The Global Elites want to keep vaccine patents locked. The US remains non-committal on waivers. Now, Bill Gates has said no to lifting patents to share vaccine formulas with the developing world. WION's Palki tells you how patents on vaccines are the biggest roadblock towards recovery.

Gravitas: Bill Gates says no to sharing vaccine formulas to developing world

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken a swipe at Bill Gates by tweeting an anti-vaccination meme. Musk posted an edited cartoon, originally created by conservative artist Ben Garrison, depicting an illustrated version of the Microsoft co-founder. Musk deleted the tweet about two hours later, after it had been shared more than 5,000 times.

Elon Musk posts Bill Gates edited anti-vaccination cartoon

Netizens say the snowstorm in Texas was fake. It was supposedly part of a bigger conspiracy planned by Bill Gates. Many claim they have evidence.

Texas Snowstorm: Why are people burning snow?

Netizens say the snowstorm in Texas was fake. It was supposedly part of a bigger conspiracy planned by Bill Gates. Many claim they have evidence. WION's Palki Sharma brings you a report

Gravitas: Was the Texas snowstorm fake?

Microsoft founder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bill-gates-and-other-world-leaders-applaud-india-for-quick-vaccine-production-354643">Bill Gates</a> has said that rich nations should switch to "100% synthetic beef" since "poorest 80 countries" won't be&nbsp;eating synthetic beef.

Gates claimed that people will "get used to the taste difference" while asserting that it will "taste better over time". The billionaire philanthropist has discussed ways to tackle climate change in his new book, “How to avoid a climate disaster: The solutions we have and the breakthroughs we need,” which was released on Tuesday.

"Eventually, that green premium is modest enough that you can sort of change the [behaviour of] people or use regulation to totally shift the demand,” Gates said.

The comments by Gates come after research showed burping cows are massive emissions contributors impacting greenhouse gas methane in the world. The researchers had said that emissions from cattle were "almost as large as those from fossil fuels".

The Twitterati, however, had several reasons to discount Gates' explanation.

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Bill Gates won't give up his private jet but he wants us to give up burgers.
— kue (@thekue20) <a href="https://twitter.com/thekue20/status/1361763302817361922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Day One of my Bill Gates synthetic food diet. <a href="https://t.co/dtIqf564vE">pic.twitter.com/dtIqf564vE</a>
— Faber (@dfaber84) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfaber84/status/1361875745534922754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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I gave <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillGates</a> 10 min to meet my offer to donate $1 million to our restaurant worker relief fund and I’ll never cook a steak again. He seems to have ignored me, so the offer is passed to <a href="https://twitter.com/Beef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Beef</a> - $1 million donation and I’ll ONLY cook steaks. <a href="https://t.co/gR7ChBRrzs">pic.twitter.com/gR7ChBRrzs</a>
— Chef Andrew Gruel (@ChefGruel) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChefGruel/status/1361833515612999680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Bill Gates is a sociopath. <a href="https://t.co/XdQV98umlw">pic.twitter.com/XdQV98umlw</a>
— Garbage Human (@GarbyJooman3) <a href="https://twitter.com/GarbyJooman3/status/1361895977263710210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Microsoft founder Bill Gates has said that rich nations should switch to "100% synthetic beef" since "poorest 80 countries" won't be eating synthetic beef. Gates claimed that people will "get used to the taste difference" while asserting that it will "taste better over time".

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has said that rich nations should switch to "100% synthetic beef" since "poorest 80 countries" won't be eating synthetic beef. Gates claimed that people will "get used to the taste difference" while asserting that it will "taste better over time". The billionaire philanthropist has discussed ways to tackle climate change in his new book, “How to avoid a climate disaster: The solutions we have and the breakthroughs we need,” which was released on Tuesday. "Eventually, that green premium is modest enough that you can sort of change the [behaviour of] people or use regulation to totally shift the demand,” Gates said. The comments by Gates come after research showed burping cows are massive emissions contributors impacting greenhouse gas methane in the world. The researchers had said that emissions from cattle were "almost as large as those from fossil fuels". The Twitterati, however, had several reasons to discount Gates' explanation. Bill Gates won't give up his private jet but he wants us to give up burgers. — kue (@thekue20) February 16, 2021 × Day One of my Bill Gates synthetic food diet. pic.twitter.com/dtIqf564vE — Faber (@dfaber84) February 17, 2021 × I gave @BillGates 10 min to meet my offer to donate $1 million to our restaurant worker relief fund and I’ll never cook a steak again. He seems to have ignored me, so the offer is passed to @Beef - $1 million donation and I’ll ONLY cook steaks. pic.twitter.com/gR7ChBRrzs — Chef Andrew Gruel (@ChefGruel) February 17, 2021 × Bill Gates is a sociopath. pic.twitter.com/XdQV98umlw — Garbage Human (@GarbyJooman3) February 17, 2021 ×

Rich countries should move to 100% synthetic beef, says Gates; Twitter explodes

Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has warned that the next four to six months could be the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-trial-volunteers-who-got-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-developed-bells-palsy-348547">Also read: Four trial volunteers who got Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine developed Bell's palsy</a> 
 
"Sadly, the next four to six months could be the worst of the pandemic. The IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) forecast shows over 200,000 additional deaths. If we would follow the rules, in terms of wearing masks and not mixing, we could avoid a large percentage of those deaths,"&nbsp;Gates said. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rare-fungal-infection-detected-in-coronavirus-patients-349431">Also read: Rare fungal infection detected in coronavirus patients</a>

"I thought the US would do a better job handling it," said Gates, who in 2015 had warned the world of such a pandemic.

"Overall, when I did the forecasts in 2015, I talked about the deaths potentially being higher. So, this virus could be more fatal than it is. We didn't get the worst-case. But the thing that has surprised me is that the economic impact in the US and around the world has been much greater than the forecasts that I made five years ago," he said.

Earlier in October Gates had said that life will only be back to normal once the second generation of Covid-19 vaccine becomes available.

The COVID-19 has so far killed more than 290,000 people in the US.

Gates said that his Foundation has been funding a lot of the research for the vaccines.

"We're very agile. We're a partner in a thing called CEPI, which is the second biggest funder after the US government," he said.

"So, in diagnostics, therapy and vaccines, we know where the science is, we know how the pieces need to come together in an urgent way.

And so our expertise in infectious disease, which normally only relates to developing countries, applied to the entire world for this crisis," he added.

The US need to help all of humanity, Gates said when asked of the executive order signed by President Donald Trump which prioritizes distribution of the vaccine to Americans before it goes to people in other countries.

"We want the world economy to be going. We want to minimize the deaths. And, you know, the basic technology is a German company. And so blocking international sharing and cooperation has been disruptive and a mistake during this entire pandemic," he said.

"So, we need to ramp up the capacity of all the vaccines. There will be some additional ones approved in the months ahead that are easier to scale up the manufacturing. But the US has benefited from other countries' work care, and we shouldn't be entirely selfish in how we go forward," he added.

Responding to a question, Gates said that he will take the vaccine publicly as the former US president, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama, have said to increase the confidence of the people in the vaccine.

"I will do the same. When it's my turn -- I'm not going to budge, but when my turn comes up, I will visibly take the vaccine, because I think that it's a benefit to all people to not be transmitted," he said.

Gates said that access to the vaccine should be based on medical need, not wealth at all.

"After all, this epidemic has been awful in the way that it's exacerbated inequities. It's been worse for Hispanics, worse for blacks, worse for low-income service workers, multigenerational households, a number of things that mean that, in terms of picking who gets the vaccine, we better be using equity to drive all those decisions," he said.

Despite the availability of the vaccine, Gates said that the next four to six months really call on Americans to do their best.

"Because we can see that this will end, and you don't want somebody you love to be the last to die of coronavirus," he said.

"Certainly, mask-wearing has essentially no downside. They're not expensive. Bars and restaurants in most of the country will be closed as we go into this wave. And I think, sadly, that's appropriate.

To date, more than 72 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 1.61 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.

(With inputs from agencies)

Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has warned that the next four to six months could be the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has warned that the next four to six months could be the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Four trial volunteers who got Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine developed Bell's palsy "Sadly, the next four to six months could be the worst of the pandemic. The IHME (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation) forecast shows over 200,000 additional deaths. If we would follow the rules, in terms of wearing masks and not mixing, we could avoid a large percentage of those deaths," Gates said. Also read: Rare fungal infection detected in coronavirus patients "I thought the US would do a better job handling it," said Gates, who in 2015 had warned the world of such a pandemic. "Overall, when I did the forecasts in 2015, I talked about the deaths potentially being higher. So, this virus could be more fatal than it is. We didn't get the worst-case. But the thing that has surprised me is that the economic impact in the US and around the world has been much greater than the forecasts that I made five years ago," he said. Earlier in October Gates had said that life will only be back to normal once the second generation of Covid-19 vaccine becomes available. The COVID-19 has so far killed more than 290,000 people in the US. Gates said that his Foundation has been funding a lot of the research for the vaccines. "We're very agile. We're a partner in a thing called CEPI, which is the second biggest funder after the US government," he said. "So, in diagnostics, therapy and vaccines, we know where the science is, we know how the pieces need to come together in an urgent way. And so our expertise in infectious disease, which normally only relates to developing countries, applied to the entire world for this crisis," he added. The US need to help all of humanity, Gates said when asked of the executive order signed by President Donald Trump which prioritizes distribution of the vaccine to Americans before it goes to people in other countries. "We want the world economy to be going. We want to minimize the deaths. And, you know, the basic technology is a German company. And so blocking international sharing and cooperation has been disruptive and a mistake during this entire pandemic," he said. "So, we need to ramp up the capacity of all the vaccines. There will be some additional ones approved in the months ahead that are easier to scale up the manufacturing. But the US has benefited from other countries' work care, and we shouldn't be entirely selfish in how we go forward," he added. Responding to a question, Gates said that he will take the vaccine publicly as the former US president, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama, have said to increase the confidence of the people in the vaccine. "I will do the same. When it's my turn -- I'm not going to budge, but when my turn comes up, I will visibly take the vaccine, because I think that it's a benefit to all people to not be transmitted," he said. Gates said that access to the vaccine should be based on medical need, not wealth at all. "After all, this epidemic has been awful in the way that it's exacerbated inequities. It's been worse for Hispanics, worse for blacks, worse for low-income service workers, multigenerational households, a number of things that mean that, in terms of picking who gets the vaccine, we better be using equity to drive all those decisions," he said. Despite the availability of the vaccine, Gates said that the next four to six months really call on Americans to do their best. "Because we can see that this will end, and you don't want somebody you love to be the last to die of coronavirus," he said. "Certainly, mask-wearing has essentially no downside. They're not expensive. Bars and restaurants in most of the country will be closed as we go into this wave. And I think, sadly, that's appropriate. To date, more than 72 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 1.61 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University. (With inputs from agencies)

