The Biden administration on Saturday extended special protections to Haitians living temporarily in the United States after being displaced by a devastating 2010 earthquake, reversing efforts by the previous administration to force them to leave the country.

The decision, announced by the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, makes good on President Joe Biden’s campaign promise to restore a program that shields thousands of Haitian migrants from the threat of deportation under the restrictive policies put in place under President Donald Trump.

Mayorkas said the new 18-month designation, known as temporary protected status, would apply to Haitians already living in the United States as of Friday.

“Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayorkas said in a statement Saturday.

The protections, created in a 1990 law, allow foreigners who have had to flee their homes because of natural disasters and conflict to work and live in the United States. The Obama administration granted the temporary protected status to Haitians living in the United States illegally after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in January 2010.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the new designation could protect as many as 150,000 Haitians from having to return to the political and security crisis in their home country.

“The last thing our country should be doing is forcing an entire community in the U.S. to decide between packing up their lives and tearing their families apart by self-deporting, or becoming undocumented and forced into the shadows of our society,” Menendez said in a statement Saturday.

As part of its hard-line efforts to curb legal and illegal immigration, the Trump administration sought to end protections for about 400,000 immigrants living in the United States, including Haitians.

Lawsuits blocked the cancellations, but in September a federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration, putting hundreds of thousands of immigrants on notice that they would have to leave the country or face deportation. The Trump administration agreed to keep the protections in place at least through early 2021, meaning a new administration could decide to continue the policy.

The Biden administration on Saturday extended special protections to Haitians living temporarily in the United States after being displaced by a devastating 2010 earthquake, reversing efforts by the previous administration to force them to leave the country.

The Biden administration on Saturday extended special protections to Haitians living temporarily in the United States after being displaced by a devastating 2010 earthquake, reversing efforts by the previous administration to force them to leave the country. The decision, announced by the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, makes good on President Joe Biden’s campaign promise to restore a program that shields thousands of Haitian migrants from the threat of deportation under the restrictive policies put in place under President Donald Trump. Mayorkas said the new 18-month designation, known as temporary protected status, would apply to Haitians already living in the United States as of Friday. “Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayorkas said in a statement Saturday. The protections, created in a 1990 law, allow foreigners who have had to flee their homes because of natural disasters and conflict to work and live in the United States. The Obama administration granted the temporary protected status to Haitians living in the United States illegally after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in January 2010. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the new designation could protect as many as 150,000 Haitians from having to return to the political and security crisis in their home country. “The last thing our country should be doing is forcing an entire community in the U.S. to decide between packing up their lives and tearing their families apart by self-deporting, or becoming undocumented and forced into the shadows of our society,” Menendez said in a statement Saturday. As part of its hard-line efforts to curb legal and illegal immigration, the Trump administration sought to end protections for about 400,000 immigrants living in the United States, including Haitians. Lawsuits blocked the cancellations, but in September a federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration, putting hundreds of thousands of immigrants on notice that they would have to leave the country or face deportation. The Trump administration agreed to keep the protections in place at least through early 2021, meaning a new administration could decide to continue the policy.

US grants temporary protections to thousands of Haitians

Republican lawmakers have rejected a new White House infrastructure proposal that lowers the overall price tag in a bid to gain the opposition party's support, potentially raising the likelihood President Joe&nbsp;Biden's Democrats pass the measure on their own.

The White House on Friday had proposed reducing the cost of the $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan to $1.7 trillion by having other bills cover some of the projects it would pay for and cutting out some spending altogether, but a key Republican lawmaker said she still wouldn't support it.

"There continue to be vast differences between the White House and Senate Republicans when it comes to the definition of infrastructure, the magnitude of proposed spending and how to pay for it," said a spokeswoman for Shelley Moore Capito, who is part of a group of Republican senators negotiating with the&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;administration over the proposal.

"Based on today's meeting, the groups seem further apart after two meetings with White House staff than they were after one meeting with President&nbsp;Biden. Senate Republicans will further review the details in today's counteroffer and continue to engage in conversations with the administration."

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-joe-biden-vows-flexibility-in-landmark-2-trillion-infrastructure-bill-377181">US President Joe Biden vows flexibility in landmark $2 trillion infrastructure bill</a>

Biden&nbsp;had in March proposed the measure that would direct money towards fixing roads and bridges as well as expanding services like broadband internet and increasing climate change resiliency across the United States.

But with his Democratic Party controlling Congress by a small margin, he is under pressure to find Republican support for the bill, and on Friday Press Secretary Jen Psaki said he would cut its cost down by $500 billion "in the spirit of finding common ground."

"This proposal exhibits a willingness to come down in size, giving on some areas that are important to the president... while staying firm in areas that are most vital to rebuilding our infrastructure and industries of the future, making our country more competitive with China," she told reporters.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-to-push-through-infrastructure-plan-even-without-republican-support-375366">Biden to push through infrastructure plan even without Republican support</a>

he Republican rejection increases the chances that Democrats will attempt to pass the measure through a parliamentary procedure that could see it clear the Senate without opposition votes, which the party's leader in the chamber has hinted they could do.&nbsp;

There were also signs the party's progressive wing&nbsp;would not support a scaled-down bill.

"A smaller infrastructure package means fewer jobs, less justice, less climate action, and less investment in America's future," Democratic Senator Ed Markey tweeted after the White House detailed the proposal. "This is not the time for half-measures, half-spending or foot-dragging. Now is the time to go big, to go bold, and to go fast."

Paying for it

The infrastructure plan is among two major spending bills&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;is pushing, along with his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan aimed at expanding education and social protections.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-outlines-far-reaching-plan-to-reengineer-us-infrastructure-374638">Biden outlines far-reaching plan to reengineer US infrastructure</a>

After taking office in January,&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;won passage of a $1.9 trillion measure intended to help the world's largest economy recover from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> downturn, a measure paid for by deficit spending.

The president is under pressure to find ways to offset the costs of the new spending plans.

He has proposed ending tax cuts and loopholes benefiting small businesses to pay for the American Families Plan, while hiking the corporate tax rate to pay for the infrastructure proposal.

In detailing the new counter proposal, Psaki said the White House rejected ideas from Republicans to increase gas taxes or impose user fees instead of raising taxes on corporations.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-to-pay-for-infrastructure-plan-with-15-years-of-corporate-taxes-374595">Biden to pay for infrastructure plan with 15 years of corporate taxes</a>

Biden&nbsp;"believes that the extraordinarily wealthy companies... many of whom have not paid taxes in recent years, can afford a modest increase to pay for middle class jobs," Psaki said.

However the overall price tag could be lowered by shifting money in the original plan intended to pay for research, supply chains, manufacturing and small businesses to other bills, while funds for roads and bridges, as well as broadband, would be slashed.

Spending on improved rail transportation would stay, "especially considering China's level of investment in such projects," Psaki said, while money for the removal of lead pipes and projects to bolster the country against climate change would also remain.

Republican lawmakers have rejected a new White House infrastructure proposal that lowers the overall price tag in a bid to gain the opposition party's support, potentially raising the likelihood President Joe Biden's Democrats pass the measure on their own.

Republican lawmakers have rejected a new White House infrastructure proposal that lowers the overall price tag in a bid to gain the opposition party's support, potentially raising the likelihood President Joe Biden's Democrats pass the measure on their own. The White House on Friday had proposed reducing the cost of the $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan to $1.7 trillion by having other bills cover some of the projects it would pay for and cutting out some spending altogether, but a key Republican lawmaker said she still wouldn't support it. "There continue to be vast differences between the White House and Senate Republicans when it comes to the definition of infrastructure, the magnitude of proposed spending and how to pay for it," said a spokeswoman for Shelley Moore Capito, who is part of a group of Republican senators negotiating with the Biden administration over the proposal. "Based on today's meeting, the groups seem further apart after two meetings with White House staff than they were after one meeting with President Biden. Senate Republicans will further review the details in today's counteroffer and continue to engage in conversations with the administration." Also Read | US President Joe Biden vows flexibility in landmark $2 trillion infrastructure bill Biden had in March proposed the measure that would direct money towards fixing roads and bridges as well as expanding services like broadband internet and increasing climate change resiliency across the United States. But with his Democratic Party controlling Congress by a small margin, he is under pressure to find Republican support for the bill, and on Friday Press Secretary Jen Psaki said he would cut its cost down by $500 billion "in the spirit of finding common ground." "This proposal exhibits a willingness to come down in size, giving on some areas that are important to the president... while staying firm in areas that are most vital to rebuilding our infrastructure and industries of the future, making our country more competitive with China," she told reporters. Also Read | Biden to push through infrastructure plan even without Republican support he Republican rejection increases the chances that Democrats will attempt to pass the measure through a parliamentary procedure that could see it clear the Senate without opposition votes, which the party's leader in the chamber has hinted they could do. There were also signs the party's progressive wing would not support a scaled-down bill. "A smaller infrastructure package means fewer jobs, less justice, less climate action, and less investment in America's future," Democratic Senator Ed Markey tweeted after the White House detailed the proposal. "This is not the time for half-measures, half-spending or foot-dragging. Now is the time to go big, to go bold, and to go fast." Paying for it The infrastructure plan is among two major spending bills Biden is pushing, along with his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan aimed at expanding education and social protections. Also Read | Biden outlines far-reaching plan to reengineer US infrastructure After taking office in January, Biden won passage of a $1.9 trillion measure intended to help the world's largest economy recover from the COVID-19 downturn, a measure paid for by deficit spending. The president is under pressure to find ways to offset the costs of the new spending plans. He has proposed ending tax cuts and loopholes benefiting small businesses to pay for the American Families Plan, while hiking the corporate tax rate to pay for the infrastructure proposal. In detailing the new counter proposal, Psaki said the White House rejected ideas from Republicans to increase gas taxes or impose user fees instead of raising taxes on corporations. Also Read | Biden to pay for infrastructure plan with 15 years of corporate taxes Biden "believes that the extraordinarily wealthy companies... many of whom have not paid taxes in recent years, can afford a modest increase to pay for middle class jobs," Psaki said. However the overall price tag could be lowered by shifting money in the original plan intended to pay for research, supply chains, manufacturing and small businesses to other bills, while funds for roads and bridges, as well as broadband, would be slashed. Spending on improved rail transportation would stay, "especially considering China's level of investment in such projects," Psaki said, while money for the removal of lead pipes and projects to bolster the country against climate change would also remain.

Republicans reject Biden infrastructure bill despite reduced cost

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday it would repeal the changes made by the Trump administration to an important law made to stop banks from discriminating against racial minorities and the poor. &nbsp;

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, one of the nation's bank regulators, said it plans to reconsider the regulations it wrote in 2020 governing a law known as the Community Reinvestment Act. The Civil Rights Era law requires banks to document how well they are lending to the communities that surround their branches, in an effort to make sure that banks are not just lending to the wealthy or to white customers. &nbsp;

The OCC said it plans to start from scratch, and told banks to effectively ignore the 2020 changes while the agency rewrites the regulations. &nbsp;

Trump's Comptroller of the Currency, Joseph Otting, had made revising the Community Reinvestment Act a cornerstone of his tenure. The law is widely respected by the industry and activists alike, but both sides have agreed for years that law was out of date. Many banks now operate entirely online, ATMs are ubiquitous, and it was increasingly more difficult to define what a ‘community' was in order to comply with the law. &nbsp;

But the changes the OCC made last year were considered too broad for many activists and for Congressional Democrats, who oversee banks on the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee.&nbsp;

For example, banks would have been given credit under the law for issuing credit cards and personal loans something banks were already doing, particularly the largest institutions. &nbsp;

The regulations would have also given banks credit, under certain circumstances, for loans they make to build or improve facilities such as sports stadiums and hospitals.&nbsp;

The argument from activists was that the changes would have made it easier for many banks to pass their CRA exams, and would disincentivise them from opening branches or approving mortgages in low income neighbourhoods.&nbsp;

"CRA was, and still is, a civil rights bill," said Black Rep Gregory Meeks, D-New York, last year at a Congressional committee to review Otting's changes. "Your proposal would undermine that."&nbsp;

The changes proposed by Otting were so drastic that the other two bank regulators that have authority under the law, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, refused to sign on. This left banks wondering, which regulator to follow when it came to compliance. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday it would repeal the changes made by the Trump administration to an important law made to stop banks from discriminating against racial minorities and the poor.

