Top infectious disease expert Anthony&nbsp;Fauci&nbsp;said on Friday&nbsp;expressed concerns about variants of the coronavirus now appearing in the US, and said that the more highly contagious UK variant, known as B.1.1.7, would likely become dominant in the US by March.

"The projection that is made with regard to the UK [variant] is that by the end of March, the beginning of April it actually will become more dominant in this country," Fauci said speaking to reporters on Friday.

Fauci said that it is not yet clear whether the South African coronavirus strain, considered to be more infections than the original strain, will eventually dominate in the United States.

The UK coronavirus variant is currently present in at least 28 US states and has been identified in more than 315 patients, according to Fauci.

The United States will likely start vaccinating children by late spring or early summer&nbsp;as studies are underway to test the safety and effectiveness of Pfizer Inc PFE.N and Moderna Inc's MRNA.O COVID-19 vaccines in children under 16.

"Over the next couple of months, we will be doing trials in an age de-escalation manner so that hopefully by the time we get to the late spring and early summer we will have children being able to be vaccinated according to the FDA guidance,"&nbsp;Fauci&nbsp;said, speaking at a White House press briefing.

UK public health officials in December announced the emergence of the new coronavirus strain that is believed to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible.

The new strain was first discovered in southeast England in September and subsequently spread rapidly throughout the United Kingdom and continental Europe.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;President Joe Biden said on Friday&nbsp;that Congress needs to take immediate action on his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal, adding that most economists believe additional economic stimulus is needed.

"We have to act now," Biden told reporters at the White House, adding there is "overwhelming belief among economists that action is needed on stimulus."

Biden spoke as Democrats who lead the US&nbsp;Senate and House of Representatives prepared to take the first steps next week toward delivering fresh assistance to Americans and businesses reeling from a pandemic that has killed more than 433,000 people.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said many are at risk of losing businesses without help and echoed Biden's calls to "act now" to pass economic relief for millions of Americans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted on Thursday that both chambers of Congress would be ready to move forward through reconciliation by the end of next week.

Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Friday expressed concerns about variants of the coronavirus now appearing in the US, and said that the more highly contagious UK variant, known as B.

Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on Friday expressed concerns about variants of the coronavirus now appearing in the US, and said that the more highly contagious UK variant, known as B.1.1.7, would likely become dominant in the US by March. "The projection that is made with regard to the UK [variant] is that by the end of March, the beginning of April it actually will become more dominant in this country," Fauci said speaking to reporters on Friday. Fauci said that it is not yet clear whether the South African coronavirus strain, considered to be more infections than the original strain, will eventually dominate in the United States. The UK coronavirus variant is currently present in at least 28 US states and has been identified in more than 315 patients, according to Fauci. The United States will likely start vaccinating children by late spring or early summer as studies are underway to test the safety and effectiveness of Pfizer Inc PFE.N and Moderna Inc's MRNA.O COVID-19 vaccines in children under 16. "Over the next couple of months, we will be doing trials in an age de-escalation manner so that hopefully by the time we get to the late spring and early summer we will have children being able to be vaccinated according to the FDA guidance," Fauci said, speaking at a White House press briefing. UK public health officials in December announced the emergence of the new coronavirus strain that is believed to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible. The new strain was first discovered in southeast England in September and subsequently spread rapidly throughout the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said on Friday that Congress needs to take immediate action on his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal, adding that most economists believe additional economic stimulus is needed. "We have to act now," Biden told reporters at the White House, adding there is "overwhelming belief among economists that action is needed on stimulus." Biden spoke as Democrats who lead the US Senate and House of Representatives prepared to take the first steps next week toward delivering fresh assistance to Americans and businesses reeling from a pandemic that has killed more than 433,000 people. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said many are at risk of losing businesses without help and echoed Biden's calls to "act now" to pass economic relief for millions of Americans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi predicted on Thursday that both chambers of Congress would be ready to move forward through reconciliation by the end of next week.

Fauci says UK coronavirus variant to become more dominant in US by March

Several thousand people marched through cities across&nbsp;Poland&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;in the third day of protests against a near-total ban on abortion since it was put into effect by the conservative government earlier this week.

Protesters have defied coronavirus restrictions and sub-zero temperatures to rally after the controversial judgement was given legal force on Wednesday.

Police in riot gear lined major roads of the city, as protesters marched to Aretha Franklin's "Think" and "We Will Rock You" by Queen.

Some of the participants also wore green handkerchiefs around their necks -- the symbol of abortion-rights activists in Argentina, which legalised abortion last month.

The protests follow a Constitutional Tribunal ruling from October that terminating pregnancies with foetal defects was unconstitutional, eliminating the most frequently used case for legal abortion in the predominantly Catholic nation. The ruling found that abortions in cases of foetal abnormalities were "incompatible" with the constitution.

Predominantly Catholic&nbsp;Poland&nbsp;already had one of Europe's most restrictive laws on abortion. It&nbsp;came into effect late on January 27&nbsp;when it was published in the official gazette.

There are fewer than 2,000 legal abortions every year and women's groups estimate that an additional 200,000 women abort either illegally or abroad.

The government says the ban will halt "eugenic abortions", referring to the termination of foetuses diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, but human rights groups say it will force women to carry non-viable pregnancies.

The ruling first came out in October, but the government had held off on formalising it amid mass protests that quickly adopted broader anti-government slogans.

Under the new rules, abortion can be performed legally only in the case of rape or incest and when the mother's health or life are at risk, putting&nbsp;Poland&nbsp;outside the European mainstream. Doctors defying the law face jail.

The country was rocked by weeks of nationwide protests following the October&nbsp;22 court decision. They had quickly morphed into an outpouring of anger against the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government and the powerful Catholic Church.

PiS has rejected opposition accusations that it had influenced the court in its decision, although it is one of the judicial bodies PiS overhauled during reforms that the European Union said have politicised the courts.

&nbsp;

Several thousand people marched through cities across Poland on Friday in the third day of protests against a near-total ban on abortion since it was put into effect by the conservative government earlier this week.