Next four to six months could be worst of coronavirus pandemic: Bill Gates

American business magnate and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Tuesday praised India for digital payments policies and said that India has built an ambitious platform for digital payments, including a system for sending rupees between any bank or smartphone app.

Bill Gates was speaking at the Singapore Fintech Festival on this day, where he lauded India's financial inclusion policies — especially the "ambitious" platforms for money transfer and identification — which he said will bring down the "cost and friction of money distribution" to the downtrodden in India.

“If people are going to study one country right now, other than China, I’d say they should look at India,” Gates said at the Singapore Fintech Festival on Tuesday. “Things are exploding there and innovation around that system is phenomenal.”

"India is a great example. They developed a lot of technologies that won't be possible for other countries. The role of the Gates Foundation as an advocate for those who don't have access today is to make sure there are technical standards, including open-source software and the digital identification systems, not just for financial activities but also for health, voting, and education," Gates said.

India's digital payment system got a major boost in 2016 due to demonetisation, accompanied by a boom in smartphones and cheap wireless data.

(With inputs from agencies)

American business magnate and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Tuesday praised India for digital payments policies and said that India has built an ambitious platform for digital payments, including a system for sending rupees between any bank or smartphone app.

American business magnate and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Tuesday praised India for digital payments policies and said that India has built an ambitious platform for digital payments, including a system for sending rupees between any bank or smartphone app. Bill Gates was speaking at the Singapore Fintech Festival on this day, where he lauded India's financial inclusion policies — especially the "ambitious" platforms for money transfer and identification — which he said will bring down the "cost and friction of money distribution" to the downtrodden in India. “If people are going to study one country right now, other than China, I’d say they should look at India,” Gates said at the Singapore Fintech Festival on Tuesday. “Things are exploding there and innovation around that system is phenomenal.” "India is a great example. They developed a lot of technologies that won't be possible for other countries. The role of the Gates Foundation as an advocate for those who don't have access today is to make sure there are technical standards, including open-source software and the digital identification systems, not just for financial activities but also for health, voting, and education," Gates said. India's digital payment system got a major boost in 2016 due to demonetisation, accompanied by a boom in smartphones and cheap wireless data. (With inputs from agencies)

Bill Gates lauds Indian digital innovations, calls it a country to study besides China

Elon Musk has beaten Bill Gates to become the World's second-richest person. His journey has been defined by risks, revolutionary ideas, and controversies. WION's Molly Gambhir brings you his story.

Gravitas: Elon Musk becomes the World's second-richest person

Bill Gates is no longer the world's second-richest person. Now, Elon Musk is&nbsp;the world’s second-richest person, after overtaking Gates on Monday.

The Tesla co-founder’s net worth jumped to $127.9 billion, clocking in an increase of $7.2 million, which was partly caused by an upsurge in Tesla’s shares.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/elon-musk-shows-pig-blend-of-human-artificial-intelligence-324076/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk has added $100.3 billion to his net worth just in 2020.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/elon-musks-tesla-factory-workers-counted-as-essential-workers-344684" hreflang="en">Elon Musk's Tesla factory workers counted as 'essential workers'</a>

A report published in Fortune posits that Elon Musk’s accumulation of wealth was largely caused by Tesla. Over three-quarters of his earnings were caused by Tesla.

Musk’s Tesla shares are valued over four more times more than his SpaceX shares.

For years, Bill Gates was the richest person in the world, before Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos overtook his position in 2017. Currently, Gates’ net worth is $127.7 billion.

Gates’ dip in earnings is reportedly owing to his philanthropy and charity. Since 2006, Bill Gates has donated over $27 billion to Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/elon-musks-tesla-launches-tequila-250-worth-tequila-called-teslaquilla-341054" hreflang="en">Elon Musk's Tesla launches tequila $250 worth tequila called 'Teslaquilla'</a>

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He has no clue
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1304792315634966529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Recently, Musk had mocked Bill Gates, claiming Gates had no knowledge of electric cards. When he was asked on Twitter by a user what his&nbsp; opinion&nbsp; was “about Bill Gates' declarations” on electric trucks, he said that Gates “has no clue”.

In February 2020, Gates had claimed that he wasn’t going to buy a Tesla made car. Musk responded and claimed that his conversations with Gates were rather “underwhelming”.

Bill Gates is no longer the world's second-richest person. Now, Elon Musk is the world’s second-richest person, after overtaking Gates on Monday. The Tesla co-founder’s net worth jumped to $127.

Bill Gates is no longer the world's second-richest person. Now, Elon Musk is the world’s second-richest person, after overtaking Gates on Monday. The Tesla co-founder’s net worth jumped to $127.9 billion, clocking in an increase of $7.2 million, which was partly caused by an upsurge in Tesla’s shares. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk has added $100.3 billion to his net worth just in 2020. Also read: Elon Musk's Tesla factory workers counted as 'essential workers' A report published in Fortune posits that Elon Musk’s accumulation of wealth was largely caused by Tesla. Over three-quarters of his earnings were caused by Tesla. Musk’s Tesla shares are valued over four more times more than his SpaceX shares. For years, Bill Gates was the richest person in the world, before Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos overtook his position in 2017. Currently, Gates’ net worth is $127.7 billion. Gates’ dip in earnings is reportedly owing to his philanthropy and charity. Since 2006, Bill Gates has donated over $27 billion to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Also read: Elon Musk's Tesla launches tequila $250 worth tequila called 'Teslaquilla' He has no clue — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 12, 2020 × Recently, Musk had mocked Bill Gates, claiming Gates had no knowledge of electric cards. When he was asked on Twitter by a user what his opinion was “about Bill Gates' declarations” on electric trucks, he said that Gates “has no clue”. In February 2020, Gates had claimed that he wasn’t going to buy a Tesla made car. Musk responded and claimed that his conversations with Gates were rather “underwhelming”.

Bill Gates is no longer world's second-richest person

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates recently hit out at anti-mask protesters. In the era of conspiracy theories circling social media, many believe that masks are pointless. In fact, in many countries, many have taken to the streets to protest wearing masks.

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Bill Gates recently compared anti-mask protesters to “nudists”.&nbsp;During an interview on the podcast “Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions”, Gates and the comedian took up the issue of anti-mask protesters. Many continue to denounce masks, especially after calls from leaders like American President Donald Trump and Brazil’s Bolsonaro, who have continuously downplayed the importance of face coverings.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/uk-prime-minister-boris-johnson-meets-bill-gates-to-discuss-covid-19-vaccine-342652" hreflang="en">UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Bill Gates to discuss COVID-19 vaccine</a>

Gates referred to anti-maskers as a “weird thing”. He added the following - “I mean, what are these, like, nudists?”

Gates went on to comparing the situation with wearing pants. "We ask you to wear pants and, you know, no American says — or very few Americans say — that that’s, like, some terrible thing," Huffpost quoted him as saying.

The American billionaire also spoke about the shifting public perception about masks. He said that in the beginning of the pandemic, not everyone was convinced of the safety of masks, but now that it has been ascertained that COVID-19 is different from fevers and flus, masks are more commonly accepted.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/normalcy-will-return-only-with-second-generation-of-covid-19-vaccine-bill-gates-334922" hreflang="en">Normalcy will return only with second generation of Covid-19 vaccine: Bill Gates</a>

Gates alluded to a research undertaken by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. It claimed that if everybody wore masks, “over 100,000” deaths could be averted int he US.

Rashida Jones and Bill Gates also spoke to Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci claimed that "wearing a mask, keeping a distance, avoiding crowds, being outdoors as much as you possibly can - weather permitted - and washing your hands" are the defining ways for one to return to the normal world.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates recently hit out at anti-mask protesters. In the era of conspiracy theories circling social media, many believe that masks are pointless.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates recently hit out at anti-mask protesters. In the era of conspiracy theories circling social media, many believe that masks are pointless. In fact, in many countries, many have taken to the streets to protest wearing masks. Bill Gates recently compared anti-mask protesters to “nudists”. During an interview on the podcast “Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions”, Gates and the comedian took up the issue of anti-mask protesters. Many continue to denounce masks, especially after calls from leaders like American President Donald Trump and Brazil’s Bolsonaro, who have continuously downplayed the importance of face coverings. Also read: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Bill Gates to discuss COVID-19 vaccine Gates referred to anti-maskers as a “weird thing”. He added the following - “I mean, what are these, like, nudists?” Gates went on to comparing the situation with wearing pants. "We ask you to wear pants and, you know, no American says — or very few Americans say — that that’s, like, some terrible thing," Huffpost quoted him as saying. The American billionaire also spoke about the shifting public perception about masks. He said that in the beginning of the pandemic, not everyone was convinced of the safety of masks, but now that it has been ascertained that COVID-19 is different from fevers and flus, masks are more commonly accepted. Also read: Normalcy will return only with second generation of Covid-19 vaccine: Bill Gates Gates alluded to a research undertaken by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. It claimed that if everybody wore masks, “over 100,000” deaths could be averted int he US. Rashida Jones and Bill Gates also spoke to Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Fauci claimed that "wearing a mask, keeping a distance, avoiding crowds, being outdoors as much as you possibly can - weather permitted - and washing your hands" are the defining ways for one to return to the normal world.

