Scientists have&nbsp;discovered a natural protein that stops allergies and autoimmune conditions, in a recent study.

The research published in the journal Cell on Thursday describes&nbsp;in detail&nbsp;a natural way the body prevents autoimmune disease and allergies. The process is driven by a protein in the body called neuritin.

Professor Carola Vinuesa from the Australian National University said, "We found this absolutely fascinating mechanism of our own bodies that stops the production of rogue antibodies that can cause either autoimmunity or allergies."

"It's been known for years that neuritin has a role in the brain and in the nervous system but we found an abundance of neuritin in the immune system and its mechanism - which has never been described in biology.

"We have shown it is one of our immune system's own mechanisms to prevent autoimmunity and allergy and now we have the evidence, we can go on to harness that for treatment."

The researchers say they set out over five years ago to bridge a knowledge gap on how the immune system works following an educated guess that neuritin might have a regulatory function in stopping allergies and autoimmune disease.

The study, published today in Cell, found neuritin can prevent the production of pathogenic antibodies.

"It is an incredible discovery. We saw that in the absence of neuritin there is increased susceptibility to death from anaphylaxis, highlighting its role in the prevention of life-threatening allergies," first author, ANU researcher Dr Paula Gonzalez Figueroa, said.

For people with allergies, when the immune system overreacts to allergens - like pollen, dust or peanut butter - it produces antibodies called Immunoglobulin E, (IgE).

Allergies happen when the body produces excessive IgE in response to otherwise harmless substances, leading to the release of histamine that causes allergic reactions.

"We have discovered neuritin prevents excessive formation of IgE that is typically associated with some common forms of allergy and food intolerances," Professor Vinuesa said.

Many autoimmune diseases are caused or exacerbated by antibodies that go on to destroy our own tissues and cause autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

"There are over 80 autoimmune diseases, in many of them we find antibodies that bind to our own tissues and attack us instead of targeting pathogens - viruses and bacteria," Dr Paula Gonzalez-Figueroa said.

"We found neuritin suppresses formation of rogue plasma cells which are the cells that produce harmful antibodies."

The researchers hope the discovery will now form the basis of new treatments.

"This could be more than a new drug - it could be a completely new approach to treat allergies and autoimmune diseases," Professor Vinuesa said.

"If this approach was successful, we would not need to deplete important immune cells nor dampen the entire immune system; instead, we would only need to use the proteins our own body uses to ensure immune tolerance.

"Allergies and autoimmune diseases are both on the rise and we hope this will give us a new way to tackle them."

Scientists have discovered a natural protein that stops allergies and autoimmune conditions, in a recent study. The research published in the journal Cell on Thursday describes in detail a natural way the body prevents autoimmune disease and allergies.

Scientists have discovered a natural protein that stops allergies and autoimmune conditions, in a recent study. The research published in the journal Cell on Thursday describes in detail a natural way the body prevents autoimmune disease and allergies. The process is driven by a protein in the body called neuritin. Professor Carola Vinuesa from the Australian National University said, "We found this absolutely fascinating mechanism of our own bodies that stops the production of rogue antibodies that can cause either autoimmunity or allergies." "It's been known for years that neuritin has a role in the brain and in the nervous system but we found an abundance of neuritin in the immune system and its mechanism - which has never been described in biology. "We have shown it is one of our immune system's own mechanisms to prevent autoimmunity and allergy and now we have the evidence, we can go on to harness that for treatment." The researchers say they set out over five years ago to bridge a knowledge gap on how the immune system works following an educated guess that neuritin might have a regulatory function in stopping allergies and autoimmune disease. The study, published today in Cell, found neuritin can prevent the production of pathogenic antibodies. "It is an incredible discovery. We saw that in the absence of neuritin there is increased susceptibility to death from anaphylaxis, highlighting its role in the prevention of life-threatening allergies," first author, ANU researcher Dr Paula Gonzalez Figueroa, said. For people with allergies, when the immune system overreacts to allergens - like pollen, dust or peanut butter - it produces antibodies called Immunoglobulin E, (IgE). Allergies happen when the body produces excessive IgE in response to otherwise harmless substances, leading to the release of histamine that causes allergic reactions. "We have discovered neuritin prevents excessive formation of IgE that is typically associated with some common forms of allergy and food intolerances," Professor Vinuesa said. Many autoimmune diseases are caused or exacerbated by antibodies that go on to destroy our own tissues and cause autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. "There are over 80 autoimmune diseases, in many of them we find antibodies that bind to our own tissues and attack us instead of targeting pathogens - viruses and bacteria," Dr Paula Gonzalez-Figueroa said. "We found neuritin suppresses formation of rogue plasma cells which are the cells that produce harmful antibodies." The researchers hope the discovery will now form the basis of new treatments. "This could be more than a new drug - it could be a completely new approach to treat allergies and autoimmune diseases," Professor Vinuesa said. "If this approach was successful, we would not need to deplete important immune cells nor dampen the entire immune system; instead, we would only need to use the proteins our own body uses to ensure immune tolerance. "Allergies and autoimmune diseases are both on the rise and we hope this will give us a new way to tackle them."

Scientists discover natural protein that stops allergies and autoimmune conditions

EDGE,&nbsp;the United Arab Emirates' state-owned weapons maker, on Thursday announced a&nbsp;strategic agreement with Israel Aerospace to develop anti-drone tech.

Israel&nbsp;and the UAE formalised relations last year, brought closer by commercial interests and concern over Iran.

State-owned IA, a major&nbsp;Israeli defence firm, said in a statement that the companies will develop a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System "tailored to the UAE market, with wider-ranging benefits for the MENA region and beyond".

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-says-he-postponed-uae-visit-due-to-jordan-overflight-lag-369726" hreflang="en">Netanyahu says he postponed UAE visit due to Jordan overflight lag</a>

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which recently stepped up cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, has in the past threatened to launch strikes on the UAE.

The UAE had been Riyadh's main partner in the Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 against the group, but a senior Emirati official said in February that it had ended its military involvement in Yemen last October.

The war has been in a military stalemate for years and in 2019 the UAE scaled down its presence in Yemen following attacks that year on tankers in Gulf waters, including off its shores.

The UAE already has an advanced anti-missile interception system, the US&nbsp;Terminal High Altitude Area Defences (THAAD).

EDGE, tasked with supplying advanced weapons to the UAE armed forces, is focused on developing drones, unmanned vehicles, smart weapons and electronic warfare equipment rather than conventional weaponry.

EDGE, the United Arab Emirates' state-owned weapons maker, on Thursday announced a strategic agreement with Israel Aerospace to develop anti-drone tech. Israel and the UAE formalised relations last year, brought closer by commercial interests and concern over Iran.

EDGE, the United Arab Emirates' state-owned weapons maker, on Thursday announced a strategic agreement with Israel Aerospace to develop anti-drone tech. Israel and the UAE formalised relations last year, brought closer by commercial interests and concern over Iran. State-owned IA, a major Israeli defence firm, said in a statement that the companies will develop a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System "tailored to the UAE market, with wider-ranging benefits for the MENA region and beyond". Also read| Netanyahu says he postponed UAE visit due to Jordan overflight lag Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which recently stepped up cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, has in the past threatened to launch strikes on the UAE. The UAE had been Riyadh's main partner in the Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 against the group, but a senior Emirati official said in February that it had ended its military involvement in Yemen last October. The war has been in a military stalemate for years and in 2019 the UAE scaled down its presence in Yemen following attacks that year on tankers in Gulf waters, including off its shores. The UAE already has an advanced anti-missile interception system, the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defences (THAAD). EDGE, tasked with supplying advanced weapons to the UAE armed forces, is focused on developing drones, unmanned vehicles, smart weapons and electronic warfare equipment rather than conventional weaponry.

UAE weapons maker announces strategic agreement with Israel Aerospace to develop anti-drone tech

A bitter battle is underway in Pakistan for&nbsp;the chairmanship of the Senate. The candidates for the election include&nbsp;Sadiq Sanjarni,&nbsp;the youngest ever chairman of the Senate in the country. and&nbsp;Yousaf Raza Gilani, the country's former prime minister and the newly elected senator from Islamabad.

Fearing another embarrassment, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had filed a&nbsp;petition in the&nbsp;Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)&nbsp;stating that Gilani's victory in the Senate polls should be declared null and void as the elections were not transparent.

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition by Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party challenging former premier Yusuf Raza Gilani's upset win in the Senate elections, ruling that it was not appropriate to "unnecessarily drag" the judiciary in political matters.

The government's allegations were based on a video of Gilani's son Ali Haider talking with some PTI members and telling them how a vote can be "spoiled".

The PTI, in its petition, said that since seven votes were "spoiled" in the Senate elections and its candidate lost by just five votes, it showed that the PTI lawmakers in the video were bribed.

Refusing to take action on allegations of vote-buying in the polls just on the basis of video clips, the ECP urged the government's lawyer to make all persons involved in the video scandal a party to the case and said that if the charges of giving and receiving bribes are proven, then action should be taken against all the culprits.

The IHC on Wednesday also rejected a plea to disqualify the former premier's son who is a provincial lawmaker.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Khan has alleged that senators belonging to the ruling PTI were being offered money to vote for Gilani.

"The Opposition used the money to win the Islamabad seat," he said while referring to Shaikh's loss to Gilani. He added that the same people were active to influence the election of the Senate chairman.&nbsp;

Gilani, who contested the Senate election as a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate, defeated the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh by securing 169 votes against 164 votes by Shaikh on Wednesday, giving a major blow to Khan, who had personally campaigned for his cabinet colleague.

The Opposition had demanded the prime minister's resignation after the debacle,&nbsp;following which Khan decided to take a vote of confidence on Saturday, which he won comfortably.

Pakistan's Opposition parties on Monday nominated Gilani as their joint candidate for the Senate chairman election scheduled for later this week.