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday it would repeal the changes made by the Trump administration to an important law made to stop banks from discriminating against racial minorities and the poor. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, one of the nation's bank regulators, said it plans to reconsider the regulations it wrote in 2020 governing a law known as the Community Reinvestment Act. The Civil Rights Era law requires banks to document how well they are lending to the communities that surround their branches, in an effort to make sure that banks are not just lending to the wealthy or to white customers. The OCC said it plans to start from scratch, and told banks to effectively ignore the 2020 changes while the agency rewrites the regulations. Trump's Comptroller of the Currency, Joseph Otting, had made revising the Community Reinvestment Act a cornerstone of his tenure. The law is widely respected by the industry and activists alike, but both sides have agreed for years that law was out of date. Many banks now operate entirely online, ATMs are ubiquitous, and it was increasingly more difficult to define what a ‘community' was in order to comply with the law. But the changes the OCC made last year were considered too broad for many activists and for Congressional Democrats, who oversee banks on the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee. For example, banks would have been given credit under the law for issuing credit cards and personal loans something banks were already doing, particularly the largest institutions. The regulations would have also given banks credit, under certain circumstances, for loans they make to build or improve facilities such as sports stadiums and hospitals. The argument from activists was that the changes would have made it easier for many banks to pass their CRA exams, and would disincentivise them from opening branches or approving mortgages in low income neighbourhoods. "CRA was, and still is, a civil rights bill," said Black Rep Gregory Meeks, D-New York, last year at a Congressional committee to review Otting's changes. "Your proposal would undermine that." The changes proposed by Otting were so drastic that the other two bank regulators that have authority under the law, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, refused to sign on. This left banks wondering, which regulator to follow when it came to compliance.

Biden reverses Trump changes to law that prevented racial discrimination by banks 

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday released their tax returns, according to which in 2020, she had an income of more than USD 1 million as compared to his USD 607,336.

The President and the first lady, Jill, a teacher, filed their income tax return jointly and reported federal adjusted gross income of USD 607,336, down from USD 985,223 in 2019.

Also read-&nbsp;<a href="Under pressure, Biden works for ceasefire in Israel-Gaza violence ">Under pressure, Biden works for ceasefire in Israel-Gaza violence&nbsp;</a>

The first couple paid USD 157,414 in federal income tax and their 2020 effective federal income tax rate is 25.9 per cent, the White House said.

On the other hand, the Vice President and second gentleman Doug Emhoff reported federal adjusted gross income of USD 1,695,225.

Also read-&nbsp;<a href="Venmo account of Biden discovered in less than 10 minutes: Report ">Venmo account of Biden discovered in less than 10 minutes: Report</a>&nbsp;

They paid USD 621,893 in federal income tax, amounting to a 2020 effective federal income tax rate of 36.7 per cent. They also paid USD 125,004 in California income tax.

The second gentleman paid USD 56,997 in District of Columbia income tax. They contributed USD 27,006 to charity in 2020.

According to the White House, the President and the first lady also reported donating USD 30,704 or about 5.1 per cent of their total income&nbsp;to 10 different charities.

The largest reported gift to charity was USD 10,000 to the Beau Biden Foundation, a public charity dedicated to ensuring that all children are free from the threat of abuse.

The President and the first lady also released their Delaware income tax return and reported paying USD 28,794 in Delaware income tax.

The first lady also released her Virginia income tax return and reported paying USD 443 in Virginia income tax.

As required by law, the President and Vice President also released their public financial disclosure reports.

The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests.

The public filing system serves to prevent financial conflicts of interest by providing for a systematic review of the finances of government officials.

"Those finances are set forth in annual disclosures, which are reviewed and certified by the independent Office of Government Ethics. Neither the President nor the Vice President have any conflicts of interest," the White House said.

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday released their tax returns, according to which in 2020, she had an income of more than USD 1 million as compared to his USD 607,336.

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday released their tax returns, according to which in 2020, she had an income of more than USD 1 million as compared to his USD 607,336. The President and the first lady, Jill, a teacher, filed their income tax return jointly and reported federal adjusted gross income of USD 607,336, down from USD 985,223 in 2019. Also read- Under pressure, Biden works for ceasefire in Israel-Gaza violence The first couple paid USD 157,414 in federal income tax and their 2020 effective federal income tax rate is 25.9 per cent, the White House said. On the other hand, the Vice President and second gentleman Doug Emhoff reported federal adjusted gross income of USD 1,695,225. Also read- Venmo account of Biden discovered in less than 10 minutes: Report They paid USD 621,893 in federal income tax, amounting to a 2020 effective federal income tax rate of 36.7 per cent. They also paid USD 125,004 in California income tax. The second gentleman paid USD 56,997 in District of Columbia income tax. They contributed USD 27,006 to charity in 2020. According to the White House, the President and the first lady also reported donating USD 30,704 or about 5.1 per cent of their total income to 10 different charities. The largest reported gift to charity was USD 10,000 to the Beau Biden Foundation, a public charity dedicated to ensuring that all children are free from the threat of abuse. The President and the first lady also released their Delaware income tax return and reported paying USD 28,794 in Delaware income tax. The first lady also released her Virginia income tax return and reported paying USD 443 in Virginia income tax. As required by law, the President and Vice President also released their public financial disclosure reports. The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires high-level federal officials to publicly disclose their personal financial interests. The public filing system serves to prevent financial conflicts of interest by providing for a systematic review of the finances of government officials. "Those finances are set forth in annual disclosures, which are reviewed and certified by the independent Office of Government Ethics. Neither the President nor the Vice President have any conflicts of interest," the White House said.

Biden reports drop in income, releases tax returns

President Joe Biden and aides worked behind the scenes on Monday pressing for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas amid what one source said was frustration over Israel's bombing of a Gaza building that housed some news organisations.&nbsp;

Biden is facing growing pressure from lawmakers in his own Democratic Party to play a more vocal role, but US officials say he and his team have opted for a quieter effort, talking with Israeli officials and US allies in the Arab world.&nbsp; 
 
Watch: US asks Israel for 'justification' for strike on media building

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"Our calculation at this point is that having those conversations behind the scenes ... is the most constructive approach we can take,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.&nbsp;

Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, their third conversation since the violence erupted.&nbsp;

The White House said Biden 'encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians' and that the two leaders 'discussed progress in Israel’s military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza’.&nbsp;

"The president expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," a White House statement said.&nbsp;

Supporters of the Biden administration demanded quicker action.&nbsp;

“We’re really frustrated that the administration is not moving with more urgency,” said Logan Bayroff, spokesman for J Street, a liberal pro-Israel lobbying group.&nbsp;

Twenty-eight senators, more than half of the Democratic caucus, issued a statement on Sunday calling for an immediate ceasefire 'to prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict.'&nbsp;

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday, he also wanted to see a ceasefire reached quickly.&nbsp;

The Biden administration has increasingly relied on Egypt because of its influence with Hamas, whose rocket barrages into Israeli cities have prompted a fierce response from Israel and led to the biggest outbreak in hostilities since 2014. &nbsp;

The administration would like to get on a glide path to de-escalation in coming days, leading to what a source familiar with the situation called a humanitarian pause in the violence to let relief assistance be delivered to Gaza and build a sustainable calm.&nbsp;

The United States was believed to be preparing significant initiatives on Gaza humanitarian reconstruction, the source said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

President Joe Biden and aides worked behind the scenes on Monday pressing for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas amid what one source said was frustration over Israel's bombing of a Gaza building that housed some news organisations.

President Joe Biden and aides worked behind the scenes on Monday pressing for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas amid what one source said was frustration over Israel's bombing of a Gaza building that housed some news organisations. Biden is facing growing pressure from lawmakers in his own Democratic Party to play a more vocal role, but US officials say he and his team have opted for a quieter effort, talking with Israeli officials and US allies in the Arab world. Watch: US asks Israel for 'justification' for strike on media building "Our calculation at this point is that having those conversations behind the scenes ... is the most constructive approach we can take,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. Biden spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, their third conversation since the violence erupted. The White House said Biden 'encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians' and that the two leaders 'discussed progress in Israel’s military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza’. "The president expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end," a White House statement said. Supporters of the Biden administration demanded quicker action. “We’re really frustrated that the administration is not moving with more urgency,” said Logan Bayroff, spokesman for J Street, a liberal pro-Israel lobbying group. Twenty-eight senators, more than half of the Democratic caucus, issued a statement on Sunday calling for an immediate ceasefire 'to prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict.' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday, he also wanted to see a ceasefire reached quickly. The Biden administration has increasingly relied on Egypt because of its influence with Hamas, whose rocket barrages into Israeli cities have prompted a fierce response from Israel and led to the biggest outbreak in hostilities since 2014. The administration would like to get on a glide path to de-escalation in coming days, leading to what a source familiar with the situation called a humanitarian pause in the violence to let relief assistance be delivered to Gaza and build a sustainable calm. The United States was believed to be preparing significant initiatives on Gaza humanitarian reconstruction, the source said. (With inputs from agencies)

Under pressure, Biden works for ceasefire in Israel-Gaza violence 

US President Joe Biden on Saturday (local time) held telephonic conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirmed his strong support for Israel`s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups.

Biden noted in his conversation with Netanyahu that "this current period of conflict has tragically claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children," according to a readout of the call released by the White House.

"The President reaffirmed his strong support for Israel`s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. He condemned these indiscriminate attacks against towns and cities across Israel," the White House said in a statement.

"The President updated the Prime Minister on high-level US engagement with regional partners on this issue and discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts",&nbsp;it added.He raised concerns about the safety and security of journalists and reinforced the need to ensure their protection.

The President shared his grave concern about the intercommunal violence across Israel.Biden welcomed the statements by the Prime Minister and other leaders opposing such hateful acts and encouraged continued steps to hold violent extremists accountable and to establish calm.Both the leaders discussed the current tensions in Jerusalem and expressed their shared desire for Jerusalem to be a place of peaceful coexistence for people of all faiths and backgrounds, according to a readout of the call released by the White House.

"The President voiced his concern about violent confrontations in the West Bank. He expressed his support for steps to enable the Palestinian people to enjoy the dignity, security, freedom, and economic opportunity that they deserve and affirmed his support for a two-state solution. The leaders agreed to continue the close consultation between their teams and to remain in touch in the days ahead,"it added.

Biden also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and discussed the violence in Gaza, in which he called for Hamas, the authority`s rival, to stop firing rockets into Israel.It was the first phone call between the two leaders since Biden assumed office.

President Biden "stressed the need for Hamas to cease firing rockets into Israel", and the two men "expressed their shared concern that innocent civilians, including children, have tragically lost their lives amidst the ongoing violence," the White House said.

The White House says Biden "expressed his support for steps to enable the Palestinian people to enjoy the dignity, security, freedom, and economic opportunity that they deserve" and highlighted the recent US decision to resume assistance to the Palestinian people, including economic and humanitarian assistance to benefit Palestinians in the West bank and Gaza.

Israeli warplanes on Saturday destroyed a building in Gaza City with offices of various media groups, including Al Jazeera and the American Associated Press.

Al-Jala Tower is fourth multi-storey building targeted by Israeli warplanes since Monday. At least 139 people, including 39 children and 22 women, have been killed and 950 more injured in the Israeli attacks on Gaza. The conflict between Israel-Palestine escalated after Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem amid eviction protests, which left scores of Palestinians and police officers wounded.

US President Joe Biden on Saturday (local time) held telephonic conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirmed his strong support for Israel`s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups.

