The US&nbsp;Senate in a rare Saturday session worked on a bill that would spend $1 trillion on roads, rail lines and other infrastructure, as lawmakers from both parties sought to advance President Joe Biden's top legislative priority. 
 
The ambitious plan has the backing of Democrats and Republicans alike and has already cleared two hurdles by broad margins in the closely divided Senate. 
 
But so far lawmakers have not seen the final text of the bill, which includes about $550 billion in new spending and was still being written on Saturday. Earlier votes were for a shell bill that the actual legislation will be added to once it is complete. 
 
US&nbsp;Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor that the bipartisan group working on the legislation needed additional time. "The Senate will remain in session today so they can bring this to a conclusion," Schumer said. 
 
"I know all the parties want to get this right. As soon as their legislative text is finalised, we'll review it and then I will offer it as a substitute amendment. After that, we can begin voting for amendments," the top Senate Democrat added. 
 
After passing the $1 trillion bill, Schumer aims to push forward on a sweeping $3.5 trillion package that focuses on climate change and home care for the elderly and children. That faces staunch Republican opposition and some dissent among moderate Democrats. 
 
"The Senate is going to move forward on both tracks of infrastructure before the beginning of the August recess. The longer it takes to finish, the longer we`ll be here. But we`re going to get the job done," Schumer said earlier on Saturday. 
 
The Senate voted 66-28 on Friday to take up the bill, with 16 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two independents in support. 
 
The package would dramatically increase the nation's spending on roads, bridges, transit and airports. Supporters predicted it will ultimately pass the Senate and House of Representatives, eventually reaching Biden's desk for him to sign it into law. 
 
It includes about $550 billion in new spending, on top of $450 billion that was previously approved. It also includes money for eliminating lead water pipes and building electric vehicle charging stations. 
 
The bill does not include funding for most climate change and social initiatives that Democrats aim to pass in the separate $3.5 trillion measure without Republican support. 
 
Democrats hold razor-thin margins in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, meaning the party must stick together to achieve its legislative goals. 
 
Progressive members of the House Democratic caucus have already suggested the $1 trillion package is inadequate, and the Senate could likewise impose changes that could complicate its chances of becoming law. 
 
But supporters, including Schumer and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have been optimistic about its prospects.

The US Senate in a rare Saturday session worked on a bill that would spend $1 trillion on roads, rail lines and other infrastructure, as lawmakers from both parties sought to advance President Joe Biden's top legislative priority.

The US Senate in a rare Saturday session worked on a bill that would spend $1 trillion on roads, rail lines and other infrastructure, as lawmakers from both parties sought to advance President Joe Biden's top legislative priority. The ambitious plan has the backing of Democrats and Republicans alike and has already cleared two hurdles by broad margins in the closely divided Senate. But so far lawmakers have not seen the final text of the bill, which includes about $550 billion in new spending and was still being written on Saturday. Earlier votes were for a shell bill that the actual legislation will be added to once it is complete. US Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor that the bipartisan group working on the legislation needed additional time. "The Senate will remain in session today so they can bring this to a conclusion," Schumer said. "I know all the parties want to get this right. As soon as their legislative text is finalised, we'll review it and then I will offer it as a substitute amendment. After that, we can begin voting for amendments," the top Senate Democrat added. After passing the $1 trillion bill, Schumer aims to push forward on a sweeping $3.5 trillion package that focuses on climate change and home care for the elderly and children. That faces staunch Republican opposition and some dissent among moderate Democrats. "The Senate is going to move forward on both tracks of infrastructure before the beginning of the August recess. The longer it takes to finish, the longer we`ll be here. But we`re going to get the job done," Schumer said earlier on Saturday. The Senate voted 66-28 on Friday to take up the bill, with 16 Republicans joining all 48 Democrats and two independents in support. The package would dramatically increase the nation's spending on roads, bridges, transit and airports. Supporters predicted it will ultimately pass the Senate and House of Representatives, eventually reaching Biden's desk for him to sign it into law. It includes about $550 billion in new spending, on top of $450 billion that was previously approved. It also includes money for eliminating lead water pipes and building electric vehicle charging stations. The bill does not include funding for most climate change and social initiatives that Democrats aim to pass in the separate $3.5 trillion measure without Republican support. Democrats hold razor-thin margins in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, meaning the party must stick together to achieve its legislative goals. Progressive members of the House Democratic caucus have already suggested the $1 trillion package is inadequate, and the Senate could likewise impose changes that could complicate its chances of becoming law. But supporters, including Schumer and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have been optimistic about its prospects.

US Senate in rare Saturday session on $1 trillion infrastructure bill

The US&nbsp;Navy is assisting an Israeli-managed petroleum products tanker attacked off Oman with two crew members killed, the US&nbsp;military said on Saturday, adding the ship was most likely hit by a drone strike. 
 
Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned vessel that was attacked on Thursday, is being escorted by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, US&nbsp;Central Command said in a statement. 
 
"US&nbsp;Navy explosives experts are aboard to ensure there is no additional danger to the crew, and are prepared to support an investigation into the attack," said Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia. 
 
"Initial indications clearly point to a UAV-style (drone) attack," it added. 
 
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blamed Iran on Friday for the attack, which killed a Briton and a Romanian, and said it deserved a harsh response. There was no immediate official reaction from Iran to the accusation that it was responsible. 
 
Lapid spoke with US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the incident on Saturday evening, he said on Twitter. 
 
"We are working together against Iranian terrorism, which poses a threat to all of us, by formulating a real and effective international response," Lapid said. 
 
Lapid added on Twitter: Iran "repeatedly errs in understanding our commitment to protecting ourselves and our interests." 
 
US&nbsp;and European sources familiar with intelligence reporting said on Friday that Iran was their leading suspect for the incident. 
 
Al Alam TV, the Iranian government`s Arabic-language television network, cited unnamed sources as saying the attack on the ship came in response to a suspected, unspecified Israeli attack on Dabaa airport in Syria. 
 
The vessel is managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime. The company said on Friday the vessel was sailing under the control of its crew and own power to a safe location with a US&nbsp;naval escort.

The US Navy is assisting an Israeli-managed petroleum products tanker attacked off Oman with two crew members killed, the US military said on Saturday, adding the ship was most likely hit by a drone strike.

The US Navy is assisting an Israeli-managed petroleum products tanker attacked off Oman with two crew members killed, the US military said on Saturday, adding the ship was most likely hit by a drone strike. Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned vessel that was attacked on Thursday, is being escorted by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, US Central Command said in a statement. "US Navy explosives experts are aboard to ensure there is no additional danger to the crew, and are prepared to support an investigation into the attack," said Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia. "Initial indications clearly point to a UAV-style (drone) attack," it added. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blamed Iran on Friday for the attack, which killed a Briton and a Romanian, and said it deserved a harsh response. There was no immediate official reaction from Iran to the accusation that it was responsible. Lapid spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the incident on Saturday evening, he said on Twitter. "We are working together against Iranian terrorism, which poses a threat to all of us, by formulating a real and effective international response," Lapid said. Lapid added on Twitter: Iran "repeatedly errs in understanding our commitment to protecting ourselves and our interests." US and European sources familiar with intelligence reporting said on Friday that Iran was their leading suspect for the incident. Al Alam TV, the Iranian government`s Arabic-language television network, cited unnamed sources as saying the attack on the ship came in response to a suspected, unspecified Israeli attack on Dabaa airport in Syria. The vessel is managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime. The company said on Friday the vessel was sailing under the control of its crew and own power to a safe location with a US naval escort.

US military aids Israel-managed tanker attacked off Oman

Tunisia&nbsp;should swiftly&nbsp;return&nbsp;to its "democratic&nbsp;path", a top White House official on Saturday told President Kais Saied, days after his shock power grab that included suspending parliament.

In an hour-long call with Saied, President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted support for "Tunisian democracy based on fundamental rights, strong institutions and a commitment to&nbsp;the rule of law", according to a White House statement.

Saied on July 25 sacked premier Hichem Mechichi and suspended parliament for 30 days. He ordered a graft crackdown targeting 460 businessmen and an investigation into alleged illegal funding of political parties.

The president's surprise move has plunged&nbsp;Tunisia&nbsp;into political turmoil.

The US statement said the call "focused on the critical need for Tunisian leaders to outline a swift&nbsp;return&nbsp;to&nbsp;Tunisia's&nbsp;democratic&nbsp;path".

"This will require rapidly forming a new government, led by a capable prime minister to stabilise&nbsp;Tunisia's economy and confront the COVID-19 pandemic," it added.

On top of the political turmoil, the North African nation is beset by a crippling economic crisis marked by soaring inflation and high unemployment, as well as surging COVID-19 infections.

Tunisia should swiftly return to its "democratic path", a top White House official on Saturday told President Kais Saied, days after his shock power grab that included suspending parliament.

Tunisia should swiftly return to its "democratic path", a top White House official on Saturday told President Kais Saied, days after his shock power grab that included suspending parliament. In an hour-long call with Saied, President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted support for "Tunisian democracy based on fundamental rights, strong institutions and a commitment to the rule of law", according to a White House statement. Saied on July 25 sacked premier Hichem Mechichi and suspended parliament for 30 days. He ordered a graft crackdown targeting 460 businessmen and an investigation into alleged illegal funding of political parties. The president's surprise move has plunged Tunisia into political turmoil. The US statement said the call "focused on the critical need for Tunisian leaders to outline a swift return to Tunisia's democratic path". "This will require rapidly forming a new government, led by a capable prime minister to stabilise Tunisia's economy and confront the COVID-19 pandemic," it added. On top of the political turmoil, the North African nation is beset by a crippling economic crisis marked by soaring inflation and high unemployment, as well as surging COVID-19 infections.

US urges Tunisia to return to 'democratic path'

Nigeria received four million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States on Sunday as the West African nation steps up efforts to battle a third wave of infections.

The doses, which came on two planes, were received by officials from the UN children agency UNICEF on behalf of Nigeria at the airport in the capital Abuja, an AFP video reporter at the scene said.

It was the second batch of vaccines to arrive in Africa's most populous nation after four million doses were delivered in March under the Covax scheme.

Covax was set up to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines, particularly to low-income countries, and has already delivered more than 80 million doses to 129 territories.

Nigeria, which is home to some 210 million people used the four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in received in March to start its nationwide inoculation programme.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nigeria-bans-twitter-indefinitely-after-muhammadu-buharis-account-suspension-389533">Also read |&nbsp;Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension</a>

Experts worry that the highly contagious Delta variant could pose another setback to vaccine distribution&nbsp;if wealthier countries begin requiring booster shots for fully-vaccinated people, it could slow shipments of urgently needed doses to developing nations.

The virus has killed 2,149 people and infected nearly 174,000 in Nigeria, but the real figures are believed to be much higher, in part because of low testing rates.

Last month, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said it had detected the Delta variant, putting officials on alert for a third wave of infections in the country.

In June, Nigeria barred passengers who are not citizens or permanent residents from entering the country if they have been in South Africa in the past 14 days.

The decision followed similar restrictions imposed on travellers coming from Brazil, India and Turkey.

