The former US President and reality TV star, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, has come out in support of his followers who were a part of the Capitol riots that took place on January 06.

Trump, who has been labelled as the man behind these riots, has defended some of his supporters, claiming that some of these rioters posed "zero threat" to the lawmakers who were trapped inside the US Capitol building.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-north-korea-to-re-run-in-2024-biden-addresses-first-press-conference-373194" hreflang="en">From North Korea to re-run in 2024: Biden addresses first press conference</a>

Several lawmakers, including Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Mike Pence, had assembled in the Capitol building to certify the electoral college vote to confirm <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a> election <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">victory</a> against Trump.

While the lawmakers were assembling to begin the proceedings, Trump, during a rally, encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol and take back the building. He has been since then accused of instilling the feeling of violence in his supporters, which led to the deadly riots that killed five people.

Trump acknowledged that his supporters "went in and they shouldn’t have done it". However, he quickly turned his statement to prove that the rioters did not mean harm to anyone present in the building.

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"It was zero threat, right from the start, it was zero threat" -- Trump on the January 6 insurrection that left 5 dead, including a police officer <a href="https://t.co/6YBho1bywM">pic.twitter.com/6YBho1bywM</a>
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"Some of them went in and they’re, they’re hugging and kissing the police and the guards. You know, they had great relationships. A lot of the people were waved in and then they walked in and they walked out," Trump said during an interview with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham.

During the interview, Trump also did not shy away from criticising the top US infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci. "I frankly didn’t listen to him too much," Trump claimed.

Fauci was a key adviser at the start of the pandemic but was later ignored by the president as Fauci started pointing out errors in the White House's policy against the deadly coronavirus, which took millions of lives in the US. Fauci has also described it to be a "liberating feeling" in January when he started working for the Biden administration.

The former US President and reality TV star, Donald Trump, has come out in support of his followers who were a part of the Capitol riots that took place on January 06.

The former US President and reality TV star, Donald Trump, has come out in support of his followers who were a part of the Capitol riots that took place on January 06. Trump, who has been labelled as the man behind these riots, has defended some of his supporters, claiming that some of these rioters posed "zero threat" to the lawmakers who were trapped inside the US Capitol building. Also read | From North Korea to re-run in 2024: Biden addresses first press conference Several lawmakers, including Nancy Pelosi and former Vice President Mike Pence, had assembled in the Capitol building to certify the electoral college vote to confirm Joe Biden's election victory against Trump. While the lawmakers were assembling to begin the proceedings, Trump, during a rally, encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol and take back the building. He has been since then accused of instilling the feeling of violence in his supporters, which led to the deadly riots that killed five people. Trump acknowledged that his supporters "went in and they shouldn’t have done it". However, he quickly turned his statement to prove that the rioters did not mean harm to anyone present in the building. "It was zero threat, right from the start, it was zero threat" -- Trump on the January 6 insurrection that left 5 dead, including a police officer pic.twitter.com/6YBho1bywM — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2021 × "Some of them went in and they’re, they’re hugging and kissing the police and the guards. You know, they had great relationships. A lot of the people were waved in and then they walked in and they walked out," Trump said during an interview with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham. During the interview, Trump also did not shy away from criticising the top US infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci. "I frankly didn’t listen to him too much," Trump claimed. Fauci was a key adviser at the start of the pandemic but was later ignored by the president as Fauci started pointing out errors in the White House's policy against the deadly coronavirus, which took millions of lives in the US. Fauci has also described it to be a "liberating feeling" in January when he started working for the Biden administration.

'Zero threat': Donald Trump defends his supporters in Capitol riots

US President Joe Biden is about to hold his first presidential press conference today. Biden has assured to face tough questions on topics such as the border issue, COVID-19 vaccination drive, his economic relief bill and gun laws.

United States: President Joe Biden gets ready to face the press

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-may-have-fired-ballistic-missile-into-the-sea-reports-say-372966">North Korea may have fired ballistic missile into the sea, reports say</a>

North Korea launched at least two projectiles suspected to be ballistic missiles on Thursday, officials in South Korea, Japan, and the United States said | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-may-have-fired-ballistic-missile-into-the-sea-reports-say-372966">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-to-hold-first-press-conference-after-breaking-100-year-record-without-one-372963">Biden to hold first press conference after breaking 100-year record without one</a>

After seven weeks into his Oval Office tenure, Joe Biden will give his first formal press conference as president today, at 1:15 p.m. ET | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-to-hold-first-press-conference-after-breaking-100-year-record-without-one-372963">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-says-covid-vaccine-76-effective-in-updated-us-trial-data-372964">AstraZeneca says Covid vaccine 76% effective in updated US trial data</a>

British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca has revised down the efficacy figure for its two-dose Covid vaccine following a clinical trial held across the United States, Peru and Chile | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-says-covid-vaccine-76-effective-in-updated-us-trial-data-372964">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-nike-faces-social-media-storm-in-china-over-xinjiang-statement-372985">Nike faces social media storm in China over Xinjiang statement</a>

Anger with Nike Inc erupted on Chinese social media late on Wednesday after China`s netizens spotted a statement from the sporting goods giant saying it was "concerned" about reports of forced labour in Xinjiang and that it does not use cotton from the region | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-nike-faces-social-media-storm-in-china-over-xinjiang-statement-372985">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics-torch-relay-starts-in-fukushima-as-north-korea-launches-missiles-372983">Olympics torch relay starts in Fukushima as North Korea launches missiles</a>

The Olympic torch relay set off from Fukushima on Thursday, beginning a four-month countdown to the Summer Games in Tokyo, delayed from 2020 and the first-ever organised during a global pandemic | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympics-torch-relay-starts-in-fukushima-as-north-korea-launches-missiles-372983">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-prison-camp-to-ballot-box-north-korean-defector-seeks-british-election-win-372981">From prison camp to ballot box: North Korean defector seeks British election win</a>

Sixteen years after she was left to die unremembered outside a labour camp in North Korea, Jihyun Park will enter the British political history books if she wins office in local elections this May | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-prison-camp-to-ballot-box-north-korean-defector-seeks-british-election-win-372981">READ MORE</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/prince-harry-takes-role-fighting-avalanche-of-misinformation-372973">Prince Harry takes role fighting 'avalanche of misinformation'</a>

Britain's Prince Harry -- who is often at war with the British press -- was on Wednesday announced as a commissioner for a US study into misinformation online | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/prince-harry-takes-role-fighting-avalanche-of-misinformation-372973">READ MORE</a>

North Korea may have fired ballistic missile into the sea, reports say North Korea launched at least two projectiles suspected to be ballistic missiles on Thursday, officials in South Korea, Japan, and the United States said | READ MORE Biden to hold first press conference after breaking 100-year record without one After seven weeks into his Oval Office tenure, Joe Biden will give his first formal press conference as president today, at 1:15 p.

North Korea may have fired ballistic missile into the sea, reports say North Korea launched at least two projectiles suspected to be ballistic missiles on Thursday, officials in South Korea, Japan, and the United States said | READ MORE Biden to hold first press conference after breaking 100-year record without one After seven weeks into his Oval Office tenure, Joe Biden will give his first formal press conference as president today, at 1:15 p.m. ET | READ MORE AstraZeneca says Covid vaccine 76% effective in updated US trial data British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca has revised down the efficacy figure for its two-dose Covid vaccine following a clinical trial held across the United States, Peru and Chile | READ MORE Nike faces social media storm in China over Xinjiang statement Anger with Nike Inc erupted on Chinese social media late on Wednesday after China`s netizens spotted a statement from the sporting goods giant saying it was "concerned" about reports of forced labour in Xinjiang and that it does not use cotton from the region | READ MORE Olympics torch relay starts in Fukushima as North Korea launches missiles The Olympic torch relay set off from Fukushima on Thursday, beginning a four-month countdown to the Summer Games in Tokyo, delayed from 2020 and the first-ever organised during a global pandemic | READ MORE From prison camp to ballot box: North Korean defector seeks British election win Sixteen years after she was left to die unremembered outside a labour camp in North Korea, Jihyun Park will enter the British political history books if she wins office in local elections this May | READ MORE Prince Harry takes role fighting 'avalanche of misinformation' Britain's Prince Harry -- who is often at war with the British press -- was on Wednesday announced as a commissioner for a US study into misinformation online | READ MORE

Morning news brief: N Korea fires missile, AstraZeneca updates vaccine efficacy, and more

US President Joe Biden will hold his first presidential press conference today. Biden has assured to face tough questions on topics such as the border issue, COVID-19 vaccination drive, his economic relief bill and gun laws.

United States: President Joe Biden to hold first press briefing today

Since the migrant crisis has been alarmingly increasing in the US, the newly-elected <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">President</a> has appointed his trusted right-hand woman to be in charge of migration for the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Biden </a>has given <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> the responsibility of tackling the influx of migrants on the Mexican border.&nbsp;

"I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this," Biden said at a White House meeting. "When she speaks, she speaks for me."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-to-hold-first-press-conference-after-breaking-100-year-record-without-one-372963">Biden to hold 1st press conference after breaking 100-year record without one</a>

The President also cautioned the Vice President that the responsibility is a tough but important one, to which Harris assured that while she is aware "that this is a challenging situation", she will put in her best to bring the country out of this crisis and help the migrants.

This is the first time Harris has been assigned a specific portfolio since she took over the office on January 20 — which earlier belonged to Mike Pence.

Biden administration has also announced that the San Diego Convention Center will be added to the list of shelters for the incoming migrant children. The centre will be able to accommodate nearly 1,400 children.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-president-joe-biden-appoints-harris-to-lead-efforts-to-tackle-crisis-373009">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-states-president-joe-biden-appoints-harris-to-lead-efforts-to-tackle-crisis-373009/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Talking about the crisis, Harris acknowledged that the country is stuck in a huge problem, but assured quick and reliable solutions.

"It's a huge problem. I'm not going to pretend it's not," she said in an interview.

However, she also added that the Biden administration is having to work through the damage done by the previous administration over a period of four years — an administration that ruled with anti-immigration agenda.

"We have to reconstruct it. It's not going to happen overnight," Harris said.

Since the migrant crisis has been alarmingly increasing in the US, the newly-elected President has appointed his trusted right-hand woman to be in charge of migration for the country.

Since the migrant crisis has been alarmingly increasing in the US, the newly-elected President has appointed his trusted right-hand woman to be in charge of migration for the country. Biden has given Kamala Harris the responsibility of tackling the influx of migrants on the Mexican border. "I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this," Biden said at a White House meeting. "When she speaks, she speaks for me." Also read | Biden to hold 1st press conference after breaking 100-year record without one The President also cautioned the Vice President that the responsibility is a tough but important one, to which Harris assured that while she is aware "that this is a challenging situation", she will put in her best to bring the country out of this crisis and help the migrants. This is the first time Harris has been assigned a specific portfolio since she took over the office on January 20 — which earlier belonged to Mike Pence. Biden administration has also announced that the San Diego Convention Center will be added to the list of shelters for the incoming migrant children. The centre will be able to accommodate nearly 1,400 children. Watch | Talking about the crisis, Harris acknowledged that the country is stuck in a huge problem, but assured quick and reliable solutions. "It's a huge problem. I'm not going to pretend it's not," she said in an interview. However, she also added that the Biden administration is having to work through the damage done by the previous administration over a period of four years — an administration that ruled with anti-immigration agenda. "We have to reconstruct it. It's not going to happen overnight," Harris said.

'She speaks for me': Biden appoints Kamala Harris to handle immigration crisis

US President Joe Biden tasked Vice President Kamala Harris to oversee the US' efforts with Mexico and Central American countries to stem the flow of immigrants arriving at the US-Mexico border.

United States: President Joe Biden appoints Harris to lead efforts to tackle crisis

US President Joe Biden shared his condolences after a deadly mass shooting at a Colorado grocery store and urged Congress to tighten gun laws in response to the killings.

Colorado mass shooting: President Biden urged Congress to enact gun control

US President Joe Biden has called for a ban on assault weapons, a day after the second deadly mass shooting in a week that left ten people dead in Colorado and sparked urgent new calls for gun control.

Biden spoke in Washington hours after a 21-year-old man was charged with shooting 10 people in a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. That massacre came less than a week after another gunman shot dead eight people at multiple spas in the Georgia state capital Atlanta.

Together the killings ignited new calls for politicians to act -- but on Tuesday the familiar bipartisan divide was emerging once more.

The Democrat called on the Senate to approve two bills passed by the House of Representatives on March 11 that would broaden background checks on gun buyers. He also called for a ban on assault-style weapons.

Biden said he did not "need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act."

"We can ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines in this country once again," Biden, recalling that Congress previously overcame its divisions to pass a 10-year ban on such weapons back in 1994, said.

"This is not and should not be a partisan issue. This is an American issue. It will save lives. American lives. And we have to act."&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/colorado-suspect-was-seen-fiddling-with-gun-days-before-shooting-documents-say-372654">Also read |&nbsp;Colorado suspect was seen fiddling with gun days before shooting, documents say</a>

Tighter gun control is overwhelmingly popular with Americans -- but Republicans have long stood against what some view as any infringement on their right to bear arms.