Bill Gates wonders whether anti-maskers are 'nudists' and why they won't wear masks

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with the tech giant Bill Gates and a few more big pharma CEOs to discuss rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine.

The group of tech giants and the UK Prime Minister met through a virtual platform to "re-commit" to ensure global access of any successful COVID-19 vaccine and to "prevent future pandemics".

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/gene-within-gene-scientists-make-worrying-discovery-about-coronavirus-nucleotides-342539">'Gene within gene': Scientists make worrying discovery about coronavirus nucleotides</a>

During the virtual roundtable conference, Johnson assured his commitment to the coronavirus vaccine. However, no final news was passed about&nbsp;Pfizer vaccine, which hasn't been approved yet. Meanwhile, local reports have claimed that the UK's&nbsp;National Health Service (NHS) will be ready to start vaccinating people from December or January. This claim was not substantiated by the Johnson administration, though.

In the conference, Johnson also assured that his administration will be using UK's G7 presidency next year to bring in a global health plan with expertise from the&nbsp;Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and partnership with&nbsp;Wellcome Trust. This plan is being laid out to prevent such massive outcry and loss of lives if any other pandemic strikes the world again.

Bill Gates appreciated Johnson's measures and efforts, and said he is happy that someone is thinking about chalking out a&nbsp;“global approach” to “health security.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/chinese-virologist-reveals-chinas-fake-science-and-the-covid-19-cover-up-333982">Chinese virologist reveals China’s fake science and the COVID-19 cover-up</a>

As of now, a strategy has been unveiled by the Gates Foundation at the&nbsp;UN General Assembly in September. This plan can have effects in areas other than the UK, too, if it is implemented, as it involves creating a global network of&nbsp;“zoonotic disease research hubs” which can detect any possible dangerous viruses in animal populations, way before it affects humans.

The UK has contracted for 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, as of now. Pfizer is being hailed as a vaccine with 90 per cent effectivity against the novel coronavirus, but the claim has not been substantiated and the actual clinical data from the drug trials has to be released.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with the tech giant Bill Gates and a few more big pharma CEOs to discuss rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine. The group of tech giants and the UK Prime Minister met through a virtual platform to "re-commit" to ensure global access of any successful COVID-19 vaccine and to "prevent future pandemics".

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with the tech giant Bill Gates and a few more big pharma CEOs to discuss rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine. The group of tech giants and the UK Prime Minister met through a virtual platform to "re-commit" to ensure global access of any successful COVID-19 vaccine and to "prevent future pandemics". Also read| 'Gene within gene': Scientists make worrying discovery about coronavirus nucleotides During the virtual roundtable conference, Johnson assured his commitment to the coronavirus vaccine. However, no final news was passed about Pfizer vaccine, which hasn't been approved yet. Meanwhile, local reports have claimed that the UK's National Health Service (NHS) will be ready to start vaccinating people from December or January. This claim was not substantiated by the Johnson administration, though. In the conference, Johnson also assured that his administration will be using UK's G7 presidency next year to bring in a global health plan with expertise from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and partnership with Wellcome Trust. This plan is being laid out to prevent such massive outcry and loss of lives if any other pandemic strikes the world again. Bill Gates appreciated Johnson's measures and efforts, and said he is happy that someone is thinking about chalking out a “global approach” to “health security.” Also read: Chinese virologist reveals China’s fake science and the COVID-19 cover-up As of now, a strategy has been unveiled by the Gates Foundation at the UN General Assembly in September. This plan can have effects in areas other than the UK, too, if it is implemented, as it involves creating a global network of “zoonotic disease research hubs” which can detect any possible dangerous viruses in animal populations, way before it affects humans. The UK has contracted for 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, as of now. Pfizer is being hailed as a vaccine with 90 per cent effectivity against the novel coronavirus, but the claim has not been substantiated and the actual clinical data from the drug trials has to be released.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets Bill Gates to discuss COVID-19 vaccine

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, who was once at the helm of Microsoft, recently highlighted the role of India in the global fight against COVID-19.

While speaking at the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020, Gates spoke about the challenges in developing and deploying a potential vaccine for COVID-19.

He called India’s role in making the vaccines on a large-scale critical, owing to the country’s manufacturing capabilities.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/india-posts-lowest-daily-new-coronavirus-cases-in-nearly-three-months-336594" hreflang="en">India posts lowest daily new coronavirus cases in nearly three months</a>

Calling India “very inspiring”, Gates said that India had achieved a lot in the healthcare sector over the last two decades.

“And now, India’s research and manufacturing will be critical to fighting COVID-19 especially when it comes to making vaccines at large scale,”&nbsp; news agency PTI reported him as saying.

Gates referred to the fight against COVID as a “grand challenge” for scientists across the world.

“Since the pandemic began, scientists have shared 1,37,000 viral COVID-19 genomic sequences,” Gates said.&nbsp;

He also added that Pharma companies are showing cooperation with producers unlike ever before.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/coronavirus-worldwide-cases-surpass-40-million-more-than-50-cases-from-us-india-and-brazil-336386" hreflang="en">Coronavirus: Worldwide cases surpass 40 million; more than 50% cases from US, India and Brazil</a>

Bill Gates said that mRNA vaccine has shown “great promises”, and that it would probably the first approved vaccine for the virus.

“Even when sometimes people are tested, results come back negative because some of the tests are not sensitive to the small nano virus… So, the diagnostics are letting us down” he said.

“Right now, the current business model is identifying people with symptoms and we need to change that. We need sensitive and specific diagnostic tests which matter and we need to make it easy to access,” he said.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, who was once at the helm of Microsoft, recently highlighted the role of India in the global fight against COVID-19. While speaking at the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020, Gates spoke about the challenges in developing and deploying a potential vaccine for COVID-19.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, who was once at the helm of Microsoft, recently highlighted the role of India in the global fight against COVID-19. While speaking at the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2020, Gates spoke about the challenges in developing and deploying a potential vaccine for COVID-19. He called India’s role in making the vaccines on a large-scale critical, owing to the country’s manufacturing capabilities. Also read: India posts lowest daily new coronavirus cases in nearly three months Calling India “very inspiring”, Gates said that India had achieved a lot in the healthcare sector over the last two decades. “And now, India’s research and manufacturing will be critical to fighting COVID-19 especially when it comes to making vaccines at large scale,” news agency PTI reported him as saying. Gates referred to the fight against COVID as a “grand challenge” for scientists across the world. “Since the pandemic began, scientists have shared 1,37,000 viral COVID-19 genomic sequences,” Gates said. He also added that Pharma companies are showing cooperation with producers unlike ever before. Also read: Coronavirus: Worldwide cases surpass 40 million; more than 50% cases from US, India and Brazil Bill Gates said that mRNA vaccine has shown “great promises”, and that it would probably the first approved vaccine for the virus. “Even when sometimes people are tested, results come back negative because some of the tests are not sensitive to the small nano virus… So, the diagnostics are letting us down” he said. “Right now, the current business model is identifying people with symptoms and we need to change that. We need sensitive and specific diagnostic tests which matter and we need to make it easy to access,” he said.

India's role in production of COVID-19 vaccine 'critical', says billionaire Bill Gates

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has said life will only be back to normal once a second generation of Covid-19 vaccine becomes available.

Gates told NBC that normalcy can return “when we have, not the first generation of vaccines, but one that is super-effective”.&nbsp;

He said the second generation vaccine should also be widely available, adding only then "all the problems created by Covid-19 can be solved".

Gates’ comments come in the wake of the global race for a coronavirus vaccine.

Earlier in April, Gates said the world will need a year or two to overcome the ravages of the pandemic.&nbsp;

The first coronavirus vaccine was registered on August 11 -- Sputnik V, made in Russia.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes that a vaccine will be ready for registration by the end of 2020 or early next year at the earliest.

Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO chief scientist, said on Monday: "As you know, we have about 40 vaccine candidates now in some stage of clinical trials, and 10 of them are in the phase three trials, which are the late-stage clinical trials, which will tell us about both the efficacy and the safety. So, the best we could make a guess or predict, looking at when a trial started and when it is likely to have enough data to submit to the regulators, is [at] earliest from December of 2020 into the early part of 2021."

Countries have been developing dozens of vaccines since the start of the outbreak earlier this year, but none have passed the WHO-approved phase 3 trials so far.&nbsp;

Many vaccines are expected to be registered with the WHO by the end of the year.

To date, more than 37 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 1.07 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.