To endure&nbsp;Gilani's victory, the PDM, an&nbsp;alliance of 11 political parties, reached out to the Muslim league&nbsp;Quaid-i-Azam, an ally of Pakistan's government. It&nbsp;also nominated Maulana Ghafoor Haidri of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) for the post of deputy chairman of Senate.

In an effort to sway votes in a tight competition, the government offered to support Haidri if his party supported Sadiq Sanjrani, who is supported by the government for the Senate chairmanship. However, Haidri rejected the offer, saying&nbsp;the Opposition is united and in consensus.

While on Tuesday, it seemed to get support from the Muttahida Qaumi&nbsp;Movement.

Although neither of the two parties promised their support, Imran Khan&nbsp;is a bit unnerved as he&nbsp;fears these parties might end up cross-voting at the last moment.

There are a total of 100 seats in the Senate, Imran khan's party, along with its allies,&nbsp;controls 48 seats while the Opposition controls 51 seats.&nbsp;

Fearing himself to be on a sticky wicket, Imran Khan&nbsp;has a plan to spin the narrative. This plan centres around Gilgit-Baltistan, which falls in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The assembly in Gilgit-Baltistan has adopted a resolution demanding that the region be declared an interim province.&nbsp;The resolution was passed on March 9, the same day the PTI in Islamabad was trying to woo the Opposition.

The region is ruled by the ruling PTI. It is significant as it&nbsp;is under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.&nbsp;It includes large parts of the greater Kashmir region.

The Indian Parliament&nbsp;has already passed a resolution&nbsp;defining the whole of Kashmir as an integral part of India.

Pakistan on the other hand, has always claimed Gilgit-Baltistan as part of its territory. However, it has never declared it a province.

&nbsp;

A bitter battle is underway in Pakistan for the chairmanship of the Senate. The candidates for the election include Sadiq Sanjarni, the youngest ever chairman of the Senate in the country.

A bitter battle is underway in Pakistan for the chairmanship of the Senate. The candidates for the election include Sadiq Sanjarni, the youngest ever chairman of the Senate in the country. and Yousaf Raza Gilani, the country's former prime minister and the newly elected senator from Islamabad. Fearing another embarrassment, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had filed a petition in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stating that Gilani's victory in the Senate polls should be declared null and void as the elections were not transparent. The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition by Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party challenging former premier Yusuf Raza Gilani's upset win in the Senate elections, ruling that it was not appropriate to "unnecessarily drag" the judiciary in political matters. The government's allegations were based on a video of Gilani's son Ali Haider talking with some PTI members and telling them how a vote can be "spoiled". The PTI, in its petition, said that since seven votes were "spoiled" in the Senate elections and its candidate lost by just five votes, it showed that the PTI lawmakers in the video were bribed. Refusing to take action on allegations of vote-buying in the polls just on the basis of video clips, the ECP urged the government's lawyer to make all persons involved in the video scandal a party to the case and said that if the charges of giving and receiving bribes are proven, then action should be taken against all the culprits. The IHC on Wednesday also rejected a plea to disqualify the former premier's son who is a provincial lawmaker. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Khan has alleged that senators belonging to the ruling PTI were being offered money to vote for Gilani. "The Opposition used the money to win the Islamabad seat," he said while referring to Shaikh's loss to Gilani. He added that the same people were active to influence the election of the Senate chairman. Gilani, who contested the Senate election as a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate, defeated the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh by securing 169 votes against 164 votes by Shaikh on Wednesday, giving a major blow to Khan, who had personally campaigned for his cabinet colleague. The Opposition had demanded the prime minister's resignation after the debacle, following which Khan decided to take a vote of confidence on Saturday, which he won comfortably. Pakistan's Opposition parties on Monday nominated Gilani as their joint candidate for the Senate chairman election scheduled for later this week. To endure Gilani's victory, the PDM, an alliance of 11 political parties, reached out to the Muslim league Quaid-i-Azam, an ally of Pakistan's government. It also nominated Maulana Ghafoor Haidri of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) for the post of deputy chairman of Senate. In an effort to sway votes in a tight competition, the government offered to support Haidri if his party supported Sadiq Sanjrani, who is supported by the government for the Senate chairmanship. However, Haidri rejected the offer, saying the Opposition is united and in consensus. While on Tuesday, it seemed to get support from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Although neither of the two parties promised their support, Imran Khan is a bit unnerved as he fears these parties might end up cross-voting at the last moment. There are a total of 100 seats in the Senate, Imran khan's party, along with its allies, controls 48 seats while the Opposition controls 51 seats. Fearing himself to be on a sticky wicket, Imran Khan has a plan to spin the narrative. This plan centres around Gilgit-Baltistan, which falls in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The assembly in Gilgit-Baltistan has adopted a resolution demanding that the region be declared an interim province. The resolution was passed on March 9, the same day the PTI in Islamabad was trying to woo the Opposition. The region is ruled by the ruling PTI. It is significant as it is under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. It includes large parts of the greater Kashmir region. The Indian Parliament has already passed a resolution defining the whole of Kashmir as an integral part of India. Pakistan on the other hand, has always claimed Gilgit-Baltistan as part of its territory. However, it has never declared it a province.

Why is Pakistan PM Imran Khan staring at another defeat in Senate?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;was due to visit the United Arab Emirates on Thursday but postponed the trip due to difficulties in coordinating an air corridor over Jordan, his office said.

The trip would have been the first by a leader of Israel, which formalised relations with the Gulf power last year, as well as a foreign policy flourish for&nbsp;Netanyahu&nbsp;ahead of his bid for re-election on March 23.

The UAE has not formally confirmed the planned visit, which leaked to Israeli media on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by&nbsp;Netanyahu's office, he and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan agreed to reschedule.

A hold-up in overflight permission from Amman for&nbsp;Netanyahu's plane "apparently" stemmed from the cancellation of a visit by Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah to Jerusalem's al Aqsa mosque compound on Wednesday over a dispute regarding security arrangements at the site, the statement said.

Permission eventually came through but too late for&nbsp;Netanyahu's itinerary, which included meeting his visiting Hungarian and Czech counterparts later on Thursday, it said.

Jordanian officials were not immediately available for comment.

Netanyahu&nbsp;had been due to visit the UAE and Bahrain - which also has newly established ties with Israel - last month but postponed that trip citing COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Israeli officials said earlier on Thursday that&nbsp;Netanyahu's wife Sara had been hospitalised with appendicitis - another possible factor, local media said, in the deferral of the UAE visit.

Jordan's ruling Hashemite dynasty is the custodian of the Al Aqsa compound, an icon of the Palestinian statehood struggle and the third holiest site in Islam. Israel maintains security around the site, which Jews revere as the vestige of their two ancient temples.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to visit the United Arab Emirates on Thursday but postponed the trip due to difficulties in coordinating an air corridor over Jordan, his office said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to visit the United Arab Emirates on Thursday but postponed the trip due to difficulties in coordinating an air corridor over Jordan, his office said. The trip would have been the first by a leader of Israel, which formalised relations with the Gulf power last year, as well as a foreign policy flourish for Netanyahu ahead of his bid for re-election on March 23. The UAE has not formally confirmed the planned visit, which leaked to Israeli media on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by Netanyahu's office, he and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan agreed to reschedule. A hold-up in overflight permission from Amman for Netanyahu's plane "apparently" stemmed from the cancellation of a visit by Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah to Jerusalem's al Aqsa mosque compound on Wednesday over a dispute regarding security arrangements at the site, the statement said. Permission eventually came through but too late for Netanyahu's itinerary, which included meeting his visiting Hungarian and Czech counterparts later on Thursday, it said. Jordanian officials were not immediately available for comment. Netanyahu had been due to visit the UAE and Bahrain - which also has newly established ties with Israel - last month but postponed that trip citing COVID-19 travel restrictions. Israeli officials said earlier on Thursday that Netanyahu's wife Sara had been hospitalised with appendicitis - another possible factor, local media said, in the deferral of the UAE visit. Jordan's ruling Hashemite dynasty is the custodian of the Al Aqsa compound, an icon of the Palestinian statehood struggle and the third holiest site in Islam. Israel maintains security around the site, which Jews revere as the vestige of their two ancient temples.

Netanyahu says he postponed UAE visit due to Jordan overflight lag

The publicity surrounding the murder trial of&nbsp;George&nbsp;Floyd, an African-American man whose death laid bare racial wounds in the United States and sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests across the globe, is making jury selection a difficult task.

Millions of people have watched the video of&nbsp;George&nbsp;Floyd's death. A dozen will decide the fate of the white policeman seen kneeling for nearly nine minutes on the neck of the 46-year-old Black man.

Judge Peter Cahill of the Hennepin County District Court has set aside three weeks to screen jurors.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-jurors-selected-for-george-floyd-murder-trial-369547">First jurors selected for George Floyd murder trial</a>

Former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with&nbsp;Floyd's May 25 death, which was captured by bystanders on smartphone video.

He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and manslaughter and stood politely each time his lawyer introduced him to potential jurors in court.

The viral video of&nbsp;Floyd's&nbsp;death sparked a summer of protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the United States and around the world.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sister-of-george-floyd-makes-emotional-plea-for-justice-as-trial-gets-set-to-begin-369193/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Citing pre-trial publicity, defence lawyers for Chauvin sought to have the trial moved out of Minneapolis, the Minnesota city where&nbsp;Floyd&nbsp;died, but the motion was denied.

&nbsp;'Juror rejection'

Only one of the prospective jurors so far, a white man in his 20s or 30s, has said they have not seen the video of&nbsp;Floyd's death.

The man, who said he has seen only a still image from the video, was the first person selected for the jury, which will comprise 12 jurors and two alternates.

Each potential juror filled out a 16-page questionnaire before being called in for jury selection.

Among the questions asked were whether they have seen the video of&nbsp;Floyd's death, whether they took part in protests against racial injustice and whether they've had any interactions with police.

They were also asked how they view the "Black Lives Matter" movement and whether they have a favourable or unfavourable view of Chauvin, the accused.