Several thousand people marched through cities across Poland on Friday in the third day of protests against a near-total ban on abortion since it was put into effect by the conservative government earlier this week. Protesters have defied coronavirus restrictions and sub-zero temperatures to rally after the controversial judgement was given legal force on Wednesday. Police in riot gear lined major roads of the city, as protesters marched to Aretha Franklin's "Think" and "We Will Rock You" by Queen. Some of the participants also wore green handkerchiefs around their necks -- the symbol of abortion-rights activists in Argentina, which legalised abortion last month. The protests follow a Constitutional Tribunal ruling from October that terminating pregnancies with foetal defects was unconstitutional, eliminating the most frequently used case for legal abortion in the predominantly Catholic nation. The ruling found that abortions in cases of foetal abnormalities were "incompatible" with the constitution. Predominantly Catholic Poland already had one of Europe's most restrictive laws on abortion. It came into effect late on January 27 when it was published in the official gazette. There are fewer than 2,000 legal abortions every year and women's groups estimate that an additional 200,000 women abort either illegally or abroad. The government says the ban will halt "eugenic abortions", referring to the termination of foetuses diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, but human rights groups say it will force women to carry non-viable pregnancies. The ruling first came out in October, but the government had held off on formalising it amid mass protests that quickly adopted broader anti-government slogans. Under the new rules, abortion can be performed legally only in the case of rape or incest and when the mother's health or life are at risk, putting Poland outside the European mainstream. Doctors defying the law face jail. The country was rocked by weeks of nationwide protests following the October 22 court decision. They had quickly morphed into an outpouring of anger against the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government and the powerful Catholic Church. PiS has rejected opposition accusations that it had influenced the court in its decision, although it is one of the judicial bodies PiS overhauled during reforms that the European Union said have politicised the courts.

Thousands protest in Poland as abortion law comes into effect

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani urged the new US administration Friday to step up pressure on the Taliban and not rush to withdraw more troops.

Ghani said the Taliban have failed to live up to conditions agreed in their February 2020 deal with the United States to reduce attacks in Afghanistan and sever longstanding ties to Al-Qaeda.

"The United States and NATO must take a very strong stand on the conditions-based approach," Ghani said in an online address to the Aspen Security Forum.

"They signed an agreement; that agreement now needs to be implemented."

Even though Taliban and Afghan government negotiators opened peace talks in Doha last year, violence in Afghanistan has soared.&nbsp;

Ghani said the Taliban must admit to attacking government forces and conducting a string of assassinations of public figures.&nbsp;

The Taliban exploited former president Donald Trump's rush to pull US forces from Afghanistan to continue attacking government forces, Ghani suggested.

After the US-Taliban deal last year, US officials assured Kabul "there will be a ceasefire or a very substantial reduction of violence," Ghani said.

"Instead, violence has peaked," he said.&nbsp;

And rather than pursuing peace talks in good faith, "the Taliban are finding one excuse after another not to meet."

&nbsp;'They will not let go'&nbsp;

Ghani said he spoke with new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday and was assured that President Joe Biden's administration would review matters by sending a new team to Afghanistan, and would consult more closely with Kabul.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the early focused, systematic attention and a dialogue between two partners that have mutually sacrificed and have a mutual interest," he said.

The Taliban believe they defeated the US and that NATO forces in Afghanistan are "on the run", Ghani said.

"Now, robust diplomacy and a stand on conditions-based approaches will enable us all hopefully to resume meaningful discussion," he added.

The United States has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, down from close to 13,000 a year ago.

In the Trump administration's withdrawal deal with the Taliban, the US was supposed to pull all troops out by May 2021 in return for security pledges from the insurgents.

Ghani said US forces need to remain, without specifying how many. He said he expected Biden to make "the right decision."

"NATO without US enablers cannot continue its mission," he said.

If the "Taliban realise that they can prevail through violence, they will not let go," he added.&nbsp;

"A combination of presence, plus diplomacy, bringing US tools of power in a concentrated manner.... would be extremely crucial to our success."

In separate comments, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration supports the framework for an Afghanistan peace deal established in the US-Taliban agreement.

He said the administration is "taking a hard look" at how much the Taliban is meeting the conditions it agreed to -- on reducing violence, cutting ties with Al-Qaeda, and genuinely negotiating with the Kabul government.

"In that context we will make decisions about our force posture, and our diplomatic strategy going forward," he said at the US Institute for Peace.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani urged the new US administration Friday to step up pressure on the Taliban and not rush to withdraw more troops. Ghani said the Taliban have failed to live up to conditions agreed in their February 2020 deal with the United States to reduce attacks in Afghanistan and sever longstanding ties to Al-Qaeda.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani urged the new US administration Friday to step up pressure on the Taliban and not rush to withdraw more troops. Ghani said the Taliban have failed to live up to conditions agreed in their February 2020 deal with the United States to reduce attacks in Afghanistan and sever longstanding ties to Al-Qaeda. "The United States and NATO must take a very strong stand on the conditions-based approach," Ghani said in an online address to the Aspen Security Forum. "They signed an agreement; that agreement now needs to be implemented." Even though Taliban and Afghan government negotiators opened peace talks in Doha last year, violence in Afghanistan has soared. Ghani said the Taliban must admit to attacking government forces and conducting a string of assassinations of public figures. The Taliban exploited former president Donald Trump's rush to pull US forces from Afghanistan to continue attacking government forces, Ghani suggested. After the US-Taliban deal last year, US officials assured Kabul "there will be a ceasefire or a very substantial reduction of violence," Ghani said. "Instead, violence has peaked," he said. And rather than pursuing peace talks in good faith, "the Taliban are finding one excuse after another not to meet." 'They will not let go' Ghani said he spoke with new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday and was assured that President Joe Biden's administration would review matters by sending a new team to Afghanistan, and would consult more closely with Kabul. "We couldn't be more pleased with the early focused, systematic attention and a dialogue between two partners that have mutually sacrificed and have a mutual interest," he said. The Taliban believe they defeated the US and that NATO forces in Afghanistan are "on the run", Ghani said. "Now, robust diplomacy and a stand on conditions-based approaches will enable us all hopefully to resume meaningful discussion," he added. The United States has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, down from close to 13,000 a year ago. In the Trump administration's withdrawal deal with the Taliban, the US was supposed to pull all troops out by May 2021 in return for security pledges from the insurgents. Ghani said US forces need to remain, without specifying how many. He said he expected Biden to make "the right decision." "NATO without US enablers cannot continue its mission," he said. If the "Taliban realise that they can prevail through violence, they will not let go," he added. "A combination of presence, plus diplomacy, bringing US tools of power in a concentrated manner.... would be extremely crucial to our success." In separate comments, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration supports the framework for an Afghanistan peace deal established in the US-Taliban agreement. He said the administration is "taking a hard look" at how much the Taliban is meeting the conditions it agreed to -- on reducing violence, cutting ties with Al-Qaeda, and genuinely negotiating with the Kabul government. "In that context we will make decisions about our force posture, and our diplomatic strategy going forward," he said at the US Institute for Peace.