(with inputs)

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has said life will only be back to normal once a second generation of Covid-19 vaccine becomes available. Gates told NBC that normalcy can return “when we have, not the first generation of vaccines, but one that is super-effective”.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has said life will only be back to normal once a second generation of Covid-19 vaccine becomes available. Gates told NBC that normalcy can return “when we have, not the first generation of vaccines, but one that is super-effective”. He said the second generation vaccine should also be widely available, adding only then "all the problems created by Covid-19 can be solved". Gates’ comments come in the wake of the global race for a coronavirus vaccine. Earlier in April, Gates said the world will need a year or two to overcome the ravages of the pandemic. The first coronavirus vaccine was registered on August 11 -- Sputnik V, made in Russia. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes that a vaccine will be ready for registration by the end of 2020 or early next year at the earliest. Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO chief scientist, said on Monday: "As you know, we have about 40 vaccine candidates now in some stage of clinical trials, and 10 of them are in the phase three trials, which are the late-stage clinical trials, which will tell us about both the efficacy and the safety. So, the best we could make a guess or predict, looking at when a trial started and when it is likely to have enough data to submit to the regulators, is [at] earliest from December of 2020 into the early part of 2021." Countries have been developing dozens of vaccines since the start of the outbreak earlier this year, but none have passed the WHO-approved phase 3 trials so far. Many vaccines are expected to be registered with the WHO by the end of the year. To date, more than 37 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 1.07 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University. (with inputs)

Normalcy will return only with second generation of Covid-19 vaccine: Bill Gates

William Henry Gates II, better known as Bill Gates Sr., an American attorney and father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, died on Monday at his beach home on Hood Canal, in the Seattle area. He was 94.

In 2018, it was revealed that he suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

In an obituary the family credited the patriarch with a “deep commitment to social and economic equity,” noting that he was responsible for the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation’s first efforts to improve global health as well as his advocacy for progressive taxation, especially unsuccessful efforts to pass a state income tax on the wealthy in Washington.

“My dad’s wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world,” Bill Gates wrote in a tribute.

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My dad was the “real” Bill Gates. He was everything I try to be and I will miss him every day.<a href="https://t.co/OnAEsmosNb">https://t.co/OnAEsmosNb</a>
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1305993098682445824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

William Henry Gates II, better known as Bill Gates Sr., an American attorney and father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, died on Monday at his beach home on Hood Canal, in the Seattle area.

William Henry Gates II, better known as Bill Gates Sr., an American attorney and father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, died on Monday at his beach home on Hood Canal, in the Seattle area. He was 94. In 2018, it was revealed that he suffered from Alzheimer's disease. In an obituary the family credited the patriarch with a “deep commitment to social and economic equity,” noting that he was responsible for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s first efforts to improve global health as well as his advocacy for progressive taxation, especially unsuccessful efforts to pass a state income tax on the wealthy in Washington. “My dad’s wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world,” Bill Gates wrote in a tribute. My dad was the “real” Bill Gates. He was everything I try to be and I will miss him every day.https://t.co/OnAEsmosNb — Bill Gates (@BillGates) September 15, 2020 ×

Bill Gates Sr, father of Microsoft's co-founder, dies at 94

While billions of people have struggling to keep their business afloat in the pandemic this year, the year has been gracious for billionaire Elon Musk.

According to recent reports, Elon Musk has crossed Mark Zuckerberg to become world's third richest man as his net worth increased to&nbsp;$115.4 billion.

The Founder of social media giant Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is now on the fourth position with a net worth of&nbsp;$110.8 billion.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/three-little-pigs-elon-musk-unveils-neuralink-brain-computer-implants-323802">Also read|&nbsp;'Three little pigs': Elon Musk unveils Neuralink brain computer implants</a>

The SPaceX and Tesla owner saw an increase of&nbsp;nearly $87.8 billion this year due to an increase of almost 500 per cent in Tesla's shares.

The reports by&nbsp;Bloomberg Billionaire Index have also suggested that Musk, who is quite famous and liked on twitter too, has gained the most among all the billionaires.

As per Bloomberg, "Tesla’s $464 billion market value is now more than retail behemoth Walmart."

Musk is now following Jeff Bezos, world's richest man, with a net worth of&nbsp;$202 billion and Bill Gates, the second richest man who has a net worth of&nbsp;$125 billion.

World's richest woman

The year has been good for Jeff Bezos' ex-wife&nbsp;MacKenzie Scott too, as she climbed the ranks to become world's richest woman after she received&nbsp;a 4 per cent stake in Amazon.com Inc. as part of her divorce from founder Bezos. Now, her net worth is $66.4 billion.

While billions of people have struggling to keep their business afloat in the pandemic this year, the year has been gracious for billionaire Elon Musk. According to recent reports, Elon Musk has crossed Mark Zuckerberg to become world's third richest man as his net worth increased to $115.

While billions of people have struggling to keep their business afloat in the pandemic this year, the year has been gracious for billionaire Elon Musk. According to recent reports, Elon Musk has crossed Mark Zuckerberg to become world's third richest man as his net worth increased to $115.4 billion. The Founder of social media giant Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, is now on the fourth position with a net worth of $110.8 billion. Also read| 'Three little pigs': Elon Musk unveils Neuralink brain computer implants The SPaceX and Tesla owner saw an increase of nearly $87.8 billion this year due to an increase of almost 500 per cent in Tesla's shares. The reports by Bloomberg Billionaire Index have also suggested that Musk, who is quite famous and liked on twitter too, has gained the most among all the billionaires. As per Bloomberg, "Tesla’s $464 billion market value is now more than retail behemoth Walmart." Musk is now following Jeff Bezos, world's richest man, with a net worth of $202 billion and Bill Gates, the second richest man who has a net worth of $125 billion. World's richest woman The year has been good for Jeff Bezos' ex-wife MacKenzie Scott too, as she climbed the ranks to become world's richest woman after she received a 4 per cent stake in Amazon.com Inc. as part of her divorce from founder Bezos. Now, her net worth is $66.4 billion.

Elon Musk becomes world's third richest man; Bezos' ex-wife now world's richest woman

Bill Gates, the mastermind behind Microsoft and largely credited for making computer technology accessible recently outdid himself.

A man of many talents, turns out one of the world’s richest men can also bake, and very well actually.

To honour his friend Warren Buffett on his 90th birthday, Gates made a cake from scratch. And the best part of it all? He documented it all for us to see.

Buffett is an American investor and known&nbsp;as one of the world’s most prolific investors.

Gates had wonderful things to say about Buffett, and said that the investor has the mental sharpness of a 30-year-old.

Watch the full clip below

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Happy 90th birthday, Warren! <a href="https://t.co/8nH2EulTR4">pic.twitter.com/8nH2EulTR4</a>
— Bill Gates (@BillGates) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGates/status/1300110509455282176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
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“Warren Buffett turns 90 years old today. It’s hard to believe that my close friend is entering his tenth decade. Warren has the mental sharpness of a 30-year-old, the mischievous laugh of a 10-year-old, and the diet of a 6-year-old. He once told me that he looked at the data and discovered that first-graders have the best actuarial odds, so he decided to eat like one. He was only half-joking”, he wrote.

Writing further in his blog, Gates reminisced on the good times with his buddy. “Warren is still so youthful that it’s easy to forget he was once an actual young man, just starting out in his career”, Gates further wrote, while sharing an old photo of Buffett with his family.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/bill-gates-warns-climate-change-crisis-could-be-worse-than-covid-19-pandemic-318665" hreflang="en">Bill Gates warns climate change crisis could be worse than COVID-19 pandemic</a>

Gates dug a little deeper and created a listicle of sorts to sum up Buffett’s 90 years of existence. He claimed that Buffett has received 30 years of sleep by now, based on the assumption that he gets 8 hours of sleep every day.

“One of Warren’s most admirable qualities is his unshakable sense of right and wrong. It’s a trait he may have gotten from his dad, Howard, a stockbroker and three-term US&nbsp;Representative from Omaha”, Gates went on to say.

Gates ended the letter on a sweet note, quite literally. “A person that I admire as well as like—that's the perfect description of how I feel about Warren. Happy birthday, my friend”, he wrote.

Bill Gates, the mastermind behind Microsoft and largely credited for making computer technology accessible recently outdid himself. A man of many talents, turns out one of the world’s richest men can also bake, and very well actually.

Bill Gates, the mastermind behind Microsoft and largely credited for making computer technology accessible recently outdid himself. A man of many talents, turns out one of the world’s richest men can also bake, and very well actually. To honour his friend Warren Buffett on his 90th birthday, Gates made a cake from scratch. And the best part of it all? He documented it all for us to see. Buffett is an American investor and known as one of the world’s most prolific investors. Gates had wonderful things to say about Buffett, and said that the investor has the mental sharpness of a 30-year-old. Watch the full clip below Happy 90th birthday, Warren! pic.twitter.com/8nH2EulTR4 — Bill Gates (@BillGates) August 30, 2020 × “Warren Buffett turns 90 years old today. It’s hard to believe that my close friend is entering his tenth decade. Warren has the mental sharpness of a 30-year-old, the mischievous laugh of a 10-year-old, and the diet of a 6-year-old. He once told me that he looked at the data and discovered that first-graders have the best actuarial odds, so he decided to eat like one. He was only half-joking”, he wrote. Writing further in his blog, Gates reminisced on the good times with his buddy. “Warren is still so youthful that it’s easy to forget he was once an actual young man, just starting out in his career”, Gates further wrote, while sharing an old photo of Buffett with his family. Also read: Bill Gates warns climate change crisis could be worse than COVID-19 pandemic Gates dug a little deeper and created a listicle of sorts to sum up Buffett’s 90 years of existence. He claimed that Buffett has received 30 years of sleep by now, based on the assumption that he gets 8 hours of sleep every day. “One of Warren’s most admirable qualities is his unshakable sense of right and wrong. It’s a trait he may have gotten from his dad, Howard, a stockbroker and three-term US Representative from Omaha”, Gates went on to say. Gates ended the letter on a sweet note, quite literally. “A person that I admire as well as like—that's the perfect description of how I feel about Warren. Happy birthday, my friend”, he wrote.

