the low number was only provisional.

In another shift from Trump's policies, Biden announced in April that quotas were being expanded for&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;from Central America, the Middle East and Africa, while also opening the doors to three mostly Muslim countries -- Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

With Monday's announcement, the White House will hope to have calmed the political waters among Democrats just when it needs party unity to push forward on huge proposed social and infrastructure spending plans in an almost evenly divided Congress.

"We are amid the largest global&nbsp;refugee&nbsp;crisis in history, and after four years of slashing admittances to the lowest point on record, we need to return to our leadership position," another Democratic senator, Tim Kaine, said.

"I am heartened by today's announcement that moved toward upholding our values of accepting&nbsp;refugees."

Trump set the 15,000 cap nearly a month before the November 2020 presidential election, which he lost.

Under his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, with whom Biden served as vice president, an average of 100,000 people were welcomed into the United States each year.

"It is in our DNA as a nation to open our door to those seeking refuge," said US secretary of state Antony Blinken in response to Biden's announcement Monday.

"It remains in our national interest to treat individuals applying for these programs fairly and with dignity and respect."

President Joe Biden announced on Monday, after coming under fierce criticism, that he was raising the maximum number of refugees allowed into the United States this year to 62,500 -- up from the 15,000 cap imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump.

President Joe Biden announced on Monday, after coming under fierce criticism, that he was raising the maximum number of refugees allowed into the United States this year to 62,500 -- up from the 15,000 cap imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump. The change follows backlash from allies over Biden's earlier decision to keep the Trump-era limits -- a politically costly moment of confusion that stood out in a White House notable for its iron discipline in its first three months. "This erases the historically low number set by the previous administration of 15,000, which did not reflect America's values as a nation that welcomes and supports refugees," Biden said in a statement. Also read: Joe Biden urges everyone to get vaccinated at 'Vax Live' concert event "The new admissions cap will also reinforce efforts that are already underway to expand the United States' capacity to admit refugees, so that we can reach the goal of 125,000 refugee admissions that I intend to set for the coming fiscal year." The programme is only for refugees selected by US security and intelligence agencies from United Nations camps around the world. The course correction was quickly welcomed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is controlled by Biden's Democratic party. "I welcome the Biden administration's announcement that it will increase the number of refugees allowed to be resettled in the United States. This is an important step in continuing our proud, bipartisan tradition of providing refugees protection through resettlement," the committee chairman, Senator Bob Menendez, tweeted. The American Civil Liberties Union, a powerful advocacy group, also voiced approval, saying that the country's "reputation" was at stake. "We are pleased to see President Biden has abandoned the Trump administration’s abysmal refugee goal and recommitted to prioritizing helping people who are fleeing persecution around the globe," ACLU representative Manar Waheed said. "We recognise that the goal may not be easy and it requires rebuilding a system that was decimated by the Trump administration, but candidate Biden promised," Waheed said. "He must fulfill that promise, lives are at stake." Trump clamped down on refugees as part of the hardline border policies at the heart of his nationalist political platform. Biden campaigned on promises to restore more traditional US attitudes. But he then backtracked after his government ran into difficulties in handling a surge of migrants entering the country illegally or claiming asylum at the Mexican border. Last month, the White House said it needed more time to "rebuild" the post-Trump refugee program and would therefore keep the cap at 15,000 for the year. After a top Democrat and refugee aid groups slammed Biden's target as "appallingly low" and "deeply disappointing," the White House issued a statement hours later saying the low number was only provisional. In another shift from Trump's policies, Biden announced in April that quotas were being expanded for refugees from Central America, the Middle East and Africa, while also opening the doors to three mostly Muslim countries -- Somalia, Syria and Yemen. With Monday's announcement, the White House will hope to have calmed the political waters among Democrats just when it needs party unity to push forward on huge proposed social and infrastructure spending plans in an almost evenly divided Congress. "We are amid the largest global refugee crisis in history, and after four years of slashing admittances to the lowest point on record, we need to return to our leadership position," another Democratic senator, Tim Kaine, said. "I am heartened by today's announcement that moved toward upholding our values of accepting refugees." Trump set the 15,000 cap nearly a month before the November 2020 presidential election, which he lost. Under his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, with whom Biden served as vice president, an average of 100,000 people were welcomed into the United States each year. "It is in our DNA as a nation to open our door to those seeking refuge," said US secretary of state Antony Blinken in response to Biden's announcement Monday. "It remains in our national interest to treat individuals applying for these programs fairly and with dignity and respect."

Biden to allow up to 62,500 refugees into US after criticism over delay

Malaysia&nbsp;will begin a parallel COVID-19 innoculation programme this week for people who chose to receive the&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;vaccine, after it was removed from an ongoing rollout due to public fears over its safety, a minister said on Monday.

Reports of possible links to very rare blood clots have dented confidence in the shot in&nbsp;Malaysia&nbsp;and elsewhere.

AstraZeneca&nbsp;has pointed to regulator recommendations that the vaccine is safe and effective, though some countries have suspended its use due to rising unease or limited it to certain age groups.

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Malaysia, which received its first 268,000&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;vaccine doses in April, said it would allow people to choose to receive the jab on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The decision was made after around 8,000 people cancelled online vaccination registrations following the government's announcement that the shot would be part of the nationwide rollout, Science Minister Khairy Jamaludin told reporters.

Data also showed increased vaccine hesitancy with some people not showing up to appointments after&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;was included, he said.

"The number of cancellations was rising, and this resulted in (authorities) deciding that we should carve out&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;from the mainstream national immunisation programme," Khairy said.

Slots for 268,000 doses were filled in just three hours after bookings opened on Sunday, he said, adding the programme that starts on Wednesday would be expanded when more doses arrive.

Malaysia&nbsp;is due to receive 12.8 million doses of the&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;vaccine, with the next shipment of 1.1 million doses expected to arrive this month.

Khairy said authorities had also decided to limit the use of the vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech to those aged 60 years or older.

Malaysia&nbsp;is facing a spike in coronavirus cases, with more than 415,000 total infections reported.

Separately, Health Minister Adham Baba noted a marked increase in COVID-19 patients suffering acute symptoms, possibly due to new strains.

Malaysia&nbsp;on Sunday reported its first case of a variant first identified in India, which experts say may have mutations that would make it more transmissible, cause more severe disease or evade vaccine immunity.

The government has also detected 48 cases of the South African variant and eight of the British variant as of May 1, Adham said.

Malaysia will begin a parallel COVID-19 innoculation programme this week for people who chose to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, after it was removed from an ongoing rollout due to public fears over its safety, a minister said on Monday.