US President Joe Biden on Saturday (local time) held telephonic conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reaffirmed his strong support for Israel`s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups. Biden noted in his conversation with Netanyahu that "this current period of conflict has tragically claimed the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children," according to a readout of the call released by the White House. "The President reaffirmed his strong support for Israel`s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza. He condemned these indiscriminate attacks against towns and cities across Israel," the White House said in a statement. "The President updated the Prime Minister on high-level US engagement with regional partners on this issue and discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts", it added.He raised concerns about the safety and security of journalists and reinforced the need to ensure their protection. The President shared his grave concern about the intercommunal violence across Israel.Biden welcomed the statements by the Prime Minister and other leaders opposing such hateful acts and encouraged continued steps to hold violent extremists accountable and to establish calm.Both the leaders discussed the current tensions in Jerusalem and expressed their shared desire for Jerusalem to be a place of peaceful coexistence for people of all faiths and backgrounds, according to a readout of the call released by the White House. "The President voiced his concern about violent confrontations in the West Bank. He expressed his support for steps to enable the Palestinian people to enjoy the dignity, security, freedom, and economic opportunity that they deserve and affirmed his support for a two-state solution. The leaders agreed to continue the close consultation between their teams and to remain in touch in the days ahead,"it added. Biden also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and discussed the violence in Gaza, in which he called for Hamas, the authority`s rival, to stop firing rockets into Israel.It was the first phone call between the two leaders since Biden assumed office. President Biden "stressed the need for Hamas to cease firing rockets into Israel", and the two men "expressed their shared concern that innocent civilians, including children, have tragically lost their lives amidst the ongoing violence," the White House said. The White House says Biden "expressed his support for steps to enable the Palestinian people to enjoy the dignity, security, freedom, and economic opportunity that they deserve" and highlighted the recent US decision to resume assistance to the Palestinian people, including economic and humanitarian assistance to benefit Palestinians in the West bank and Gaza. Israeli warplanes on Saturday destroyed a building in Gaza City with offices of various media groups, including Al Jazeera and the American Associated Press. Al-Jala Tower is fourth multi-storey building targeted by Israeli warplanes since Monday. At least 139 people, including 39 children and 22 women, have been killed and 950 more injured in the Israeli attacks on Gaza. The conflict between Israel-Palestine escalated after Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem amid eviction protests, which left scores of Palestinians and police officers wounded.

Biden calls Netanyahu, reaffirms US support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, other terror groups

After BuzzFeed News said, it easily found the US president on the payment app Venmo, accounts for Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden were removed on Friday. The discovery raised several national security questions.&nbsp;

The news website was looking for US President’s account after it was mentioned in a New York Times report on White House conditions and working practices.&nbsp;

It took 'less than 10 minutes' to find president’s account by using only a combination of the app’s built-in search tool and public friends feature, said BuzzFeed.&nbsp;

Not just this, it also found nearly a dozen Biden family members and mapped out a social web that encompasses not only the first family but a wide network of people around them in the process, it said. &nbsp;

These include the president’s children, grandchildren, senior White House officials and all of their contacts on Venmo.&nbsp;

Although the White House did not immediately comment, the accounts for the president and first lady were removed by late Friday as per BuzzFeed.&nbsp;

According to a Venmo spokesperson, “The safety and privacy of all Venmo users and their information is always a top priority, and we take this responsibility very seriously. Customers always have the ability to make their transactions private and determine their own privacy settings in the app. We are consistently evolving and strengthening the privacy measures for all Venmo users to be able to provide a safe, secure way to send and spend money.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

After BuzzFeed News said, it easily found the US president on the payment app Venmo, accounts for Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden were removed on Friday. The discovery raised several national security questions.

After BuzzFeed News said, it easily found the US president on the payment app Venmo, accounts for Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden were removed on Friday. The discovery raised several national security questions. The news website was looking for US President’s account after it was mentioned in a New York Times report on White House conditions and working practices. It took 'less than 10 minutes' to find president’s account by using only a combination of the app’s built-in search tool and public friends feature, said BuzzFeed. Not just this, it also found nearly a dozen Biden family members and mapped out a social web that encompasses not only the first family but a wide network of people around them in the process, it said. These include the president’s children, grandchildren, senior White House officials and all of their contacts on Venmo. Although the White House did not immediately comment, the accounts for the president and first lady were removed by late Friday as per BuzzFeed. According to a Venmo spokesperson, “The safety and privacy of all Venmo users and their information is always a top priority, and we take this responsibility very seriously. Customers always have the ability to make their transactions private and determine their own privacy settings in the app. We are consistently evolving and strengthening the privacy measures for all Venmo users to be able to provide a safe, secure way to send and spend money.” (With inputs from agencies)

Venmo account of Biden discovered in less than 10 minutes: Report 

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that there was no evidence of Russian government involvement in a cyberattack that crippled functioning of Colonial pipeline. The company manages huge network of fuel supply within the US.

However, Biden said that there were indications that the ransomware was "in Russia".&nbsp;

"So far there is no evidence based on, from our intelligence people, that Russia is involved," Biden said in the White House.&nbsp;

"Although there is evidence that the actors, ransomware is in Russia. They have some responsibility to deal with this."

Colonial Pipeline is slowly restoring the fuel supply. On Monday, it said that operations were being "brought back online in a stepwise fashion" after Saturday's complete shutdown due to a cyberattack.

The affected pipeline ships gasoline and jet fuel from the Gulf Coast of Texas to the populous East Coast through 5,500 miles (8,850 kilometers) of conduit, serving 50 million consumers.

Just a few days ago Colonial Pipeline operations were crippled due to a cyberattack. It was a ransomware attack. Such an attack encrypts computer systems and seeks to extract payment.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified DarkSide as the group which produced the ransomware used in the attack.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that there was no evidence of Russian government involvement in a cyberattack that crippled functioning of Colonial pipeline.

US President Joe Biden said on Monday that there was no evidence of Russian government involvement in a cyberattack that crippled functioning of Colonial pipeline. The company manages huge network of fuel supply within the US. However, Biden said that there were indications that the ransomware was "in Russia". "So far there is no evidence based on, from our intelligence people, that Russia is involved," Biden said in the White House. "Although there is evidence that the actors, ransomware is in Russia. They have some responsibility to deal with this." Colonial Pipeline is slowly restoring the fuel supply. On Monday, it said that operations were being "brought back online in a stepwise fashion" after Saturday's complete shutdown due to a cyberattack. The affected pipeline ships gasoline and jet fuel from the Gulf Coast of Texas to the populous East Coast through 5,500 miles (8,850 kilometers) of conduit, serving 50 million consumers. Just a few days ago Colonial Pipeline operations were crippled due to a cyberattack. It was a ransomware attack. Such an attack encrypts computer systems and seeks to extract payment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified DarkSide as the group which produced the ransomware used in the attack. (With inputs from agencies)

No evidence of Russian government being behind ransomware attack, says Biden

US President Joe Biden will join a virtual summit of eastern European NATO states held in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Monday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said, with a focus on security in the Black Sea region and Ukraine. &nbsp;

The summit of the Bucharest Nine, a group of European countries on the eastern edge of NATO, will be jointly hosted by Iohannis and Poland's President Andrzej Duda and aims at coordinating the security positions of countries in the region.&nbsp;

"Glad to welcome Joe Biden to the Bucharest9 Summit, which I host in Bucharest today," Iohannis said on his Twitter account.&nbsp;

"Together with President Andrzej Duda we'll also welcome ... Jens Stoltenberg in preparation of NATO Summit, focusing on Transatlantic ties, NATO 2030, defence and deterrence on the eastern flank."&nbsp;

Biden, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia will video-conference into the gathering. &nbsp;

"In ... the statement that the nine will publish after the meeting there will be the issue of security in the Black Sea region and the related security issues in Ukraine," the head of Poland's National Security Bureau, Pawel Soloch, told reporters.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, Washington said it could increase security help for Kyiv after Russia moved troops near its border with Ukraine's eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops are in conflict with Moscow-backed separatists.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

US President Joe Biden will join a virtual summit of eastern European NATO states held in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Monday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said, with a focus on security in the Black Sea region and Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden will join a virtual summit of eastern European NATO states held in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Monday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said, with a focus on security in the Black Sea region and Ukraine. The summit of the Bucharest Nine, a group of European countries on the eastern edge of NATO, will be jointly hosted by Iohannis and Poland's President Andrzej Duda and aims at coordinating the security positions of countries in the region. "Glad to welcome Joe Biden to the Bucharest9 Summit, which I host in Bucharest today," Iohannis said on his Twitter account. "Together with President Andrzej Duda we'll also welcome ... Jens Stoltenberg in preparation of NATO Summit, focusing on Transatlantic ties, NATO 2030, defence and deterrence on the eastern flank." Biden, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia will video-conference into the gathering. "In ... the statement that the nine will publish after the meeting there will be the issue of security in the Black Sea region and the related security issues in Ukraine," the head of Poland's National Security Bureau, Pawel Soloch, told reporters. Earlier this month, Washington said it could increase security help for Kyiv after Russia moved troops near its border with Ukraine's eastern Donbass region, where Ukrainian troops are in conflict with Moscow-backed separatists. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden to join eastern European NATO states summit, focus seen on Ukraine 

US President Joe Biden said on Friday he expected to be able to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon and the White House said ongoing differences between the United States and Russia would not need to be resolved in advance of a summit.&nbsp;

Biden told reporters at the White House, he wanted to meet Putin despite Russia's build-up of military forces near Ukraine.&nbsp;

"It does not impact my desire to have a one-on-one meeting and you'll notice he had more troops before. He's withdrawn troops," he said.&nbsp;

Asked about meeting Putin in June, he said: "I'm confident we'll be able to do it. We don't have any specific time or place. That's being worked on."&nbsp;

The United States has said it supports Ukraine amid what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week called Moscow's 'reckless' troop build-up.&nbsp;

Biden and his advisers would like to add a summit with Putin in a third country while the US president is in Europe in mid-June for a Group of Seven meeting in Britain and talks with NATO allies in Brussels.&nbsp;

But negotiations with the Russians on staging the summit are continuing, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.&nbsp;

"We're working through the question of some logistics - place, location, time, agenda, all the specifics - that was always going to happen at a staff level. It's really up to them what they want to achieve," she said.&nbsp;

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was cited by Russian news agency TASS as saying Russia was studying the possibility of a Putin-Biden meeting.&nbsp;

"We continue to analyse the situation," TASS quoted Peskov as saying when asked whether the Russian side has officially agreed to the proposed summit.&nbsp;

The United States has a number of grievances with Russia, including its treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. But Psaki said these grievances do not need to be resolved in advance of a Biden-Putin summit.&nbsp;

"Obviously, human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, values are all issues the president, Secretary (of State Antony) Blinken, National Security Adviser (Jake) Sullivan raised with their counterparts. But the invitation to have a discussion and have a meeting was not offered with the prerequisite that every issue is resolved in advance. We expect we will still continue to have disagreements," she said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden said on Friday he expected to be able to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon and the White House said ongoing differences between the United States and Russia would not need to be resolved in advance of a summit.

US President Joe Biden said on Friday he expected to be able to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon and the White House said ongoing differences between the United States and Russia would not need to be resolved in advance of a summit. Biden told reporters at the White House, he wanted to meet Putin despite Russia's build-up of military forces near Ukraine. "It does not impact my desire to have a one-on-one meeting and you'll notice he had more troops before. He's withdrawn troops," he said. Asked about meeting Putin in June, he said: "I'm confident we'll be able to do it. We don't have any specific time or place. That's being worked on." The United States has said it supports Ukraine amid what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week called Moscow's 'reckless' troop build-up. Biden and his advisers would like to add a summit with Putin in a third country while the US president is in Europe in mid-June for a Group of Seven meeting in Britain and talks with NATO allies in Brussels. But negotiations with the Russians on staging the summit are continuing, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. "We're working through the question of some logistics - place, location, time, agenda, all the specifics - that was always going to happen at a staff level. It's really up to them what they want to achieve," she said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was cited by Russian news agency TASS as saying Russia was studying the possibility of a Putin-Biden meeting. "We continue to analyse the situation," TASS quoted Peskov as saying when asked whether the Russian side has officially agreed to the proposed summit. The United States has a number of grievances with Russia, including its treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. But Psaki said these grievances do not need to be resolved in advance of a Biden-Putin summit. "Obviously, human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, values are all issues the president, Secretary (of State Antony) Blinken, National Security Adviser (Jake) Sullivan raised with their counterparts. But the invitation to have a discussion and have a meeting was not offered with the prerequisite that every issue is resolved in advance. We expect we will still continue to have disagreements," she said. (With inputs from agencies)

US President Biden says he is confident he can meet Russia's Putin soon 

Drugmakers&nbsp;on Thursday said US President Joe&nbsp;Biden's support for waiving&nbsp;patents of COVID-19&nbsp;vaccines could disrupt a fragile supply chain, and that, rich countries should instead share more generously with the developing world.

