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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

US President Joe Biden told Americans Wednesday in his first speech to Congress that the nation has pulled off a massive logistical success with its battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

"Because of you, the American people, our progress these past 100 days against one of the worst pandemics in history is one of the greatest logistical achievements our country has ever seen," the president said in an address to a joint session of Congress.

The 78-year-old Biden noted that senior deaths from Covid have plunged some 80 percent since January, more than half of all US adults have received at least one vaccine dose, and that first responders considered the vaccine as "a dose of hope."

Biden argued in his first speech to Congress on Wednesday that he had restored Americans' faith in democracy nearly 100 days after he succeeded Donald Trump in office, and was set to unveil a $1.8 trillion spending and tax-credit plan.

Biden appeared in the chamber of the US&nbsp;House of Representatives at an event scaled back this year because of the pandemic, with a small, specially selected group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers arrayed before him, and the first woman to serve as US&nbsp;vice president, Kamala Harris, behind him.

Seizing on the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to advance his priorities at a time of political polarization, Biden told the joint session and millions of people watching on television that "America is ready for a takeoff."

"Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again, turning peril into possibility, crisis into opportunity, setback into strength," Biden said.

He argued that the new spending and tax-credit package, which together with an earlier infrastructure and jobs plan, totals around $4 trillion, rivaling the annual federal budget,&nbsp;is a once-in-a-generation investment vital to America's future.

"Tonight, I come to talk about crisis&nbsp;and opportunity," he said. "About rebuilding our nation&nbsp;and revitalising our democracy. And winning the future for America."

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden told Americans Wednesday in his first speech to Congress that the nation has pulled off a massive logistical success with its battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

US President Joe Biden told Americans Wednesday in his first speech to Congress that the nation has pulled off a massive logistical success with its battle against the coronavirus pandemic. "Because of you, the American people, our progress these past 100 days against one of the worst pandemics in history is one of the greatest logistical achievements our country has ever seen," the president said in an address to a joint session of Congress. The 78-year-old Biden noted that senior deaths from Covid have plunged some 80 percent since January, more than half of all US adults have received at least one vaccine dose, and that first responders considered the vaccine as "a dose of hope." Biden argued in his first speech to Congress on Wednesday that he had restored Americans' faith in democracy nearly 100 days after he succeeded Donald Trump in office, and was set to unveil a $1.8 trillion spending and tax-credit plan. Biden appeared in the chamber of the US House of Representatives at an event scaled back this year because of the pandemic, with a small, specially selected group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers arrayed before him, and the first woman to serve as US vice president, Kamala Harris, behind him. Seizing on the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to advance his priorities at a time of political polarization, Biden told the joint session and millions of people watching on television that "America is ready for a takeoff." "Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again, turning peril into possibility, crisis into opportunity, setback into strength," Biden said. He argued that the new spending and tax-credit package, which together with an earlier infrastructure and jobs plan, totals around $4 trillion, rivaling the annual federal budget, is a once-in-a-generation investment vital to America's future. "Tonight, I come to talk about crisis and opportunity," he said. "About rebuilding our nation and revitalising our democracy. And winning the future for America." (With inputs from agencies)

Biden hails US coronavirus fight as one of 'greatest logistical achievements'

Vice President Kamala Harris told Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei during a virtual call Monday the US will give $310 million in humanitarian relief to Central America, her office said, as the region tackles a wave of migration north.

Harris, who leads President Joe Biden's efforts to address the influx of migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to the US-Mexico border, met with Giammattei by videoconference, prior to her visit to Central America scheduled for June.&nbsp;

Alsoe see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/dont-come-us-facing-biggest-migrant-surge-in-20-years-371179">'Don't come': US facing biggest migrant surge in 20 years</a>

The meeting, which was held virtually, was Harris' second conversation with Guatemala's leader in less than a month - a sign of the best opportunity she has to build a partnership in the region. She previously spoke with him on March 30.

Harris has yet to speak with leaders of Honduras and El Salvador.

"We want to work with you... in a way that will bring hope to the people of Guatemala, that there will be an opportunity for them if they stay at home," Harris said, adding that she will visit the region in June.

President Giammattei said Guatemala is looking forward to her visit but wants to reach an agreement on issues before she travels.

"I believe that we should build a roadmap between governments... so that we can reach an agreement... (and) can work on this very hard road that we have ahead of us," he said.

On April 5, Guatemala said it was purchasing 16 million Russian Sputnik V vaccines to inoculate about half the country's population.

Harris' office did not comment on the issue, but an administration official said it was not politically tenable to assure vaccine supplies to other countries before inoculating every American.

Other problems have also emerged. Guatemalan lawmakers recently refused to swear in a corruption-fighting judge, Constitutional Court President Gloria Porras, whom US&nbsp;officials had seen as key to the country's fight against graft.

In addition the meeting on Monday, Harris will also participate in a virtual roundtable with representatives from Guatemalan community based-organizations on Tuesday.

Biden has asked Congress for $861 million to address the causes that drive irregular immigration from Central America, within the framework of his $4 billion plan for the region.&nbsp;

His proposal is included in the budget project for next year that has yet to be discussed and approved by legislators.&nbsp; &nbsp;

More than 172,000 undocumented immigrants, including nearly 19,000 unaccompanied minors, were detained in March at the southern border of the United States, a rise of 71 percent in a month and the highest level in 15 years.&nbsp;

Most of the migrants come from the three countries of the Central American Northern Triangle. That area, vulnerable to natural disasters, was hit by two devastating hurricanes in November and is struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic and a prolonged drought.&nbsp;

Many migrants in recent weeks say they were given new hope by Biden's reversal of the hardline immigration policies of his predecessor Donald Trump.

The changes include allowing unaccompanied children to stay and be united with relatives living inside the United States.

The number of unaccompanied children detained after crossing the border illegally, or trying to sneak through official entry ports, doubled in March from February to 18,890, according to the CBP.

(With inputs from agencies)

Vice President Kamala Harris told Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei during a virtual call Monday the US will give $310 million in humanitarian relief to Central America, her office said, as the region tackles a wave of migration north.

Vice President Kamala Harris told Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei during a virtual call Monday the US will give $310 million in humanitarian relief to Central America, her office said, as the region tackles a wave of migration north. Harris, who leads President Joe Biden's efforts to address the influx of migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to the US-Mexico border, met with Giammattei by videoconference, prior to her visit to Central America scheduled for June. Alsoe see| 'Don't come': US facing biggest migrant surge in 20 years The meeting, which was held virtually, was Harris' second conversation with Guatemala's leader in less than a month - a sign of the best opportunity she has to build a partnership in the region. She previously spoke with him on March 30. Harris has yet to speak with leaders of Honduras and El Salvador. "We want to work with you... in a way that will bring hope to the people of Guatemala, that there will be an opportunity for them if they stay at home," Harris said, adding that she will visit the region in June. President Giammattei said Guatemala is looking forward to her visit but wants to reach an agreement on issues before she travels. "I believe that we should build a roadmap between governments... so that we can reach an agreement... (and) can work on this very hard road that we have ahead of us," he said. On April 5, Guatemala said it was purchasing 16 million Russian Sputnik V vaccines to inoculate about half the country's population. Harris' office did not comment on the issue, but an administration official said it was not politically tenable to assure vaccine supplies to other countries before inoculating every American. Other problems have also emerged. Guatemalan lawmakers recently refused to swear in a corruption-fighting judge, Constitutional Court President Gloria Porras, whom US officials had seen as key to the country's fight against graft. In addition the meeting on Monday, Harris will also participate in a virtual roundtable with representatives from Guatemalan community based-organizations on Tuesday. Biden has asked Congress for $861 million to address the causes that drive irregular immigration from Central America, within the framework of his $4 billion plan for the region. His proposal is included in the budget project for next year that has yet to be discussed and approved by legislators. More than 172,000 undocumented immigrants, including nearly 19,000 unaccompanied minors, were detained in March at the southern border of the United States, a rise of 71 percent in a month and the highest level in 15 years. Most of the migrants come from the three countries of the Central American Northern Triangle. That area, vulnerable to natural disasters, was hit by two devastating hurricanes in November and is struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic and a prolonged drought. Many migrants in recent weeks say they were given new hope by Biden's reversal of the hardline immigration policies of his predecessor Donald Trump. The changes include allowing unaccompanied children to stay and be united with relatives living inside the United States. The number of unaccompanied children detained after crossing the border illegally, or trying to sneak through official entry ports, doubled in March from February to 18,890, according to the CBP. (With inputs from agencies)

Kamala Harris vows $310 million US relief as Central America tackles migration

Derek Chauvin, the white police officer, has been proven guilty for the murder of George Floyd.&nbsp;

It's a watershed moment not just for Americans, but for millions around the world.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-americas-virus-of-racism-yet-to-be-eradicated-379126/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

All the people who were mobilised after seeing the video of Floyd's death now celebrate this 'historic' verdict.

However, there are some questions that need answers.&nbsp;

What does the verdict really change? Does it put an end to racism? Does it eradicate the disproportionate use of force?

As the verdict was being announced, the US felt the sting of another killing, a Black teenage girl who was shot dead by white cops in Columbus, Ohio.

She was just 15-years-old.

It tells you that the US's pandemic of racism is far from being over.&nbsp;

Let's first look at some reactions to the verdict of Floyd's murder.&nbsp;

"This is a stunning moment in history", Eliza Orlins, candidate for Manhattan district attorney said.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-joe-biden-slams-systemic-racism-calls-floyd-verdict-a-relief-378899">US President Joe Biden slams 'systemic racism'; calls Floyd verdict a 'relief'</a> 
&nbsp;

"With the verdict today, I feel like a weight lifted off my shoulders," Semhra Solomon, Minneapolis area resident, said.&nbsp;

London Williams, a DC resident said: "Thank god, thank you Jesus."

"No one should be above the law. And today's verdict sends that message," US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden </a>said.&nbsp;

US Vice President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris </a>said: "Today we feel a sigh of relief. Still, it cannot take away the pain."

The US is breathing a sigh of relief and the world can't help but discuss it.

The news is truly worthy of global coverage because it's rare for a white American cop to be convicted for the murder of a Black man.

However, when Chauvin was being pronounced guilty, 764 miles away in Columbus, Ohio, a Black teenager was shot dead by white cops.

Makiyah Bryant was trying to fend off a physical assault by a group of adult women.

She called the police and picked a knife to defend herself.

When the cops arrived, they shot Bryant instead, assuming her to be the assailant.

Let's listen to the conversation during her killing.&nbsp;

Officer's voice: "Hey, what's going on? Hey, hey, get down! Get down!"

(sound of four gunshots, voices screaming)

Officer's voice: "She had a knife. She just went at her."

Man's voice: "She's just a (expletive) kid. A (expletive) kid."

(sound of people screaming)

Officer's voice: "She came at her with a knife."

Another black life has been lost and another hashtag has been born: #JusticeForMakiyahBryant.

Yet another protest has begun.

Will Bryant get justice just as Floyd did?

There's no guarantee and the figures tell us the reason.&nbsp;

Since 2005, 139 police officers have been arrested for murder, of these only 44 have been convicted.&nbsp;Also, out of these 44, only 7 have been convicted for murder.&nbsp;The rest got away with prison sentences for a few months.

The rate of police shooting between 2015 and 2021 also shows a disparity based on ethnicity.

Among Black Americans, the figure stands at 35 police shootings per million of the population and for Hispanics, it is 26 per million of the population.

And for White Americans, the figure is just 14 police shootings per million of the population.

The conviction of Chauvin is indeed a pivotal moment and undoubtedly calls for a celebration.

But, it will take far more than one conviction to eradicate the virus of racism in America.

Derek Chauvin, the white police officer, has been proven guilty for the murder of George Floyd. It's a watershed moment not just for Americans, but for millions around the world.

Derek Chauvin, the white police officer, has been proven guilty for the murder of George Floyd. It's a watershed moment not just for Americans, but for millions around the world. All the people who were mobilised after seeing the video of Floyd's death now celebrate this 'historic' verdict. However, there are some questions that need answers. What does the verdict really change? Does it put an end to racism? Does it eradicate the disproportionate use of force? As the verdict was being announced, the US felt the sting of another killing, a Black teenage girl who was shot dead by white cops in Columbus, Ohio. She was just 15-years-old. It tells you that the US's pandemic of racism is far from being over. Let's first look at some reactions to the verdict of Floyd's murder. "This is a stunning moment in history", Eliza Orlins, candidate for Manhattan district attorney said. Also read | US President Joe Biden slams 'systemic racism'; calls Floyd verdict a 'relief' "With the verdict today, I feel like a weight lifted off my shoulders," Semhra Solomon, Minneapolis area resident, said. London Williams, a DC resident said: "Thank god, thank you Jesus." "No one should be above the law. And today's verdict sends that message," US President Joe Biden said. US Vice President Kamala Harris said: "Today we feel a sigh of relief. Still, it cannot take away the pain." The US is breathing a sigh of relief and the world can't help but discuss it. The news is truly worthy of global coverage because it's rare for a white American cop to be convicted for the murder of a Black man. However, when Chauvin was being pronounced guilty, 764 miles away in Columbus, Ohio, a Black teenager was shot dead by white cops. Makiyah Bryant was trying to fend off a physical assault by a group of adult women. She called the police and picked a knife to defend herself. When the cops arrived, they shot Bryant instead, assuming her to be the assailant. Let's listen to the conversation during her killing. Officer's voice: "Hey, what's going on? Hey, hey, get down! Get down!" (sound of four gunshots, voices screaming) Officer's voice: "She had a knife. She just went at her." Man's voice: "She's just a (expletive) kid. A (expletive) kid." (sound of people screaming) Officer's voice: "She came at her with a knife." Another black life has been lost and another hashtag has been born: #JusticeForMakiyahBryant. Yet another protest has begun. Will Bryant get justice just as Floyd did? There's no guarantee and the figures tell us the reason. Since 2005, 139 police officers have been arrested for murder, of these only 44 have been convicted. Also, out of these 44, only 7 have been convicted for murder. The rest got away with prison sentences for a few months. The rate of police shooting between 2015 and 2021 also shows a disparity based on ethnicity. Among Black Americans, the figure stands at 35 police shootings per million of the population and for Hispanics, it is 26 per million of the population. And for White Americans, the figure is just 14 police shootings per million of the population. The conviction of Chauvin is indeed a pivotal moment and undoubtedly calls for a celebration. But, it will take far more than one conviction to eradicate the virus of racism in America.

Despite George Floyd verdict, US still needs to fight hard the 'racism virus'

India celebrates the Hindu festival of Holi on Monday -- with fears of a second wave of Covid-19 putting a damper on the usually boisterous celebration marked by the throwing of coloured powder and dousing with dyed water.

The two-day spring festival is a rowdy explosion of colour. Sunday was marked by 'Holika Dehan', and prayers to the almighty. And on Monday, people will smear each other’s faces with green, yellow and red powder.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to this end, took to Twitter to greet people on the auspicious occasion and extended them his best wishes.

Modi wished that this festival of joy and celebration infuses new energy and enthusiasm in everyone's life.

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आप सभी को होली की ढेर सारी शुभकामनाएं। आनंद, उमंग, हर्ष और उल्लास का यह त्योहार हर किसी के जीवन में नए जोश और नई ऊर्जा का संचार करे।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1376344887033962499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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US Vice-President Kamala Harris also greeted people on the occasion of Holi, saying the festival is all about "positivity, setting aside our differences, and coming together".&nbsp;

Taking to Twitter, Harris said: "Happy Holi! Holi is best known for vibrant colors that are tossed at friends and loved ones. Full of joy, Holi is all about positivity, setting aside our differences, and coming together. A message that`s been embodied by communities across the world during these tough times."&nbsp;

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Happy Holi! Holi is best known for vibrant colors that are tossed at friends and loved ones. Full of joy, Holi is all about positivity, setting aside our differences, and coming together. A message that’s been embodied by communities across the world during these tough times.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1376187325231816708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also took to Twitter to wish people.

