Norway&nbsp;has suspended the sale of a Norwegian engine maker owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings to a Russian-controlled company while it assesses the security implications for the country's navy and the civilian sector, the government said on Tuesday.

Norway's NSM security agency is assessing the 150 million-euro ($178 million) sale announced on February&nbsp;4 of Bergen Engines to a company controlled by Russia's TMH Group, NSM and the justice ministry said.

Britain's Rolls-Royce said it was selling Bergen Engines as part of a disposal plan aimed at helping the maker of engines for aircraft and ships survive the pandemic.

Based in Bergen on&nbsp;Norway's west coast, Bergen Engines is, among other things, a supplier to NATO member&nbsp;Norway's navy which is headquartered nearby.

"There is significant uncertainty in relation to national security interests, and this uncertainty must be dealt with," Justice Minister Monica Maeland told a news conference to announce the suspension. "We don't know which conclusion we will draw."

TMH Group said it would cooperate with Norwegian authorities and it was hopeful of completing the transaction.

"We are fully aware of and take seriously our export control compliance obligations," TMH said in a statement.

"This will include those obligations that relate to Bergen Engines, relating to the protection of any controlled technology including to prevent it being used for unauthorised end use."

Norway's justice ministry said any ongoing due diligence linked to the sale must also be put on hold during the review.

In 2019,&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;introduced a new security law strengthening the government's ability to impose conditions or block foreign acquisitions when vital national interests are at stake.

While NSM assesses corporate takeovers from time to time,&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;has yet to block any business transactions since the law came in, the agency said.

"It's very difficult to estimate how long this process will take," NSM department head Frode Skaarnes told Reuters.

Rolls-Royce shares closed down 2.3 per cent&nbsp;on Tuesday, lagging a 0.2&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;rise in the FTSE 100 benchmark index.

'Sensitive information'

A spokesman for Rolls-Royce said it had alerted the government in the proper way before announcing the sale.

"We understand, however, that the Norwegian Government now wishes to further investigate the deal and Rolls-Royce will co-operate in any way we can with that review. As requested, we have paused the sales process," the spokesman said.

Relations between&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;and Russia, which share a border in the Arctic, gradually improved in the post-Cold War era before suffering a setback when Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.

That triggered more tension in the north with a military build-up on both sides and more frequent manoeuvres.

The Russian embassy in Oslo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Besides Bergen Engines' commercial relations with&nbsp;Norway's navy, authorities must also consider the wider implications of the Rolls-Royce deal, said Jakub Godzimirski, a research professor at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.

"It must be decided under&nbsp;Norway's security law whether the new owners would get access to sensitive information," he said. "If a Russian firm acquires a leading maker of engines, it could also give the Russian navy access to new technology."

While&nbsp;Norway&nbsp;welcomes foreign investment, this must be balanced against potential threats to national security, the justice ministry said. Maeland said she planned to brief parliament separately on the matter.

Bergen Engines makes medium-speed gas and diesel engines for marine and power generation customers. It employs about 950 people and had revenue of 239 million pounds ($332 million) in 2019.

Norway has suspended the sale of a Norwegian engine maker owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings to a Russian-controlled company while it assesses the security implications for the country's navy and the civilian sector, the government said on Tuesday.

Norway has suspended the sale of a Norwegian engine maker owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings to a Russian-controlled company while it assesses the security implications for the country's navy and the civilian sector, the government said on Tuesday. Norway's NSM security agency is assessing the 150 million-euro ($178 million) sale announced on February 4 of Bergen Engines to a company controlled by Russia's TMH Group, NSM and the justice ministry said. Britain's Rolls-Royce said it was selling Bergen Engines as part of a disposal plan aimed at helping the maker of engines for aircraft and ships survive the pandemic. Based in Bergen on Norway's west coast, Bergen Engines is, among other things, a supplier to NATO member Norway's navy which is headquartered nearby. "There is significant uncertainty in relation to national security interests, and this uncertainty must be dealt with," Justice Minister Monica Maeland told a news conference to announce the suspension. "We don't know which conclusion we will draw." TMH Group said it would cooperate with Norwegian authorities and it was hopeful of completing the transaction. "We are fully aware of and take seriously our export control compliance obligations," TMH said in a statement. "This will include those obligations that relate to Bergen Engines, relating to the protection of any controlled technology including to prevent it being used for unauthorised end use." Norway's justice ministry said any ongoing due diligence linked to the sale must also be put on hold during the review. In 2019, Norway introduced a new security law strengthening the government's ability to impose conditions or block foreign acquisitions when vital national interests are at stake. While NSM assesses corporate takeovers from time to time, Norway has yet to block any business transactions since the law came in, the agency said. "It's very difficult to estimate how long this process will take," NSM department head Frode Skaarnes told Reuters. Rolls-Royce shares closed down 2.3 per cent on Tuesday, lagging a 0.2 per cent rise in the FTSE 100 benchmark index. 'Sensitive information' A spokesman for Rolls-Royce said it had alerted the government in the proper way before announcing the sale. "We understand, however, that the Norwegian Government now wishes to further investigate the deal and Rolls-Royce will co-operate in any way we can with that review. As requested, we have paused the sales process," the spokesman said. Relations between Norway and Russia, which share a border in the Arctic, gradually improved in the post-Cold War era before suffering a setback when Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014. That triggered more tension in the north with a military build-up on both sides and more frequent manoeuvres. The Russian embassy in Oslo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Besides Bergen Engines' commercial relations with Norway's navy, authorities must also consider the wider implications of the Rolls-Royce deal, said Jakub Godzimirski, a research professor at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. "It must be decided under Norway's security law whether the new owners would get access to sensitive information," he said. "If a Russian firm acquires a leading maker of engines, it could also give the Russian navy access to new technology." While Norway welcomes foreign investment, this must be balanced against potential threats to national security, the justice ministry said. Maeland said she planned to brief parliament separately on the matter. Bergen Engines makes medium-speed gas and diesel engines for marine and power generation customers. It employs about 950 people and had revenue of 239 million pounds ($332 million) in 2019.

Norway halts Rolls-Royce asset sale to Russian company on security grounds

On an unseasonably warm day in February, two men working with a local community group went door to door in an ethnically diverse neighborhood to persuade people to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations.

It was just after 11 a.m. when they encountered the first person reluctant to get a shot. Two doors down and 30 minutes later, it happened again. For nearly an hour, they stood on a front lawn with George Rodriguez, 67, chatting about the neighborhood, the pandemic and the available vaccines.

“I see all this stuff online, about how it’s going to change my DNA. It does something to your DNA, right?” asked Rodriguez, who is Hispanic. “There is just too much stuff out, too much conflicting information. And then I hear that even if you get the vaccine you can still get sick. Why would I get it, then?”

Black and Hispanic communities, which were hit harder by the pandemic and whose vaccination rates are lagging that for white people, are confronting vaccine conspiracy theories, rumors and misleading news reports on social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter and in private online messaging, health authorities and misinformation researchers said.

The misinformation varies, like claims that vaccines can alter DNA — which is not true — and that the vaccines do not work, or that people of color are being used as guinea pigs. A good part of this incorrect information comes from friends, family and celebrities, bubbling up in communities that have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and facing other hurdles to getting vaccinated.

Foreign news outlets and anti-vaccine activists have also aggressively tried to cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines made in the United States and Europe.

Misinformation has complicated efforts by some states to reach out to Black and Hispanic residents, particularly when health officials have provided special registration codes for vaccine appointments. Instead of a benefit, in some cases the codes have become the basis for new false narratives.