This month the House of Representatives passed two measures aimed at enhancing background checks and closing a loophole related to a deadly 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina.

The bills address a popular premise among American voters -- that background checks be required for all US firearm sales, including those at gun shows. But they are unlikely to pass through the Senate, which would require at least nine Republicans to vote for them.

Nevertheless majority Senate leader Chuck Schumer said he had committed to bringing background checks to the floor. "This Senate is going to debate and address the epidemic of gun violence in this country," he said Tuesday.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the White House was "considering a range of levers, including working through legislation, including executive actions."

The Colorado suspect, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, was in hospital after being shot in an exchange of fire with officers during the Monday afternoon attack on King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of state capital Denver.

He is charged with ten counts of murder in the first degree and will be shortly transported to Boulder county jail.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-absolutely-tragic-us-vice-president-kamala-harris-condemns-colorado-mass-shooting-372619">Also read |&nbsp;'It's absolutely tragic': US Vice President Kamala Harris condemns Colorado mass shooting</a>

The United States has the world's highest rate of civilian gun ownership, RAND Corp research shows, and a gun fatality rate consistently higher than other rich nations. There were more than 43,000 U.S. gun deaths last year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Activists say executive actions that Biden could take right away include strengthening background checks, giving money to cities to fight gun violence, and regulating the market for "ghost guns" - partially assembled guns that aren`t subject to the same rules as most firearms.

Dozens of shocking mass shootings in the United States over the past decade, including an elementary school attack that killed 26, have failed to spur lawmakers into action on gun control legislation, thanks in large part to opposition from congressional Republicans and the National Rifle Association.

(with inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden has called for a ban on assault weapons, a day after the second deadly mass shooting in a week that left ten people dead in Colorado and sparked urgent new calls for gun control.

US President Joe Biden has called for a ban on assault weapons, a day after the second deadly mass shooting in a week that left ten people dead in Colorado and sparked urgent new calls for gun control. Biden spoke in Washington hours after a 21-year-old man was charged with shooting 10 people in a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. That massacre came less than a week after another gunman shot dead eight people at multiple spas in the Georgia state capital Atlanta. Together the killings ignited new calls for politicians to act -- but on Tuesday the familiar bipartisan divide was emerging once more. The Democrat called on the Senate to approve two bills passed by the House of Representatives on March 11 that would broaden background checks on gun buyers. He also called for a ban on assault-style weapons. Biden said he did not "need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act." "We can ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines in this country once again," Biden, recalling that Congress previously overcame its divisions to pass a 10-year ban on such weapons back in 1994, said. "This is not and should not be a partisan issue. This is an American issue. It will save lives. American lives. And we have to act." Also read | Colorado suspect was seen fiddling with gun days before shooting, documents say Tighter gun control is overwhelmingly popular with Americans -- but Republicans have long stood against what some view as any infringement on their right to bear arms. This month the House of Representatives passed two measures aimed at enhancing background checks and closing a loophole related to a deadly 2015 church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. The bills address a popular premise among American voters -- that background checks be required for all US firearm sales, including those at gun shows. But they are unlikely to pass through the Senate, which would require at least nine Republicans to vote for them. Nevertheless majority Senate leader Chuck Schumer said he had committed to bringing background checks to the floor. "This Senate is going to debate and address the epidemic of gun violence in this country," he said Tuesday. Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters the White House was "considering a range of levers, including working through legislation, including executive actions." The Colorado suspect, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, was in hospital after being shot in an exchange of fire with officers during the Monday afternoon attack on King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of state capital Denver. He is charged with ten counts of murder in the first degree and will be shortly transported to Boulder county jail. Also read | 'It's absolutely tragic': US Vice President Kamala Harris condemns Colorado mass shooting The United States has the world's highest rate of civilian gun ownership, RAND Corp research shows, and a gun fatality rate consistently higher than other rich nations. There were more than 43,000 U.S. gun deaths last year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Activists say executive actions that Biden could take right away include strengthening background checks, giving money to cities to fight gun violence, and regulating the market for "ghost guns" - partially assembled guns that aren`t subject to the same rules as most firearms. Dozens of shocking mass shootings in the United States over the past decade, including an elementary school attack that killed 26, have failed to spur lawmakers into action on gun control legislation, thanks in large part to opposition from congressional Republicans and the National Rifle Association. (with inputs from agencies)

Biden calls on Congress for assault weapon ban after Colorado shooting

The United States has witnessed its second mass shooting in a week. A gunman opened fire at a grocery store in Colorado, killing 10. Will this force US President Joe Biden to push for gun control? WION's Molly Gambhir brings you a report.

Gravitas: Mass shooting in Colorado takes 10 lives, 21-year-old faces 10 counts of murder

US&nbsp;President Joe Biden will host members of the US&nbsp;women’s national soccer team at the White House on Wednesday as part of his push to secure better pay for American women, who earn 82 cents on average for every dollar earned by men.

Equal Pay Day marks&nbsp;how much longer into a new year US&nbsp;women on average must work to earn what the average man earned the previous year.

The pay gap is far greater when calculated for Black women, who earn 63 cents on the dollar, and Latina women, who earn just 55 cents.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shocked-us-women-stars-to-appeal-equal-pay-defeat-296842">'Shocked' US women stars to appeal equal pay defeat</a>

The soccer squad led by Megan Rapinoe, which won the Women’s World Cup for a second consecutive time in 2019, has sued US&nbsp;Soccer, alleging gender discrimination. Fans backed them up, shouting "equal pay" during the World Cup final match.

The coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout have exacerbated disparities, triggering what Vice President Kamala Harris has called a "national emergency" for women.

Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package includes provisions aimed at getting the 2 million women who left the labour force during the COVID-19 pandemic back to work. His next legislative push, valued at some $3 trillion, will also expand child care infrastructure and create jobs, administration officials say.

Rapinoe and teammate Margaret Purce will join Biden at the White House. Rapinoe is also due to testify to a US&nbsp;House Committee hearing on the issue.

"They are heroines because they champion this issue for all women," said Jennifer Klein, co-chair of the newly established White House Gender Policy Council. "This is really true in literally every country in the world – women are paid less."

The team reached a settlement in December with US&nbsp;Soccer on certain working conditions, including team travel and accommodations, but is still fighting in the courts to achieve equal pay to the men's soccer team.

US President Joe Biden will host members of the US women’s national soccer team at the White House on Wednesday as part of his push to secure better pay for American women, who earn 82 cents on average for every dollar earned by men.

US President Joe Biden will host members of the US women’s national soccer team at the White House on Wednesday as part of his push to secure better pay for American women, who earn 82 cents on average for every dollar earned by men. Equal Pay Day marks how much longer into a new year US women on average must work to earn what the average man earned the previous year. The pay gap is far greater when calculated for Black women, who earn 63 cents on the dollar, and Latina women, who earn just 55 cents. Also read| 'Shocked' US women stars to appeal equal pay defeat The soccer squad led by Megan Rapinoe, which won the Women’s World Cup for a second consecutive time in 2019, has sued US Soccer, alleging gender discrimination. Fans backed them up, shouting "equal pay" during the World Cup final match. The coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout have exacerbated disparities, triggering what Vice President Kamala Harris has called a "national emergency" for women. Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package includes provisions aimed at getting the 2 million women who left the labour force during the COVID-19 pandemic back to work. His next legislative push, valued at some $3 trillion, will also expand child care infrastructure and create jobs, administration officials say. Rapinoe and teammate Margaret Purce will join Biden at the White House. Rapinoe is also due to testify to a US House Committee hearing on the issue. "They are heroines because they champion this issue for all women," said Jennifer Klein, co-chair of the newly established White House Gender Policy Council. "This is really true in literally every country in the world – women are paid less." The team reached a settlement in December with US Soccer on certain working conditions, including team travel and accommodations, but is still fighting in the courts to achieve equal pay to the men's soccer team.

Biden to host members of women’s national soccer team to mark 'Equal Pay Day'

India’s western neighbourhood, stretching from Iran to Turkey, has been in perpetual turmoil over the past several years. The developments in this region are of great&nbsp;&nbsp;concern to the foreign policy making of many nations, especially the United States.

From Barack Obama and Donald Trump to now Joe Biden, the occupant of the White House has time and again invested in the development and peace deals of the West Asia region.

Israel and the UAE established ties in 2020 in a deal known as the Abraham Accords, a diplomatic coup for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and brokered by his staunch ally, former US president Donald Trump. Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have since followed suit with normalistation/ formalisation of ties with Israel.

Trump, often questioned for his demeanour, on Wednesday however found a likely support from his former aide at the WION Global Summit in Dubai.

Jason D Greenblatt, former White House Middle East envoy and part of Trump's team, defended the peace agreements.

"While some in this audience may not appreciate Donald Trump's tweets or his manner of speaking, they understand that speaking directly is key to solving issues," Greenblatt said.

The power in the US has changed. And so have the dynamics that work around the deal. But there's no reason&nbsp;that the current US President, Joe Biden, should not support the pact, the panelists at the WION Global Summit said.

"I don't see why Biden administration would not continue to support Abraham Accords. It has created momentum. We are at a stage where people are building peace," Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor - Jerusalem and a prominent policy maker, said at the first&nbsp;session of the summit on Peace Deals and the Shifting Sands of West Asia.

Ibrahim Shukralla, Head of English Language News at WAM News, also batted for a continuance of the peace process, an absence of which&nbsp;he said would obstruct any peace in the future also.

"There should be a desire for peace by the Biden Adminstration and the Israelis. Resuming annexation plans would really obstruct any peace in the future," Shukralla said.

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum spoke about how the peace deal worked in favour of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has claimed victory in the recently held national polls, however, with no majority in exit polls in sight.

"The Abraham Accords have been a huge win for PM Netanyahu - something that has been absolutely appreciated by the citizens of the state of Israel. It was one of his key campaign issues," she said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-claims-victory-in-israel-election-but-majority-uncertain-372641">Also read |&nbsp;Netanyahu claims victory in Israel election but majority uncertain</a>

True to his campaign promise, Trump withdrew the US from the Iran deal in May 2018.

The peace deal was perhaps Trump’s single-most critical decision that had drastically changed the trajectory of American policy towards the Middle East region.

In this regard, Mustapha Noman, Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Yemen, said, "I have always said that the Iranians have not shown their willingness to be a peaceful government. We see them in Yemen, in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. It's all over the place."

"I think, not just US, but every country in this region should be at the negotiating table with Iran. I think the Europeans are far less relevant," Greenblatt added.

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan's State Minister of Defence Nakayama Yasuhide, former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former US National Security Advisor John Bolton are among leaders who addressed WION Global Summit 2021.

Panelists focussed their attention on issues at the intersections of global politics, economy, diplomacy and our daily lives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

India’s western neighbourhood, stretching from Iran to Turkey, has been in perpetual turmoil over the past several years. The developments in this region are of great concern to the foreign policy making of many nations, especially the United States.

India’s western neighbourhood, stretching from Iran to Turkey, has been in perpetual turmoil over the past several years. The developments in this region are of great concern to the foreign policy making of many nations, especially the United States. From Barack Obama and Donald Trump to now Joe Biden, the occupant of the White House has time and again invested in the development and peace deals of the West Asia region. Israel and the UAE established ties in 2020 in a deal known as the Abraham Accords, a diplomatic coup for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and brokered by his staunch ally, former US president Donald Trump. Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have since followed suit with normalistation/ formalisation of ties with Israel. Trump, often questioned for his demeanour, on Wednesday however found a likely support from his former aide at the WION Global Summit in Dubai. Jason D Greenblatt, former White House Middle East envoy and part of Trump's team, defended the peace agreements. "While some in this audience may not appreciate Donald Trump's tweets or his manner of speaking, they understand that speaking directly is key to solving issues," Greenblatt said. The power in the US has changed. And so have the dynamics that work around the deal. But there's no reason that the current US President, Joe Biden, should not support the pact, the panelists at the WION Global Summit said. "I don't see why Biden administration would not continue to support Abraham Accords. It has created momentum. We are at a stage where people are building peace," Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Deputy Mayor - Jerusalem and a prominent policy maker, said at the first session of the summit on Peace Deals and the Shifting Sands of West Asia. Ibrahim Shukralla, Head of English Language News at WAM News, also batted for a continuance of the peace process, an absence of which he said would obstruct any peace in the future also. "There should be a desire for peace by the Biden Adminstration and the Israelis. Resuming annexation plans would really obstruct any peace in the future," Shukralla said. Fleur Hassan-Nahoum spoke about how the peace deal worked in favour of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has claimed victory in the recently held national polls, however, with no majority in exit polls in sight. "The Abraham Accords have been a huge win for PM Netanyahu - something that has been absolutely appreciated by the citizens of the state of Israel. It was one of his key campaign issues," she said. Also read | Netanyahu claims victory in Israel election but majority uncertain True to his campaign promise, Trump withdrew the US from the Iran deal in May 2018. The peace deal was perhaps Trump’s single-most critical decision that had drastically changed the trajectory of American policy towards the Middle East region. In this regard, Mustapha Noman, Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Yemen, said, "I have always said that the Iranians have not shown their willingness to be a peaceful government. We see them in Yemen, in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. It's all over the place." "I think, not just US, but every country in this region should be at the negotiating table with Iran. I think the Europeans are far less relevant," Greenblatt added. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan's State Minister of Defence Nakayama Yasuhide, former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former US National Security Advisor John Bolton are among leaders who addressed WION Global Summit 2021. Panelists focussed their attention on issues at the intersections of global politics, economy, diplomacy and our daily lives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At WION Global Summit, leaders look forward to Joe Biden's peace initiatives in West Asia

John Oliver has something to say on the recent mass shootings in Atlanta after US President Joe Biden called it “un-American”. In the Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, John slammed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> after the president called mass shootings "vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans who've been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated. It's wrong, it's un-American and it must stop."