Malaysia will begin a parallel COVID-19 innoculation programme this week for people who chose to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, after it was removed from an ongoing rollout due to public fears over its safety, a minister said on Monday. Reports of possible links to very rare blood clots have dented confidence in the shot in Malaysia and elsewhere. AstraZeneca has pointed to regulator recommendations that the vaccine is safe and effective, though some countries have suspended its use due to rising unease or limited it to certain age groups. Also read: Malaysia sets up compensation fund for Covid-19 vaccinations Malaysia, which received its first 268,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses in April, said it would allow people to choose to receive the jab on a first-come, first-serve basis. The decision was made after around 8,000 people cancelled online vaccination registrations following the government's announcement that the shot would be part of the nationwide rollout, Science Minister Khairy Jamaludin told reporters. Data also showed increased vaccine hesitancy with some people not showing up to appointments after AstraZeneca was included, he said. "The number of cancellations was rising, and this resulted in (authorities) deciding that we should carve out AstraZeneca from the mainstream national immunisation programme," Khairy said. Slots for 268,000 doses were filled in just three hours after bookings opened on Sunday, he said, adding the programme that starts on Wednesday would be expanded when more doses arrive. Malaysia is due to receive 12.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with the next shipment of 1.1 million doses expected to arrive this month. Khairy said authorities had also decided to limit the use of the vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech to those aged 60 years or older. Malaysia is facing a spike in coronavirus cases, with more than 415,000 total infections reported. Separately, Health Minister Adham Baba noted a marked increase in COVID-19 patients suffering acute symptoms, possibly due to new strains. Malaysia on Sunday reported its first case of a variant first identified in India, which experts say may have mutations that would make it more transmissible, cause more severe disease or evade vaccine immunity. The government has also detected 48 cases of the South African variant and eight of the British variant as of May 1, Adham said.

Malaysia makes AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine optional amid safety fears

Around 30,000 protesters took to the streets during&nbsp;May&nbsp;Day&nbsp;rallies in Berlin on Saturday, police said, adding nearly 100 officers were injured when some of the demonstrations turned violent.

Police made around 354 arrests during the demonstrations, which they said were for physical assaults and trespassing.

"The violent&nbsp;riots&nbsp;that occurred is something that I very much regret," Berlin's head of police Barbara Slowik told local broadcaster rbb24.

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Some of the injuries occurred after some demonstrators threw fireworks, bottles and rocks during protests over social inequality. About 5,600 police were deployed, and some responded with pepper spray.

The demonstrations were the second&nbsp;May&nbsp;Day&nbsp;protests since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Turnout was much higher than last year, even though social distancing requirements remain in place.

Protests hit other European capitals too, most notably Paris, where police made 46 arrests as garbage bins were set on fire and the windows of a bank branch were smashed.

In Berlin, police used water cannon to extinguish fires as protesters set ablaze waste bins, barricades and cars.

Demonstrations also took place in several other German cities, including Hamburg and Leipzig, despite Europe's largest economy grappling with a third wave of the pandemic.

On Sunday, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 16,290 to 3,416,822.

Around 30,000 protesters took to the streets during May Day rallies in Berlin on Saturday, police said, adding nearly 100 officers were injured when some of the demonstrations turned violent.

Around 30,000 protesters took to the streets during May Day rallies in Berlin on Saturday, police said, adding nearly 100 officers were injured when some of the demonstrations turned violent. Police made around 354 arrests during the demonstrations, which they said were for physical assaults and trespassing. "The violent riots that occurred is something that I very much regret," Berlin's head of police Barbara Slowik told local broadcaster rbb24. Also read- May Day: Morris Dancers turn blue over racism concerns Some of the injuries occurred after some demonstrators threw fireworks, bottles and rocks during protests over social inequality. About 5,600 police were deployed, and some responded with pepper spray. The demonstrations were the second May Day protests since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Turnout was much higher than last year, even though social distancing requirements remain in place. Protests hit other European capitals too, most notably Paris, where police made 46 arrests as garbage bins were set on fire and the windows of a bank branch were smashed. In Berlin, police used water cannon to extinguish fires as protesters set ablaze waste bins, barricades and cars. Demonstrations also took place in several other German cities, including Hamburg and Leipzig, despite Europe's largest economy grappling with a third wave of the pandemic. On Sunday, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 16,290 to 3,416,822.

Police, protesters clash during May Day rallies in Berlin

Pope Francis has sent another message to Vatican-based cardinals and bishops about his intent to hold them accountable for criminal misconduct: He removed the procedural obstacles that had spared them from being prosecuted by the Vatican's criminal tribunal.

A new law published on Friday makes clear that Vatican city-state prosecutors have jurisdiction over cardinals and bishops and need only the pope's consent to proceed with investigations against them.

The law abrogated a regulation, upheld as recently as last year, that said only the tribunal's highest appeals court, which is composed of three cardinal judges, could assess the actions of cardinals and bishops accused of criminal offenses.

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The reform is the latest sign that after eight years of preaching about ending corruption and other criminal activity in the Holy See, Francis is taking concrete steps to hold his own cardinals and bishops accountable.

On Thursday, he passed a different law forcing Vatican superiors to declare their finances are clean, and set a 40-euro (USD 48) cap on work-related personal gifts received by any Vatican employee.

The gift cap was seen as a way to cut down on the rampant practice of financial gift-giving to Holy See clerics and the chance that such money could grease favours.

Friday's reform follows Francis' decision last year to strip a senior Vatican official, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, of his rights and privileges as a cardinal in a move seen as laying the groundwork for Becciu to possibly be put on trial.

The allegations against him aren't clear, however, and Becciu hasn't been charged with any crime. 
Becciu has said Francis cited a 100,000-euro donation he made using Holy See funds that he had authority to disburse, to a charity run by his brother.

Becciu has denied wrongdoing, noting that the money was destined for the charity, not his brother, and the money never left the diocesan bank account.

Becciu was also involved initially in a London real estate venture that is now the subject of a Vatican corruption investigation, but the key transactions under scrutiny occurred after he was promoted to the Vatican's saint-making office.

The new procedural law Friday would presumably make unnecessary any move to strip any other cardinal of his privileges before an indictment is even handed down.

In an introduction to the law, Francis said it was necessary to hold everyone equal under the law, as recognized internationally.

The understanding of such values and principles, which have progressively matured in the ecclesial community, today require the Vatican code to more adequately conform&nbsp;to international standards, he wrote.

Within the church's in-house canon law system for church crimes, cardinals and bishops are judged only by the pope. That privilege extended also to the criminal code of the city-state's tribunal in ways that led to some anomalies in recent years.

In one famous case, prosecutors decided to not even investigate the cardinal whose Vatican apartment was renovated using a half-million dollars in donations intended for the pope's children's hospital.

The hospital president who diverted the funds was convicted by the Vatican tribunal, but the cardinal wasn't even called to testify, much less placed under investigation.

Pope Francis has sent another message to Vatican-based cardinals and bishops about his intent to hold them accountable for criminal misconduct: He removed the procedural obstacles that had spared them from being prosecuted by the Vatican's criminal tribunal.