Biden&nbsp;on Wednesday threw his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19&nbsp;vaccines, angering research-based pharmaceutical companies.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-backs-india-led-fight-to-waive-covid-vaccines-patents-383092">US backs India-led fight to waive Covid vaccines patents</a>

If adopted by the World Trade Organisation, the proposal would invite new manufacturers that lack essential know-how and&nbsp;oversight from the inventors to crowd out established contractors, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) said.

"I have heard many (vaccine&nbsp;makers) talking about 'our resources are stretched, our technicians are stretched'," IFPMA Director General Thomas Cueni told Reuters. He warned of a possible free for all if "sort of rogue companies" were allowed to become involved.

Vaccine&nbsp;developers echoed his comments that waiving intellectual property rights was not a solution.

"Patents are not the limiting factor for the production or supply of our&nbsp;vaccine. They would not increase the global production and supply of&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;doses in the short and middle term," said Germany's BioNTech, which aims to supply up to three&nbsp;billion doses together with Pfizer this year.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-supports-global-waiver-of-intellectual-property-protection-for-covid-19-vaccines-383100/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

BioNTech said it took more than a decade to develop its&nbsp;vaccines manufacturing process and replicating it required experienced personnel and a meticulous technology transfer, among several other factors beyond&nbsp;patents.

Another German company CureVac, which hopes to release trial results on its messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;as early as this month, said&nbsp;patents were not to blame for supply bottlenecks.

"Since mRNA technology has emerged as the key technology in the fight against COVID-19, the world now needs the same raw materials in unfathomable amounts. The biggest problem is how to coordinate this," a spokeswoman said.

IFPMA's Cueni said the real bottlenecks were trade barriers, in particular the US Defense Production Act (DPA).

The DPA is a decades-old US law that prioritised procurement orders related to US national defence, but it has been widely used in non-military crises, such as natural disasters.

Cueni said the way to kickstart low-income countries' vaccination campaigns, was for rich countries to donate&nbsp;vaccine, rather than widen eligibility to young and healthy people at home.

Moderna, which on Thursday reported quarterly results, said waiving intellectual property rights would not help to increase the supply of its&nbsp;vaccines in 2021 and 2022.

The US drugmaker said last year it would not enforce its&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;patents. CureVac said on Thursday it would also not enforce its&nbsp;patents during the pandemic and that it knew of no other developer that would.

Italy's ReiThera which is in late-stage tests on an experimental COVID-19&nbsp;vaccine was also critical of&nbsp;patent&nbsp;waivers.

"There is proprietary know-how that has to be transferred by the owner. And then there is the problem with process materials, which at the moment have delivery times of almost a year," ReiThera's chief of technology Stefano Colloca said.

In contrast to the industry reaction, the GAVI&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;alliance, which co-leads the COVAX dose-sharing programme with the WHO and faces major supply constraints, welcomed&nbsp;Biden's support for waiving intellectual property rights.

Drugmakers on Thursday said US President Joe Biden's support for waiving patents of COVID-19 vaccines could disrupt a fragile supply chain, and that, rich countries should instead share more generously with the developing world.

Drugmakers on Thursday said US President Joe Biden's support for waiving patents of COVID-19 vaccines could disrupt a fragile supply chain, and that, rich countries should instead share more generously with the developing world. Biden on Wednesday threw his support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, angering research-based pharmaceutical companies. Also read | US backs India-led fight to waive Covid vaccines patents If adopted by the World Trade Organisation, the proposal would invite new manufacturers that lack essential know-how and oversight from the inventors to crowd out established contractors, the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) said. "I have heard many (vaccine makers) talking about 'our resources are stretched, our technicians are stretched'," IFPMA Director General Thomas Cueni told Reuters. He warned of a possible free for all if "sort of rogue companies" were allowed to become involved. Vaccine developers echoed his comments that waiving intellectual property rights was not a solution. "Patents are not the limiting factor for the production or supply of our vaccine. They would not increase the global production and supply of vaccine doses in the short and middle term," said Germany's BioNTech, which aims to supply up to three billion doses together with Pfizer this year. BioNTech said it took more than a decade to develop its vaccines manufacturing process and replicating it required experienced personnel and a meticulous technology transfer, among several other factors beyond patents. Another German company CureVac, which hopes to release trial results on its messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine as early as this month, said patents were not to blame for supply bottlenecks. "Since mRNA technology has emerged as the key technology in the fight against COVID-19, the world now needs the same raw materials in unfathomable amounts. The biggest problem is how to coordinate this," a spokeswoman said. IFPMA's Cueni said the real bottlenecks were trade barriers, in particular the US Defense Production Act (DPA). The DPA is a decades-old US law that prioritised procurement orders related to US national defence, but it has been widely used in non-military crises, such as natural disasters. Cueni said the way to kickstart low-income countries' vaccination campaigns, was for rich countries to donate vaccine, rather than widen eligibility to young and healthy people at home. Moderna, which on Thursday reported quarterly results, said waiving intellectual property rights would not help to increase the supply of its vaccines in 2021 and 2022. The US drugmaker said last year it would not enforce its vaccine patents. CureVac said on Thursday it would also not enforce its patents during the pandemic and that it knew of no other developer that would. Italy's ReiThera which is in late-stage tests on an experimental COVID-19 vaccine was also critical of patent waivers. "There is proprietary know-how that has to be transferred by the owner. And then there is the problem with process materials, which at the moment have delivery times of almost a year," ReiThera's chief of technology Stefano Colloca said. In contrast to the industry reaction, the GAVI vaccine alliance, which co-leads the COVAX dose-sharing programme with the WHO and faces major supply constraints, welcomed Biden's support for waiving intellectual property rights.

Drugmakers say Biden misguided over vaccine patent waiver

Under former US President Donald Trump, Washington pressurised its allies to pack up oil imports from Iran just because it wanted to put “maximum pressure” on the Islamic republic. Around the same time, Washington also put pressure on fellow NATO members to up their military budgets. It also pressed US allies to fight Huawei.

US President Joe Biden promised to put an end to this maximalist approach towards diplomacy. But just 100 days into office, Biden seems to have changed his mind. Washington is pressing Taiwan to supply microchip so that the Biden administration can revive and drive the American economy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-is-pressing-taiwan-for-microchips-383079">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-is-pressing-taiwan-for-microchips-383079/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Microchips are tiny wafers of semiconducting materials and are needed in smartphones, computers and gaming consoles. Each car has over 1,000 microchips which help in controlling the car radio, the climate control system, tyre pressure etc. Currently, there is a global shortage of microchips and automakers are feeling the pinch.

From General Motors to Ford, auto-companies have been forced to shut plants and press break on production in the US. This has threatened Biden's promise of accelerating economic recovery. Autoworkers are facing cuts in their hours and wages. Additionally, this has threatened Biden's approval ratings as he stares at mid-term elections and Democrats struggle to hold their House majority.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/taipei-to-dispatch-military-aircraft-ships-to-counter-chinese-activities-in-taiwan-strait-382948" hreflang="en">Taipei to dispatch military aircraft, ships to counter Chinese activities in Taiwan Strait</a>

The situation is so dire that in April, the White House convened a summit to address chip shortage. Now, America is exporting its problem and directing the pressure towards an ally.

Taiwan has the world's largest semiconductor manufacturing industry and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is among the world's leading microchip producers and makes nearly 12 million microchips a year.

America wants these wafers to be shipped to US automobile companies. But the demand for Taiwanese microchips is not limited to the US alone. The TSMC, for example, has clients across Europe, Japan, South Korea, even China but Washington wants priority. The US is leveraging its position as Taiwan's main defence exporter. As the main foreign source of weapons, Taiwan need US to defend itself from China.

“Not a day goes by that we don't push on that”, said US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo told an executive from General Motors. “There are so many American jobs on the line”, she added. US is betting on Taiwan's vulnerability against an increasingly aggressive China.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/economic-warfare-against-tech-sector-taiwan-bans-recruitment-for-jobs-in-china-to-combat-brain-drain-381547" hreflang="en">Economic warfare against tech sector: Taiwan bans recruitment for jobs in China to combat brain drain</a>

Trump's legacy of pressing adversaries and allies alike still lingers in the White House. American diplomacy under Biden is increasingly being shaped by national politics.

Be it the refugee cap, or helping a natural ally like India in times of a global healthcare crisis, Biden believes in testing the waters at home first. And he is not shy of escalating pressure on an ally if it serves his national interest. Biden promised to be different from Rrump when he declared “America is back”. But 100 days in office and America is back to its old tactics.

Under former US President Donald Trump, Washington pressurised its allies to pack up oil imports from Iran just because it wanted to put “maximum pressure” on the Islamic republic.

Under former US President Donald Trump, Washington pressurised its allies to pack up oil imports from Iran just because it wanted to put “maximum pressure” on the Islamic republic. Around the same time, Washington also put pressure on fellow NATO members to up their military budgets. It also pressed US allies to fight Huawei. US President Joe Biden promised to put an end to this maximalist approach towards diplomacy. But just 100 days into office, Biden seems to have changed his mind. Washington is pressing Taiwan to supply microchip so that the Biden administration can revive and drive the American economy. Watch | Microchips are tiny wafers of semiconducting materials and are needed in smartphones, computers and gaming consoles. Each car has over 1,000 microchips which help in controlling the car radio, the climate control system, tyre pressure etc. Currently, there is a global shortage of microchips and automakers are feeling the pinch. From General Motors to Ford, auto-companies have been forced to shut plants and press break on production in the US. This has threatened Biden's promise of accelerating economic recovery. Autoworkers are facing cuts in their hours and wages. Additionally, this has threatened Biden's approval ratings as he stares at mid-term elections and Democrats struggle to hold their House majority. Also read: Taipei to dispatch military aircraft, ships to counter Chinese activities in Taiwan Strait The situation is so dire that in April, the White House convened a summit to address chip shortage. Now, America is exporting its problem and directing the pressure towards an ally. Taiwan has the world's largest semiconductor manufacturing industry and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) is among the world's leading microchip producers and makes nearly 12 million microchips a year. America wants these wafers to be shipped to US automobile companies. But the demand for Taiwanese microchips is not limited to the US alone. The TSMC, for example, has clients across Europe, Japan, South Korea, even China but Washington wants priority. The US is leveraging its position as Taiwan's main defence exporter. As the main foreign source of weapons, Taiwan need US to defend itself from China. “Not a day goes by that we don't push on that”, said US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo told an executive from General Motors. “There are so many American jobs on the line”, she added. US is betting on Taiwan's vulnerability against an increasingly aggressive China. Also read: Economic warfare against tech sector: Taiwan bans recruitment for jobs in China to combat brain drain Trump's legacy of pressing adversaries and allies alike still lingers in the White House. American diplomacy under Biden is increasingly being shaped by national politics. Be it the refugee cap, or helping a natural ally like India in times of a global healthcare crisis, Biden believes in testing the waters at home first. And he is not shy of escalating pressure on an ally if it serves his national interest. Biden promised to be different from Rrump when he declared “America is back”. But 100 days in office and America is back to its old tactics.

What does US pressure on Taiwan for microchips say about Biden administration?

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is in talks with the Biden administration about becoming US ambassador to India.

Garcetti was widely rumoured to be in the running for President Biden’s pick for Transportation secretary before Pete Buttigieg was nominated. He is said to be eager to land a new role after serving as mayor of Los Angeles since 2013.

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti served as co-chair of US president Joe Biden's campaign and said in December that he turned down an unspecified position in the administration to remain in his current post. He might now be posted as Ambassador to India.

US president Joe Biden is considering naming Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti as Ambassador to India.

According to the news site Axios, which cited people close to the matter, Garcetti is one of many people being considered for the post.

Garcetti served as co-chair of Biden's campaign and said in December that he turned down an unspecified position in the administration to remain Los Angeles mayor.

The appointment as India's ambassador would come as the nation of 1.36 billion people deals with a spike in Covid-19 cases, reported Axios.