On his show, John Oliver showed a clip of Joe Biden's remarks last week condemning the attacks as he agreed with the sentiment but added, "I am really glad that he condemned hate crimes against Asians there but to say they are un-American — I would love to visit the nation that exists in Joe Biden's head. Because it's a place where racism is [using air quotes] 'not who we are' and racist attacks against Asians are somehow 'un-American' despite the fact that, far be it for me to explain this to someone who seem like he's lived through most of American history, anti-Asian racism has long been a fact of American life."

He cited various examples, from "the treatment of Chinese railroad workers in the 1800s" to the Chinese Exclusion Act to the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II to the 1982 murder of Chinese-American Vincent Chin by two white auto workers who blamed him for losing their jobs and used racial slurs during the attacks.

John added, "Not only are attacks against Asians very much American, so is denying that they're racist. It's so American, in fact, that the National Anthem should begin, 'Oh say can you, it's not about race?'"

The chat show host went on to criticize authorities for refusing to label the shootings a hate crime.

John Oliver has something to say on the recent mass shootings in Atlanta after US President Joe Biden called it “un-American”. In the Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, John slammed Joe Biden after the president called mass shootings "vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans who've been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated.

John Oliver has something to say on the recent mass shootings in Atlanta after US President Joe Biden called it “un-American”. In the Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, John slammed Joe Biden after the president called mass shootings "vicious hate crimes against Asian Americans who've been attacked, harassed, blamed and scapegoated. It's wrong, it's un-American and it must stop." On his show, John Oliver showed a clip of Joe Biden's remarks last week condemning the attacks as he agreed with the sentiment but added, "I am really glad that he condemned hate crimes against Asians there but to say they are un-American — I would love to visit the nation that exists in Joe Biden's head. Because it's a place where racism is [using air quotes] 'not who we are' and racist attacks against Asians are somehow 'un-American' despite the fact that, far be it for me to explain this to someone who seem like he's lived through most of American history, anti-Asian racism has long been a fact of American life." He cited various examples, from "the treatment of Chinese railroad workers in the 1800s" to the Chinese Exclusion Act to the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II to the 1982 murder of Chinese-American Vincent Chin by two white auto workers who blamed him for losing their jobs and used racial slurs during the attacks. John added, "Not only are attacks against Asians very much American, so is denying that they're racist. It's so American, in fact, that the National Anthem should begin, 'Oh say can you, it's not about race?'" The chat show host went on to criticize authorities for refusing to label the shootings a hate crime.

This is why John Oliver has a problem with Joe Biden calling Atlanta mass shootings 'un-American'

Biden is already struggling with a surge in migrant arrivals. Shocking pictures have now emerged from detention centres that show adults and children huddled together in makeshift rooms and separated by plastic sheets.

Allegedly, they don't even have adequate access to food.

Migrants are flooding the borders of the US. Texas facility is overflowing and becoming a crowded space where migrants, including children, are lying on the floor. Sleeping on thin mattresses, with foil blankets, they are separated by plastic sheets.

Reportedly, this government-run site is housing 1,000 people and they don't have adequate access to soap or food.

With the pandemic still raging, there are also concerns over the possible lack of social distancing.

Since taking office, Joe Biden has removed some restrictions that were placed by his predecessor Donald Trump.

Now, the American borders are witnessing a surge.&nbsp; Joe Biden says he knows what's going on. Since Biden's inauguration, American borders have been battling a surge in migration.

In February, border officials encountered more than 18,000 family members and over &nbsp;9,000 unaccompanied children.

Central America is driving the surge. For years, citizens of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have suffered from the violence of gangs, extortion, government corruption and poverty.

However, now back to back hurricanes have only worsened the situation. The devastation has forced many to leave.

The migrants are struggling to enter the borders, and are then struggling to survive.

With the Republicans attacking the Democrats, reports say Joe Biden has dispatched top officials to Mexico and Central America. It seems like Washington is seeking the help of its allies to manage the situation at the border. However, &nbsp;with the migrants determined to reach America, it doesn't look like their flow will stem anytime soon.

Biden is already struggling with a surge in migrant arrivals. Shocking pictures have now emerged from detention centres that show adults and children huddled together in makeshift rooms and separated by plastic sheets.

Biden is already struggling with a surge in migrant arrivals. Shocking pictures have now emerged from detention centres that show adults and children huddled together in makeshift rooms and separated by plastic sheets. Allegedly, they don't even have adequate access to food. Migrants are flooding the borders of the US. Texas facility is overflowing and becoming a crowded space where migrants, including children, are lying on the floor. Sleeping on thin mattresses, with foil blankets, they are separated by plastic sheets. Reportedly, this government-run site is housing 1,000 people and they don't have adequate access to soap or food. With the pandemic still raging, there are also concerns over the possible lack of social distancing. Since taking office, Joe Biden has removed some restrictions that were placed by his predecessor Donald Trump. Now, the American borders are witnessing a surge. Joe Biden says he knows what's going on. Since Biden's inauguration, American borders have been battling a surge in migration. In February, border officials encountered more than 18,000 family members and over 9,000 unaccompanied children. Central America is driving the surge. For years, citizens of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador have suffered from the violence of gangs, extortion, government corruption and poverty. However, now back to back hurricanes have only worsened the situation. The devastation has forced many to leave. The migrants are struggling to enter the borders, and are then struggling to survive. With the Republicans attacking the Democrats, reports say Joe Biden has dispatched top officials to Mexico and Central America. It seems like Washington is seeking the help of its allies to manage the situation at the border. However, with the migrants determined to reach America, it doesn't look like their flow will stem anytime soon.

Lack of sanitation and social distancing: How immigrants in America are struggling

The Biden administration has urged a federal court to certify India's request to extradite Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana

US court urged to certify India's plea to extradite Tahawwur Rana

The trip to Mexico will include Roberta Jacobson, the White House’s lead adviser on the border, and Juan González, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Western Hemisphere.

US President Biden's envoys head to Mexico & Gautemala

Unaccompanied migrants at the US-Mexico border are an unprecedented challenge for the Biden administration. US President Joe Biden has planned to visit the US-Mexico border to review the situation of migrants seeking refugee status in the country.

Joe Biden plans to visit Mexican border to review migrants situation

The Biden administration, with hundreds of billions of dollars to spend to end the COVID crisis, has set a series of aggressive bench marks to determine whether the economy has fully recovered, including returning to historically low unemployment and helping more than 1 million Black and Hispanic women return to work within a year.

But restoring economic activity, which was central to President Joe Biden’s pitch for his $1.9 trillion stimulus package, faces logistical and epidemiological challenges unlike any previous recovery. Infectious new variants of the virus are spreading. Strained supply chains are holding up the distribution of rapid COVID-19 tests, which could be critical to safely reopening schools, workplaces, restaurants, theaters and concert venues.

Then there are questions of whether the money can reach schools and child care providers quickly enough to make a difference for parents who were forced to quit their jobs to care for their children.

The money from the rescue plan “will absolutely allow us to pull forward that end date,” said Charlie Anderson, the director of economic policy and budget for the White House’s coronavirus response team. “It’s very hard to tell how much, but I can tell you it will absolutely supercharge what we’re doing.”

Privately, Biden’s aides are tracking health and economic data — like the capacity levels of day care centers — to gauge their success. They are also setting broad targets, like a return to a 4% unemployment rate, which would be just above the nation’s pre-pandemic rate, by next year.

Similar promises came back to bite Biden in 2009, as vice president, when he oversaw a considerably smaller economic stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama to lift the country from the Great Recession. Shortly before he and Obama took office that January, their advisers predicted the measure would keep unemployment from rising above 8% — a projection that haunted the administration as the economy slogged on for years.

This recovery is showing more favorable signs for the Biden administration. Economic optimism is rising as the pace of vaccinations steadily increases. Unemployment has already fallen from its pandemic peak of 14.8% in April to 6.2% in February. Federal Reserve officials expect the unemployment rate to slip below 4% by next year and the economy to grow faster this year than in any year since the Reagan administration, thanks in part to Biden’s rescue package.

The Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, told reporters last week that federal spending to combat the crisis was “going to wind up very much accelerating the return to full employment.”

He added, “It’s going to make a huge difference in people’s lives, and it has already.”

But risks remain. For the economy to fully bounce back, Americans need to feel confident in returning to shopping, traveling, entertainment and work. No matter how much cash the administration pumps into the economy, recovery could be stalled by the emergence of new variants, the reluctance of some Americans to get vaccinated and, in the coming weeks, spotty compliance with social distancing guidelines and other public health measures before a critical mass of Americans is inoculated.

“We’re being really cautious about our expectations about the speed” of the economic rebound, said Heather Boushey, a member of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers. “Part of this is establishing trust with the American people that we contain the virus, and that it’s safe, and then the economic activity will come up.”

Americans will also have to be willing to change their habits. As new infections have declined, so too has coronavirus testing. But public health experts say more testing — not less — will be critical for the economy to recover. When Biden ran for office, and again after he was sworn in, he promised to create a “pandemic testing board,” akin to the wartime production board that President Franklin D. Roosevelt created to help bring the country out of the Great Depression. Biden described the approach as a “full-scale wartime effort.”

His coronavirus testing coordinator, Carole Johnson, said the board, composed of officials from across government agencies, had been meeting to discuss how to work with the private sector to expand testing capacity, and to lay out plans to spend tens of billions of dollars from the stimulus bill for testing and other mitigation measures.

“We know that we’re going to continue to need to grow as we go forward,” she said of the nation’s testing capacity.

Biden made grand promises in pushing his American Rescue Plan to swift passage in Congress this month.

“This is what this moment comes down to,” he said in February. “Are we going to pass a big enough package to vaccinate people, to get people back to work, to alleviate the suffering in this country this year? That’s what I want to do.”

Biden got virtually everything he wanted. Now administration officials must make good on his vow.

The legislation he signed centers on $1,400 direct payments to low- and middle-income Americans, expanded unemployment benefits, aid to renters facing eviction and a variety of programs to help the poor. The president and his aides have said that spending is intended to help the most vulnerable people in the country stay in their homes and keep food on the table.

But Congress will not continue borrowing trillions of dollars to tide citizens over indefinitely. The economy will not fully rebound from the recession brought on by the virus until the pandemic is over.

To that end, hundreds of billions of dollars in the bill are earmarked to speed vaccinations, bolster testing, help businesses return to full capacity sooner and ease the return to work for Americans — disproportionately women of color — who were forced to leave their jobs to care for young children.

Those provisions include nearly $30 billion to ramp up vaccine deployment, support struggling community health centers and hire 100,000 public health workers. It also has nearly $50 billion for more COVID-19 testing, $122 billion for schools and both direct spending and expanded tax credits meant to increase the availability of child care.

In keeping with Biden’s focus on racial equity across a wide range of policy endeavors, administration officials say they will look at how quickly women of color rejoin the labor force to gauge how well equity efforts are working.

None of that spending is guaranteed to immediately change the course of the crisis. Schools, for example, are not required by the legislation to spend their additional dollars to reopen sooner, although administration officials are confident the money will help more students return to in-person learning in the coming months.

Sometime next month, vaccine distribution will enter a new phase. The supply of doses will exceed the number of people looking for shots and public officials are likely to focus more on convincing reluctant Americans to agree to be vaccinated.

Perhaps no spending effort will challenge the administration as much as increased testing.

Right now, testing is largely used as a diagnostic tool to detect whether someone is infected. Moving forward, testing is expected to function more as a screening tool that helps Americans feel more comfortable returning to normalcy.

The rescue plan includes nearly $48 billion for the administration to expand testing, contact tracing and other measures to track and contain the spread of the virus.

The administration has not said how it will spend all of that money, although the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it would invest $10 billion in coronavirus screening for schools, with the goal of returning to in-person learning by the end of the school year. An additional $2.25 billion will go toward coronavirus testing in underserved communities.