“What might look like, on the surface, as doctors prioritizing communities of color is being read by some people online as ‘Oh, those doctors want us to go first to be the guinea pigs,’” said Kolina Koltai, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies online conspiracy theories. “I’ve seen people on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Clubhouse — you name it — saying the codes are a way to force the vaccine on communities of color as an experiment.”

Research conducted by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation in mid-February showed a striking disparity between racial groups receiving the vaccine in 34 states that reported the data.

The state figures vary widely. In Texas, where people who identify as Hispanic make up 42% of the population, only 20% of the vaccinations had gone to that group. In Mississippi, where Black people make up 38% of the population, they received 22% of the vaccinations. According to an analysis by The New York Times, the vaccination rate for Black Americans is half that of white people, and the gap for Hispanic people is even larger.

While researchers say a lack of easy access to vaccine sites could be the biggest driver of that shortfall, misinformation is playing a role.

The belief that doctors are interested in experimenting on certain communities has deep roots among some groups, Koltai said. Anti-vaccine activists have drawn on historical examples, including Nazi doctors who ran experiments in concentration camps, and the Baltimore hospital where, 70 years ago, cancer cells were collected from Henrietta Lacks, a Black mother of five, without her consent.

“The thing about misinformation is that it works best when it is built around a kernel of truth. In this case, many communities of color don’t trust the medical establishment because they don’t have the best history with it,” said Shireen Mitchell, founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women, a group that supports women of color who are harassed online.

An experiment conducted in 1943 on nearly 400 Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama, is one of the most researched examples of medical mistreatment of the Black community. Over four decades, scientists observed the men, whom they knew were infected with syphilis, but did not offer treatments so that they could study the disease’s progression. When the experiment came to light in the 1970s, it was condemned by the medical community as a major violation of ethical standards.

Researchers who study disinformation followed mentions of Tuskegee on social media over the last year. While Tuskegee averaged several hundred mentions a week on Facebook and Twitter, there were several noticeable spikes that coincided with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, according to Zignal Labs, a media insights company.

The final week of November, when pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer announced promising results in their final studies on the safety of their COVID-19 vaccines, mentions of Tuskegee climbed to 7,000 a week.

There was another lull until mid-December, when the Food and Drug Administration announced it had given emergency approval to the vaccines. Mentions of Tuskegee climbed to nearly 5,000 that week, according to Zignal, with some of the most viral tweets calling the coronavirus vaccines “the New Tuskegee study.”

Doctors say they are battling vaccine hesitancy in other demographic groups, as well. Last month, a poll by the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 23% of Republicans said they would “definitely” not get vaccinated, while 21% said they “probably” would not get a coronavirus vaccine.

Native American groups have been battling vaccine fears in their communities, and doctors have reported that some of their Chinese American patients have been bringing in articles in Chinese-language media outlets questioning vaccines made in the U.S.

Many Black and Hispanic people were already struggling to make appointments and reach vaccination sites that are often in whiter, wealthier neighborhoods. And officials in some cities say that people from those neighborhoods also have been flooding vaccination appointment systems and taking supply intended for poorer Black and Hispanic residents.

Misinformation about who is allowed to receive the vaccine, when it is available and how it was safety tested has added even more difficulty, Mitchell said.

At a mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, on a recent Friday afternoon, before 68-year-old Anthony Jones agreed to get his shot last month, there was just one last thing he wanted to look up on Facebook. He pulled out his phone and started to tap, waving off his grandson, who had driven him to his appointment.

“I read something about a woman who died from this thing, and I want to know if she was Black,” said Jones, who after several minutes of scrolling could not find the Facebook post he was looking for. “You see a lot of stuff on the internet which makes you think, as a Black man, you should not be taking this vaccine.”

Jones eventually gave up. As he was walking in for his shot he remembered the article he had seen was on WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, and from a website he did not recognize.

“My grandson tells me not to believe everything I read on the internet,” he said. “I like to believe my grandson.”

The next day, Daniel Lander, 38, was canvassing a neighborhood in San Jose with Armand Mateos, 28. For the last five months, Lander has been going door to door in a program managed by Working Partnerships USA, a community organization based in Silicon Valley. The group is working with local county officials to help dispel misinformation about the pandemic and vaccines.

“We hear people say that they saw this or that celebrity sharing something on Twitter or Instagram that made them think the vaccine was a bad idea. People value the opinion of people they look up to, and these celebrities have a lot of influence,” Lander said.

As they chatted with Rodriguez, a muscular man and an enthusiastic talker, Lander and Mateos said they sympathized with his concerns. They said they had a lot of the same questions, and explained their decision to get the vaccines themselves. Rodriguez asked where they got their shots and how it made them feel.

Mateos reflexively touched his left arm, where he had received the vaccine in recent weeks. It hurt, he said, and he wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. But he was convinced that it was safe and that it would keep him and his loved ones from getting sick.

“They’ve read all this stuff online, from different news sources, which is confusing. But then they meet me, as someone who has had the shot, and I can give them some real answers,” Mateos said. He added that many people cited articles in the Spanish-language versions of Russian state-backed media networks, Sputnik and Russia Today. “They are very down on the American vaccines. People read those stories and don’t want to get the shot.”

As the two men were leaving, Rodriguez yelled out that he would get the shot that week. They made sure he had the phone number and websites he needed to register, and continued down the street.

“I think I will get it later this week,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t make promises, but I think that they’ve convinced me.”

On an unseasonably warm day in February, two men working with a local community group went door to door in an ethnically diverse neighborhood to persuade people to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations.