Afghanistan's Ghani urges Biden to up pressure on Taliban

US Secretary of State&nbsp;Anthony Blinken on Friday underscored&nbsp;India's role as a preeminent partner in the Indo-Pacific and the importance of working together to expand the regional cooperation, including through the Quad in his conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

They discussed issues of mutual concern, including COVID-19 vaccination efforts, regional developments and next steps in expanding bilateral ties, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Friday.

It was Blinken's first telephonic conversation with Jaishankar after he assumed the charge of the top American diplomat early this week.

''Both agreed to coordinate closely on global developments and look forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity,''&nbsp;Price said in a readout of the call, which was the first communication between them after January 20 when Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.

''I was delighted to speak today with my good friend @DrSJaishankar to discuss US-India priorities. We reaffirmed the importance of the US-India relationship and discussed ways we can better seize new opportunities and combat shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,''&nbsp;the Secretary of State said on Twitter.

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I was delighted to speak today with my good friend <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrSJaishankar</a> to discuss U.S.-India priorities. We reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-India relationship and discussed ways we can better seize new opportunities and combat shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
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After occupying Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, Blinken has spoken to his counterparts from over a dozen countries including Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Britain, Japan, Germany, France, Israel and South Africa.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Friday underscored India's role as a preeminent partner in the Indo-Pacific and the importance of working together to expand the regional cooperation, including through the Quad in his conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Friday underscored India's role as a preeminent partner in the Indo-Pacific and the importance of working together to expand the regional cooperation, including through the Quad in his conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. They discussed issues of mutual concern, including COVID-19 vaccination efforts, regional developments and next steps in expanding bilateral ties, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Friday. It was Blinken's first telephonic conversation with Jaishankar after he assumed the charge of the top American diplomat early this week. ''Both agreed to coordinate closely on global developments and look forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity,'' Price said in a readout of the call, which was the first communication between them after January 20 when Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. ''I was delighted to speak today with my good friend @DrSJaishankar to discuss US-India priorities. We reaffirmed the importance of the US-India relationship and discussed ways we can better seize new opportunities and combat shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,'' the Secretary of State said on Twitter. I was delighted to speak today with my good friend @DrSJaishankar to discuss U.S.-India priorities. We reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-India relationship and discussed ways we can better seize new opportunities and combat shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 29, 2021 × After occupying Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, Blinken has spoken to his counterparts from over a dozen countries including Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Britain, Japan, Germany, France, Israel and South Africa.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discusses Quad; reaffirms growing ties with India

The Pakistan Supreme Court (SC) has fixed the Sindh government`s plea for hearing on Monday (February 1) against the release of all accused involved in American Journalist Daniel Pearl murder case, reported The Express Tribune.

The three-judge bench led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial will take up the Sindh government`s plea seeking a stay on the Sindh High Court (SHC) December 24 decision regarding the release of all accused persons.

Sindh government and Daniel Pearl's parents have moved the SC against the Sindh High Court (SHC) on April 2, 2020 order to release the four men accused of abducting and killing the Wall Street Journal's former South Asia bureau chief in 2002, reported The Express Tribune. SHC division bench on April 2 commuted the death sentence of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh to seven years and acquitted three others who were serving life terms.

Sindh provincial government has challenged the April 2 order in the Supreme Court. The three-judge bench on January 25 issued notices to the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) and all advocate generals for legal assistance in the matter, reported The Express Tribune.

Earlier on last Monday`s hearing, Sindh Advocate General Suleman Talibuddin claimed that the SHC`s Dec 24 release order did not contain detailed reasons."One of the findings recorded by the [SHC] short order is that the respondents [accused persons] are not `enemy aliens` within the meaning of Article 10 (9) of the Constitution. Meaning of this term is hitherto judicially unexplained," Talibuddin said.

The Sindh government claimed that the accused persons fall in the category of "enemy aliens".The three-judge bench will examine the legal term "enemy aliens" that needs to be explained in the context of the Daniel Pearl murder case.

Sindh government told the SC bench that they had placed material as proof on record of the SCH as justification but the same was rejected."Now the Sindh government has requested the bench to pronounce authoritative judgment on the law and facts," said the order-sheet issued by the Justice Bandial bench.

The AGP Khalid Jawed Khan told the bench that the SHC in its short order had barred the Sindh government from exercising its authority under Article 10 except with the permission of the court, reported the Express Tribune.

He said the same constitutional provision authorises the provincial government to pass preventive detention of an individual. The AGP contended that the jurisdiction reserved to itself by the SHC is vested by the Constitution in the appropriate review board. As a result, the petitioner government has been divested of its powers conferred by the Constitution and regulated by the law, he stated.

The Pakistan Supreme Court (SC) has fixed the Sindh government`s plea for hearing on Monday (February 1) against the release of all accused involved in American Journalist Daniel Pearl murder case, reported The Express Tribune.

The Pakistan Supreme Court (SC) has fixed the Sindh government`s plea for hearing on Monday (February 1) against the release of all accused involved in American Journalist Daniel Pearl murder case, reported The Express Tribune. The three-judge bench led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial will take up the Sindh government`s plea seeking a stay on the Sindh High Court (SHC) December 24 decision regarding the release of all accused persons. Sindh government and Daniel Pearl's parents have moved the SC against the Sindh High Court (SHC) on April 2, 2020 order to release the four men accused of abducting and killing the Wall Street Journal's former South Asia bureau chief in 2002, reported The Express Tribune. SHC division bench on April 2 commuted the death sentence of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh to seven years and acquitted three others who were serving life terms. Sindh provincial government has challenged the April 2 order in the Supreme Court. The three-judge bench on January 25 issued notices to the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) and all advocate generals for legal assistance in the matter, reported The Express Tribune. Earlier on last Monday`s hearing, Sindh Advocate General Suleman Talibuddin claimed that the SHC`s Dec 24 release order did not contain detailed reasons."One of the findings recorded by the [SHC] short order is that the respondents [accused persons] are not `enemy aliens` within the meaning of Article 10 (9) of the Constitution. Meaning of this term is hitherto judicially unexplained," Talibuddin said. The Sindh government claimed that the accused persons fall in the category of "enemy aliens".The three-judge bench will examine the legal term "enemy aliens" that needs to be explained in the context of the Daniel Pearl murder case. Sindh government told the SC bench that they had placed material as proof on record of the SCH as justification but the same was rejected."Now the Sindh government has requested the bench to pronounce authoritative judgment on the law and facts," said the order-sheet issued by the Justice Bandial bench. The AGP Khalid Jawed Khan told the bench that the SHC in its short order had barred the Sindh government from exercising its authority under Article 10 except with the permission of the court, reported the Express Tribune. He said the same constitutional provision authorises the provincial government to pass preventive detention of an individual. The AGP contended that the jurisdiction reserved to itself by the SHC is vested by the Constitution in the appropriate review board. As a result, the petitioner government has been divested of its powers conferred by the Constitution and regulated by the law, he stated.