Chauvin's attorney and prosecutors have probed the prospective jurors further during the process called voir dire about their beliefs and knowledge about the case.

"Believe it or not, you're not the only person in the world that may have a negative view of my client," Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lead attorney, said with a smile as he questioned a potential juror who said that he, his wife, his son and daughter had all advocated for police reform.

That man was sent home after Nelson used the fourth of his 15 peremptory challenges, which enable a potential juror to be dismissed without cause.

The prosecutors from the state attorney general's office have used two of their nine challenges, including one against a civil litigation attorney who told prosecutors she thought that law enforcement officers have a "thankless job."

'Black Lives Matter'

Three jurors were seated on Tuesday after saying they could put aside their misgivings about Chauvin: A white man who is a chemist at an environmental testing lab; a woman who appeared to be of mixed race who said she was "super excited" to serve on a jury; and a white man who works as an auditor.

The judge has promised all jurors anonymity for the duration of the trial.

On Wednesday, a sales manager who appeared to be white and said he thought police tended to be more trustworthy witnesses than civilians became the fourth juror to be seated. He also said that he had "strongly favourable" views of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"In my college years, I took a couple of great courses following the Civil Rights movement, and they really just led me on the path of racial injustice throughout our history," he told the court. He said he was an avid sports fan and supported the right of Black football players to protest police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem before games.

Later, a Black man who said he immigrated to the United States 14 years ago to study in Nebraska and now worked in information technology told the court he believed that "all lives matter," but that Black lives matter more because he thought Black people had been marginalized.

He also said he disagreed with calls by some activists to "defund the police," saying that if police are expected to keep communities safe then "they have to have the right to have the funds."

He became the fifth of the 12 jurors and up to four alternates the judge is seeking to seat.

On Friday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered the judge overseeing the trial to reconsider the prosecution's request that Chauvin face an additional charge of third-degree murder.

Chauvin's lawyers asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to review that order, but the court said on Wednesday it would not intervene. Judge Cahill said he would discuss the charge with the attorneys on Thursday before resuming jury selection.

Chauvin's lawyers say he stuck to his police training and did not use excessive force when he was arresting&nbsp;Floyd&nbsp;on May 25 on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes.

Chauvin, 44, was released from jail on a $1 million bond in October and is being tried in a courtroom in the Hennepin County Government Center, a tower in downtown Minneapolis now ringed with barbed-wire fencing and concrete barricades.

The publicity surrounding the murder trial of George Floyd, an African-American man whose death laid bare racial wounds in the United States and sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests across the globe, is making jury selection a difficult task.

The publicity surrounding the murder trial of George Floyd, an African-American man whose death laid bare racial wounds in the United States and sparked "Black Lives Matter" protests across the globe, is making jury selection a difficult task. Millions of people have watched the video of George Floyd's death. A dozen will decide the fate of the white policeman seen kneeling for nearly nine minutes on the neck of the 46-year-old Black man. Judge Peter Cahill of the Hennepin County District Court has set aside three weeks to screen jurors. Also read: First jurors selected for George Floyd murder trial Former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with Floyd's May 25 death, which was captured by bystanders on smartphone video. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and manslaughter and stood politely each time his lawyer introduced him to potential jurors in court. The viral video of Floyd's death sparked a summer of protests against police brutality and racial injustice in the United States and around the world. Citing pre-trial publicity, defence lawyers for Chauvin sought to have the trial moved out of Minneapolis, the Minnesota city where Floyd died, but the motion was denied. 'Juror rejection' Only one of the prospective jurors so far, a white man in his 20s or 30s, has said they have not seen the video of Floyd's death. The man, who said he has seen only a still image from the video, was the first person selected for the jury, which will comprise 12 jurors and two alternates. Each potential juror filled out a 16-page questionnaire before being called in for jury selection. Among the questions asked were whether they have seen the video of Floyd's death, whether they took part in protests against racial injustice and whether they've had any interactions with police. They were also asked how they view the "Black Lives Matter" movement and whether they have a favourable or unfavourable view of Chauvin, the accused. Chauvin's attorney and prosecutors have probed the prospective jurors further during the process called voir dire about their beliefs and knowledge about the case. "Believe it or not, you're not the only person in the world that may have a negative view of my client," Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lead attorney, said with a smile as he questioned a potential juror who said that he, his wife, his son and daughter had all advocated for police reform. That man was sent home after Nelson used the fourth of his 15 peremptory challenges, which enable a potential juror to be dismissed without cause. The prosecutors from the state attorney general's office have used two of their nine challenges, including one against a civil litigation attorney who told prosecutors she thought that law enforcement officers have a "thankless job." 'Black Lives Matter' Three jurors were seated on Tuesday after saying they could put aside their misgivings about Chauvin: A white man who is a chemist at an environmental testing lab; a woman who appeared to be of mixed race who said she was "super excited" to serve on a jury; and a white man who works as an auditor. The judge has promised all jurors anonymity for the duration of the trial. On Wednesday, a sales manager who appeared to be white and said he thought police tended to be more trustworthy witnesses than civilians became the fourth juror to be seated. He also said that he had "strongly favourable" views of the Black Lives Matter movement. "In my college years, I took a couple of great courses following the Civil Rights movement, and they really just led me on the path of racial injustice throughout our history," he told the court. He said he was an avid sports fan and supported the right of Black football players to protest police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem before games. Later, a Black man who said he immigrated to the United States 14 years ago to study in Nebraska and now worked in information technology told the court he believed that "all lives matter," but that Black lives matter more because he thought Black people had been marginalized. He also said he disagreed with calls by some activists to "defund the police," saying that if police are expected to keep communities safe then "they have to have the right to have the funds." He became the fifth of the 12 jurors and up to four alternates the judge is seeking to seat. On Friday, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered the judge overseeing the trial to reconsider the prosecution's request that Chauvin face an additional charge of third-degree murder. Chauvin's lawyers asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to review that order, but the court said on Wednesday it would not intervene. Judge Cahill said he would discuss the charge with the attorneys on Thursday before resuming jury selection. Chauvin's lawyers say he stuck to his police training and did not use excessive force when he was arresting Floyd on May 25 on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Chauvin, 44, was released from jail on a $1 million bond in October and is being tried in a courtroom in the Hennepin County Government Center, a tower in downtown Minneapolis now ringed with barbed-wire fencing and concrete barricades.

George Floyd murder trial: Publicity surrounding case a challenge for jury selection

A Chinese&nbsp;entrepreneur is selling a pensive statue of former US President Donald Trump sitting cross-legged and with his eyes closed in a zen position, draped in a robe, a pose associated with Buddha.

The Trump Buddha statue is being sold on a Chinese e-commerce platform called Zaobao, which is owned by the Alibaba group. The smaller size, which measures 1.6 metres tall is being sold for 999 Chinese Yuan or $150. While the bigger size is being sold for&nbsp;3,999 yuan or $610.

China's state-owned Global Times first&nbsp;reported on the product and spoke to the owner of the&nbsp;statue who is promoting the product with the slogan, “Make Your Company Great Again’’, a wordplay on Trump’s election slogan “Make America Great Again”.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-trump-requests-mail-in-ballot-in-florida-369550">Now, Trump requests mail-in ballot in Florida</a>

The statue, with Trump’s hands folded in his laps, thumbs pointing outwards, is a pose from Buddhist art that signifies meditation and contemplation, something the 74-year-old has had more time for since leaving the White House in January for his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida.

China’s commercial websites have&nbsp;taken advantage of Trump to increase their&nbsp;profit. Previously, Taobao has offered an array of products, including toilet paper rolls with Trump’s face printed on them, a toilet brush shaped like Trump’s signature messy orange hair, and T-shirts printed with satirical cartoons of him.&nbsp;

Trump had&nbsp;made getting tough on China a key part of his campaign for re-election on November&nbsp;3.&nbsp;

The US-China relations soured during Trump's administration as he had&nbsp;vowed that in future his administration would prohibit federal contracts with companies that outsource to China and hold Beijing accountable for allowing the coronavirus, which began in China, to spread around the world.

A Chinese entrepreneur is selling a pensive statue of former US President Donald Trump sitting cross-legged and with his eyes closed in a zen position, draped in a robe, a pose associated with Buddha.

A Chinese entrepreneur is selling a pensive statue of former US President Donald Trump sitting cross-legged and with his eyes closed in a zen position, draped in a robe, a pose associated with Buddha. The Trump Buddha statue is being sold on a Chinese e-commerce platform called Zaobao, which is owned by the Alibaba group. The smaller size, which measures 1.6 metres tall is being sold for 999 Chinese Yuan or $150. While the bigger size is being sold for 3,999 yuan or $610. China's state-owned Global Times first reported on the product and spoke to the owner of the statue who is promoting the product with the slogan, “Make Your Company Great Again’’, a wordplay on Trump’s election slogan “Make America Great Again”. Also read| Now, Trump requests mail-in ballot in Florida The statue, with Trump’s hands folded in his laps, thumbs pointing outwards, is a pose from Buddhist art that signifies meditation and contemplation, something the 74-year-old has had more time for since leaving the White House in January for his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida. China’s commercial websites have taken advantage of Trump to increase their profit. Previously, Taobao has offered an array of products, including toilet paper rolls with Trump’s face printed on them, a toilet brush shaped like Trump’s signature messy orange hair, and T-shirts printed with satirical cartoons of him. Trump had made getting tough on China a key part of his campaign for re-election on November 3. The US-China relations soured during Trump's administration as he had vowed that in future his administration would prohibit federal contracts with companies that outsource to China and hold Beijing accountable for allowing the coronavirus, which began in China, to spread around the world.

Chinese entrepreneur selling Donald Trump's Buddha statue at this price

Astronomers have detected the&nbsp;best place and time to live in the Milky Way, in a recent study published in&nbsp;the journal Astronomy and&nbsp;Astrophysics.