On an unseasonably warm day in February, two men working with a local community group went door to door in an ethnically diverse neighborhood to persuade people to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations. It was just after 11 a.m. when they encountered the first person reluctant to get a shot. Two doors down and 30 minutes later, it happened again. For nearly an hour, they stood on a front lawn with George Rodriguez, 67, chatting about the neighborhood, the pandemic and the available vaccines. “I see all this stuff online, about how it’s going to change my DNA. It does something to your DNA, right?” asked Rodriguez, who is Hispanic. “There is just too much stuff out, too much conflicting information. And then I hear that even if you get the vaccine you can still get sick. Why would I get it, then?” Black and Hispanic communities, which were hit harder by the pandemic and whose vaccination rates are lagging that for white people, are confronting vaccine conspiracy theories, rumors and misleading news reports on social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter and in private online messaging, health authorities and misinformation researchers said. The misinformation varies, like claims that vaccines can alter DNA — which is not true — and that the vaccines do not work, or that people of color are being used as guinea pigs. A good part of this incorrect information comes from friends, family and celebrities, bubbling up in communities that have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and facing other hurdles to getting vaccinated. Foreign news outlets and anti-vaccine activists have also aggressively tried to cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines made in the United States and Europe. Misinformation has complicated efforts by some states to reach out to Black and Hispanic residents, particularly when health officials have provided special registration codes for vaccine appointments. Instead of a benefit, in some cases the codes have become the basis for new false narratives. “What might look like, on the surface, as doctors prioritizing communities of color is being read by some people online as ‘Oh, those doctors want us to go first to be the guinea pigs,’” said Kolina Koltai, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies online conspiracy theories. “I’ve seen people on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Clubhouse — you name it — saying the codes are a way to force the vaccine on communities of color as an experiment.” Research conducted by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation in mid-February showed a striking disparity between racial groups receiving the vaccine in 34 states that reported the data. The state figures vary widely. In Texas, where people who identify as Hispanic make up 42% of the population, only 20% of the vaccinations had gone to that group. In Mississippi, where Black people make up 38% of the population, they received 22% of the vaccinations. According to an analysis by The New York Times, the vaccination rate for Black Americans is half that of white people, and the gap for Hispanic people is even larger. While researchers say a lack of easy access to vaccine sites could be the biggest driver of that shortfall, misinformation is playing a role. The belief that doctors are interested in experimenting on certain communities has deep roots among some groups, Koltai said. Anti-vaccine activists have drawn on historical examples, including Nazi doctors who ran experiments in concentration camps, and the Baltimore hospital where, 70 years ago, cancer cells were collected from Henrietta Lacks, a Black mother of five, without her consent. “The thing about misinformation is that it works best when it is built around a kernel of truth. In this case, many communities of color don’t trust the medical establishment because they don’t have the best history with it,” said Shireen Mitchell, founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women, a group that supports women of color who are harassed online. An experiment conducted in 1943 on nearly 400 Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama, is one of the most researched examples of medical mistreatment of the Black community. Over four decades, scientists observed the men, whom they knew were infected with syphilis, but did not offer treatments so that they could study the disease’s progression. When the experiment came to light in the 1970s, it was condemned by the medical community as a major violation of ethical standards. Researchers who study disinformation followed mentions of Tuskegee on social media over the last year. While Tuskegee averaged several hundred mentions a week on Facebook and Twitter, there were several noticeable spikes that coincided with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, according to Zignal Labs, a media insights company. The final week of November, when pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer announced promising results in their final studies on the safety of their COVID-19 vaccines, mentions of Tuskegee climbed to 7,000 a week. There was another lull until mid-December, when the Food and Drug Administration announced it had given emergency approval to the vaccines. Mentions of Tuskegee climbed to nearly 5,000 that week, according to Zignal, with some of the most viral tweets calling the coronavirus vaccines “the New Tuskegee study.” Doctors say they are battling vaccine hesitancy in other demographic groups, as well. Last month, a poll by the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 23% of Republicans said they would “definitely” not get vaccinated, while 21% said they “probably” would not get a coronavirus vaccine. Native American groups have been battling vaccine fears in their communities, and doctors have reported that some of their Chinese American patients have been bringing in articles in Chinese-language media outlets questioning vaccines made in the U.S. Many Black and Hispanic people were already struggling to make appointments and reach vaccination sites that are often in whiter, wealthier neighborhoods. And officials in some cities say that people from those neighborhoods also have been flooding vaccination appointment systems and taking supply intended for poorer Black and Hispanic residents. Misinformation about who is allowed to receive the vaccine, when it is available and how it was safety tested has added even more difficulty, Mitchell said. At a mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California, on a recent Friday afternoon, before 68-year-old Anthony Jones agreed to get his shot last month, there was just one last thing he wanted to look up on Facebook. He pulled out his phone and started to tap, waving off his grandson, who had driven him to his appointment. “I read something about a woman who died from this thing, and I want to know if she was Black,” said Jones, who after several minutes of scrolling could not find the Facebook post he was looking for. “You see a lot of stuff on the internet which makes you think, as a Black man, you should not be taking this vaccine.” Jones eventually gave up. As he was walking in for his shot he remembered the article he had seen was on WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, and from a website he did not recognize. “My grandson tells me not to believe everything I read on the internet,” he said. “I like to believe my grandson.” The next day, Daniel Lander, 38, was canvassing a neighborhood in San Jose with Armand Mateos, 28. For the last five months, Lander has been going door to door in a program managed by Working Partnerships USA, a community organization based in Silicon Valley. The group is working with local county officials to help dispel misinformation about the pandemic and vaccines. “We hear people say that they saw this or that celebrity sharing something on Twitter or Instagram that made them think the vaccine was a bad idea. People value the opinion of people they look up to, and these celebrities have a lot of influence,” Lander said. As they chatted with Rodriguez, a muscular man and an enthusiastic talker, Lander and Mateos said they sympathized with his concerns. They said they had a lot of the same questions, and explained their decision to get the vaccines themselves. Rodriguez asked where they got their shots and how it made them feel. Mateos reflexively touched his left arm, where he had received the vaccine in recent weeks. It hurt, he said, and he wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. But he was convinced that it was safe and that it would keep him and his loved ones from getting sick. “They’ve read all this stuff online, from different news sources, which is confusing. But then they meet me, as someone who has had the shot, and I can give them some real answers,” Mateos said. He added that many people cited articles in the Spanish-language versions of Russian state-backed media networks, Sputnik and Russia Today. “They are very down on the American vaccines. People read those stories and don’t want to get the shot.” As the two men were leaving, Rodriguez yelled out that he would get the shot that week. They made sure he had the phone number and websites he needed to register, and continued down the street. “I think I will get it later this week,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t make promises, but I think that they’ve convinced me.”

Black and hispanic communities grapple with vaccine misinformation

The European Union exported 25 million doses of vaccines produced in its territory last month to 31 countries around the world, with Britain and Canada the top destinations, just as the bloc saw its own supply cut drastically by pharmaceutical companies, slowing down vaccination efforts and stoking a political crisis at home.

The bloc, whose 27 nations are home to 450 million people,&nbsp;came under criticism last week when Italy used an export-control mechanism to block a small shipment of vaccines to Australia. The move was criticized as protectionist and in sharp contrast to the EU’s mantra of free markets and global solidarity in the face of the pandemic.

The issue of vaccine production and exports has also created a bitter dispute between the EU and Britain, a recently departed member, amid accusations that the bloc wants to deprive the country of vaccine doses out of spite, in part because Britain is doing so much better with its rollout.

The tensions culminated in a diplomatic spat Wednesday after a top EU official accused the United States and Britain of bringing in an “outright ban” on exports — a charge that the British government vehemently denied.

Practically speaking, ban or no ban, Britain is not exporting vaccines authorized for use at home, and the country has said it would be prepared to give excess doses to neighbouring Ireland, though only after it was done with its vaccination efforts at home.

The U.S. has also been holding onto doses, in part through a wartime mechanism known as the Defense Production Act, which gives the federal government greater control over industrial production. President Joe Biden promised last week that all adults in America would have at least one vaccine dose offered to them by May.

But information made public for the first time, recorded in detailed internal documents seen by The New York Times, shows that the EU, far from being protectionist, is in fact a vaccine exporting powerhouse.

Of the 25 million vaccine doses made in EU-based facilities that were exported between Feb. 1 (when the export mechanism came into force) and March 1, more than 8 million doses went to Britain.

And while the U.S. kept doses for itself, the EU shipped 651,000 vaccines to the U.S. last month and made vaccines that immunized its neighbours: The second-largest recipient of EU-made vaccines was Canada, which received more than 3 million doses last month, while the fourth-largest was Mexico, receiving nearly 2.5 million vaccine doses produced in the bloc.

Whether to reveal this data has been hotly debated in the corridors of power at the European Commission, the EU executive branch, which is at the heart of procuring the vaccines and has suffered the biggest political blow for the underwhelming rollout.

On the one hand, several senior EU officials said, revealing the immense export efforts that are keeping countries around the world vaccinated and helping the world economy restart would help restore Europe’s reputation. On the other hand, it would outrage European citizens who are waiting for their shots while watching Americans, Britons, Israelis and others race past them into resuming public life, health and economic activity.

As things stand, nearly 58 per cent&nbsp;of Israelis have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. The figure is 33 per cent&nbsp;for people in Britain, 18 per cent&nbsp;for the U.S., and 6.5 per cent&nbsp;of people in the EU, data collected by OurWorldInData shows.

The bloc was weeks behind the U.S. and Britain in sealing deals with pharmaceutical firms last year but did secure a broad portfolio of vaccines on favourable terms on behalf of its members. That granted them relatively quick access to immunization that most would not have dreamed of had they been acting alone.

But within weeks of starting its rollout in late December, the bloc began suffering supply shocks. First, Pfizer said it was cutting deliveries to upgrade its facilities. Then AstraZeneca told the bloc that it would deliver only 31 million of a promised 80 million doses in the first quarter of this year.