Pak SC to hear Sindh govt plea against release of Daniel Pearl murder accused on Feb 1

A suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with explosives into a base for Afghan defence forces in the country's east on Saturday, killing at least eight security personnel in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

The pre-dawn assault took place in the restive province of Nangarhar where the Taliban have claimed several deadly assaults targeting government forces.

It came two days after the Pentagon said the Taliban were not living up to promises made in a deal signed with Washington last year, including reducing violence and cutting ties with Al-Qaeda.

The eight were killed when the bomber hit the base with a Humvee, the office of Nangarhar's governor said in a statement.

The deputy head of Nangarhar provincial council, Ajmal Omar, confirmed the attack but put the number of dead soldiers at 15 with five wounded.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said his group had carried out the attack.

The governor's office said security forces had seized another vehicle loaded with explosives near the city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar.

Nangarhar province has seen several recent deadly attacks carried out by the Islamic State.&nbsp;

Separately, two roadside bombs exploded in Kabul on Saturday but there were no casualties, police said.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan even as the Taliban and government engage in peace talks that began in September. The discussions have so far failed to make any major breakthrough.

The new Biden administration in the United States has accused the Taliban of not reducing violence despite signing a deal with Washington last year that stipulated the group do so.

That agreement required the Taliban halt attacks on US forces, sharply decrease violence and advance peace talks with the government in Kabul.

In return, the United States would steadily reduce its troop levels in the country, and remove all forces by May 2021.

But on Thursday the Pentagon said, "the Taliban are not meeting their commitments to reduce violence, and to renounce their ties to Al-Qaeda".

The Biden administration is now reviewing the deal, which the previous Trump government signed with the insurgents in the Qatari capital in February 2020.

A suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with explosives into a base for Afghan defence forces in the country's east on Saturday, killing at least eight security personnel in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

A suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with explosives into a base for Afghan defence forces in the country's east on Saturday, killing at least eight security personnel in an attack claimed by the Taliban. The pre-dawn assault took place in the restive province of Nangarhar where the Taliban have claimed several deadly assaults targeting government forces. It came two days after the Pentagon said the Taliban were not living up to promises made in a deal signed with Washington last year, including reducing violence and cutting ties with Al-Qaeda. The eight were killed when the bomber hit the base with a Humvee, the office of Nangarhar's governor said in a statement. The deputy head of Nangarhar provincial council, Ajmal Omar, confirmed the attack but put the number of dead soldiers at 15 with five wounded. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said his group had carried out the attack. The governor's office said security forces had seized another vehicle loaded with explosives near the city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar. Nangarhar province has seen several recent deadly attacks carried out by the Islamic State. Separately, two roadside bombs exploded in Kabul on Saturday but there were no casualties, police said. Violence has surged across Afghanistan even as the Taliban and government engage in peace talks that began in September. The discussions have so far failed to make any major breakthrough. The new Biden administration in the United States has accused the Taliban of not reducing violence despite signing a deal with Washington last year that stipulated the group do so. That agreement required the Taliban halt attacks on US forces, sharply decrease violence and advance peace talks with the government in Kabul. In return, the United States would steadily reduce its troop levels in the country, and remove all forces by May 2021. But on Thursday the Pentagon said, "the Taliban are not meeting their commitments to reduce violence, and to renounce their ties to Al-Qaeda". The Biden administration is now reviewing the deal, which the previous Trump government signed with the insurgents in the Qatari capital in February 2020.

Eight Afghan security personnel killed in Taliban attack

The Central Government is&nbsp;likely to increase allocations toward its annual food subsidy spending by 4 to 6 per cent in the Union Budget 2021&nbsp;to cover the cost of running the world's biggest food welfare programme.

The Economic Survey presented by Finance Minister Niramala on Friday stated: “While it is difficult to reduce the economic cost of food management in view of rising commitment towards food security, there is a need to consider the revision of CIP to reduce the bulging food subsidy bill.”

For Union&nbsp;Budget 2021-22,&nbsp;India's total outlay toward the food subsidy is expected to cross 2.1 trillion rupees ($28.7 billion), but the budgeted allocation is likely to go up by only 4 to 6 per cent from 1.16 trillion rupees earmarked in the previous year.

The allocation for food subsidy is likely to go up to 1.22 trillion to 1.24 trillion rupees mainly due to fiscal constraints, said the sources.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to outline the allocation when she presents the 2021/2022 budget on Monday.

Since the government's allocations would fall short of the required funds to finance its mammoth food welfare programme, government-backed Food Corporation of&nbsp;India&nbsp;(FCI) will likely have to borrow more than 800 billion rupees ($11 billion) in 2021/22, the sources said.

FCI, the main grain procurement agency, buys rice and wheat from farmers at guaranteed prices and resells them at a fraction of market rates to 67 per cent&nbsp;of&nbsp;India's 1.38 billion people.

The government pays the difference between FCI's procurement prices and sales prices by allocating funds for the food subsidy in its annual budget.

For the past few years, the government has not fully compensated FCI, forcing it to borrow. As a result, FCI's total debt has ballooned to 3.81 trillion rupees ($52.30 billion).

In the first nine months of the 2020/21 fiscal year, FCI borrowed 460 billion rupees to meet its expenses.

In the past decade, FCI's expenses have risen sharply as the guaranteed prices at which is buys common rice has climbed by 73&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;and wheat by 64 per cent, while the prices at which FCI sells rice and wheat have remained unchanged.

In its annual economic survey released on Friday, the&nbsp;Indian government said the food subsidy bill is becoming "unmanageably large", and added there was a need to hike the prices of grains sold via the government's public distribution system to reduce the food subsidy bill.

The Central Government is likely to increase allocations toward its annual food subsidy spending by 4 to 6 per cent in the Union Budget 2021 to cover the cost of running the world's biggest food welfare programme.