Axios reported that Biden was presented with a list of potential ambassadors in March, and a final decision on the appointment has not yet been made.&nbsp;

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is in talks with the Biden administration about becoming US ambassador to India. Garcetti was widely rumoured to be in the running for President Biden’s pick for Transportation secretary before Pete Buttigieg was nominated.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is in talks with the Biden administration about becoming US ambassador to India. Garcetti was widely rumoured to be in the running for President Biden’s pick for Transportation secretary before Pete Buttigieg was nominated. He is said to be eager to land a new role after serving as mayor of Los Angeles since 2013. Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti served as co-chair of US president Joe Biden's campaign and said in December that he turned down an unspecified position in the administration to remain in his current post. He might now be posted as Ambassador to India. US president Joe Biden is considering naming Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti as Ambassador to India. According to the news site Axios, which cited people close to the matter, Garcetti is one of many people being considered for the post. Garcetti served as co-chair of Biden's campaign and said in December that he turned down an unspecified position in the administration to remain Los Angeles mayor. The appointment as India's ambassador would come as the nation of 1.36 billion people deals with a spike in Covid-19 cases, reported Axios. Axios reported that Biden was presented with a list of potential ambassadors in March, and a final decision on the appointment has not yet been made.

US President considering naming Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as next US Ambassador to India: Report

US President Joe Biden, in a phone call on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the White House said in a statement.&nbsp;

Israel established formal relations with the UAE in September as part of a US-brokered agreement. The UAE and Israel share common concerns about Iran.&nbsp;

Biden and Prince Mohammed discussed "the nuclear and regional dimensions of the threat posed by Iran, as well as the common quest for de-escalation and peace" in the Middle East, the statement said.&nbsp;

Biden "underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel," it said. Biden "expressed his full support for strengthening and expanding these arrangements."&nbsp;

Biden and the crown prince also discussed Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region, the White House said. &nbsp;

(With input from agencies)&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden, in a phone call on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the White House said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden, in a phone call on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the White House said in a statement. Israel established formal relations with the UAE in September as part of a US-brokered agreement. The UAE and Israel share common concerns about Iran. Biden and Prince Mohammed discussed "the nuclear and regional dimensions of the threat posed by Iran, as well as the common quest for de-escalation and peace" in the Middle East, the statement said. Biden "underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel," it said. Biden "expressed his full support for strengthening and expanding these arrangements." Biden and the crown prince also discussed Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region, the White House said. (With input from agencies)

Biden stresses importance of normalisation with Israel in call with Abu Dhabi crown prince 

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

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

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

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

Enthusiasm for President Biden’s ambition is rampant among progressives. In the first 100 days of his presidency, he has inspired premonitions of the second coming of Franklin Roosevelt. In his address to Congress this week, Mr. Biden himself invoked the parallel, “turning peril into possibility.”

And no wonder: After breaking through in the Democratic primaries as a centrist, Mr. Biden has surpassed his party’s expectations for the scale of his vision and moved sharply to the left in his early days in office.

It is not easy to explain Mr. Biden’s “radicalism.” For the most rapturous, a big-spending champion of a new welfare state has arisen from a cautious market-friendly centrism. The American Rescue, Jobs and Family Plans augur a “decisive break” with the era of small government, and the pandemic’s exposure of American inequalities and the evolution of our experts anticipate a new era in our politics.

That is not the whole story. The Democrats’ newfound tolerance of deficits for the sake of relief, infrastructure and care does move beyond the austerity economics of the last several decades. But as the journalist David Dayen points out, it has not affected a budget proposal promising to “restore” discretionary nondefense spending to levels that are still less than those during the Ronald Reagan era (as a percentage of gross domestic product). Mr. Biden’s rebalancing of tax fairness for individuals takes the country back, as the president acknowledged Wednesday, to George W. Bush levels of under 40 percent for the top tax bracket, not Roosevelt levels of 94 percent at their height or even pre-Reagan levels of 70 percent.

If Mr. Biden’s first 100 days differ so much from the New Deal, however, the fear that motivated Democrats back then is the best explanation of their early actions and talk now, especially when it comes to rethinking the American social contract. In his first inaugural, Roosevelt warned against the fear of fear itself. The truth, as the New Deal historian Ira Katznelson memorably emphasized, is that anxiety drove many of the innovations of the era, from the contraction of class inequality (and high tax rates) at home to the militarized stance toward enemies like the Nazis abroad. But terror of risks to stability and wealth, as much as freedom, lay behind a redefinition of social fairness and the rise of a new kind of state.

That fear can drive reform, while also limiting and marring it, is what we need to consider once again. What Democrats are afraid of best explains what they are doing, and where they will stop — and that may be the problem.

Mr. Biden’s foreign policy staffers have been most cleareyed about their challenges. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that “Americans have been asking tough but fair questions about what we’re doing, how we’re leading — indeed, whether we should be leading at all.”

Brian Deese, Council of Economic Policy head, is also entirely open that losing voters again in a closely divided country keeps him up at night: “Your ability to sustain good policy is connected to your ability to sustain political support for that good policy.”

With a higher minimum wage on hold (Mr. Biden did order a $15 minimum wage for federal contractors) and the fate of Mr. Biden’s proposed increase in the corporate tax rate unknown, much of the history the Democrats are writing is now up to Congress. The red meat of Mr. Biden’s proposals will look very different after the sausage grinder of the legislative process.

But both the generosity and limits of the reformism of fear always depend on what exactly reformers find terrifying — and what they think will lead to safety. The threat of electoral loss will wane as soon as it seems less credible that Donald Trump or someone like him can capitalize on elite failures. Even as long as that fear lasts, it can as easily lead to optical or rhetorical change as drive structural reform. And fear conditions the kind of government investments chosen from the policy menu.

It is not just politicians angling to stay in power whose fear we need to realistically assess. Much depends, too, on the fear levels of the donors to whom politicians answer. In the 20th century, the carnage of war and masses enraged by depression — and pushing for labor rights through street action and union politics — once led the rich to redistribute to the rest more willingly. But it is unclear how genuinely and how much our generation’s wealthy, whose big donations made a big difference for Mr. Biden in the 2020 election (much as well-off suburbanites did with their votes), are terrified, or how far the president will ultimately shape policy to their demands.

If the New Deal shows that fear can motivate reform, finally, it also reminds us that it can lead that reform awry. The one big change in foreign policy Democrats are making to their pre-Trump understanding of what a “rules-based international order” requires concerns China, especially in trade policy. That Democrats are embracing so floridly the model of great power competition with China that Mr. Trump embraced — even perhaps a new Cold War — suggests they know they need more than the anxiety they will lose again or the threats to democracy associated with the right (and confirmed by the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol) to keep themselves and many in their audience motivated.

“When we think about infrastructure,” said Mr. Deese, “a lot of it is in contraposition to what [Biden] is seeing China doing.” As Mr. Biden himself remarked on Wednesday: “China and other countries are closing in fast.”

The New Deal truly changed America when it ended not in a welfare but in a warfare state — and that proved a catastrophe for kind of ambitious reform Mr. Biden says he wants. Apprehensive competition can bring distortion, excess and manipulation, and not merely goad policymakers to change for the better or constituencies to support that change. Ambition can spring from rivalry, but competition, as the first Cold War with the Soviet Union showed, can also limit reform and lead to collateral damage and disastrous mistakes.

The limits of Mr. Biden’s ambitions are the limits of the reformism of fear. For all the good it can provoke, a politics driven by threats from angry voters, domestic uprisings and foreign states can never break the American impasse. Only hope and higher ideals can.

Enthusiasm for President Biden’s ambition is rampant among progressives. In the first 100 days of his presidency, he has inspired premonitions of the second coming of Franklin Roosevelt.

Enthusiasm for President Biden’s ambition is rampant among progressives. In the first 100 days of his presidency, he has inspired premonitions of the second coming of Franklin Roosevelt. In his address to Congress this week, Mr. Biden himself invoked the parallel, “turning peril into possibility.” And no wonder: After breaking through in the Democratic primaries as a centrist, Mr. Biden has surpassed his party’s expectations for the scale of his vision and moved sharply to the left in his early days in office. It is not easy to explain Mr. Biden’s “radicalism.” For the most rapturous, a big-spending champion of a new welfare state has arisen from a cautious market-friendly centrism. The American Rescue, Jobs and Family Plans augur a “decisive break” with the era of small government, and the pandemic’s exposure of American inequalities and the evolution of our experts anticipate a new era in our politics. That is not the whole story. The Democrats’ newfound tolerance of deficits for the sake of relief, infrastructure and care does move beyond the austerity economics of the last several decades. But as the journalist David Dayen points out, it has not affected a budget proposal promising to “restore” discretionary nondefense spending to levels that are still less than those during the Ronald Reagan era (as a percentage of gross domestic product). Mr. Biden’s rebalancing of tax fairness for individuals takes the country back, as the president acknowledged Wednesday, to George W. Bush levels of under 40 percent for the top tax bracket, not Roosevelt levels of 94 percent at their height or even pre-Reagan levels of 70 percent. If Mr. Biden’s first 100 days differ so much from the New Deal, however, the fear that motivated Democrats back then is the best explanation of their early actions and talk now, especially when it comes to rethinking the American social contract. In his first inaugural, Roosevelt warned against the fear of fear itself. The truth, as the New Deal historian Ira Katznelson memorably emphasized, is that anxiety drove many of the innovations of the era, from the contraction of class inequality (and high tax rates) at home to the militarized stance toward enemies like the Nazis abroad. But terror of risks to stability and wealth, as much as freedom, lay behind a redefinition of social fairness and the rise of a new kind of state. That fear can drive reform, while also limiting and marring it, is what we need to consider once again. What Democrats are afraid of best explains what they are doing, and where they will stop — and that may be the problem. Mr. Biden’s foreign policy staffers have been most cleareyed about their challenges. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that “Americans have been asking tough but fair questions about what we’re doing, how we’re leading — indeed, whether we should be leading at all.” Brian Deese, Council of Economic Policy head, is also entirely open that losing voters again in a closely divided country keeps him up at night: “Your ability to sustain good policy is connected to your ability to sustain political support for that good policy.” With a higher minimum wage on hold (Mr. Biden did order a $15 minimum wage for federal contractors) and the fate of Mr. Biden’s proposed increase in the corporate tax rate unknown, much of the history the Democrats are writing is now up to Congress. The red meat of Mr. Biden’s proposals will look very different after the sausage grinder of the legislative process. But both the generosity and limits of the reformism of fear always depend on what exactly reformers find terrifying — and what they think will lead to safety. The threat of electoral loss will wane as soon as it seems less credible that Donald Trump or someone like him can capitalize on elite failures. Even as long as that fear lasts, it can as easily lead to optical or rhetorical change as drive structural reform. And fear conditions the kind of government investments chosen from the policy menu. It is not just politicians angling to stay in power whose fear we need to realistically assess. Much depends, too, on the fear levels of the donors to whom politicians answer. In the 20th century, the carnage of war and masses enraged by depression — and pushing for labor rights through street action and union politics — once led the rich to redistribute to the rest more willingly. But it is unclear how genuinely and how much our generation’s wealthy, whose big donations made a big difference for Mr. Biden in the 2020 election (much as well-off suburbanites did with their votes), are terrified, or how far the president will ultimately shape policy to their demands. If the New Deal shows that fear can motivate reform, finally, it also reminds us that it can lead that reform awry. The one big change in foreign policy Democrats are making to their pre-Trump understanding of what a “rules-based international order” requires concerns China, especially in trade policy. That Democrats are embracing so floridly the model of great power competition with China that Mr. Trump embraced — even perhaps a new Cold War — suggests they know they need more than the anxiety they will lose again or the threats to democracy associated with the right (and confirmed by the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol) to keep themselves and many in their audience motivated. “When we think about infrastructure,” said Mr. Deese, “a lot of it is in contraposition to what [Biden] is seeing China doing.” As Mr. Biden himself remarked on Wednesday: “China and other countries are closing in fast.” The New Deal truly changed America when it ended not in a welfare but in a warfare state — and that proved a catastrophe for kind of ambitious reform Mr. Biden says he wants. Apprehensive competition can bring distortion, excess and manipulation, and not merely goad policymakers to change for the better or constituencies to support that change. Ambition can spring from rivalry, but competition, as the first Cold War with the Soviet Union showed, can also limit reform and lead to collateral damage and disastrous mistakes. The limits of Mr. Biden’s ambitions are the limits of the reformism of fear. For all the good it can provoke, a politics driven by threats from angry voters, domestic uprisings and foreign states can never break the American impasse. Only hope and higher ideals can.