Watch: Bill Gates bakes a scrumptious cake on Warren Buffett's 90th birthday

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates discussed the resumption of Pakistan's polio drive with Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and the support needed to ensure proper reach and coverage of the campaign against the crippling disease amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Pakistan halted the drive against polio in March and resumed it last month amid a decline in infections and fatalities from COVID-19.

Pakistan's military on Saturday said the Microsoft co-founder and the Army chief discussed the safe start and efforts needed to effectively conduct a polio campaign under the COVID-19 environment.

He conveyed "appreciation" for the Pakistan Army for supporting national polio drive, ensuring proper reach and coverage, the Army said in a statement.

Pakistan is one of only two countries, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Islamist militants have repeatedly targeted vaccination programmes. The militants oppose vaccination, saying it is a Western conspiracy to sterilise Pakistani children.

The health officials on Saturday launched a seven-day vaccination campaign against polio as part of efforts aimed at eliminating the disease. 
Gates reiterated the Gates Foundation's ongoing commitment to fight pandemics around the world, and to support Pakistan in its goals of ending polio and improving health for every child, according to the statement.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates discussed the resumption of Pakistan's polio drive with Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and the support needed to ensure proper reach and coverage of the campaign against the crippling disease amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates discussed the resumption of Pakistan's polio drive with Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and the support needed to ensure proper reach and coverage of the campaign against the crippling disease amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pakistan halted the drive against polio in March and resumed it last month amid a decline in infections and fatalities from COVID-19. Pakistan's military on Saturday said the Microsoft co-founder and the Army chief discussed the safe start and efforts needed to effectively conduct a polio campaign under the COVID-19 environment. He conveyed "appreciation" for the Pakistan Army for supporting national polio drive, ensuring proper reach and coverage, the Army said in a statement. Pakistan is one of only two countries, along with Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Islamist militants have repeatedly targeted vaccination programmes. The militants oppose vaccination, saying it is a Western conspiracy to sterilise Pakistani children. The health officials on Saturday launched a seven-day vaccination campaign against polio as part of efforts aimed at eliminating the disease. Gates reiterated the Gates Foundation's ongoing commitment to fight pandemics around the world, and to support Pakistan in its goals of ending polio and improving health for every child, according to the statement.

Bill Gates discusses Pakistan's anti-polio drive with Army chief

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been a constant critic of the climate change crisis. Recently, in his blog, he warned that while COVID-19 is "awful" but the climate change crisis could be even worse.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/herbivores-face-higher-extinction-risk-than-predators-study-318536" hreflang="en">Herbivores face higher extinction risk than predators: Study</a>

He urged everyone to deal with climate change quickly to avoid a climate disaster.&nbsp;

"If you want to understand the kind of damage that climate change will inflict, look at COVID-19 and spread the pain out over a much longer period of time," Gates wrote on his blog. "The loss of life and economic misery caused by this pandemic are on par with what will happen regularly if we do not eliminate the world's carbon emissions."

According to Gates, 14 per 100,000 people died due to COVID-19 (based on the current number of deaths due to virus) and said that the global mortality rate could shoot up to 73 deaths per 100,000 if the temperatures continue to rise for the next 40 years.

Also read:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-pandemic-leaves-amazon-more-vulnerable-than-ever-318513" hreflang="en">Coronavirus pandemic leaves Amazon more vulnerable than ever</a>

He said: "By 2060, climate change could be just as deadly as COVID-19, and by 2100 it could be five times as deadly."

Economic damage from climate change would be the equivalent of having a COVID-19 pandemic every decade, he added.

The year 2020 has witnessed a decline in greenhouse gases due to global-level lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic that brought everyone to a standstill, however, Gates said that it'll likely only amount to a reduction of 8 per cent in total. The reduction was caused due to coronavirus lockdowns and not due to any solutions, he said.&nbsp;

"This is not a situation that anyone would want to continue," Gates said. "In addition, these reductions are being achieved at, literally, the greatest possible cost."

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been a constant critic of the climate change crisis. Recently, in his blog, he warned that while COVID-19 is "awful" but the climate change crisis could be even worse.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been a constant critic of the climate change crisis. Recently, in his blog, he warned that while COVID-19 is "awful" but the climate change crisis could be even worse. Also read: Herbivores face higher extinction risk than predators: Study He urged everyone to deal with climate change quickly to avoid a climate disaster. "If you want to understand the kind of damage that climate change will inflict, look at COVID-19 and spread the pain out over a much longer period of time," Gates wrote on his blog. "The loss of life and economic misery caused by this pandemic are on par with what will happen regularly if we do not eliminate the world's carbon emissions." According to Gates, 14 per 100,000 people died due to COVID-19 (based on the current number of deaths due to virus) and said that the global mortality rate could shoot up to 73 deaths per 100,000 if the temperatures continue to rise for the next 40 years. Also read: Coronavirus pandemic leaves Amazon more vulnerable than ever He said: "By 2060, climate change could be just as deadly as COVID-19, and by 2100 it could be five times as deadly." Economic damage from climate change would be the equivalent of having a COVID-19 pandemic every decade, he added. The year 2020 has witnessed a decline in greenhouse gases due to global-level lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic that brought everyone to a standstill, however, Gates said that it'll likely only amount to a reduction of 8 per cent in total. The reduction was caused due to coronavirus lockdowns and not due to any solutions, he said. "This is not a situation that anyone would want to continue," Gates said. "In addition, these reductions are being achieved at, literally, the greatest possible cost."

Bill Gates warns climate change crisis could be worse than COVID-19 pandemic

A teenager was arrested for being the “mastermind” behind the Twitter Inc hack, which compromised the profiles of many prominent personalities and organisations.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Justice conducted a complex nationwide investigation, locating and apprehending the suspect in Hillsborough County,” the statement said.

The 17-year-old Florida boy masterminded the hacking of celebrity accounts on Twitter Inc, including those of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, in mid-July.

A 19-year-old British man and a 22-year-old man in Orlando, Florida were also charged under US federal law with aiding the attack.

A Florida prosecutor identified the 17-year-old as Graham Clark of Tampa and charged him as an adult with 30 felony counts of fraud. Clark netted at least $100,000 from the scheme by using the celebrity accounts to solicit investments from unsuspecting Twitter users, state officials said.

Mason Sheppard, a 19-year-old from Bogner Regis, Britain who used the alias Chaewon, was charged with wire fraud and money laundering while Orlando-based Nima Fazeli, 22, nicknamed Rolex, was accused of aiding and abetting the crimes, according to a Justice Department statement.

Twitter said it appreciated the "swift actions of law enforcement."

Clark and one of the other participants were in custody, officials said.

In the hack, fraudulent tweets soliciting investments in the digital currency bitcoin were posted in mid-July by 45 verified Twitter accounts. Twitter said the hackers also likely read some direct messages including to a Dutch elected official.

Authorities provided new details Friday in an affidavit alleging that Clark "used social engineering to convince a Twitter employee that he was a co-worker in the IT department and had the employee provide credentials to access the customer service portal."

A teenager was arrested for being the “mastermind” behind the Twitter Inc hack, which compromised the profiles of many prominent personalities and organisations.

A teenager was arrested for being the “mastermind” behind the Twitter Inc hack, which compromised the profiles of many prominent personalities and organisations. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Justice conducted a complex nationwide investigation, locating and apprehending the suspect in Hillsborough County,” the statement said. The 17-year-old Florida boy masterminded the hacking of celebrity accounts on Twitter Inc, including those of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, in mid-July. A 19-year-old British man and a 22-year-old man in Orlando, Florida were also charged under US federal law with aiding the attack. A Florida prosecutor identified the 17-year-old as Graham Clark of Tampa and charged him as an adult with 30 felony counts of fraud. Clark netted at least $100,000 from the scheme by using the celebrity accounts to solicit investments from unsuspecting Twitter users, state officials said. Mason Sheppard, a 19-year-old from Bogner Regis, Britain who used the alias Chaewon, was charged with wire fraud and money laundering while Orlando-based Nima Fazeli, 22, nicknamed Rolex, was accused of aiding and abetting the crimes, according to a Justice Department statement. Twitter said it appreciated the "swift actions of law enforcement." Clark and one of the other participants were in custody, officials said. In the hack, fraudulent tweets soliciting investments in the digital currency bitcoin were posted in mid-July by 45 verified Twitter accounts. Twitter said the hackers also likely read some direct messages including to a Dutch elected official. Authorities provided new details Friday in an affidavit alleging that Clark "used social engineering to convince a Twitter employee that he was a co-worker in the IT department and had the employee provide credentials to access the customer service portal."

US teenager arrested for masterminding massive Twitter hack

Four of the most powerful men in the tech world faced some major heat in an unprecedented anti-trust hearing. When US lawmakers brought up China - Bezos, Pichai, and Cook stayed quiet. But, Zuckerberg talked. WION's Palki Sharma brings you the highlights of the hearing.

Gravitas: Big tech CEOs evade questions on China

Four most powerful men in the tech world will answer pointed questions from the US lawmakers in a crucial anti-trust hearing. Watch report.

Big Tech CEO's divided on China technology heft | US Congress | World News

WION Fineprint: US tech giants gird for tough hearing, Antitrust hearing in US

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on Thursday pushed back against some of the conspiracy theories spreading online accusing him of creating the coronavirus outbreak.

"It's a bad combination of pandemic and social media and people looking for a very simple explanation," the Microsoft founder said during a CNN Town Hall interview.

Doctored photos and fabricated news articles crafted by conspiracy theorists -- shared thousands of times on social media platforms and messaging apps, in various languages -- targeting Gates have gained traction online since the start of the pandemic.