Pope Francis has sent another message to Vatican-based cardinals and bishops about his intent to hold them accountable for criminal misconduct: He removed the procedural obstacles that had spared them from being prosecuted by the Vatican's criminal tribunal. A new law published on Friday makes clear that Vatican city-state prosecutors have jurisdiction over cardinals and bishops and need only the pope's consent to proceed with investigations against them. The law abrogated a regulation, upheld as recently as last year, that said only the tribunal's highest appeals court, which is composed of three cardinal judges, could assess the actions of cardinals and bishops accused of criminal offenses. Also read: Pope decries weapons spending during pandemic in his Easter message The reform is the latest sign that after eight years of preaching about ending corruption and other criminal activity in the Holy See, Francis is taking concrete steps to hold his own cardinals and bishops accountable. On Thursday, he passed a different law forcing Vatican superiors to declare their finances are clean, and set a 40-euro (USD 48) cap on work-related personal gifts received by any Vatican employee. The gift cap was seen as a way to cut down on the rampant practice of financial gift-giving to Holy See clerics and the chance that such money could grease favours. Friday's reform follows Francis' decision last year to strip a senior Vatican official, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, of his rights and privileges as a cardinal in a move seen as laying the groundwork for Becciu to possibly be put on trial. The allegations against him aren't clear, however, and Becciu hasn't been charged with any crime. Becciu has said Francis cited a 100,000-euro donation he made using Holy See funds that he had authority to disburse, to a charity run by his brother. Becciu has denied wrongdoing, noting that the money was destined for the charity, not his brother, and the money never left the diocesan bank account. Becciu was also involved initially in a London real estate venture that is now the subject of a Vatican corruption investigation, but the key transactions under scrutiny occurred after he was promoted to the Vatican's saint-making office. The new procedural law Friday would presumably make unnecessary any move to strip any other cardinal of his privileges before an indictment is even handed down. In an introduction to the law, Francis said it was necessary to hold everyone equal under the law, as recognized internationally. The understanding of such values and principles, which have progressively matured in the ecclesial community, today require the Vatican code to more adequately conform to international standards, he wrote. Within the church's in-house canon law system for church crimes, cardinals and bishops are judged only by the pope. That privilege extended also to the criminal code of the city-state's tribunal in ways that led to some anomalies in recent years. In one famous case, prosecutors decided to not even investigate the cardinal whose Vatican apartment was renovated using a half-million dollars in donations intended for the pope's children's hospital. The hospital president who diverted the funds was convicted by the Vatican tribunal, but the cardinal wasn't even called to testify, much less placed under investigation.

Pope facilitates Vatican prosecutions for cardinals, bishops

Researchers examining an ancient Egyptian mummy discovered that it was that of a woman who had been seven months pregnant. It was a discovery that shocked Wojciech Ejsmond, the lead author of the study.

“I was speechless because we didn’t expect such a discovery,” he said. “The pregnancy was a complete surprise.”

This is the world's first known case of such a well-preserved ancient mummy of a pregnant woman said researchers on Thursday. The scans reveal the woman was 28 weeks into her pregnancy — about seven months — when she died.

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The mummy was donated to Warsaw in 1826 and the inscription on the coffin named a male priest. No previous examination had disproved the belief that it was a male.

Marzena Ozarek-Szilke, an anthropologist and archeologist while examining said, "When we saw the little foot and then the little hand (of the fetus), we were shocked."

When anthropologist Marzena Ozarek-Szilke was observing CT scans and X-rays of the pelvis area, she saw some anomalies and some "weird-looking objects inside." Ozarek-Szilke told the Associated Press, "Our first surprise was that it has no penis, but instead it has breasts and long hair, and then we found out it was a pregnant woman."

Researchers while observing the size of the baby’s skull suggested she was 26 to 28 weeks pregnant. On further investigation, Ozarek found the remains of a fetus that had been left intact in the uterus and mummified together with its mother, who is thought to be in her 20s.

Their findings from the Warsaw Mummy Project of years of tests on this were published this week in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

"We do not know why the foetus was not taken out of the belly of the deceased during mummification," Ejsmond said.

Researchers thought the mummified individual was a man because it was found in a male coffin. That is why scientists believe "mummy is truly unique."

The excellent amount of emballing suggests that the woman was buried with a large amount of jewelry and she belonged to a wealthy family. Her identity is not known as the mummy has not been opened.

However, based on scans scientists rule out the woman had curly hair down to her shoulders.

(With inputs from agencies)

Researchers examining an ancient Egyptian mummy discovered that it was that of a woman who had been seven months pregnant. It was a discovery that shocked Wojciech Ejsmond, the lead author of the study.

Researchers examining an ancient Egyptian mummy discovered that it was that of a woman who had been seven months pregnant. It was a discovery that shocked Wojciech Ejsmond, the lead author of the study. “I was speechless because we didn’t expect such a discovery,” he said. “The pregnancy was a complete surprise.” This is the world's first known case of such a well-preserved ancient mummy of a pregnant woman said researchers on Thursday. The scans reveal the woman was 28 weeks into her pregnancy — about seven months — when she died. Also read: ‘That’s a lot of teeth’: Researchers discover 2.5 billion Tyrannosaurus rex The mummy was donated to Warsaw in 1826 and the inscription on the coffin named a male priest. No previous examination had disproved the belief that it was a male. Marzena Ozarek-Szilke, an anthropologist and archeologist while examining said, "When we saw the little foot and then the little hand (of the fetus), we were shocked." When anthropologist Marzena Ozarek-Szilke was observing CT scans and X-rays of the pelvis area, she saw some anomalies and some "weird-looking objects inside." Ozarek-Szilke told the Associated Press, "Our first surprise was that it has no penis, but instead it has breasts and long hair, and then we found out it was a pregnant woman." Researchers while observing the size of the baby’s skull suggested she was 26 to 28 weeks pregnant. On further investigation, Ozarek found the remains of a fetus that had been left intact in the uterus and mummified together with its mother, who is thought to be in her 20s. Their findings from the Warsaw Mummy Project of years of tests on this were published this week in the Journal of Archaeological Science. "We do not know why the foetus was not taken out of the belly of the deceased during mummification," Ejsmond said. Researchers thought the mummified individual was a man because it was found in a male coffin. That is why scientists believe "mummy is truly unique." The excellent amount of emballing suggests that the woman was buried with a large amount of jewelry and she belonged to a wealthy family. Her identity is not known as the mummy has not been opened. However, based on scans scientists rule out the woman had curly hair down to her shoulders. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists discover Egyptian mummy of a 28-weeks pregnant woman

China's population grew last year, the statistics bureau said on Thursday in an apparent bid to quash reports that it had fallen, but authorities stopped short of saying from which year numbers had grown.

On Tuesday, the Financial Times newspaper said&nbsp;China&nbsp;was set to report that its population fell below 1.4 billion last year from 2019, in the first decrease in five decades, citing people familiar with the matter.

The National Bureau of Statistics has delayed publishing the results of last year's once-in-a-decade census, with no explanation apart from saying more preparatory work was needed. It had been due to announce the results in early April.

"According to our understanding, in 2020, our country's population continued to grow," the bureau said in a one-sentence statement, adding that detailed figures would be disclosed when the census results were published.

Births in&nbsp;China&nbsp;have continued to fall despite a two-child policy that replaced a decades-old one-child limit scrapped in 2016 in hopes of boosting the number of babies.

Last year, births plunged 15 per cent&nbsp;to 10.035 million from 2019, the Ministry of Public Security has said.

The 2010 census showed the mainland population was 1.34 billion. By 2019, this had increased to 1.4005 billion, the statistics bureau said in February last year.

On Thursday, the bureau did not say if the 2020 growth was being measured from 2019 or from 2010, which means the population could have still risen from the last decade but fallen from a year earlier.

"The census is very accurate, but the reason for the delay in publishing it may be that some of the speculation is correct," said Liu Kaiming, a labour expert in the southern city of Shenzhen.