More than six&nbsp;billion years ago, the outskirts of the Milky Way were the safest places for the development of possible life forms, sheltered from the most violent explosions in the universe, that is, the&nbsp;gamma-ray bursts and supernovae.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-discover-new-exoplanet-instrumental-in-hunt-for-traces-of-life-beyond-solar-system-368348" hreflang="en">Astronomers discover new exoplanet instrumental in hunt for traces of life beyond solar system</a>

The study&nbsp;led by researchers from INAF and the University of Insubria in Italy investigates the incidence of these events throughout the evolution of our galaxy.

The universe is ripe with powerful explosions releasing large amounts of energy into its surroundings.

Starting from 4 billion years ago until now, the central regions, embracing also the Solar system, became the safest places.

Not too safe though: this study supports the hypothesis that a gamma-ray burst may have caused the first of the five great mass extinctions on Earth, which occurred 445 million years ago.

The group of researchers led by Riccardo Spinelli, PhD student at the University of Insubria and INAF associate in Milan said “Our work shows that, until 6 billion years ago, excluding the peripheral regions of the Milky Way, which had relatively few planets, due to high star formation and low metallicity, planets were subject to many explosive events able to trigger a mass extinction.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-releases-beautiful-photo-of-a-galaxy-far-far-away-368896" hreflang="en">NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away</a>

Both supernovae and GRBs are linked to the life cycle of stars, and in particular to their death. A supernova occurs when a star much more massive than the Sun reaches the end of its life and explodes, or when a white dwarf – the remnant of less massive stars, such as the Sun,&nbsp;explodes after accreting mass from a companion in a binary system.

A GRB, on the other hand, is an intense flash of high-energy radiation emitted when a very massive and rapidly rotating star dies, or when two neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole both remnants of massive stars&nbsp;merge.

“Supernovae are more frequent in star-forming regions, where massive stars are formed,” Giancarlo Ghirlanda, co-author and INAF researcher in Milan, explains. “GRBs, on the other hand, prefer star-forming regions that are still poorly engulfed by heavy elements. In these regions, massive stars that are formed by metal-poor gas lose less mass during their life due to stellar winds. Therefore, these stars are able to keep themselves in rapid rotation, a necessary condition to be able to launch, once a black hole has formed, a powerful jet”.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-perseverance-rover-hunts-for-life-on-mars-369699">NASA's Perseverance rover hunts for life on Mars</a>

“To understand how these events are distributed within our galaxy, we started from a model which describes the evolution of our galaxy”, adds Francesco Haardt, professor at the University of Insubria and INAF associate. “This model predicts that the inner regions, as opposed to the peripheral regions, formed quickly in the early stages of the history of our galaxy. As time passed, the star formation rate decreased in the centre and gradually increased in the periphery.

Consequently, the primordial gas of hydrogen and helium was enriched with heavier elements (oxygen, carbon, nitrogen) quickly in the centre of the Milky Way, while in the periphery it was enriched more gradually, without however reaching the high metallicities of the central regions”.

The energy released by GRBs and supernovae is enormous. A supernova releases, in the high energy band, as much energy as the Milky Way, which contains hundreds of billions of stars, emits in a few hours. A GRB, in 10 seconds, emits what our galaxy does in a century. “Excluding the very central regions, less than 6500 light-years from the galactic centre, where supernova explosions are more frequent, our study suggests that evolutionary pressure in each epoch is determined by GRBs mainly”, Spinelli says.

“Although they are much rarer events than supernovae, GRBs are able to cause a mass extinction from larger distances: being the most energetic events, they are the bazookas with the longest range”.

The effect on a planet like Earth would be catastrophic. Several studies suggest that the gamma radiation released by a GRB within 3300 light-years from Earth would destroy the ozone layer in the atmosphere: without this protection, the planet would be exposed to the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation which could trigger the extinction of almost all life forms on the surface.

“As a secondary effect”, Spinelli continues, “the destruction of the ozone layer would produce nitrogen compounds. These would reduce the visible sunlight thus causing global cooling”. For these reasons, several studies proposed that the first of the five mass extinctions that affected Earth, the Late Ordovician mass extinction, about 445 million years ago, was caused by a GRB. The work by Spinelli and collaborators supports this hypothesis.

Regarding the “recent” past, the study finds that, in the last 500 million years, the Milky Way became globally safer than in earlier epochs, with the peripheral regions being more sterilised by lethal GRBs and the central ones, within 6500 light-years from the galactic centre, mostly exposed to supernovae.

At the distance of the Solar system from the galactic centre, this work estimates there has been at least one lethal GRB in the last 500 million years, possibly associated with the first great extinction. The worst seems to be over. 
&nbsp;

Astronomers have detected the best place and time to live in the Milky Way, in a recent study published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. More than six billion years ago, the outskirts of the Milky Way were the safest places for the development of possible life forms, sheltered from the most violent explosions in the universe, that is, the gamma-ray bursts and supernovae.

Astronomers have detected the best place and time to live in the Milky Way, in a recent study published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. More than six billion years ago, the outskirts of the Milky Way were the safest places for the development of possible life forms, sheltered from the most violent explosions in the universe, that is, the gamma-ray bursts and supernovae. Also read: Astronomers discover new exoplanet instrumental in hunt for traces of life beyond solar system The study led by researchers from INAF and the University of Insubria in Italy investigates the incidence of these events throughout the evolution of our galaxy. The universe is ripe with powerful explosions releasing large amounts of energy into its surroundings. Starting from 4 billion years ago until now, the central regions, embracing also the Solar system, became the safest places. Not too safe though: this study supports the hypothesis that a gamma-ray burst may have caused the first of the five great mass extinctions on Earth, which occurred 445 million years ago. The group of researchers led by Riccardo Spinelli, PhD student at the University of Insubria and INAF associate in Milan said “Our work shows that, until 6 billion years ago, excluding the peripheral regions of the Milky Way, which had relatively few planets, due to high star formation and low metallicity, planets were subject to many explosive events able to trigger a mass extinction.” Also read: NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away Both supernovae and GRBs are linked to the life cycle of stars, and in particular to their death. A supernova occurs when a star much more massive than the Sun reaches the end of its life and explodes, or when a white dwarf – the remnant of less massive stars, such as the Sun, explodes after accreting mass from a companion in a binary system. A GRB, on the other hand, is an intense flash of high-energy radiation emitted when a very massive and rapidly rotating star dies, or when two neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole both remnants of massive stars merge. “Supernovae are more frequent in star-forming regions, where massive stars are formed,” Giancarlo Ghirlanda, co-author and INAF researcher in Milan, explains. “GRBs, on the other hand, prefer star-forming regions that are still poorly engulfed by heavy elements. In these regions, massive stars that are formed by metal-poor gas lose less mass during their life due to stellar winds. Therefore, these stars are able to keep themselves in rapid rotation, a necessary condition to be able to launch, once a black hole has formed, a powerful jet”. Also Read | NASA's Perseverance rover hunts for life on Mars “To understand how these events are distributed within our galaxy, we started from a model which describes the evolution of our galaxy”, adds Francesco Haardt, professor at the University of Insubria and INAF associate. “This model predicts that the inner regions, as opposed to the peripheral regions, formed quickly in the early stages of the history of our galaxy. As time passed, the star formation rate decreased in the centre and gradually increased in the periphery. Consequently, the primordial gas of hydrogen and helium was enriched with heavier elements (oxygen, carbon, nitrogen) quickly in the centre of the Milky Way, while in the periphery it was enriched more gradually, without however reaching the high metallicities of the central regions”. The energy released by GRBs and supernovae is enormous. A supernova releases, in the high energy band, as much energy as the Milky Way, which contains hundreds of billions of stars, emits in a few hours. A GRB, in 10 seconds, emits what our galaxy does in a century. “Excluding the very central regions, less than 6500 light-years from the galactic centre, where supernova explosions are more frequent, our study suggests that evolutionary pressure in each epoch is determined by GRBs mainly”, Spinelli says. “Although they are much rarer events than supernovae, GRBs are able to cause a mass extinction from larger distances: being the most energetic events, they are the bazookas with the longest range”. The effect on a planet like Earth would be catastrophic. Several studies suggest that the gamma radiation released by a GRB within 3300 light-years from Earth would destroy the ozone layer in the atmosphere: without this protection, the planet would be exposed to the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation which could trigger the extinction of almost all life forms on the surface. “As a secondary effect”, Spinelli continues, “the destruction of the ozone layer would produce nitrogen compounds. These would reduce the visible sunlight thus causing global cooling”. For these reasons, several studies proposed that the first of the five mass extinctions that affected Earth, the Late Ordovician mass extinction, about 445 million years ago, was caused by a GRB. The work by Spinelli and collaborators supports this hypothesis. Regarding the “recent” past, the study finds that, in the last 500 million years, the Milky Way became globally safer than in earlier epochs, with the peripheral regions being more sterilised by lethal GRBs and the central ones, within 6500 light-years from the galactic centre, mostly exposed to supernovae. At the distance of the Solar system from the galactic centre, this work estimates there has been at least one lethal GRB in the last 500 million years, possibly associated with the first great extinction. The worst seems to be over.

Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way

The Juno spacecraft of the&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shattered the false notions about the origin of zodiacal light or 'false dawns'.

The zodiacal light is sunlight reflected by dust particles between the Sun and Earth and is best seen close to sunrise or sunset. As its name implies, this celestial glow appears in the ring of constellations known as the zodiac. These are found along the ecliptic, which is the eastward apparent “path” that the Sun traces across Earth’s sky.

Astronomers have believed that zodiacal light&nbsp;is&nbsp;brought into the inner solar system by a few of the asteroid and comet families that venture in from afar.

An instrument aboard the Juno spacecraft serendipitously detected dust particles slamming into the spacecraft during its journey from Earth to Jupiter.