Notably, Canada is known to house many people of Hindu ethnicity.

He posted on Twitter: "Holi Hai! To all Hindus across the country and around the world who are celebrating today, Sophie and I are wishing you a joyous and colourful festival."

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Holi Hai! To all Hindus across the country and around the world who are celebrating today, Sophie and I are wishing you a joyous and colourful festival. <a href="https://t.co/prFprnMqMt">https://t.co/prFprnMqMt</a>
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1376165186994905092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The US embassy in India also extended their wishes.

"This year, to celebrate #Holi in a safe and delicious style, we're focusing on the food! Watch the reactions as we filmed our diplomats trying various Holi treats from a safe distance. #HappyHoli everyone!"

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This year, to celebrate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Holi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Holi</a> in a safe and delicious style, we're focusing on the food! Watch the reactions as we filmed our diplomats trying various Holi treats from a safe distance. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyHoli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappyHoli</a> everyone! <a href="https://t.co/g23Et4Wcoi">pic.twitter.com/g23Et4Wcoi</a>
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAndIndia/status/1376383617035689988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Even though Holi is predominantly a Hindu festival, it is celebrated by people of many cultures across the world.

India celebrates the Hindu festival of Holi on Monday -- with fears of a second wave of Covid-19 putting a damper on the usually boisterous celebration marked by the throwing of coloured powder and dousing with dyed water.

India celebrates the Hindu festival of Holi on Monday -- with fears of a second wave of Covid-19 putting a damper on the usually boisterous celebration marked by the throwing of coloured powder and dousing with dyed water. The two-day spring festival is a rowdy explosion of colour. Sunday was marked by 'Holika Dehan', and prayers to the almighty. And on Monday, people will smear each other’s faces with green, yellow and red powder. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to this end, took to Twitter to greet people on the auspicious occasion and extended them his best wishes. Modi wished that this festival of joy and celebration infuses new energy and enthusiasm in everyone's life. आप सभी को होली की ढेर सारी शुभकामनाएं। आनंद, उमंग, हर्ष और उल्लास का यह त्योहार हर किसी के जीवन में नए जोश और नई ऊर्जा का संचार करे। — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 29, 2021 × US Vice-President Kamala Harris also greeted people on the occasion of Holi, saying the festival is all about "positivity, setting aside our differences, and coming together". Taking to Twitter, Harris said: "Happy Holi! Holi is best known for vibrant colors that are tossed at friends and loved ones. Full of joy, Holi is all about positivity, setting aside our differences, and coming together. A message that`s been embodied by communities across the world during these tough times." Happy Holi! Holi is best known for vibrant colors that are tossed at friends and loved ones. Full of joy, Holi is all about positivity, setting aside our differences, and coming together. A message that’s been embodied by communities across the world during these tough times. — Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) March 28, 2021 × Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also took to Twitter to wish people. Notably, Canada is known to house many people of Hindu ethnicity. He posted on Twitter: "Holi Hai! To all Hindus across the country and around the world who are celebrating today, Sophie and I are wishing you a joyous and colourful festival." Holi Hai! To all Hindus across the country and around the world who are celebrating today, Sophie and I are wishing you a joyous and colourful festival. https://t.co/prFprnMqMt — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 28, 2021 × The US embassy in India also extended their wishes. "This year, to celebrate #Holi in a safe and delicious style, we're focusing on the food! Watch the reactions as we filmed our diplomats trying various Holi treats from a safe distance. #HappyHoli everyone!" This year, to celebrate #Holi in a safe and delicious style, we're focusing on the food! Watch the reactions as we filmed our diplomats trying various Holi treats from a safe distance. #HappyHoli everyone! pic.twitter.com/g23Et4Wcoi — U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) March 29, 2021 × Even though Holi is predominantly a Hindu festival, it is celebrated by people of many cultures across the world.

India celebrates Holi; wishes pour in from across the world

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&nbsp;Vice President&nbsp;Kamala&nbsp;Harris&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;called the mass shooting in Colorado a day earlier that left ten people dead "absolutely tragic."

A 21-year-old man was charged Tuesday with gunning 10 people down in a&nbsp;Colorado&nbsp;grocery store, as America reeled from its second mass shooting in less than a week, sparking urgent new calls for gun control.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/after-atlanta-spa-shootings-colorado-supermarket-attack-rocks-us-372591" hreflang="en">After Atlanta spa shootings, Colorado supermarket attack rocks US</a>

The first officer on the scene, 51-year-old Eric Talley, was among those killed, a tearful Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said at a Monday news conference. An 11-year veteran of the force, Talley was the father of seven children and had recently been looking for a less dangerous job, according to a statement released by his father.

Harris&nbsp;praised the officer, saying he acted with "great courage and heroism."

The vice president made the remarks during a swearing-in ceremony for Ambassador William Burns to be the next CIA director.

The suspect, named as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, was in hospital after being shot in an exchange of fire with officers following the attack on King Soopers in Boulder County, 30 miles (50 kilometres)&nbsp;northwest of the state capital Denver, on Monday afternoon.

Sarah&nbsp;Moonshadow, 42, was at the checkout line with her adult son, Nicholas, when the gunfire began.

"And I said, 'Nicholas, get down.' And Nicholas ducked. And we just started listening and there, just repetitive shots ... and I just said, 'Nicholas, run,'" she said.

Moonshadow&nbsp;said she tried to attend to a victim she saw lying on the pavement outside the store, but her son pulled her away, telling her, 'We have to go.'" She broke down in sobs recounting their ordeal, adding, "I couldn't help anybody."

The massacre came less than a week after another gunman shot dead eight people at multiple spas in the Georgia state capital Atlanta. The suspect, in that case, is also facing murder charges.

Together the killings ignited new calls for US politicians to act against the country's notoriously lax gun ownership laws.&nbsp;

Tighter gun control is overwhelmingly popular with Americans -- and backed by President Joe Biden -- but Republicans have long stood against what a minority view as any infringement on their right to bear arms.

"He is charged with 10 counts of murder in the first degree and will be shortly transported to Boulder county jail," Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold told a press conference.

The police chief also read out, one by one, the names of the 10 people killed in the attack, men and women aged from 20 to 65 who included a police officer who was a father of seven.&nbsp;

The massacre came less than a week after another gunman shot dead eight people at multiple spas in the Georgia state capital Atlanta. The suspect, in that case, is also facing murder charges.

Together the killings ignited new calls for US politicians to act against the country's notoriously lax gun ownership laws.&nbsp;

Tighter gun control is overwhelmingly popular with Americans -- and backed by President Joe Biden -- but Republicans have long stood against what a minority view as any infringement on their right to bear arms.

Biden said last month he wanted Congress to pass laws that would require background checks on all gun sales and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

"This administration will not wait for the next mass shooting to heed that call," he said at the time.

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.

The bills address a hugely popular premise among American voters: that background checks be required for all US firearm sales, including those at gun shows.

According to the gun violence archive, over&nbsp;19 thousand people were killed&nbsp;in shootings and firearm-related incidents last year. It is the&nbsp;highest death toll in the past 20 years.

According to a report in&nbsp;2018, more than 393 million firearms are available to American citizens. Whereas, the country's population was approximately&nbsp;328 million.

42 per cent of the households in America&nbsp;own one or more than one firearm. Meanwhile, 45 per cent of males and&nbsp;19 per cent of females&nbsp;own at least one gun.

Reportedly,&nbsp;Asian Americans are now buying guns to defend themselves.&nbsp;

In 2020,&nbsp;&nbsp;hate crimes against this community surged 149 per cent.&nbsp;

More than eight million people have bought a gun in America&nbsp;since the pandemic began.

The FBI ran close to 40 million background checks for gun purchases last year, as per a report. And for 2021,&nbsp;the background checks are already exceeding the pace of 2020

&nbsp;

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday called the mass shooting in Colorado a day earlier that left ten people dead "absolutely tragic." A 21-year-old man was charged Tuesday with gunning 10 people down in a Colorado grocery store, as America reeled from its second mass shooting in less than a week, sparking urgent new calls for gun control.

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday called the mass shooting in Colorado a day earlier that left ten people dead "absolutely tragic." A 21-year-old man was charged Tuesday with gunning 10 people down in a Colorado grocery store, as America reeled from its second mass shooting in less than a week, sparking urgent new calls for gun control. Also see| After Atlanta spa shootings, Colorado supermarket attack rocks US The first officer on the scene, 51-year-old Eric Talley, was among those killed, a tearful Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said at a Monday news conference. An 11-year veteran of the force, Talley was the father of seven children and had recently been looking for a less dangerous job, according to a statement released by his father. Harris praised the officer, saying he acted with "great courage and heroism." The vice president made the remarks during a swearing-in ceremony for Ambassador William Burns to be the next CIA director. The suspect, named as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, was in hospital after being shot in an exchange of fire with officers following the attack on King Soopers in Boulder County, 30 miles (50 kilometres) northwest of the state capital Denver, on Monday afternoon. Sarah Moonshadow, 42, was at the checkout line with her adult son, Nicholas, when the gunfire began. "And I said, 'Nicholas, get down.' And Nicholas ducked. And we just started listening and there, just repetitive shots ... and I just said, 'Nicholas, run,'" she said. Moonshadow said she tried to attend to a victim she saw lying on the pavement outside the store, but her son pulled her away, telling her, 'We have to go.'" She broke down in sobs recounting their ordeal, adding, "I couldn't help anybody." The massacre came less than a week after another gunman shot dead eight people at multiple spas in the Georgia state capital Atlanta. The suspect, in that case, is also facing murder charges. Together the killings ignited new calls for US politicians to act against the country's notoriously lax gun ownership laws. Tighter gun control is overwhelmingly popular with Americans -- and backed by President Joe Biden -- but Republicans have long stood against what a minority view as any infringement on their right to bear arms. "He is charged with 10 counts of murder in the first degree and will be shortly transported to Boulder county jail," Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold told a press conference. The police chief also read out, one by one, the names of the 10 people killed in the attack, men and women aged from 20 to 65 who included a police officer who was a father of seven. The massacre came less than a week after another gunman shot dead eight people at multiple spas in the Georgia state capital Atlanta. The suspect, in that case, is also facing murder charges. Together the killings ignited new calls for US politicians to act against the country's notoriously lax gun ownership laws. Tighter gun control is overwhelmingly popular with Americans -- and backed by President Joe Biden -- but Republicans have long stood against what a minority view as any infringement on their right to bear arms. Biden said last month he wanted Congress to pass laws that would require background checks on all gun sales and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. "This administration will not wait for the next mass shooting to heed that call," he said at the time. 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. The bills address a hugely popular premise among American voters: that background checks be required for all US firearm sales, including those at gun shows. According to the gun violence archive, over 19 thousand people were killed in shootings and firearm-related incidents last year. It is the highest death toll in the past 20 years. According to a report in 2018, more than 393 million firearms are available to American citizens. Whereas, the country's population was approximately 328 million. 42 per cent of the households in America own one or more than one firearm. Meanwhile, 45 per cent of males and 19 per cent of females own at least one gun. Reportedly, Asian Americans are now buying guns to defend themselves. In 2020, hate crimes against this community surged 149 per cent. More than eight million people have bought a gun in America since the pandemic began. The FBI ran close to 40 million background checks for gun purchases last year, as per a report. And for 2021, the background checks are already exceeding the pace of 2020

'It's absolutely tragic': US Vice President Kamala Harris condemns Colorado mass shooting

US Vice-President Kamala Harris on Saturday congratulated Tanzania's new president Samia Suluhu Hassan, the first woman to hold that office, and said the United States was ready to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Harris, the first woman and first person of colour to serve as US vice-president, took to Twitter to shower praise and support for Hassan.

"Sending best wishes to @SuluhuSamia following her swearing in as Tanzania's new President - the first woman to hold the office. The United States stands ready to work with you to strengthen relations between our countries," she wrote.

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Sending best wishes to <a href="https://twitter.com/SuluhuSamia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SuluhuSamia</a> following her swearing in as Tanzania's new President - the first woman to hold the office. The United States stands ready to work with you to strengthen relations between our countries.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1373341947184693252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Hassan, who had been vice-president since 2015, on Friday urged the country to unite and avoid pointing fingers after the death of John Magufuli, her COVID-19 sceptic predecessor.

Hassan, 61, was sworn in at State House in the country’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam on March 19. She assumes the presidency following announcement of the death of Magufuli, after a more than a two-week absence from public life that drew speculation about his health.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tanzania-swears-in-samia-suluhu-hassan-as-first-female-president-371610">Also read |&nbsp;Tanzania swears in Samia Suluhu Hassan as first female president</a>

Total trade between the two countries was $462 million in 2019. US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Tanzania was $1.5 billion in 2019, a 5.2 per cent increase from 2018.

The US Trade Representative's office is leading US efforts to forge a new trade and investment partnership with the East African Community, a regional organisation that includes Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Hassan's leadership style is seen as a potential contrast from Magufuli, a brash populist who earned the nickname ‘Bulldozer’ for muscling through policies and who drew criticism for his intolerance of dissent, which his government denied.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris on Saturday congratulated Tanzania's new president Samia Suluhu Hassan, the first woman to hold that office, and said the United States was ready to strengthen ties between the two countries.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris on Saturday congratulated Tanzania's new president Samia Suluhu Hassan, the first woman to hold that office, and said the United States was ready to strengthen ties between the two countries. Harris, the first woman and first person of colour to serve as US vice-president, took to Twitter to shower praise and support for Hassan. "Sending best wishes to @SuluhuSamia following her swearing in as Tanzania's new President - the first woman to hold the office. The United States stands ready to work with you to strengthen relations between our countries," she wrote. Sending best wishes to @SuluhuSamia following her swearing in as Tanzania's new President - the first woman to hold the office. The United States stands ready to work with you to strengthen relations between our countries. — Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) March 20, 2021 × Hassan, who had been vice-president since 2015, on Friday urged the country to unite and avoid pointing fingers after the death of John Magufuli, her COVID-19 sceptic predecessor. Hassan, 61, was sworn in at State House in the country’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam on March 19. She assumes the presidency following announcement of the death of Magufuli, after a more than a two-week absence from public life that drew speculation about his health. Also read | Tanzania swears in Samia Suluhu Hassan as first female president Total trade between the two countries was $462 million in 2019. US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Tanzania was $1.5 billion in 2019, a 5.2 per cent increase from 2018. The US Trade Representative's office is leading US efforts to forge a new trade and investment partnership with the East African Community, a regional organisation that includes Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Hassan's leadership style is seen as a potential contrast from Magufuli, a brash populist who earned the nickname ‘Bulldozer’ for muscling through policies and who drew criticism for his intolerance of dissent, which his government denied.

Kamala Harris, first female US VP, congratulates Tanzania's first woman president

U.S reports a surge in violence against Asian-Americans in the United States. US president Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris meet leaders and lawmakers from the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community.