Nigeria received four million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States on Sunday as the West African nation steps up efforts to battle a third wave of infections.

Nigeria received four million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States on Sunday as the West African nation steps up efforts to battle a third wave of infections. The doses, which came on two planes, were received by officials from the UN children agency UNICEF on behalf of Nigeria at the airport in the capital Abuja, an AFP video reporter at the scene said. It was the second batch of vaccines to arrive in Africa's most populous nation after four million doses were delivered in March under the Covax scheme. Covax was set up to ensure the equitable distribution of vaccines, particularly to low-income countries, and has already delivered more than 80 million doses to 129 territories. Nigeria, which is home to some 210 million people used the four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in received in March to start its nationwide inoculation programme. Also read | Nigeria bans Twitter 'indefinitely' after Muhammadu Buhari's account suspension Experts worry that the highly contagious Delta variant could pose another setback to vaccine distribution if wealthier countries begin requiring booster shots for fully-vaccinated people, it could slow shipments of urgently needed doses to developing nations. The virus has killed 2,149 people and infected nearly 174,000 in Nigeria, but the real figures are believed to be much higher, in part because of low testing rates. Last month, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said it had detected the Delta variant, putting officials on alert for a third wave of infections in the country. In June, Nigeria barred passengers who are not citizens or permanent residents from entering the country if they have been in South Africa in the past 14 days. The decision followed similar restrictions imposed on travellers coming from Brazil, India and Turkey.

Nigeria receives four million vaccine doses from US

In the United States, the number of homicides continues to rise in all major American Cities. Gun assaults rose by 5% compared to last year whereas aggravated assaults also increased by 9% in 2021.

US: Record increase in murders across America

Walt&nbsp;Disney&nbsp;Co said on Friday (July 30) it was making&nbsp;vaccination&nbsp;mandatory&nbsp;for all its on-site&nbsp;salaried and non-union hourly&nbsp;employees&nbsp;in the United States, as the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant drives a resurgence in cases.

"Employees&nbsp;who aren't already vaccinated and are working on-site&nbsp;will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any&nbsp;employees&nbsp;still working from home will need to provide verification of&nbsp;vaccination&nbsp;prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions,"&nbsp;Disney&nbsp;said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-disney-lashes-at-scarlett-johansson-for-suing-it-on-taking-black-widow-film-to-disney-401634">Also read |&nbsp;Disney lashes at Scarlett Johansson for suing it on taking 'Black Widow' to streamer</a>

The company also said all the newly hired&nbsp;employees&nbsp;will be required to be fully vaccinated before beginning their employment.

Disney's announcement comes after major tech companies including Google, Uber and Facebook said earlier this week that all&nbsp;US&nbsp;employees&nbsp;must get vaccinated to step into offices.

Health authorities on Tuesday (July 27) said Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should go back to wearing masks in indoor public places in regions where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly.

Walt Disney Co said on Friday (July 30) it was making vaccination mandatory for all its on-site salaried and non-union hourly employees in the United States, as the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant drives a resurgence in cases.

Walt Disney Co said on Friday (July 30) it was making vaccination mandatory for all its on-site salaried and non-union hourly employees in the United States, as the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant drives a resurgence in cases. "Employees who aren't already vaccinated and are working on-site will have 60 days from today to complete their protocols and any employees still working from home will need to provide verification of vaccination prior to their return, with certain limited exceptions," Disney said. Also read | Disney lashes at Scarlett Johansson for suing it on taking 'Black Widow' to streamer The company also said all the newly hired employees will be required to be fully vaccinated before beginning their employment. Disney's announcement comes after major tech companies including Google, Uber and Facebook said earlier this week that all US employees must get vaccinated to step into offices. Health authorities on Tuesday (July 27) said Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should go back to wearing masks in indoor public places in regions where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly.

Disney makes vaccination mandatory for on-site US employees

The huge increase in government aid prompted by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus pandemic</a> will cut poverty nearly in half this year from pre-pandemic levels and push the share of Americans in poverty to the lowest level on record, according to the most comprehensive analysis yet of a vast but temporary expansion of the safety net.

The number of poor Americans is expected to fall by nearly 20 million from 2018 levels, a decline of almost 45 per cent. The country has never cut poverty so much in such a short period of time, and the development is especially notable since it defies economic headwinds — the economy has nearly 7 million fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-pushes-37-million-people-into-extreme-poverty-gates-foundation-327805">Coronavirus pushes 37 million people into extreme poverty: Gates Foundation</a>

The extraordinary reduction in poverty has come at extraordinary cost, with annual spending on major programs projected to rise fourfold to more than $1 trillion. Yet without further expensive new measures, millions of families may find the escape from poverty brief. The three programs that cut poverty most — stimulus checks, increased food stamps and expanded unemployment insurance — have ended or are scheduled to soon revert to their prepandemic size.

While poverty has fallen most among children, its retreat is remarkably broad: It has dropped among Americans who are white, Black, Latino and Asian, and among Americans of every age group and residents of every state.

“These are really large reductions in poverty — the largest short-term reductions we’ve seen,” said Laura Wheaton of the Urban Institute, who produced the estimate with her colleagues Linda Giannarelli and Ilham Dehry. The institute’s simulation model is widely used by government agencies. The New York Times requested the analysis, which expanded on an earlier projection.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-report-warns-hunger-is-expected-to-rise-in-23-global-hotspots-401915">New report warns hunger is expected to rise in 23 global hotspots</a>

he finding — that poverty plunged amid hard times at huge fiscal costs — comes at a moment of sharp debate about the future of the safety net.

The Biden administration has started making monthly payments to most families with children through an expansion of the child tax credit. Democrats want to make the yearlong effort permanent, which would reduce child poverty on a continuing basis by giving their families an income guarantee.

Progressives said the new numbers vindicated their contention that poverty levels reflected political choices and government programs could reduce economic need.

<img alt="Graphic 1 (Source: The New York Times)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5006ff6b-8278-4f58-af83-0180ac52ccdf" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202021-07-31T220041.401.jpg" />

Graphic 1 (Source: The New York Times)

“Wow — these are stunning findings,” said Bob Greenstein, a longtime proponent of safety net programs who is now at the Brookings Institution. “The policy response since the start of the pandemic goes beyond anything we’ve ever done, and the antipoverty effect dwarfs what most of us thought was possible.”

Conservatives say that pandemic-era spending is unsustainable and would harm the poor in the long run, arguing that unconditional aid discourages work and marriage. The child tax credit offers families up to $300 per child a month whether or not parents have jobs, which critics call a return to failed welfare policies.

“There’s no doubt that by shoveling trillions of dollars to the poor, you can reduce poverty,” said Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation. “But that’s not efficient and it’s not good for the poor because it produces social marginalization. You want policies that encourage work and marriage, not undermine it.”

Poverty rates had reached new lows before the pandemic, Rector added, under policies meant to discourage welfare and promote work.

To understand how large the recent aid expansion has been, consider the experience of Kathryn Goodwin, a single mother of five in St. Charles, Missouri, who managed a group of trailer parks before the pandemic eliminated her $33,000 job.

Without the pandemic-era expansions — passed in three rounds under both the Trump and Biden administrations — Goodwin’s job loss would have caused her income to plunge to about $29,000 (in jobless benefits, food stamps and other aid), leaving her officially poor.

<img alt="Graphic 2 (Source: The New York Times)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ecf827d3-8ead-4164-8943-d7cb2a3190eb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202021-07-31T220101.346.jpg" />

Graphic 2&nbsp;(Source: The New York Times)

Instead, her income rose above its prepandemic level, though she has not worked for a year. She received about $25,000 in unemployment benefits (about three times what she would have received before the pandemic) and $12,000 in stimulus checks. With increased food stamp benefits and other help, her income grew to $67,000 — almost 30 per cent more than when she had a job.

“Without that help, I literally don’t know how I would have survived,” she said. “We would have been homeless.”

Still, Goodwin, 29, has mixed feelings about large payments with no stipulations.

“In my case, yes, it was very beneficial,” she said. But she said that other people she knew bought big TVs and her former boyfriend bought drugs. “All this free money enabled him to be a worse addict than he already was,” she said. “Why should taxpayers pay for that?”

The Urban Institute’s projections show poverty falling to 7.7 per cent this year from 13.9&nbsp;per cent in 2018. That decline, 45 per cent, is nearly three times the previous three-year record, according to historical estimates by researchers at Columbia University. The projected drop in child poverty, to 5.6 from 14.2 per cent, amounts to a decline of 61 per cent. That exceeds the previous 50 years combined, the Columbia figures show.

In addition to there being nearly 20 million fewer people in poverty, the institute projects about 10 million fewer in “near poverty,” with incomes of 100 to 150&nbsp;per cent of the poverty line. Under the yardstick the Urban Institute used (the government’s Supplemental Poverty Measure), the poverty line for two adults and two children with typical housing costs is about $30,000.

“The decline in ‘near poverty’ is significant because families in that income range, like people in poverty, suffer high rates of food insecurity and other hardships,” said Elaine Waxman, an Urban Institute researcher.

Poverty fell across racial and ethnic groups but most for people who are Black and Latino, meaning the gap with white Americans narrowed. The Rev. Starsky Wilson, the president of the Children’s Defense Fund, credited the racial protests of the past year for prompting lawmakers to act. “It’s no coincidence that the effort at mobilizing resulted in investments that reduced poverty and narrowed disparities,” he said.

<img alt="Graphic 3 (Source: The New York Times)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="be777110-1106-44a1-b65f-9275d245b258" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202021-07-31T220120.026.jpg" />

Graphic 3&nbsp;(Source: The New York Times)

Poverty fell less among Asian Americans, leaving them more likely than Black Americans to be poor. The institute found that was partly because they tended to live in more expensive areas.

Jessica Moore of St. Louis said the expanded aid helped her make a fresh start.

A single mother of three, Moore, 24, lost work as a banquet server at the pandemic’s start but received enough in unemployment insurance and stimulus checks to buy a car and enroll in community college. She is studying to become an emergency medical technician, which promises to raise her earnings 50 per cent.

“When you lose your job, you don’t expect benefits that are more than you were making,” she said. “It was a pure blessing.”

The institute projected spending on core programs would more than double, to about $13,900 per family from $5,700 in 2018. The stimulus checks removed more than 12 million people from poverty. Food stamps ended poverty for nearly 8 million people and unemployment aid for nearly 7 million.

Critics said the aid was poorly devised, noting that many people received more from unemployment benefits than they had earned on the job.

“We spent like we’ve never spent before and we reduced hardship for most people quite dramatically,” said Bruce D. Meyer, an economist at the University of Chicago. “But this came at a very high and unnecessary cost.”

While Democrats and Republicans remain divided over future safety net spending, a bipartisan group of senators agreed Wednesday on about $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges and physical infrastructure projects, and the Senate advanced the package in an initial vote.

Measuring poverty is contentious, and some conservatives accuse the left of exaggerating the recent poverty reduction to justify more spending. They say the government’s methodology undercounts the benefits people receive and overstates what it takes to meet basic needs. The Urban Institute modified the government’s approach to correct for undercounting, but Wheaton said methodological issues did not change the conclusion that poverty fell since “we are applying a consistent measure to both years.”