“We’re going to need widespread testing for this virus probably for the next several years,” said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “Right now, it’s all about just management of disease. But over time, as the pandemic gets under control, there are a whole series of things we want to do where testing will add a layer of confidence — everything from getting on an airplane to going into a restaurant to going to a concert.”

But there are obstacles to that plan, including a shortage of the kind of rapid tests that are necessary to screen a large population. Michael Mina, an immunologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University, said onerous Food and Drug Administration regulations were delaying the approval of new rapid antigen tests that could fill that gap.

“I feel very firmly that the Biden administration is hampered by a regulatory framework that is not in a position to actually tackle this pandemic, that is holding up the tools that are required to effectively curb transmission, to keep schools and businesses safe,” he said.

Biden, who criticized his predecessor President Donald Trump for interfering with the work of the FDA, is hardly in a position to intervene in a regulatory matter. But his coronavirus testing coordinator, Johnson, said in an interview that the administration was closely tracking the supply chains for tests to determine what it could do to ensure widespread testing at schools become a reality.

“We make policy decisions informed by where the supply is,” she said.

Administration officials are also closely tracking the CDC’s infection data to guide their spending decisions and determine how to measure success. The uncertainty in the models based on that data, they say, underscores the challenge ahead of them: Four weeks from now, the nation could have as many as 511,000 new weekly cases — or as few as 138,000.

The Biden administration, with hundreds of billions of dollars to spend to end the COVID crisis, has set a series of aggressive bench marks to determine whether the economy has fully recovered, including returning to historically low unemployment and helping more than 1 million Black and Hispanic women return to work within a year.

The Biden administration, with hundreds of billions of dollars to spend to end the COVID crisis, has set a series of aggressive bench marks to determine whether the economy has fully recovered, including returning to historically low unemployment and helping more than 1 million Black and Hispanic women return to work within a year. But restoring economic activity, which was central to President Joe Biden’s pitch for his $1.9 trillion stimulus package, faces logistical and epidemiological challenges unlike any previous recovery. Infectious new variants of the virus are spreading. Strained supply chains are holding up the distribution of rapid COVID-19 tests, which could be critical to safely reopening schools, workplaces, restaurants, theaters and concert venues. Then there are questions of whether the money can reach schools and child care providers quickly enough to make a difference for parents who were forced to quit their jobs to care for their children. The money from the rescue plan “will absolutely allow us to pull forward that end date,” said Charlie Anderson, the director of economic policy and budget for the White House’s coronavirus response team. “It’s very hard to tell how much, but I can tell you it will absolutely supercharge what we’re doing.” Privately, Biden’s aides are tracking health and economic data — like the capacity levels of day care centers — to gauge their success. They are also setting broad targets, like a return to a 4% unemployment rate, which would be just above the nation’s pre-pandemic rate, by next year. Similar promises came back to bite Biden in 2009, as vice president, when he oversaw a considerably smaller economic stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama to lift the country from the Great Recession. Shortly before he and Obama took office that January, their advisers predicted the measure would keep unemployment from rising above 8% — a projection that haunted the administration as the economy slogged on for years. This recovery is showing more favorable signs for the Biden administration. Economic optimism is rising as the pace of vaccinations steadily increases. Unemployment has already fallen from its pandemic peak of 14.8% in April to 6.2% in February. Federal Reserve officials expect the unemployment rate to slip below 4% by next year and the economy to grow faster this year than in any year since the Reagan administration, thanks in part to Biden’s rescue package. The Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, told reporters last week that federal spending to combat the crisis was “going to wind up very much accelerating the return to full employment.” He added, “It’s going to make a huge difference in people’s lives, and it has already.” But risks remain. For the economy to fully bounce back, Americans need to feel confident in returning to shopping, traveling, entertainment and work. No matter how much cash the administration pumps into the economy, recovery could be stalled by the emergence of new variants, the reluctance of some Americans to get vaccinated and, in the coming weeks, spotty compliance with social distancing guidelines and other public health measures before a critical mass of Americans is inoculated. “We’re being really cautious about our expectations about the speed” of the economic rebound, said Heather Boushey, a member of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers. “Part of this is establishing trust with the American people that we contain the virus, and that it’s safe, and then the economic activity will come up.” Americans will also have to be willing to change their habits. As new infections have declined, so too has coronavirus testing. But public health experts say more testing — not less — will be critical for the economy to recover. When Biden ran for office, and again after he was sworn in, he promised to create a “pandemic testing board,” akin to the wartime production board that President Franklin D. Roosevelt created to help bring the country out of the Great Depression. Biden described the approach as a “full-scale wartime effort.” His coronavirus testing coordinator, Carole Johnson, said the board, composed of officials from across government agencies, had been meeting to discuss how to work with the private sector to expand testing capacity, and to lay out plans to spend tens of billions of dollars from the stimulus bill for testing and other mitigation measures. “We know that we’re going to continue to need to grow as we go forward,” she said of the nation’s testing capacity. Biden made grand promises in pushing his American Rescue Plan to swift passage in Congress this month. “This is what this moment comes down to,” he said in February. “Are we going to pass a big enough package to vaccinate people, to get people back to work, to alleviate the suffering in this country this year? That’s what I want to do.” Biden got virtually everything he wanted. Now administration officials must make good on his vow. The legislation he signed centers on $1,400 direct payments to low- and middle-income Americans, expanded unemployment benefits, aid to renters facing eviction and a variety of programs to help the poor. The president and his aides have said that spending is intended to help the most vulnerable people in the country stay in their homes and keep food on the table. But Congress will not continue borrowing trillions of dollars to tide citizens over indefinitely. The economy will not fully rebound from the recession brought on by the virus until the pandemic is over. To that end, hundreds of billions of dollars in the bill are earmarked to speed vaccinations, bolster testing, help businesses return to full capacity sooner and ease the return to work for Americans — disproportionately women of color — who were forced to leave their jobs to care for young children. Those provisions include nearly $30 billion to ramp up vaccine deployment, support struggling community health centers and hire 100,000 public health workers. It also has nearly $50 billion for more COVID-19 testing, $122 billion for schools and both direct spending and expanded tax credits meant to increase the availability of child care. In keeping with Biden’s focus on racial equity across a wide range of policy endeavors, administration officials say they will look at how quickly women of color rejoin the labor force to gauge how well equity efforts are working. None of that spending is guaranteed to immediately change the course of the crisis. Schools, for example, are not required by the legislation to spend their additional dollars to reopen sooner, although administration officials are confident the money will help more students return to in-person learning in the coming months. Sometime next month, vaccine distribution will enter a new phase. The supply of doses will exceed the number of people looking for shots and public officials are likely to focus more on convincing reluctant Americans to agree to be vaccinated. Perhaps no spending effort will challenge the administration as much as increased testing. Right now, testing is largely used as a diagnostic tool to detect whether someone is infected. Moving forward, testing is expected to function more as a screening tool that helps Americans feel more comfortable returning to normalcy. The rescue plan includes nearly $48 billion for the administration to expand testing, contact tracing and other measures to track and contain the spread of the virus. The administration has not said how it will spend all of that money, although the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it would invest $10 billion in coronavirus screening for schools, with the goal of returning to in-person learning by the end of the school year. An additional $2.25 billion will go toward coronavirus testing in underserved communities. “We’re going to need widespread testing for this virus probably for the next several years,” said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “Right now, it’s all about just management of disease. But over time, as the pandemic gets under control, there are a whole series of things we want to do where testing will add a layer of confidence — everything from getting on an airplane to going into a restaurant to going to a concert.” But there are obstacles to that plan, including a shortage of the kind of rapid tests that are necessary to screen a large population. Michael Mina, an immunologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University, said onerous Food and Drug Administration regulations were delaying the approval of new rapid antigen tests that could fill that gap. “I feel very firmly that the Biden administration is hampered by a regulatory framework that is not in a position to actually tackle this pandemic, that is holding up the tools that are required to effectively curb transmission, to keep schools and businesses safe,” he said. Biden, who criticized his predecessor President Donald Trump for interfering with the work of the FDA, is hardly in a position to intervene in a regulatory matter. But his coronavirus testing coordinator, Johnson, said in an interview that the administration was closely tracking the supply chains for tests to determine what it could do to ensure widespread testing at schools become a reality. “We make policy decisions informed by where the supply is,” she said. Administration officials are also closely tracking the CDC’s infection data to guide their spending decisions and determine how to measure success. The uncertainty in the models based on that data, they say, underscores the challenge ahead of them: Four weeks from now, the nation could have as many as 511,000 new weekly cases — or as few as 138,000.

Biden’s $1.9 trillion challenge: End the coronavirus crisis faster

Biden, who took office on January 20, has faced criticism from Republicans for reversing some of the hard-line policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Joe Biden to visit Mexican border ‘at some point’

A federal grand jury charged four leaders of the far-right Proud Boys with conspiring to block Congress from certifying US President Joe Biden’s election on the day of a deadly assault on the Capitol.

More than 300 people have been charged in connection with the attack which left five people dead after a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the building in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.

The indictment alleges that Ethan Nordean of Washington, Joseph Biggs of Florida, Zachary Rehl of Pennsylvania and Charles Donohoe of North Carolina conspired to encourage members of the group to attend the Stop the Steal protest in Washington, DC, on January 6.

All four defendants in the superseding indictment released on Friday are the leaders or organisers of Proud Boys chapters in their respective states.

The indictment says they worked to obtain paramilitary equipment used for the attack on the U.S. Capitol, dismantled metal barriers set up to protect the building, and communicated using handheld radios and encrypted messaging applications.

It adds the effort included soliciting donations through an online crowdfunding campaign to help the Proud Boys pay for protective gear, and an online fundraiser that generated more than $5,500 to help cover travel expenses to Washington.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/proud-boys-charged-with-conspiracy-in-capitol-riot-360330">Also read |&nbsp;Proud Boys charged with conspiracy in Capitol riot</a>

The indictment also alleges they made their intentions clear as far back as November, with Biggs declaring in a social media post on November 5, threatening war if the election was stolen from Trump, who lost the vote.

On January 5, 2021, a new encrypted messaging channel called “Boots on the Ground” was created, and more than 60 users participated, including the four defendants and a fifth unindicted co-conspirator, the indictment says. It says that later that day, the unnamed co-conspirator sent a message telling everyone that Nordean, who also goes by the name Rufio Panman, would be a leader in the effort.

“Rufio is in charge, cops are the primary threat, don’t get caught by them or BLM...” the unnamed person is quoted as saying. BLM stands for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The next day, the indictment alleges, they advanced towards the Capitol, knocked down metal barricades and eventually made their way into the Capitol.

Nordean and Biggs had previously been arrested on criminal complaints.

Approximately 20 people charged to date are associated with the Proud Boys, and some of the others have been tied to anti-government militias such as the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.

Earlier this month, however, the Justice Department lost its bid to keep Nordean detained pending trial, after a federal judge said the government had failed to substantiate allegations that Nordean was a ringleader of the attack.

Biggs was arrested back in January and released on a $25,000 bond.

(with inputs from Reuters)

A federal grand jury charged four leaders of the far-right Proud Boys with conspiring to block Congress from certifying US President Joe Biden’s election on the day of a deadly assault on the Capitol.

A federal grand jury charged four leaders of the far-right Proud Boys with conspiring to block Congress from certifying US President Joe Biden’s election on the day of a deadly assault on the Capitol. More than 300 people have been charged in connection with the attack which left five people dead after a mob of then-President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the building in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory. The indictment alleges that Ethan Nordean of Washington, Joseph Biggs of Florida, Zachary Rehl of Pennsylvania and Charles Donohoe of North Carolina conspired to encourage members of the group to attend the Stop the Steal protest in Washington, DC, on January 6. All four defendants in the superseding indictment released on Friday are the leaders or organisers of Proud Boys chapters in their respective states. The indictment says they worked to obtain paramilitary equipment used for the attack on the U.S. Capitol, dismantled metal barriers set up to protect the building, and communicated using handheld radios and encrypted messaging applications. It adds the effort included soliciting donations through an online crowdfunding campaign to help the Proud Boys pay for protective gear, and an online fundraiser that generated more than $5,500 to help cover travel expenses to Washington. Also read | Proud Boys charged with conspiracy in Capitol riot The indictment also alleges they made their intentions clear as far back as November, with Biggs declaring in a social media post on November 5, threatening war if the election was stolen from Trump, who lost the vote. On January 5, 2021, a new encrypted messaging channel called “Boots on the Ground” was created, and more than 60 users participated, including the four defendants and a fifth unindicted co-conspirator, the indictment says. It says that later that day, the unnamed co-conspirator sent a message telling everyone that Nordean, who also goes by the name Rufio Panman, would be a leader in the effort. “Rufio is in charge, cops are the primary threat, don’t get caught by them or BLM...” the unnamed person is quoted as saying. BLM stands for the Black Lives Matter movement. The next day, the indictment alleges, they advanced towards the Capitol, knocked down metal barricades and eventually made their way into the Capitol. Nordean and Biggs had previously been arrested on criminal complaints. Approximately 20 people charged to date are associated with the Proud Boys, and some of the others have been tied to anti-government militias such as the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters. Earlier this month, however, the Justice Department lost its bid to keep Nordean detained pending trial, after a federal judge said the government had failed to substantiate allegations that Nordean was a ringleader of the attack. Biggs was arrested back in January and released on a $25,000 bond. (with inputs from Reuters)

Four Proud Boys charged with conspiracy in Capitol assault

US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he was "deeply disappointed" after Turkey's decision to withdraw from Istanbul Convention, the binding treaty to prevent and combat violence against women

"This is a disheartening step backward for the international movement to end violence against women globally," Biden said in a White House statement, adding that the "sudden and unwarranted" move was "deeply disappointing."