The impacts provided important clues to the origin and orbital evolution of the dust, resolving some mysterious variations of the zodiacal light. The discovery has big implications.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/perseverance-searches-for-life-on-mars-369682/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

John Leif Jørgensen, a professor at the Technical University of Denmark, said&nbsp;&nbsp;“I never thought we’d be looking for interplanetary dust.”

He designed&nbsp;the four star trackers that are part of Juno’s magnetometer investigation. These onboard cameras snap photos of the sky every quarter of a second to determine Juno’s orientation in space by recognizing star patterns in its images — an engineering task essential to the magnetometer’s accuracy.&nbsp;

It wasn’t until the researchers calculated the apparent size and velocity of the objects in the images that they finally realized something: Dust grains had smashed into Juno at about 10,000 miles (or 16,000 kilometers) per hour, chipping off submillimeter pieces. “Even though we’re talking about objects with only a tiny bit of mass, they pack a mean punch,” said Jack Connerney, Juno’s magnetometer investigation lead, and the mission’s deputy principal investigator, who’s based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

As it turned out, the spray of debris was coming from Juno’s expansive solar panels — the biggest and most sensitive unintended dust detector ever built.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iUBHRAJzIg0" width="560"></iframe>

“Each piece of debris we tracked records the impact of an interplanetary dust particle, allowing us to compile a distribution of dust along Juno’s path,” Connerney said. Juno launched in 2011. After a deep-space manoeuvre in the asteroid belt in 2012, it returned to the inner solar system for an Earth gravity assist in 2013, which catapulted the spacecraft towards Jupiter.

Connerney and Jørgensen noticed that the majority of dust impacts were recorded between Earth and the asteroid belt, with gaps in the distribution related to the influence of Jupiter’s gravity.

According to scientists, this was a radical revelation. Before now, scientists have been unable to measure the distribution of these dust particles in space. Dedicated dust detectors have had limited collection areas and thus limited sensitivity to a sparse population of dust.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-detect-best-place-and-time-to-live-in-milky-way-368901">Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way</a>

They mostly count the more abundant and much smaller dust particles from interstellar space. In comparison, Juno’s expansive solar panels have 1,000 times more collection area than most dust detectors.

Juno scientists determined that the dust cloud ends at Earth because Earth’s gravity sucks up all the dust that gets near it. “That’s the dust we see as zodiacal light,” Jørgensen said.

As for the outer edge, around 2 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun (1 AU is the distance between Earth and the Sun), it ends just beyond Mars. At that point, the scientists report, the influence of Jupiter’s gravity acts as a barrier, preventing dust particles from crossing from the inner solar system into deep space. This same phenomenon, known as orbital resonance, also works the other way, where it blocks dust originating in deep space from passing into the inner solar system.

The profound influence of the gravity barrier indicates that the dust particles are in a nearly circular orbit around the Sun, Jørgensen said. “And the only object we know of in almost circular orbit around 2 AU is Mars, so the natural thought is that Mars is a source of this dust,” he said.

“The distribution of dust that we measure better be consistent with the variation of zodiacal light that has been observed,” Connerney said. The researchers developed a computer model to predict the light reflected by the dust cloud, dispersed by gravitational interaction with Jupiter that scatters the dust into a thicker disk. The scattering depends only on two quantities: the dust inclination to the ecliptic and its orbital eccentricity. When the researchers plugged in the orbital elements of Mars, the distribution accurately predicted the tell-tale signature of the variation of zodiacal light near the ecliptic. “That is, in my view, a confirmation that we know exactly how these particles are orbiting in our solar system,” Connerney said, “and where they originate.”

While there is good evidence now that Mars, the dustiest planet we know of, is the source of the zodiacal light, Jørgensen and his colleagues cannot yet explain how the dust could have escaped the grip of Martian gravity. They hope other scientists will help them.

In the meantime, the researchers note that finding the true distribution and density of dust particles in the solar system will help engineers design spacecraft materials that can better withstand dust impacts. Knowing the precise distribution of dust may also guide the design of flight paths for future spacecraft in order to avoid the highest concentration of particles. Tiny particles traveling at such high velocities can gouge up to 1,000 times their mass from a spacecraft.

Juno’s solar arrays escaped harm because the solar cells are well protected against impact on the back&nbsp;or dark&nbsp;side of the array by the support structure.

The Juno spacecraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shattered the false notions about the origin of zodiacal light or 'false dawns'.

The Juno spacecraft of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shattered the false notions about the origin of zodiacal light or 'false dawns'. The zodiacal light is sunlight reflected by dust particles between the Sun and Earth and is best seen close to sunrise or sunset. As its name implies, this celestial glow appears in the ring of constellations known as the zodiac. These are found along the ecliptic, which is the eastward apparent “path” that the Sun traces across Earth’s sky. Astronomers have believed that zodiacal light is brought into the inner solar system by a few of the asteroid and comet families that venture in from afar. An instrument aboard the Juno spacecraft serendipitously detected dust particles slamming into the spacecraft during its journey from Earth to Jupiter. The impacts provided important clues to the origin and orbital evolution of the dust, resolving some mysterious variations of the zodiacal light. The discovery has big implications. John Leif Jørgensen, a professor at the Technical University of Denmark, said “I never thought we’d be looking for interplanetary dust.” He designed the four star trackers that are part of Juno’s magnetometer investigation. These onboard cameras snap photos of the sky every quarter of a second to determine Juno’s orientation in space by recognizing star patterns in its images — an engineering task essential to the magnetometer’s accuracy. It wasn’t until the researchers calculated the apparent size and velocity of the objects in the images that they finally realized something: Dust grains had smashed into Juno at about 10,000 miles (or 16,000 kilometers) per hour, chipping off submillimeter pieces. “Even though we’re talking about objects with only a tiny bit of mass, they pack a mean punch,” said Jack Connerney, Juno’s magnetometer investigation lead, and the mission’s deputy principal investigator, who’s based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. As it turned out, the spray of debris was coming from Juno’s expansive solar panels — the biggest and most sensitive unintended dust detector ever built. “Each piece of debris we tracked records the impact of an interplanetary dust particle, allowing us to compile a distribution of dust along Juno’s path,” Connerney said. Juno launched in 2011. After a deep-space manoeuvre in the asteroid belt in 2012, it returned to the inner solar system for an Earth gravity assist in 2013, which catapulted the spacecraft towards Jupiter. Connerney and Jørgensen noticed that the majority of dust impacts were recorded between Earth and the asteroid belt, with gaps in the distribution related to the influence of Jupiter’s gravity. According to scientists, this was a radical revelation. Before now, scientists have been unable to measure the distribution of these dust particles in space. Dedicated dust detectors have had limited collection areas and thus limited sensitivity to a sparse population of dust. Also read: Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way They mostly count the more abundant and much smaller dust particles from interstellar space. In comparison, Juno’s expansive solar panels have 1,000 times more collection area than most dust detectors. Juno scientists determined that the dust cloud ends at Earth because Earth’s gravity sucks up all the dust that gets near it. “That’s the dust we see as zodiacal light,” Jørgensen said. As for the outer edge, around 2 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun (1 AU is the distance between Earth and the Sun), it ends just beyond Mars. At that point, the scientists report, the influence of Jupiter’s gravity acts as a barrier, preventing dust particles from crossing from the inner solar system into deep space. This same phenomenon, known as orbital resonance, also works the other way, where it blocks dust originating in deep space from passing into the inner solar system. The profound influence of the gravity barrier indicates that the dust particles are in a nearly circular orbit around the Sun, Jørgensen said. “And the only object we know of in almost circular orbit around 2 AU is Mars, so the natural thought is that Mars is a source of this dust,” he said. “The distribution of dust that we measure better be consistent with the variation of zodiacal light that has been observed,” Connerney said. The researchers developed a computer model to predict the light reflected by the dust cloud, dispersed by gravitational interaction with Jupiter that scatters the dust into a thicker disk. The scattering depends only on two quantities: the dust inclination to the ecliptic and its orbital eccentricity. When the researchers plugged in the orbital elements of Mars, the distribution accurately predicted the tell-tale signature of the variation of zodiacal light near the ecliptic. “That is, in my view, a confirmation that we know exactly how these particles are orbiting in our solar system,” Connerney said, “and where they originate.” While there is good evidence now that Mars, the dustiest planet we know of, is the source of the zodiacal light, Jørgensen and his colleagues cannot yet explain how the dust could have escaped the grip of Martian gravity. They hope other scientists will help them. In the meantime, the researchers note that finding the true distribution and density of dust particles in the solar system will help engineers design spacecraft materials that can better withstand dust impacts. Knowing the precise distribution of dust may also guide the design of flight paths for future spacecraft in order to avoid the highest concentration of particles. Tiny particles traveling at such high velocities can gouge up to 1,000 times their mass from a spacecraft. Juno’s solar arrays escaped harm because the solar cells are well protected against impact on the back or dark side of the array by the support structure.

NASA's Juno probe solves mystery of 'false dawns'

Myanmar's military junta on Thursday accused detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi of accepting a $600,000 illegal payment and more than 11 kilograms of gold.

"We have learnt Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself took this $600,000 and seven visses (11.2 kilograms) of gold. The anti-corruption commission is investigating," the military's spokesman Zaw Min Tun told reporters in the capital Naypyidaw.

Meanwhile, rights group Amnesty International accused the military of adopting battle tactics against demonstrators.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-military-junta-removes-rakhine-rebels-from-list-of-terrorist-groups-369640">Myanmar's military junta removes Rakhine rebels from list of terrorist groups</a>

Six people were killed in the central town of Myaing when forces fired on a protest, a man who took part in the demonstration and helped carry bodies to hospital told Reuters by telephone. A health worker there confirmed all six deaths.

"We protested peacefully," the 31-year-old man said. "I couldn't believe they did it."

One person was killed in the North Dagon district of the biggest city of Yangon, domestic media said. Photographs posted on Facebook showed a man lying prone on the street, bleeding from a head wound. One death was reported in Mandalay.