If there are biases in the institute’s methodology, they lean in offsetting directions. Using a 2018 baseline may modestly overstate the recent poverty reduction, since poverty was lower when the virus hit. But the study, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also understated the poverty reduction by omitting several large new programs, including $45 billion in rental aid.

Robert Doar, the president of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, warned that the poverty numbers were being used to attack a successful social compact established a quarter-century ago with the overhaul of the welfare system. Under a new system of time limits and work requirements, payments to poor people without jobs fell, but subsidies for low-wage workers grew. Doar noted that while liberals warned child poverty would grow, by 2019 it had hit a prepandemic low.

“We required work, we rewarded work, and poverty rates were lower than had ever been,” he said. “The Democrats want to ignore all that and just send everybody a check.”

The huge increase in government aid prompted by the coronavirus pandemic will cut poverty nearly in half this year from pre-pandemic levels and push the share of Americans in poverty to the lowest level on record, according to the most comprehensive analysis yet of a vast but temporary expansion of the safety net.

The huge increase in government aid prompted by the coronavirus pandemic will cut poverty nearly in half this year from pre-pandemic levels and push the share of Americans in poverty to the lowest level on record, according to the most comprehensive analysis yet of a vast but temporary expansion of the safety net. The number of poor Americans is expected to fall by nearly 20 million from 2018 levels, a decline of almost 45 per cent. The country has never cut poverty so much in such a short period of time, and the development is especially notable since it defies economic headwinds — the economy has nearly 7 million fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic. Also read | Coronavirus pushes 37 million people into extreme poverty: Gates Foundation The extraordinary reduction in poverty has come at extraordinary cost, with annual spending on major programs projected to rise fourfold to more than $1 trillion. Yet without further expensive new measures, millions of families may find the escape from poverty brief. The three programs that cut poverty most — stimulus checks, increased food stamps and expanded unemployment insurance — have ended or are scheduled to soon revert to their prepandemic size. While poverty has fallen most among children, its retreat is remarkably broad: It has dropped among Americans who are white, Black, Latino and Asian, and among Americans of every age group and residents of every state. “These are really large reductions in poverty — the largest short-term reductions we’ve seen,” said Laura Wheaton of the Urban Institute, who produced the estimate with her colleagues Linda Giannarelli and Ilham Dehry. The institute’s simulation model is widely used by government agencies. The New York Times requested the analysis, which expanded on an earlier projection. Also read | New report warns hunger is expected to rise in 23 global hotspots he finding — that poverty plunged amid hard times at huge fiscal costs — comes at a moment of sharp debate about the future of the safety net. The Biden administration has started making monthly payments to most families with children through an expansion of the child tax credit. Democrats want to make the yearlong effort permanent, which would reduce child poverty on a continuing basis by giving their families an income guarantee. Progressives said the new numbers vindicated their contention that poverty levels reflected political choices and government programs could reduce economic need. Graphic 1 (Source: The New York Times) “Wow — these are stunning findings,” said Bob Greenstein, a longtime proponent of safety net programs who is now at the Brookings Institution. “The policy response since the start of the pandemic goes beyond anything we’ve ever done, and the antipoverty effect dwarfs what most of us thought was possible.” Conservatives say that pandemic-era spending is unsustainable and would harm the poor in the long run, arguing that unconditional aid discourages work and marriage. The child tax credit offers families up to $300 per child a month whether or not parents have jobs, which critics call a return to failed welfare policies. “There’s no doubt that by shoveling trillions of dollars to the poor, you can reduce poverty,” said Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation. “But that’s not efficient and it’s not good for the poor because it produces social marginalization. You want policies that encourage work and marriage, not undermine it.” Poverty rates had reached new lows before the pandemic, Rector added, under policies meant to discourage welfare and promote work. To understand how large the recent aid expansion has been, consider the experience of Kathryn Goodwin, a single mother of five in St. Charles, Missouri, who managed a group of trailer parks before the pandemic eliminated her $33,000 job. Without the pandemic-era expansions — passed in three rounds under both the Trump and Biden administrations — Goodwin’s job loss would have caused her income to plunge to about $29,000 (in jobless benefits, food stamps and other aid), leaving her officially poor. Graphic 2 (Source: The New York Times) Instead, her income rose above its prepandemic level, though she has not worked for a year. She received about $25,000 in unemployment benefits (about three times what she would have received before the pandemic) and $12,000 in stimulus checks. With increased food stamp benefits and other help, her income grew to $67,000 — almost 30 per cent more than when she had a job. “Without that help, I literally don’t know how I would have survived,” she said. “We would have been homeless.” Still, Goodwin, 29, has mixed feelings about large payments with no stipulations. “In my case, yes, it was very beneficial,” she said. But she said that other people she knew bought big TVs and her former boyfriend bought drugs. “All this free money enabled him to be a worse addict than he already was,” she said. “Why should taxpayers pay for that?” The Urban Institute’s projections show poverty falling to 7.7 per cent this year from 13.9 per cent in 2018. That decline, 45 per cent, is nearly three times the previous three-year record, according to historical estimates by researchers at Columbia University. The projected drop in child poverty, to 5.6 from 14.2 per cent, amounts to a decline of 61 per cent. That exceeds the previous 50 years combined, the Columbia figures show. In addition to there being nearly 20 million fewer people in poverty, the institute projects about 10 million fewer in “near poverty,” with incomes of 100 to 150 per cent of the poverty line. Under the yardstick the Urban Institute used (the government’s Supplemental Poverty Measure), the poverty line for two adults and two children with typical housing costs is about $30,000. “The decline in ‘near poverty’ is significant because families in that income range, like people in poverty, suffer high rates of food insecurity and other hardships,” said Elaine Waxman, an Urban Institute researcher. Poverty fell across racial and ethnic groups but most for people who are Black and Latino, meaning the gap with white Americans narrowed. The Rev. Starsky Wilson, the president of the Children’s Defense Fund, credited the racial protests of the past year for prompting lawmakers to act. “It’s no coincidence that the effort at mobilizing resulted in investments that reduced poverty and narrowed disparities,” he said. Graphic 3 (Source: The New York Times) Poverty fell less among Asian Americans, leaving them more likely than Black Americans to be poor. The institute found that was partly because they tended to live in more expensive areas. Jessica Moore of St. Louis said the expanded aid helped her make a fresh start. A single mother of three, Moore, 24, lost work as a banquet server at the pandemic’s start but received enough in unemployment insurance and stimulus checks to buy a car and enroll in community college. She is studying to become an emergency medical technician, which promises to raise her earnings 50 per cent. “When you lose your job, you don’t expect benefits that are more than you were making,” she said. “It was a pure blessing.” The institute projected spending on core programs would more than double, to about $13,900 per family from $5,700 in 2018. The stimulus checks removed more than 12 million people from poverty. Food stamps ended poverty for nearly 8 million people and unemployment aid for nearly 7 million. Critics said the aid was poorly devised, noting that many people received more from unemployment benefits than they had earned on the job. “We spent like we’ve never spent before and we reduced hardship for most people quite dramatically,” said Bruce D. Meyer, an economist at the University of Chicago. “But this came at a very high and unnecessary cost.” While Democrats and Republicans remain divided over future safety net spending, a bipartisan group of senators agreed Wednesday on about $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges and physical infrastructure projects, and the Senate advanced the package in an initial vote. Measuring poverty is contentious, and some conservatives accuse the left of exaggerating the recent poverty reduction to justify more spending. They say the government’s methodology undercounts the benefits people receive and overstates what it takes to meet basic needs. The Urban Institute modified the government’s approach to correct for undercounting, but Wheaton said methodological issues did not change the conclusion that poverty fell since “we are applying a consistent measure to both years.” If there are biases in the institute’s methodology, they lean in offsetting directions. Using a 2018 baseline may modestly overstate the recent poverty reduction, since poverty was lower when the virus hit. But the study, which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, also understated the poverty reduction by omitting several large new programs, including $45 billion in rental aid. Robert Doar, the president of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, warned that the poverty numbers were being used to attack a successful social compact established a quarter-century ago with the overhaul of the welfare system. Under a new system of time limits and work requirements, payments to poor people without jobs fell, but subsidies for low-wage workers grew. Doar noted that while liberals warned child poverty would grow, by 2019 it had hit a prepandemic low. “We required work, we rewarded work, and poverty rates were lower than had ever been,” he said. “The Democrats want to ignore all that and just send everybody a check.”

Pandemic aid programs spur a record drop in poverty

As Taliban insurgents make gains in Afghanistan and security forces struggle to contain them, an international human rights monitor accused the Taliban insurgency there, of executing suspected government officials and security personnel, and sometimes even their family members.

US-based Human Rights Watch&nbsp;(HRW) condemned the Taliban's retaliatory actions in a statement, noting that the group had pledged they would not harm Afghan government employees or those assisting the&nbsp;United States and NATO troops.

The insurgent group has denied the allegations. 
 
HRW reports that among recent executions was one committed by the Taliban in southern Kandahar province earlier this month,&nbsp;Nazar Mohammad a.k.a Khasha Zwan a&nbsp;popular Kandahari comedian.&nbsp;

According to reports, the slain man who worked with the Afghan police had posted routines on TikTok that included songs and jokes.&nbsp;He was beaten and shot to death by Taliban fighters on July 22, 2021.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/taliban-targets-mosque-kills-award-winning-photojournalist-danish-siddiqui-401995/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Khasha Zwan was apparently executed by Taliban forces because he made fun of Taliban leaders, said Human Rights Watch's, Patrica Gossman.

Gossman alleged that his murder, along with other recent abuses, demonstrates the Taliban's willingness to brutally crush even the mildest of criticism or objection.

The Taliban didn't admit to killing Khasha Zwan until a video appeared online showing two men slapping and abusing him.

After a video of two&nbsp;insurgents&nbsp;physically abusing the detained comedian went viral on social media, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged the incident was the work of insurgent fighters.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/taliban-takes-responsibility-for-killing-of-afghan-comic-401835/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Mujahid said the men responsible for killing Zwan have been arrested and will be tried, given that they were obligated to bring the comedian to a Taliban court rather than kill him. 
 
As well as holding scores of government and police associates in Kandahar, insurgent commanders are also accused of detaining a number of civilians. 
 
Taliban forces cannot use brute force against their critics as they advance, says Gossman adding that while the Taliban leadership often denies the abuses, it is their fighters behind these attacks, so it is their responsibility to stop the slaughter. 
 
US government also condemned the death of the comic.

Ross Wilson, acting US ambassador in Kabul, tweeted&nbsp;“Nazar Mohammad 'Khasha'&nbsp;was a beloved comedian, bringing laughter &amp; joy to his community even in dark times. The Taliban kidnapped &amp; lynched him, then gleefully published video evidence on Twitter. We condemn these sickening actions &amp; the Taliban leadership should too.”