A video accusing Gates of wanting "to eliminate 15 percent of the population" through vaccination and electronic microchips has racked up millions of views on YouTube.

"Our foundation has given more money to buy vaccines to save lives than any group," Gates said, referring to his eponymous foundation.

He has pledged $250 million in efforts to fight the pandemic, and his foundation has spent billions of dollars improving health care in developing countries over the past 20 years.

"So you just turn that around. You say, ok, we're making money and we're trying to kill people with vaccines or by inventing something," Gates continued.

"And at least it's true, we're associated with vaccines, but you actually have sort of flipped the connection," he said, adding he hopes the conspiracies don't generate "vaccine hesitancy."

Since the start of the crisis, AFP Fact Check has debunked dozens of anti-Gates rumors circulating on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram in languages including English, French, Spanish, Polish and Czech.

A number of accusations, including posts claiming that the FBI arrested Gates for biological terrorism or that he supports a Western plot to poison Africans, share a common thread.&nbsp;

They accuse the tycoon of exploiting the crisis, whether it is to "control people" or make money from selling vaccines.

"I'm a big believer in getting the truth out," Gates told CNN.

It is not the first time Gates has found himself targeted by conspiracy theorists. When Zika virus broke out in 2015 in Brazil, he was one of several powerful Western figures blamed for the disease.&nbsp;

Other rumors claim he is secretly a lizard, an old favorite among online trolls.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on Thursday pushed back against some of the conspiracy theories spreading online accusing him of creating the coronavirus outbreak.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates on Thursday pushed back against some of the conspiracy theories spreading online accusing him of creating the coronavirus outbreak. "It's a bad combination of pandemic and social media and people looking for a very simple explanation," the Microsoft founder said during a CNN Town Hall interview. Doctored photos and fabricated news articles crafted by conspiracy theorists -- shared thousands of times on social media platforms and messaging apps, in various languages -- targeting Gates have gained traction online since the start of the pandemic. A video accusing Gates of wanting "to eliminate 15 percent of the population" through vaccination and electronic microchips has racked up millions of views on YouTube. "Our foundation has given more money to buy vaccines to save lives than any group," Gates said, referring to his eponymous foundation. He has pledged $250 million in efforts to fight the pandemic, and his foundation has spent billions of dollars improving health care in developing countries over the past 20 years. "So you just turn that around. You say, ok, we're making money and we're trying to kill people with vaccines or by inventing something," Gates continued. "And at least it's true, we're associated with vaccines, but you actually have sort of flipped the connection," he said, adding he hopes the conspiracies don't generate "vaccine hesitancy." Since the start of the crisis, AFP Fact Check has debunked dozens of anti-Gates rumors circulating on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram in languages including English, French, Spanish, Polish and Czech. A number of accusations, including posts claiming that the FBI arrested Gates for biological terrorism or that he supports a Western plot to poison Africans, share a common thread. They accuse the tycoon of exploiting the crisis, whether it is to "control people" or make money from selling vaccines. "I'm a big believer in getting the truth out," Gates told CNN. It is not the first time Gates has found himself targeted by conspiracy theorists. When Zika virus broke out in 2015 in Brazil, he was one of several powerful Western figures blamed for the disease. Other rumors claim he is secretly a lizard, an old favorite among online trolls.

Bill Gates denies conspiracy theories he created coronavirus outbreak

Hackers involved in the high-profile hijacking of Twitter accounts earlier this week were a few youngsters with no links to state or organised crime, The New York Times has said.

Posts trying to dupe people into sending hackers the virtual currency bitcoin were tweeted by the official accounts of Apple, Uber, Kanye West, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and many others on Wednesday.

The massive hack of high-profile users from Elon Musk to Joe Biden raised questions about Twitter's security as it serves as a megaphone for politicians ahead of November's election.

The attack, which Twitter and federal police are investigating, started with a playful message between hackers on the platform Discord, a chat service popular with gamers.

The paper said it had interviewed four people who participated in the hacking, who shared logs and screenshots backing up their accounts of what happened.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-says-attackers-downloaded-data-from-up-to-eight-non-verified-accounts-314223">Also read |&nbsp;Twitter says attackers downloaded data from up to eight non-verified accounts</a>

The hack was done by a group of young people -- one of whom says he lives at home with his mother -- who got to know one another because of their obsession with owning early or unusual screen names, particularly one letter or number, like @y or @6.

"Based on what we know right now, we believe approximately 130 accounts were targeted by the attackers in some way as part of the incident," Twitter said in a tweet.

Twitter said it appeared to be a "coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools."

The young hackers interviewed by the Times said a mysterious user who went by the name "Kirk" initiated the scheme with a message and was the one with access to Twitter accounts.

They contended they were only involved in commandeering lesser-known Twitter accounts, particularly to swipe coveted short handles such as an "@" sign and single letters or numbers that could easily be sold, according to the report.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-accounts-of-jeff-bezos-elon-musk-bill-gates-and-others-hit-in-major-hack-313558">Also read |&nbsp;Twitter accounts of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and others hit in major hack</a>

The young hackers maintained they stopped serving as middlemen for "Kirk" when high-profile accounts became targets.

Some hackers are "obsessed" with hijacking "Original Gangster" social media accounts staked out in the services' early days that have short profile names, according to Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security.

Hackers involved in the attack on Twitter advertised account names at an OGusers.com website, asking for payment in bitcoin, according to the Times report.

Fraudulent posts, which were largely deleted, had said people had 30 minutes to send $1,000 in cryptocurrency bitcoin, promising they would receive twice as much in return. More than $100,000 worth of bitcoin was sent to email addresses mentioned in the tweets, according to Blockchain.com, which monitors crypto transactions.

Hackers involved in the high-profile hijacking of Twitter accounts earlier this week were a few youngsters with no links to state or organised crime, The New York Times has said.

Hackers involved in the high-profile hijacking of Twitter accounts earlier this week were a few youngsters with no links to state or organised crime, The New York Times has said. Posts trying to dupe people into sending hackers the virtual currency bitcoin were tweeted by the official accounts of Apple, Uber, Kanye West, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and many others on Wednesday. The massive hack of high-profile users from Elon Musk to Joe Biden raised questions about Twitter's security as it serves as a megaphone for politicians ahead of November's election. The attack, which Twitter and federal police are investigating, started with a playful message between hackers on the platform Discord, a chat service popular with gamers. The paper said it had interviewed four people who participated in the hacking, who shared logs and screenshots backing up their accounts of what happened. Also read | Twitter says attackers downloaded data from up to eight non-verified accounts The hack was done by a group of young people -- one of whom says he lives at home with his mother -- who got to know one another because of their obsession with owning early or unusual screen names, particularly one letter or number, like @y or @6. "Based on what we know right now, we believe approximately 130 accounts were targeted by the attackers in some way as part of the incident," Twitter said in a tweet. Twitter said it appeared to be a "coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools." The young hackers interviewed by the Times said a mysterious user who went by the name "Kirk" initiated the scheme with a message and was the one with access to Twitter accounts. They contended they were only involved in commandeering lesser-known Twitter accounts, particularly to swipe coveted short handles such as an "@" sign and single letters or numbers that could easily be sold, according to the report. Also read | Twitter accounts of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and others hit in major hack The young hackers maintained they stopped serving as middlemen for "Kirk" when high-profile accounts became targets. Some hackers are "obsessed" with hijacking "Original Gangster" social media accounts staked out in the services' early days that have short profile names, according to Brian Krebs of Krebs on Security. Hackers involved in the attack on Twitter advertised account names at an OGusers.com website, asking for payment in bitcoin, according to the Times report. Fraudulent posts, which were largely deleted, had said people had 30 minutes to send $1,000 in cryptocurrency bitcoin, promising they would receive twice as much in return. More than $100,000 worth of bitcoin was sent to email addresses mentioned in the tweets, according to Blockchain.com, which monitors crypto transactions.

Twitter hack was work of young hacker pals, says report

The official Twitter accounts of Apple, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others were hijacked on Wednesday by scammers in a massive hack -- who according to cyber police were trying to dupe people into sending cryptocurrency bitcoin.

The list of accounts&nbsp;includes Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Uber, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, bitcoin specialty firms and many others.

"We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter," the messaging service said in a tweet. "We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly."

In response,&nbsp;Twitter locked down Biden campaign's hacked account quickly and removed the bogus tweet. The social media platform had disabled the ability to tweet from validated accounts, those with the official blue checkmarks.

The company silenced a few others&nbsp;of&nbsp;its highest-profile users too in response to the&nbsp;hours-long security incident.&nbsp;These Twitter users started to be able to send tweets again at around 8:30 pm EDT. A few of them will gradually gain access to posting tweets.

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We have locked accounts that were compromised and will restore access to the original account owner only when we are certain we can do so securely.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/1283591852982231040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-twitter-says-olympics-ioc-accounts-hacked-280911">Also read |&nbsp;Twitter says Olympics, IOC accounts hacked</a>

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said the management feels terrible such a mishap happened.

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Tough day for us at Twitter. We all feel terrible this happened. 
 
We’re diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened. 
 
💙 to our teammates working hard to make this right.
— jack (@jack) <a href="https://twitter.com/jack/status/1283571658339397632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The site Blockchain.com, which monitors transactions made in cryptocurrencies, said a total of 12.58 bitcoins, worth almost $116,000, had been sent to the email addresses mentioned in the fraudulent tweets.