Before Thursday's deaths, an advocacy group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, had said more than 60 protesters were killed and about 2,000 people detained by security forces since the Feb. 1 coup against Suu Kyi's elected government.

Amnesty International accused the army of using lethal force against protesters and said many killings it had documented amounted to extrajudicial executions.

"These are not the actions of overwhelmed, individual officers making poor decisions," said Joanne Mariner, the group's director of crisis response.

"These are unrepentant commanders already implicated in crimes against humanity, deploying their troops and murderous methods in the open."

A military spokesman declined to comment on the violence.

The junta has previously said it is acting with utmost restraint in handling what it describes as demonstrations by "riotous protesters" whom it accuses of attacking police and harming national security and stability.

The spokesman, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, told a news conference in the capital, Naypyitaw, that Suu Kyi had accepted illegal payments worth $600,000 as well as gold while in government.

The information had been verified and many people were being questioned, he added.

He said President Win Myint and several cabinet ministers had also engaged in corruption and that he had pressured the country's election commission not to act on the military's reports of irregularities.

UN fails to call takeover a coup

The army has justified the takeover by saying that a November election, overwhelmingly won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, was marred by fraud - an assertion rejected by the electoral commission.

Zaw Min Tun also reiterated that the military would only be in charge for a certain period before holding an election. The junta has previously promised a new election within a year, but has not set a date.

The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday condemned violence against protesters and urged the army to show restraint.

But language that would have denounced the military takeover as a coup or threatened possible further action was removed from the British-drafted text, due to opposition by China, India, Russia and Vietnam.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped the Security Council statement would push the military to realise it "is absolutely essential" that all prisoners are released and the results of the November election are respected.

In&nbsp;Myanmar, state media said the junta had removed Arakan Army (AA) insurgents from its list of terrorist groups because the faction had stopped attacks in order to help establish peace across the country.

The move comes as the army struggles to restrain daily protests against the coup.

The AA, which is fighting for greater autonomy in the western state of Rakhine, had become one of the most formidable forces in challenging an army that has been fighting various ethnic wars for seven decades.

Myanmar's military junta on Thursday accused detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi of accepting a $600,000 illegal payment and more than 11 kilograms of gold.

Myanmar's military junta on Thursday accused detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi of accepting a $600,000 illegal payment and more than 11 kilograms of gold. "We have learnt Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself took this $600,000 and seven visses (11.2 kilograms) of gold. The anti-corruption commission is investigating," the military's spokesman Zaw Min Tun told reporters in the capital Naypyidaw. Meanwhile, rights group Amnesty International accused the military of adopting battle tactics against demonstrators. Also read: Myanmar's military junta removes Rakhine rebels from list of terrorist groups Six people were killed in the central town of Myaing when forces fired on a protest, a man who took part in the demonstration and helped carry bodies to hospital told Reuters by telephone. A health worker there confirmed all six deaths. "We protested peacefully," the 31-year-old man said. "I couldn't believe they did it." One person was killed in the North Dagon district of the biggest city of Yangon, domestic media said. Photographs posted on Facebook showed a man lying prone on the street, bleeding from a head wound. One death was reported in Mandalay. Before Thursday's deaths, an advocacy group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, had said more than 60 protesters were killed and about 2,000 people detained by security forces since the Feb. 1 coup against Suu Kyi's elected government. Amnesty International accused the army of using lethal force against protesters and said many killings it had documented amounted to extrajudicial executions. "These are not the actions of overwhelmed, individual officers making poor decisions," said Joanne Mariner, the group's director of crisis response. "These are unrepentant commanders already implicated in crimes against humanity, deploying their troops and murderous methods in the open." A military spokesman declined to comment on the violence. The junta has previously said it is acting with utmost restraint in handling what it describes as demonstrations by "riotous protesters" whom it accuses of attacking police and harming national security and stability. The spokesman, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, told a news conference in the capital, Naypyitaw, that Suu Kyi had accepted illegal payments worth $600,000 as well as gold while in government. The information had been verified and many people were being questioned, he added. He said President Win Myint and several cabinet ministers had also engaged in corruption and that he had pressured the country's election commission not to act on the military's reports of irregularities. UN fails to call takeover a coup The army has justified the takeover by saying that a November election, overwhelmingly won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, was marred by fraud - an assertion rejected by the electoral commission. Zaw Min Tun also reiterated that the military would only be in charge for a certain period before holding an election. The junta has previously promised a new election within a year, but has not set a date. The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday condemned violence against protesters and urged the army to show restraint. But language that would have denounced the military takeover as a coup or threatened possible further action was removed from the British-drafted text, due to opposition by China, India, Russia and Vietnam. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped the Security Council statement would push the military to realise it "is absolutely essential" that all prisoners are released and the results of the November election are respected. In Myanmar, state media said the junta had removed Arakan Army (AA) insurgents from its list of terrorist groups because the faction had stopped attacks in order to help establish peace across the country. The move comes as the army struggles to restrain daily protests against the coup. The AA, which is fighting for greater autonomy in the western state of Rakhine, had become one of the most formidable forces in challenging an army that has been fighting various ethnic wars for seven decades.

Myanmar junta accuses Suu Kyi of taking $600,000 illegal payment

Brazil's former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made his return to politics Wednesday with a virulent attack on President Jair Bolsonaro and his "imbecile" handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lula, who led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, has emerged as a leading contender to face the far-right incumbent in presidential elections next year, after a Supreme Court justice annulled the popular but tarnished leftist's corruption convictions Monday, reinstating his right to run for office.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/brazil-supreme-court-judges-clears-lula-of-corruption-charges-369027/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In his first comments since the ruling, Lula, 75, gave a scathing take-down of Bolsonaro's management of the economy and signature policies.

He was especially biting on Bolsonaro's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 266,000 people in Brazil -- the second-highest death toll worldwide, after the United States.

Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the new coronavirus, flouted expert advice on containing it and fueled vaccine skepticism.

"Don't follow any imbecile decisions by the president of the republic or the health minister: get vaccinated," Lula told a news conference.

Lula, a former metal worker and union leader, led Brazil through an economic boom, and is remembered for social programs that helped lift tens of millions of people from poverty.

Recent opinion polls suggest he is the best-placed politician to unseat Bolsonaro in the October 2022 elections.

But he remains a highly controversial figure after being sentenced to a total of 26 years in jail on corruption charges stemming from a sweeping investigation into a scheme in which top politicians and business executives systematically siphoned billions of dollars from state oil company Petrobras.

He spent more than 18 months in prison, before being released in 2019 pending appeal.

'Unofficial campaign launch'

Lula called himself the victim of "the biggest judicial lie in 500 years," repeating his claim that the graft charges against him were fabricated to sideline him from the 2018 presidential race, which Bolsonaro ultimately won.

He said he planned to "fight tirelessly" for Brazil, and that he wanted to resume touring the country once he is vaccinated against Covid-19 next week.

But he declined to say whether he would run in the elections, saying "my head doesn't have time to think about a 2022 candidacy now."

Still, "his speech was a campaign launch" in all but name, said political analyst Creomar da Souza, of the consulting firm Dharma.

"He presented his project for the country, which involves a lot of references to his legacy as president," he said

Lula is still seen as a hero on the left, which argues he was the victim of a conspiracy.

Supporters point to the fact that the lead judge in the anti-corruption probe that ensnared him, Sergio Moro, went on to accept the post of justice minister under Bolsonaro, and that hacked phone messages suggest Moro conspired with prosecutors to ensure Lula was sidelined.

But Lula still faces a series of corruption and influence-peddling charges, including the ones he was jailed for, which will now be transferred to a federal court in Brasilia.

The surprise restoration of&nbsp;Lula's political rights could set up a showdown between the leftist, who governed Brazil from 2003 until 2011, against Bolsonaro in next year's election.

Brazil's former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made his return to politics Wednesday with a virulent attack on President Jair Bolsonaro and his "imbecile" handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Brazil's former leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made his return to politics Wednesday with a virulent attack on President Jair Bolsonaro and his "imbecile" handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Lula, who led Brazil from 2003 to 2010, has emerged as a leading contender to face the far-right incumbent in presidential elections next year, after a Supreme Court justice annulled the popular but tarnished leftist's corruption convictions Monday, reinstating his right to run for office. In his first comments since the ruling, Lula, 75, gave a scathing take-down of Bolsonaro's management of the economy and signature policies. He was especially biting on Bolsonaro's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 266,000 people in Brazil -- the second-highest death toll worldwide, after the United States. Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the new coronavirus, flouted expert advice on containing it and fueled vaccine skepticism. "Don't follow any imbecile decisions by the president of the republic or the health minister: get vaccinated," Lula told a news conference. Lula, a former metal worker and union leader, led Brazil through an economic boom, and is remembered for social programs that helped lift tens of millions of people from poverty. Recent opinion polls suggest he is the best-placed politician to unseat Bolsonaro in the October 2022 elections. But he remains a highly controversial figure after being sentenced to a total of 26 years in jail on corruption charges stemming from a sweeping investigation into a scheme in which top politicians and business executives systematically siphoned billions of dollars from state oil company Petrobras. He spent more than 18 months in prison, before being released in 2019 pending appeal. 'Unofficial campaign launch' Lula called himself the victim of "the biggest judicial lie in 500 years," repeating his claim that the graft charges against him were fabricated to sideline him from the 2018 presidential race, which Bolsonaro ultimately won. He said he planned to "fight tirelessly" for Brazil, and that he wanted to resume touring the country once he is vaccinated against Covid-19 next week. But he declined to say whether he would run in the elections, saying "my head doesn't have time to think about a 2022 candidacy now." Still, "his speech was a campaign launch" in all but name, said political analyst Creomar da Souza, of the consulting firm Dharma. "He presented his project for the country, which involves a lot of references to his legacy as president," he said Lula is still seen as a hero on the left, which argues he was the victim of a conspiracy. Supporters point to the fact that the lead judge in the anti-corruption probe that ensnared him, Sergio Moro, went on to accept the post of justice minister under Bolsonaro, and that hacked phone messages suggest Moro conspired with prosecutors to ensure Lula was sidelined. But Lula still faces a series of corruption and influence-peddling charges, including the ones he was jailed for, which will now be transferred to a federal court in Brasilia. The surprise restoration of Lula's political rights could set up a showdown between the leftist, who governed Brazil from 2003 until 2011, against Bolsonaro in next year's election.