Moderna, whose vaccine has also been approved for use by the bloc, has likewise had small problems with supply. Many EU countries have also done a poor job getting the vaccines they do have to their citizens because of poor organization and logistics.

The rollout in the bloc has been so poor that member states have been tempted by black-market offers of extra doses, and several are tapping unauthorized vaccines, including Russia’s Sputnik V, which is still under review for use in the bloc.

Hopes that these woes could be eased in the second quarter of this year have largely hinged on AstraZeneca’s supply picking up and a robust delivery plan by Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson, whose COVID-19 vaccine is set to be authorized by the EU regulator Thursday.

Yet there are concerns that Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson could also be slashing supply to the bloc, prompting a request by the bloc to the U.S. government for a loan of 10 million doses. Officials in the U.S. and the EU said the request had been denied.

The European Union exported 25 million doses of vaccines produced in its territory last month to 31 countries around the world, with Britain and Canada the top destinations, just as the bloc saw its own supply cut drastically by pharmaceutical companies, slowing down vaccination efforts and stoking a political crisis at home.

The European Union exported 25 million doses of vaccines produced in its territory last month to 31 countries around the world, with Britain and Canada the top destinations, just as the bloc saw its own supply cut drastically by pharmaceutical companies, slowing down vaccination efforts and stoking a political crisis at home. The bloc, whose 27 nations are home to 450 million people, came under criticism last week when Italy used an export-control mechanism to block a small shipment of vaccines to Australia. The move was criticized as protectionist and in sharp contrast to the EU’s mantra of free markets and global solidarity in the face of the pandemic. The issue of vaccine production and exports has also created a bitter dispute between the EU and Britain, a recently departed member, amid accusations that the bloc wants to deprive the country of vaccine doses out of spite, in part because Britain is doing so much better with its rollout. The tensions culminated in a diplomatic spat Wednesday after a top EU official accused the United States and Britain of bringing in an “outright ban” on exports — a charge that the British government vehemently denied. Practically speaking, ban or no ban, Britain is not exporting vaccines authorized for use at home, and the country has said it would be prepared to give excess doses to neighbouring Ireland, though only after it was done with its vaccination efforts at home. The U.S. has also been holding onto doses, in part through a wartime mechanism known as the Defense Production Act, which gives the federal government greater control over industrial production. President Joe Biden promised last week that all adults in America would have at least one vaccine dose offered to them by May. But information made public for the first time, recorded in detailed internal documents seen by The New York Times, shows that the EU, far from being protectionist, is in fact a vaccine exporting powerhouse. Of the 25 million vaccine doses made in EU-based facilities that were exported between Feb. 1 (when the export mechanism came into force) and March 1, more than 8 million doses went to Britain. And while the U.S. kept doses for itself, the EU shipped 651,000 vaccines to the U.S. last month and made vaccines that immunized its neighbours: The second-largest recipient of EU-made vaccines was Canada, which received more than 3 million doses last month, while the fourth-largest was Mexico, receiving nearly 2.5 million vaccine doses produced in the bloc. Whether to reveal this data has been hotly debated in the corridors of power at the European Commission, the EU executive branch, which is at the heart of procuring the vaccines and has suffered the biggest political blow for the underwhelming rollout. On the one hand, several senior EU officials said, revealing the immense export efforts that are keeping countries around the world vaccinated and helping the world economy restart would help restore Europe’s reputation. On the other hand, it would outrage European citizens who are waiting for their shots while watching Americans, Britons, Israelis and others race past them into resuming public life, health and economic activity. As things stand, nearly 58 per cent of Israelis have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. The figure is 33 per cent for people in Britain, 18 per cent for the U.S., and 6.5 per cent of people in the EU, data collected by OurWorldInData shows. The bloc was weeks behind the U.S. and Britain in sealing deals with pharmaceutical firms last year but did secure a broad portfolio of vaccines on favourable terms on behalf of its members. That granted them relatively quick access to immunization that most would not have dreamed of had they been acting alone. But within weeks of starting its rollout in late December, the bloc began suffering supply shocks. First, Pfizer said it was cutting deliveries to upgrade its facilities. Then AstraZeneca told the bloc that it would deliver only 31 million of a promised 80 million doses in the first quarter of this year. Moderna, whose vaccine has also been approved for use by the bloc, has likewise had small problems with supply. Many EU countries have also done a poor job getting the vaccines they do have to their citizens because of poor organization and logistics. The rollout in the bloc has been so poor that member states have been tempted by black-market offers of extra doses, and several are tapping unauthorized vaccines, including Russia’s Sputnik V, which is still under review for use in the bloc. Hopes that these woes could be eased in the second quarter of this year have largely hinged on AstraZeneca’s supply picking up and a robust delivery plan by Johnson &amp; Johnson, whose COVID-19 vaccine is set to be authorized by the EU regulator Thursday. Yet there are concerns that Johnson &amp; Johnson could also be slashing supply to the bloc, prompting a request by the bloc to the U.S. government for a loan of 10 million doses. Officials in the U.S. and the EU said the request had been denied.

EU exports millions of vaccine doses despite supply crunch at home

American microblogging and social networking service Twitter is working on a `big overhaul` of its TweetDeck platform, which lets users arrange lists and feeds into easy-to-read vertical rows.

The company plans to share more details about the project publicly later this year, product chief Kayvon Beykpour said in an interview with The Verge on Tuesday.

TweetDeck, an alternative Twitter platform owned by the social networking service, offers a number of different features, such as accessing multiple timelines in columns and scheduling tweets.

TweetDeck has not received any significant updates in the last 10 years. The platform hasn`t seen many changes in the way of design or major feature updates in years.

The app launched nearly 12 years ago and was acquired by Twitter in 2011, and it is more or less still the same vertical grid viewer for your various Twitter feeds it started as. Mostly, Twitter has ported over new functions added to its main website and mobile apps while keeping the core TweetDeck design relatively static.

Beykpour and the product team recognise that they haven`t "given TweetDeck a lot of love recently," and they are actively working on a new TweetDeck they plan to show off later this year.

The upcoming changes to the platform are a part of a broader push to improve Twitter`s developer tools and repair its relationship with app makers, with the latter being a longtime contention between Twitter and the broader software development community.

However, Beykpour did not specify whether the new TweetDeck will be released this year or simply previewed for the public. It is also unclear whether this new TweetDeck would feature a refreshed visual design, all-new features, or both. However, whatever form the new platform takes, it will be a breath of fresh air for TweetDeck`s longtime users.

American microblogging and social networking service Twitter is working on a `big overhaul` of its TweetDeck platform, which lets users arrange lists and feeds into easy-to-read vertical rows.

American microblogging and social networking service Twitter is working on a `big overhaul` of its TweetDeck platform, which lets users arrange lists and feeds into easy-to-read vertical rows. The company plans to share more details about the project publicly later this year, product chief Kayvon Beykpour said in an interview with The Verge on Tuesday. TweetDeck, an alternative Twitter platform owned by the social networking service, offers a number of different features, such as accessing multiple timelines in columns and scheduling tweets. TweetDeck has not received any significant updates in the last 10 years. The platform hasn`t seen many changes in the way of design or major feature updates in years. The app launched nearly 12 years ago and was acquired by Twitter in 2011, and it is more or less still the same vertical grid viewer for your various Twitter feeds it started as. Mostly, Twitter has ported over new functions added to its main website and mobile apps while keeping the core TweetDeck design relatively static. Beykpour and the product team recognise that they haven`t "given TweetDeck a lot of love recently," and they are actively working on a new TweetDeck they plan to show off later this year. The upcoming changes to the platform are a part of a broader push to improve Twitter`s developer tools and repair its relationship with app makers, with the latter being a longtime contention between Twitter and the broader software development community. However, Beykpour did not specify whether the new TweetDeck will be released this year or simply previewed for the public. It is also unclear whether this new TweetDeck would feature a refreshed visual design, all-new features, or both. However, whatever form the new platform takes, it will be a breath of fresh air for TweetDeck`s longtime users.