"Gender-based violence is a scourge that touches every nation in every corner of the world. In the past few weeks, we've seen too many examples of horrific and brutal assaults on women, including the tragic murders in Georgia," he continued.

"And we've seen the broader damage that living under the daily specter of gender-based violence does to women everywhere. It hurts all of us, and we all must do more to create societies where women are able to go about their lives free from violence."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government announced on Saturday that Turkey was withdrawing from the treaty. This was considered a victory for conservatives in Turkey.&nbsp;

But the move has ignited domestic and international outrage, with thousands in Turkey protesting the move.

The 2011 Istanbul Convention, signed by 45 countries and the European Union -- Turkey was the first signatory -- requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting domestic violence and similar abuse as well as marital rape and female genital mutilation.

European leaders have also condemned Ankara's decision to withdraw from it.

In Istanbul on Saturday protesters held up portraits of women murdered in Turkey, one reading: "It is women who will win this war."

(With AFP inputs)

US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he was "deeply disappointed" after Turkey's decision to withdraw from Istanbul Convention, the binding treaty to prevent and combat violence against women "This is a disheartening step backward for the international movement to end violence against women globally," Biden said in a White House statement, adding that the "sudden and unwarranted" move was "deeply disappointing.

US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that he was "deeply disappointed" after Turkey's decision to withdraw from Istanbul Convention, the binding treaty to prevent and combat violence against women "This is a disheartening step backward for the international movement to end violence against women globally," Biden said in a White House statement, adding that the "sudden and unwarranted" move was "deeply disappointing." "Gender-based violence is a scourge that touches every nation in every corner of the world. In the past few weeks, we've seen too many examples of horrific and brutal assaults on women, including the tragic murders in Georgia," he continued. "And we've seen the broader damage that living under the daily specter of gender-based violence does to women everywhere. It hurts all of us, and we all must do more to create societies where women are able to go about their lives free from violence." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government announced on Saturday that Turkey was withdrawing from the treaty. This was considered a victory for conservatives in Turkey. But the move has ignited domestic and international outrage, with thousands in Turkey protesting the move. The 2011 Istanbul Convention, signed by 45 countries and the European Union -- Turkey was the first signatory -- requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting domestic violence and similar abuse as well as marital rape and female genital mutilation. European leaders have also condemned Ankara's decision to withdraw from it. In Istanbul on Saturday protesters held up portraits of women murdered in Turkey, one reading: "It is women who will win this war." (With AFP inputs)

Biden 'highly disappointed' at Turkey's exit from domestic violence treaty

President Joe Biden has begun reviewing a list of finalists to serve as key ambassadors as he seeks to cut down on the number of political appointees his predecessor Donald Trump installed at embassies abroad, and to send a signal to career Foreign Service officials that they are valued once again.

That has left hundreds of donors and former lawmakers, who have not been Foreign Service officers but do have close relationships to the president, clamoring for about 35 ambassadorship slots available, according to people familiar with the process. It has also led to a push and pull between the desires of the diplomatic and political worlds.

The tension between those spheres has been most prominently on display in internal deliberations about who to appoint as ambassador to China, one of the most important embassy postings, especially after an extraordinarily rancorous meeting in Anchorage between top Chinese and American diplomats signaled a newly confrontational Beijing.

Biden, people familiar with the process said, has expressed interest in choosing someone he views as a “principal” who could be a political fighter, in other words, a former elected official who would send a different kind of message than a career diplomat would.

Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff in the Obama administration, has been in the running for the position after being passed over for transportation secretary, people familiar with the process said. He remains close to Biden and other senior officials in the White House.

But the diplomatic world is pushing for R. Nicholas Burns, a veteran Foreign Service officer and a former ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to get the post, arguing for a career professional over someone whose work has been steeped in domestic politics. Emanuel, who is also said to be under consideration as ambassador to Japan, declined to comment on the state of internal deliberations. Burns did not respond to a request for comment.

Biden has yet to be presented with or weigh in on the full list of posts overseas, according to an administration official. But he has been reviewing a “partial list,” with some candidates for crucial jobs, and intends to be deeply involved in the selection process. Unlike President Barack Obama, who advisers said never dove deeply into his diplomatic nominees and left the jigsaw puzzle of appointments to his staff, Biden was described as an “Irish politician” with great personal interest in where his large network lands.

“Biden has been deeply enmeshed in the foreign policy world his whole life,” said David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Obama. “He spent a lot of his time with ambassadors. It would mean a lot to him.”

The administration is expected to move its first slate of nominees — which is likely to include more substantive posts like NATO ambassador and European Union ambassador, along with posts to some European and other key countries — by mid-April, an administration official said.

So far, the only ambassador appointment Biden has made is to the United Nations, with Linda Thomas-Greenfield taking over in February as the United States’ top representative.

That puts the president at least a month behind the Obama administration, which began announcing appointments in March 2009. Trump, for his part, left some assignments, like U.S. envoy to Singapore, vacant for the entirety of his administration, after his initial pick, K.T. McFarland, stalled in the Senate. She withdrew her nomination after Democrats accused her of misleading lawmakers over whether she had known about discussions between former national security adviser Michael Flynn and a Russian diplomat.

Democrats said the dissolution of the United States’ standing abroad over the past four years would make Biden’s selections more important and more scrutinized.

“It is hard to quantify the extent of the damage caused by Donald Trump’s reckless fixation with installing unvetted, unqualified, incapable and often times offensive political allies to serve in some of the most consequential national security posts of our government,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.

There are people who are viewed as “must dos” for ambassadorships in the Biden administration, including Cindy McCain, the widow of former Sen. John McCain; David Cohen, a Comcast executive who was an early Biden donor; and Mark Gitenstein, a close friend of Biden’s and former ambassador to Romania, who is said to be in the running for ambassador to the European Union.

Other close Biden friends who were expected have had their first pick for positions overseas, like Ted Kaufman, the former Delaware senator, and Christopher Dodd, the former Connecticut senator who was seen as a front-runner for Ireland, have taken themselves out of consideration.

Many donors and political appointees eager for help in the process have leaned on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., to call the White House and advocate them.

Because of the challenge of installing a diverse group representative of the United States in such posts, Biden administration officials have told candidates to name more than one country in which they would be willing to serve.

Biden has a smaller network of big donors than many politicians, making the musical chairs of selecting ambassadors slightly less complicated than it would have been for Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, known for her close relationships with donors who funded both her own political career and her husband’s.

During a 2020 campaign that was almost all virtual, it was difficult for donors to develop close personal relationships with a presidential candidate they had to meet over video chat instead of host in their living rooms.

What Biden does have, however, is a huge political circle, which is making the stakes more competitive. Former Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Emanuel and Vicki Kennedy, the widow of former Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, are people Biden feels close to and who could make substantive arguments for being appointed to coveted posts abroad. McCaskill declined to comment on her interest in such a posting.

The donor bucket, filled with people who are perceived as simply buying themselves a comfortable perch overseas, and the political bucket, filled with appointees who might have some relevant experience, are often unfairly conflated.

“The professional Foreign Service cares a lot about having competent, professional people in the roles,” said Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security. “You have political appointees with experience and access to the president or senior staff. Then you have another group that would struggle to find the country they were nominated for on an unmarked map. That’s the problematic group.”

Briefing books, which include two or three options for every post, have been compiled by Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, and Cathy Russell, director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, are also involved in the selection process.

In a post-Trump world, the nominations are arguably more important to the president’s overall mission than ever before.

“There are more questions all over the world now about where America is going,” said Fontaine, noting that ambassadors would have to explain what Trump-era policies would stay or change.

“Whatever people thought of the past four years, they do have questions about how much was about Trump and how much was about America,” Fontaine added. “They want to know if Trump was the aberration from normal or if Biden will be the aberration from normal. Those are the kinds of things ambassadors are going to have to communicate.”

President Joe Biden has begun reviewing a list of finalists to serve as key ambassadors as he seeks to cut down on the number of political appointees his predecessor Donald Trump installed at embassies abroad, and to send a signal to career Foreign Service officials that they are valued once again.

President Joe Biden has begun reviewing a list of finalists to serve as key ambassadors as he seeks to cut down on the number of political appointees his predecessor Donald Trump installed at embassies abroad, and to send a signal to career Foreign Service officials that they are valued once again. That has left hundreds of donors and former lawmakers, who have not been Foreign Service officers but do have close relationships to the president, clamoring for about 35 ambassadorship slots available, according to people familiar with the process. It has also led to a push and pull between the desires of the diplomatic and political worlds. The tension between those spheres has been most prominently on display in internal deliberations about who to appoint as ambassador to China, one of the most important embassy postings, especially after an extraordinarily rancorous meeting in Anchorage between top Chinese and American diplomats signaled a newly confrontational Beijing. Biden, people familiar with the process said, has expressed interest in choosing someone he views as a “principal” who could be a political fighter, in other words, a former elected official who would send a different kind of message than a career diplomat would. Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor and White House chief of staff in the Obama administration, has been in the running for the position after being passed over for transportation secretary, people familiar with the process said. He remains close to Biden and other senior officials in the White House. But the diplomatic world is pushing for R. Nicholas Burns, a veteran Foreign Service officer and a former ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to get the post, arguing for a career professional over someone whose work has been steeped in domestic politics. Emanuel, who is also said to be under consideration as ambassador to Japan, declined to comment on the state of internal deliberations. Burns did not respond to a request for comment. Biden has yet to be presented with or weigh in on the full list of posts overseas, according to an administration official. But he has been reviewing a “partial list,” with some candidates for crucial jobs, and intends to be deeply involved in the selection process. Unlike President Barack Obama, who advisers said never dove deeply into his diplomatic nominees and left the jigsaw puzzle of appointments to his staff, Biden was described as an “Irish politician” with great personal interest in where his large network lands. “Biden has been deeply enmeshed in the foreign policy world his whole life,” said David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Obama. “He spent a lot of his time with ambassadors. It would mean a lot to him.” The administration is expected to move its first slate of nominees — which is likely to include more substantive posts like NATO ambassador and European Union ambassador, along with posts to some European and other key countries — by mid-April, an administration official said. So far, the only ambassador appointment Biden has made is to the United Nations, with Linda Thomas-Greenfield taking over in February as the United States’ top representative. That puts the president at least a month behind the Obama administration, which began announcing appointments in March 2009. Trump, for his part, left some assignments, like U.S. envoy to Singapore, vacant for the entirety of his administration, after his initial pick, K.T. McFarland, stalled in the Senate. She withdrew her nomination after Democrats accused her of misleading lawmakers over whether she had known about discussions between former national security adviser Michael Flynn and a Russian diplomat. Democrats said the dissolution of the United States’ standing abroad over the past four years would make Biden’s selections more important and more scrutinized. “It is hard to quantify the extent of the damage caused by Donald Trump’s reckless fixation with installing unvetted, unqualified, incapable and often times offensive political allies to serve in some of the most consequential national security posts of our government,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. There are people who are viewed as “must dos” for ambassadorships in the Biden administration, including Cindy McCain, the widow of former Sen. John McCain; David Cohen, a Comcast executive who was an early Biden donor; and Mark Gitenstein, a close friend of Biden’s and former ambassador to Romania, who is said to be in the running for ambassador to the European Union. Other close Biden friends who were expected have had their first pick for positions overseas, like Ted Kaufman, the former Delaware senator, and Christopher Dodd, the former Connecticut senator who was seen as a front-runner for Ireland, have taken themselves out of consideration. Many donors and political appointees eager for help in the process have leaned on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., to call the White House and advocate them. Because of the challenge of installing a diverse group representative of the United States in such posts, Biden administration officials have told candidates to name more than one country in which they would be willing to serve. Biden has a smaller network of big donors than many politicians, making the musical chairs of selecting ambassadors slightly less complicated than it would have been for Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, known for her close relationships with donors who funded both her own political career and her husband’s. During a 2020 campaign that was almost all virtual, it was difficult for donors to develop close personal relationships with a presidential candidate they had to meet over video chat instead of host in their living rooms. What Biden does have, however, is a huge political circle, which is making the stakes more competitive. Former Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Emanuel and Vicki Kennedy, the widow of former Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, are people Biden feels close to and who could make substantive arguments for being appointed to coveted posts abroad. McCaskill declined to comment on her interest in such a posting. The donor bucket, filled with people who are perceived as simply buying themselves a comfortable perch overseas, and the political bucket, filled with appointees who might have some relevant experience, are often unfairly conflated. “The professional Foreign Service cares a lot about having competent, professional people in the roles,” said Richard Fontaine, chief executive of the Center for a New American Security. “You have political appointees with experience and access to the president or senior staff. Then you have another group that would struggle to find the country they were nominated for on an unmarked map. That’s the problematic group.” Briefing books, which include two or three options for every post, have been compiled by Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, and Cathy Russell, director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, are also involved in the selection process. In a post-Trump world, the nominations are arguably more important to the president’s overall mission than ever before. “There are more questions all over the world now about where America is going,” said Fontaine, noting that ambassadors would have to explain what Trump-era policies would stay or change. “Whatever people thought of the past four years, they do have questions about how much was about Trump and how much was about America,” Fontaine added. “They want to know if Trump was the aberration from normal or if Biden will be the aberration from normal. Those are the kinds of things ambassadors are going to have to communicate.”