Former Brazilian President Zula blasts 'imbecile' Bolsonaro for mishandling pandemic

Russia&nbsp;and China unveiled plans Tuesday for a joint lunar space station, as Moscow seeks to recapture the glory of its space pioneering days of Soviet times, and Beijing gears up its own extraterrestrial ambitions.

Though Moscow was once at the forefront of space travel -- it sent the first man into space -- its cosmic ambitions have dimmed thanks to poor financing and endemic corruption.&nbsp;

It has been eclipsed by China and the United States, which have both clocked major wins in space exploration and research in recent years.&nbsp;

The Russian space agency Roscomos said in a statement that it had signed an agreement with China's National Space Administration (CNSA) to develop a "complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface and/or in the orbit of the Moon".

The CNSA, for its part, said that the project was "open to all interested countries and international partners" in what experts said would be China's biggest international space cooperation project to date.

Moscow is seeking to re-take the lead in the space race.

This year, it celebrates the 60th anniversary of&nbsp;Russia's first-ever manned space flight -- it sent Yuri Gagarin into space in April 1961, followed by the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, two years later.&nbsp;

The United States NASA space agency launched its first manned space flight a month after&nbsp;Russia, in May 1961, sending Alan Shepard up aboard Mercury-Redstone 3.

But Moscow has lagged behind both Washington and Beijing in the exploration of the Moon and Mars in recent years.&nbsp;

In the meantime, China -- which has sought closer partnership with Moscow -- has started a successful space programme of its own.

Bid deal

Last year, it launched its Tianwen-1 probe to Mars that is currently orbiting the Red Planet.

And in December, it successfully brought rock and soil samples from the Moon back to Earth, the first mission of this type in over 40 years.

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin wrote on Twitter that he had invited CNSA chief Zhang Kejian to the launch of&nbsp;Russia's first modern lunar lander, Luna 25, scheduled for October 1 -- the first lunar lander to be launched by&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;since 1976.

Eyes on Mars

The US space agency NASA has now set its sights on Mars, with its Perseverance rovers last week conducting their first test drive on the planet.

NASA eventually intends to conduct a possible human mission to the planet, even if planning is still at a very preliminary stage.

Moscow and Washington are also collaborating in the space sector -- one of the few areas of cooperation left between the Cold War rivals.

However,&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;did not sign the US-led Artemis Accord last year for countries that want to participate in a lunar exploration scheme spearheaded by NASA.

Under the Artemis programme announced during the tenure of former US President Donald Trump, NASA plans to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024.

In another blow to&nbsp;Russia's space reputation, Roscosmos last year lost its monopoly for manned flights to the International Space Station (ISS) after the first successful mission of the US company Space X.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has become a key player in the modern space race and has announced plans to fly several members of the public to the Moon in 2023 on a trip bankrolled by a Japanese millionaire.&nbsp;

A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded after landing in Texas in March,after climbing to an altitude of six miles (10 kilometres). The test flight was part of the company's ambitious project to take people to Mars.

Russia and China unveiled plans Tuesday for a joint lunar space station, as Moscow seeks to recapture the glory of its space pioneering days of Soviet times, and Beijing gears up its own extraterrestrial ambitions.

Russia and China unveiled plans Tuesday for a joint lunar space station, as Moscow seeks to recapture the glory of its space pioneering days of Soviet times, and Beijing gears up its own extraterrestrial ambitions. Though Moscow was once at the forefront of space travel -- it sent the first man into space -- its cosmic ambitions have dimmed thanks to poor financing and endemic corruption. It has been eclipsed by China and the United States, which have both clocked major wins in space exploration and research in recent years. The Russian space agency Roscomos said in a statement that it had signed an agreement with China's National Space Administration (CNSA) to develop a "complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface and/or in the orbit of the Moon". The CNSA, for its part, said that the project was "open to all interested countries and international partners" in what experts said would be China's biggest international space cooperation project to date. Moscow is seeking to re-take the lead in the space race. This year, it celebrates the 60th anniversary of Russia's first-ever manned space flight -- it sent Yuri Gagarin into space in April 1961, followed by the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, two years later. The United States NASA space agency launched its first manned space flight a month after Russia, in May 1961, sending Alan Shepard up aboard Mercury-Redstone 3. But Moscow has lagged behind both Washington and Beijing in the exploration of the Moon and Mars in recent years. In the meantime, China -- which has sought closer partnership with Moscow -- has started a successful space programme of its own. Bid deal Last year, it launched its Tianwen-1 probe to Mars that is currently orbiting the Red Planet. And in December, it successfully brought rock and soil samples from the Moon back to Earth, the first mission of this type in over 40 years. Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin wrote on Twitter that he had invited CNSA chief Zhang Kejian to the launch of Russia's first modern lunar lander, Luna 25, scheduled for October 1 -- the first lunar lander to be launched by Russia since 1976. Eyes on Mars The US space agency NASA has now set its sights on Mars, with its Perseverance rovers last week conducting their first test drive on the planet. NASA eventually intends to conduct a possible human mission to the planet, even if planning is still at a very preliminary stage. Moscow and Washington are also collaborating in the space sector -- one of the few areas of cooperation left between the Cold War rivals. However, Russia did not sign the US-led Artemis Accord last year for countries that want to participate in a lunar exploration scheme spearheaded by NASA. Under the Artemis programme announced during the tenure of former US President Donald Trump, NASA plans to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024. In another blow to Russia's space reputation, Roscosmos last year lost its monopoly for manned flights to the International Space Station (ISS) after the first successful mission of the US company Space X. Elon Musk's SpaceX has become a key player in the modern space race and has announced plans to fly several members of the public to the Moon in 2023 on a trip bankrolled by a Japanese millionaire. A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded after landing in Texas in March,after climbing to an altitude of six miles (10 kilometres). The test flight was part of the company's ambitious project to take people to Mars.

Russia and China sign memorandum to build joint lunar space station

When President Joe Biden pledged last week to amass enough vaccine by late May to inoculate every adult in the United States, the pronouncement was greeted as a triumphant acceleration of a vaccination campaign that seemed to be faltering only weeks earlier.

And it is true that production of two of the three federally authorized vaccines has sped up in part because of the demands and directives of the new president’s coronavirus team.

But the announcement was also a triumph of another kind: public relations. Because Biden had tamped down expectations early, the quicker timetable for vaccine production conjured an image of a White House running on all cylinders and leaving its predecessor’s effort in the dust.

A closer look at the ramp-up announced last week offers a more mixed picture, one in which the new administration expanded and bulked up a vaccine production effort whose key elements were in place when Biden took over for President Donald Trump. Both administrations deserve credit, although neither wants to grant much to the other.

The Biden administration has taken two major steps that helped hasten vaccine production in the near term. Even before Biden was inaugurated, his aides determined that by invoking the Korean War-era Defense Production Act, the federal government could help Pfizer obtain the heavy machinery it needed to expand its plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Trump administration had repeatedly invoked that law, but its order for Pfizer only covered single-use supplies like plastic liners, not durable factory equipment.

Crucially, Biden’s top aides drove another vaccine manufacturer, Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson, to force a key subcontractor into round-the-clock operations so its vaccine could be bottled faster. That company had fallen behind on the production targets laid out in its federal contract. Only after Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House’s chief pandemic adviser, and Dr. David Kessler, who oversees the vaccine effort, demanded the company commit more resources did it publicly pledge to meet a crucial deadline in May.

At the same time, though, Biden benefited hugely from the waves of vaccine production that the Trump administration had set in motion. As both Pfizer and Moderna found their manufacturing footing, they were able to double and triple the outputs from their factories.

Biden had been in office less than a month when Moderna announced that it could deliver 200 million doses by the end of May, a month earlier than scheduled, simply because it had become faster at production. Pfizer was able to shave off even more time, moving up the timetable to deliver its 200 million doses by a full two months, partly because of newfound efficiencies and partly because it was given credit for six doses per vial instead of five.

All this enabled Biden to announce that his administration would have enough doses in hand by the end of May to cover all 257 million adults, two months earlier than he had promised just a few weeks earlier. His aides noted that on Sunday, the nation hit a daily record of 2.9 million shots, 3 1/2 times as many as were given on Inauguration Day.

“Throughout our response, we’ve provided clear timelines based on the available, authorized vaccines,” said Kevin Munoz, a White House assistant press secretary. “We don’t plan to just meet these timelines, but rather to overperform them.”

To Trump administration aides, the new president’s crowing rings off-key. Biden is proclaiming victory off his predecessor’s achievements while wrongly grumbling about a mess he says he inherited, they say.

“They criticize what we did, but they are using our playbook every step of the way,” said Paul Mango, the Trump administration’s deputy chief of staff for health policy and a senior official in the crash vaccine development effort then known as Operation Warp Speed. He said Trump’s team oversaw the construction or expansion of nearly two dozen plants involved in vaccine production and invoked the Defense Production Act 18 times to ensure those factories had sufficient supplies.

The Biden team is “maintaining a very nice trajectory,” Mango said. “But don’t criticize us to make yourselves look better.”

Still, corporate, state and federal officials agree that Biden’s White House has been more active than his predecessor’s in trying to build up the nation’s vaccine stock.

The new administration’s relationship with Pfizer is markedly better. Trump and his aides had accused the company of slow-walking its vaccine development to hurt Trump’s reelection bid. The company announced its vaccine was robustly effective on Nov. 9, nearly a week after Election Day, then filed its application for emergency use authorization on Nov. 20.