US President Joe Biden ask people to stand against hate crimes

US Vice President Kamala Harris made her debut at the United Nations on Tuesday, telling a meeting on gender equality that democracy fundamentally depends on the empowerment of women and that democracy globally is increasingly 'under great strain'.&nbsp;

The United States would work to improve both, Harris said in a video statement to the 65th Commission on the Status of Women.&nbsp;

"Democracy requires constant vigilance, constant improvement. It is a work in progress. And today, we know that democracy is increasingly under great strain," said the first female vice president of the United States.&nbsp;

"The status of democracy also depends fundamentally on the empowerment of women. Not only because the exclusion of women in decision-making is a marker of a flawed democracy, but because the participation of women strengthens democracy," she said.&nbsp;

Harris said that President Joe Biden's administration would&nbsp;revitalise&nbsp;Washington's partnership with UN Women - a UN body dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.&nbsp;

Under former US President Donald Trump's administration, the United States led a push at the United Nations against the promotion of women's sexual and reproductive rights and health because it sees that as code for abortion. It opposed such language in UN resolutions.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US Vice President Kamala Harris made her debut at the United Nations on Tuesday, telling a meeting on gender equality that democracy fundamentally depends on the empowerment of women and that democracy globally is increasingly 'under great strain'.

US Vice President Kamala Harris made her debut at the United Nations on Tuesday, telling a meeting on gender equality that democracy fundamentally depends on the empowerment of women and that democracy globally is increasingly 'under great strain'. The United States would work to improve both, Harris said in a video statement to the 65th Commission on the Status of Women. "Democracy requires constant vigilance, constant improvement. It is a work in progress. And today, we know that democracy is increasingly under great strain," said the first female vice president of the United States. "The status of democracy also depends fundamentally on the empowerment of women. Not only because the exclusion of women in decision-making is a marker of a flawed democracy, but because the participation of women strengthens democracy," she said. Harris said that President Joe Biden's administration would revitalise Washington's partnership with UN Women - a UN body dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Under former US President Donald Trump's administration, the United States led a push at the United Nations against the promotion of women's sexual and reproductive rights and health because it sees that as code for abortion. It opposed such language in UN resolutions. (With inputs from agencies)

Kamala Harris makes UN debut, pledges to fight for women, democracy 

oe Biden, Kamala Harris, Jill Biden and allies are hitting the road in US to promote Covid Relief Bill this week. @WhiteHouse's 'Help Is Here' tour aims to aware Americans about the $1.9 Trillion Pandemic bill & its benefits. Susan M. Tehrani brings you more.

White House launches 'Help Is Here' tour

It was long overdue, and has finally happened. The Quad met today for its first ever summit. 
&nbsp; 
This is an extremely significant geopolitical event. It will shape the strategic alliances of our world.

The Quad has four members: the United States, Australia,&nbsp;Japan and India. Leaders from all four countries came together for a virtual summit.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Before this, the highest level engagement was that of ministers. Foreign ministers of all four countries have met thrice in the last three&nbsp;years, twice in person and once virtually.

Each time, they failed to issue a joint statement. They came up with separate statements.&nbsp;And they spoke in different tones. This is the first time&nbsp;the Quad is trying to speak in one voice.

 
We'll decode the first ever Quad summit, what was discussed, what will be done next.

Will the quad become more than a talking shop? And what will this alliance mean for India?

We'll discuss all this and more. First, let's talk about what happened today.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The meeting was virtual.&nbsp;For US President Joe Biden, this was the first high level engagement since he assumed office in January. With him was Vice President Kamala Harris.&nbsp;The meeting was initiated by Washington. That should tell you how much importance the US Attaches to the Quad. &nbsp;

Other leaders in attendance were Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Quad has potential. What it lacked so far, is political will.

The alliance failed to spell out specific goals.&nbsp;Tonight, that wasn't the case. Even before the summit began, all four countries had a clear agenda.

Securing free and open access to Indo-Pacific, the supply of vaccines--a&nbsp;priority considering the pandemic-and&nbsp;resilient supply and production chains. The opening remarks touched upon these themes. The focus was the Indo-Pacific.

All four leaders made a mention of it, and for obvious reasons.

The last year&nbsp;saw China's military aggression in the region: The border standoff in Ladakh, the provocations in Taiwan and South China Sea and around the Senkaku Islands near Japan.

Earlier this week,&nbsp;we told you about America's military assessment on the Indo-Pacific. America's top commander called China "the greatest long-term strategic threat to security".

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about a free and open Indo-Pacific.&nbsp; And India's commitment to democratic values.&nbsp;&nbsp;

All Quad allies are robust democracies. Upholding a commitment to democracy is a clear message to China. The next issue was vaccines. China is trying to push its vaccines. Even though they're unreliable.&nbsp;&nbsp;

China says it will donate vaccines to 69 developing countries. And it is exporting vaccines to 43 countries. The Quad needs to balance the scales. Reports say it has planned financing agreements to boost manufacturing in India. Meaning they'll pour in money to make in India.

These are deals for drugmakers to make their shots in India. US President Joe Biden said vaccines will drive global growth this year.

The next issue is supply chains. Remember, China controls supply chains. The pandemic taught us why the world must diversify. The Quad today focused on the supply of rare earths. These four countries plan to build a rare earth procurement chain.

Rare earths are crucial elements. They build in practically everything we use today. And will use in the future. From smartphones to computers and batteries, rare earths are used in all. Right now, China produces nearly 60 per cent of the world's rare earths.

It controls the supply. Which means&nbsp;it can also dictate the international rules for future technologies.

The Quad wants to break the monopoly.&nbsp;So the tone is now set.

While the leaders didn't mention China, the three issues they picked up sent a clear message to Beijing:&nbsp;A free and open Indo-Pacific, vaccines, and&nbsp;global supply chains.

The Quad will confront China on all three fronts.

The timing of this Qad summit is significant. Top officials from the United States and China are meeting next week in Alaska. This is the first bilateral engagement of the Biden administration. The Quad has firmed up its alliance, just before those discussions.

And as we discuss the future of the Quad, we must also take some lessons from its past. The Quad has informally existed for 16 long years. But it has failed to go beyond being a talking shop.

Quad member nations have met in the past. They've made promises. Held naval exercises. But done little to achieve their core strategic purpose.&nbsp;Of containing China's influence in the Indo-Pacific.

How will it be different this time?

It emerged in 2004. It was formalised in 2007. It lay dormant for the next 10 years.&nbsp;Then it was revived in 2017. But it was in 2020 that the Quad arrived at a turning point.&nbsp;And in 2021, it assembled for the first time at the leader level. This historic gathering could change Asian geopolitics.

But does it intend to? The Quad has been toiling for the last 16 years. The principle aim of this body was strategic, to maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.

But for 16 years,&nbsp;the Quad has failed to go beyond being a talking shop.&nbsp;Its promises did not translate into action on ground.

Will it be the same this time?&nbsp;Not really. Four clear and&nbsp;specific areas of cooperation have been identified this time. They will be at the centre of the Quad's future operations.

The first is maritime security and&nbsp;cooperation. Considerable headway was made in this area during the Trump administration. All four countries took part in the Malabar Exercise last year. This year, expanded cooperation involving the Quad and&nbsp;non-Quad members is on the cards.

Reports already indicate that France and the UAE will be joining hands with the Quad for naval exercises. This is being seen as a signal to China to adhere to international norms.

The second area of collaboration will be on covid-19 related issues. From the beginning of this pandemic, India's approach has been global. From rescuing foreign expats trapped in distant countries&nbsp;to nursing the world through its vaccine diplomacy, India has contributed immensely in the fight against Covid-19.

Reports say the Quad is looking to launch an expansive vaccine programme where vaccines will be developed in the US manufactured in India, financed by Japan and supported by Australia.

The cooperation will be stepped up to counter China's growing influence in countries hit hard by the pandemic.

The third area of cooperation is climate change. It has been gaining momentum in Joe Biden's domestic and&nbsp;foreign policy agenda.

This is one area where the Quad will try to corner China into delivering more. Working groups for climate change are expected to be announced soon.

The last area of economic and&nbsp;technological cooperation is of special significance. It indirectly recognises China as an economic and technological threat.

China, which produces 60% of the world's rare earths will see tough competition.

As the Quad joins hands to build a rare earth procurement chain and counter China's dominance,&nbsp;the Quad will also look to dent China's technological influence.

With investments in emerging and&nbsp;critical defence technologies,&nbsp;the Global Times has reported&nbsp;that the Quad could further contain Chinese tech giant Huawei. 
&nbsp; 
China will be the central theme of all of Quad's initiatives but the references are oblique. The leaders have met.

Will they put their money where their mouth is?&nbsp;

Is it just an anti-china coalition?

What does the quad mean for India?

Five things. One:&nbsp;a strategic win. Two: a boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).&nbsp;Three: a global leadership role. Four: pushing multilateralism.&nbsp;And five:&nbsp;it will help India become a blue economy.

We'll take these one by one.&nbsp;First, it's a step towards India's strategic goals.

India wants a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.&nbsp;India looks at the Indo-Pacific as a single, strategic construct.&nbsp;

What is the Indo-Pacific?&nbsp;The region linking the waters of the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean.

In the Quad, India gets a grouping of like-minded nations. A group that is ready to defend the laws of high seas.&nbsp;Second, the Quad will help India rebuild its supply chains, reduce the dependence on China.

Consider this: all the Quad members have one thing in common. They disagree with Chinese military aggression. But no Quad member&nbsp;has been able to drag China to court for militarising the South China Sea.

You know who went to court?&nbsp;The Philippines. Not Japan, not even Australia. Neither the US,&nbsp;nor India. &nbsp;

Why?&nbsp;Because all these countries, like the rest of the world, rely heavily on China for trade.

And that's dangerous. China can weaponise trade. The pandemic has shown us how. China can weaponise essential drugs, medical equipment, ventilators. So the world wants to break away from China.

India wants to be self-reliant. The Quad can enable that. Third, the Quad is an opportunity for India to shape the emerging world order. And this can only be done with the help of strategic relations. Quad is India's opportunity for cementing ties with the world's most prominent democracies. The US already acknowledges India as a 'major defence partner'.

In 2016, India and the US signed LE MoA,&nbsp;or the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement.&nbsp;In 2020, an American military aircraft refuelled at India's strategic base in Andaman and Nicobar islands for the first time.

India has also signed an agreement with Australia on mutual logistics support. The Quad takes these strategic ties a step further.

Fourth: the Quad is India's opportunity to push for multilateralism. Quad meetings have recently been attended by three more Indo-Pacific countries.

New Zealand, South Korea and Vietnam.

Countries like New Zealand&nbsp;have long been reluctant to be perceived as anti-China. The pandemic has changed that. The strengthening, expansion and distribution of power works in favour of India.

Fifth:&nbsp;Quad is also a step towards India's dream of becoming a blue economy.

India is accelerating efforts in that direction.&nbsp;Be it cargo, or commerce. India recently hosted a virtual maritime summit. It is improving port facilities at home, developing strategic ports abroad, be it the Chabahar in Iran&nbsp;or the Kaladan project in Myanmar. India is also modernising facilities in the Andaman islands.&nbsp;A plan worth 56.5 billion rupees was finalised in 2019.

It allows for additional warships, troops, aircraft and drones to be stationed in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. India has also commissioned a new naval station- INS&nbsp;Kohassa in the islands.

India wants to be a top maritime economy. But it won't be possible without the cooperation of other maritime powers. This is where the Quad becomes very crucial.

Finally... China.

There is of course, the &nbsp;need to counter China. Its hard and soft powers.

There is no denying it's China's actions that have brought the Quad closer. The militarising of islands in South China Sea, the creating of artificial ones, the exporting of the Wuhan virus, China's muscle flexing in Ladakh, the death of 20 Indian soldiers.

Chinese aggression against Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia,&nbsp;China's quashing of Hong Kong's autonomy.

 
The list is long.&nbsp;It took all of these&nbsp;to finally get the four countries to hold joint military exercises, the 2020 Malabar Exercises. They say nothing makes friends like a common enemy. China is of course the binding factor of the Quad. But for India, the Quad is much more than&nbsp;just China.

It was long overdue, and has finally happened. The Quad met today for its first ever summit. This is an extremely significant geopolitical event. It will shape the strategic alliances of our world.