"The number of newborns released by the Ministry of Public Security is close to falling below 10 million. Therefore, the population of 2020 may be less than 1.4 billion."

The population number is very sensitive and will not be released until government departments have reached a consensus on the data and its implications, the Financial Times said.

An unexpected drop in population would pile pressure on Beijing to quickly come up with measures to encourage people to have more children and avoid an irreversible decline.

In recent months, state media have said the population might start to shrink in the next few years. In 2016, Beijing set a target to increase the population to about 1.42 billion by 2020.

The last time the Chinese population fell was from 1959 to 1961, during Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward campaign.

During the period, the population shrank 13.48 million, data from the statistics bureau shows, amid a famine caused by the disastrous economic policy.

Posts on&nbsp;China's Twitter-like microblog Weibo with the hashtag on the statistics bureau's announcement garnered more than 56 million views, with many expressing disbelief.

"Really? I don't believe it," one netizen said.

Another made fun of the statistics bureau's delay: "Don't rush (them), be more considerate - It takes time to make things up."

China's population grew last year, the statistics bureau said on Thursday in an apparent bid to quash reports that it had fallen, but authorities stopped short of saying from which year numbers had grown.

China's population grew last year, the statistics bureau said on Thursday in an apparent bid to quash reports that it had fallen, but authorities stopped short of saying from which year numbers had grown. On Tuesday, the Financial Times newspaper said China was set to report that its population fell below 1.4 billion last year from 2019, in the first decrease in five decades, citing people familiar with the matter. The National Bureau of Statistics has delayed publishing the results of last year's once-in-a-decade census, with no explanation apart from saying more preparatory work was needed. It had been due to announce the results in early April. "According to our understanding, in 2020, our country's population continued to grow," the bureau said in a one-sentence statement, adding that detailed figures would be disclosed when the census results were published. Births in China have continued to fall despite a two-child policy that replaced a decades-old one-child limit scrapped in 2016 in hopes of boosting the number of babies. Last year, births plunged 15 per cent to 10.035 million from 2019, the Ministry of Public Security has said. The 2010 census showed the mainland population was 1.34 billion. By 2019, this had increased to 1.4005 billion, the statistics bureau said in February last year. On Thursday, the bureau did not say if the 2020 growth was being measured from 2019 or from 2010, which means the population could have still risen from the last decade but fallen from a year earlier. "The census is very accurate, but the reason for the delay in publishing it may be that some of the speculation is correct," said Liu Kaiming, a labour expert in the southern city of Shenzhen. "The number of newborns released by the Ministry of Public Security is close to falling below 10 million. Therefore, the population of 2020 may be less than 1.4 billion." The population number is very sensitive and will not be released until government departments have reached a consensus on the data and its implications, the Financial Times said. An unexpected drop in population would pile pressure on Beijing to quickly come up with measures to encourage people to have more children and avoid an irreversible decline. In recent months, state media have said the population might start to shrink in the next few years. In 2016, Beijing set a target to increase the population to about 1.42 billion by 2020. The last time the Chinese population fell was from 1959 to 1961, during Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward campaign. During the period, the population shrank 13.48 million, data from the statistics bureau shows, amid a famine caused by the disastrous economic policy. Posts on China's Twitter-like microblog Weibo with the hashtag on the statistics bureau's announcement garnered more than 56 million views, with many expressing disbelief. "Really? I don't believe it," one netizen said. Another made fun of the statistics bureau's delay: "Don't rush (them), be more considerate - It takes time to make things up."

China seeks to douse speculation its population is shrinking

FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Thursday reported a 13 per cent increase in consolidated net profit at $ 295 million (Rs 2,190 crore) for the fourth quarter ended March 31, riding on strong volume growth across categories.&nbsp;

The company had posted a consolidated net profit of around $ 261 million (Rs 1,938 crore) in the same period of the previous fiscal, HUL said in a regulatory filing.&nbsp;

Consolidated total income in the fourth quarter stood at $ 1693 million (Rs 12,542 crore), as against $ 1651.5 million (Rs 12,235) crore in the year-ago period.&nbsp;

During the quarter, HUL said it witnessed an "underlying volume growth of 16 per cent". Home care category saw a growth of 15 per cent driven by a robust recovery in fabric wash, while household care continued its strong performance delivering double-digit growth.

Foods and refreshment segment grew by 36 per cent, the company said adding, "all our tea brands continue to grow in high double-digits. Ketchups, soups and ice creams also performed well with double-digit growths".

"Nutrition volumes grew in double digits and we launched Rs 2 sachets in Horlicks and Boost. Our goal remains to drive penetration in this category," HUL said.

In the fourth quarter, beauty and personal care grew by 20 per cent with skin cleansing, hair care and oral care achieving high double-digit growths. Skin cleansing performance was led by 'Lifebuoy' and the premium segment, it added.

On the impact of rising commodity prices, HUL said, "a calibrated approach towards price increase has helped protect our business model even as vegetable oils continue to inflate at record levels."

For the fiscal 2020-21, the company said its consolidated net profit was at $1079.7 million&nbsp;(Rs 7,999 crore), as compared to $ 911.9 million&nbsp;(Rs 6,756 crore) in 2019-20, a growth of 18 per cent.

Consolidated total income for FY21 was at $ 6403.5 million (Rs 47,438 crore), as against $ 5455.5 million&nbsp;(Rs 40,415 crore) in FY20, the company said.

"Our in-quarter performance was strong on both the top-line and bottom-line. Despite challenging times, in FY'21 our business ecosystem has withstood the disruption and demonstrated agility and resilience across the value chain," HUL Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta said.

Addressing a virtual press conference, he said despite the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic hitting India, rural growth has managed to keep up its momentum.

"In the last two weeks there has been turbulence but it is not as bad as what we saw last April, because containment has been localised and we have not gone in for a general lockdown (this time)," Mehta said.

All the company's factories are running. The supply chain is still operating but there could be some disruptions because of mobility issues, he added.

Mehta said HUL would continue with its planned investments as it is bullish on India in the long term.

"We have (after what happened last year) built in resilience within our system, so that if there is fluctuation in demand, we can cope with it. Also, there is an organic expansion with the growth that we see. That investment is going to go in as scheduled. We have no plans to pull it back," he said.

Stating that the company has delivered on its multi-stakeholder business model, he said, "our purpose-led brands and capabilities were further strengthened during the year and this positions us well to serve our consumers during this turbulent period."

The company's focus firmly remains behind delivering volume-led competitive growth, Mehta added.

"The recent surge in COVID cases is of serious concern and ensuring safety and wellbeing of people remains our top priority," he said adding HUL would continue to work closely with governments, health authorities and its partners to support the needs of the society and the nation to overcome this adversity.

FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Thursday reported a 13 per cent increase in consolidated net profit at $ 295 million (Rs 2,190 crore) for the fourth quarter ended March 31, riding on strong volume growth across categories.

FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Thursday reported a 13 per cent increase in consolidated net profit at $ 295 million (Rs 2,190 crore) for the fourth quarter ended March 31, riding on strong volume growth across categories. The company had posted a consolidated net profit of around $ 261 million (Rs 1,938 crore) in the same period of the previous fiscal, HUL said in a regulatory filing. Consolidated total income in the fourth quarter stood at $ 1693 million (Rs 12,542 crore), as against $ 1651.5 million (Rs 12,235) crore in the year-ago period. During the quarter, HUL said it witnessed an "underlying volume growth of 16 per cent". Home care category saw a growth of 15 per cent driven by a robust recovery in fabric wash, while household care continued its strong performance delivering double-digit growth. Foods and refreshment segment grew by 36 per cent, the company said adding, "all our tea brands continue to grow in high double-digits. Ketchups, soups and ice creams also performed well with double-digit growths". "Nutrition volumes grew in double digits and we launched Rs 2 sachets in Horlicks and Boost. Our goal remains to drive penetration in this category," HUL said. In the fourth quarter, beauty and personal care grew by 20 per cent with skin cleansing, hair care and oral care achieving high double-digit growths. Skin cleansing performance was led by 'Lifebuoy' and the premium segment, it added. On the impact of rising commodity prices, HUL said, "a calibrated approach towards price increase has helped protect our business model even as vegetable oils continue to inflate at record levels." For the fiscal 2020-21, the company said its consolidated net profit was at $1079.7 million (Rs 7,999 crore), as compared to $ 911.9 million (Rs 6,756 crore) in 2019-20, a growth of 18 per cent. Consolidated total income for FY21 was at $ 6403.5 million (Rs 47,438 crore), as against $ 5455.5 million (Rs 40,415 crore) in FY20, the company said. "Our in-quarter performance was strong on both the top-line and bottom-line. Despite challenging times, in FY'21 our business ecosystem has withstood the disruption and demonstrated agility and resilience across the value chain," HUL Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta said. Addressing a virtual press conference, he said despite the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic hitting India, rural growth has managed to keep up its momentum. "In the last two weeks there has been turbulence but it is not as bad as what we saw last April, because containment has been localised and we have not gone in for a general lockdown (this time)," Mehta said. All the company's factories are running. The supply chain is still operating but there could be some disruptions because of mobility issues, he added. Mehta said HUL would continue with its planned investments as it is bullish on India in the long term. "We have (after what happened last year) built in resilience within our system, so that if there is fluctuation in demand, we can cope with it. Also, there is an organic expansion with the growth that we see. That investment is going to go in as scheduled. We have no plans to pull it back," he said. Stating that the company has delivered on its multi-stakeholder business model, he said, "our purpose-led brands and capabilities were further strengthened during the year and this positions us well to serve our consumers during this turbulent period." The company's focus firmly remains behind delivering volume-led competitive growth, Mehta added. "The recent surge in COVID cases is of serious concern and ensuring safety and wellbeing of people remains our top priority," he said adding HUL would continue to work closely with governments, health authorities and its partners to support the needs of the society and the nation to overcome this adversity.

Hindustan Unilever reports 13 per cent rise in consolidated net profits

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;passed a new immigration law on Wednesday that includes powers to stop people entering or leaving the city, raising fears Chinese mainland-style "exit bans" could be deployed in the international business hub.

The legislation sailed through a legislature now devoid of opposition as Beijing seeks to quash dissent and make the semi-autonomous city more like the authoritarian mainland following huge and often violent democracy protests.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-legislatures-passes-immigration-bill-381092/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Activists, lawyers and some business figures have sounded the alarm over various provisions within the bill, including one that allows the city's immigration chief to bar people from boarding planes to and from the city.&nbsp;

No court order is required and there is no recourse to appeal.

The city's influential Bar Association (HKBA) warned the bill's wording gave "apparently unfettered power" to the immigration director.

Speaking after the bill was passed on Wednesday, labour activists and legal critics said the legislature had ignored concerns about the law's broad wording and said they feared exit bans could now be employed in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kongs-new-immigration-bill-could-give-authorities-arbitrary-control-over-peoples-movement-380646">Hong Kong's new immigration bill could give authorities arbitrary control over people's movement</a>

"When they have this power, absolute power, you don't know who they will use it on," barrister Chow Hang-tung, from the pro-democracy&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;Alliance, told reporters after the bill was passed.&nbsp;

Hong&nbsp;Kong's government&nbsp;said the immigration bill was needed to address a backlog of non-refoulement claims and to screen illegal immigrants before they depart for the city.

"It will only apply to flights heading to&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong," the Security Bureau said.

However, the wording of the bill does not limit the power to arriving flights or immigrants and legal experts say it could also be deployed against anyone leaving or arriving in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong.&nbsp;

So-called "exit bans" are often used in mainland China against activists who challenge authorities.&nbsp;They have also impacted business figures.&nbsp;

One recent example is Richard O'Halloran, an Irishman who has been unable to leave Shanghai for two years because of a legal dispute involving the Chinese owner of a Dublin-based company for which he works.

Authoritarian swing

Under Beijing's direction,&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's government has swung more authoritarian since 2019's huge protests.&nbsp;

Faith in official assurances that the city is not becoming like the mainland has been rattled by the recent crackdown.

Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;last year, arguing it was needed to return stability and would not impact freedoms.

But its broad wording and subsequent application has criminalised much dissent and radically transformed a once politically pluralistic city.

Many of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's prominent pro-democracy figures have since been arrested, detained or fled overseas.

The city's formerly raucous legislature has been cleared of pro-democracy opponents who resigned en masse late last year after three of their colleagues were disqualified for their political views.

Since then, the government has fast-tracked a number of laws with limited scrutiny and dissent in the legislature.

Wednesday's immigration bill received 39 votes in favour and two against. It was passed shortly after lawmakers approved a budget in record time with just one dissenting vote.

Beijing has also unveiled a new plan&nbsp; dubbed "patriots rule&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong", to politically vet anyone standing for office and reduce the number of directly elected seats in the legislature to a small minority.

Critics of the immigration bill also say it will make it easier to detain and deport refugees.&nbsp;

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;only approves around one percent of refugee claims, one of the lowest rates in the world, and there is a huge backlog.&nbsp;

Refugees are unable to work while their applications are being processed and often live in miserable conditions.

Hong Kong passed a new immigration law on Wednesday that includes powers to stop people entering or leaving the city, raising fears Chinese mainland-style "exit bans" could be deployed in the international business hub.