Twitter working on a 'big overhaul' of TweetDeck platform

China's ban on&nbsp;Taiwan's pineapples&nbsp;citing "harmful creatures" it said could come with the fruit, has inspired creative responses from the country.

As a result of the ban,&nbsp;Taiwan's classic beef noodle soup has taken on a sweet and sour twist.

Hung Ching Lung, a Taipei chef, has created a pineapple beef noodle soup at his eponymous restaurant Chef Hung, in what he says is a modest attempt to support Taiwanese pineapple farmers.

Taiwan will not be beaten by China's ban on pineapple imports and will rally round its farmers to turn crisis into opportunity with new markets and more sales at home, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday, offering a defiant rebuke to Beijing.

The spiky fruit became a politically charged symbol after China banned the import of Taiwan's pineapples on March 1, citing pests.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-how-taiwan-won-a-pineapple-war-against-china-369220/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Taiwan's infuriated government called the ban a political move to further pressure the Chinese-claimed island, a charge that China denied.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the decision was "totally rational and necessary" and that customs had a responsibility to prevent diseases carried by plants from entering the country.

"The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have deliberately misrepresented and maliciously interpreted technical issues, taking the opportunity to attack and discredit the mainland," it said, referring to Taiwan's ruling party.

Tsai, who has launched a "pineapple challenge" on her social media pages to get Taiwanese to buy more of the fruit, told reporters at the headquarters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that their strategy was paying off.

The campaign has kicked off a pineapple media frenzy, as Taiwanese politicians sought to demonstrate their support for farmers as well as Taiwanese agriculture. Politicians from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalist Party flocked to farms to post pictures with pineapples,&nbsp;encouraging domestic consumers as well as other countries to pick up the slack left by China.

Taiwanese restauranteurs like Hung rushed to make pineapple-infused dishes. Pineapple shrimp balls, a betel nut pineapple salad and classics like fried rice with pineapple are just some of the dishes being pushed out by restaurants and hotels on the island.

Hung said he and his team spent three days testing out ways to incorporate pineapple into beef noodles. It took about 10 attempts.

''The first time we tested it when we cooked it in the soup, it was very sweet, it was inedible and tasted completely of pineapple," he said. The successful attempt was based on separating the juice from the fruit during cooking, which removed the sweetness that would otherwise overpower the beef flavour.

Since Friday when China announced the ban, orders for more than 41,000 metric tons of&nbsp;pineapples&nbsp;have come in, including 5,000 metric tons from Japan, Tsai&nbsp;said.

"From crisis comes turning points. In the face of each challenge Taiwan will not be defeated but will become even stronger," she said, standing in front of pineapple products from Taiwan's four main producing areas in its south.

"As long as we unite and support the hard-working farmers and support our high-quality products, the international community will stand on the same frontlines as Taiwan."

Taiwan has been heartened by support from the United States and Canada in particular for what Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has called "freedom&nbsp;pineapples", with the two countries' de facto ambassadors in Taipei posting pictures on social media with the fruit.

Around 90 per cent&nbsp;of Taiwan's pineapple exports went to China last year, though most production is consumed domestically.

China has ramped up pressure to get Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty, including regularly flying fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan or into its air defence identification zone.

&nbsp;

China's ban on Taiwan's pineapples citing "harmful creatures" it said could come with the fruit, has inspired creative responses from the country. As a result of the ban, Taiwan's classic beef noodle soup has taken on a sweet and sour twist.

China's ban on Taiwan's pineapples citing "harmful creatures" it said could come with the fruit, has inspired creative responses from the country. As a result of the ban, Taiwan's classic beef noodle soup has taken on a sweet and sour twist. Hung Ching Lung, a Taipei chef, has created a pineapple beef noodle soup at his eponymous restaurant Chef Hung, in what he says is a modest attempt to support Taiwanese pineapple farmers. Taiwan will not be beaten by China's ban on pineapple imports and will rally round its farmers to turn crisis into opportunity with new markets and more sales at home, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday, offering a defiant rebuke to Beijing. The spiky fruit became a politically charged symbol after China banned the import of Taiwan's pineapples on March 1, citing pests. Taiwan's infuriated government called the ban a political move to further pressure the Chinese-claimed island, a charge that China denied. China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the decision was "totally rational and necessary" and that customs had a responsibility to prevent diseases carried by plants from entering the country. "The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have deliberately misrepresented and maliciously interpreted technical issues, taking the opportunity to attack and discredit the mainland," it said, referring to Taiwan's ruling party. Tsai, who has launched a "pineapple challenge" on her social media pages to get Taiwanese to buy more of the fruit, told reporters at the headquarters of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that their strategy was paying off. The campaign has kicked off a pineapple media frenzy, as Taiwanese politicians sought to demonstrate their support for farmers as well as Taiwanese agriculture. Politicians from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Nationalist Party flocked to farms to post pictures with pineapples, encouraging domestic consumers as well as other countries to pick up the slack left by China. Taiwanese restauranteurs like Hung rushed to make pineapple-infused dishes. Pineapple shrimp balls, a betel nut pineapple salad and classics like fried rice with pineapple are just some of the dishes being pushed out by restaurants and hotels on the island. Hung said he and his team spent three days testing out ways to incorporate pineapple into beef noodles. It took about 10 attempts. ''The first time we tested it when we cooked it in the soup, it was very sweet, it was inedible and tasted completely of pineapple," he said. The successful attempt was based on separating the juice from the fruit during cooking, which removed the sweetness that would otherwise overpower the beef flavour. Since Friday when China announced the ban, orders for more than 41,000 metric tons of pineapples have come in, including 5,000 metric tons from Japan, Tsai said. "From crisis comes turning points. In the face of each challenge Taiwan will not be defeated but will become even stronger," she said, standing in front of pineapple products from Taiwan's four main producing areas in its south. "As long as we unite and support the hard-working farmers and support our high-quality products, the international community will stand on the same frontlines as Taiwan." Taiwan has been heartened by support from the United States and Canada in particular for what Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has called "freedom pineapples", with the two countries' de facto ambassadors in Taipei posting pictures on social media with the fruit. Around 90 per cent of Taiwan's pineapple exports went to China last year, though most production is consumed domestically. China has ramped up pressure to get Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty, including regularly flying fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan or into its air defence identification zone.

China's ban on Taiwan's pineapples inspires creative dishes

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.

Gilani, who contested the Senate election as a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate, defeated ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh by secured 169 votes against 164 votes by Shaikh on Wednesday, giving a major blow to Prime Minister Imran 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. 
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) heard a plea by PTI lawmaker Ali Nawaz who alleged that Gilani, 68, was elected through vote-buying.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-democratic-movement-nominates-gilani-for-senate-chairman-369170" hreflang="en">Pakistan Democratic Movement nominates Gilani for Senate Chairman&nbsp;</a>

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah after hearing initial arguments directed the petitioner to use the platform of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) where the case is already under hearing.

The court ruled that "it is not appropriate to unnecessarily drag the judiciary in political matters" and subsequently dismissed the plea.

Pakistan's Opposition parties on Monday nominated Gilani as their joint candidate for the Senate chairman election scheduled for later this week.

The selection of Gilani as a nominee for the post came as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday refused to take action on the allegations of vote-buying in the recent Senate elections just on the basis of video clips unless those involved in offering and getting bribes were named.