It was long overdue, and has finally happened. The Quad met today for its first ever summit. This is an extremely significant geopolitical event. It will shape the strategic alliances of our world. The Quad has four members: the United States, Australia, Japan and India. Leaders from all four countries came together for a virtual summit. Before this, the highest level engagement was that of ministers. Foreign ministers of all four countries have met thrice in the last three years, twice in person and once virtually. Each time, they failed to issue a joint statement. They came up with separate statements. And they spoke in different tones. This is the first time the Quad is trying to speak in one voice. We'll decode the first ever Quad summit, what was discussed, what will be done next. Will the quad become more than a talking shop? And what will this alliance mean for India? We'll discuss all this and more. First, let's talk about what happened today. The meeting was virtual. For US President Joe Biden, this was the first high level engagement since he assumed office in January. With him was Vice President Kamala Harris. The meeting was initiated by Washington. That should tell you how much importance the US Attaches to the Quad. Other leaders in attendance were Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Quad has potential. What it lacked so far, is political will. The alliance failed to spell out specific goals. Tonight, that wasn't the case. Even before the summit began, all four countries had a clear agenda. Securing free and open access to Indo-Pacific, the supply of vaccines--a priority considering the pandemic-and resilient supply and production chains. The opening remarks touched upon these themes. The focus was the Indo-Pacific. All four leaders made a mention of it, and for obvious reasons. The last year saw China's military aggression in the region: The border standoff in Ladakh, the provocations in Taiwan and South China Sea and around the Senkaku Islands near Japan. Earlier this week, we told you about America's military assessment on the Indo-Pacific. America's top commander called China "the greatest long-term strategic threat to security". India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about a free and open Indo-Pacific. And India's commitment to democratic values. All Quad allies are robust democracies. Upholding a commitment to democracy is a clear message to China. The next issue was vaccines. China is trying to push its vaccines. Even though they're unreliable. China says it will donate vaccines to 69 developing countries. And it is exporting vaccines to 43 countries. The Quad needs to balance the scales. Reports say it has planned financing agreements to boost manufacturing in India. Meaning they'll pour in money to make in India. These are deals for drugmakers to make their shots in India. US President Joe Biden said vaccines will drive global growth this year. The next issue is supply chains. Remember, China controls supply chains. The pandemic taught us why the world must diversify. The Quad today focused on the supply of rare earths. These four countries plan to build a rare earth procurement chain. Rare earths are crucial elements. They build in practically everything we use today. And will use in the future. From smartphones to computers and batteries, rare earths are used in all. Right now, China produces nearly 60 per cent of the world's rare earths. It controls the supply. Which means it can also dictate the international rules for future technologies. The Quad wants to break the monopoly. So the tone is now set. While the leaders didn't mention China, the three issues they picked up sent a clear message to Beijing: A free and open Indo-Pacific, vaccines, and global supply chains. The Quad will confront China on all three fronts. The timing of this Qad summit is significant. Top officials from the United States and China are meeting next week in Alaska. This is the first bilateral engagement of the Biden administration. The Quad has firmed up its alliance, just before those discussions. And as we discuss the future of the Quad, we must also take some lessons from its past. The Quad has informally existed for 16 long years. But it has failed to go beyond being a talking shop. Quad member nations have met in the past. They've made promises. Held naval exercises. But done little to achieve their core strategic purpose. Of containing China's influence in the Indo-Pacific. How will it be different this time? It emerged in 2004. It was formalised in 2007. It lay dormant for the next 10 years. Then it was revived in 2017. But it was in 2020 that the Quad arrived at a turning point. And in 2021, it assembled for the first time at the leader level. This historic gathering could change Asian geopolitics. But does it intend to? The Quad has been toiling for the last 16 years. The principle aim of this body was strategic, to maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. But for 16 years, the Quad has failed to go beyond being a talking shop. Its promises did not translate into action on ground. Will it be the same this time? Not really. Four clear and specific areas of cooperation have been identified this time. They will be at the centre of the Quad's future operations. The first is maritime security and cooperation. Considerable headway was made in this area during the Trump administration. All four countries took part in the Malabar Exercise last year. This year, expanded cooperation involving the Quad and non-Quad members is on the cards. Reports already indicate that France and the UAE will be joining hands with the Quad for naval exercises. This is being seen as a signal to China to adhere to international norms. The second area of collaboration will be on covid-19 related issues. From the beginning of this pandemic, India's approach has been global. From rescuing foreign expats trapped in distant countries to nursing the world through its vaccine diplomacy, India has contributed immensely in the fight against Covid-19. Reports say the Quad is looking to launch an expansive vaccine programme where vaccines will be developed in the US manufactured in India, financed by Japan and supported by Australia. The cooperation will be stepped up to counter China's growing influence in countries hit hard by the pandemic. The third area of cooperation is climate change. It has been gaining momentum in Joe Biden's domestic and foreign policy agenda. This is one area where the Quad will try to corner China into delivering more. Working groups for climate change are expected to be announced soon. The last area of economic and technological cooperation is of special significance. It indirectly recognises China as an economic and technological threat. China, which produces 60% of the world's rare earths will see tough competition. As the Quad joins hands to build a rare earth procurement chain and counter China's dominance, the Quad will also look to dent China's technological influence. With investments in emerging and critical defence technologies, the Global Times has reported that the Quad could further contain Chinese tech giant Huawei. China will be the central theme of all of Quad's initiatives but the references are oblique. The leaders have met. Will they put their money where their mouth is? Is it just an anti-china coalition? What does the quad mean for India? Five things. One: a strategic win. Two: a boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). Three: a global leadership role. Four: pushing multilateralism. And five: it will help India become a blue economy. We'll take these one by one. First, it's a step towards India's strategic goals. India wants a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. India looks at the Indo-Pacific as a single, strategic construct. What is the Indo-Pacific? The region linking the waters of the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean. In the Quad, India gets a grouping of like-minded nations. A group that is ready to defend the laws of high seas. Second, the Quad will help India rebuild its supply chains, reduce the dependence on China. Consider this: all the Quad members have one thing in common. They disagree with Chinese military aggression. But no Quad member has been able to drag China to court for militarising the South China Sea. You know who went to court? The Philippines. Not Japan, not even Australia. Neither the US, nor India. Why? Because all these countries, like the rest of the world, rely heavily on China for trade. And that's dangerous. China can weaponise trade. The pandemic has shown us how. China can weaponise essential drugs, medical equipment, ventilators. So the world wants to break away from China. India wants to be self-reliant. The Quad can enable that. Third, the Quad is an opportunity for India to shape the emerging world order. And this can only be done with the help of strategic relations. Quad is India's opportunity for cementing ties with the world's most prominent democracies. The US already acknowledges India as a 'major defence partner'. In 2016, India and the US signed LE MoA, or the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement. In 2020, an American military aircraft refuelled at India's strategic base in Andaman and Nicobar islands for the first time. India has also signed an agreement with Australia on mutual logistics support. The Quad takes these strategic ties a step further. Fourth: the Quad is India's opportunity to push for multilateralism. Quad meetings have recently been attended by three more Indo-Pacific countries. New Zealand, South Korea and Vietnam. Countries like New Zealand have long been reluctant to be perceived as anti-China. The pandemic has changed that. The strengthening, expansion and distribution of power works in favour of India. Fifth: Quad is also a step towards India's dream of becoming a blue economy. India is accelerating efforts in that direction. Be it cargo, or commerce. India recently hosted a virtual maritime summit. It is improving port facilities at home, developing strategic ports abroad, be it the Chabahar in Iran or the Kaladan project in Myanmar. India is also modernising facilities in the Andaman islands. A plan worth 56.5 billion rupees was finalised in 2019. It allows for additional warships, troops, aircraft and drones to be stationed in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. India has also commissioned a new naval station- INS Kohassa in the islands. India wants to be a top maritime economy. But it won't be possible without the cooperation of other maritime powers. This is where the Quad becomes very crucial. Finally... China. There is of course, the need to counter China. Its hard and soft powers. There is no denying it's China's actions that have brought the Quad closer. The militarising of islands in South China Sea, the creating of artificial ones, the exporting of the Wuhan virus, China's muscle flexing in Ladakh, the death of 20 Indian soldiers. Chinese aggression against Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia, China's quashing of Hong Kong's autonomy. The list is long. It took all of these to finally get the four countries to hold joint military exercises, the 2020 Malabar Exercises. They say nothing makes friends like a common enemy. China is of course the binding factor of the Quad. But for India, the Quad is much more than just China.

Quad leaders hold much-awaited summit, but what is different now?

President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> is planning an aggressive campaign to tell voters about the benefits for them in the $1.9 trillion economic relief package that won final congressional approval Wednesday, an attempt to ensure that he and his fellow Democrats get full political credit for the first big victory of his administration.

The effort will start with Biden’s scheduled prime-time address to the nation Thursday and include travel by the president and Vice President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> across multiple states, events with a wide range of Cabinet members emphasizing themes of the legislation and endorsements from Republican mayors, administration officials said Wednesday.

The White House’s decision to get out and sell the package after its passage reflects a lesson from the early months of the Obama administration. In 2009, fighting to help the economy recover from a crippling financial crisis, President Barack Obama never succeeded in building durable popular support for a similar stimulus bill and allowed Republicans to define it on their terms, fueling a partisan backlash and the rise of the Tea Party movement.

Biden starts with the advantage that the legislation, which he is set to sign Friday, is widely popular in national polling. And it will deliver a series of tangible benefits to low- and middle-income Americans, including direct payments of $1,400 per individual, just as the economy’s halting recovery from the pandemic recession is poised to accelerate.

Speaking briefly to reporters Wednesday, the president called the legislation “a historic, historic victory for the American people.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-china-to-hold-first-high-level-meet-under-biden-in-alaska-369619">WATCH |</a>&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-china-to-hold-first-high-level-meet-under-biden-in-alaska-369619/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

After his address from the Oval Office on Thursday night, Biden will headline a public relations effort over several weeks that aides say will involve his entire Cabinet and White House communications officials, and support from like-minded business and policy organizations and political supporters at all levels around the country. The White House announced Wednesday that Biden would visit the Philadelphia suburbs next week.

Unlike President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, who loved to serve at times as a singular pitchman for the economic policies under his administration, Biden will lead an all-hands effort.

It is a striking contrast to the strategy pursued by the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president. Obama’s first major legislative victory was a nearly $800 billion stimulus bill that passed with the backing of a majority of voters, but it lost support over time.

Biden was still trying to sell voters on the benefits of that plan in 2016, near the end of his time as vice president. He told congressional Democrats this month that the administration had “paid a price” for failing to better market the bill early on.

Obama struggled in part because the economy was still contracting when his plan passed, and its rollout was overshadowed by an arduously slow recovery from recession. “President Obama gave speech after speech” to sell his stimulus plan, Dan Pfeiffer, who was a White House communications director under Obama, wrote this week. “He visited factory after factory that had reopened because of the Recovery Act. But it was nearly impossible to break through the avalanche of bad news.”

The circumstances appear to be different this year. Democrats are buoyed by polls that show Biden's relief package winning as much as three-quarters support from voters nationwide, including large swaths of Republicans, even after a month of attacks from congressional Republicans who voted in unison against its passage in both the House and the Senate.

More than 7 in 10 Americans backed Biden’s aid package as of last month, according to polling from the online research firm SurveyMonkey for The New York Times. That includes support from three-quarters of independent voters, 2 in 5 Republicans and nearly all Democrats. A poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center found similar support.

The Biden team also appears to have economic circumstances working in its favor. Job growth accelerated in February, Biden’s first full month in office. Forecasters expect economic growth to speed up even more in the months to come because of the increasingly widespread deployment of COVID-19 vaccines across the country, which should allow consumers to start spending more on activities like traveling or dining out, which many have cut back on over the past year because of the pandemic.

Forecasters expect the relief package to further fuel growth, in part by shuttling money to low- and middle-income Americans who disproportionately lost jobs and incomes in the crisis. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicted this week that the Biden plan would help the U.S. economy grow at a 6.5% rate this year, which would be its fastest annual clip since the early 1980s.

The timing of the bill could bolster Biden’s attempts to claim credit for that rebound, even though forecasters were projecting a return to growth — albeit a smaller one than they now predict — before he took office. Trump did something similar in 2017: Growth had slowed in early 2016, but it had begun to improve in the second half of that year, before Trump won the White House. Yet he persistently claimed he had engineered the greatest economy in American history.

Still, Biden administration officials are mindful that political opposition could easily fester and grow if they do not clearly explain the contents — and direct benefits — of a bill that will be the second-largest economic aid package in American history, trailing only the initial bill that lawmakers approved under Trump last year as the worsening pandemic pushed the nation into recession.

Republicans continued to attack the bill on the House floor Wednesday, casting it as overly expensive, ineffectively targeted and bloated with long-standing liberal priorities unrelated to the pandemic.

“Because Democrats chose to prioritize their political ambitions instead of the working class,” Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the top Republican on the Budget Committee, said in a news release, “they just passed the wrong plan, at the wrong time, for all the wrong reasons.”

Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, one of the few Democrats in the chamber to represent a state Biden lost to Trump in 2020, called the Republican attacks “lies” and said they showed why Democrats needed to remind voters of the benefits to people and businesses included in the bill.

“You’ve got to sell it, because they’re going to lie about everything,” Brown said. “The sale is an easy sell, but you need to continue to remind” voters about the contents of the package, he said.

Biden is scheduled to follow his speech Thursday with travel to states led by both Democratic and Republican governors in the coming weeks to begin the sales pitch. Among the options being considered, if they can be done safely during the pandemic, are town-hall-style events that allow the president to directly take questions from people.

The main message, according to Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, will be an echo of one of Biden’s chief campaign promises: “Help is on the way.”

The president’s political and communications advisers have identified 10 themes that they want to tackle, one by one, in the days and weeks ahead. They include food insecurity, child poverty, bolstering rural health care, school reopening, help for veterans and help for small businesses.

“We’ll be emphasizing a number of components that are in the package and really having a conversation,” Psaki said. “This is important to the president personally, having a conversation directly with people about how they can benefit, addressing questions they have, even taking their feedback on implementation.”

President Joe Biden is planning an aggressive campaign to tell voters about the benefits for them in the $1.9 trillion economic relief package that won final congressional approval Wednesday, an attempt to ensure that he and his fellow Democrats get full political credit for the first big victory of his administration.

President Joe Biden is planning an aggressive campaign to tell voters about the benefits for them in the $1.9 trillion economic relief package that won final congressional approval Wednesday, an attempt to ensure that he and his fellow Democrats get full political credit for the first big victory of his administration. The effort will start with Biden’s scheduled prime-time address to the nation Thursday and include travel by the president and Vice President Kamala Harris across multiple states, events with a wide range of Cabinet members emphasizing themes of the legislation and endorsements from Republican mayors, administration officials said Wednesday. The White House’s decision to get out and sell the package after its passage reflects a lesson from the early months of the Obama administration. In 2009, fighting to help the economy recover from a crippling financial crisis, President Barack Obama never succeeded in building durable popular support for a similar stimulus bill and allowed Republicans to define it on their terms, fueling a partisan backlash and the rise of the Tea Party movement. Biden starts with the advantage that the legislation, which he is set to sign Friday, is widely popular in national polling. And it will deliver a series of tangible benefits to low- and middle-income Americans, including direct payments of $1,400 per individual, just as the economy’s halting recovery from the pandemic recession is poised to accelerate. Speaking briefly to reporters Wednesday, the president called the legislation “a historic, historic victory for the American people.” WATCH | After his address from the Oval Office on Thursday night, Biden will headline a public relations effort over several weeks that aides say will involve his entire Cabinet and White House communications officials, and support from like-minded business and policy organizations and political supporters at all levels around the country. The White House announced Wednesday that Biden would visit the Philadelphia suburbs next week. Unlike President Donald Trump, who loved to serve at times as a singular pitchman for the economic policies under his administration, Biden will lead an all-hands effort. It is a striking contrast to the strategy pursued by the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president. Obama’s first major legislative victory was a nearly $800 billion stimulus bill that passed with the backing of a majority of voters, but it lost support over time. Biden was still trying to sell voters on the benefits of that plan in 2016, near the end of his time as vice president. He told congressional Democrats this month that the administration had “paid a price” for failing to better market the bill early on. Obama struggled in part because the economy was still contracting when his plan passed, and its rollout was overshadowed by an arduously slow recovery from recession. “President Obama gave speech after speech” to sell his stimulus plan, Dan Pfeiffer, who was a White House communications director under Obama, wrote this week. “He visited factory after factory that had reopened because of the Recovery Act. But it was nearly impossible to break through the avalanche of bad news.” The circumstances appear to be different this year. Democrats are buoyed by polls that show Biden's relief package winning as much as three-quarters support from voters nationwide, including large swaths of Republicans, even after a month of attacks from congressional Republicans who voted in unison against its passage in both the House and the Senate. More than 7 in 10 Americans backed Biden’s aid package as of last month, according to polling from the online research firm SurveyMonkey for The New York Times. That includes support from three-quarters of independent voters, 2 in 5 Republicans and nearly all Democrats. A poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center found similar support. The Biden team also appears to have economic circumstances working in its favor. Job growth accelerated in February, Biden’s first full month in office. Forecasters expect economic growth to speed up even more in the months to come because of the increasingly widespread deployment of COVID-19 vaccines across the country, which should allow consumers to start spending more on activities like traveling or dining out, which many have cut back on over the past year because of the pandemic. Forecasters expect the relief package to further fuel growth, in part by shuttling money to low- and middle-income Americans who disproportionately lost jobs and incomes in the crisis. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicted this week that the Biden plan would help the U.S. economy grow at a 6.5% rate this year, which would be its fastest annual clip since the early 1980s. The timing of the bill could bolster Biden’s attempts to claim credit for that rebound, even though forecasters were projecting a return to growth — albeit a smaller one than they now predict — before he took office. Trump did something similar in 2017: Growth had slowed in early 2016, but it had begun to improve in the second half of that year, before Trump won the White House. Yet he persistently claimed he had engineered the greatest economy in American history. Still, Biden administration officials are mindful that political opposition could easily fester and grow if they do not clearly explain the contents — and direct benefits — of a bill that will be the second-largest economic aid package in American history, trailing only the initial bill that lawmakers approved under Trump last year as the worsening pandemic pushed the nation into recession. Republicans continued to attack the bill on the House floor Wednesday, casting it as overly expensive, ineffectively targeted and bloated with long-standing liberal priorities unrelated to the pandemic. “Because Democrats chose to prioritize their political ambitions instead of the working class,” Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, the top Republican on the Budget Committee, said in a news release, “they just passed the wrong plan, at the wrong time, for all the wrong reasons.” Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, one of the few Democrats in the chamber to represent a state Biden lost to Trump in 2020, called the Republican attacks “lies” and said they showed why Democrats needed to remind voters of the benefits to people and businesses included in the bill. “You’ve got to sell it, because they’re going to lie about everything,” Brown said. “The sale is an easy sell, but you need to continue to remind” voters about the contents of the package, he said. Biden is scheduled to follow his speech Thursday with travel to states led by both Democratic and Republican governors in the coming weeks to begin the sales pitch. Among the options being considered, if they can be done safely during the pandemic, are town-hall-style events that allow the president to directly take questions from people. The main message, according to Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, will be an echo of one of Biden’s chief campaign promises: “Help is on the way.” The president’s political and communications advisers have identified 10 themes that they want to tackle, one by one, in the days and weeks ahead. They include food insecurity, child poverty, bolstering rural health care, school reopening, help for veterans and help for small businesses. “We’ll be emphasizing a number of components that are in the package and really having a conversation,” Psaki said. “This is important to the president personally, having a conversation directly with people about how they can benefit, addressing questions they have, even taking their feedback on implementation.”