Just how transformational is the Biden presidency?

US President Joe Biden attended "Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World" event at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and urged people to get vaccinated. "The vaccines are safe. I promise you. They work," said Biden, who was accompanied in a video message with first lady Dr Jill Biden. Both appeared as part of the "We Can Do This" initiative to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.

Biden continued, "We are working with leaders around the world to share more vaccines and boost production to make sure every country has the vaccines they need. If we get this done, we will not have to miss another moment."

Other major public figures like Prince Harry, Jennifer Lopez, and others joined forces over the weekend to encourage coronavirus vaccine equity at a massive concert in California. According to Fox News, the collection of stars and leaders gathered Sunday night as part of Global Citizen`s massive "Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World" event at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.&nbsp;Media and production staff needed to show a negative COVID-19 test before entering the stadium.

Many commented that the large event was the `first of its kind` in Southern California since the pandemic closed&nbsp;large gatherings down in March of 2020.

The taped fundraising event will air May 8 on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube and iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations. The concert included performances by Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin and H.E.R. Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman appeared as special guest speakers.Everyone in the audience was fully vaccinated.

The event was part of a growing chorus seeking wider, more equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. USD 53.8 million in philanthropic and corporate commitments helped procure nearly 10.3 million doses, exceeding the goal for the Vax Live campaign.Prince Harry said providing vaccines across the globe is imperative, particularly those in the poorest countries. He said that he is standing in solidarity with India, which is experiencing a "devastating" second wave of the virus.

"The vaccine must be distributed to everyone everywhere," the Duke of Sussex said. He along with his wife Meghan are leading an effort to raise money for the vaccine-sharing program COVAX, which hopes to produce USD 19 billion to pay for the vaccines for medical workers.

He said, "We cannot rest or truly recover until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world. The virus does not respect borders and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography."The event also highlighted first responders and health care workers efforts during the pandemic.

Selena Gomez, the show`s host, called essential and frontline workers "reliable" and "brave." The singer said, "Many of us had to stay home, but you all didn`t have a choice. You set an example for all of us, both in how you stayed on the job and that we need to get vaccinated as soon as possible."

Each musical performance made things seem almost like normal with attendees standing at their seats side-by-side while others danced with their masks on. Some hugged each other with enthusiasm. H.E.R. performed on a small stage outside the stadium with a group of people playing their guitars.

US President Joe Biden attended "Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World" event at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and urged people to get vaccinated.

US President Joe Biden attended "Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World" event at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California and urged people to get vaccinated. "The vaccines are safe. I promise you. They work," said Biden, who was accompanied in a video message with first lady Dr Jill Biden. Both appeared as part of the "We Can Do This" initiative to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Biden continued, "We are working with leaders around the world to share more vaccines and boost production to make sure every country has the vaccines they need. If we get this done, we will not have to miss another moment." Other major public figures like Prince Harry, Jennifer Lopez, and others joined forces over the weekend to encourage coronavirus vaccine equity at a massive concert in California. According to Fox News, the collection of stars and leaders gathered Sunday night as part of Global Citizen`s massive "Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World" event at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Media and production staff needed to show a negative COVID-19 test before entering the stadium. Many commented that the large event was the `first of its kind` in Southern California since the pandemic closed large gatherings down in March of 2020. The taped fundraising event will air May 8 on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube and iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations. The concert included performances by Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin and H.E.R. Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman appeared as special guest speakers.Everyone in the audience was fully vaccinated. The event was part of a growing chorus seeking wider, more equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. USD 53.8 million in philanthropic and corporate commitments helped procure nearly 10.3 million doses, exceeding the goal for the Vax Live campaign.Prince Harry said providing vaccines across the globe is imperative, particularly those in the poorest countries. He said that he is standing in solidarity with India, which is experiencing a "devastating" second wave of the virus. "The vaccine must be distributed to everyone everywhere," the Duke of Sussex said. He along with his wife Meghan are leading an effort to raise money for the vaccine-sharing program COVAX, which hopes to produce USD 19 billion to pay for the vaccines for medical workers. He said, "We cannot rest or truly recover until there is fair distribution to every corner of the world. The virus does not respect borders and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography."The event also highlighted first responders and health care workers efforts during the pandemic. Selena Gomez, the show`s host, called essential and frontline workers "reliable" and "brave." The singer said, "Many of us had to stay home, but you all didn`t have a choice. You set an example for all of us, both in how you stayed on the job and that we need to get vaccinated as soon as possible." Each musical performance made things seem almost like normal with attendees standing at their seats side-by-side while others danced with their masks on. Some hugged each other with enthusiasm. H.E.R. performed on a small stage outside the stadium with a group of people playing their guitars.

Joe Biden urges everyone to get vaccinated at 'Vax Live' concert event

President Joe Biden will be remembered by the global Armenian community as the first &nbsp;US &nbsp;President who formally described the large-scale massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks during the First World War as “genocide” . He did so through a Presidential statement on April 24, 2021. The &nbsp;day is commemorated by Armenians all over the world as “Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day”&nbsp;

Ten million Armenians including an estimated seven million Armenian diaspora spread all over the world have been demanding the recognition of Armenian Genocide by the Turkish Ottoman regime during and after the World War 1.&nbsp;

There is a broad consensus amongst international scholars that the Christian Armenian minority in Muslim-majority Turkey under Ottoman rule was subjected to blatant discrimination. During the First World War, the Turks suspected that the loyalty of the Christian Armenians of Turkey was with the Christian Russians. Many of them were residing in Eastern Anatolia, bordering with Imperialist Russia.&nbsp;

Enraged by a heavy defeat at the hands of the Russian forces in the Battle of Saikamish (December 1914 to January 1915), the Ottoman Turks began destroying Ottoman Armenian villages during their retreat. The Ottoman War Minister Anwar Pasha publically accused the Armenians of treachery and what followed was the arrest of a large number of Armenians from different walks of life in Constantinople (now Istanbul) on April 24, 1915, and subsequent deportations en masse to the Syrian desert and elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians were massacred or died from starvation or disease. A large number of Armenian women are alleged to have been molested/raped. &nbsp;

The Armenians put the total figure of those who died in the process at 1.5 million. &nbsp;Turkey admits that there were indeed casualties but insists the numbers were no more than three hundred thousand and denies any systematic or premeditated plan for ethnic cleansing. Relations between Armenia and Turkey remain overshadowed by this burden of history as the two neighbouring countries do not have diplomatic relations and their borders remain closed for each other.

Continuous influx of Armenians into the United States since the 17th century has created a vibrant, active, and diverse Armenian American Diaspora, estimated to be 1.6 million and the second-largest worldwide. The high concentration of Armenian Americans in certain electoral districts, particularly in California, allows them to influence the electoral outcome of elections in those districts.

The primary objectives of the Armenian lobby in the USA, spearheaded by the domestic organisations such as Armenian National Committee of America and Armenian Assembly of America revolve around improving the US relations with Armenia, securing US aid and assistance for Armenia, blocking US aid to Turkey and Azerbaijan and above all the recognition of Armenian genocide.

The Armenian lobby had so far succeeded in enlisting the support of as many as 49 US states in describing the Armenians massacre as genocide. Further in 2019 the US House of Representatives and the Senate had adopted separate but identical Resolutions the thrust of which inter-alia was that “It is the policy of the United States to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance” and “to reject efforts to enlist, engage or otherwise associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or other genocides”.

The US State Department however said that &nbsp;despite the resolutions the US Government’s official position did not change.

The successive US Presidents had so far refrained from any official reference to Armenian Genocide; they did so in deference to the sensitivities of Turkey- an important strategic NATO ally of the USA. In April 2020, the then US President Trump did pay tributes to the victims of “one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century” but stopped short of describing it as genocide. Even the Democratic President Barak Obama is accused of having reneged on the election campaign promises of recognising the Armenian genocide.&nbsp;

Joe Biden’s decision is bound to please the Armenians who were somewhat disappointed over the US’s failure under President Trump to make any effective and substantive intervention during the 44-days armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. The conflict ended in a humiliating military defeat for Armenia and also resulted, besides the loss of lives and territories, in a widespread agitation in Armenia against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

He ultimately resigned on 25th April 2021 to pave the way for mid-term elections in June 2021; as a matter of coincidence he resigned just a day after the release of Joe Biden’s Presidential Statement. Prima-facie there is no link between the US Presidential Statement and Armenian PM’s resignation.

What prompted Joe Biden to accord official recognition to Armenian genocide- an act from which his predecessors both Democrats as well as Republicans had refrained from? For sure, this could not just be to appease and please the Armenians, considering in particular that the next elections are four years away, &nbsp;whereas the announcement could have an immediate adverse impact on the US-Turkey relations which are already on the downslide for some time for a variety of reasons. Turkey’s response has been on the predicted lines. President Erdogan accused President Biden of yielding to political pressure from “radical Armenian circles and anti-Turkey groups” and asked him &nbsp;to “reverse this wrong step immediately”&nbsp;

So, does the US President’s recognition of Armenian genocide reflect the diminishing importance of Turkey for the USA as an ally, particularly in the backdrop of the US drawing down its military commitments to hotspots in the Middle East?&nbsp;

By recognising the Armenian genocide, does the Biden Administration wish to convey its strong commitments to human rights? If so, the questions are being asked as to whether one can expect a similar approach for the &nbsp;Bengalis of Eastern Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who were butchered by the Pakistani Army in 1971 or for the Rohingya Muslims being currently persecuted by the Buddhist majority and the military junta in Myanmar? Perhaps not as neither Rohingyas nor Bengalis have any lobbying power in USA. Moreover, Pakistan still has some nuisance value for the USA in the context of Afghanistan.

Is the Biden Administration trying to convey a message that the USA will not differentiate between friends, allies, or foes on matters which it considers as matters of principles and can go to any extent to prove the point. Remember, only recently (7th April) the US Navy had not only trespassed India’s Exclusive Economic Zone in its territorial waters but also had the audacity of making a public statement that it had done so without informing India or obtaining India’s prior’s consent and that it had done so to assert the Freedom of Navigation and to challenge India’s “excessive maritime claims”.&nbsp;

Reverting to the issue of Armenian genocide, the Armenians have so far met with partial but reasonable success in securing global recognition. The recognition has come mainly from the Western States and organisations.&nbsp;

While India has not recognised the Armenian Genocide all these years, the high-level dignitaries on official visits to &nbsp;Armenia do visit the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan to pay tribute to the victims of Armenian genocide.&nbsp;

On last such occasion, the then Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, had visited the Memorial on 25th April, 2017, laid a wreath and observed: “This is a tragedy, indescribable things done to humans by humans.” Earlier in 2005 the then &nbsp;Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had also visited the Memorial in Yerevan and planted a tree besides laying a wreath.

In nutshell, the US President’s recognition of the Armenian genocide is a shot in &nbsp;the &nbsp;arm for Armenians &nbsp;for their global campaign&nbsp;

The full impact of the recognition on US relations with Turkey remains to be seen. Other than verbal rhetoric there are no firm indications at this point of time of any retaliatory measure which Turkey may be contemplating to counter the “insult and injury”. &nbsp;

It is clear however that Turkey is now a dispensable ally for the USA. Turkey has been making unacceptable un-palatable statements from time to time on Kashmir in disregard to India’s sensitivities. India can and should therefore use the Armenian genocide issue as a diplomatic weapon to dissuade Turkey from its unwarranted interference in India’s internal affairs, including those pertaining to Muslims in India in general and Kashmir in particular. If Turkey refuses to behave, India may reconsider its position on the issue of Armenian genocide, though that may require a well-articulated policy on the issue of genocide in general.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

President Joe Biden will be remembered by the global Armenian community as the first US President who formally described the large-scale massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks during the First World War as “genocide” .