The petition was filed in the ECP on Friday on behalf of advocate Azhar Siddiq, stating that Gilani's victory in the Senate polls should be declared null and void as the elections were not transparent.

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 told party spokesperson while referring to Shaikh's loss to Gilani. He said that the same people were active to influence the election of Senate chairman.&nbsp;

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 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. Gilani, who contested the Senate election as a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate, defeated ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh by secured 169 votes against 164 votes by Shaikh on Wednesday, giving a major blow to Prime Minister Imran 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. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) heard a plea by PTI lawmaker Ali Nawaz who alleged that Gilani, 68, was elected through vote-buying. Also read: Pakistan Democratic Movement nominates Gilani for Senate Chairman IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah after hearing initial arguments directed the petitioner to use the platform of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) where the case is already under hearing. The court ruled that "it is not appropriate to unnecessarily drag the judiciary in political matters" and subsequently dismissed the plea. Pakistan's Opposition parties on Monday nominated Gilani as their joint candidate for the Senate chairman election scheduled for later this week. The selection of Gilani as a nominee for the post came as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday refused to take action on the allegations of vote-buying in the recent Senate elections just on the basis of video clips unless those involved in offering and getting bribes were named. The petition was filed in the ECP on Friday on behalf of advocate Azhar Siddiq, stating that Gilani's victory in the Senate polls should be declared null and void as the elections were not transparent. 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 told party spokesperson while referring to Shaikh's loss to Gilani. He said that the same people were active to influence the election of Senate chairman.

Pak high court rejects PTI lawmaker's petition against Gilani's win in Senate elections

Moon race heats up as Russia, China sign memorandum on lunar research station

A 15th-century "birthing girdle", inscribed with prayers and a well-thumbed crucifix image, was likely actively used in medieval childbirth, according to new research on one of the few such sashes not destroyed by time or religious revolutionaries.

With a delicate technique that uses the crumbs from plastic eraser rubbings, scientists were able to identify biological marks on the fragile sheepskin parchment.

They found traces of honey, milk, egg and cereals, as well as cervico-vaginal fluids "which indicated active use in childbirth", said lead author Sarah Fiddyment of Cambridge University's McDonald Institute for Archeological Research.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-identify-slime-mold-that-saves-memories-without-nervous-system-366847" hreflang="en">Scientists identify slime mold that saves memories without nervous system</a>

The study published Wednesday said it "proved what was long suspected", that the girdle was not just a talisman to be worn during pregnancy, but was also a part of the ritual of labour and childbirth.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

With little surviving first-hand evidence from medieval women themselves, the research shines a new light on women's health and obstetric care in a period when "accounts of childbirth were largely written by men", said co-author Matthew Collins, of the University of Copenhagen.&nbsp;

Ten centimetres wide and over three metres long, the girdle is covered on both sides with images and invocations that researchers believe were wrapped around a woman's body and placed strategically over her womb to imbue protection.&nbsp;

Its use "shows that women were using highly formulaic rituals that blended the numerical precision and incantation of magic with religious protection," the study said.&nbsp;

At this time childbirth was the leading cause of death for women and the study said the neonatal mortality rate for mother and child was thought to be somewhere between 30 and 60 per cent.&nbsp;&nbsp;

With little that we would recognise as medicine, early midwives offered amulets, precious stones and plant-based remedies that had ingredients similar to those found on the girdle.&nbsp;

One recipe in Trotula, the 12th century manual on women's health, advised a mixture of "one scruple of opium poppy, one scruple of goose fat, four scruples each of wax and honey, one ounce of oil, the whites of two eggs, and the milk of a woman".&nbsp;

The study is the first to analyse proteins from a historic parchment document with the non-invasive eraser rubbing technique, which had previously been used to detect the animal source of parchment.

"The fact that we have been able to detect these specific additional non-human proteins further reinforces the evidence that this girdle was actively used in late pregnancy and childbirth, and also gives supporting evidence that these documented treatments were actually used," Fiddyment said in a press release from Cambridge.&nbsp;

'Clandestine' talisman?&nbsp;

Girdles -- made of silk, iron, parchment, or snake or deer skin,&nbsp;were used particularly by wealthy women during pregnancy and one was even ordered for the wife of King Henry VII, the study said.&nbsp;

They were often leased out by the medieval Church, along with a host of other relics and talismans claiming to offer protection.&nbsp;

But this came to an end in the Reformation in the 16th century, with what would later come to be known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and roughly 1541.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The raids were particularly vicious in targeting centres relating specifically to the veneration of female saints, much of which focused on childbearing and pregnancy," the study said.&nbsp;

Beyond the residue of birth, researchers have few other clues about the history of the girdle, including whether it was hidden and later used in secret.&nbsp;

"Given that this girdle was not destroyed by Reformers and given the heavy wear... it may be that this was a clandestine girdle used up until the early seventeenth century," the authors said.&nbsp;

A 15th-century "birthing girdle", inscribed with prayers and a well-thumbed crucifix image, was likely actively used in medieval childbirth, according to new research on one of the few such sashes not destroyed by time or religious revolutionaries.

A 15th-century "birthing girdle", inscribed with prayers and a well-thumbed crucifix image, was likely actively used in medieval childbirth, according to new research on one of the few such sashes not destroyed by time or religious revolutionaries. With a delicate technique that uses the crumbs from plastic eraser rubbings, scientists were able to identify biological marks on the fragile sheepskin parchment. They found traces of honey, milk, egg and cereals, as well as cervico-vaginal fluids "which indicated active use in childbirth", said lead author Sarah Fiddyment of Cambridge University's McDonald Institute for Archeological Research. Also read: Scientists identify slime mold that saves memories without nervous system The study published Wednesday said it "proved what was long suspected", that the girdle was not just a talisman to be worn during pregnancy, but was also a part of the ritual of labour and childbirth. With little surviving first-hand evidence from medieval women themselves, the research shines a new light on women's health and obstetric care in a period when "accounts of childbirth were largely written by men", said co-author Matthew Collins, of the University of Copenhagen. Ten centimetres wide and over three metres long, the girdle is covered on both sides with images and invocations that researchers believe were wrapped around a woman's body and placed strategically over her womb to imbue protection. Its use "shows that women were using highly formulaic rituals that blended the numerical precision and incantation of magic with religious protection," the study said. At this time childbirth was the leading cause of death for women and the study said the neonatal mortality rate for mother and child was thought to be somewhere between 30 and 60 per cent. With little that we would recognise as medicine, early midwives offered amulets, precious stones and plant-based remedies that had ingredients similar to those found on the girdle. One recipe in Trotula, the 12th century manual on women's health, advised a mixture of "one scruple of opium poppy, one scruple of goose fat, four scruples each of wax and honey, one ounce of oil, the whites of two eggs, and the milk of a woman". The study is the first to analyse proteins from a historic parchment document with the non-invasive eraser rubbing technique, which had previously been used to detect the animal source of parchment. "The fact that we have been able to detect these specific additional non-human proteins further reinforces the evidence that this girdle was actively used in late pregnancy and childbirth, and also gives supporting evidence that these documented treatments were actually used," Fiddyment said in a press release from Cambridge. 'Clandestine' talisman? Girdles -- made of silk, iron, parchment, or snake or deer skin, were used particularly by wealthy women during pregnancy and one was even ordered for the wife of King Henry VII, the study said. They were often leased out by the medieval Church, along with a host of other relics and talismans claiming to offer protection. But this came to an end in the Reformation in the 16th century, with what would later come to be known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and roughly 1541. "The raids were particularly vicious in targeting centres relating specifically to the veneration of female saints, much of which focused on childbearing and pregnancy," the study said. Beyond the residue of birth, researchers have few other clues about the history of the girdle, including whether it was hidden and later used in secret. "Given that this girdle was not destroyed by Reformers and given the heavy wear... it may be that this was a clandestine girdle used up until the early seventeenth century," the authors said.