Biden plans messaging blitz to sell economic aid plan

More than 90% of Americans think the United States could have its first woman president within a decade, a poll has showed, as Vice-President Kamala Harris is increasingly tipped as a favourite for the Democratic Party nomination in 2024.

A&nbsp;Gallup&nbsp;poll conducted in 74 countries showed Americans were the most likely to say they thought a woman could lead their nation by 2030.

The majority of respondents in only three countries - Mauritania, Belarus and Sri Lanka - said they did not expect to see a woman leader in the years ahead, found the poll conducted from 2019 to 2020 and released for International Women's Day.

Women serve as heads of state or government in only 22 countries and 119 nations have never had a woman leader, UN Women data showed in January, while on average women hold just over a quarter of seats in parliaments worldwide.

But Harris's election as the first female U.S. vice president last year was a significant boost for efforts to boost women's political representation and help young women see themselves in top jobs, according to campaigners.

"We all believe (Harris) is going to run for president again very, very soon," said Sara Guillermo, executive director of California-based young women's political leadership organisation IGNITE, describing Harris's election as a "huge cultural shift".

"That is really huge, not just for the little girls of the world but for the little boys, to be able to fully understand that both genders can serve in the highest leadership role," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call.

Harris, 56, who also made history by becoming the first Black American and first Asian American to win the second highest U.S. office, is seen as an obvious contender for her party's 2024 candidacy should Biden, 78, decide not to run.

Monday's poll findings follow a warning last week that despite recent high-profile appointments of women globally, wider progress towards equality in political representation and other key areas is faltering.

A report by the Equal Measures 2030 partnership found half of the 129 countries it examined were lagging behind a target to reach gender equality by 2030 in five key areas including ministerial roles and workplace equity laws.

Progress is "limping along" globally but "rapid change on gender equality is possible", said Alison Holder, director of the organisation, which assesses progress on an ambitious set of global goals against inequality set by world leaders in 2015.

More than 90% of Americans think the United States could have its first woman president within a decade, a poll has showed, as Vice-President Kamala Harris is increasingly tipped as a favourite for the Democratic Party nomination in 2024.

More than 90% of Americans think the United States could have its first woman president within a decade, a poll has showed, as Vice-President Kamala Harris is increasingly tipped as a favourite for the Democratic Party nomination in 2024. A Gallup poll conducted in 74 countries showed Americans were the most likely to say they thought a woman could lead their nation by 2030. The majority of respondents in only three countries - Mauritania, Belarus and Sri Lanka - said they did not expect to see a woman leader in the years ahead, found the poll conducted from 2019 to 2020 and released for International Women's Day. Women serve as heads of state or government in only 22 countries and 119 nations have never had a woman leader, UN Women data showed in January, while on average women hold just over a quarter of seats in parliaments worldwide. But Harris's election as the first female U.S. vice president last year was a significant boost for efforts to boost women's political representation and help young women see themselves in top jobs, according to campaigners. "We all believe (Harris) is going to run for president again very, very soon," said Sara Guillermo, executive director of California-based young women's political leadership organisation IGNITE, describing Harris's election as a "huge cultural shift". "That is really huge, not just for the little girls of the world but for the little boys, to be able to fully understand that both genders can serve in the highest leadership role," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video call. Harris, 56, who also made history by becoming the first Black American and first Asian American to win the second highest U.S. office, is seen as an obvious contender for her party's 2024 candidacy should Biden, 78, decide not to run. Monday's poll findings follow a warning last week that despite recent high-profile appointments of women globally, wider progress towards equality in political representation and other key areas is faltering. A report by the Equal Measures 2030 partnership found half of the 129 countries it examined were lagging behind a target to reach gender equality by 2030 in five key areas including ministerial roles and workplace equity laws. Progress is "limping along" globally but "rapid change on gender equality is possible", said Alison Holder, director of the organisation, which assesses progress on an ambitious set of global goals against inequality set by world leaders in 2015.

Madam President? 90% of Americans expect to see a woman at White House by 2030

US Vice President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris </a>honoured Black history makers by calling them 'visionaries' and 'innovators' during a Black History Month event on Saturday.

Harris, is the first female, Black Vice President of the US of Asian origin. "We celebrate Black History Month in January, in March, in April, and all year round. But, yes, every February we take a time, and a more formal time, to remember and honor those who came before us," she said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-renames-headquarters-to-honour-hidden-figures-scientist-mary-jackson-366612/amp">NASA renames headquarters to honour 'hidden figures' scientist Mary Jackson</a>

"They are and were the visionaries. They were the innovators. And why do I say 'innovators,'? Because they had the ability, in their moment in time, to see what can be unburdened by what had been. They were the innovators and, of course, the barrier breakers and, of course, the history makers," Harris said.

She honoured the contributions of Black people during the Black History Month event that was held virtually in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building by Steny Hoyer.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mary W. Jackson, one of the ‘Hidden Figures,’ was critical to getting American astronauts into space. She broke barriers at home, persevered, and inspired the next generation of engineers, scientists, and explorers. I’m pleased to see <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a>’s DC headquarters named in her honor. <a href="https://t.co/R0eD72COHB">https://t.co/R0eD72COHB</a>
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1365382749671088129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Hoyer hosted the annual breakfast to celebrate Black History Month with community leaders, elected officials and local residents.

Recalling the start of Black History Month, Hoyer tweeted, "40 years ago, I launched the #MD05 #BHM Breakfast as a way of paying tribute to Black history while looking ahead to a more joyful future. I thank @VP for participating in #BHMCelebration40 &amp; for fighting for lasting changes in our country."

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40 years ago, I launched the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MD05?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MD05</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BHM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BHM</a> Breakfast as a way of paying tribute to Black history while looking ahead to a more joyful future. I thank <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> for participating in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BHMCelebration40?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BHMCelebration40</a> &amp; for fighting for lasting changes in our country. <a href="https://t.co/CkndNSdkga">https://t.co/CkndNSdkga</a> <a href="https://t.co/wnD8MnjXRQ">pic.twitter.com/wnD8MnjXRQ</a>
— Steny (Wear a Mask) Hoyer (@LeaderHoyer) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderHoyer/status/1365758158644379650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Thanking the community for their courage and contribution, Harris said it is on their broad shoulders that the nation now proudly stands. "They were clear-eyed about the present and what needed to be done at that moment to create the future for which they had a vision," she said. "And so they told the truth then about what they saw at the time that they lived. And they worked to build a better future, a future unburdened by what had been."

Using the analogy of a relay race, Harris talked about how the previous generations have done their best and passed on the better to their future generations, leaving the baton in "our hands, and what matters is how well we run our portion of the race".

Talking about the pandemic, Harris highlighted the great work of Dr Kizzy Corbett, a Black scientist who helped develop the Moderna vaccine against coronavirus.

US Vice President Kamala Harris honoured Black history makers by calling them 'visionaries' and 'innovators' during a Black History Month event on Saturday. Harris, is the first female, Black Vice President of the US of Asian origin.

US Vice President Kamala Harris honoured Black history makers by calling them 'visionaries' and 'innovators' during a Black History Month event on Saturday. Harris, is the first female, Black Vice President of the US of Asian origin. "We celebrate Black History Month in January, in March, in April, and all year round. But, yes, every February we take a time, and a more formal time, to remember and honor those who came before us," she said. Also read| NASA renames headquarters to honour 'hidden figures' scientist Mary Jackson "They are and were the visionaries. They were the innovators. And why do I say 'innovators,'? Because they had the ability, in their moment in time, to see what can be unburdened by what had been. They were the innovators and, of course, the barrier breakers and, of course, the history makers," Harris said. She honoured the contributions of Black people during the Black History Month event that was held virtually in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building by Steny Hoyer. Mary W. Jackson, one of the ‘Hidden Figures,’ was critical to getting American astronauts into space. She broke barriers at home, persevered, and inspired the next generation of engineers, scientists, and explorers. I’m pleased to see @NASA’s DC headquarters named in her honor. https://t.co/R0eD72COHB — Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) February 26, 2021 × Hoyer hosted the annual breakfast to celebrate Black History Month with community leaders, elected officials and local residents. Recalling the start of Black History Month, Hoyer tweeted, "40 years ago, I launched the #MD05 #BHM Breakfast as a way of paying tribute to Black history while looking ahead to a more joyful future. I thank @VP for participating in #BHMCelebration40 & for fighting for lasting changes in our country." 40 years ago, I launched the #MD05 #BHM Breakfast as a way of paying tribute to Black history while looking ahead to a more joyful future. I thank @VP for participating in #BHMCelebration40 & for fighting for lasting changes in our country. https://t.co/CkndNSdkga pic.twitter.com/wnD8MnjXRQ — Steny (Wear a Mask) Hoyer (@LeaderHoyer) February 27, 2021 × Thanking the community for their courage and contribution, Harris said it is on their broad shoulders that the nation now proudly stands. "They were clear-eyed about the present and what needed to be done at that moment to create the future for which they had a vision," she said. "And so they told the truth then about what they saw at the time that they lived. And they worked to build a better future, a future unburdened by what had been." Using the analogy of a relay race, Harris talked about how the previous generations have done their best and passed on the better to their future generations, leaving the baton in "our hands, and what matters is how well we run our portion of the race". Talking about the pandemic, Harris highlighted the great work of Dr Kizzy Corbett, a Black scientist who helped develop the Moderna vaccine against coronavirus.

'They are and were visionaries': Kamala Harris speaks at Black History Month event

US President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Monday on the lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic and will hold a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony at sundown together with the First Lady, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, the White House said.&nbsp;

"... the President, the First Lady, the Vice President, and the Second Gentleman will hold a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony at sundown in the South Portico," Biden's Monday daily guidance, released by the White House, says.&nbsp;

According to the release, Biden will deliver remarks in the Cross Hall of the White House ahead of the candle lighting ceremony.&nbsp;

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According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, the United States has confirmed more than 28.1 million coronavirus cases, and the country's Covid-19 death toll stands at over 498,800. &nbsp;

These are the highest figures of all the countries in the world. According to US media reports, the US coronavirus death toll is expected to surpass 500,000 on Monday. The United States faces this dark milestone this week despite a recent decline in Covid-19 cases. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-official-says-who-needs-to-dig-deeper-on-virus-origins-365454">Biden official says WHO needs to dig deeper on virus origins</a>

The number of Covid-19 cases fell for the fifth straight week and officials scrambled to inoculate the population. It has been nearly a year since the pandemic upended the country with dueling public health and economic crises.&nbsp;

"It's nothing like we've ever been through in the last 102 years since the 1918 influenza pandemic... It really is a terrible situation that we've been through - and that we're still going through," Dr Anthony Fauci, White House Covid-19 medical adviser and the nation's top infectious disease official, told CNN's 'State of the Union' programme on Sunday.&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Monday on the lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic and will hold a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony at sundown together with the First Lady, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, the White House said.

US President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Monday on the lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic and will hold a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony at sundown together with the First Lady, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, the White House said. "... the President, the First Lady, the Vice President, and the Second Gentleman will hold a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony at sundown in the South Portico," Biden's Monday daily guidance, released by the White House, says. According to the release, Biden will deliver remarks in the Cross Hall of the White House ahead of the candle lighting ceremony. × According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, the United States has confirmed more than 28.1 million coronavirus cases, and the country's Covid-19 death toll stands at over 498,800. These are the highest figures of all the countries in the world. According to US media reports, the US coronavirus death toll is expected to surpass 500,000 on Monday. The United States faces this dark milestone this week despite a recent decline in Covid-19 cases. Also Read: Biden official says WHO needs to dig deeper on virus origins The number of Covid-19 cases fell for the fifth straight week and officials scrambled to inoculate the population. It has been nearly a year since the pandemic upended the country with dueling public health and economic crises. "It's nothing like we've ever been through in the last 102 years since the 1918 influenza pandemic... It really is a terrible situation that we've been through - and that we're still going through," Dr Anthony Fauci, White House Covid-19 medical adviser and the nation's top infectious disease official, told CNN's 'State of the Union' programme on Sunday.

US President to hold candle lighting ceremony in memory of Covid-19 victims as toll nears 5 lakh

Design student Ella Emhoff had&nbsp;created quite a stir in the fashion circuit when she wore a chequered bejewelled coat at stepmother, US Vice President Kamala Harris inaugural ceremony in Jan. And so, it was kind of obvious that as she made her runway debut a month later, she would be dressed in a coat.&nbsp; 
 
Designers at Proenza Schouler decided to dress Ella Emhoff in a couple of coats and a pantsuit as she walked the ramp for New York Fashion Week.&nbsp; 
The fashion week for the first time has taken the virtual route this year owing to the pandemic and Ella Emhoff shot for her portion of walk a few weeks back, several media reports state.&nbsp; 
 
Ella had made heads turn earlier during the Presidential inaugural ceremony when she wore a Miu Miu coat with bejewelled shoulders alone with white collar. The look was termed quirky and several fashionistas lauded Ella's choice which looked strikingly different from the usual coats in the crowd!

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Ella is an art and knitwear designing student&nbsp;at Parsons School of Design. The video was shot outdoor a few weeks back revealed designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough during a press interaction. Her quirky look inspired the designer duo to dress her up in coats for her runway debut. 
 
“I have to say I was a little nervous,” Emhoff, daughter of Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff, said later in a streamed talk with the designers, also released Thursday. “I definitely lost a little sleep the night before. I’m walking for the first time, I’m in this professional environment for the first time … the anticipation was really high.” She spoke of her love for knitting and textiles, and the dream of her own knitwear brand. 
 
“She kind of reminded us of our friends and ourselves in a lot of ways back when we were at Parsons,” McCollough said. He and Hernandez launched their own brand in the senior year of studying in the design school.&nbsp; 
 
For Emhoff, the designers chose a long grey wool coat with fluffy embellishments on the shoulders, then a midnight navy leather trench-type coat, and a black pantsuit.&nbsp; 
 
Late actor Paul Walker's daughter Meadow also walked in the same virtual show.&nbsp;

Design student Ella Emhoff had created quite a stir in the fashion circuit when she wore a chequered bejewelled coat at stepmother, US Vice President Kamala Harris inaugural ceremony in Jan.