President Joe Biden will be remembered by the global Armenian community as the first US President who formally described the large-scale massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks during the First World War as “genocide” . He did so through a Presidential statement on April 24, 2021. The day is commemorated by Armenians all over the world as “Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day” Ten million Armenians including an estimated seven million Armenian diaspora spread all over the world have been demanding the recognition of Armenian Genocide by the Turkish Ottoman regime during and after the World War 1. There is a broad consensus amongst international scholars that the Christian Armenian minority in Muslim-majority Turkey under Ottoman rule was subjected to blatant discrimination. During the First World War, the Turks suspected that the loyalty of the Christian Armenians of Turkey was with the Christian Russians. Many of them were residing in Eastern Anatolia, bordering with Imperialist Russia. Enraged by a heavy defeat at the hands of the Russian forces in the Battle of Saikamish (December 1914 to January 1915), the Ottoman Turks began destroying Ottoman Armenian villages during their retreat. The Ottoman War Minister Anwar Pasha publically accused the Armenians of treachery and what followed was the arrest of a large number of Armenians from different walks of life in Constantinople (now Istanbul) on April 24, 1915, and subsequent deportations en masse to the Syrian desert and elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians were massacred or died from starvation or disease. A large number of Armenian women are alleged to have been molested/raped. The Armenians put the total figure of those who died in the process at 1.5 million. Turkey admits that there were indeed casualties but insists the numbers were no more than three hundred thousand and denies any systematic or premeditated plan for ethnic cleansing. Relations between Armenia and Turkey remain overshadowed by this burden of history as the two neighbouring countries do not have diplomatic relations and their borders remain closed for each other. Continuous influx of Armenians into the United States since the 17th century has created a vibrant, active, and diverse Armenian American Diaspora, estimated to be 1.6 million and the second-largest worldwide. The high concentration of Armenian Americans in certain electoral districts, particularly in California, allows them to influence the electoral outcome of elections in those districts. The primary objectives of the Armenian lobby in the USA, spearheaded by the domestic organisations such as Armenian National Committee of America and Armenian Assembly of America revolve around improving the US relations with Armenia, securing US aid and assistance for Armenia, blocking US aid to Turkey and Azerbaijan and above all the recognition of Armenian genocide. The Armenian lobby had so far succeeded in enlisting the support of as many as 49 US states in describing the Armenians massacre as genocide. Further in 2019 the US House of Representatives and the Senate had adopted separate but identical Resolutions the thrust of which inter-alia was that “It is the policy of the United States to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance” and “to reject efforts to enlist, engage or otherwise associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or other genocides”. The US State Department however said that despite the resolutions the US Government’s official position did not change. The successive US Presidents had so far refrained from any official reference to Armenian Genocide; they did so in deference to the sensitivities of Turkey- an important strategic NATO ally of the USA. In April 2020, the then US President Trump did pay tributes to the victims of “one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century” but stopped short of describing it as genocide. Even the Democratic President Barak Obama is accused of having reneged on the election campaign promises of recognising the Armenian genocide. Joe Biden’s decision is bound to please the Armenians who were somewhat disappointed over the US’s failure under President Trump to make any effective and substantive intervention during the 44-days armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. The conflict ended in a humiliating military defeat for Armenia and also resulted, besides the loss of lives and territories, in a widespread agitation in Armenia against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. He ultimately resigned on 25th April 2021 to pave the way for mid-term elections in June 2021; as a matter of coincidence he resigned just a day after the release of Joe Biden’s Presidential Statement. Prima-facie there is no link between the US Presidential Statement and Armenian PM’s resignation. What prompted Joe Biden to accord official recognition to Armenian genocide- an act from which his predecessors both Democrats as well as Republicans had refrained from? For sure, this could not just be to appease and please the Armenians, considering in particular that the next elections are four years away, whereas the announcement could have an immediate adverse impact on the US-Turkey relations which are already on the downslide for some time for a variety of reasons. Turkey’s response has been on the predicted lines. President Erdogan accused President Biden of yielding to political pressure from “radical Armenian circles and anti-Turkey groups” and asked him to “reverse this wrong step immediately” So, does the US President’s recognition of Armenian genocide reflect the diminishing importance of Turkey for the USA as an ally, particularly in the backdrop of the US drawing down its military commitments to hotspots in the Middle East? By recognising the Armenian genocide, does the Biden Administration wish to convey its strong commitments to human rights? If so, the questions are being asked as to whether one can expect a similar approach for the Bengalis of Eastern Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who were butchered by the Pakistani Army in 1971 or for the Rohingya Muslims being currently persecuted by the Buddhist majority and the military junta in Myanmar? Perhaps not as neither Rohingyas nor Bengalis have any lobbying power in USA. Moreover, Pakistan still has some nuisance value for the USA in the context of Afghanistan. Is the Biden Administration trying to convey a message that the USA will not differentiate between friends, allies, or foes on matters which it considers as matters of principles and can go to any extent to prove the point. Remember, only recently (7th April) the US Navy had not only trespassed India’s Exclusive Economic Zone in its territorial waters but also had the audacity of making a public statement that it had done so without informing India or obtaining India’s prior’s consent and that it had done so to assert the Freedom of Navigation and to challenge India’s “excessive maritime claims”. Reverting to the issue of Armenian genocide, the Armenians have so far met with partial but reasonable success in securing global recognition. The recognition has come mainly from the Western States and organisations. While India has not recognised the Armenian Genocide all these years, the high-level dignitaries on official visits to Armenia do visit the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan to pay tribute to the victims of Armenian genocide. On last such occasion, the then Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, had visited the Memorial on 25th April, 2017, laid a wreath and observed: “This is a tragedy, indescribable things done to humans by humans.” Earlier in 2005 the then Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had also visited the Memorial in Yerevan and planted a tree besides laying a wreath. In nutshell, the US President’s recognition of the Armenian genocide is a shot in the arm for Armenians for their global campaign The full impact of the recognition on US relations with Turkey remains to be seen. Other than verbal rhetoric there are no firm indications at this point of time of any retaliatory measure which Turkey may be contemplating to counter the “insult and injury”. It is clear however that Turkey is now a dispensable ally for the USA. Turkey has been making unacceptable un-palatable statements from time to time on Kashmir in disregard to India’s sensitivities. India can and should therefore use the Armenian genocide issue as a diplomatic weapon to dissuade Turkey from its unwarranted interference in India’s internal affairs, including those pertaining to Muslims in India in general and Kashmir in particular. If Turkey refuses to behave, India may reconsider its position on the issue of Armenian genocide, though that may require a well-articulated policy on the issue of genocide in general. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion: Biden's recognition of Armenian genocide reflects dispensability of Turkey

South&nbsp;Korean President&nbsp;Moon&nbsp;Jae-in will&nbsp;visit&nbsp;US President Joe&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;in Washington&nbsp;on&nbsp;May&nbsp;21, the White House said Thursday.&nbsp;

"President&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;looks forward to working with President&nbsp;Moon&nbsp;to further strengthen our alliance and expand our close cooperation," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.&nbsp;

"Moon's&nbsp;visit&nbsp;will highlight the ironclad alliance between the United States and the&nbsp;Republic of Korea, and the broad and deep ties between our governments, people and economies," she said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-us-show-differences-over-japan-governments-fukushima-plans-378353">South Korea, US show differences over Japan government's Fukushima plans&nbsp;</a>

Moon&nbsp;will be the second world leader to&nbsp;visit&nbsp;the White House since&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;took office in January after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with the US leader earlier this month.&nbsp;

The meetings reflect&nbsp;Biden's priority&nbsp;on&nbsp;relationships with Asian allies as his administration continues to focus&nbsp;on&nbsp;competition with China.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin visited Seoul in March to reaffirm the two countries' united force against North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and Beijing's growing ambitions.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-koreas-moon-replaces-pm-cabinet-ministers-after-election-defeat-377919">South Korea's Moon replaces PM, cabinet ministers after election defeat</a>

In a recent interview with The New York Times,&nbsp;Moon&nbsp;called&nbsp;on&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;to re-open negotiations with Pyongyang&nbsp;on&nbsp;the denuclearization of North&nbsp;Korea.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit US President Joe Biden in Washington on May 21, the White House said Thursday. "President Biden looks forward to working with President Moon to further strengthen our alliance and expand our close cooperation," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit US President Joe Biden in Washington on May 21, the White House said Thursday. "President Biden looks forward to working with President Moon to further strengthen our alliance and expand our close cooperation," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. "Moon's visit will highlight the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and the broad and deep ties between our governments, people and economies," she said. Also read | South Korea, US show differences over Japan government's Fukushima plans Moon will be the second world leader to visit the White House since Biden took office in January after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with the US leader earlier this month. The meetings reflect Biden's priority on relationships with Asian allies as his administration continues to focus on competition with China. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin visited Seoul in March to reaffirm the two countries' united force against North Korea and Beijing's growing ambitions. Also read | South Korea's Moon replaces PM, cabinet ministers after election defeat In a recent interview with The New York Times, Moon called on Biden to re-open negotiations with Pyongyang on the denuclearization of North Korea.

South Korean President Moon to meet Biden at White House on May 21

The first US government assistance flight carrying COVID-19 emergency aid supplies landed in India on Friday morning.&nbsp;

A military aircraft Super Galaxy military transporter brought the first supplies to help India to fight the deadly second COVID-19 wave that has wreaked havoc across the country, straining its healthcare system.

The aircraft is carrying more than 400 oxygen cylinders and other hospital equipment and nearly one million rapid coronavirus tests landed at New Delhi’s international airport.

“The first of several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments from the United States has arrived in India! Building on over 70 years of cooperation, the United States stands with India as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together. #USIndiaDosti,” the US Embassy tweeted.

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The first of several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments from the United States has arrived in India! Building on over 70 years of cooperation, the United States stands with India as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USIndiaDosti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USIndiaDosti</a> <a href="https://t.co/OpHn8ZMXrJ">pic.twitter.com/OpHn8ZMXrJ</a>
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAndIndia/status/1387963303238897665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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India is currently recording a world record infection rate of more than 380,000 cases and 3,500 deaths a day and a huge international aid operation has been launched with dozens of countries promising help.

The delivery, which flew in from the Travis military base in California, followed talks this week between US President Joe Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The United States is delivering supplies worth more than $100 million in the coming days to provide urgent relief to our partners in India,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday.

Coronavirus cases are surging in India amid a widespread oxygen shortage and slow vaccine rollout. The country's pandemic death toll surpassed 205,000 on Friday, amid reports that COVID fatalities and cases are going uncounted.

(With inputs from agencies)

The first US government assistance flight carrying COVID-19 emergency aid supplies landed in India on Friday morning. A military aircraft Super Galaxy military transporter brought the first supplies to help India to fight the deadly second COVID-19 wave that has wreaked havoc across the country, straining its healthcare system.

The first US government assistance flight carrying COVID-19 emergency aid supplies landed in India on Friday morning. A military aircraft Super Galaxy military transporter brought the first supplies to help India to fight the deadly second COVID-19 wave that has wreaked havoc across the country, straining its healthcare system. The aircraft is carrying more than 400 oxygen cylinders and other hospital equipment and nearly one million rapid coronavirus tests landed at New Delhi’s international airport. “The first of several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments from the United States has arrived in India! Building on over 70 years of cooperation, the United States stands with India as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together. #USIndiaDosti,” the US Embassy tweeted. The first of several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments from the United States has arrived in India! Building on over 70 years of cooperation, the United States stands with India as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic together. #USIndiaDosti pic.twitter.com/OpHn8ZMXrJ — U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) April 30, 2021 × India is currently recording a world record infection rate of more than 380,000 cases and 3,500 deaths a day and a huge international aid operation has been launched with dozens of countries promising help. The delivery, which flew in from the Travis military base in California, followed talks this week between US President Joe Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The United States is delivering supplies worth more than $100 million in the coming days to provide urgent relief to our partners in India,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said Thursday. Coronavirus cases are surging in India amid a widespread oxygen shortage and slow vaccine rollout. The country's pandemic death toll surpassed 205,000 on Friday, amid reports that COVID fatalities and cases are going uncounted. (With inputs from agencies)

US stands with India: First of $100 million Covid aid from US arrives in India 

President Joe Biden declared Wednesday that Washington does not wish to have a conflict with China, the US’ strategic rival.

In his first speech to Congress, Biden said that he had told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that "we welcome the competition — and that we are not looking for conflict." 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-hails-us-coronavirus-fight-as-one-of-greatest-logistical-achievements-381248">Also read | Biden hails US coronavirus fight as one of 'greatest logistical achievements'</a> 
 
Biden argued that the spending plans were needed to keep up with China, which his administration sees as a major strategic challenger.

"China and other countries are closing in fast. We have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the future," Biden said.