The posts, which were largely deleted, were fired off from the array of high-profile accounts telling people they had 30 minutes to send $1,000 in bitcoin in order to be sent back twice as much.&nbsp;

The tweet that appeared on Musk's Twitter feed said, "Happy Wednesday! I am giving back Bitcoin to all of my followers. I am doubling all payments sent to the Bitcoin address below. You send 0.1 BTC, I send 0.2 BTC back!"

It added that the offer was "only going on for 30 minutes."

The fake messages that appeared on the accounts of other famous personalities made similar promises of instant riches.&nbsp;

The scammers also hacked accounts belonging to rideshare heavyweight Uber, as well as those belonging to bitcoin trading companies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-a-man-hacked-google-maps-to-show-virtual-traffic-jams-with-99-mobile-phones-and-a-red-cart-278498">Also read |&nbsp;How a man 'hacked' Google maps to show 'virtual traffic jams' with 99 mobile phones and a red cart</a>

The account of US President Donald Trump, which has more than 83 million followers, was not hacked.

A version of the scam invited people to click on a link at which they would be exploited.

Twitter has been target by hackers in the past as well.&nbsp;In March 2017, the accounts of Amnesty International, the French economics ministry and the BBC's North America service were broken into by hackers believed to have been loyal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. &nbsp;

Last August, a series of insulting or racist messages were posted on the personal account of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey without his knowledge.

(with inputs from agencies)

The official Twitter accounts of Apple, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others were hijacked on Wednesday by scammers in a massive hack -- who according to cyber police were trying to dupe people into sending cryptocurrency bitcoin.

The official Twitter accounts of Apple, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others were hijacked on Wednesday by scammers in a massive hack -- who according to cyber police were trying to dupe people into sending cryptocurrency bitcoin. The list of accounts includes Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Uber, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, bitcoin specialty firms and many others. "We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter," the messaging service said in a tweet. "We are investigating and taking steps to fix it. We will update everyone shortly." In response, Twitter locked down Biden campaign's hacked account quickly and removed the bogus tweet. The social media platform had disabled the ability to tweet from validated accounts, those with the official blue checkmarks. The company silenced a few others of its highest-profile users too in response to the hours-long security incident. These Twitter users started to be able to send tweets again at around 8:30 pm EDT. A few of them will gradually gain access to posting tweets. We have locked accounts that were compromised and will restore access to the original account owner only when we are certain we can do so securely. — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 16, 2020 × Also read | Twitter says Olympics, IOC accounts hacked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said the management feels terrible such a mishap happened. Tough day for us at Twitter. We all feel terrible this happened. We’re diagnosing and will share everything we can when we have a more complete understanding of exactly what happened. 💙 to our teammates working hard to make this right. — jack (@jack) July 16, 2020 × The site Blockchain.com, which monitors transactions made in cryptocurrencies, said a total of 12.58 bitcoins, worth almost $116,000, had been sent to the email addresses mentioned in the fraudulent tweets. The posts, which were largely deleted, were fired off from the array of high-profile accounts telling people they had 30 minutes to send $1,000 in bitcoin in order to be sent back twice as much. The tweet that appeared on Musk's Twitter feed said, "Happy Wednesday! I am giving back Bitcoin to all of my followers. I am doubling all payments sent to the Bitcoin address below. You send 0.1 BTC, I send 0.2 BTC back!" It added that the offer was "only going on for 30 minutes." The fake messages that appeared on the accounts of other famous personalities made similar promises of instant riches. The scammers also hacked accounts belonging to rideshare heavyweight Uber, as well as those belonging to bitcoin trading companies. Also read | How a man 'hacked' Google maps to show 'virtual traffic jams' with 99 mobile phones and a red cart The account of US President Donald Trump, which has more than 83 million followers, was not hacked. A version of the scam invited people to click on a link at which they would be exploited. Twitter has been target by hackers in the past as well. In March 2017, the accounts of Amnesty International, the French economics ministry and the BBC's North America service were broken into by hackers believed to have been loyal to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Last August, a series of insulting or racist messages were posted on the personal account of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey without his knowledge. (with inputs from agencies)

Twitter accounts of Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and others hit in major hack

India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world, according to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates.

A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make the coronavirus vaccine building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases", said the Co-Chair and Trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Speaking in a documentary -- COVID-19: India's War Against The Virus -- to be premiered on Discovery Plus this (Thursday) evening, Gates said India also faces a huge challenge due to the health crisis because of its gigantic size and urban centres with a lot of population density.

Commenting on the strength of India's pharma industry, he said, "India has a lot of capacity there -- with the drug and vaccine companies that are huge suppliers to the entire world. You know, more vaccines are made in India than anywhere-- starting with Serum Institute, that's the largest."

He further said, "But (there are) also Bio E, Bharat (Biotech), many others. They are doing work to help make the coronavirus vaccine, building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases."

Stating that India joined Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is a group working on a global basis to build vaccines platforms, Gates said, "I am excited that the pharmaceutical industry there will be able to produce not just for India but also for the entire world. (This is) What we need to reduce the deaths and make sure we are immune, which is how we end the epidemic."

Gates said Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also a "partner with the government, particularly with the department of biotechnology, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the office of the principal scientific advisor provide advice and help about getting these tools going".

Commenting on the deadly virus breaching India's borders in the documentary which was shot extensively during the period of lockdown, he said, "India is still at the beginning of this, but there's a lot of very important things have been done.

?It's a huge challenge with India because you've got a gigantic country. You've got your urban centers with a lot of density-- and so that-- drives the spread. You have people moving around."

He, however, added: "Yet people are stepping up... Looking at how we reduce the spread while trying not to reduce food availability, equipment that people need."

Highlighting Gates foundation's role, he said it has "worked for the Indian government on health issues like introducing new vaccines over the last decade; and so when COVID-19 came along, we stepped in and said you know where are the gaps, we have been funding work on detection and isolation.

"We have been particularly active in UP and Bihar where we have done health delivery in the past."

The foundation is also working with the department of personnel and training to take their online training platforms and "are now using that guidance to help their frontline health workers", Gates said.&nbsp;

India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world, according to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates.

India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world, according to Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates. A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make the coronavirus vaccine building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases", said the Co-Chair and Trustee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Speaking in a documentary -- COVID-19: India's War Against The Virus -- to be premiered on Discovery Plus this (Thursday) evening, Gates said India also faces a huge challenge due to the health crisis because of its gigantic size and urban centres with a lot of population density. Commenting on the strength of India's pharma industry, he said, "India has a lot of capacity there -- with the drug and vaccine companies that are huge suppliers to the entire world. You know, more vaccines are made in India than anywhere-- starting with Serum Institute, that's the largest." He further said, "But (there are) also Bio E, Bharat (Biotech), many others. They are doing work to help make the coronavirus vaccine, building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases." Stating that India joined Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is a group working on a global basis to build vaccines platforms, Gates said, "I am excited that the pharmaceutical industry there will be able to produce not just for India but also for the entire world. (This is) What we need to reduce the deaths and make sure we are immune, which is how we end the epidemic." Gates said Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also a "partner with the government, particularly with the department of biotechnology, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the office of the principal scientific advisor provide advice and help about getting these tools going". Commenting on the deadly virus breaching India's borders in the documentary which was shot extensively during the period of lockdown, he said, "India is still at the beginning of this, but there's a lot of very important things have been done. ?It's a huge challenge with India because you've got a gigantic country. You've got your urban centers with a lot of density-- and so that-- drives the spread. You have people moving around." He, however, added: "Yet people are stepping up... Looking at how we reduce the spread while trying not to reduce food availability, equipment that people need." Highlighting Gates foundation's role, he said it has "worked for the Indian government on health issues like introducing new vaccines over the last decade; and so when COVID-19 came along, we stepped in and said you know where are the gaps, we have been funding work on detection and isolation. "We have been particularly active in UP and Bihar where we have done health delivery in the past." The foundation is also working with the department of personnel and training to take their online training platforms and "are now using that guidance to help their frontline health workers", Gates said.

Indian pharma industry capable of producing COVID-19 vaccines for entire world: Bill Gates

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates called for COVID-19 drugs and an eventual vaccine to be made available to countries and people that need them most, not to the "highest bidder," saying relying on market forces would prolong the deadly pandemic.

"If we just let drugs and vaccines go to the highest bidder, instead of to the people and the places where they are most needed, we'll have a longer, more unjust, deadlier pandemic," Gates, a founder of Microsoft, said in a video released on Saturday during a virtual COVID-19 conference organized by the International AIDS Society.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-us-reports-record-single-day-spike-of-nearly-69000-new-cases-312437">COVID 19: US reports record single day spike of nearly&nbsp;69,000 new cases</a>

"We need leaders to make these hard decisions about distributing based on equity, not just on market-driven factors."

With hundreds of vaccine projects under way and governments in Europe and the United States investing billions of dollars in research, trials and manufacturing, there is concern that richer nations could scoop up promising medicines against the new coronavirus, leaving developing countries empty-handed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gilead-analysis-shows-remdesivir-reduced-coronavirus-death-risk-more-studies-needed-312473" hreflang="en">Gilead analysis shows remdesivir reduced coronavirus death risk, more studies needed</a>

The European Commission and the World Health Organization have warned of an unhealthy competition in the scramble for a medicine seen as key to saving lives and resolving economic chaos sowed by virus, while some officials in Washington have indicated they would seek to prioritize US residents.

Gates said efforts begun two decades ago to battle the global HIV/AIDS crisis, when countries came together to eventually make medicines available in most of the world including Africa, can serve as a model for making COVID-19 medicines widely accessible.

As examples he pointed to the 2002-created Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the US-based President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief to get medicines to people to combat some of the world's deadliest diseases as examples.