Design student Ella Emhoff had created quite a stir in the fashion circuit when she wore a chequered bejewelled coat at stepmother, US Vice President Kamala Harris inaugural ceremony in Jan. And so, it was kind of obvious that as she made her runway debut a month later, she would be dressed in a coat. Designers at Proenza Schouler decided to dress Ella Emhoff in a couple of coats and a pantsuit as she walked the ramp for New York Fashion Week. The fashion week for the first time has taken the virtual route this year owing to the pandemic and Ella Emhoff shot for her portion of walk a few weeks back, several media reports state. Ella had made heads turn earlier during the Presidential inaugural ceremony when she wore a Miu Miu coat with bejewelled shoulders alone with white collar. The look was termed quirky and several fashionistas lauded Ella's choice which looked strikingly different from the usual coats in the crowd! View this post on Instagram A post shared by ella emhoff (@ellaemhoff) × Ella is an art and knitwear designing student at Parsons School of Design. The video was shot outdoor a few weeks back revealed designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough during a press interaction. Her quirky look inspired the designer duo to dress her up in coats for her runway debut. “I have to say I was a little nervous,” Emhoff, daughter of Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff, said later in a streamed talk with the designers, also released Thursday. “I definitely lost a little sleep the night before. I’m walking for the first time, I’m in this professional environment for the first time … the anticipation was really high.” She spoke of her love for knitting and textiles, and the dream of her own knitwear brand. “She kind of reminded us of our friends and ourselves in a lot of ways back when we were at Parsons,” McCollough said. He and Hernandez launched their own brand in the senior year of studying in the design school. For Emhoff, the designers chose a long grey wool coat with fluffy embellishments on the shoulders, then a midnight navy leather trench-type coat, and a black pantsuit. Late actor Paul Walker's daughter Meadow also walked in the same virtual show.

US Vice President Kamala Harris' step daughter Ella Emhoff makes runway debut

America chose Kamala Harris as its next vice president in November's elections but Saturday Night Live makers had Maya Rudolf in their minds to play her months before the election.&nbsp;"More and more, there are some people that our audience casts," the show's&nbsp;creator and executive producer told EW during an interview.

"When Sarah Palin had that [first] debate," he recalls, "I got two or three emails — because this was a period of emails — 'It's Tina Fey!" She was Tina Fey. I was walking out of my building on the way to the studio on that Monday and my doorman said, 'Mr. Michaels, Tina Fey. It's like a no brainer.' And then I heard it three or four more times that day. So when I got sent a couple of memes of Maya, I just realised."

Rudolph was flattered by the offer.&nbsp;"Yeah, I smelled it coming," she laughs. "And I remember when Tina smelled it coming for Sarah Palin. It's funny. It was almost like a red herring early on, when I wasn't on the show anymore and Rachel Dolezal was in the news and everyone was talking about it I was like, 'I'm going to get the call.' It felt like that, but much more rewarding. "

Despite her entire life and family residing in Los Angeles, Maya&nbsp;persisted and travelled to and fro amid the pandemic. 
 
"A huge element of working at SNL is the political portion of it," she says. "But it's rare to be involved in a presidential campaign... I think knowing that there was a candidate that I resembled so much was so cool in and of itself. And then icing on the cake is just simply getting to do it on the show, a place that I feel so at home in, and that I love. But also it's just the charge of this time and being able to have any sort of voice in the story. I also just felt really lucky that we figured out a way to have fun with her early on and make her a joyful character."

&nbsp;

America chose Kamala Harris as its next vice president in November's elections but Saturday Night Live makers had Maya Rudolf in their minds to play her months before the election.

America chose Kamala Harris as its next vice president in November's elections but Saturday Night Live makers had Maya Rudolf in their minds to play her months before the election. "More and more, there are some people that our audience casts," the show's creator and executive producer told EW during an interview. "When Sarah Palin had that [first] debate," he recalls, "I got two or three emails — because this was a period of emails — 'It's Tina Fey!" She was Tina Fey. I was walking out of my building on the way to the studio on that Monday and my doorman said, 'Mr. Michaels, Tina Fey. It's like a no brainer.' And then I heard it three or four more times that day. So when I got sent a couple of memes of Maya, I just realised." Rudolph was flattered by the offer. "Yeah, I smelled it coming," she laughs. "And I remember when Tina smelled it coming for Sarah Palin. It's funny. It was almost like a red herring early on, when I wasn't on the show anymore and Rachel Dolezal was in the news and everyone was talking about it I was like, 'I'm going to get the call.' It felt like that, but much more rewarding. " Despite her entire life and family residing in Los Angeles, Maya persisted and travelled to and fro amid the pandemic. "A huge element of working at SNL is the political portion of it," she says. "But it's rare to be involved in a presidential campaign... I think knowing that there was a candidate that I resembled so much was so cool in and of itself. And then icing on the cake is just simply getting to do it on the show, a place that I feel so at home in, and that I love. But also it's just the charge of this time and being able to have any sort of voice in the story. I also just felt really lucky that we figured out a way to have fun with her early on and make her a joyful character."

Maya Rudolph talks about returning to 'Saturday Night Live' to play US Vice President Kamala Harris

Joe Biden, President of the United States, has announced the formation of a Pentagon task force to review the country's China strategy. Biden, accompanied by VP Harris, visited the Pentagon for the first time since becoming President.

US President announces formation of a Pentagon task force to review China strategy

Call it a coincidence or prediction, but popular sitcom 'The Simpsons' seemed to have envisioned US Vice President Kamala Harris' symbolic purple outfit 21 years ago in one of the episodes.&nbsp; 
 
On January 20, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' swearing-in ceremony became the most-watched inauguration ceremony in the world. Harris became the first woman, south Asian and Black vice president of America.&nbsp; 
 
For the historic day, Harris chose a purple dress and coat designed by two black designers. Her outfit was symbolic and a nod to nod to Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman to run for US President as part of the Democratic party and the colour symbolised the women's suffragette movement.&nbsp; 
 
While many feel that Harris outfit will go down in history as one of the most iconic dresses worn by a leader, it seems 'The Simpsons' already predicted the outfit- 21 years ago.&nbsp;

Some fans on Twitter pointed out that Kamala's outfit was eerily similar to The Simpsons' character, Lisa's outfit from an episode that aired two decades ago.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/did-the-simpsons-forecast-us-capitol-riots-more-predictions-inside-278321">Also read: All the predictions that have been made in 'The Simpsons'</a>

In Episode 17 of Season 11 of the show - 'Bart to the Future', Lisa Simpson becomes the first female President of the United States. On her first day at the White House, the grown-up Lisa can be seen wearing the exact same outfit as Haaris did on Wednesday. A purple dress with a coat and a string of pearls around her neck!

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Kamala Harris &amp; Lisa Simpson 
Same vibe: <a href="https://t.co/wrHDyd0qd8">pic.twitter.com/wrHDyd0qd8</a>
— León Staines Díaz (@Leon_Staines) <a href="https://twitter.com/Leon_Staines/status/1351962945148907521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalaHarris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalaHarris</a> reminds me with Lisa Simpson... almost same outfit <a href="https://t.co/wTySY9Eibl">pic.twitter.com/wTySY9Eibl</a>
— ₘₑₘₒᵣᵢₑₛ🦋 (@butterflymem0ry) <a href="https://twitter.com/butterflymem0ry/status/1351931268661972996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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THE SIMPSONS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!!! <a href="https://t.co/iByO67Awq5">pic.twitter.com/iByO67Awq5</a>
— moon (@SWlTCHPOSlTIONS) <a href="https://twitter.com/SWlTCHPOSlTIONS/status/1352006198393004035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Yeah, everything that ever will be has already been on “The Simpsons”. But this is a bit on the nose. <a href="https://t.co/SOHKyIzHjn">pic.twitter.com/SOHKyIzHjn</a>
— Phil Hagen (@PhilHagen) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilHagen/status/1352103501296500737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Not just this, but this particular episode had also predicted Donald Trump's presidency. According to a New York Post, the episode even showed how Trump's presidency would end. In fact, Lisa takes over the post after Donald Trump. In the episode, Lisa tells her advisors that her administration has been left with quite a budget crunch by her predecessor, Trump. 
 
This is not the first time that 'The Simpsons' have predicted the future on several occasions including the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/did-the-simpsons-predict-the-us-capitol-hill-riots-the-internet-seems-to-think-so-355151">recent Capitol Hill violence,</a> the coronavirus pandemic and more.&nbsp;

Call it a coincidence or prediction, but popular sitcom 'The Simpsons' seemed to have envisioned US Vice President Kamala Harris' symbolic purple outfit 21 years ago in one of the episodes.

Call it a coincidence or prediction, but popular sitcom 'The Simpsons' seemed to have envisioned US Vice President Kamala Harris' symbolic purple outfit 21 years ago in one of the episodes. On January 20, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' swearing-in ceremony became the most-watched inauguration ceremony in the world. Harris became the first woman, south Asian and Black vice president of America. For the historic day, Harris chose a purple dress and coat designed by two black designers. Her outfit was symbolic and a nod to nod to Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman to run for US President as part of the Democratic party and the colour symbolised the women's suffragette movement. While many feel that Harris outfit will go down in history as one of the most iconic dresses worn by a leader, it seems 'The Simpsons' already predicted the outfit- 21 years ago. Some fans on Twitter pointed out that Kamala's outfit was eerily similar to The Simpsons' character, Lisa's outfit from an episode that aired two decades ago. Also read: All the predictions that have been made in 'The Simpsons' In Episode 17 of Season 11 of the show - 'Bart to the Future', Lisa Simpson becomes the first female President of the United States. On her first day at the White House, the grown-up Lisa can be seen wearing the exact same outfit as Haaris did on Wednesday. A purple dress with a coat and a string of pearls around her neck! Kamala Harris & Lisa Simpson Same vibe: pic.twitter.com/wrHDyd0qd8 — León Staines Díaz (@Leon_Staines) January 20, 2021 × #KamalaHarris reminds me with Lisa Simpson... almost same outfit pic.twitter.com/wTySY9Eibl — ₘₑₘₒᵣᵢₑₛ🦋 (@butterflymem0ry) January 20, 2021 × THE SIMPSONS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!!! pic.twitter.com/iByO67Awq5 — moon (@SWlTCHPOSlTIONS) January 20, 2021 × Yeah, everything that ever will be has already been on “The Simpsons”. But this is a bit on the nose. pic.twitter.com/SOHKyIzHjn — Phil Hagen (@PhilHagen) January 21, 2021 × Not just this, but this particular episode had also predicted Donald Trump's presidency. According to a New York Post, the episode even showed how Trump's presidency would end. In fact, Lisa takes over the post after Donald Trump. In the episode, Lisa tells her advisors that her administration has been left with quite a budget crunch by her predecessor, Trump. This is not the first time that 'The Simpsons' have predicted the future on several occasions including the recent Capitol Hill violence, the coronavirus pandemic and more.

'The Simpsons' had predicted Kamala Harris' inaugural purple outfit 21 years ago. Here's proof

Indian social-media app Koo is witnessing a surge in popularity, fuelled by politicians and others flocking to it after US&nbsp;rival&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;Inc refused to follow a government order to block certain content on its platform.

Twitter&nbsp;has locked horns with New Delhi this month over the order to remove more than 1,100 accounts and posts which the government says are spreading misinformation about farmer protests against new agricultural laws.

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Indian officials last week demanded that Twitter block hundreds of users that have tweeted on demonstrations against proposed new agriculture laws, saying they were a "grave threat to public order".

India slammed international celebrities on Wednesday for making comments in support of protesting farmers as inaccurate and irresponsible and said vested interest groups were trying to build opinion against the country.

US&nbsp;singer&nbsp;Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg and US&nbsp;lawyer and activist Meena Harris, the niece of Vice-President Kamala Harris, made comments on social media regarding the farmers protest.

"Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken," the Indian foreign ministry said.

The Electronics and IT ministry&nbsp;tweeted a link to its profile on rival Indian social network platform&nbsp;Koo. Some local personalities including Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal have opened&nbsp;Koo&nbsp;accounts.

Koo said downloads had surged 10-fold in the past two days to over 3 million. Meanwhile, #kooapp was the top&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;trend in India on Wednesday with nearly 21,000 posts, followed by #BanTwitter.

What is Koo?

Koo is a&nbsp;Twitter-like microblogging platform which allows users to post multimedia content, including audio clips. A text post is restricted to 400 characters and the service supports six Indian languages, including English.

Like&nbsp;Twitter, Koo's logo is a bird, though yellow in colour. It allows users to use hashtags (#) or the "@" symbol for mentions. The app also allows users to 're-koo', Koo's version of a retweet and chat instead of a direct message.

How did it start?

Koo was founded by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, both MBA, or business management, graduates. The duo are also the founders of Vokal, an audio-video knowledge-sharing platform similar to Quora.

The app was launched in March 2020 and won a government award for driving tech innovation. It raised more than $4 million in funding last week from new and existing investors including venture capital firms Accel and 3one4 Capital.

Who is on Koo?

For years,&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;has been a major public communication tool for the Indian government. But several ministries and high-profile figures, including Bollywood actors, have also gradually begun using Koo in recent months. The technology ministry and trade minister Piyush Goyal joined this month.

Koo is however still dwarfed by&nbsp;Twitter, which had 17.5 million users in India as of last month, its third-highest user base after the United States and Japan, according to German database firm Statista.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is yet to join Koo, spoke about the app last year in his monthly radio address. "It's called Koo," he said. "In this, we can place our opinion and interact in our mother tongue through text, video or audio."

What its founders say?

The sudden increase in Koo's popularity can be compared in some respects to the surge in the use of digital payments apps in India following a ban on high-value currency notes in late 2016, Koo's co-founder Bidawatka said.

"You could say this is something similar, because a certain event happened and lot of people want to move here... There is a surge at an unexpected time and lots of people are talking about us."

Radhakrishna posted a hiring alert for engineers on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Indian social-media app Koo is witnessing a surge in popularity, fuelled by politicians and others flocking to it after US rival Twitter Inc refused to follow a government order to block certain content on its platform.

Indian social-media app Koo is witnessing a surge in popularity, fuelled by politicians and others flocking to it after US rival Twitter Inc refused to follow a government order to block certain content on its platform. Twitter has locked horns with New Delhi this month over the order to remove more than 1,100 accounts and posts which the government says are spreading misinformation about farmer protests against new agricultural laws. Indian officials last week demanded that Twitter block hundreds of users that have tweeted on demonstrations against proposed new agriculture laws, saying they were a "grave threat to public order". India slammed international celebrities on Wednesday for making comments in support of protesting farmers as inaccurate and irresponsible and said vested interest groups were trying to build opinion against the country. US singer Rihanna, climate change activist Greta Thunberg and US lawyer and activist Meena Harris, the niece of Vice-President Kamala Harris, made comments on social media regarding the farmers protest. "Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken," the Indian foreign ministry said. The Electronics and IT ministry tweeted a link to its profile on rival Indian social network platform Koo. Some local personalities including Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal have opened Koo accounts. Koo said downloads had surged 10-fold in the past two days to over 3 million. Meanwhile, #kooapp was the top Twitter trend in India on Wednesday with nearly 21,000 posts, followed by #BanTwitter. What is Koo? Koo is a Twitter-like microblogging platform which allows users to post multimedia content, including audio clips. A text post is restricted to 400 characters and the service supports six Indian languages, including English. Like Twitter, Koo's logo is a bird, though yellow in colour. It allows users to use hashtags (#) or the "@" symbol for mentions. The app also allows users to 're-koo', Koo's version of a retweet and chat instead of a direct message. How did it start? Koo was founded by Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, both MBA, or business management, graduates. The duo are also the founders of Vokal, an audio-video knowledge-sharing platform similar to Quora. The app was launched in March 2020 and won a government award for driving tech innovation. It raised more than $4 million in funding last week from new and existing investors including venture capital firms Accel and 3one4 Capital. Who is on Koo? For years, Twitter has been a major public communication tool for the Indian government. But several ministries and high-profile figures, including Bollywood actors, have also gradually begun using Koo in recent months. The technology ministry and trade minister Piyush Goyal joined this month. Koo is however still dwarfed by Twitter, which had 17.5 million users in India as of last month, its third-highest user base after the United States and Japan, according to German database firm Statista. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is yet to join Koo, spoke about the app last year in his monthly radio address. "It's called Koo," he said. "In this, we can place our opinion and interact in our mother tongue through text, video or audio." What its founders say? The sudden increase in Koo's popularity can be compared in some respects to the surge in the use of digital payments apps in India following a ban on high-value currency notes in late 2016, Koo's co-founder Bidawatka said. "You could say this is something similar, because a certain event happened and lot of people want to move here... There is a surge at an unexpected time and lots of people are talking about us." Radhakrishna posted a hiring alert for engineers on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

Indian Twitter-like micro-blogging platform Koo witnesses surge in popularity

US senate endorses President Joe Biden's 1.9 trillion stimulus package. After a 15-hour voting session stretch overnight, Vice president Kamala Harris cast her first tie-breaking vote. They opted for the budget bill with 50-51 votes at the dawn.