The Central Government is likely to increase allocations toward its annual food subsidy spending by 4 to 6 per cent in the Union Budget 2021 to cover the cost of running the world's biggest food welfare programme. The Economic Survey presented by Finance Minister Niramala on Friday stated: “While it is difficult to reduce the economic cost of food management in view of rising commitment towards food security, there is a need to consider the revision of CIP to reduce the bulging food subsidy bill.” For Union Budget 2021-22, India's total outlay toward the food subsidy is expected to cross 2.1 trillion rupees ($28.7 billion), but the budgeted allocation is likely to go up by only 4 to 6 per cent from 1.16 trillion rupees earmarked in the previous year. The allocation for food subsidy is likely to go up to 1.22 trillion to 1.24 trillion rupees mainly due to fiscal constraints, said the sources. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to outline the allocation when she presents the 2021/2022 budget on Monday. Since the government's allocations would fall short of the required funds to finance its mammoth food welfare programme, government-backed Food Corporation of India (FCI) will likely have to borrow more than 800 billion rupees ($11 billion) in 2021/22, the sources said. FCI, the main grain procurement agency, buys rice and wheat from farmers at guaranteed prices and resells them at a fraction of market rates to 67 per cent of India's 1.38 billion people. The government pays the difference between FCI's procurement prices and sales prices by allocating funds for the food subsidy in its annual budget. For the past few years, the government has not fully compensated FCI, forcing it to borrow. As a result, FCI's total debt has ballooned to 3.81 trillion rupees ($52.30 billion). In the first nine months of the 2020/21 fiscal year, FCI borrowed 460 billion rupees to meet its expenses. In the past decade, FCI's expenses have risen sharply as the guaranteed prices at which is buys common rice has climbed by 73 per cent and wheat by 64 per cent, while the prices at which FCI sells rice and wheat have remained unchanged. In its annual economic survey released on Friday, the Indian government said the food subsidy bill is becoming "unmanageably large", and added there was a need to hike the prices of grains sold via the government's public distribution system to reduce the food subsidy bill.

Union Budget 2021: Food subsidy allocation likely to increase by 4-6%

A New York judge Friday increased pressure on former President Donald Trump’s family business and several associates, ordering them to give state investigators documents in a civil inquiry into whether the company misstated assets to get bank loans and tax benefits.

It was the second blow that the judge, Arthur F. Engoron of state Supreme Court in Manhattan, had dealt to Trump’s company in recent weeks.

In December, he ordered the company, the Trump Organization, to produce records that its lawyers had tried to shield, including some related to a Westchester County, New York, property that is among those being scrutinized by the New York state attorney general, Letitia James.

On Friday, Engoron went further, saying that even more documents, as well as communications with a law firm hired by the Trump Organization, had to be handed over to James’ office. In doing so, he rejected the lawyers’ claim that the documents at issue were covered by the attorney-client privilege.

The ruling was a fresh reminder that Trump — who left office about a week ago under the cloud of impeachment and is headed for a Senate trial on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” after his supporters stormed the Capitol in a violent rampage — faces significant legal jeopardy as a private citizen.

The most serious threats confronting the former president include a criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney and the civil inquiry by the attorney general into possible fraud in Trump’s business dealings before he was elected.

James’ investigation began in March 2019, after Michael Cohen, the former president’s onetime lawyer, told Congress that Trump had inflated his assets in financial statements to secure bank loans and understated them elsewhere to reduce his tax bill.

Investigators in James’ office have focused their attention on an array of transactions, including a financial restructuring of the Trump International Hotel &amp;amp; Tower in Chicago in 2010 that resulted in the Fortress Credit Corp. forgiving debt worth more than $100 million.

James’ office has said in court documents that the Trump Organization — Trump’s main business vehicle — had thwarted efforts to determine how that money was reflected in its tax filings, and whether it was declared as income, as the law typically requires.

A New York judge Friday increased pressure on former President Donald Trump’s family business and several associates, ordering them to give state investigators documents in a civil inquiry into whether the company misstated assets to get bank loans and tax benefits.

A New York judge Friday increased pressure on former President Donald Trump’s family business and several associates, ordering them to give state investigators documents in a civil inquiry into whether the company misstated assets to get bank loans and tax benefits. It was the second blow that the judge, Arthur F. Engoron of state Supreme Court in Manhattan, had dealt to Trump’s company in recent weeks. In December, he ordered the company, the Trump Organization, to produce records that its lawyers had tried to shield, including some related to a Westchester County, New York, property that is among those being scrutinized by the New York state attorney general, Letitia James. On Friday, Engoron went further, saying that even more documents, as well as communications with a law firm hired by the Trump Organization, had to be handed over to James’ office. In doing so, he rejected the lawyers’ claim that the documents at issue were covered by the attorney-client privilege. The ruling was a fresh reminder that Trump — who left office about a week ago under the cloud of impeachment and is headed for a Senate trial on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” after his supporters stormed the Capitol in a violent rampage — faces significant legal jeopardy as a private citizen. The most serious threats confronting the former president include a criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney and the civil inquiry by the attorney general into possible fraud in Trump’s business dealings before he was elected. James’ investigation began in March 2019, after Michael Cohen, the former president’s onetime lawyer, told Congress that Trump had inflated his assets in financial statements to secure bank loans and understated them elsewhere to reduce his tax bill. Investigators in James’ office have focused their attention on an array of transactions, including a financial restructuring of the Trump International Hotel &amp; Tower in Chicago in 2010 that resulted in the Fortress Credit Corp. forgiving debt worth more than $100 million. James’ office has said in court documents that the Trump Organization — Trump’s main business vehicle — had thwarted efforts to determine how that money was reflected in its tax filings, and whether it was declared as income, as the law typically requires.

Legal pressure on Trump increases with judge’s order in fraud inquiry

Online broker Robinhood, one of the hottest venues in this week's retail-trading frenzy, said it put temporary buying restrictions on a small number of securities as clearing house-mandated deposit requirements for equities increased ten-fold.

"....the required amount we had to deposit with the clearing house was so large, with individual volatile securities accounting for hundreds of millions of dollars in deposit requirements - that we had to take steps to limit buying in those volatile securities to ensure we could comfortably meet our requirements," it said in a blog post late on Friday.&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Texas's attorney general announced on Friday a probe into&nbsp;Robinhood&nbsp;and 12 other online stock exchanges after they suspended trading on GameStop and other volatile equities.

Ken Paxton, the top prosecutor for the country's second-most-populous state, sent a civil investigative demand to the companies, the latest sign of escalating scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over the trade suspensions. Trading of GameStop resumed Friday on&nbsp;Robinhood.&nbsp;

Paxton echoed criticism from across the political spectrum of the trading halts, which he said "stinks of corruption" and appears to show coordination among powerful interests.