Hong Kong passed a new immigration law on Wednesday that includes powers to stop people entering or leaving the city, raising fears Chinese mainland-style "exit bans" could be deployed in the international business hub. The legislation sailed through a legislature now devoid of opposition as Beijing seeks to quash dissent and make the semi-autonomous city more like the authoritarian mainland following huge and often violent democracy protests. Activists, lawyers and some business figures have sounded the alarm over various provisions within the bill, including one that allows the city's immigration chief to bar people from boarding planes to and from the city. No court order is required and there is no recourse to appeal. The city's influential Bar Association (HKBA) warned the bill's wording gave "apparently unfettered power" to the immigration director. Speaking after the bill was passed on Wednesday, labour activists and legal critics said the legislature had ignored concerns about the law's broad wording and said they feared exit bans could now be employed in Hong Kong. Also read | Hong Kong's new immigration bill could give authorities arbitrary control over people's movement "When they have this power, absolute power, you don't know who they will use it on," barrister Chow Hang-tung, from the pro-democracy Hong Kong Alliance, told reporters after the bill was passed. Hong Kong's government said the immigration bill was needed to address a backlog of non-refoulement claims and to screen illegal immigrants before they depart for the city. "It will only apply to flights heading to Hong Kong," the Security Bureau said. However, the wording of the bill does not limit the power to arriving flights or immigrants and legal experts say it could also be deployed against anyone leaving or arriving in Hong Kong. So-called "exit bans" are often used in mainland China against activists who challenge authorities. They have also impacted business figures. One recent example is Richard O'Halloran, an Irishman who has been unable to leave Shanghai for two years because of a legal dispute involving the Chinese owner of a Dublin-based company for which he works. Authoritarian swing Under Beijing's direction, Hong Kong's government has swung more authoritarian since 2019's huge protests. Faith in official assurances that the city is not becoming like the mainland has been rattled by the recent crackdown. Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong last year, arguing it was needed to return stability and would not impact freedoms. But its broad wording and subsequent application has criminalised much dissent and radically transformed a once politically pluralistic city. Many of Hong Kong's prominent pro-democracy figures have since been arrested, detained or fled overseas. The city's formerly raucous legislature has been cleared of pro-democracy opponents who resigned en masse late last year after three of their colleagues were disqualified for their political views. Since then, the government has fast-tracked a number of laws with limited scrutiny and dissent in the legislature. Wednesday's immigration bill received 39 votes in favour and two against. It was passed shortly after lawmakers approved a budget in record time with just one dissenting vote. Beijing has also unveiled a new plan dubbed "patriots rule Hong Kong", to politically vet anyone standing for office and reduce the number of directly elected seats in the legislature to a small minority. Critics of the immigration bill also say it will make it easier to detain and deport refugees. Hong Kong only approves around one percent of refugee claims, one of the lowest rates in the world, and there is a huge backlog. Refugees are unable to work while their applications are being processed and often live in miserable conditions.

Hong Kong passes immigration bill empowering govt to ban exit, entry

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia's crown prince on Tuesday struck a conciliatory tone towards the kingdom's arch-nemesis Iran, saying he sought "good" relations, after sources said the rivals held secret talks in Baghdad.

The two countries, locked&nbsp;in a fierce struggle for regional&nbsp;dominance, cut ties in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;diplomatic missions following the kingdom's execution of a revered Shiite cleric.

"Iran is a neighbouring country, and all we aspire for is a good and special relationship with Iran,"&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a television interview broadcast late Tuesday.

"We do not want Iran's situation to be difficult. On the contrary, we want Iran to grow... and to push the region and the world towards prosperity."

He added that Riyadh was working with regional and global partners to find solutions to Tehran's "negative behaviour".

That marks a change in tone compared to Prince Mohammed's previous interviews, in which he lashed out at Tehran, accusing it of fuelling regional insecurity.

The prince did not mention any negotiations with Tehran.

The talks in Baghdad, facilitated by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi, remained secret until the Financial Times reported that a first meeting had been held on April 9.

An Iraqi government official confirmed the talks to AFP, while a Western diplomat said he had been "briefed in advance" about the effort to "broker a better relationship and decrease tensions".

Riyadh has officially denied the talks in its state-backed media while Tehran has stayed mum, asserting only that it has "always welcomed" dialogue with&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Arabia.

The initiative comes at a time of shifting power dynamics, as US President Joe Biden is seeking to revive the tattered 2015 nuclear deal that was abandoned by Donald Trump.

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&nbsp;and Iran have backed opposite sides of several regional conflicts, from Syria to Yemen, where a&nbsp;Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Huthi rebels.

Iran supports the Huthi rebels, who are battling the&nbsp;Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen's war in 2015.

The rebels have also stepped up drone and missile strikes on&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;targets, including its oil facilities.

In his interview, Prince Mohammed renewed calls for a ceasefire and negotiations with the rebels.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince on Tuesday struck a conciliatory tone towards the kingdom's arch-nemesis Iran, saying he sought "good" relations, after sources said the rivals held secret talks in Baghdad.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince on Tuesday struck a conciliatory tone towards the kingdom's arch-nemesis Iran, saying he sought "good" relations, after sources said the rivals held secret talks in Baghdad. The two countries, locked in a fierce struggle for regional dominance, cut ties in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions following the kingdom's execution of a revered Shiite cleric. "Iran is a neighbouring country, and all we aspire for is a good and special relationship with Iran," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a television interview broadcast late Tuesday. "We do not want Iran's situation to be difficult. On the contrary, we want Iran to grow... and to push the region and the world towards prosperity." He added that Riyadh was working with regional and global partners to find solutions to Tehran's "negative behaviour". That marks a change in tone compared to Prince Mohammed's previous interviews, in which he lashed out at Tehran, accusing it of fuelling regional insecurity. The prince did not mention any negotiations with Tehran. The talks in Baghdad, facilitated by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi, remained secret until the Financial Times reported that a first meeting had been held on April 9. An Iraqi government official confirmed the talks to AFP, while a Western diplomat said he had been "briefed in advance" about the effort to "broker a better relationship and decrease tensions". Riyadh has officially denied the talks in its state-backed media while Tehran has stayed mum, asserting only that it has "always welcomed" dialogue with Saudi Arabia. The initiative comes at a time of shifting power dynamics, as US President Joe Biden is seeking to revive the tattered 2015 nuclear deal that was abandoned by Donald Trump. Saudi Arabia and Iran have backed opposite sides of several regional conflicts, from Syria to Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting the Huthi rebels. Iran supports the Huthi rebels, who are battling the Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen's war in 2015. The rebels have also stepped up drone and missile strikes on Saudi targets, including its oil facilities. In his interview, Prince Mohammed renewed calls for a ceasefire and negotiations with the rebels.

Saudi prince strikes conciliatory tone with rival Iran

Poorer countries are set to see their access to HIV self-tests increase dramatically following a deal to slash prices in half and boost production, Unitaid said Wednesday.

The international health agency said it had closed a deal with US-based global healthcare company Viatris that will see blood-based HIV self-tests made available for under $2 across 135 low and middle-income countries.

HIV self-tests are seen as vital tools to help people more easily discover their status and move towards the treatment they need, and thus also to reducing the HIV burden globally.

This is particularly relevant in poorer countries, where concerns around stigma and difficulties accessing healthcare can create significant barriers, said Unitaid, which works on innovations on major diseases.

"Access to self-tests has been recognised as a key factor in meeting the global goal of 90 per cent of people knowing their HIV status," Unitaid spokesman Herve Verhoosel said in a statement.

In just the past six years, that rate has nearly doubled, from 45 to 81 per cent, he said.

But achieving broader testing has been hampered by the fact that the market for HIV self-tests in low- and middle-income countries has been dominated by a single affordable oral HIV test, the OraSure.

That test is sold at cost in a limited number of poorer countries for $2, but elsewhere the price is higher, and other options have cost significantly more.

Eight million unaware of status

To try to fix that problem, Unitaid and US non-profit Population Services International (PSI) launched a call for proposals last July on ways to drive forward access to the tests.

The result was the Viatris deal, which Unitaid said should significantly expand the market and give countries more choice when it comes to self-tests.

This, Verhoosel said, would make "it easier to acquire the products and embed them in health systems, with the ultimate aim of helping the eight million people estimated to be unaware of their HIV status know they are infected and get treatment."