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Nazar "Khasha" Mohammad was a beloved comedian, bringing laughter &amp; joy to his community even in dark times. The Taliban kidnapped &amp; lynched him, then gleefully published video evidence on Twitter. We condemn these sickening actions &amp; the Taliban leadership should too. <a href="https://t.co/hXROjj83eC">https://t.co/hXROjj83eC</a>
— Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson (@USAmbKabul) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbKabul/status/1420394331865747463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Afghanistan saw its latest wave of Taliban attacks in early May after the US&nbsp;and NATO began formally withdrawing the last of their remaining troops. 
 
Under President Joe Biden's orders, the process&nbsp;is scheduled to be completed by August 31.

Washington signed a deal with the Taliban in February 2020 that called for the insurgents to reduce violence and to negotiate a peace treaty with the Afghan government in return for the military withdrawal. 
 
Peace talks between the warring sides were supposed to begin in September in Qatar, however, the US-backed process to resolve the Afghan dispute has largely stalled and violence has escalated.

According to a United Nations report, civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period last year. 
 
The report warns that unless the warring parties negotiate urgently a peace deal in the next few months, Afghanistan could experience its highest-ever number of civilian casualties.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/s-jaishankar-meets-antony-blinken-discusses-regional-concerns-tension-in-afghanistan-401217/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

While on a visit to India on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed his concern over the&nbsp;“deeply troubling”&nbsp;reports of increased attacks against Afghan civilians.

He called on the warring parties to proactively negotiate a peace settlement, "An Afghanistan that does not respect the rights of its people, an Afghanistan that commits atrocities against its own people would become a pariah state,".

(With inputs from agencies)

As Taliban insurgents make gains in Afghanistan and security forces struggle to contain them, an international human rights monitor accused the Taliban insurgency there, of executing suspected government officials and security personnel, and sometimes even their family members.

As Taliban insurgents make gains in Afghanistan and security forces struggle to contain them, an international human rights monitor accused the Taliban insurgency there, of executing suspected government officials and security personnel, and sometimes even their family members. US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the Taliban's retaliatory actions in a statement, noting that the group had pledged they would not harm Afghan government employees or those assisting the United States and NATO troops. The insurgent group has denied the allegations. HRW reports that among recent executions was one committed by the Taliban in southern Kandahar province earlier this month, Nazar Mohammad a.k.a Khasha Zwan a popular Kandahari comedian. According to reports, the slain man who worked with the Afghan police had posted routines on TikTok that included songs and jokes. He was beaten and shot to death by Taliban fighters on July 22, 2021. Khasha Zwan was apparently executed by Taliban forces because he made fun of Taliban leaders, said Human Rights Watch's, Patrica Gossman. Gossman alleged that his murder, along with other recent abuses, demonstrates the Taliban's willingness to brutally crush even the mildest of criticism or objection. The Taliban didn't admit to killing Khasha Zwan until a video appeared online showing two men slapping and abusing him. After a video of two insurgents physically abusing the detained comedian went viral on social media, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged the incident was the work of insurgent fighters. Mujahid said the men responsible for killing Zwan have been arrested and will be tried, given that they were obligated to bring the comedian to a Taliban court rather than kill him. As well as holding scores of government and police associates in Kandahar, insurgent commanders are also accused of detaining a number of civilians. Taliban forces cannot use brute force against their critics as they advance, says Gossman adding that while the Taliban leadership often denies the abuses, it is their fighters behind these attacks, so it is their responsibility to stop the slaughter. US government also condemned the death of the comic. Ross Wilson, acting US ambassador in Kabul, tweeted “Nazar Mohammad 'Khasha' was a beloved comedian, bringing laughter & joy to his community even in dark times. The Taliban kidnapped & lynched him, then gleefully published video evidence on Twitter. We condemn these sickening actions & the Taliban leadership should too.” Nazar "Khasha" Mohammad was a beloved comedian, bringing laughter & joy to his community even in dark times. The Taliban kidnapped & lynched him, then gleefully published video evidence on Twitter. We condemn these sickening actions & the Taliban leadership should too. https://t.co/hXROjj83eC — Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson (@USAmbKabul) July 28, 2021 × Afghanistan saw its latest wave of Taliban attacks in early May after the US and NATO began formally withdrawing the last of their remaining troops. Under President Joe Biden's orders, the process is scheduled to be completed by August 31. Washington signed a deal with the Taliban in February 2020 that called for the insurgents to reduce violence and to negotiate a peace treaty with the Afghan government in return for the military withdrawal. Peace talks between the warring sides were supposed to begin in September in Qatar, however, the US-backed process to resolve the Afghan dispute has largely stalled and violence has escalated. According to a United Nations report, civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period last year. The report warns that unless the warring parties negotiate urgently a peace deal in the next few months, Afghanistan could experience its highest-ever number of civilian casualties. While on a visit to India on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed his concern over the “deeply troubling” reports of increased attacks against Afghan civilians. He called on the warring parties to proactively negotiate a peace settlement, "An Afghanistan that does not respect the rights of its people, an Afghanistan that commits atrocities against its own people would become a pariah state,". (With inputs from agencies)

Human Rights Watch dismayed by mounting Taliban revenge killings

US President Joe Biden said on Friday "in all probability" new guidelines or restrictions would be imposed in the United States in response to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

Asked if Americans should expect new recommendations from health authorities or new restrictive measures, the president responded, "in all probability," before leaving the White House by helicopter for the weekend.

He did not specify what steps could be taken.&nbsp;

US federal authorities, local officials and businesses have boosted health protocols in recent days in the face of surging cases spurred by the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.&nbsp;

Biden added, however, that the country had had "a good day" on Thursday in terms of vaccinations.&nbsp;

<a href="wionews.com/world/us-sanctions-top-cuban-police-for-suppressing-protests-401871">Also read |US sanctions top Cuban police for suppressing protests</a>

"Almost a million people got vaccinated," he said, as his administration works to revive a sluggish inoculation campaign.&nbsp;

"I am hopeful people are beginning to realize how essential it is."

US health authorities this week recommended that even vaccinated Americans again wear masks indoors in areas with high infection rates.

The federal government has also tightened health regulations for its millions of employees, who must now either be vaccinated or wear masks and be tested regularly, even in areas with low case numbers.&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden said on Friday "in all probability" new guidelines or restrictions would be imposed in the United States in response to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

US President Joe Biden said on Friday "in all probability" new guidelines or restrictions would be imposed in the United States in response to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Asked if Americans should expect new recommendations from health authorities or new restrictive measures, the president responded, "in all probability," before leaving the White House by helicopter for the weekend. He did not specify what steps could be taken. US federal authorities, local officials and businesses have boosted health protocols in recent days in the face of surging cases spurred by the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Biden added, however, that the country had had "a good day" on Thursday in terms of vaccinations. Also read |US sanctions top Cuban police for suppressing protests "Almost a million people got vaccinated," he said, as his administration works to revive a sluggish inoculation campaign. "I am hopeful people are beginning to realize how essential it is." US health authorities this week recommended that even vaccinated Americans again wear masks indoors in areas with high infection rates. The federal government has also tightened health regulations for its millions of employees, who must now either be vaccinated or wear masks and be tested regularly, even in areas with low case numbers.

Biden says US to see new COVID-19 restrictions 'in all probability'

As cyberattacks proliferated this year, Sanjay Beri, CEO of Netskope, a cloud security startup, got a phone call. Then an email. Then more messages.

All were from venture capitalists who wanted to invest in his company. Given the ransomware attacks and nation-state hacks that were making headlines, they told him, companies that made security products had a bigger market and mission than before.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/how-have-cyber-attacks-become-strategy-for-hybrid-warfare-399782">How have cyber attacks become strategy for hybrid warfare?</a>

“We weren’t looking for capital,” said Beri, who founded Netskope in 2012, but the cyberattacks “definitely increased their interest.”

After bids from seven investors, Netskope raised $300 million this month at a valuation of $7.5 billion, up from a $2.8 billion valuation last year. It was one of the year’s largest cybersecurity funding rounds, but not the maximum that Netskope could have attained.

“We could have raised $1 billion in capital,” Beri said.

Recent cyberattacks around the world have taken down operations at gasoline pipelines, hospitals and grocery chains and potentially compromised some intelligence agencies. But they have been a bonanza for one group: cybersecurity startups.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-weighs-new-cybersecurity-approach-after-failure-to-detect-hacks-370603">White House weighs new cybersecurity approach after failure to detect hacks</a>

Investors have poured more than $12.2 billion into startups that sell products and services such as cloud security, identify verification and privacy protection so far this year. That exceeds the $10.4 billion that cybersecurity companies raised in all of 2020 and is more than double the $4.8 billion raised in 2016, according to the research firm PitchBook, which tracks funding. Since 2019, the rise in cybersecurity funding has outpaced the increase in overall venture funding.

The surge follows a slew of high-profile ransomware attacks, including against Colonial Pipeline, software maker Kaseya and meat processor JBS. When President Joe Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, cyberattacks perpetrated by Russians were high on the diplomatic agenda. This month, the Biden administration and its allies also formally accused China of conducting hacks.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-allies-condemn-china-for-malicious-cyber-activity-399125/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

The breaches have fueled concerns among companies and governments, leading to increased spending on security products. Worldwide spending on information security and related services is expected to reach $150 billion this year, up 12 per cent from a year ago, according to the research company Gartner.

“Before we got to this point, we as security teams were having to go and fight for every penny we could get, and now it’s the exact opposite,” said John Turner, an information security manager at LendingTree, an online lending marketplace. Executives, he said, are asking: “Are we protected? What do you need?”

All of this is set to drive business for cybersecurity companies, creating a potential windfall that has excited investors. The average valuation of cybersecurity companies raising funds this year has more than doubled to $524.1 million from $221.8 million in 2020, according to PitchBook.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/biden-if-us-has-real-shooting-war-it-could-be-result-of-cyber-attacks-401055">Biden: If US has 'real shooting war' it could be result of cyber attacks</a>

“In close to two decades as a VC, I’ve never seen valuations so escalated,” said Asheem Chandna, a venture capitalist at Greylock Partners, who has invested in security companies such as Palo Alto Networks.

The money is flooding into startups that are tackling hackers in new ways. Traditionally, security systems at companies relied on the idea of securing a perimeter. That meant companies installed firewalls and other software to protect access to their corporate network.

But over the past several years, a shift to cloud computing has rendered the perimeter and the reliance on corporate networks obsolete. Employees now get access to applications over the internet, rather than through a data center operated by their employer. That has opened the door to startups that focus on cloud-based security and identity verification.

“Don’t build higher fences — have really good ID cards,” said Jason Crabtree, CEO of Qomplx, a risk-analytics startup that provides identity-verification software and is in the process of going public.

The funding frenzy has built for months. The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">pandemic</a> provided momentum when companies shifted to remote work, which required securing those remote-access systems, investors and executives said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/cyber-attack-disrupts-major-south-african-port-operations-401656/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

n a Friday evening in October, Chandna introduced the CEO of Abnormal Security, an email-security company in which he had invested, to another investor, he said. That investor, Venky Ganesan of Menlo Ventures, who had been pursuing a meeting with the CEO, Evan Reiser, for months, immediately emailed Reiser to invite him to dinner that night.