US media reported the company had also raised $1 billion from its investors to help it stay afloat and allow its customers to continue trading, though on Thursday&nbsp;Robinhood&nbsp;chief Vlad Tenev told CNBC the company was not facing a liquidity crunch.

Robinhood&nbsp;needs to maintain a certain amount of funds in the financial institutions that facilitate orders made on its platforms, and when it sees increased demand, that liquidity needs to increase as well.

Robinhood's fee-free and simple-to-use app has made it popular with a new generation of small-time traders and its restrictions on Thursday drew a heavy backlash from high-profile politicians and celebrities.

Retail investors using Robinhood and other apps drove the so-called "Reddit rally" that pushed up shares of GameStop Corp and other companies championed on social media platforms including Reddit, resulting in heavy losses for big hedge funds that had shorted the shares.

Online broker Robinhood, one of the hottest venues in this week's retail-trading frenzy, said it put temporary buying restrictions on a small number of securities as clearing house-mandated deposit requirements for equities increased ten-fold.

Online broker Robinhood, one of the hottest venues in this week's retail-trading frenzy, said it put temporary buying restrictions on a small number of securities as clearing house-mandated deposit requirements for equities increased ten-fold. "....the required amount we had to deposit with the clearing house was so large, with individual volatile securities accounting for hundreds of millions of dollars in deposit requirements - that we had to take steps to limit buying in those volatile securities to ensure we could comfortably meet our requirements," it said in a blog post late on Friday. Meanwhile, Texas's attorney general announced on Friday a probe into Robinhood and 12 other online stock exchanges after they suspended trading on GameStop and other volatile equities. Ken Paxton, the top prosecutor for the country's second-most-populous state, sent a civil investigative demand to the companies, the latest sign of escalating scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over the trade suspensions. Trading of GameStop resumed Friday on Robinhood. Paxton echoed criticism from across the political spectrum of the trading halts, which he said "stinks of corruption" and appears to show coordination among powerful interests. US media reported the company had also raised $1 billion from its investors to help it stay afloat and allow its customers to continue trading, though on Thursday Robinhood chief Vlad Tenev told CNBC the company was not facing a liquidity crunch. Robinhood needs to maintain a certain amount of funds in the financial institutions that facilitate orders made on its platforms, and when it sees increased demand, that liquidity needs to increase as well. Robinhood's fee-free and simple-to-use app has made it popular with a new generation of small-time traders and its restrictions on Thursday drew a heavy backlash from high-profile politicians and celebrities. Retail investors using Robinhood and other apps drove the so-called "Reddit rally" that pushed up shares of GameStop Corp and other companies championed on social media platforms including Reddit, resulting in heavy losses for big hedge funds that had shorted the shares.

Robinhood imposes one share buy limit on dozens of stocks amid GameStop scrutiny

A&nbsp;World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization-led team investigating the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic has left&nbsp;its quarantine hotel on Thursday to begin fieldwork.

The mission has been plagued by delay, concerns over access and bickering between China and the United States, which has accused Beijing of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and has criticised the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-wuhan-families-of-victims-demand-a-meeting-with-the-who-team-359767/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, the United States demanded a "robust and clear" international probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

Beijing has so far frustrated international efforts to track the origins of the virus, which has killed more than 2.1 million people globally and only recently allowed the WHO team into China after repeated delays.

"It's imperative that we get to the bottom of the early days of the pandemic in China, and we've been supportive of an international investigation that we feel should be robust and clear," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

President Joe Biden's predecessor Donald Trump had enraged China by accusing it of a botched response to the initial outbreak in Wuhan, and had led calls for an independent investigation.

China has sought to deflect blame for the massive global human and economic toll by suggesting -- without proof -- that the virus emerged somewhere else.

The highly anticipated WHO mission was expected to begin its work under tight security on Thursday as team members finished their 14-day quarantine after arriving in China.

WHO&nbsp;team member Peter Daszak tweeted "Slightly sad to say goodbye to my 'gym' &amp; my 'office' where I’ve been holed up for last 2 wks!!''

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Day 14 of our quarantine in Wuhan!! Slightly sad to say goodbye to my “gym” &amp; my “office” where I’ve been holed up for last 2 wks!! (Clue - It’s all in the same room...). Moving into next phase of work now w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WHO</a> mission team &amp; China counterparts. <a href="https://t.co/SC75H70WMK">pic.twitter.com/SC75H70WMK</a>
— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterDaszak/status/1354633687963377673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Moving into next phase of work now w/@WHO mission team &amp; China counterparts," he said.

Journalists outside the team's quarantine hotel were kept away from the entrance by yellow barriers.

The team, which worked by videoconference while in quarantine, is led by Peter Ben Embarek, the WHO's top expert on animal diseases that cross to other species, and is expected to remain in China for two more weeks.

The WHO has tried to manage expectations for the investigation.

"There are no guarantees of answers," WHO emergency chief Mike Ryan told reporters earlier this month. "It is a difficult task to fully establish the origins and sometimes it can take two or three or four attempts to be able to do that in different settings."

The origins of COVID-19 have been highly politicised.

The investigating team had been set to arrive in&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;earlier in January, and China's delay of their visit drew rare public criticism from the head of the WHO, which former US&nbsp;President Donald Trump accused of being "China-centric" early in the outbreak.

China has been pushing a narrative that the virus existed abroad before it was discovered in&nbsp;Wuhan, with state media citing the presence of the virus on imported frozen food packaging and scientific papers claiming it had been circulating in Europe in 2019.

China's foreign ministry has also hinted on several occasions that the sudden closure of the U.S. army laboratory at Fort Detrick in July 2019 is linked to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

A man surnamed Lei who was gathering discarded shared bicycles into a truck outside of the quarantine hotel said it was not a certainty that the virus had originated in China.

"People are saying that the virus came from other countries," he said. "I'm really not sure.”

&nbsp;

A World Health Organization-led team investigating the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic has left its quarantine hotel on Thursday to begin fieldwork. The mission has been plagued by delay, concerns over access and bickering between China and the United States, which has accused Beijing of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and has criticised the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research.