Meg Doherty, who heads the World Health Organization's global HIV, hepatitis and STI programmes, hailed "the wider availability of affordable HIV self-testing kits to increase access to testing."

She said Wednesday's announcement was timely at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic had in many places complicated access to a range of HIV services.

Self-testing allows "people to test when other options are difficult to access or restricted," she said.

In addition to Viatris, Unitaid said another recently developed blood-based HIV self-test from US-based health care company Abbott Laboratories, which is currently undergoing regulatory review, would also be part of the expanded Unitaid programme, which would see around one million tests distributed "to stimulate in-country demand".

Poorer countries are set to see their access to HIV self-tests increase dramatically following a deal to slash prices in half and boost production, Unitaid said Wednesday.

Poorer countries are set to see their access to HIV self-tests increase dramatically following a deal to slash prices in half and boost production, Unitaid said Wednesday. The international health agency said it had closed a deal with US-based global healthcare company Viatris that will see blood-based HIV self-tests made available for under $2 across 135 low and middle-income countries. HIV self-tests are seen as vital tools to help people more easily discover their status and move towards the treatment they need, and thus also to reducing the HIV burden globally. This is particularly relevant in poorer countries, where concerns around stigma and difficulties accessing healthcare can create significant barriers, said Unitaid, which works on innovations on major diseases. "Access to self-tests has been recognised as a key factor in meeting the global goal of 90 per cent of people knowing their HIV status," Unitaid spokesman Herve Verhoosel said in a statement. In just the past six years, that rate has nearly doubled, from 45 to 81 per cent, he said. But achieving broader testing has been hampered by the fact that the market for HIV self-tests in low- and middle-income countries has been dominated by a single affordable oral HIV test, the OraSure. That test is sold at cost in a limited number of poorer countries for $2, but elsewhere the price is higher, and other options have cost significantly more. Eight million unaware of status To try to fix that problem, Unitaid and US non-profit Population Services International (PSI) launched a call for proposals last July on ways to drive forward access to the tests. The result was the Viatris deal, which Unitaid said should significantly expand the market and give countries more choice when it comes to self-tests. This, Verhoosel said, would make "it easier to acquire the products and embed them in health systems, with the ultimate aim of helping the eight million people estimated to be unaware of their HIV status know they are infected and get treatment." Meg Doherty, who heads the World Health Organization's global HIV, hepatitis and STI programmes, hailed "the wider availability of affordable HIV self-testing kits to increase access to testing." She said Wednesday's announcement was timely at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic had in many places complicated access to a range of HIV services. Self-testing allows "people to test when other options are difficult to access or restricted," she said. In addition to Viatris, Unitaid said another recently developed blood-based HIV self-test from US-based health care company Abbott Laboratories, which is currently undergoing regulatory review, would also be part of the expanded Unitaid programme, which would see around one million tests distributed "to stimulate in-country demand".

HIV self-test prices to be slashed in half in 135 countries

The European Parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly ratified the EU's post-Brexit&nbsp;trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;with Britain, but promised to keep a close eye on London with cross-channel hostility still high.

A big majority of MEPs approved the bare bones trade&nbsp;deal&nbsp;with the bloc's third-biggest trading partner that was sealed on Christmas Eve after nine months of tough negotiations.

The agreement provides the framework for London's new relationship with the 27-member union, five years after British voters shocked the world by voting to end its 47-year membership.

In the final tally, 660 MEPs voted in favour of the trade&nbsp;deal, five against with 32 abstentions, results released Wednesday showed.

"The European Parliament voted on the most far-reaching agreement the EU has ever reached with a third country," said the president of the assembly, David Sassoli.&nbsp;

"This can form the foundation on which we build a new forward-looking EU-UK relationship," he said, warning that MEPs would monitor the implementation of the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;and "not accept any backsliding from the UK government."&nbsp;

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the "final step in a long journey" that brought "stability to our new relationship with the EU as vital trading partners, close allies and sovereign equals."&nbsp;

"Now is the time to look forward to the future and to building a more Global Britain," he added.

'Real teeth'

The vote comes amid multiple feuds over the UK's implementation of&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;agreements and angry finger-pointing about the supply of the Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca.

Deepening tensions further, France has&nbsp;threatened to block UK financial firms doing business in the EU if the London does not respect its commitments on fishing, a key part of the&nbsp;deal.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen "warmly welcomed" the approval, but in a final debate in parliament on Tuesday, assured MEPs that the agreement had "real teeth" and the legal means to keep the UK in check.

"Let me be very clear: We do not want to have to use these tools, but we will not hesitate to use them if necessary."

Britain's&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;minister David Frost said he "hugely" welcomed the vote to approve the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;he helped negotiate during months of fraught talks with EU counterpart Michel Barnier. &nbsp;

"Hope we can now begin a new chapter together as Europeans, characterised by friendly cooperation between sovereign&nbsp;equals," Frost wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

In a tweet, Barnier thanked MEPs for the "big greenlight" and said both sides now had a "joint responsibility" to respect commitments.

Zero tariffs&nbsp;

The vote ends five years of a&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;saga in which Britain and Europe also sealed a divorce&nbsp;deal&nbsp;that bitterly divided the UK and saw the future of peace on the island of Ireland thrust into doubt.

A recent wave of rioting in the British province of Northern Ireland has been blamed on the fallout of&nbsp;Brexit&nbsp;arrangements with talks underway in Brussels and London to find a long-term solutions.

Britain left the EU on January 30 2020, but its new life with Europe only really began after a transition period ended on December 31, when London was no longer bound by the bloc's laws and rules.

Officially called a trade and cooperation agreement (TCA), the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;has been provisionally applied since January 1 and provides for zero tariffs and zero quotas on goods traded between the EU and UK.

But it is less ambitious than many Europeans had hoped for, with nothing on foreign policy and defence nor any commitment to close alignment on environment, health and other regulations.

Britain pointedly refused deeper harmonisation with the EU, saying that UK must defend and embrace its newly found sovereignty.

Cross-Channel trade volumes have plummeted this year, with EU imports from the UK down by half in the first two months of the&nbsp;deal's application.

&nbsp;

The European Parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly ratified the EU's post-Brexit trade deal with Britain, but promised to keep a close eye on London with cross-channel hostility still high.