"One of the best lessons in the fight against HIV/AIDS is the importance of building this large, fair global distribution system to get the drugs out to everyone," Gates said

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates called for COVID-19 drugs and an eventual vaccine to be made available to countries and people that need them most, not to the "highest bidder," saying relying on market forces would prolong the deadly pandemic.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates called for COVID-19 drugs and an eventual vaccine to be made available to countries and people that need them most, not to the "highest bidder," saying relying on market forces would prolong the deadly pandemic. "If we just let drugs and vaccines go to the highest bidder, instead of to the people and the places where they are most needed, we'll have a longer, more unjust, deadlier pandemic," Gates, a founder of Microsoft, said in a video released on Saturday during a virtual COVID-19 conference organized by the International AIDS Society. Also read| COVID 19: US reports record single day spike of nearly 69,000 new cases "We need leaders to make these hard decisions about distributing based on equity, not just on market-driven factors." With hundreds of vaccine projects under way and governments in Europe and the United States investing billions of dollars in research, trials and manufacturing, there is concern that richer nations could scoop up promising medicines against the new coronavirus, leaving developing countries empty-handed. Also read: Gilead analysis shows remdesivir reduced coronavirus death risk, more studies needed The European Commission and the World Health Organization have warned of an unhealthy competition in the scramble for a medicine seen as key to saving lives and resolving economic chaos sowed by virus, while some officials in Washington have indicated they would seek to prioritize US residents. Gates said efforts begun two decades ago to battle the global HIV/AIDS crisis, when countries came together to eventually make medicines available in most of the world including Africa, can serve as a model for making COVID-19 medicines widely accessible. As examples he pointed to the 2002-created Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the US-based President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief to get medicines to people to combat some of the world's deadliest diseases as examples. "One of the best lessons in the fight against HIV/AIDS is the importance of building this large, fair global distribution system to get the drugs out to everyone," Gates said

Bill Gates calls for COVID-19 meds to go to people who need them, not 'highest bidder'

Microsoft has made an announcement on Friday that it will be closing down all of its stores and moving its retail online. The tech giant will not shut the doors in four locations and will be transforming them into "experience centres."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/covid-19-fortune-tencents-pony-ma-dethrones-alibabas-jack-ma-to-become-richest-in-china-308476" hreflang="en">COVID-19 fortune: Tencent's Pony Ma dethrones Alibaba's Jack Ma to become richest in China</a>

According to the statement released by Microsoft, over 80 stores will be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will not reopen as the tech giant enters "a new approach to retail."

"Microsoft will continue to invest in its digital storefronts on Microsoft.com, and stores in Xbox and Windows," the statement said.

The four locations, where these stores won't shutdown are London, New York, Sydney and at the company's Redmond, Washington headquarters.

Retail team members will "serve customers from Microsoft corporate facilities and remotely providing sales, training, and support," the company said.

The company will be setting $450 million to cover the costs of closing the locations. The total numbers of employees affected due to shutting down are not available.&nbsp;

"Our sales have grown online as our product portfolio has evolved to largely digital offerings, and our talented team has proven success serving customers beyond any physical location," said Microsoft corporate vice president David Porter.

Microsoft has made an announcement on Friday that it will be closing down all of its stores and moving its retail online. The tech giant will not shut the doors in four locations and will be transforming them into "experience centres.

Microsoft has made an announcement on Friday that it will be closing down all of its stores and moving its retail online. The tech giant will not shut the doors in four locations and will be transforming them into "experience centres." Also read: COVID-19 fortune: Tencent's Pony Ma dethrones Alibaba's Jack Ma to become richest in China According to the statement released by Microsoft, over 80 stores will be closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will not reopen as the tech giant enters "a new approach to retail." "Microsoft will continue to invest in its digital storefronts on Microsoft.com, and stores in Xbox and Windows," the statement said. The four locations, where these stores won't shutdown are London, New York, Sydney and at the company's Redmond, Washington headquarters. Retail team members will "serve customers from Microsoft corporate facilities and remotely providing sales, training, and support," the company said. The company will be setting $450 million to cover the costs of closing the locations. The total numbers of employees affected due to shutting down are not available. "Our sales have grown online as our product portfolio has evolved to largely digital offerings, and our talented team has proven success serving customers beyond any physical location," said Microsoft corporate vice president David Porter.

Microsoft to shut down all 80 stores around the world; except four locations

Britain's pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will be able to deliver nearly 2 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine if they succeed in making one. These figures are double the previous claims because of deals with the Serum Institute of India and two Bill Gates-backed global health organisations.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-vaccine-for-global-public-good-says-un-chief-antonio-guterres-at-virtual-global-vaccine-summit-in-london-303340" hreflang="en">COVID-19 vaccine for global public good, says UN chief Antonio Guterres at virtual Global Vaccine Summit in London</a>

Serum Institute of India is the world's largest manufacturers of vaccines in terms of volume.&nbsp;

AstraZeneca has already promised 400 million doses to the United States and Britain and on Thursday they agreed to terms with the Indian company to supply one billion doses to low and middle-income countries.

The British-based pharmaceutical company's tie-up with Oxford University has gathered attention as one of the leading candidates to make a coronavirus vaccine. The US government has funded &nbsp;$1 billion for its work.&nbsp;

The company will produce an additional 300 million doses after a $750 million agreement was signed with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and GAVI vaccines alliance, both founded by Microsoft-founder Gates and his wife.&nbsp;

Britain's pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will be able to deliver nearly 2 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine if they succeed in making one. These figures are double the previous claims because of deals with the Serum Institute of India and two Bill Gates-backed global health organisations.

Britain's pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca will be able to deliver nearly 2 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine if they succeed in making one. These figures are double the previous claims because of deals with the Serum Institute of India and two Bill Gates-backed global health organisations. Also read: COVID-19 vaccine for global public good, says UN chief Antonio Guterres at virtual Global Vaccine Summit in London Serum Institute of India is the world's largest manufacturers of vaccines in terms of volume. AstraZeneca has already promised 400 million doses to the United States and Britain and on Thursday they agreed to terms with the Indian company to supply one billion doses to low and middle-income countries. The British-based pharmaceutical company's tie-up with Oxford University has gathered attention as one of the leading candidates to make a coronavirus vaccine. The US government has funded $1 billion for its work. The company will produce an additional 300 million doses after a $750 million agreement was signed with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and GAVI vaccines alliance, both founded by Microsoft-founder Gates and his wife.

Britain's AstraZeneca ties up with two companies to provide two billion doses

Anti-vaxxers are protesting in Europe and the United States. The prospect of compulsory vaccination has boosted a protest movement across cities in Europe. Watch report.

Bill Gates slammed by anti-vaxxers for funding research

According to Bill Gates, it is too soon to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak. He called all the efforts to shift focus to Beijing is a "distraction". The billionaire also said that "incorrect and unfair things" is said against the Chinese regime.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-lists-6-new-symptoms-of-coronavirus-294995">US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 6 new symptoms of coronavirus</a>

Wuhan reported the first-ever case for the novel coronavirus, and the American president Donald Trump has blamed the Chinese government for the global pandemic.&nbsp;

Bill Gates, on the contrary, criticized US' response on coronavirus, he called it "particularly poorly" compared to other countries.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/multi-million-whiskey-auction-postponed-indefinitely-after-facing-a-cyber-attack-294994" hreflang="en">Multi-million whiskey auction postponed indefinitely after facing a cyber-attack</a>

In an interview with CNN Gates said: "China did a lot of things right at the beginning, like any country where a virus first shows up.&nbsp;

"They can look back and say where they missed some things."

"You know, some countries did respond very quickly and get their testing in place, and they avoided the incredible economic pain," he said.

"It’s sad that even the US that you would have expected to do this well did it particularly poorly.

"But it’s not time to talk about that."

He went on to add: "This is the time to take the great science we have, the fact we’re in this together, fixed testing, treatments, and get that vaccine, and minimize the trillions of dollars and many things you that you can’t even dimensionalize, in economic terms, that are awful about the situation we’re in.

"So, that’s a distraction.

"I think there’s a lot of incorrect and unfair things said, but it’s not even time for that discussion."

US officials have called for an investigation and check if the virus was created in the lab.

According to Bill Gates, it is too soon to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak. He called all the efforts to shift focus to Beijing is a "distraction". The billionaire also said that "incorrect and unfair things" is said against the Chinese regime.

According to Bill Gates, it is too soon to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak. He called all the efforts to shift focus to Beijing is a "distraction". The billionaire also said that "incorrect and unfair things" is said against the Chinese regime. Also read: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 6 new symptoms of coronavirus Wuhan reported the first-ever case for the novel coronavirus, and the American president Donald Trump has blamed the Chinese government for the global pandemic. Bill Gates, on the contrary, criticized US' response on coronavirus, he called it "particularly poorly" compared to other countries. Also read: Multi-million whiskey auction postponed indefinitely after facing a cyber-attack In an interview with CNN Gates said: "China did a lot of things right at the beginning, like any country where a virus first shows up. "They can look back and say where they missed some things." "You know, some countries did respond very quickly and get their testing in place, and they avoided the incredible economic pain," he said. "It’s sad that even the US that you would have expected to do this well did it particularly poorly. "But it’s not time to talk about that." He went on to add: "This is the time to take the great science we have, the fact we’re in this together, fixed testing, treatments, and get that vaccine, and minimize the trillions of dollars and many things you that you can’t even dimensionalize, in economic terms, that are awful about the situation we’re in. "So, that’s a distraction. "I think there’s a lot of incorrect and unfair things said, but it’s not even time for that discussion." US officials have called for an investigation and check if the virus was created in the lab.

COVID-19: Bill Gates defends China, calls blame-game a 'distraction'

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