Medieval women 'put faith in birth girdles' to protect them during childbirth

Pope Francis thanked the people of Iraq on Wednesday for allowing him to make his historic trip to the country, saying&nbsp;the country's people have a right to live in peace and condemned weapons manufacturers and traffickers for selling arms to "terrorists".

In his weekly audience, the 84-year-old pope reflected on the packed three-day programme that saw him travel throughout Iraq last weekend, offering encouragement to persecuted Christians and extending a hand to Shiite Muslims.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-legacy-of-the-popes-visit-to-iraq-368981/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"The Iraqi people have a right to live in peace, they have a right to rediscover the dignity that belongs to them," he said, adding that war was always "the monster that mutates over the epochs" to neighbours against each other with weapons.

Iraq suffers from chronic mismanagement and corruption, and a steady level of violence often linked to the rivalry between Iran and the United States in the region 18 years after the US&nbsp;invasion of Iraq.

On Sunday the 84-year-old&nbsp;pope&nbsp;saw ruins of houses and churches in the northern city of Mosul that was occupied by the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017.

"And I asked myself (during the trip), 'who sold the weapons to the terrorists?, who sells weapons to terrorists today who are carrying out massacres elsewhere, for example, in Africa,'" he said, departing from his prepared address. "It is a question that I would like someone to answer."

"The answer is not war, the answer is fraternity. It is a challenge for iraq but not only, it is a challenge for many regions in conflict, and in the end, for the whole world," he said.

He said his meeting on Saturday in the holy city of Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the most influential figures in Shi’ite Islam, both within Iraq and beyond, "unforgettable".

Francis said he felt compelled to make the visit, which saw the tightest security ever for a papal trip, to be close to "that martyred people, that martyred Church".

Iraq's Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, has been particularly devastated, falling to about 300,000 from about 1.5 million before the U.S. invasion and the brutal Islamist militant violence that followed.

Hours after the&nbsp;pope&nbsp;left on Monday, Iraq's prime minister Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called on the country's rival political groups to use dialogue to solve their differences, a move he said would reflect the "love and tolerance" shown by the&nbsp;pope.

Many in Iraq hope the Papal visit will garner more international support for Kadhimi's government to handle sensitive crises, including reining in Iran-backed militias whose power and influence Kadhimi has sought to curb since taking office in May 2020.

Pope Francis thanked the people of Iraq on Wednesday for allowing him to make his historic trip to the country, saying the country's people have a right to live in peace and condemned weapons manufacturers and traffickers for selling arms to "terrorists".

Pope Francis thanked the people of Iraq on Wednesday for allowing him to make his historic trip to the country, saying the country's people have a right to live in peace and condemned weapons manufacturers and traffickers for selling arms to "terrorists". In his weekly audience, the 84-year-old pope reflected on the packed three-day programme that saw him travel throughout Iraq last weekend, offering encouragement to persecuted Christians and extending a hand to Shiite Muslims. "The Iraqi people have a right to live in peace, they have a right to rediscover the dignity that belongs to them," he said, adding that war was always "the monster that mutates over the epochs" to neighbours against each other with weapons. Iraq suffers from chronic mismanagement and corruption, and a steady level of violence often linked to the rivalry between Iran and the United States in the region 18 years after the US invasion of Iraq. On Sunday the 84-year-old pope saw ruins of houses and churches in the northern city of Mosul that was occupied by the Islamic State from 2014 to 2017. "And I asked myself (during the trip), 'who sold the weapons to the terrorists?, who sells weapons to terrorists today who are carrying out massacres elsewhere, for example, in Africa,'" he said, departing from his prepared address. "It is a question that I would like someone to answer." "The answer is not war, the answer is fraternity. It is a challenge for iraq but not only, it is a challenge for many regions in conflict, and in the end, for the whole world," he said. He said his meeting on Saturday in the holy city of Najaf with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the most influential figures in Shi’ite Islam, both within Iraq and beyond, "unforgettable". Francis said he felt compelled to make the visit, which saw the tightest security ever for a papal trip, to be close to "that martyred people, that martyred Church". Iraq's Christian community, one of the oldest in the world, has been particularly devastated, falling to about 300,000 from about 1.5 million before the U.S. invasion and the brutal Islamist militant violence that followed. Hours after the pope left on Monday, Iraq's prime minister Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called on the country's rival political groups to use dialogue to solve their differences, a move he said would reflect the "love and tolerance" shown by the pope. Many in Iraq hope the Papal visit will garner more international support for Kadhimi's government to handle sensitive crises, including reining in Iran-backed militias whose power and influence Kadhimi has sought to curb since taking office in May 2020.

Pope Francis thanks Iraqis for visit, saying they have right to live in peace

Cotton&nbsp;masks that become slightly moist through human breath are nearly 35 per cent&nbsp;better on average at capturing particles than when they are dry, making them a better choice than synthetic masks to stop the spread of COVID-19, according to a new study.

Synthetic masks showed "no performance change" in stopping particles when humid and therefore "performed poorly" relative to&nbsp;cotton, the US&nbsp;National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) said of its study.

"This new study shows that&nbsp;cotton&nbsp;fabrics actually perform better in masks than we thought," NIST research scientist Christopher Zangmeister was quoted as saying on the NIST website.

Cotton&nbsp;fabrics absorb small amounts of the water in a person's breath, creating a moist environment inside the mask. As microscopic particles pass through, they absorb some of this moisture and grow larger, making them more likely to get trapped in the mask, NIST explained on its website when announcing the news.

Most synthetic fabrics, however, 'dislike' water and do not absorb moisture, meaning their filtration efficiency, a measure of how well a material captures particles, does not change in humid conditions, NIST said.

The study tested a range of dual-layer fabric swatches under conditions that mimic the humidity of a person's breath, allowing researchers to read measurements that more accurately reflect how fabrics perform when worn by a living, breathing person, NIST said on its website.

They placed the swatches into small boxes where the air was maintained at 99 per cent&nbsp;humidity so that the fabrics had a chance to become as moist as roughly a person's exhaled breath. For comparison, the second set of swatches was also prepared at only 55 per cent&nbsp;humidity.

All of the swatches were then placed in front of a pipe that emitted air at the same velocity as exhaled breath.

Researchers then measured the number of particles in the air before and after they passed through each fabric.

The new measurements show that under humid conditions, the filtration efficiency in nine types of&nbsp;cotton&nbsp;flannel increased from 12% to 45%, with an average increase of 33%, NIST said.

Among the six types of synthetic fabric testes were nylon, polyester and rayon. All of the six performed poorly compared to&nbsp;cotton&nbsp;flannel, NIST said.

Researchers pointed out that medical-grade masks and N95 respirator masks "provided the same filtration efficiency under both high and low humidity conditions".

The study was conducted by NIST and The Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute. It was published in ACS Applied Nano Materials.

Cotton masks that become slightly moist through human breath are nearly 35 per cent better on average at capturing particles than when they are dry, making them a better choice than synthetic masks to stop the spread of COVID-19, according to a new study.