US senate endorses President Joe Biden's 1.9 trillion stimulus package

The "vote-a-rama" included 41 votes with dozens of amendments considered. Harris cast her first tie-breaking votes as vice president.

Senate passes $1.9 trillion COVID relief resolution

The Senate has passed a budget resolution on Friday which has lent a step forward for the much-awaited $1.09 trillion coronavirus relief bill in the US.

After a marathon of votes on various amendments, the Democrats passed the budget resolution with a vote of 51-50 with the newly-elected US Vice President<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/kamala-harris"> Kamala Harris</a> casting her first tiebreaking vote.

The party voted in favour of the resolution, being brought in by the US President<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden"> Joe Biden</a>, after contemplating various amendments and divides that can be brought in for structuring the next relief package. The voting was done after almost 15 hours of discussions.

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Adopted, 51-50: S.Con.Res.5, Sanders Budget Resolution, as amended, with <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> voting in the affirmative.
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1357638729255518208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"I am so thankful that our caucus stayed together in unity," said the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schummer. "We had no choice given the problems facing America and the desire to move forward. And we have moved forward."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-president-joe-biden-vows-to-repair-alliances-through-diplomacy-361573">Also watch|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-president-joe-biden-vows-to-repair-alliances-through-diplomacy-361573/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He also added that this was a "bipartisan activity" as the Senate considered and adopted several amendments suggested by senators from both the parties.

This win has come after Joe Biden has said he hopes the Republican Party will also lend its support in the next aid package.

The Senate has passed a budget resolution on Friday which has lent a step forward for the much-awaited $1.09 trillion coronavirus relief bill in the US. After a marathon of votes on various amendments, the Democrats passed the budget resolution with a vote of 51-50 with the newly-elected US Vice President Kamala Harris casting her first tiebreaking vote.

The Senate has passed a budget resolution on Friday which has lent a step forward for the much-awaited $1.09 trillion coronavirus relief bill in the US. After a marathon of votes on various amendments, the Democrats passed the budget resolution with a vote of 51-50 with the newly-elected US Vice President Kamala Harris casting her first tiebreaking vote. The party voted in favour of the resolution, being brought in by the US President Joe Biden, after contemplating various amendments and divides that can be brought in for structuring the next relief package. The voting was done after almost 15 hours of discussions. Adopted, 51-50: S.Con.Res.5, Sanders Budget Resolution, as amended, with @VP voting in the affirmative. — Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) February 5, 2021 × "I am so thankful that our caucus stayed together in unity," said the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schummer. "We had no choice given the problems facing America and the desire to move forward. And we have moved forward." Also watch| He also added that this was a "bipartisan activity" as the Senate considered and adopted several amendments suggested by senators from both the parties. This win has come after Joe Biden has said he hopes the Republican Party will also lend its support in the next aid package.

Senate approves budget bill for Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief aid; Harris casts tiebreaking vote

US vice president Kamala Harris has been criticised for wearing designer brand Dolce and Gabbana during her recent outings. In the past, D&amp;G has courted controversy over its clothing as well as it advertising which many have termed as racially offensive.&nbsp;

Harris wore a polo-necked wool jumper from the luxury brand during a lunch with President Joe Biden recently. For the swearing-in ceremony of the treasury secretary, Harris chose a grey checked blazer and trouser suit, and a chevron jumper when Biden signed executive orders in the White House. 
Vittora Vignone, who runs the popular Kamalas Closet handle on Instagram, slammed the outfits in a series of post. "Was it an oversight on the part of her team?" she asked.&nbsp; 
 
“It’s possible but also incredibly sloppy. They could and should be better, especially after the triumphs of last week. The timing of this so soon after her inaugural choices championed lesser-known American designers of colour is awful no matter how you look at it.” 
 
For her inaugural events in January, Harris chose to wear three black-run labels. Her choice was lauded by one and all. But her decision of choosing Dolce and Gabbana for her recent official engagements sparked a conversation on social media.&nbsp; 
 
“Someone seriously needs to tell her team about Dolce and their problematic issues with race,” wrote one on Vignone's post. “I’m stunned she would wear them.” 
 
D&amp;G had shared a with Melania Trump and faced criticism for dressing her in all black to meet the pope and attend a G7 summit. 
&nbsp; 
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for Kamala to wear so many new expensive items during her first week in office,” Vignone also added. “I also don’t think she should be wearing non-American designers, especially when there are so many American brands to choose from … she and her team should care about the impact her choices have. For example, she could lift up a smaller or more affordable business instantly.” 
&nbsp;

Harris is the first south Asian, black and female vice-president in US history.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

US vice president Kamala Harris has been criticised for wearing designer brand Dolce and Gabbana during her recent outings. In the past, D&G has courted controversy over its clothing as well as it advertising which many have termed as racially offensive.

US vice president Kamala Harris has been criticised for wearing designer brand Dolce and Gabbana during her recent outings. In the past, D&G has courted controversy over its clothing as well as it advertising which many have termed as racially offensive. Harris wore a polo-necked wool jumper from the luxury brand during a lunch with President Joe Biden recently. For the swearing-in ceremony of the treasury secretary, Harris chose a grey checked blazer and trouser suit, and a chevron jumper when Biden signed executive orders in the White House. Vittora Vignone, who runs the popular Kamalas Closet handle on Instagram, slammed the outfits in a series of post. "Was it an oversight on the part of her team?" she asked. “It’s possible but also incredibly sloppy. They could and should be better, especially after the triumphs of last week. The timing of this so soon after her inaugural choices championed lesser-known American designers of colour is awful no matter how you look at it.” For her inaugural events in January, Harris chose to wear three black-run labels. Her choice was lauded by one and all. But her decision of choosing Dolce and Gabbana for her recent official engagements sparked a conversation on social media. “Someone seriously needs to tell her team about Dolce and their problematic issues with race,” wrote one on Vignone's post. “I’m stunned she would wear them.” D&G had shared a with Melania Trump and faced criticism for dressing her in all black to meet the pope and attend a G7 summit. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for Kamala to wear so many new expensive items during her first week in office,” Vignone also added. “I also don’t think she should be wearing non-American designers, especially when there are so many American brands to choose from … she and her team should care about the impact her choices have. For example, she could lift up a smaller or more affordable business instantly.” Harris is the first south Asian, black and female vice-president in US history.

Kamala Harris called out for wearing controversial fashion label Dolce & Gabbana

As Joe Biden took office as the 46th President of the United States, all eyes are now on West Asia. On this week's West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis tells you what a Biden White House could mean for the region. For more such stories, keep watching the West Asia post with Ghadi Francis every Friday at 8:30 PM IST, only on WION.

The West Asia Post | What will a Biden White House mean for West Asia?

An amusement park in India has come up with a &nbsp;unique and fun way to celebrate Indian-origin US Vice President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a> win in the recently-concluded US election 2020.

Wonderla, a popular amusement park in a Bengaluru, a city in the southern state of Karnataka, has started an exclusive offer for people who share their name with the recently-elected US Vice President.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-simpsons-had-predicted-kamala-harris-inaugural-purple-outfit-21-years-ago-heres-proof-358554" hreflang="en">'The Simpsons' had predicted Kamala Harris' inaugural purple outfit 21 years ago. Here's proof</a>

"This Sunday all Kamala's WIN!," the amusement park's Facebook post read.

Any visitor whose name is Kamala will be given free entry into the amusement park in Bengaluru and its other branches in Kochi and Hyderabad.

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This Sunday all Kamala's WIN!&nbsp; Any guest in the name of Kamala will get a free entry to the park on Sunday, 24th Jan...
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In fact, anyone with similar names such as Kamla, Kama and Kamalam can also get free entry in the amusement park. However, no other variations of the name will be allowed to avail the offer.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-indian-family-is-waiting-for-her-to-become-president-358310" hreflang="en">Kamala Harris' Indian family is waiting for her to become president</a>

However, there is a condition. "The offer is available only for the first 100 guests eligible for the offer under each park," the Facebook post clarified.

The offer has also coincided with Girl Child Day, which is being celebrated on January 24&nbsp;in India.

Harris is the first South Asian-origin, African-American woman to become the Vice President of the United States of America. She was sworn in for her post on January 20 in an inauguration ceremony held in Washington.

An amusement park in India has come up with a unique and fun way to celebrate Indian-origin US Vice President Kamala Harris' win in the recently-concluded US election 2020.

An amusement park in India has come up with a unique and fun way to celebrate Indian-origin US Vice President Kamala Harris' win in the recently-concluded US election 2020. Wonderla, a popular amusement park in a Bengaluru, a city in the southern state of Karnataka, has started an exclusive offer for people who share their name with the recently-elected US Vice President. Also read| 'The Simpsons' had predicted Kamala Harris' inaugural purple outfit 21 years ago. Here's proof "This Sunday all Kamala's WIN!," the amusement park's Facebook post read. Any visitor whose name is Kamala will be given free entry into the amusement park in Bengaluru and its other branches in Kochi and Hyderabad. This Sunday all Kamala's WIN! Any guest in the name of Kamala will get a free entry to the park on Sunday, 24th Jan... Posted by Wonderla on Friday, January 22, 2021 × In fact, anyone with similar names such as Kamla, Kama and Kamalam can also get free entry in the amusement park. However, no other variations of the name will be allowed to avail the offer. Also read| Kamala Harris' Indian family is waiting for her to become president However, there is a condition. "The offer is available only for the first 100 guests eligible for the offer under each park," the Facebook post clarified. The offer has also coincided with Girl Child Day, which is being celebrated on January 24 in India. Harris is the first South Asian-origin, African-American woman to become the Vice President of the United States of America. She was sworn in for her post on January 20 in an inauguration ceremony held in Washington.

Bengaluru: Amusement park offers free entry to all 'Kamala' to celebrate Harris' win

In many tight political races, candidates battle over not just what they know, but whom they know. In the New York City mayor’s race, the most popular person to know isn’t even a New Yorker.

“I’ve literally got the vice president’s number,” Andrew Yang told the news channel NY1.

“We introduced the vice president-elect to New York City,” Raymond J. McGuire said on a podcast last month.

Maya D. Wiley, another mayoral candidate, has a picture featuring that vice president — <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a> of California — splashed across the top of her Twitter page.

As a new administration takes over in Washington, there are signs of fresh battle lines in New York’s mayoral race, centered on connections to federal power.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamala-harris-as-us-vice-president-cements-importance-of-india-us-ties-jen-psaki-358442">Kamala Harris as US vice president cements importance of India, US ties: Jen Psaki</a>

Political candidates often claim ties to major party figures in an effort to energize their bases, and that may be especially true with regard to Harris, the first woman and person of color to serve as the country’s vice president.

Yet this year, in a contest that may be defined by promises to stabilize an economically imperiled city, several prominent candidates are also competing over who is best equipped to capture Washington’s attention — and its assistance.

“Having the bragging rights to relationships with these folks is appealing to voters,” said Jay Jacobs, chairman of New York State’s Democratic Party. “It probably allows them to suggest that maybe they’ll be able to get additional help for the city if they become mayor.”

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/twitter-cant-keep-calm-as-it-discovers-kamala-harris-is-a-part-of-bts-army-358228">&nbsp;Twitter can't keep calm as it discovers Kamala Harris is a part of BTS ARMY</a>

New York already has vigorous champions for federal aid, starting with the new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, who is known to be attentive to his home state’s needs. And for mayors, the most urgent and fraught relationship to manage is often the one with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has vast control over city operations and has his own dealings with Washington.

But after New York’s rough relationship with the Trump administration, many mayoral candidates agree that the city needs as many strong ties as possible to the new Washington to help navigate issues like housing, transportation and pandemic relief.

Yet there are sharp distinctions in the ways the candidates approach discussing Washington.

Some of the leading contenders — like Scott Stringer, the city’s comptroller, and Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president — are vocal about the need for more federal relief, and they appear to be betting that the next mayor of New York will get through to Washington regardless of previous relationships.

“It’s a powerful argument to remind people in power time and time again in Washington that New York City continues to be the epicenter of the national economy,” said Stringer, who as comptroller laid out New York’s “most urgent” economic needs in a recent letter to President Joe Biden, Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. “The quicker we bring back New York City, the better it will be for everybody.”

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-indian-family-is-waiting-for-her-to-become-president-358310">&nbsp;Kamala Harris' Indian family is waiting for her to become president</a>

For candidates with fewer established ties to city politics, national name-dropping can be part of a broader effort to explain the less conventional ways they would fight for New York, or simply a tactic aimed at standing out through association.

It is an approach that may attract attention from donors and endorsement gatekeepers, though many New York political experts are skeptical that such appeals move votes.

Embracing the new administration may not be viewed as a particular asset in the most liberal corners of New York, where the White House is sure to be seen as too moderate. And strategists warn that the impact that Washington has on New York can be an abstract concept for voters grappling with more tangible challenges.

“If you’re an insider, it obviously plays a larger factor,” the Queens borough president, Donovan Richards Jr., said. “For the person on the food line who’s disconnected from government, they don’t necessarily care about your relationship to Washington, D.C. They care about you being able to put some food on their plate.”

Yang is trying to address the latter concern with a broad suite of policies as he seeks to emerge as the anti-poverty candidate. But Yang, a former presidential contender and political surrogate, is also emphasizing national relationships — even as he faces scrutiny over his connections to the city in which he has never voted for mayor.

“My ties are strong with our partners in the White House and the Capitol; I have a lot of their phone numbers,” he said last week, adding that Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia had recently called him (though newly elected officials often make many phone calls to thank supporters).

Calling Biden, Harris and Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary nominee, “friends of mine,” Yang added, “These relationships will pay dividends for our city when we want to get things done.”

He also posted pictures of himself with Biden, Harris and Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Cory Booker of New Jersey. (Booker, declining to name the mayoral candidates he knew best, said he did not expect to endorse in the race because “I have so many friends that are running.”)

The candidate with the deepest federal management experience is Shaun Donovan, who was a housing secretary under former President Barack Obama, and Donovan makes no secret of it. The biography on his campaign website opens with the promise to work with Biden, “ensuring that New York City’s voice is heard in the White House.”

His campaign also issued a news release that highlighted “Obama-Biden alumni” donors, including Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Biden’s choice to lead the Homeland Security Department, and Tom Vilsack, his choice for agriculture secretary.

Donovan said in an interview that his Washington relationships positioned him to see fresh opportunities for collaboration.

“The question is, how deep are those relationships, how much trust do you have in the ability not just to call them on the phone, but to actually have worked side by side with them in moments of crisis?” he said. “No one has the depth and breadth of relationships that I do.”

Despite those high-profile contacts, Donovan failed to meet the thresholds to qualify for the city’s matching-funds program, according to numbers released last week.

Then there is McGuire, a longtime Wall Street executive, who has been a major Democratic donor himself and was a supporter of Harris before she ran for president.