A World Health Organization-led team investigating the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic has left its quarantine hotel on Thursday to begin fieldwork. The mission has been plagued by delay, concerns over access and bickering between China and the United States, which has accused Beijing of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak and has criticised the terms of the visit, under which Chinese experts conducted the first phase of research. Meanwhile, the United States demanded a "robust and clear" international probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Beijing has so far frustrated international efforts to track the origins of the virus, which has killed more than 2.1 million people globally and only recently allowed the WHO team into China after repeated delays. "It's imperative that we get to the bottom of the early days of the pandemic in China, and we've been supportive of an international investigation that we feel should be robust and clear," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday. President Joe Biden's predecessor Donald Trump had enraged China by accusing it of a botched response to the initial outbreak in Wuhan, and had led calls for an independent investigation. China has sought to deflect blame for the massive global human and economic toll by suggesting -- without proof -- that the virus emerged somewhere else. The highly anticipated WHO mission was expected to begin its work under tight security on Thursday as team members finished their 14-day quarantine after arriving in China. WHO team member Peter Daszak tweeted "Slightly sad to say goodbye to my 'gym' & my 'office' where I’ve been holed up for last 2 wks!!'' Day 14 of our quarantine in Wuhan!! Slightly sad to say goodbye to my “gym” & my “office” where I’ve been holed up for last 2 wks!! (Clue - It’s all in the same room...). Moving into next phase of work now w/ @WHO mission team & China counterparts. pic.twitter.com/SC75H70WMK — Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) January 28, 2021 × "Moving into next phase of work now w/@WHO mission team & China counterparts," he said. Journalists outside the team's quarantine hotel were kept away from the entrance by yellow barriers. The team, which worked by videoconference while in quarantine, is led by Peter Ben Embarek, the WHO's top expert on animal diseases that cross to other species, and is expected to remain in China for two more weeks. The WHO has tried to manage expectations for the investigation. "There are no guarantees of answers," WHO emergency chief Mike Ryan told reporters earlier this month. "It is a difficult task to fully establish the origins and sometimes it can take two or three or four attempts to be able to do that in different settings." The origins of COVID-19 have been highly politicised. The investigating team had been set to arrive in Wuhan earlier in January, and China's delay of their visit drew rare public criticism from the head of the WHO, which former US President Donald Trump accused of being "China-centric" early in the outbreak. China has been pushing a narrative that the virus existed abroad before it was discovered in Wuhan, with state media citing the presence of the virus on imported frozen food packaging and scientific papers claiming it had been circulating in Europe in 2019. China's foreign ministry has also hinted on several occasions that the sudden closure of the U.S. army laboratory at Fort Detrick in July 2019 is linked to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. A man surnamed Lei who was gathering discarded shared bicycles into a truck outside of the quarantine hotel said it was not a certainty that the virus had originated in China. "People are saying that the virus came from other countries," he said. "I'm really not sure.”

WHO team probing coronavirus origin in China leaves Wuhan quarantine

In a first, astronomers of the&nbsp;NASA's&nbsp;Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS&nbsp;have found&nbsp;a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries.

The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot.&nbsp;The system,&nbsp;also called TIC 168789840, is located about 1,900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus.

TESS, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar-panel wings, is equipped with four special cameras to survey 200,000 stars that are relatively near the sun and thus among the brightest in the sky, seeking out those with planets of their own.

Like Kepler, TESS&nbsp;uses a detection method called transit photometry, which looks for periodic, repetitive dips in the visible light from stars caused by planets passing, or transiting, in front of them.

Researchers&nbsp;analysed the data using autonomous software trained to recognise the tell-tale brightness dips of eclipsing binaries. Among the 450,000 candidates, they&nbsp;identified at least 100 with potentially three or more stars, including the new sextuple system.

The researchers incorporated archival measurements and also obtained follow-up observations with ground-based facilities.&nbsp;

The system consists of three gravitationally-bound eclipsing binaries in a hierarchical structure of an inner quadruple system with an outer binary subsystem.

As a consequence of its rare composition, structure, and orientation, this object can provide important new insight into the formation, dynamics, and evolution of multiple star systems.&nbsp;

Martin Still, the TESS program scientist for NASA, said more than 50 rocky, Earth- or super-Earth-sized planets have previously been identified, and NASA expects to increase that number through the new mission.

The most favourable discoveries will undergo closer scrutiny by a new generation of larger, more powerful telescopes now under development that will search for telltale signs of water and “the kinds of gases in their atmospheres that on Earth are an indication of life,” Hertz said.

In a first, astronomers of the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS have found a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries. The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot.

In a first, astronomers of the NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS have found a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries. The primary stars in all three binaries are all slightly bigger and more massive than the Sun and about as hot. The system, also called TIC 168789840, is located about 1,900 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. TESS, roughly the size of a refrigerator with solar-panel wings, is equipped with four special cameras to survey 200,000 stars that are relatively near the sun and thus among the brightest in the sky, seeking out those with planets of their own. Like Kepler, TESS uses a detection method called transit photometry, which looks for periodic, repetitive dips in the visible light from stars caused by planets passing, or transiting, in front of them. Researchers analysed the data using autonomous software trained to recognise the tell-tale brightness dips of eclipsing binaries. Among the 450,000 candidates, they identified at least 100 with potentially three or more stars, including the new sextuple system. The researchers incorporated archival measurements and also obtained follow-up observations with ground-based facilities. The system consists of three gravitationally-bound eclipsing binaries in a hierarchical structure of an inner quadruple system with an outer binary subsystem. As a consequence of its rare composition, structure, and orientation, this object can provide important new insight into the formation, dynamics, and evolution of multiple star systems. Martin Still, the TESS program scientist for NASA, said more than 50 rocky, Earth- or super-Earth-sized planets have previously been identified, and NASA expects to increase that number through the new mission. The most favourable discoveries will undergo closer scrutiny by a new generation of larger, more powerful telescopes now under development that will search for telltale signs of water and “the kinds of gases in their atmospheres that on Earth are an indication of life,” Hertz said.

Astronomers find a system of six stars made of three eclipsing binaries

The European Union failed to make a breakthrough in crisis talks with&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;on Wednesday and demanded the drugmaker spell out how it would supply the bloc with reserved doses of COVID-19 vaccine from plants in Europe and Britain.

The EU is making more comprehensive checks on vaccines before approval, which means a slower rollout of shots than former EU member Britain and growing public frustration.

The issue has been exacerbated by Anglo-Swedish&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;and Pfizer of the United States both announcing delivery hold-ups in recent weeks.

"We regret the continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule and request a clear plan from&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;for the fast delivery of the quantity of vaccines that we reserved for Q1," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in a tweet.

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We regret the continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule and request a clear plan from AstraZeneca for the fast delivery of the quantity of vaccines that we reserved for Q1. We will work with the company to find solutions and deliver vaccines rapidly for EU citizens.
— Stella Kyriakides (@SKyriakidesEU) <a href="https://twitter.com/SKyriakidesEU/status/1354525081213562882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"We will work with the company to find solutions and deliver vaccines rapidly for EU citizens," she said, after&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;chief executive Pascal Soriot addressed a vaccine body made up of representatives from the EU's 27 members.