Reiser drove, he said, from San Francisco to Ganesan’s home in Atherton, California, about 30 miles away. By the end of the weekend, Abnormal had signed a deal to raise $50 million at a $600 million valuation, putting its total funding at $74 million. Menlo’s $40 million check was the firm’s largest investment ever.

“As shotgun weddings go, it’s as shotgun as you can get,” Ganesan said.

Since then, the ransomware attacks have given the funding wave a further boost.

In January, Lacework, a cloud security startup in San Jose, California, garnered $525 million in funding. Investors reached out because of Lacework’s products, which use artificial intelligence to identify threats, said Andy Byron, the company’s chief resource officer. In total, Lacework has raised $625 million since it was founded in 2015.

Mike Speiser, a venture capitalist at Sutter Hill Ventures, which led Lacework’s January financing, had no problem getting other investors to participate, he said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-how-china-breached-thousands-of-organisations-with-one-hacking-operation-399317/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

I called the five people that I thought were the best investors and asked them if they were interested. They were all interested, and within 48 hours we had a deal,” Speiser said. “One hundred percent of the people I called said they wanted in. We could have raised well over $1 billion.”

Business has boomed for Lacework because of “the combination of all of these ransomware and nation-state attacks, together with people moving to the cloud so aggressively,” said David Hatfield, who joined the startup in February as CEO.

Other security startups have also benefited. Orca, a cloud-security startup, raised $210 million in March. Trulioo, a company that makes sure users are who they say they are when they join a platform, collected $394 million last month.

Security startups are also being acquired for large sums or are going public. Last month, SentinelOne went public with a market capitalization of over $10 billion, the highest-valued cybersecurity public offering. In May, Auth0, an identity-verification company, was bought by Okta, another security company, for $6.5 billion.

Netskope's Beri said that with cybersecurity threats mounting, the funding boom was likely to continue.

“Many investors are not security savvy,” he said. “But when your next-door neighbors go, ‘Hey, what’s up with this ransomware stuff,’ then you know that it’s reached public consciousness. From an investor’s perspective, when something hits the average person’s mind, they realize: ‘Wow. This is here to stay.’”

As cyberattacks proliferated this year, Sanjay Beri, CEO of Netskope, a cloud security startup, got a phone call. Then an email. Then more messages. All were from venture capitalists who wanted to invest in his company.

As cyberattacks proliferated this year, Sanjay Beri, CEO of Netskope, a cloud security startup, got a phone call. Then an email. Then more messages. All were from venture capitalists who wanted to invest in his company. Given the ransomware attacks and nation-state hacks that were making headlines, they told him, companies that made security products had a bigger market and mission than before. Also read | How have cyber attacks become strategy for hybrid warfare? “We weren’t looking for capital,” said Beri, who founded Netskope in 2012, but the cyberattacks “definitely increased their interest.” After bids from seven investors, Netskope raised $300 million this month at a valuation of $7.5 billion, up from a $2.8 billion valuation last year. It was one of the year’s largest cybersecurity funding rounds, but not the maximum that Netskope could have attained. “We could have raised $1 billion in capital,” Beri said. Recent cyberattacks around the world have taken down operations at gasoline pipelines, hospitals and grocery chains and potentially compromised some intelligence agencies. But they have been a bonanza for one group: cybersecurity startups. Also read | White House weighs new cybersecurity approach after failure to detect hacks Investors have poured more than $12.2 billion into startups that sell products and services such as cloud security, identify verification and privacy protection so far this year. That exceeds the $10.4 billion that cybersecurity companies raised in all of 2020 and is more than double the $4.8 billion raised in 2016, according to the research firm PitchBook, which tracks funding. Since 2019, the rise in cybersecurity funding has outpaced the increase in overall venture funding. The surge follows a slew of high-profile ransomware attacks, including against Colonial Pipeline, software maker Kaseya and meat processor JBS. When President Joe Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, cyberattacks perpetrated by Russians were high on the diplomatic agenda. This month, the Biden administration and its allies also formally accused China of conducting hacks. The breaches have fueled concerns among companies and governments, leading to increased spending on security products. Worldwide spending on information security and related services is expected to reach $150 billion this year, up 12 per cent from a year ago, according to the research company Gartner. “Before we got to this point, we as security teams were having to go and fight for every penny we could get, and now it’s the exact opposite,” said John Turner, an information security manager at LendingTree, an online lending marketplace. Executives, he said, are asking: “Are we protected? What do you need?” All of this is set to drive business for cybersecurity companies, creating a potential windfall that has excited investors. The average valuation of cybersecurity companies raising funds this year has more than doubled to $524.1 million from $221.8 million in 2020, according to PitchBook. Also read | Biden: If US has 'real shooting war' it could be result of cyber attacks “In close to two decades as a VC, I’ve never seen valuations so escalated,” said Asheem Chandna, a venture capitalist at Greylock Partners, who has invested in security companies such as Palo Alto Networks. The money is flooding into startups that are tackling hackers in new ways. Traditionally, security systems at companies relied on the idea of securing a perimeter. That meant companies installed firewalls and other software to protect access to their corporate network. But over the past several years, a shift to cloud computing has rendered the perimeter and the reliance on corporate networks obsolete. Employees now get access to applications over the internet, rather than through a data center operated by their employer. That has opened the door to startups that focus on cloud-based security and identity verification. “Don’t build higher fences — have really good ID cards,” said Jason Crabtree, CEO of Qomplx, a risk-analytics startup that provides identity-verification software and is in the process of going public. The funding frenzy has built for months. The pandemic provided momentum when companies shifted to remote work, which required securing those remote-access systems, investors and executives said. n a Friday evening in October, Chandna introduced the CEO of Abnormal Security, an email-security company in which he had invested, to another investor, he said. That investor, Venky Ganesan of Menlo Ventures, who had been pursuing a meeting with the CEO, Evan Reiser, for months, immediately emailed Reiser to invite him to dinner that night. Reiser drove, he said, from San Francisco to Ganesan’s home in Atherton, California, about 30 miles away. By the end of the weekend, Abnormal had signed a deal to raise $50 million at a $600 million valuation, putting its total funding at $74 million. Menlo’s $40 million check was the firm’s largest investment ever. “As shotgun weddings go, it’s as shotgun as you can get,” Ganesan said. Since then, the ransomware attacks have given the funding wave a further boost. In January, Lacework, a cloud security startup in San Jose, California, garnered $525 million in funding. Investors reached out because of Lacework’s products, which use artificial intelligence to identify threats, said Andy Byron, the company’s chief resource officer. In total, Lacework has raised $625 million since it was founded in 2015. Mike Speiser, a venture capitalist at Sutter Hill Ventures, which led Lacework’s January financing, had no problem getting other investors to participate, he said. I called the five people that I thought were the best investors and asked them if they were interested. They were all interested, and within 48 hours we had a deal,” Speiser said. “One hundred percent of the people I called said they wanted in. We could have raised well over $1 billion.” Business has boomed for Lacework because of “the combination of all of these ransomware and nation-state attacks, together with people moving to the cloud so aggressively,” said David Hatfield, who joined the startup in February as CEO. Other security startups have also benefited. Orca, a cloud-security startup, raised $210 million in March. Trulioo, a company that makes sure users are who they say they are when they join a platform, collected $394 million last month. Security startups are also being acquired for large sums or are going public. Last month, SentinelOne went public with a market capitalization of over $10 billion, the highest-valued cybersecurity public offering. In May, Auth0, an identity-verification company, was bought by Okta, another security company, for $6.5 billion. Netskope's Beri said that with cybersecurity threats mounting, the funding boom was likely to continue. “Many investors are not security savvy,” he said. “But when your next-door neighbors go, ‘Hey, what’s up with this ransomware stuff,’ then you know that it’s reached public consciousness. From an investor’s perspective, when something hits the average person’s mind, they realize: ‘Wow. This is here to stay.’”

As cyberattacks surge, security startups reap the rewards

The United States on Friday resumed fast-track deportation flights for migrant families that recently arrived at the US-Mexico border, amid a sharp increase in the number of migrants at the southern border. 
 
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement the flights would transport Guatemalan, Honduran and Salvadoran migrant families, who could not be immediately expelled under a coronavirus-related public health policy and did not have a legal basis to stay in the country. 
 
"We are&nbsp;making clear that those who do not qualify to remain in the United States will be promptly removed," the statement said. 
 
Migrant crossings typically taper off in the hot summer months, but arrests at the southern border rose in June to the highest level since April 2000. The tally in July is expected to be similar or even higher, according to two border patrol officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. 
 
Immigration, and particularly the arrival of asylum seekers at the US&nbsp;southern border, has been a hot-button issue for decades. Multiple attempts to reform US&nbsp;laws and create a pathway to citizenship for the millions of immigrants living in the country illegally have failed in Congress.

The United States on Friday resumed fast-track deportation flights for migrant families that recently arrived at the US-Mexico border, amid a sharp increase in the number of migrants at the southern border.

The United States on Friday resumed fast-track deportation flights for migrant families that recently arrived at the US-Mexico border, amid a sharp increase in the number of migrants at the southern border. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement the flights would transport Guatemalan, Honduran and Salvadoran migrant families, who could not be immediately expelled under a coronavirus-related public health policy and did not have a legal basis to stay in the country. "We are making clear that those who do not qualify to remain in the United States will be promptly removed," the statement said. Migrant crossings typically taper off in the hot summer months, but arrests at the southern border rose in June to the highest level since April 2000. The tally in July is expected to be similar or even higher, according to two border patrol officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Immigration, and particularly the arrival of asylum seekers at the US southern border, has been a hot-button issue for decades. Multiple attempts to reform US laws and create a pathway to citizenship for the millions of immigrants living in the country illegally have failed in Congress.

US resumes fast-track deportation flights of Central American migrant families

The United States on Friday seized a Singapore-owned oil tanker that was used to make illegal oil deliveries to North Korea, the Justice Department said.

A New York federal judge issued a judgment of forfeiture authorising the United States to take ownership of the M/T Courageous, which is currently in Cambodia.

The ship, which has a capacity of 2,734 tons, was purchased by Singaporean national Kwek Kee Seng, who remains at large, according to a Justice Department statement.

"Kwek and his co-conspirators engaged in an extensive scheme to evade... US and UN sanctions by using vessels under there control to covertly transport fuel to North Korea," the statement said.

From August to December 2019, the Courageous would illegally stop transmitting its location information. Satellite imagery showed that during that time, the tanker engaged in ship-to-ship transfers of more than $1.5 million worth of oil to a North Korean ship.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-sanctions-top-cuban-police-for-suppressing-protests-401871">Also read |&nbsp;US sanctions top Cuban police for suppressing protests</a>

The Department has accused Kwek of trying to hide the scheme by using shell companies, lying to international shipping authorities and falsely identifying the Courageous to avoid detection.

Kwek has been charged with conspiracy to evade economic sanctions on North Korea and money laundering conspiracy.

Cambodian authorities seized the tanker in March 2020 on a US warrant and have held the Courageous there since.

The US attorney's office for the southern district of New York filed a civil forfeiture action against the tanker on April 23.

Relations between Washington and Pyongyang are strained, with North Korea's foreign minister in June ruling out any talks with the United States, saying such dialogue would "get us nowhere."