McGuire does not mention her at every turn, but he does have ties to her 2020 presidential primary infrastructure: The national finance chairman of her campaign, Jonathan Henes, is now a finance co-chair of his campaign, and there is additional overlap among prominent donors and on the finance team.

McGuire and his wife, Crystal McCrary McGuire, also have personal relationships with Harris, according to a person who has worked for both McGuire and Harris. The person recalled, for instance, that after Harris gave a book talk at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan several years ago, she and her husband dined on cartons of Chinese takeout at the McGuires’ home.

That doesn’t mean a Harris endorsement is imminent for McGuire or anyone else. A Harris aide said her team had been focused on the inauguration and on managing the coronavirus crisis. Others who have worked with her are skeptical that she would wade into a crowded mayoral primary.

But the relationship is part of McGuire’s pitch that he would activate his sprawling network on behalf of the city. McGuire has publicly cited his ties with Harris and his connections with Washington decision-makers.

“Given that this is arguably the most important city in the country, it is important to have a relationship with one of the two most important leaders of the country,” he said last week, asked why that relationship was relevant.

Wiley’s embrace of Harris is literal: The photo on her Twitter page shows her cheek touching Harris’ temple.

In an interview, she detailed her own experiences navigating Washington, including testifying before Congress and meeting key officials across federal agencies, and described opportunities for the next mayor to work with an increasingly powerful New York delegation. And Wiley, who is Black and hopes to be the first woman to serve as the city’s mayor, also noted the historic nature of Harris’ ascension to the vice presidency.

Female voters, she said, are “very energized by this White House, and by what it represents, not just symbolically but practically.”

“The national and local are deeply connected for folks because we do need help from Washington,” said Wiley, a former MSNBC analyst who has worked with Harris’ sister, who added that she had traded the occasional text with Harris.

Then there are the veteran New York politicians like Stringer and Adams who lack much of a national platform but do have deep local relationships.

Given New York’s stature, some officials say, that should be enough — a stance adopted by Kathryn Garcia, the city’s former sanitation commissioner who is also running for mayor.

“You are still the mayor of the premier city of the United States,” she said. “They’re going to take your call.”

Former Rep. Charles Rangel, the onetime dean of the New York House delegation, suggested that the mayoral candidates should keep fully focused on their own city.

“I refuse to say anything that could be misinterpreted as not being positive about the power of the vice president of the United States,” he said. “But I’ll be goddamned if I can ever remember going to the vice president for any help for my city.”

In many tight political races, candidates battle over not just what they know, but whom they know. In the New York City mayor’s race, the most popular person to know isn’t even a New Yorker.

In many tight political races, candidates battle over not just what they know, but whom they know. In the New York City mayor’s race, the most popular person to know isn’t even a New Yorker. “I’ve literally got the vice president’s number,” Andrew Yang told the news channel NY1. “We introduced the vice president-elect to New York City,” Raymond J. McGuire said on a podcast last month. Maya D. Wiley, another mayoral candidate, has a picture featuring that vice president — Kamala Harris of California — splashed across the top of her Twitter page. As a new administration takes over in Washington, there are signs of fresh battle lines in New York’s mayoral race, centered on connections to federal power. Also read| Kamala Harris as US vice president cements importance of India, US ties: Jen Psaki Political candidates often claim ties to major party figures in an effort to energize their bases, and that may be especially true with regard to Harris, the first woman and person of color to serve as the country’s vice president. Yet this year, in a contest that may be defined by promises to stabilize an economically imperiled city, several prominent candidates are also competing over who is best equipped to capture Washington’s attention — and its assistance. “Having the bragging rights to relationships with these folks is appealing to voters,” said Jay Jacobs, chairman of New York State’s Democratic Party. “It probably allows them to suggest that maybe they’ll be able to get additional help for the city if they become mayor.” Also read| Twitter can't keep calm as it discovers Kamala Harris is a part of BTS ARMY New York already has vigorous champions for federal aid, starting with the new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, who is known to be attentive to his home state’s needs. And for mayors, the most urgent and fraught relationship to manage is often the one with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has vast control over city operations and has his own dealings with Washington. But after New York’s rough relationship with the Trump administration, many mayoral candidates agree that the city needs as many strong ties as possible to the new Washington to help navigate issues like housing, transportation and pandemic relief. Yet there are sharp distinctions in the ways the candidates approach discussing Washington. Some of the leading contenders — like Scott Stringer, the city’s comptroller, and Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president — are vocal about the need for more federal relief, and they appear to be betting that the next mayor of New York will get through to Washington regardless of previous relationships. “It’s a powerful argument to remind people in power time and time again in Washington that New York City continues to be the epicenter of the national economy,” said Stringer, who as comptroller laid out New York’s “most urgent” economic needs in a recent letter to President Joe Biden, Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. “The quicker we bring back New York City, the better it will be for everybody.” Also read| Kamala Harris' Indian family is waiting for her to become president For candidates with fewer established ties to city politics, national name-dropping can be part of a broader effort to explain the less conventional ways they would fight for New York, or simply a tactic aimed at standing out through association. It is an approach that may attract attention from donors and endorsement gatekeepers, though many New York political experts are skeptical that such appeals move votes. Embracing the new administration may not be viewed as a particular asset in the most liberal corners of New York, where the White House is sure to be seen as too moderate. And strategists warn that the impact that Washington has on New York can be an abstract concept for voters grappling with more tangible challenges. “If you’re an insider, it obviously plays a larger factor,” the Queens borough president, Donovan Richards Jr., said. “For the person on the food line who’s disconnected from government, they don’t necessarily care about your relationship to Washington, D.C. They care about you being able to put some food on their plate.” Yang is trying to address the latter concern with a broad suite of policies as he seeks to emerge as the anti-poverty candidate. But Yang, a former presidential contender and political surrogate, is also emphasizing national relationships — even as he faces scrutiny over his connections to the city in which he has never voted for mayor. “My ties are strong with our partners in the White House and the Capitol; I have a lot of their phone numbers,” he said last week, adding that Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia had recently called him (though newly elected officials often make many phone calls to thank supporters). Calling Biden, Harris and Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary nominee, “friends of mine,” Yang added, “These relationships will pay dividends for our city when we want to get things done.” He also posted pictures of himself with Biden, Harris and Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Cory Booker of New Jersey. (Booker, declining to name the mayoral candidates he knew best, said he did not expect to endorse in the race because “I have so many friends that are running.”) The candidate with the deepest federal management experience is Shaun Donovan, who was a housing secretary under former President Barack Obama, and Donovan makes no secret of it. The biography on his campaign website opens with the promise to work with Biden, “ensuring that New York City’s voice is heard in the White House.” His campaign also issued a news release that highlighted “Obama-Biden alumni” donors, including Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Biden’s choice to lead the Homeland Security Department, and Tom Vilsack, his choice for agriculture secretary. Donovan said in an interview that his Washington relationships positioned him to see fresh opportunities for collaboration. “The question is, how deep are those relationships, how much trust do you have in the ability not just to call them on the phone, but to actually have worked side by side with them in moments of crisis?” he said. “No one has the depth and breadth of relationships that I do.” Despite those high-profile contacts, Donovan failed to meet the thresholds to qualify for the city’s matching-funds program, according to numbers released last week. Then there is McGuire, a longtime Wall Street executive, who has been a major Democratic donor himself and was a supporter of Harris before she ran for president. McGuire does not mention her at every turn, but he does have ties to her 2020 presidential primary infrastructure: The national finance chairman of her campaign, Jonathan Henes, is now a finance co-chair of his campaign, and there is additional overlap among prominent donors and on the finance team. McGuire and his wife, Crystal McCrary McGuire, also have personal relationships with Harris, according to a person who has worked for both McGuire and Harris. The person recalled, for instance, that after Harris gave a book talk at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan several years ago, she and her husband dined on cartons of Chinese takeout at the McGuires’ home. That doesn’t mean a Harris endorsement is imminent for McGuire or anyone else. A Harris aide said her team had been focused on the inauguration and on managing the coronavirus crisis. Others who have worked with her are skeptical that she would wade into a crowded mayoral primary. But the relationship is part of McGuire’s pitch that he would activate his sprawling network on behalf of the city. McGuire has publicly cited his ties with Harris and his connections with Washington decision-makers. “Given that this is arguably the most important city in the country, it is important to have a relationship with one of the two most important leaders of the country,” he said last week, asked why that relationship was relevant. Wiley’s embrace of Harris is literal: The photo on her Twitter page shows her cheek touching Harris’ temple. In an interview, she detailed her own experiences navigating Washington, including testifying before Congress and meeting key officials across federal agencies, and described opportunities for the next mayor to work with an increasingly powerful New York delegation. And Wiley, who is Black and hopes to be the first woman to serve as the city’s mayor, also noted the historic nature of Harris’ ascension to the vice presidency. Female voters, she said, are “very energized by this White House, and by what it represents, not just symbolically but practically.” “The national and local are deeply connected for folks because we do need help from Washington,” said Wiley, a former MSNBC analyst who has worked with Harris’ sister, who added that she had traded the occasional text with Harris. Then there are the veteran New York politicians like Stringer and Adams who lack much of a national platform but do have deep local relationships. Given New York’s stature, some officials say, that should be enough — a stance adopted by Kathryn Garcia, the city’s former sanitation commissioner who is also running for mayor. “You are still the mayor of the premier city of the United States,” she said. “They’re going to take your call.” Former Rep. Charles Rangel, the onetime dean of the New York House delegation, suggested that the mayoral candidates should keep fully focused on their own city. “I refuse to say anything that could be misinterpreted as not being positive about the power of the vice president of the United States,” he said. “But I’ll be goddamned if I can ever remember going to the vice president for any help for my city.”

Why Kamala Harris is a star of the New York City Mayor’s race

The Biden administration believes that the WHO is vital to controlling the spread of COVID-19 and building back better global health and pandemic preparedness, Vice President Kamala Harris has told WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a day after the US rejoined the UN health agency.

The US rejoined the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday in one of the first official orders of the Joe Biden presidency, reversing a key foreign policy decision his predecessor Donald Trump took last year after accusing the UN health agency of incompetence and bowing to Chinese pressure over the coronavirus pandemic.

In April last year, as the coronavirus pandemic was spreading across the globe, Trump cut off US funding to the WHO, saying it was "virtually controlled by China." He then went further, triggering the process to pull the US completely out of the organisation. The withdrawal was due to go into effect in July this year, but Biden's order will cancel it.

During her phone call on Thursday, Harris discussed the decision by the Biden administration to rejoin the WHO with the health agency's Director-General Dr. Ghebreyesus.

Harris emphasised that she and Biden believe that the WHO is vital to controlling the spread of COVID-19 and building back better global health and pandemic preparedness, according to a readout of the call issued by the White House.

"The vice president and the director-general also discussed the resumption of the United States' role in the global public health and humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic,? it said.

Harris also stressed on the Biden-Harris administration's strong support for efforts to strengthen the global COVID-19 response, mitigate its secondary impacts, including on women and girls, and advance global health security to prevent the next outbreak from becoming an epidemic or pandemic.

She emphasised the importance of making the US safer through global cooperation, the White House said.

Ghebreyesus thanked Harris for the call and congratulated her and Biden on their inauguration. Both the director-general and the vice president reiterated that they look forward to meeting in person.

Earlier in the day, Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious-disease expert, while addressing the WHO executive board meeting said the US will cease the drawdown of its staff seconded to the agency.

The US will also resume regular engagement of its government personnel with the WHO both directly and through the agency's collaborating centres, he said.

The United States intends to fulfil its financial obligations to the organisation. It sees technical collaboration at all levels as a fundamental part of our relationship with the WHO, one that we value deeply and look to strengthen going forward, Fauci said.

"As a WHO member state, the United States will work constructively with partners to strengthen and importantly reform the WHO, to help lead the collective effort to strengthen the international COVID-19 response and address its secondary impacts on people, communities, and health systems around the world,"&nbsp;he added.

The Biden administration also intends to be fully engaged in advancing global health, supporting global health security and the global health security agenda, and building a healthier future for all people.

"I am also pleased to announce today that the United States plans to work multilaterally to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden will issue a directive later today which will include the intent of the US to join COVAX and support the ACT-Accelerator to advance multilateral efforts for COVID-19 vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic distribution, equitable access, and research and development,"&nbsp;Fauci said.

The US will also work with the WHO and member states to counter the erosion of major gains in global health that we have achieved through decades of research, collaboration and investments in health and health security, including in HIV/AIDS, food security, malaria, and epidemic preparedness, he said.&nbsp;

The Biden administration believes that the WHO is vital to controlling the spread of COVID-19 and building back better global health and pandemic preparedness, Vice President Kamala Harris has told WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a day after the US rejoined the UN health agency.

The Biden administration believes that the WHO is vital to controlling the spread of COVID-19 and building back better global health and pandemic preparedness, Vice President Kamala Harris has told WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a day after the US rejoined the UN health agency. The US rejoined the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday in one of the first official orders of the Joe Biden presidency, reversing a key foreign policy decision his predecessor Donald Trump took last year after accusing the UN health agency of incompetence and bowing to Chinese pressure over the coronavirus pandemic. In April last year, as the coronavirus pandemic was spreading across the globe, Trump cut off US funding to the WHO, saying it was "virtually controlled by China." He then went further, triggering the process to pull the US completely out of the organisation. The withdrawal was due to go into effect in July this year, but Biden's order will cancel it. During her phone call on Thursday, Harris discussed the decision by the Biden administration to rejoin the WHO with the health agency's Director-General Dr. Ghebreyesus. Harris emphasised that she and Biden believe that the WHO is vital to controlling the spread of COVID-19 and building back better global health and pandemic preparedness, according to a readout of the call issued by the White House. "The vice president and the director-general also discussed the resumption of the United States' role in the global public health and humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic,? it said. Harris also stressed on the Biden-Harris administration's strong support for efforts to strengthen the global COVID-19 response, mitigate its secondary impacts, including on women and girls, and advance global health security to prevent the next outbreak from becoming an epidemic or pandemic. She emphasised the importance of making the US safer through global cooperation, the White House said. Ghebreyesus thanked Harris for the call and congratulated her and Biden on their inauguration. Both the director-general and the vice president reiterated that they look forward to meeting in person. Earlier in the day, Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious-disease expert, while addressing the WHO executive board meeting said the US will cease the drawdown of its staff seconded to the agency. The US will also resume regular engagement of its government personnel with the WHO both directly and through the agency's collaborating centres, he said. The United States intends to fulfil its financial obligations to the organisation. It sees technical collaboration at all levels as a fundamental part of our relationship with the WHO, one that we value deeply and look to strengthen going forward, Fauci said. "As a WHO member state, the United States will work constructively with partners to strengthen and importantly reform the WHO, to help lead the collective effort to strengthen the international COVID-19 response and address its secondary impacts on people, communities, and health systems around the world," he added. The Biden administration also intends to be fully engaged in advancing global health, supporting global health security and the global health security agenda, and building a healthier future for all people. "I am also pleased to announce today that the United States plans to work multilaterally to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden will issue a directive later today which will include the intent of the US to join COVAX and support the ACT-Accelerator to advance multilateral efforts for COVID-19 vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic distribution, equitable access, and research and development," Fauci said. The US will also work with the WHO and member states to counter the erosion of major gains in global health that we have achieved through decades of research, collaboration and investments in health and health security, including in HIV/AIDS, food security, malaria, and epidemic preparedness, he said.

Biden administration believes WHO is vital to contain Covid pandemic: Kamala Harris tells WHO chief

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