Insiders jockey for whittled-down ambassadorship slots

Sixty days into his administration, President Joe Biden got a taste of what the next four years may look like: a new era of bitter superpower competition, marked by perhaps the worst relationship Washington has had with Russia since the fall of the Berlin Wall and with China since it opened diplomatic relations with the United States.

It has been brewing for years, as President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Xi Jinping of China took sharp turns toward authoritarianism. But it blew up in open fashion this month after Biden agreed with the proposition that Putin is a “killer” and the Chinese, meeting with the United States for the first time since the new administration took office, lectured Americans about the error of their arrogant view that the world wants to replicate their freedoms.

A lot of it was for show on both sides, with cameras whirring. All of the participants were playing to their domestic audiences, the Biden team included. But it was not entirely an act.

While the Cold War has not resumed — there is little of the nuclear menace of that era, and the current competition is over technology, cyberconflict and influence operations — the scenes playing out now have echoes of the bad old days. As a moment in theatrical diplomacy, the meeting Thursday and Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, between the Americans and Chinese was reminiscent of when the Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, made headlines around the world 60 years ago by banging his shoe on a desk of the United Nations and shouting about American imperialists.

But as veterans of the old Cold War will suggest, the superpower rivalries today bear little resemblance to the past. Putin himself has lamented that the Russia of the early 21st century is a shadow of the Soviet Union that trained him to be a KGB agent. Russia’s economy is roughly the size of Italy’s. Its greatest power now is to disrupt and instill fear, using nerve agents like Novichok to silence dissenters around the world or deploying its cyberability to bore deeply into the networks that keep the United States humming.

Yet for all his country’s economic weakness, Putin has proved highly resilient in the face of escalating international sanctions imposed since he took over Crimea in 2014, which accelerated after he turned to nerve agents and cyberattacks. It is hard to argue they have curbed his behavior.

Sanctions “are not going to do much good,” Robert Gates, a former CIA director and defense secretary, said recently in a public interview with David Ignatius of The Washington Post. “Russia is going to be a challenge for the United States, a national security challenge for the United States, and maybe, in some respects, the most dangerous one, as long as Putin is there.”

For the Chinese, who were still coping with the failures of the Great Leap Forward when Khrushchev was banging shoes and intimidating President John F. Kennedy in a first meeting in Vienna, the story is drastically different.

Its pathway to power is building new networks rather than disrupting old ones. Economists debate when the Chinese will have the world’s largest gross domestic product — perhaps toward the end of this decade — and whether they can meet their other two big national goals: building the world’s most powerful military and dominating the race for key technologies by 2049, the 100th anniversary of former Communist Chairman Mao Zedong's revolution.

Their power arises not from their relatively small nuclear arsenal or their expanding stockpile of conventional weapons. Instead, it arises from their expanding economic might and how they use their government-subsidized technology to wire nations — be it Latin America or the Middle East, Africa or Eastern Europe — with 5G wireless networks intended to tie them ever closer to Beijing. It comes from the undersea cables they are spooling around the world so that those networks run on Chinese-owned circuits.

Ultimately, it will come from how they use those networks to make other nations dependent on Chinese technology. Once that happens, the Chinese could export some of their authoritarianism by, for example, selling other nations facial recognition software that has enabled them to clamp down on dissent at home.

Which is why Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, who was with Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the meeting with their Chinese counterparts in Anchorage, warned in a series of writings in recent years that it could be a mistake to assume that China plans to prevail by directly taking on the U.S. military in the Pacific.

“The central premises of this alternative approach would be that economic and technological power is fundamentally more important than traditional military power in establishing global leadership,” he wrote, “and that a physical sphere of influence in East Asia is not a necessary precondition for sustaining such leadership.”

Part of the goal of the Alaska meeting was to convince the Chinese that the Biden administration is determined to compete with Beijing across the board to offer competitive technology, like semiconductor manufacturing and artificial intelligence, even if that means spending billions on government-led research and development projects and new industrial partnerships with Europe, India, Japan and Australia.

Biden alluded to this last month in his two-hour conversation with Xi, telling him, aides said, that the Chinese narrative of the U.S.'s decline was badly mistaken. But it will take months, at best, to publish a broad new strategy, and it is unclear whether corporate America or major allies will get behind it. “It’s not going play out in a day or a week or a month,” said Kurt Campbell, the president’s top Asia adviser, who is leading the strategic review. “This is probably a multiadministration effort.”

Campbell was at the table in Anchorage, sitting next to Sullivan and Blinken, when the Chinese began their effort to put the U.S. delegation on the defensive. They accused the United States of a “condescending” approach and argued that the country’s leaders had no right to lecture others on human rights abuses or the preservation of democracy. They talked about Black Lives Matter and the contradictions in a U.S. democratic system that leaves so many behind.

“I don’t think the overwhelming majority of countries in the world would recognize that the universal values advocated by the United States or that the opinion of the United States could represent international public opinion,” Yang Jiechi, China’s most senior diplomat, said in a lengthy statement at the opening of the session.

He added, “Those countries would not recognize that the rules made by a small number of people would serve as the basis for the international order.”

The subtext of his message was that China would speed up its effort to dominate the forums that set the rules, whether that is the World Trade Organization or lesser-known groups that set technological standards.

In some of those forums, the Chinese have a new ally: the Russians, who are equally eager to diminish U.S. influence and bolster authoritarianism. Increasingly, the two nations share an affinity for a short-of war weapon to which the United States is particularly vulnerable: cyberintrusions into the complex networks that are the lifeblood of U.S. government and private industry.

The two big breaches in recent months, one believed to be run by the Russians and the other by the Chinese, are examples of how the two countries have grown far more sophisticated over the past 10 years in making use of their digital skills for political ends.

Sometime in the next few days to weeks, Biden’s aides say, the United States will respond. Some of that response will involve more sanctions. But Gates said recently, “I think we need to be more aggressive with our own cybercapabilities” and find creative ways to raise the cost for U.S. adversaries. Biden expressed similar sentiments during the transition.

The risk, of course, is one familiar from the Cold War: escalation.

Sixty days into his administration, President Joe Biden got a taste of what the next four years may look like: a new era of bitter superpower competition, marked by perhaps the worst relationship Washington has had with Russia since the fall of the Berlin Wall and with China since it opened diplomatic relations with the United States.

Sixty days into his administration, President Joe Biden got a taste of what the next four years may look like: a new era of bitter superpower competition, marked by perhaps the worst relationship Washington has had with Russia since the fall of the Berlin Wall and with China since it opened diplomatic relations with the United States. It has been brewing for years, as President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Xi Jinping of China took sharp turns toward authoritarianism. But it blew up in open fashion this month after Biden agreed with the proposition that Putin is a “killer” and the Chinese, meeting with the United States for the first time since the new administration took office, lectured Americans about the error of their arrogant view that the world wants to replicate their freedoms. A lot of it was for show on both sides, with cameras whirring. All of the participants were playing to their domestic audiences, the Biden team included. But it was not entirely an act. While the Cold War has not resumed — there is little of the nuclear menace of that era, and the current competition is over technology, cyberconflict and influence operations — the scenes playing out now have echoes of the bad old days. As a moment in theatrical diplomacy, the meeting Thursday and Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, between the Americans and Chinese was reminiscent of when the Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, made headlines around the world 60 years ago by banging his shoe on a desk of the United Nations and shouting about American imperialists. But as veterans of the old Cold War will suggest, the superpower rivalries today bear little resemblance to the past. Putin himself has lamented that the Russia of the early 21st century is a shadow of the Soviet Union that trained him to be a KGB agent. Russia’s economy is roughly the size of Italy’s. Its greatest power now is to disrupt and instill fear, using nerve agents like Novichok to silence dissenters around the world or deploying its cyberability to bore deeply into the networks that keep the United States humming. Yet for all his country’s economic weakness, Putin has proved highly resilient in the face of escalating international sanctions imposed since he took over Crimea in 2014, which accelerated after he turned to nerve agents and cyberattacks. It is hard to argue they have curbed his behavior. Sanctions “are not going to do much good,” Robert Gates, a former CIA director and defense secretary, said recently in a public interview with David Ignatius of The Washington Post. “Russia is going to be a challenge for the United States, a national security challenge for the United States, and maybe, in some respects, the most dangerous one, as long as Putin is there.” For the Chinese, who were still coping with the failures of the Great Leap Forward when Khrushchev was banging shoes and intimidating President John F. Kennedy in a first meeting in Vienna, the story is drastically different. Its pathway to power is building new networks rather than disrupting old ones. Economists debate when the Chinese will have the world’s largest gross domestic product — perhaps toward the end of this decade — and whether they can meet their other two big national goals: building the world’s most powerful military and dominating the race for key technologies by 2049, the 100th anniversary of former Communist Chairman Mao Zedong's revolution. Their power arises not from their relatively small nuclear arsenal or their expanding stockpile of conventional weapons. Instead, it arises from their expanding economic might and how they use their government-subsidized technology to wire nations — be it Latin America or the Middle East, Africa or Eastern Europe — with 5G wireless networks intended to tie them ever closer to Beijing. It comes from the undersea cables they are spooling around the world so that those networks run on Chinese-owned circuits. Ultimately, it will come from how they use those networks to make other nations dependent on Chinese technology. Once that happens, the Chinese could export some of their authoritarianism by, for example, selling other nations facial recognition software that has enabled them to clamp down on dissent at home. Which is why Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, who was with Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the meeting with their Chinese counterparts in Anchorage, warned in a series of writings in recent years that it could be a mistake to assume that China plans to prevail by directly taking on the U.S. military in the Pacific. “The central premises of this alternative approach would be that economic and technological power is fundamentally more important than traditional military power in establishing global leadership,” he wrote, “and that a physical sphere of influence in East Asia is not a necessary precondition for sustaining such leadership.” Part of the goal of the Alaska meeting was to convince the Chinese that the Biden administration is determined to compete with Beijing across the board to offer competitive technology, like semiconductor manufacturing and artificial intelligence, even if that means spending billions on government-led research and development projects and new industrial partnerships with Europe, India, Japan and Australia. Biden alluded to this last month in his two-hour conversation with Xi, telling him, aides said, that the Chinese narrative of the U.S.'s decline was badly mistaken. But it will take months, at best, to publish a broad new strategy, and it is unclear whether corporate America or major allies will get behind it. “It’s not going play out in a day or a week or a month,” said Kurt Campbell, the president’s top Asia adviser, who is leading the strategic review. “This is probably a multiadministration effort.” Campbell was at the table in Anchorage, sitting next to Sullivan and Blinken, when the Chinese began their effort to put the U.S. delegation on the defensive. They accused the United States of a “condescending” approach and argued that the country’s leaders had no right to lecture others on human rights abuses or the preservation of democracy. They talked about Black Lives Matter and the contradictions in a U.S. democratic system that leaves so many behind. “I don’t think the overwhelming majority of countries in the world would recognize that the universal values advocated by the United States or that the opinion of the United States could represent international public opinion,” Yang Jiechi, China’s most senior diplomat, said in a lengthy statement at the opening of the session. He added, “Those countries would not recognize that the rules made by a small number of people would serve as the basis for the international order.” The subtext of his message was that China would speed up its effort to dominate the forums that set the rules, whether that is the World Trade Organization or lesser-known groups that set technological standards. In some of those forums, the Chinese have a new ally: the Russians, who are equally eager to diminish U.S. influence and bolster authoritarianism. Increasingly, the two nations share an affinity for a short-of war weapon to which the United States is particularly vulnerable: cyberintrusions into the complex networks that are the lifeblood of U.S. government and private industry. The two big breaches in recent months, one believed to be run by the Russians and the other by the Chinese, are examples of how the two countries have grown far more sophisticated over the past 10 years in making use of their digital skills for political ends. Sometime in the next few days to weeks, Biden’s aides say, the United States will respond. Some of that response will involve more sanctions. But Gates said recently, “I think we need to be more aggressive with our own cybercapabilities” and find creative ways to raise the cost for U.S. adversaries. Biden expressed similar sentiments during the transition. The risk, of course, is one familiar from the Cold War: escalation.