Negotiations between the two countries have long been stalled over the international sanctions imposed on the nuclear-armed state and what North Korea should give up in return for their lifting.

The United States on Friday seized a Singapore-owned oil tanker that was used to make illegal oil deliveries to North Korea, the Justice Department said. A New York federal judge issued a judgment of forfeiture authorising the United States to take ownership of the M/T Courageous, which is currently in Cambodia.

The United States on Friday seized a Singapore-owned oil tanker that was used to make illegal oil deliveries to North Korea, the Justice Department said. A New York federal judge issued a judgment of forfeiture authorising the United States to take ownership of the M/T Courageous, which is currently in Cambodia. The ship, which has a capacity of 2,734 tons, was purchased by Singaporean national Kwek Kee Seng, who remains at large, according to a Justice Department statement. "Kwek and his co-conspirators engaged in an extensive scheme to evade... US and UN sanctions by using vessels under there control to covertly transport fuel to North Korea," the statement said. From August to December 2019, the Courageous would illegally stop transmitting its location information. Satellite imagery showed that during that time, the tanker engaged in ship-to-ship transfers of more than $1.5 million worth of oil to a North Korean ship. Also read | US sanctions top Cuban police for suppressing protests The Department has accused Kwek of trying to hide the scheme by using shell companies, lying to international shipping authorities and falsely identifying the Courageous to avoid detection. Kwek has been charged with conspiracy to evade economic sanctions on North Korea and money laundering conspiracy. Cambodian authorities seized the tanker in March 2020 on a US warrant and have held the Courageous there since. The US attorney's office for the southern district of New York filed a civil forfeiture action against the tanker on April 23. Relations between Washington and Pyongyang are strained, with North Korea's foreign minister in June ruling out any talks with the United States, saying such dialogue would "get us nowhere." Negotiations between the two countries have long been stalled over the international sanctions imposed on the nuclear-armed state and what North Korea should give up in return for their lifting.

US seizes tanker used to deliver oil to North Korea

The US slapped fresh sanctions Friday on Cuban police for suppressing anti-government demonstrations this month, with President Joe Biden warning additional punitive measures were in store if the communist-ruled nation does not undertake sweeping reforms.

Thousands of Cubans took to the streets earlier in July, shouting "Freedom," "Down with the dictatorship" and "We're hungry" in the biggest protests since the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959.

Hundreds of people were arrested and many face charges of contempt, public disorder, vandalism and propagation of the coronavirus pandemic for marching without face masks.&nbsp;

"There will be more unless there is some drastic change in Cuba, which I don't anticipate," Biden told reporters before hosting a group of Cuban-American leaders at the White House.

Earlier in the day the US Treasury named National Revolutionary Police Director Oscar Callejas Valcarce and Deputy Director Eddy Sierra Arias to its sanctions blacklist,&nbsp;which freezes any property they might have in the United States and bars US transactions with them.

"The Treasury Department will continue to designate and call out by name those who facilitate the Cuban regime's involvement in serious human rights abuse," said Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury's main sanctions unit, the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/faced-with-rare-protests-cuba-curbs-social-media-access-watchdog-says-397955">Also read | Faced with rare protests, Cuba curbs social media access, watchdog says</a>

"Today's action serves to further hold accountable those responsible for suppressing the Cuban people's calls for freedom and respect for human rights," Gacki said.

Cuba strenuously rejected the inclusion of the NRP and its directors on "spurious lists" by the United States, tweeted Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez.&nbsp;

"These arbitrary measures add to disinformation and aggression to justify the inhumane blockade against Cuba," he wrote, referring to Washington's embargo against Havana that has been in place since 1962.

Shoulder to shoulder

The Treasury said the NRP was the main unit of the Interior Ministry deployed to stifle the demonstrations and was responsible for beating a number of peaceful protesters.

On July 24 a government official said about 60 Cubans had been prosecuted for participating in the demonstrations.

Biden on Friday stood shoulder to shoulder with Cuban American leaders at a White House meeting.

"We hear your voices. We hear the cries of freedom coming from the island," the president said.

Biden has come under fire from Republicans who criticise what they say is his weak stance against Havana.

"Biden's lack of leadership is a disgrace and undermines the cause of freedom in Cuba and around the world," the Republican National Committee said in a statement.

The White House issued a forceful defence&nbsp;of the president, saying Biden has been watching developments on the island closely.

"He's made clear that Cuba is led by a failed and repressive regime, and that communism is a universally failed ideology," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.

On Thursday, the European Union called on Cuba to release people arrested "arbitrarily" during the protests.&nbsp;

"We are very concerned about the repression of these protests, as well as for the arrest of protesters and journalists," the 27-nation bloc said in a statement.&nbsp;

The US slapped fresh sanctions Friday on Cuban police for suppressing anti-government demonstrations this month, with President Joe Biden warning additional punitive measures were in store if the communist-ruled nation does not undertake sweeping reforms.

The US slapped fresh sanctions Friday on Cuban police for suppressing anti-government demonstrations this month, with President Joe Biden warning additional punitive measures were in store if the communist-ruled nation does not undertake sweeping reforms. Thousands of Cubans took to the streets earlier in July, shouting "Freedom," "Down with the dictatorship" and "We're hungry" in the biggest protests since the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959. Hundreds of people were arrested and many face charges of contempt, public disorder, vandalism and propagation of the coronavirus pandemic for marching without face masks. "There will be more unless there is some drastic change in Cuba, which I don't anticipate," Biden told reporters before hosting a group of Cuban-American leaders at the White House. Earlier in the day the US Treasury named National Revolutionary Police Director Oscar Callejas Valcarce and Deputy Director Eddy Sierra Arias to its sanctions blacklist, which freezes any property they might have in the United States and bars US transactions with them. "The Treasury Department will continue to designate and call out by name those who facilitate the Cuban regime's involvement in serious human rights abuse," said Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury's main sanctions unit, the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Also read | Faced with rare protests, Cuba curbs social media access, watchdog says "Today's action serves to further hold accountable those responsible for suppressing the Cuban people's calls for freedom and respect for human rights," Gacki said. Cuba strenuously rejected the inclusion of the NRP and its directors on "spurious lists" by the United States, tweeted Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. "These arbitrary measures add to disinformation and aggression to justify the inhumane blockade against Cuba," he wrote, referring to Washington's embargo against Havana that has been in place since 1962. Shoulder to shoulder The Treasury said the NRP was the main unit of the Interior Ministry deployed to stifle the demonstrations and was responsible for beating a number of peaceful protesters. On July 24 a government official said about 60 Cubans had been prosecuted for participating in the demonstrations. Biden on Friday stood shoulder to shoulder with Cuban American leaders at a White House meeting. "We hear your voices. We hear the cries of freedom coming from the island," the president said. Biden has come under fire from Republicans who criticise what they say is his weak stance against Havana. "Biden's lack of leadership is a disgrace and undermines the cause of freedom in Cuba and around the world," the Republican National Committee said in a statement. The White House issued a forceful defence of the president, saying Biden has been watching developments on the island closely. "He's made clear that Cuba is led by a failed and repressive regime, and that communism is a universally failed ideology," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said. On Thursday, the European Union called on Cuba to release people arrested "arbitrarily" during the protests. "We are very concerned about the repression of these protests, as well as for the arrest of protesters and journalists," the 27-nation bloc said in a statement.

US sanctions top Cuban police for suppressing protests

India among countries with highest cash-rewards for Olympic medalists - Check out the complete list

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been ordered by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday to hand over Donald Trump’s tax returns to a House committee, saying the panel had 'invoked sufficient reasons' for requesting them.&nbsp;

In a matter of hours, it seems to be a second blow for Trump after leaked DoJ memos revealed that he pressured top officials to falsely label the 2020 election as corrupt as a part of his campaign to overturn the election defeat at the hands of Joe Biden. He also told them, “Leave the rest to me.”&nbsp;

The order to release Trump’s tax returns to the ways and means committee was applauded by House speaker Nancy Pelosi.&nbsp;

In a statement, Pelosi said, “Today, the Biden administration has delivered a victory for the rule of law, as it respects the public interest by complying with Chairman (Richard) Neal’s request for Donald Trump’s tax returns.”&nbsp;

“Access to former President Trump’s tax returns is a matter of national security. The American people deserve to know the facts of his troubling conflicts of interest and undermining of our security and democracy as president.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been ordered by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday to hand over Donald Trump’s tax returns to a House committee, saying the panel had 'invoked sufficient reasons' for requesting them.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been ordered by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday to hand over Donald Trump’s tax returns to a House committee, saying the panel had 'invoked sufficient reasons' for requesting them. In a matter of hours, it seems to be a second blow for Trump after leaked DoJ memos revealed that he pressured top officials to falsely label the 2020 election as corrupt as a part of his campaign to overturn the election defeat at the hands of Joe Biden. He also told them, “Leave the rest to me.” The order to release Trump’s tax returns to the ways and means committee was applauded by House speaker Nancy Pelosi. In a statement, Pelosi said, “Today, the Biden administration has delivered a victory for the rule of law, as it respects the public interest by complying with Chairman (Richard) Neal’s request for Donald Trump’s tax returns.” “Access to former President Trump’s tax returns is a matter of national security. The American people deserve to know the facts of his troubling conflicts of interest and undermining of our security and democracy as president.” (With inputs from agencies)

US DoJ orders IRS to hand over Trump’s tax returns to a House panel 

US President Joe Biden has chosen Pakistani-origin Khizr Khan as commissioner (head) of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, said White House in a statement on Friday.&nbsp;

During the last year's US presidential elections, Khan had endorsed Biden.&nbsp;As per a CNN report, the White House recognises Khan as 'an advocate for religious freedom as a core element of human dignity’.&nbsp;

The White House also said, “Khizr Khan devotes a substantial amount of his time to providing legal services to veterans, men and women serving in uniform, and their families. Today's announcement underscores the president's commitment to build an administration that looks like America and reflects people of all faiths." &nbsp;

Recently, US President Joe Biden seems to be poised to nominate Caroline Kennedy as the country’s ambassador to Australia. It could be one of the highest-profile envoy selections by the White House. &nbsp;

In the Obama administration, the daughter of former President John F Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, had served as ambassador to Japan. &nbsp;

Kennedy is an ally, donor and longtime friend of Biden, who endorsed the President's candidacy early in the campaign. She also spoke last summer at the Democratic convention. &nbsp;

A spokesperson of White House declined to comment on the matter.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

US President Joe Biden has chosen Pakistani-origin Khizr Khan as commissioner (head) of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, said White House in a statement on Friday.