Cotton masks that become slightly moist through human breath are nearly 35 per cent better on average at capturing particles than when they are dry, making them a better choice than synthetic masks to stop the spread of COVID-19, according to a new study. Synthetic masks showed "no performance change" in stopping particles when humid and therefore "performed poorly" relative to cotton, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) said of its study. "This new study shows that cotton fabrics actually perform better in masks than we thought," NIST research scientist Christopher Zangmeister was quoted as saying on the NIST website. Cotton fabrics absorb small amounts of the water in a person's breath, creating a moist environment inside the mask. As microscopic particles pass through, they absorb some of this moisture and grow larger, making them more likely to get trapped in the mask, NIST explained on its website when announcing the news. Most synthetic fabrics, however, 'dislike' water and do not absorb moisture, meaning their filtration efficiency, a measure of how well a material captures particles, does not change in humid conditions, NIST said. The study tested a range of dual-layer fabric swatches under conditions that mimic the humidity of a person's breath, allowing researchers to read measurements that more accurately reflect how fabrics perform when worn by a living, breathing person, NIST said on its website. They placed the swatches into small boxes where the air was maintained at 99 per cent humidity so that the fabrics had a chance to become as moist as roughly a person's exhaled breath. For comparison, the second set of swatches was also prepared at only 55 per cent humidity. All of the swatches were then placed in front of a pipe that emitted air at the same velocity as exhaled breath. Researchers then measured the number of particles in the air before and after they passed through each fabric. The new measurements show that under humid conditions, the filtration efficiency in nine types of cotton flannel increased from 12% to 45%, with an average increase of 33%, NIST said. Among the six types of synthetic fabric testes were nylon, polyester and rayon. All of the six performed poorly compared to cotton flannel, NIST said. Researchers pointed out that medical-grade masks and N95 respirator masks "provided the same filtration efficiency under both high and low humidity conditions". The study was conducted by NIST and The Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute. It was published in ACS Applied Nano Materials.

Scientists discover secret weapon that makes cotton most suitable for reusable face masks

A Malaysian court on Wednesday ruled that&nbsp;Christians in Muslim-majority Malaysia can use the word "Allah" in publications, a court ruled Wednesday, overturning a decades-old ban after a lengthy legal battle that fuelled religious tensions.

The Arabic word for God has long been divisive in Malaysia, with Christians complaining attempts to stop them using it to highlight creeping Islamisation. But some Muslims accuse Christians of overstepping boundaries.

Wednesday's case began 13 years ago when officials seized religious materials in the local Malay language from a Christian woman at Kuala Lumpur airport that contained the word "Allah".

Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a member of an indigenous group&nbsp;then launched a legal challenge against a 1986 ban on Christians using the term in publications.

After repeated delays, the Kuala Lumpur High Court finally sided with her, ruling she had the right not to face discrimination on the grounds of her faith.

According to the judge's lawyer,&nbsp;Annou Xavier,&nbsp;the ban on Christians using "Allah" was "unlawful and unconstitutional".

Malaysia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion.

Christians in Malaysia say they have used the word "Allah" for centuries.

But authorities had argued against using the term in non-Muslim literature, saying it could confuse Muslims and entice them to convert.

In another high-profile case in 2014, Malaysia's top court dismissed a bid by the Catholic Church for the right to use the word "Allah" in the Malay-language edition of a church newspaper.

Malaysia has largely avoided overt religious conflict in recent decades, but tensions have been growing.

In 2014 a church was hit with petrol bombs, while Islamic authorities have seized Bibles containing the word "Allah".

In 2017 a Christian pastor was dragged from his car by masked men and kidnapped. He is still missing, with a public inquiry concluding he was probably snatched by "agents of the state".

Less than 10 per cent of Malaysia's 32 million people are estimated to be Christians, coming from mostly ethnic Chinese, Indian or indigenous backgrounds, while 60 per cent are Muslim ethnic Malay.

A Malaysian court on Wednesday ruled that Christians in Muslim-majority Malaysia can use the word "Allah" in publications, a court ruled Wednesday, overturning a decades-old ban after a lengthy legal battle that fuelled religious tensions.

A Malaysian court on Wednesday ruled that Christians in Muslim-majority Malaysia can use the word "Allah" in publications, a court ruled Wednesday, overturning a decades-old ban after a lengthy legal battle that fuelled religious tensions. The Arabic word for God has long been divisive in Malaysia, with Christians complaining attempts to stop them using it to highlight creeping Islamisation. But some Muslims accuse Christians of overstepping boundaries. Wednesday's case began 13 years ago when officials seized religious materials in the local Malay language from a Christian woman at Kuala Lumpur airport that contained the word "Allah". Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a member of an indigenous group then launched a legal challenge against a 1986 ban on Christians using the term in publications. After repeated delays, the Kuala Lumpur High Court finally sided with her, ruling she had the right not to face discrimination on the grounds of her faith. According to the judge's lawyer, Annou Xavier, the ban on Christians using "Allah" was "unlawful and unconstitutional". Malaysia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Christians in Malaysia say they have used the word "Allah" for centuries. But authorities had argued against using the term in non-Muslim literature, saying it could confuse Muslims and entice them to convert. In another high-profile case in 2014, Malaysia's top court dismissed a bid by the Catholic Church for the right to use the word "Allah" in the Malay-language edition of a church newspaper. Malaysia has largely avoided overt religious conflict in recent decades, but tensions have been growing. In 2014 a church was hit with petrol bombs, while Islamic authorities have seized Bibles containing the word "Allah". In 2017 a Christian pastor was dragged from his car by masked men and kidnapped. He is still missing, with a public inquiry concluding he was probably snatched by "agents of the state". Less than 10 per cent of Malaysia's 32 million people are estimated to be Christians, coming from mostly ethnic Chinese, Indian or indigenous backgrounds, while 60 per cent are Muslim ethnic Malay.

Christians in Muslim-majority Malaysia can use 'Allah' in publications

Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that&nbsp;Queen Elizabeth II&nbsp;is saddened by the challenges faced by her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, and takes their allegations of racism in the royal family seriously.

The queen and her family promised to&nbsp;address the issues around race that were raised by the couple in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

"The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.&nbsp;The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," the palace said in a statement released on the queen's behalf.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/explosive-interview-meghan-harry-tell-all-on-british-royal-family-368926/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members."

Britain's royal family faced pressure on Tuesday to respond to racism claims by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, triggering a crisis for the institution not seen since the anguished days of his late mother, Diana.

The couple set off a whirl of speculation about the identity of the senior royal who asked how dark their child's skin would be before he was born.

Meghan, whose mother is black and father is white, also spoke about how she had suicidal thoughts, but failed to receive any support during her time in the royal family.

"That was relayed to me from Harry, those were conversations that family had with him,"&nbsp;Meghan&nbsp;recounted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on CBS late on Sunday.

Meghan&nbsp;declined to say who had aired such concerns, as did Harry. Winfrey later told CBS that Harry had said it was not Queen Elizabeth or her husband Philip.

Harry said his family had cut them off financially and his father Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, had let him down and refused to take his calls at one point.

Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that Queen Elizabeth II is saddened by the challenges faced by her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, and takes their allegations of racism in the royal family seriously.

Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that Queen Elizabeth II is saddened by the challenges faced by her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, and takes their allegations of racism in the royal family seriously. The queen and her family promised to address the issues around race that were raised by the couple in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," the palace said in a statement released on the queen's behalf. "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members." Britain's royal family faced pressure on Tuesday to respond to racism claims by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, triggering a crisis for the institution not seen since the anguished days of his late mother, Diana. The couple set off a whirl of speculation about the identity of the senior royal who asked how dark their child's skin would be before he was born. Meghan, whose mother is black and father is white, also spoke about how she had suicidal thoughts, but failed to receive any support during her time in the royal family. "That was relayed to me from Harry, those were conversations that family had with him," Meghan recounted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on CBS late on Sunday. Meghan declined to say who had aired such concerns, as did Harry. Winfrey later told CBS that Harry had said it was not Queen Elizabeth or her husband Philip. Harry said his family had cut them off financially and his father Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, had let him down and refused to take his calls at one point.

Queen 'saddened', takes racism claims 'seriously' after Harry-Meghan interview

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