That was fast: Blowups with China and Russia in Biden’s first 60 days

US President Joe Biden stumbled on the steps of Air Force one while boarding the presidential aircraft on Thursday. He was on Joint base Andrews and was on his way to Georgia. In Georgia, he was due to meet members of Asian-American community after a deadly shooting rampage in the state.

Biden tripped on the steps, bounced back and fell again before walking up the last steps, turning to salute and boarding the plane.

Biden recently recovered from a fractured foot, an injury he sustained while playing with his dog, Major.

In Georgia, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet community leaders and state lawmakers from the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community to hear concerns about the killings and discuss a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with murdering eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at three spas in and around Atlanta on Tuesday, rattling Asian Americans already grappling with a rise in hate crimes directed at them since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Speaking to reporters as he left the White House South Lawn, Biden, who said earlier this week he thought Vladimir Putin was a killer, said he will talk with the Russian leader "at some point."

On Thursday, Putin said he and Biden should hold live online talks in coming days.

(With Reuters inputs)

US President Joe Biden stumbled on the steps of Air Force one while boarding the presidential aircraft on Thursday. He was on Joint base Andrews and was on his way to Georgia.

US President Joe Biden stumbled on the steps of Air Force one while boarding the presidential aircraft on Thursday. He was on Joint base Andrews and was on his way to Georgia. In Georgia, he was due to meet members of Asian-American community after a deadly shooting rampage in the state. Biden tripped on the steps, bounced back and fell again before walking up the last steps, turning to salute and boarding the plane. Biden recently recovered from a fractured foot, an injury he sustained while playing with his dog, Major. In Georgia, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet community leaders and state lawmakers from the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community to hear concerns about the killings and discuss a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday. A 21-year-old man has been charged with murdering eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at three spas in and around Atlanta on Tuesday, rattling Asian Americans already grappling with a rise in hate crimes directed at them since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House South Lawn, Biden, who said earlier this week he thought Vladimir Putin was a killer, said he will talk with the Russian leader "at some point." On Thursday, Putin said he and Biden should hold live online talks in coming days. (With Reuters inputs)

Joe Biden stumbles on the steps of Air Force One

The US is arguably India's most comprehensive security partner.

The collaboration extends in areas such as intelligence, maritime ties, space exploration and cyber cooperation.

The US Is also perhaps India's most comprehensive economic partner if we take into consideration research and development, education, technology, employment, energy and health care.

Watch |&nbsp;

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This partnership has progressed at a time when almost every other major bilateral relationship be it with adversaries or allies has experienced immense challenges.&nbsp;

India is that rare country in which both the Republicans and Democrats are on the same page.

In fact, both parties compete to project themselves as a better partner for India.

But how were the contours of this strategic partnership drawn?

And how have the ties between the largest democracy and the oldest one evolved over the years? Our report attempts to find out.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/decoding-washingtons-game-plan-as-us-defence-secretary-arrives-in-india-371783">Decoding Washington's game plan as US Defence Secretary arrives in India</a>

In October 1949, India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru went on a multi-week tour of the US.&nbsp;

He was hosted by US President Harry S Truman.

Just before the visit, India had formally proclaimed neutrality in the developing Cold War by spearheading the Non-Aligned Movement.

This laid the groundwork for the US's relationship with India and left room for friendly ties between Delhi and Moscow.&nbsp;

In December 1959, Dwight Eisenhower became the first serving US President to visit New Delhi.

Eisenhower's visit helped India acquire adequate financial assistance and achieve reasonable stability during the Cold War.

Since then seven US presidents have visited India and nine Indian PMs have visited the US.&nbsp;

But a strategic partnership between the two democracies emerged only in 2010.

In June 2010, the US and India formally convened the first-ever strategic dialogue when a large and high-ranking delegation of Indian officials visited Washington DC.&nbsp;

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called India "an indispensable partner" and the US President Barack Obama called the relationship "a defining partnership in the 21st century".

In November 2010, Obama visited India and addressed the countrý's parliament.

He also backed India's long-held bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and also announced 14.9 billion dollars in trade deals.&nbsp;

In the years that followed the strategic partnership only grew further.&nbsp;

In 2011, India and the US signed an MoU on cybersecurity cooperation.

The very next year the US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta visited India to boost Obama's "pivot to Asia" plan.&nbsp;

In 2014, the newly-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a high-profile visit to the US where agreements were signed.&nbsp;

Obama attended India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015.&nbsp;

In 2017, the then US President Donald Trump welcomed Modi at the White House.

The joint statements emphasised the existing defence partnership and counter-terrorism efforts.

In 2018, India and the US signed the COMCASA which gave India access to the US's advanced defence technology. &nbsp;

Trump made his first and last visit to India as US president in 2020 in which New Delhi agreed to purchase US military equipment worth three billion dollars.

Currently, the India-US Strategic partnership is a broad-based and multi-sectoral affair and this is irrespective of who is in the White House.

New Delhi and Washington have been called natural allies with shared democratic values.

Last week, the first-ever Quad leaders' summit underscored this and now with the arrival of the US Defence Secretary in New Delhi, they're turning another page in both countries strategic partnership. 
&nbsp;

The US is arguably India's most comprehensive security partner. The collaboration extends in areas such as intelligence, maritime ties, space exploration and cyber cooperation.

The US is arguably India's most comprehensive security partner. The collaboration extends in areas such as intelligence, maritime ties, space exploration and cyber cooperation. The US Is also perhaps India's most comprehensive economic partner if we take into consideration research and development, education, technology, employment, energy and health care. Watch | This partnership has progressed at a time when almost every other major bilateral relationship be it with adversaries or allies has experienced immense challenges. India is that rare country in which both the Republicans and Democrats are on the same page. In fact, both parties compete to project themselves as a better partner for India. But how were the contours of this strategic partnership drawn? And how have the ties between the largest democracy and the oldest one evolved over the years? Our report attempts to find out. Also read | Decoding Washington's game plan as US Defence Secretary arrives in India In October 1949, India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru went on a multi-week tour of the US. He was hosted by US President Harry S Truman. Just before the visit, India had formally proclaimed neutrality in the developing Cold War by spearheading the Non-Aligned Movement. This laid the groundwork for the US's relationship with India and left room for friendly ties between Delhi and Moscow. In December 1959, Dwight Eisenhower became the first serving US President to visit New Delhi. Eisenhower's visit helped India acquire adequate financial assistance and achieve reasonable stability during the Cold War. Since then seven US presidents have visited India and nine Indian PMs have visited the US. But a strategic partnership between the two democracies emerged only in 2010. In June 2010, the US and India formally convened the first-ever strategic dialogue when a large and high-ranking delegation of Indian officials visited Washington DC. The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called India "an indispensable partner" and the US President Barack Obama called the relationship "a defining partnership in the 21st century". In November 2010, Obama visited India and addressed the countrý's parliament. He also backed India's long-held bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and also announced 14.9 billion dollars in trade deals. In the years that followed the strategic partnership only grew further. In 2011, India and the US signed an MoU on cybersecurity cooperation. The very next year the US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta visited India to boost Obama's "pivot to Asia" plan. In 2014, the newly-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a high-profile visit to the US where agreements were signed. Obama attended India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015. In 2017, the then US President Donald Trump welcomed Modi at the White House. The joint statements emphasised the existing defence partnership and counter-terrorism efforts. In 2018, India and the US signed the COMCASA which gave India access to the US's advanced defence technology. Trump made his first and last visit to India as US president in 2020 in which New Delhi agreed to purchase US military equipment worth three billion dollars. Currently, the India-US Strategic partnership is a broad-based and multi-sectoral affair and this is irrespective of who is in the White House. New Delhi and Washington have been called natural allies with shared democratic values. Last week, the first-ever Quad leaders' summit underscored this and now with the arrival of the US Defence Secretary in New Delhi, they're turning another page in both countries strategic partnership.

How India-US ties evolved over the years

The US House of Representatives has passed 2 bills for the protection of immigrants in the country. The bills will be providing a pathway to citizenship to "Dreamers" and farmworkers.

Biden's Migrant Crisis : Is Biden's approach turning aggressive?

India is that rare country in which both the Democrats and the Republicans are on the same page. But how were the contours of the India-U.S. strategic partnership drawn & how has the relationship evolved? WION's Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: The history of India-U.S. strategic ties

The first engagement between the Joe Biden administration & China ended up being an ill-tempered & undiplomatic sparring match. How did diplomacy become about name-calling & bickering? WION's Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: U.S & China engage in undiplomatic sparring match

US President Joe Biden has condemned the surge in anti-Asian violence in the United States after a deadly shooting rampage in Georgia, and asked all Americans to stand together against hate during a visit to the state.

After meeting with leaders of Georgia's Asian-American community, Biden delivered a brief speech at Atlanta's Emory University, where he branded hate and racism "the ugly poison that's long haunted our nation."&nbsp;The community plunged into grief after this week's shooting incident in Atlanta in which as many as eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were killed.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with Tuesday's murders at three spas in and around Atlanta. Investigators said the suspect, who is white, suggested that sexual frustration led him to commit violence. But political leaders and civil rights advocates have speculated the killings were motivated at least in part by anti-Asian sentiment.

"Hate can have no safe harbor in America. It must stop. And it is on all of us, all of us together, to make it stop," Biden said after the meeting, calling on US lawmakers to pass a COVID-19 hate crimes bill that would expand Justice Department review of hate crimes exacerbated by the pandemic.

Harris, the first Asian-American vice president in US history, tied the violence to the long history of racism in the United States and likened it to the targeting of Muslims after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

"Racism is real in America, and it has always been. Xenophobia is real in America, and always has been. Sexism, too," Harris said. "The president and I will not be silent. We will not stand by. We will always speak out against violence, hate crimes and discrimination wherever and whenever it occurs."

Biden ordered the US flag flown at half-staff at the White House to honour the victims of the Atlanta area shootings.

Advocates say the surge of attacks on Asian Americans is largely the result of the community being targetted over the coronavirus, which was first identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

The meeting with Asian-American community leaders was a shift in focus of a trip originally planned to promote the newly enacted $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

As he headed to Georgia, Biden stumbled as he climbed aboard Air Force One. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters he was "doing 100 percent fine" and suggested high winds at Joint Base Andrews near Washington may have been a factor.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-stumbles-on-the-steps-of-air-force-one-371799">Also read | Joe Biden stumbles on the steps of Air Force One</a>

The Democratic president's trip was initially part of the "Help is Here" campaign, which he kicked off on Monday to promote his promise of "shots in arms and money in pockets," after signing the COVID-19 relief bill into law last week. Biden has traveled to Pennsylvania and Harris has been to Nevada and Colorado to tout the benefits of the package.

Before they met with Asian-American leaders, Biden and Harris received a coronavirus update at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where they thanked health officials for their effort fighting the pandemic.

In his remarks after meeting with community leaders, Biden touted the COVID-19 relief bill's benefits for Georgia, saying the state’s schools will get $4 billion and state government $5 billion.

(with inputs from Reuters)

US President Joe Biden has condemned the surge in anti-Asian violence in the United States after a deadly shooting rampage in Georgia, and asked all Americans to stand together against hate during a visit to the state.

US President Joe Biden has condemned the surge in anti-Asian violence in the United States after a deadly shooting rampage in Georgia, and asked all Americans to stand together against hate during a visit to the state. After meeting with leaders of Georgia's Asian-American community, Biden delivered a brief speech at Atlanta's Emory University, where he branded hate and racism "the ugly poison that's long haunted our nation." The community plunged into grief after this week's shooting incident in Atlanta in which as many as eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were killed. A 21-year-old man has been charged with Tuesday's murders at three spas in and around Atlanta. Investigators said the suspect, who is white, suggested that sexual frustration led him to commit violence. But political leaders and civil rights advocates have speculated the killings were motivated at least in part by anti-Asian sentiment. "Hate can have no safe harbor in America. It must stop. And it is on all of us, all of us together, to make it stop," Biden said after the meeting, calling on US lawmakers to pass a COVID-19 hate crimes bill that would expand Justice Department review of hate crimes exacerbated by the pandemic. Harris, the first Asian-American vice president in US history, tied the violence to the long history of racism in the United States and likened it to the targeting of Muslims after the September 11, 2001, attacks. "Racism is real in America, and it has always been. Xenophobia is real in America, and always has been. Sexism, too," Harris said. "The president and I will not be silent. We will not stand by. We will always speak out against violence, hate crimes and discrimination wherever and whenever it occurs." Biden ordered the US flag flown at half-staff at the White House to honour the victims of the Atlanta area shootings. Advocates say the surge of attacks on Asian Americans is largely the result of the community being targetted over the coronavirus, which was first identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The meeting with Asian-American community leaders was a shift in focus of a trip originally planned to promote the newly enacted $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. As he headed to Georgia, Biden stumbled as he climbed aboard Air Force One. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters he was "doing 100 percent fine" and suggested high winds at Joint Base Andrews near Washington may have been a factor. Also read | Joe Biden stumbles on the steps of Air Force One The Democratic president's trip was initially part of the "Help is Here" campaign, which he kicked off on Monday to promote his promise of "shots in arms and money in pockets," after signing the COVID-19 relief bill into law last week. Biden has traveled to Pennsylvania and Harris has been to Nevada and Colorado to tout the benefits of the package. Before they met with Asian-American leaders, Biden and Harris received a coronavirus update at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where they thanked health officials for their effort fighting the pandemic. In his remarks after meeting with community leaders, Biden touted the COVID-19 relief bill's benefits for Georgia, saying the state’s schools will get $4 billion and state government $5 billion. (with inputs from Reuters)

Biden condemns rising anti-Asian violence, calls for unity

Diplomacy is a subtle art. American journalist Isaac Goldberg called it the nicest way of doing the nastiest things. By and large, world leaders have followed this. Even while condemning their counterparts, there is a semblance of respect, but sometimes they drop the pretence, and when they do, there can be consequences.