He said he had spent a lot of time talking to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“He’s deadly earnest about becoming the most significant, consequential nation in the world. He and others, autocrats, think that democracy can’t compete in the 21st century with autocracies. It takes too long to get consensus," he said.

Last month, Biden had said he would prevent China from passing the United States to become the most powerful country in the world, vowing to invest heavily to ensure America prevails in the race between the world’s two largest economies.

Today, during his speech to Congress Biden appeared in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at an event scaled back this year because of the pandemic, with a small, specially selected group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers arrayed before him, and the first woman to serve as US Vice President, Kamala Harris, behind him.

Seizing on the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to advance his priorities at a time of political polarisation, Biden told the joint session and millions of people watching on television that "America is ready for a takeoff."

"Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again, turning peril into possibility, crisis into opportunity, setback into strength," Biden said.

(With inputs from agencies)

President Joe Biden declared Wednesday that Washington does not wish to have a conflict with China, the US’ strategic rival. In his first speech to Congress, Biden said that he had told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that "we welcome the competition — and that we are not looking for conflict.

President Joe Biden declared Wednesday that Washington does not wish to have a conflict with China, the US’ strategic rival. In his first speech to Congress, Biden said that he had told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that "we welcome the competition — and that we are not looking for conflict." Also read | Biden hails US coronavirus fight as one of 'greatest logistical achievements' Biden argued that the spending plans were needed to keep up with China, which his administration sees as a major strategic challenger. "China and other countries are closing in fast. We have to develop and dominate the products and technologies of the future," Biden said. He said he had spent a lot of time talking to Chinese President Xi Jinping. “He’s deadly earnest about becoming the most significant, consequential nation in the world. He and others, autocrats, think that democracy can’t compete in the 21st century with autocracies. It takes too long to get consensus," he said. Last month, Biden had said he would prevent China from passing the United States to become the most powerful country in the world, vowing to invest heavily to ensure America prevails in the race between the world’s two largest economies. Today, during his speech to Congress Biden appeared in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives at an event scaled back this year because of the pandemic, with a small, specially selected group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers arrayed before him, and the first woman to serve as US Vice President, Kamala Harris, behind him. Seizing on the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to advance his priorities at a time of political polarisation, Biden told the joint session and millions of people watching on television that "America is ready for a takeoff." "Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again, turning peril into possibility, crisis into opportunity, setback into strength," Biden said. (With inputs from agencies)

US says it 'does not seek conflict' with China, welcomes 'competition'

President Joe Biden's address to Congress broke a historic glass ceiling on Wednesday, as two women - Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - sat behind the president for the first time in U.S. history.

The seating arrangement carried a symbolic meaning for the advancement of U.S. women in recent decades since Harris and Pelosi stand first and second in the presidential line of succession, respectively.

Harris, the first woman and the first Black and Asian person to serve as vice president, sat to Biden's right. Pelosi, who became the first woman speaker of the House of Representatives in 2007, sat to his left.

The two women are playing a vital role in the early days of the Biden presidency, with Harris as a close adviser and tie-breaker in an evenly divided Senate and Pelosi helping to marshal the president's legislative agenda through Congress.

Biden spoke to a joint session of the House and Senate with attendance restricted to enforce social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harris arrived ahead of Biden and Pelosi affectionately took the vice president's hand as she reached the dais before quickly switching to a pandemic-appropriate elbow bump.

"Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President," Biden said as he addressed the crowd. "No president has ever said those words from this podium, no president has ever said those words. And it's about time!"

President Joe Biden's address to Congress broke a historic glass ceiling on Wednesday, as two women - Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - sat behind the president for the first time in U.

President Joe Biden's address to Congress broke a historic glass ceiling on Wednesday, as two women - Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - sat behind the president for the first time in U.S. history. The seating arrangement carried a symbolic meaning for the advancement of U.S. women in recent decades since Harris and Pelosi stand first and second in the presidential line of succession, respectively. Harris, the first woman and the first Black and Asian person to serve as vice president, sat to Biden's right. Pelosi, who became the first woman speaker of the House of Representatives in 2007, sat to his left. The two women are playing a vital role in the early days of the Biden presidency, with Harris as a close adviser and tie-breaker in an evenly divided Senate and Pelosi helping to marshal the president's legislative agenda through Congress. Biden spoke to a joint session of the House and Senate with attendance restricted to enforce social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris arrived ahead of Biden and Pelosi affectionately took the vice president's hand as she reached the dais before quickly switching to a pandemic-appropriate elbow bump. "Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President," Biden said as he addressed the crowd. "No president has ever said those words from this podium, no president has ever said those words. And it's about time!"

'It's about time:' In historic first, two powerful women flank US president

President Joe Biden said that he has told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that the US will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific "not to start conflict, but to prevent one," as Beijing made efforts to expand influence in the strategically vital region.

In his first speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, Biden said he also told Xi that America welcomes competition but was not looking for conflict.

"I told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe, not to start conflict, but to prevent conflict," Biden said.

Biden said that he also told President Xi that "we welcome the competition – and that we are not looking for conflict."

"But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests across the board," he added.

He said America will stand up to "unfair" trade practices that undercut American workers and industries, like subsidies for state-owned enterprises and American technologies and intellectual property theft.

Biden also said that he told Xi what he has said to many world leaders - that America won't back away from its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms.

“No responsible American president can remain silent when basic human rights are violated. A president has to represent the essence of our country,” he added.

The relations between the US and China are at an all-time low. The two countries are currently engaged in a bitter confrontation over various issues, including trade, Beijing's aggressive military moves in the disputed South China Sea and human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang region.

China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade.

In his remarks at the first virtual Summit of Quad leaders, President Biden last month said that a "free and open Indo-Pacific is essential" to all and the US was committed to working with its partners and allies in the region to achieve stability.

Biden had described Quad – involving the US, India, Australia and Japan - as a new mechanism to enhance cooperation and raise mutual ambition as the member states address accelerating climate change.

The Quad member states have been resolving to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific amid growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.

India and three other Quad member nations - the US, Australia and Japan – early this month joined France in a three-day naval exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean in reflection of their growing maritime cooperation amid China's growing efforts to expand influence in the region.

The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical for India's strategic interests. China has been making concerted efforts to increase its presence in the region, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The US has repeatedly stressed that China is a grave threat to its national security.

In December, US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said China is the greatest global threat to democracy and freedom since the end of World War II.

President Joe Biden said that he has told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that the US will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific "not to start conflict, but to prevent one," as Beijing made efforts to expand influence in the strategically vital region.

President Joe Biden said that he has told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that the US will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific "not to start conflict, but to prevent one," as Beijing made efforts to expand influence in the strategically vital region. In his first speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, Biden said he also told Xi that America welcomes competition but was not looking for conflict. "I told President Xi that we will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific just as we do with NATO in Europe, not to start conflict, but to prevent conflict," Biden said. Biden said that he also told President Xi that "we welcome the competition – and that we are not looking for conflict." "But I made absolutely clear that I will defend American interests across the board," he added. He said America will stand up to "unfair" trade practices that undercut American workers and industries, like subsidies for state-owned enterprises and American technologies and intellectual property theft. Biden also said that he told Xi what he has said to many world leaders - that America won't back away from its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms. “No responsible American president can remain silent when basic human rights are violated. A president has to represent the essence of our country,” he added. The relations between the US and China are at an all-time low. The two countries are currently engaged in a bitter confrontation over various issues, including trade, Beijing's aggressive military moves in the disputed South China Sea and human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang region. China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade. In his remarks at the first virtual Summit of Quad leaders, President Biden last month said that a "free and open Indo-Pacific is essential" to all and the US was committed to working with its partners and allies in the region to achieve stability. Biden had described Quad – involving the US, India, Australia and Japan - as a new mechanism to enhance cooperation and raise mutual ambition as the member states address accelerating climate change. The Quad member states have been resolving to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific amid growing Chinese assertiveness in the region. India and three other Quad member nations - the US, Australia and Japan – early this month joined France in a three-day naval exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean in reflection of their growing maritime cooperation amid China's growing efforts to expand influence in the region. The Indian Ocean, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy, is critical for India's strategic interests. China has been making concerted efforts to increase its presence in the region, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The US has repeatedly stressed that China is a grave threat to its national security. In December, US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said China is the greatest global threat to democracy and freedom since the end of World War II.

US will maintain a strong military presence in Indo-Pacific to prevent conflict, Biden tells China

The United States said on Wednesday it was sending more than $100 million in supplies to Covid-ravaged India, including nearly one million instant tests on a first flight.

The White House said the first consignment would arrive on Thursday in New Delhi on a military plane, days after President Joe Biden promised to step up assistance to the emerging US ally.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-leaders-reaffirms-commitment-to-helping-india-381134/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The first batch includes 960,000 rapid tests, which can detect Covid in 15 minutes, and 100,000 N95 masks for frontline health workers, the US Agency for International Development said.

The White House said total aid on flights in the coming days would be worth more than $100 million and include 1,000 refillable oxygen cylinders and 1,700 concentrators that produce oxygen for patients from the air.

"Just as India sent assistance to the United States when our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need," a White House statement said.

The White House said it was also sending supplies to India to produce more than 20 million vaccine doses.

The supplies are being diverted from US orders to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has not been approved for use in the United States.

India's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surged past 200,000 on Wednesday, worsened by shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen. The last 24 hours brought 360,960 new cases for the world's largest single-day total, taking India's tally of infections to nearly 18 million.

The United States is determined to help the people of India in this moment of crisis, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said here as the first shipment of key life-saving medical supplies for the country took off from California.

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The United States is determined to help the people of India. We will continue to stand together in our shared battle against COVID-19. <a href="https://t.co/Om74VC0Fyx">https://t.co/Om74VC0Fyx</a>
— Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSullivan46/status/1387557530533048325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The move by the Biden administration came days after Sullivan, in a call with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, announced a series of COVID-19 relief aid to India.

On Monday, President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US president is believed to have pledged all support that India would need in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden has directed the entire administration to work on a war footing to save lives in India. The Pentagon is deploying its resources as well.

USIAD said that it is airlifting vital medical supplies to India to save lives, stop the spread of COVID-19, and meet the urgent health needs of the Indian people.

"We're sending critical oxygen and O2 related supplies, N95 masks, &amp; rapid diagnostic testing kits to India w/more on the way soon," it tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)

The United States said on Wednesday it was sending more than $100 million in supplies to Covid-ravaged India, including nearly one million instant tests on a first flight.

The United States said on Wednesday it was sending more than $100 million in supplies to Covid-ravaged India, including nearly one million instant tests on a first flight. The White House said the first consignment would arrive on Thursday in New Delhi on a military plane, days after President Joe Biden promised to step up assistance to the emerging US ally. The first batch includes 960,000 rapid tests, which can detect Covid in 15 minutes, and 100,000 N95 masks for frontline health workers, the US Agency for International Development said. The White House said total aid on flights in the coming days would be worth more than $100 million and include 1,000 refillable oxygen cylinders and 1,700 concentrators that produce oxygen for patients from the air. "Just as India sent assistance to the United States when our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is determined to help India in its time of need," a White House statement said. The White House said it was also sending supplies to India to produce more than 20 million vaccine doses. The supplies are being diverted from US orders to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has not been approved for use in the United States. India's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surged past 200,000 on Wednesday, worsened by shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen. The last 24 hours brought 360,960 new cases for the world's largest single-day total, taking India's tally of infections to nearly 18 million. The United States is determined to help the people of India in this moment of crisis, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said here as the first shipment of key life-saving medical supplies for the country took off from California. The United States is determined to help the people of India. We will continue to stand together in our shared battle against COVID-19. https://t.co/Om74VC0Fyx — Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) April 29, 2021 × The move by the Biden administration came days after Sullivan, in a call with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, announced a series of COVID-19 relief aid to India. On Monday, President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US president is believed to have pledged all support that India would need in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden has directed the entire administration to work on a war footing to save lives in India. The Pentagon is deploying its resources as well. USIAD said that it is airlifting vital medical supplies to India to save lives, stop the spread of COVID-19, and meet the urgent health needs of the Indian people. "We're sending critical oxygen and O2 related supplies, N95 masks, & rapid diagnostic testing kits to India w/more on the way soon," it tweeted. (With inputs from agencies)

US sending more than $100 million in COVID-19 supplies to India: White House

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