Pfizer officials privately suggested that the Trump administration not only was wrongfully bad-mouthing the company but also had refused for months to invoke the Defense Production Act to order suppliers to prioritize Pfizer’s needs, as it did for the other vaccine developers under federal contract.

Biden’s aides started talking to Pfizer executives about what the company needed to make more doses even before Inauguration Day. When Biden traveled to Michigan on Feb. 19 to visit Pfizer’s plant, Dr. Albert Bourla, the company’s chief executive, effusively praised the new administration as “a great ally,” saying officials had helped the company secure critical materials and equipment.

The biggest piece of locking in enough doses to cover the nation’s adults before June was Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson. As recently as two weeks ago, Dr. Richard Nettles, Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson’s vice president for medical affairs in the United States, would say only that the company would supply 20 million doses by the end of March and 100 million doses by the end of June. That fell short of its contract for 37 million doses by the end of March and 87 million by the end of May.

Reuters reported Tuesday that Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson had informed European Union officials that production problems might delay shipments, and Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said that he had heard similar warnings from the company.

In the United States, the company’s biggest worry was getting the vaccine bottled by two subcontractors. That “fill-and-finish” work is divided between a plant in Michigan run by Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, or GRAM, and a plant run by Catalent in Bloomington, Indiana. The Biden team pushed Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson to order GRAM to move from normal business hours to 24/7 operations, one senior administration official said. Another federal official said Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson was largely on track but did “scale up a bit faster” under pressure.

Officials also brokered an unusual partnership between Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson and a longtime competitor, Merck &amp;amp; Co. The Trump administration repeatedly explored using Merck’s plants to bolster vaccine production but never reached an agreement.

Zients, the pandemic adviser, said Sunday that the new alliance had helped the Biden administration set its new May goal. In fact, though, Merck is likely to bottle only a few million doses of Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson’s vaccine by then, according to people familiar with its operation. The main benefit of the partnership will come later in the year, when Merck will have retooled a huge plant with the capacity to produce as many as 100 million doses of vaccine a month, they said.

Beyond the nuts and bolts of production, Biden’s White House has pursued a starkly different messaging campaign than Trump’s: underpromise, and then try to overdeliver. Trump routinely boasted of imminent achievements, including a vaccine rollout before Election Day, only to fall short. By contrast, health experts complained, at least initially, that Biden was overly cautious.

When the vaccine rollout began in December, Biden vowed that his administration would average 1 million shots a day during his first 100 days in office — enough to vaccinate 50 million people by the end of March.

After less than a week in office, he raised the goal by 50%, to 1.5 million shots per day. The nation passed Biden’s initial target about a month ahead of schedule and is now averaging 2.17 million doses per day.

Carefully calibrated goals “avoid losses,” said David Axelrod, the senior strategist for President Barack Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012. “Certainly they must have learned that lesson from watching Trump.”

“Internally, you drive to the highest possible goal you can make. Externally, you set a floor that you are reasonably confident you can achieve,” he said.

When President Joe Biden pledged last week to amass enough vaccine by late May to inoculate every adult in the United States, the pronouncement was greeted as a triumphant acceleration of a vaccination campaign that seemed to be faltering only weeks earlier.

When President Joe Biden pledged last week to amass enough vaccine by late May to inoculate every adult in the United States, the pronouncement was greeted as a triumphant acceleration of a vaccination campaign that seemed to be faltering only weeks earlier. And it is true that production of two of the three federally authorized vaccines has sped up in part because of the demands and directives of the new president’s coronavirus team. But the announcement was also a triumph of another kind: public relations. Because Biden had tamped down expectations early, the quicker timetable for vaccine production conjured an image of a White House running on all cylinders and leaving its predecessor’s effort in the dust. A closer look at the ramp-up announced last week offers a more mixed picture, one in which the new administration expanded and bulked up a vaccine production effort whose key elements were in place when Biden took over for President Donald Trump. Both administrations deserve credit, although neither wants to grant much to the other. The Biden administration has taken two major steps that helped hasten vaccine production in the near term. Even before Biden was inaugurated, his aides determined that by invoking the Korean War-era Defense Production Act, the federal government could help Pfizer obtain the heavy machinery it needed to expand its plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Trump administration had repeatedly invoked that law, but its order for Pfizer only covered single-use supplies like plastic liners, not durable factory equipment. Crucially, Biden’s top aides drove another vaccine manufacturer, Johnson &amp; Johnson, to force a key subcontractor into round-the-clock operations so its vaccine could be bottled faster. That company had fallen behind on the production targets laid out in its federal contract. Only after Jeffrey D. Zients, the White House’s chief pandemic adviser, and Dr. David Kessler, who oversees the vaccine effort, demanded the company commit more resources did it publicly pledge to meet a crucial deadline in May. At the same time, though, Biden benefited hugely from the waves of vaccine production that the Trump administration had set in motion. As both Pfizer and Moderna found their manufacturing footing, they were able to double and triple the outputs from their factories. Biden had been in office less than a month when Moderna announced that it could deliver 200 million doses by the end of May, a month earlier than scheduled, simply because it had become faster at production. Pfizer was able to shave off even more time, moving up the timetable to deliver its 200 million doses by a full two months, partly because of newfound efficiencies and partly because it was given credit for six doses per vial instead of five. All this enabled Biden to announce that his administration would have enough doses in hand by the end of May to cover all 257 million adults, two months earlier than he had promised just a few weeks earlier. His aides noted that on Sunday, the nation hit a daily record of 2.9 million shots, 3 1/2 times as many as were given on Inauguration Day. “Throughout our response, we’ve provided clear timelines based on the available, authorized vaccines,” said Kevin Munoz, a White House assistant press secretary. “We don’t plan to just meet these timelines, but rather to overperform them.” To Trump administration aides, the new president’s crowing rings off-key. Biden is proclaiming victory off his predecessor’s achievements while wrongly grumbling about a mess he says he inherited, they say. “They criticize what we did, but they are using our playbook every step of the way,” said Paul Mango, the Trump administration’s deputy chief of staff for health policy and a senior official in the crash vaccine development effort then known as Operation Warp Speed. He said Trump’s team oversaw the construction or expansion of nearly two dozen plants involved in vaccine production and invoked the Defense Production Act 18 times to ensure those factories had sufficient supplies. The Biden team is “maintaining a very nice trajectory,” Mango said. “But don’t criticize us to make yourselves look better.” Still, corporate, state and federal officials agree that Biden’s White House has been more active than his predecessor’s in trying to build up the nation’s vaccine stock. The new administration’s relationship with Pfizer is markedly better. Trump and his aides had accused the company of slow-walking its vaccine development to hurt Trump’s reelection bid. The company announced its vaccine was robustly effective on Nov. 9, nearly a week after Election Day, then filed its application for emergency use authorization on Nov. 20. Pfizer officials privately suggested that the Trump administration not only was wrongfully bad-mouthing the company but also had refused for months to invoke the Defense Production Act to order suppliers to prioritize Pfizer’s needs, as it did for the other vaccine developers under federal contract. Biden’s aides started talking to Pfizer executives about what the company needed to make more doses even before Inauguration Day. When Biden traveled to Michigan on Feb. 19 to visit Pfizer’s plant, Dr. Albert Bourla, the company’s chief executive, effusively praised the new administration as “a great ally,” saying officials had helped the company secure critical materials and equipment. The biggest piece of locking in enough doses to cover the nation’s adults before June was Johnson &amp; Johnson. As recently as two weeks ago, Dr. Richard Nettles, Johnson &amp; Johnson’s vice president for medical affairs in the United States, would say only that the company would supply 20 million doses by the end of March and 100 million doses by the end of June. That fell short of its contract for 37 million doses by the end of March and 87 million by the end of May. Reuters reported Tuesday that Johnson &amp; Johnson had informed European Union officials that production problems might delay shipments, and Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said that he had heard similar warnings from the company. In the United States, the company’s biggest worry was getting the vaccine bottled by two subcontractors. That “fill-and-finish” work is divided between a plant in Michigan run by Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, or GRAM, and a plant run by Catalent in Bloomington, Indiana. The Biden team pushed Johnson &amp; Johnson to order GRAM to move from normal business hours to 24/7 operations, one senior administration official said. Another federal official said Johnson &amp; Johnson was largely on track but did “scale up a bit faster” under pressure. Officials also brokered an unusual partnership between Johnson &amp; Johnson and a longtime competitor, Merck &amp; Co. The Trump administration repeatedly explored using Merck’s plants to bolster vaccine production but never reached an agreement. Zients, the pandemic adviser, said Sunday that the new alliance had helped the Biden administration set its new May goal. In fact, though, Merck is likely to bottle only a few million doses of Johnson &amp; Johnson’s vaccine by then, according to people familiar with its operation. The main benefit of the partnership will come later in the year, when Merck will have retooled a huge plant with the capacity to produce as many as 100 million doses of vaccine a month, they said. Beyond the nuts and bolts of production, Biden’s White House has pursued a starkly different messaging campaign than Trump’s: underpromise, and then try to overdeliver. Trump routinely boasted of imminent achievements, including a vaccine rollout before Election Day, only to fall short. By contrast, health experts complained, at least initially, that Biden was overly cautious. When the vaccine rollout began in December, Biden vowed that his administration would average 1 million shots a day during his first 100 days in office — enough to vaccinate 50 million people by the end of March. After less than a week in office, he raised the goal by 50%, to 1.5 million shots per day. The nation passed Biden’s initial target about a month ahead of schedule and is now averaging 2.17 million doses per day. Carefully calibrated goals “avoid losses,” said David Axelrod, the senior strategist for President Barack Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012. “Certainly they must have learned that lesson from watching Trump.” “Internally, you drive to the highest possible goal you can make. Externally, you set a floor that you are reasonably confident you can achieve,” he said.

Biden got the vaccine rollout humming, with Trump’s help

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Vyomica Berry

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