US President Joe Biden has chosen Pakistani-origin Khizr Khan as commissioner (head) of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, said White House in a statement on Friday. During the last year's US presidential elections, Khan had endorsed Biden. As per a CNN report, the White House recognises Khan as 'an advocate for religious freedom as a core element of human dignity’. The White House also said, “Khizr Khan devotes a substantial amount of his time to providing legal services to veterans, men and women serving in uniform, and their families. Today's announcement underscores the president's commitment to build an administration that looks like America and reflects people of all faiths." Recently, US President Joe Biden seems to be poised to nominate Caroline Kennedy as the country’s ambassador to Australia. It could be one of the highest-profile envoy selections by the White House. In the Obama administration, the daughter of former President John F Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, had served as ambassador to Japan. Kennedy is an ally, donor and longtime friend of Biden, who endorsed the President's candidacy early in the campaign. She also spoke last summer at the Democratic convention. A spokesperson of White House declined to comment on the matter. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden appoints Pak-origin Khizr Khan as chief of religious freedom commission 

From Afghanistan to Iraq, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, America is cutting down its military presence & pulling back from conflicts it escalated. For a country that wants to be seen as a superpower, this retreat is humiliating. Palki Sharma tells you why.

Gravitas: America is retreating from conflicts it escalated

Imran Khan, Pakistan's prime minister, said on Tuesday that the Taliban were not some military outfit but 'normal civilians'.

Khan remarked that Pakistan, Afghanistan's eastern neighbour, shelters three million Afghan refugees during a TV interview with American network PBS.

Questioning the United States motive for the Afghan invasion he also said that the US has 'really messed it up in Afghanistan'.

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“When they say Pakistan handed the Taliban safe havens and sanctuaries, where are these safe-havens? When you mentioned there are three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, who are, by the way, the same ethnic group as the Taliban, Pashtuns, Imran Khan said, "Now there are camps of 500,000 people."

“There are camps of 100,000 people. And Taliban are not some military outfit. They are normal civilians. And if there are some civilians in these camps, how is Pakistan supposed to hunt these people down? How can you call them sanctuaries?” he added.

Pakistan has long been accused of assisting Taliban rebels against the Afghan National Security Forces with the military, logistical, financial, and intelligence support (ANSF). 
 
Due to his continuous support for the Taliban, Imran Khan has earned the moniker 'Taliban Khan' in Pakistan's politics.

Khan slammed the US for attempting to "find a military solution in Afghanistan when there was never one."

He commented on the situation, saying that "sadly, the negotiating power of the Americans or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces had gone" by the time the world powers realised there was no military option.

When questioned if he thought the Taliban's return was a good thing for Afghanistan, Imran Khan repeated that the only beneficial conclusion would be a political settlement "that is inclusive."

(With inputs from agencies)

Imran Khan, Pakistan's prime minister, said on Tuesday that the Taliban were not some military outfit but 'normal civilians'. Khan remarked that Pakistan, Afghanistan's eastern neighbour, shelters three million Afghan refugees during a TV interview with American network PBS.

Imran Khan, Pakistan's prime minister, said on Tuesday that the Taliban were not some military outfit but 'normal civilians'. Khan remarked that Pakistan, Afghanistan's eastern neighbour, shelters three million Afghan refugees during a TV interview with American network PBS. Questioning the United States motive for the Afghan invasion he also said that the US has 'really messed it up in Afghanistan'. Due to his continuous support for the Taliban, Imran Khan has earned the moniker 'Taliban Khan' in Pakistan's politics. × “When they say Pakistan handed the Taliban safe havens and sanctuaries, where are these safe-havens? When you mentioned there are three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, who are, by the way, the same ethnic group as the Taliban, Pashtuns, Imran Khan said, "Now there are camps of 500,000 people." “There are camps of 100,000 people. And Taliban are not some military outfit. They are normal civilians. And if there are some civilians in these camps, how is Pakistan supposed to hunt these people down? How can you call them sanctuaries?” he added. Pakistan has long been accused of assisting Taliban rebels against the Afghan National Security Forces with the military, logistical, financial, and intelligence support (ANSF). Due to his continuous support for the Taliban, Imran Khan has earned the moniker 'Taliban Khan' in Pakistan's politics. Khan slammed the US for attempting to "find a military solution in Afghanistan when there was never one." He commented on the situation, saying that "sadly, the negotiating power of the Americans or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces had gone" by the time the world powers realised there was no military option. When questioned if he thought the Taliban's return was a good thing for Afghanistan, Imran Khan repeated that the only beneficial conclusion would be a political settlement "that is inclusive." (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban are 'normal civilians', Pakistan can't hunt them down: PM Imran Khan

A group of Republican Party lawmakers have introduced a bill in US Congress that aims to eliminate a programme that allows foreign students on F1 visa to stay in the US after completing their studies. The bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill seeks to amend Immigration and Nationality Act.

If the bill is passed, it will affect thousands of Indian students in the US.

Immigration and Nationality Act allows students on F1 visa to stay in the US and seek employment for a year.&nbsp;

The Republican lawmakers are alleging that the provisions of the program let American companies prefer foreign students as employees at low wages compared to American job seekers. About 80,000 Indian students are employed in the US under provisions of this act.

Republicans argue that students under this programme are exempt from payroll taxes. The lawmakers have expressed their opposition to the fact that this makes wages of the foreign workers 10-15 per cent lower making companies prefer them instead of local talent.

The bill has to pass in the House as well as Senate after which it will be sent to President Joe Biden for a go-ahead. However, this looks like a long path given that Democratic Party controls the House and the Senate.

A group of Republican Party lawmakers have introduced a bill in US Congress that aims to eliminate a programme that allows foreign students on F1 visa to stay in the US after completing their studies.

A group of Republican Party lawmakers have introduced a bill in US Congress that aims to eliminate a programme that allows foreign students on F1 visa to stay in the US after completing their studies. The bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill seeks to amend Immigration and Nationality Act. If the bill is passed, it will affect thousands of Indian students in the US. Immigration and Nationality Act allows students on F1 visa to stay in the US and seek employment for a year. The Republican lawmakers are alleging that the provisions of the program let American companies prefer foreign students as employees at low wages compared to American job seekers. About 80,000 Indian students are employed in the US under provisions of this act. Republicans argue that students under this programme are exempt from payroll taxes. The lawmakers have expressed their opposition to the fact that this makes wages of the foreign workers 10-15 per cent lower making companies prefer them instead of local talent. The bill has to pass in the House as well as Senate after which it will be sent to President Joe Biden for a go-ahead. However, this looks like a long path given that Democratic Party controls the House and the Senate.

US bill seeks to end extension of stay after study, Indian students may be affected

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila on Friday, amid his retracting of a decision to end a key defense pact with the United States. The pact allows large-scale combat exercises between US and Philippine forces that at times have alarmed China to proceed.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

Amid the growing turmoil in Afghanistan, the United States has promised to help the country. The US has said that it is committed to helping those who helped them during their time in Afghanistan.

US offers support to Afghanistan, says it 'is committed to helping those who helped' them

Philippine President Rodrigo&nbsp;Duterte&nbsp;has restored a crucial&nbsp;pact&nbsp;governing the presence of&nbsp;US&nbsp;troops in the Southeast Asian nation, the two countries' defence ministers said on Friday, reversing a decision that had caused increasing concern in Washington and Manila.

The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) provides rules for the rotation of thousands of&nbsp;US&nbsp;troops in and out of the Philippines for war drills and exercises. It has assumed additional importance as the United States and its allies contend with an increasingly assertive China.

Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he was&nbsp;unsure why&nbsp;Duterte&nbsp;had reversed himself but made the decision after meeting&nbsp;US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila on Thursday.

Harry Roque,&nbsp;Duterte's spokesperson, later said the president's decision was "based on upholding the&nbsp;Philippines'&nbsp;strategic core interest...and clarity of&nbsp;US position on its obligations and commitments under the MDT (Mutual Defense Treaty)."

Duterte's decision won't change much on the ground as the&nbsp;pact&nbsp;had not been terminated but it provides stability for both countries.

"This provides certainty for us going forward, we can do long-range planning and do different types of exercises," Austin said during a news conference with his Philippine counterpart.

The Philippines is a&nbsp;US&nbsp;treaty ally, and several military agreements are dependent on the VFA.

Duterte&nbsp;vowed to terminate the&nbsp;pact&nbsp;after the United States denied a visa to a Philippine senator who is an ally of the president. But he had repeatedly pushed back the expiration date, the last time last month, maintaining it until the end of the year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-years-after-south-china-sea-ruling-chinas-presence-around-philippines-only-growing-397029">Also read |&nbsp;Five years after South China Sea ruling, China's presence around Philippines only growing</a>

For the United States, having the ability to rotate in&nbsp;troops is important not only for the defence of the Philippines, but strategically when it comes to countering China's assertive behaviour in the region.

"(Duterte's decision) opens up significant possibilities for strengthening the alliance that were otherwise closed," said Greg Poling, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

There are long-standing tensions between the Philippines and China over disputed waters in the South China Sea.

The United States this month repeated a warning to China that an attack on Philippine forces in the South China Sea would trigger a 1951&nbsp;US-Philippines mutual defence treaty.

There are, however, still questions about&nbsp;Duterte's unpredictability.

"Some of the celebration is premature... (the VFA) will continue to be under threat so long as&nbsp;Duterte&nbsp;remains president," said Aaron Connelly, with the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Philippine presidential elections are set for 2022 and while&nbsp;Duterte&nbsp;is barred by the constitution from seeking re-election, his party has been encouraging him to run again for office, as vice president.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has restored a crucial pact governing the presence of US troops in the Southeast Asian nation, the two countries' defence ministers said on Friday, reversing a decision that had caused increasing concern in Washington and Manila.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has restored a crucial pact governing the presence of US troops in the Southeast Asian nation, the two countries' defence ministers said on Friday, reversing a decision that had caused increasing concern in Washington and Manila. The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) provides rules for the rotation of thousands of US troops in and out of the Philippines for war drills and exercises. It has assumed additional importance as the United States and its allies contend with an increasingly assertive China. Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he was unsure why Duterte had reversed himself but made the decision after meeting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila on Thursday. Harry Roque, Duterte's spokesperson, later said the president's decision was "based on upholding the Philippines' strategic core interest...and clarity of US position on its obligations and commitments under the MDT (Mutual Defense Treaty)." Duterte's decision won't change much on the ground as the pact had not been terminated but it provides stability for both countries. "This provides certainty for us going forward, we can do long-range planning and do different types of exercises," Austin said during a news conference with his Philippine counterpart. The Philippines is a US treaty ally, and several military agreements are dependent on the VFA. Duterte vowed to terminate the pact after the United States denied a visa to a Philippine senator who is an ally of the president. But he had repeatedly pushed back the expiration date, the last time last month, maintaining it until the end of the year. Also read | Five years after South China Sea ruling, China's presence around Philippines only growing For the United States, having the ability to rotate in troops is important not only for the defence of the Philippines, but strategically when it comes to countering China's assertive behaviour in the region. "(Duterte's decision) opens up significant possibilities for strengthening the alliance that were otherwise closed," said Greg Poling, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. There are long-standing tensions between the Philippines and China over disputed waters in the South China Sea. The United States this month repeated a warning to China that an attack on Philippine forces in the South China Sea would trigger a 1951 US-Philippines mutual defence treaty. There are, however, still questions about Duterte's unpredictability. "Some of the celebration is premature... (the VFA) will continue to be under threat so long as Duterte remains president," said Aaron Connelly, with the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Philippine presidential elections are set for 2022 and while Duterte is barred by the constitution from seeking re-election, his party has been encouraging him to run again for office, as vice president.