The European Parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly ratified the EU's post-Brexit trade deal with Britain, but promised to keep a close eye on London with cross-channel hostility still high. A big majority of MEPs approved the bare bones trade deal with the bloc's third-biggest trading partner that was sealed on Christmas Eve after nine months of tough negotiations. The agreement provides the framework for London's new relationship with the 27-member union, five years after British voters shocked the world by voting to end its 47-year membership. In the final tally, 660 MEPs voted in favour of the trade deal, five against with 32 abstentions, results released Wednesday showed. "The European Parliament voted on the most far-reaching agreement the EU has ever reached with a third country," said the president of the assembly, David Sassoli. "This can form the foundation on which we build a new forward-looking EU-UK relationship," he said, warning that MEPs would monitor the implementation of the deal and "not accept any backsliding from the UK government." British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the "final step in a long journey" that brought "stability to our new relationship with the EU as vital trading partners, close allies and sovereign equals." "Now is the time to look forward to the future and to building a more Global Britain," he added. 'Real teeth' The vote comes amid multiple feuds over the UK's implementation of Brexit agreements and angry finger-pointing about the supply of the Covid-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca. Deepening tensions further, France has threatened to block UK financial firms doing business in the EU if the London does not respect its commitments on fishing, a key part of the deal. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen "warmly welcomed" the approval, but in a final debate in parliament on Tuesday, assured MEPs that the agreement had "real teeth" and the legal means to keep the UK in check. "Let me be very clear: We do not want to have to use these tools, but we will not hesitate to use them if necessary." Britain's Brexit minister David Frost said he "hugely" welcomed the vote to approve the deal he helped negotiate during months of fraught talks with EU counterpart Michel Barnier. "Hope we can now begin a new chapter together as Europeans, characterised by friendly cooperation between sovereign equals," Frost wrote on Twitter. In a tweet, Barnier thanked MEPs for the "big greenlight" and said both sides now had a "joint responsibility" to respect commitments. Zero tariffs The vote ends five years of a Brexit saga in which Britain and Europe also sealed a divorce deal that bitterly divided the UK and saw the future of peace on the island of Ireland thrust into doubt. A recent wave of rioting in the British province of Northern Ireland has been blamed on the fallout of Brexit arrangements with talks underway in Brussels and London to find a long-term solutions. Britain left the EU on January 30 2020, but its new life with Europe only really began after a transition period ended on December 31, when London was no longer bound by the bloc's laws and rules. Officially called a trade and cooperation agreement (TCA), the deal has been provisionally applied since January 1 and provides for zero tariffs and zero quotas on goods traded between the EU and UK. But it is less ambitious than many Europeans had hoped for, with nothing on foreign policy and defence nor any commitment to close alignment on environment, health and other regulations. Britain pointedly refused deeper harmonisation with the EU, saying that UK must defend and embrace its newly found sovereignty. Cross-Channel trade volumes have plummeted this year, with EU imports from the UK down by half in the first two months of the deal's application.

European Parliament closes Brexit saga with trade deal vote

European Union lawmakers are set to formally ratify the post-Brexit deal between the EU and the United Kingdom amid ongoing tensions between London and Brussels over Northern Ireland trade rules.

The deal, which was finalised on Christmas Eve, already has been ratified by the UK Parliament and conditionally came into force pending the European Parliament's approval.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="COVID-19: Brazil health regulator Anvisa rejects Russia's Sputnik vaccine">COVID-19: Brazil health regulator Anvisa rejects Russia's Sputnik vaccine</a>

Because of disagreement on how to apply trade rules in Northern Ireland, some EU legislators previously threatened to hold back the ratification vote, but a large majority of lawmakers are in favor of the deal.

Results of the vote are set to be announced on Wednesday, almost five years after U.K. Voters decided to withdraw from the bloc.

This deal is not good because Brexit is not good. The situation is also complicated because we cannot be sure how trustworthy the UK government really is," said Terry Reintke, the vice-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament.

Still, this agreement can be a starting point reconstructing what we lost due to Brexit."

Top European Union officials and their British counterparts have so far failed to find common ground on implementing the so-called Northern Ireland protocol, which were designed to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, and to guarantee the integrity of the bloc's single market.

In March, the U.K. Government unilaterally extended until October a grace period for not conducting checks on goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K., a decision that led the EU to start legal action against its former member nation.

In an address to EU lawmakers ahead of Tuesday's ratification vote, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she shared their concerns on ?unilateral actions taken by (the) United Kingdom" but noted some progress in the talks with British officials.

In recent days and weeks, we have seen a new constructive dynamic, and we will continue to work closely with the U.K. To find constructive solutions that respect what was agreed,&nbsp;she said.

Northern Ireland is part of the U.K. But remained part of the EU's single market for goods after Brexit to avoid customs checks at the territory's border with EU member Ireland. An open Irish border helped underpin the peace process that ended decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

But tensions and violence have escalated in recent weeks, with unionists saying the arrangement the British government and the EU worked out has amounted to the creation of a border between the territory and the rest of the U.K.

The sensitivity of Northern Ireland's status also was in September when the U.K. Parliament considered legislation that would have given Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government the power to override part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement relating to Northern Ireland.

The tension increased in January when the EU threatened to ban shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Northern Ireland as part of moves to shore up the bloc's supply. That would have drawn a hard border on the island of Ireland - exactly the scenario the Brexit deal was crafted to avoid.

Relations between the EU and the U.K. Have been strained since a Brexit transition period ended on Jan. 1.

The two sides have argued so far this year over issues ranging from COVID-19 vaccine supplies to the full diplomatic recognition of the EU in Britain.

European Union lawmakers are set to formally ratify the post-Brexit deal between the EU and the United Kingdom amid ongoing tensions between London and Brussels over Northern Ireland trade rules.

European Union lawmakers are set to formally ratify the post-Brexit deal between the EU and the United Kingdom amid ongoing tensions between London and Brussels over Northern Ireland trade rules. The deal, which was finalised on Christmas Eve, already has been ratified by the UK Parliament and conditionally came into force pending the European Parliament's approval. Also read: COVID-19: Brazil health regulator Anvisa rejects Russia's Sputnik vaccine Because of disagreement on how to apply trade rules in Northern Ireland, some EU legislators previously threatened to hold back the ratification vote, but a large majority of lawmakers are in favor of the deal. Results of the vote are set to be announced on Wednesday, almost five years after U.K. Voters decided to withdraw from the bloc. This deal is not good because Brexit is not good. The situation is also complicated because we cannot be sure how trustworthy the UK government really is," said Terry Reintke, the vice-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament. Still, this agreement can be a starting point reconstructing what we lost due to Brexit." Top European Union officials and their British counterparts have so far failed to find common ground on implementing the so-called Northern Ireland protocol, which were designed to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland, and to guarantee the integrity of the bloc's single market. In March, the U.K. Government unilaterally extended until October a grace period for not conducting checks on goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K., a decision that led the EU to start legal action against its former member nation. In an address to EU lawmakers ahead of Tuesday's ratification vote, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she shared their concerns on ?unilateral actions taken by (the) United Kingdom" but noted some progress in the talks with British officials. In recent days and weeks, we have seen a new constructive dynamic, and we will continue to work closely with the U.K. To find constructive solutions that respect what was agreed, she said. Northern Ireland is part of the U.K. But remained part of the EU's single market for goods after Brexit to avoid customs checks at the territory's border with EU member Ireland. An open Irish border helped underpin the peace process that ended decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. But tensions and violence have escalated in recent weeks, with unionists saying the arrangement the British government and the EU worked out has amounted to the creation of a border between the territory and the rest of the U.K. The sensitivity of Northern Ireland's status also was in September when the U.K. Parliament considered legislation that would have given Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government the power to override part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement relating to Northern Ireland. The tension increased in January when the EU threatened to ban shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Northern Ireland as part of moves to shore up the bloc's supply. That would have drawn a hard border on the island of Ireland - exactly the scenario the Brexit deal was crafted to avoid. Relations between the EU and the U.K. Have been strained since a Brexit transition period ended on Jan. 1. The two sides have argued so far this year over issues ranging from COVID-19 vaccine supplies to the full diplomatic recognition of the EU in Britain.

European Parliament set to greenlight post-Brexit trade deal

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