The already strained ties between the US and Russia are on the verge of collapse because Joe Biden let loose in a recent interview and said "I do" when asked if he thinks Putin is a "killer". He also called Putin a "man with no soul".

Biden was addressing the US report that accused Russia of meddling in the 2020 elections while cheering for Donald Trump.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/takes-one-to-know-one-putin-strikes-back-on-bidens-killer-comment-371402">'Takes one to know one': Putin strikes back on Biden's 'killer' comment</a>

Putin, a&nbsp;former KGB officer, a survivor of the cold war and Russia's ruler for the past two decades, too, returned the compliment. "Takes one to know one," is what Putin told Biden.

Both sides are on the offensive but they are also leaving the door open for strategic cooperation. Putin says Russia will work on its own terms and Biden is talking about making Russia pay.

However, truth be told, the US president may have crossed a line and Russia is not going to let this go. The Kremlin wants an apology from the president of the United States. In addition to this, Russia has recalled its envoy to Washington. It says it wants to halt the irreversible deterioration of ties.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-dismisses-us-reports-on-poll-meddling-as-biden-doubles-down-on-allegations-371153">Russia dismisses US reports on poll meddling as Biden doubles down on allegations</a>

While both the presidents are well within their rights to criticise each other and sanction each other, language plays an important role in diplomacy.

In 2006's UNGA, the speaker, Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez, called the then-US President George Bush a "devil".&nbsp;

Understandably, America was outraged. Democrat Nancy Pelosi defended her Republican president, who had rock bottom approval ratings at that point.

While Biden has Russia to deal with now, he also got belligerent China and North Korea to tackle.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-joe-biden-calls-vladimir-putin-a-killer-371517">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-joe-biden-calls-vladimir-putin-a-killer-371517/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, America is shoring up its alliances in Asia. Top diplomat Antony Blinken and Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin are wrapping up the second leg of their tour in South Korea. They held 2+2 dialogues with their South Korean counterparts and also met president Moon Jae-in.

The top priority was denuclearising the Korean peninsula. Secretary Blinken said the US was considering its options but the problem is that North Korea doesn't seem interested. The US has been reaching out since mid-February but Pyongyang calls it a cheap trick.

US-Japan-South Korea alliance is the bulwark against the north but as they exert more pressure, North Korea is moving closer to its only ally — China.

On his return journey from Seoul, Antony Blinken will make a stop in Alaska where he will meet top Chinese officials including foreign minister Wang Yi. This will be the first meeting between the two sides under the Biden administration.

Chinese officials have already clarified two issues: no compromise on Xinjiang or Hong Kong, but the US will most likely raise them anyway. Beijing wants a rollback of Trump-era policies which Biden will not be willing to agree to because Biden and Trump disagreed on most issues but China wasn't one of them.

Blinken will arrive in Alaska with a lot of momentum. He's just been to Japan and South Korea — key Pacific allies of the US. It's almost certain that the White House choreographed the visit this way.

Many are raising the question if a meeting of the two presidents is on the cards, but both sides are tight-lipped. However, US media reports indicate China is interested. If the meeting goes well, China could seek a summit.

The date April 22, which is celebrated as Earth Day, keeps popping up. Climate change will be the focus. However, the rest remains to be seen.

Diplomacy is a subtle art. American journalist Isaac Goldberg called it the nicest way of doing the nastiest things. By and large, world leaders have followed this.

Diplomacy is a subtle art. American journalist Isaac Goldberg called it the nicest way of doing the nastiest things. By and large, world leaders have followed this. Even while condemning their counterparts, there is a semblance of respect, but sometimes they drop the pretence, and when they do, there can be consequences. The already strained ties between the US and Russia are on the verge of collapse because Joe Biden let loose in a recent interview and said "I do" when asked if he thinks Putin is a "killer". He also called Putin a "man with no soul". Biden was addressing the US report that accused Russia of meddling in the 2020 elections while cheering for Donald Trump. Also read | 'Takes one to know one': Putin strikes back on Biden's 'killer' comment Putin, a former KGB officer, a survivor of the cold war and Russia's ruler for the past two decades, too, returned the compliment. "Takes one to know one," is what Putin told Biden. Both sides are on the offensive but they are also leaving the door open for strategic cooperation. Putin says Russia will work on its own terms and Biden is talking about making Russia pay. However, truth be told, the US president may have crossed a line and Russia is not going to let this go. The Kremlin wants an apology from the president of the United States. In addition to this, Russia has recalled its envoy to Washington. It says it wants to halt the irreversible deterioration of ties. Also read | Russia dismisses US reports on poll meddling as Biden doubles down on allegations While both the presidents are well within their rights to criticise each other and sanction each other, language plays an important role in diplomacy. In 2006's UNGA, the speaker, Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez, called the then-US President George Bush a "devil". Understandably, America was outraged. Democrat Nancy Pelosi defended her Republican president, who had rock bottom approval ratings at that point. While Biden has Russia to deal with now, he also got belligerent China and North Korea to tackle. Watch | Meanwhile, America is shoring up its alliances in Asia. Top diplomat Antony Blinken and Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin are wrapping up the second leg of their tour in South Korea. They held 2+2 dialogues with their South Korean counterparts and also met president Moon Jae-in. The top priority was denuclearising the Korean peninsula. Secretary Blinken said the US was considering its options but the problem is that North Korea doesn't seem interested. The US has been reaching out since mid-February but Pyongyang calls it a cheap trick. US-Japan-South Korea alliance is the bulwark against the north but as they exert more pressure, North Korea is moving closer to its only ally — China. On his return journey from Seoul, Antony Blinken will make a stop in Alaska where he will meet top Chinese officials including foreign minister Wang Yi. This will be the first meeting between the two sides under the Biden administration. Chinese officials have already clarified two issues: no compromise on Xinjiang or Hong Kong, but the US will most likely raise them anyway. Beijing wants a rollback of Trump-era policies which Biden will not be willing to agree to because Biden and Trump disagreed on most issues but China wasn't one of them. Blinken will arrive in Alaska with a lot of momentum. He's just been to Japan and South Korea — key Pacific allies of the US. It's almost certain that the White House choreographed the visit this way. Many are raising the question if a meeting of the two presidents is on the cards, but both sides are tight-lipped. However, US media reports indicate China is interested. If the meeting goes well, China could seek a summit. The date April 22, which is celebrated as Earth Day, keeps popping up. Climate change will be the focus. However, the rest remains to be seen.

Subtle art of diplomacy: Biden and Putin engage in verbal spat

There are no easy fixes for US and China's trusty relations in the first high-level in-person talks of the Biden administration with China. Top diplomats from the two world powers discussed a laundry list of issues in the Alaska summit.

Public rebukes at Alaska Summit, US accuses China of 'grandstanding'

The US House of Representatives has passed two immigration bills that would provide legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants.

The House on Thursday voted to open a gateway to citizenship for young Dreamers and immigrants who have fled war or natural disasters abroad, giving Democrats a win in the year's first vote on an issue.

US lawmakers on Thursday approved one bill offering legal status to around two million Dreamers, brought to the US illegally as children, and hundreds of thousands of other migrants from a dozen troubled countries on a 228-197 vote.

The other formalises the legal status of migrant farmworkers -- who the White House notes are "living in the shadows and vulnerable to exploitation" -- and offers them an opportunity to earn citizenship.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would permit farmworkers&nbsp;and their families to remain in the country, and in many cases become US citizens, through continued employment in agriculture.

It passed by 247 to 174, an even stronger bipartisan margin.

Democrats said their bills were aimed not at border security but at addressing groups of immigrants who deserve to be helped.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-signals-hes-flexible-on-immigration-overhaul-364503">Also read |&nbsp;Biden signals he’s flexible on immigration overhaul</a>

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden supports both bills as "critical milestones toward much needed relief for the millions of individuals who call the United States home."

The Dreamer bill would grant conditional legal status for 10 years to many immigrants up to age 18 who were brought into the US illegally before this year. They would have to graduate from high school or have equivalent educational credentials, not have serious criminal records and meet other conditions.

To attain legal permanent residence, often called a green card, they'd have to obtain a higher education degree, serve in the military or be employed for at least three years. Like all others with green cards, they could then apply for citizenship after five years.

The measure would also grant green cards to an estimated 400,000 immigrants with temporary protected status, which allows temporary residence to people who have fled violence or natural disasters in a dozen countries.

The other bill would let immigrant farm workers who've worked in the country illegally over the past two years -- along their spouses and children -- get certified agriculture worker status. That would let them remain in the US for renewable 5 1/2-year periods.

The legislation's success in the Senate, which is comprised of 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, is in question.&nbsp;

Any immigration bill would need the support of at least 10 Republicans to overcome minority blocking tactics.

Striking a Senate deal on the complex issue looked unlikely, for now, especially with waves of undocumented immigrants including children arriving at the US-Mexico border.

Republicans have warned that Biden's border policies will only worsen the flow of illegal immigration.

Biden has suspended work on Trump's wall along the Mexican border, ended his separation of young children from migrant families and allowed apprehended minors to stay in the US as officials decide if they can legally remain. He has also turned away most single adults and families.

President Barack Obama initiated the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program in 2012 after Congress failed to protect Dreamers.

Trump moved to end DACA but the Supreme Court upheld the programme last year.

(with inputs from agencies)

The US House of Representatives has passed two immigration bills that would provide legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants. The House on Thursday voted to open a gateway to citizenship for young Dreamers and immigrants who have fled war or natural disasters abroad, giving Democrats a win in the year's first vote on an issue.

The US House of Representatives has passed two immigration bills that would provide legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants. The House on Thursday voted to open a gateway to citizenship for young Dreamers and immigrants who have fled war or natural disasters abroad, giving Democrats a win in the year's first vote on an issue. US lawmakers on Thursday approved one bill offering legal status to around two million Dreamers, brought to the US illegally as children, and hundreds of thousands of other migrants from a dozen troubled countries on a 228-197 vote. The other formalises the legal status of migrant farmworkers -- who the White House notes are "living in the shadows and vulnerable to exploitation" -- and offers them an opportunity to earn citizenship. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would permit farmworkers and their families to remain in the country, and in many cases become US citizens, through continued employment in agriculture. It passed by 247 to 174, an even stronger bipartisan margin. Democrats said their bills were aimed not at border security but at addressing groups of immigrants who deserve to be helped. Also read | Biden signals he’s flexible on immigration overhaul White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that Biden supports both bills as "critical milestones toward much needed relief for the millions of individuals who call the United States home." The Dreamer bill would grant conditional legal status for 10 years to many immigrants up to age 18 who were brought into the US illegally before this year. They would have to graduate from high school or have equivalent educational credentials, not have serious criminal records and meet other conditions. To attain legal permanent residence, often called a green card, they'd have to obtain a higher education degree, serve in the military or be employed for at least three years. Like all others with green cards, they could then apply for citizenship after five years. The measure would also grant green cards to an estimated 400,000 immigrants with temporary protected status, which allows temporary residence to people who have fled violence or natural disasters in a dozen countries. The other bill would let immigrant farm workers who've worked in the country illegally over the past two years -- along their spouses and children -- get certified agriculture worker status. That would let them remain in the US for renewable 5 1/2-year periods. The legislation's success in the Senate, which is comprised of 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, is in question. Any immigration bill would need the support of at least 10 Republicans to overcome minority blocking tactics. Striking a Senate deal on the complex issue looked unlikely, for now, especially with waves of undocumented immigrants including children arriving at the US-Mexico border. Republicans have warned that Biden's border policies will only worsen the flow of illegal immigration. Biden has suspended work on Trump's wall along the Mexican border, ended his separation of young children from migrant families and allowed apprehended minors to stay in the US as officials decide if they can legally remain. He has also turned away most single adults and families. President Barack Obama initiated the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program in 2012 after Congress failed to protect Dreamers. Trump moved to end DACA but the Supreme Court upheld the programme last year. (with inputs from agencies)

A divided US House passes immigration bills, including pathway for 'Dreamers'

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