AstraZeneca&nbsp;said in a statement it had a constructive conversation with the EU about the complexities of scaling up production and had committed to closer coordination on working out deliveries in the coming months.

Earlier, Kyriakides told a news conference that two of the four factories from which&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;has committed to providing vaccines to the EU are in Britain.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it would have been a "great pity" if the United Kingdom had stayed in the European Union's vaccine programme rather than set up its own plan.

"I do think that we've been able to do things differently, and better, in some ways," he said in parliament.

AstraZeneca, which partnered with Britain's Oxford University to develop its vaccine, said last week it would cut supplies to the EU in the first quarter, with an EU official saying that meant the EU would receive 31 million doses in the period, or 60% less than initially agreed, due to production issues at a Belgian factory.

The EU has been pushing the company for a week to revise these cuts, but it is unclear how it can force delivery of the agreed amounts.

Soriot told newspapers on Tuesday the EU contract was based on a best-effort clause and did not commit the company to a specific timetable for deliveries.

He said that vaccines meant for the EU were produced in four plants in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.

But EU Commission officials said on Wednesday that the contract stipulated that the company had also committed to providing vaccines from two factories in Britain.

They added the firm had not provided sufficient explanations on why doses could not be shipped from stocks at fully functioning factories.

Reuters on Tuesday exclusively reported that EU's calls to reroute doses from Britain had not been answered by&nbsp;AstraZeneca.

As an example of how the glitches are biting, delays in deliveries are forcing health authorities in Spain's wealthiest regions of Madrid and Catalonia to restrict inoculations even as the third wave of contagion rages, officials said.

Adding to the confusion, a factory in Wales that produces&nbsp;AstraZeneca's vaccine was partially evacuated on Wednesday after it received a suspicious package and police said a bomb disposal unit was dealing with the incident.

Meeting or no meeting?

The EU has also threatened to monitor future exports of COVID-19 vaccines, although the EU trade commissioner ruled out any export bans.

Fraught relations showed up in confusion about the timing of a meeting between the EU and&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;and whether the company would even attend.

The EU contract with&nbsp;AstraZeneca&nbsp;is an advance purchase agreement for the supply of at least 300 million doses provided the vaccine is approved as safe and effective, with doses delivered in stages. It is expected to be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday.

Officials added that the best-effort clause was standard in contracts with manufacturers of products in development. One EU official said best effort meant the company had to show an "overall" effort to develop and deliver vaccines.

AstraZeneca&nbsp;said on Wednesday that supply chains were developed with input from specific countries or international organisations and that each supply chain was dedicated to the relevant countries or regions, making use of local manufacturing where possible.

The European Union failed to make a breakthrough in crisis talks with AstraZeneca on Wednesday and demanded the drugmaker spell out how it would supply the bloc with reserved doses of COVID-19 vaccine from plants in Europe and Britain.

The European Union failed to make a breakthrough in crisis talks with AstraZeneca on Wednesday and demanded the drugmaker spell out how it would supply the bloc with reserved doses of COVID-19 vaccine from plants in Europe and Britain. The EU is making more comprehensive checks on vaccines before approval, which means a slower rollout of shots than former EU member Britain and growing public frustration. The issue has been exacerbated by Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca and Pfizer of the United States both announcing delivery hold-ups in recent weeks. "We regret the continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule and request a clear plan from AstraZeneca for the fast delivery of the quantity of vaccines that we reserved for Q1," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said in a tweet. We regret the continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule and request a clear plan from AstraZeneca for the fast delivery of the quantity of vaccines that we reserved for Q1. We will work with the company to find solutions and deliver vaccines rapidly for EU citizens. — Stella Kyriakides (@SKyriakidesEU) January 27, 2021 × "We will work with the company to find solutions and deliver vaccines rapidly for EU citizens," she said, after AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot addressed a vaccine body made up of representatives from the EU's 27 members. AstraZeneca said in a statement it had a constructive conversation with the EU about the complexities of scaling up production and had committed to closer coordination on working out deliveries in the coming months. Earlier, Kyriakides told a news conference that two of the four factories from which AstraZeneca has committed to providing vaccines to the EU are in Britain. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it would have been a "great pity" if the United Kingdom had stayed in the European Union's vaccine programme rather than set up its own plan. "I do think that we've been able to do things differently, and better, in some ways," he said in parliament. AstraZeneca, which partnered with Britain's Oxford University to develop its vaccine, said last week it would cut supplies to the EU in the first quarter, with an EU official saying that meant the EU would receive 31 million doses in the period, or 60% less than initially agreed, due to production issues at a Belgian factory. The EU has been pushing the company for a week to revise these cuts, but it is unclear how it can force delivery of the agreed amounts. Soriot told newspapers on Tuesday the EU contract was based on a best-effort clause and did not commit the company to a specific timetable for deliveries. He said that vaccines meant for the EU were produced in four plants in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. But EU Commission officials said on Wednesday that the contract stipulated that the company had also committed to providing vaccines from two factories in Britain. They added the firm had not provided sufficient explanations on why doses could not be shipped from stocks at fully functioning factories. Reuters on Tuesday exclusively reported that EU's calls to reroute doses from Britain had not been answered by AstraZeneca. As an example of how the glitches are biting, delays in deliveries are forcing health authorities in Spain's wealthiest regions of Madrid and Catalonia to restrict inoculations even as the third wave of contagion rages, officials said. Adding to the confusion, a factory in Wales that produces AstraZeneca's vaccine was partially evacuated on Wednesday after it received a suspicious package and police said a bomb disposal unit was dealing with the incident. Meeting or no meeting? The EU has also threatened to monitor future exports of COVID-19 vaccines, although the EU trade commissioner ruled out any export bans. Fraught relations showed up in confusion about the timing of a meeting between the EU and AstraZeneca and whether the company would even attend. The EU contract with AstraZeneca is an advance purchase agreement for the supply of at least 300 million doses provided the vaccine is approved as safe and effective, with doses delivered in stages. It is expected to be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday. Officials added that the best-effort clause was standard in contracts with manufacturers of products in development. One EU official said best effort meant the company had to show an "overall" effort to develop and deliver vaccines. AstraZeneca said on Wednesday that supply chains were developed with input from specific countries or international organisations and that each supply chain was dedicated to the relevant countries or regions, making use of local manufacturing where possible.

European Union demands AstraZeneca plan to break vaccine deadlock

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