President Duterte fully restores key pact that allows US troops in the Philippines

The Afghan government faces an "existential crisis" after the Taliban doubled their attacks following the February 2020 US deal with the insurgents, a watchdog report said Thursday.

The report said Taliban attacks on Afghan targets surged from 6,700 in the three months up to the Doha agreement to 13,242 in the September-November 2020 period.

Attacks have stayed above 10,000 in each subsequent three-month period, according to the report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

While the rise in attacks had long been clear, data had not&nbsp;previously been available to demonstrate how intense the rebels' offensive had become.

The United States agreed to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan in expectation the Taliban would negotiate a peace deal with the Kabul government.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/explainer-us-pays-4-billion-to-afghan-forces-who-is-watching-400926">Also read |&nbsp;Explainer: US pays $4 billion to Afghan forces; who is watching?</a>

Since then the Taliban-government talks have stalled but the US has steadily pulled out troops to a level of only several hundred now, with an August 31 deadline for full withdrawal.

The SIGAR report makes clear that the Doha agreement, instead of propelling Taliban-Kabul talks, unleashed an offensive that caught government forces unprepared and increased the number of civilian deaths.

Over January-March of 2020, there were only 510 civilian deaths and 709 casualties, the report said, quoting data from the US-Nato joint force in Afghanistan.

After that the numbers surged, hitting 1,058 deaths and 1,959 injured in the third quarter that year and continuing at high levels.

The latest data, for April and May this year, showed 705 civilian deaths and 1,330 casualties, the SIGAR report said.

"The overall trend is clearly unfavourable to the Afghan government, which could face an existential crisis if it isn't addressed and reversed," said the inspector general, John Sopko.

He said the report offered a sobering picture that contrasted with "the pervasiveness of overoptimism" that characterized US-led efforts to rebuild and strengthen Afghanistan and the cost of hundreds of billions of dollars to the US government.

"The news coming out of Afghanistan this quarter has been bleak," the report said.

Faced by a new Taliban offensive, it said, the Afghan government security force "appeared surprised and unready, and is now on its back foot."&nbsp;

"Particularly concerning was the speed and ease with which the Taliban seemingly wrested control of districts in Afghanistan’s northern provinces, once a bastion of anti-Taliban sentiment."

The Afghan government faces an "existential crisis" after the Taliban doubled their attacks following the February 2020 US deal with the insurgents, a watchdog report said Thursday.

The Afghan government faces an "existential crisis" after the Taliban doubled their attacks following the February 2020 US deal with the insurgents, a watchdog report said Thursday. The report said Taliban attacks on Afghan targets surged from 6,700 in the three months up to the Doha agreement to 13,242 in the September-November 2020 period. Attacks have stayed above 10,000 in each subsequent three-month period, according to the report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). While the rise in attacks had long been clear, data had not previously been available to demonstrate how intense the rebels' offensive had become. The United States agreed to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan in expectation the Taliban would negotiate a peace deal with the Kabul government. Also read | Explainer: US pays $4 billion to Afghan forces; who is watching? Since then the Taliban-government talks have stalled but the US has steadily pulled out troops to a level of only several hundred now, with an August 31 deadline for full withdrawal. The SIGAR report makes clear that the Doha agreement, instead of propelling Taliban-Kabul talks, unleashed an offensive that caught government forces unprepared and increased the number of civilian deaths. Over January-March of 2020, there were only 510 civilian deaths and 709 casualties, the report said, quoting data from the US-Nato joint force in Afghanistan. After that the numbers surged, hitting 1,058 deaths and 1,959 injured in the third quarter that year and continuing at high levels. The latest data, for April and May this year, showed 705 civilian deaths and 1,330 casualties, the SIGAR report said. "The overall trend is clearly unfavourable to the Afghan government, which could face an existential crisis if it isn't addressed and reversed," said the inspector general, John Sopko. He said the report offered a sobering picture that contrasted with "the pervasiveness of overoptimism" that characterized US-led efforts to rebuild and strengthen Afghanistan and the cost of hundreds of billions of dollars to the US government. "The news coming out of Afghanistan this quarter has been bleak," the report said. Faced by a new Taliban offensive, it said, the Afghan government security force "appeared surprised and unready, and is now on its back foot." "Particularly concerning was the speed and ease with which the Taliban seemingly wrested control of districts in Afghanistan’s northern provinces, once a bastion of anti-Taliban sentiment."

Taliban surge poses 'existential crisis': US watchdog

As COVID cases surge in New York, the state govt is giving new incentives for people who are getting vaccinated against Coronavirus. Starting this Friday, anyone who goes to a city vaccination site for taking the first dose of COVID vaccination will receive 100 dollars.

New York govt gives new incentives for people getting vaccinated against Coronavirus

US State Department said on Wednesday that senior US and Russian officials on Wednesday restarted talks to ease tensions between the world's largest nuclear weapons power. It has been agreed to reconvene in September.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov headed the respective delegations.

TASS news agency cited Ryabkov as saying he was satisfied with the consultations and that the United States showed readiness for a constructive dialogue at the talks.

It was the first time in nearly a year that both sides have held so called strategic stability talks amid frictions.

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in June to launch a bilateral dialogue on strategic stability.

After informal consultations aimed at "determining topics for expert working groups" in the next round, the two sides agreed to reconvene in late September, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Price called the discussions "professional and substantive". He further said that US side discussed its policy priorities the current international security environment, "the prospects for new nuclear arms control" and the format for further talks.

The decision to meet again showed the sides understand the need to resolve arms control disputes, a senior State Department official said, that have seen an end to several Cold War-era treaties, including one that limited intermediate-range missiles.

"We know we have a responsibility as the largest nuclear weapons states to find a way to improve strategic stability to deal with a deteriorating arms control architecture," the official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. he was quoted by Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies)

US State Department said on Wednesday that senior US and Russian officials on Wednesday restarted talks to ease tensions between the world's largest nuclear weapons power.

US State Department said on Wednesday that senior US and Russian officials on Wednesday restarted talks to ease tensions between the world's largest nuclear weapons power. It has been agreed to reconvene in September. US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov headed the respective delegations. TASS news agency cited Ryabkov as saying he was satisfied with the consultations and that the United States showed readiness for a constructive dialogue at the talks. It was the first time in nearly a year that both sides have held so called strategic stability talks amid frictions. US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in June to launch a bilateral dialogue on strategic stability. After informal consultations aimed at "determining topics for expert working groups" in the next round, the two sides agreed to reconvene in late September, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. Price called the discussions "professional and substantive". He further said that US side discussed its policy priorities the current international security environment, "the prospects for new nuclear arms control" and the format for further talks. The decision to meet again showed the sides understand the need to resolve arms control disputes, a senior State Department official said, that have seen an end to several Cold War-era treaties, including one that limited intermediate-range missiles. "We know we have a responsibility as the largest nuclear weapons states to find a way to improve strategic stability to deal with a deteriorating arms control architecture," the official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. he was quoted by Reuters. (With inputs from agencies)

US-Russia in nuclear talks huddle in Geneva

What is the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken doing in India? The agenda of the visit is primarily Afghanistan, but a top US govt official says 'human rights' issues in India could be raised during the visit. Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: US Secretary of State on a 2-day visit to India

"I think it's more than likely we're going to end up, if we end up in a war - a real shooting war with a major power", said US Prez Joe Biden.

Joe Biden warns cyberattacks could lead to 'a real shooting war'

The Pentagon and Republican congressmen on Tuesday aired fresh concerns about China's build-up of its nuclear forces after a new report saying Beijing was building 110 more missile silos. 
 
An American Federation of Scientists (AFS) report on Monday said satellite images showed China was building a new field of silos near Hami in the eastern part of its Xinjiang region. 
 
The report came weeks after another on the construction of about 120 missile silos in Yumen, a desert area about 240 miles (380 km) to the southeast. 
 
"This is the second time in two months the public has discovered what we have been saying all along about the growing threat the world faces and the veil of secrecy that surrounds it," the US&nbsp;Strategic Command said in tweet linked to a New York Times article on the AFS report. 
 
The State Department in early July called China's nuclear buildup concerning and said it appeared Beijing was deviating from decades of nuclear strategy based around minimal deterrence. It called on China to engage with it "on practical measures to reduce the risks of destabilizing arms races." 
 
Republican Congressman Mike Turner, ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said China's nuclear build-up was "unprecedented" and made clear it was "deploying nuclear weapons to threaten the United States and our allies." 
 
He said China's refusal to negotiate arms control "should be a cause for concern and condemned by all responsible nations." 
 
Another Republican, Mike Rogers, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the Chinese build-up showed the need to rapidly modernize the US&nbsp;nuclear deterrent. 
 
A 2020 Pentagon report estimated China's nuclear warhead stockpile in "the low 200s" and said it was projected to at least double in size as Beijing expands and modernizes its forces. Analysts say the United States has around 3,800 warheads, and according to a State Department factsheet, 1,357 of those were deployed as of March 1. 
 
Washington has repeatedly called on China to join it and Russia in a new arms control treaty. 
 
The report on the new silos comes as Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is due to hold arms control talks with Russia in Geneva on Wednesday. 
 
Sherman was in China earlier this week for talks at which Beijing accused Washington of creating an "imaginary enemy" to divert attention from domestic problems and suppress China. 
 
Beijing says its arsenal is dwarfed by those of the United States and Russia and it is ready to conduct bilateral dialogues on strategic security "on the basis of equality and mutual respect."

The Pentagon and Republican congressmen on Tuesday aired fresh concerns about China's build-up of its nuclear forces after a new report saying Beijing was building 110 more missile silos.

The Pentagon and Republican congressmen on Tuesday aired fresh concerns about China's build-up of its nuclear forces after a new report saying Beijing was building 110 more missile silos. An American Federation of Scientists (AFS) report on Monday said satellite images showed China was building a new field of silos near Hami in the eastern part of its Xinjiang region. The report came weeks after another on the construction of about 120 missile silos in Yumen, a desert area about 240 miles (380 km) to the southeast. "This is the second time in two months the public has discovered what we have been saying all along about the growing threat the world faces and the veil of secrecy that surrounds it," the US Strategic Command said in tweet linked to a New York Times article on the AFS report. The State Department in early July called China's nuclear buildup concerning and said it appeared Beijing was deviating from decades of nuclear strategy based around minimal deterrence. It called on China to engage with it "on practical measures to reduce the risks of destabilizing arms races." Republican Congressman Mike Turner, ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said China's nuclear build-up was "unprecedented" and made clear it was "deploying nuclear weapons to threaten the United States and our allies." He said China's refusal to negotiate arms control "should be a cause for concern and condemned by all responsible nations." Another Republican, Mike Rogers, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the Chinese build-up showed the need to rapidly modernize the US nuclear deterrent. A 2020 Pentagon report estimated China's nuclear warhead stockpile in "the low 200s" and said it was projected to at least double in size as Beijing expands and modernizes its forces. Analysts say the United States has around 3,800 warheads, and according to a State Department factsheet, 1,357 of those were deployed as of March 1. Washington has repeatedly called on China to join it and Russia in a new arms control treaty. The report on the new silos comes as Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is due to hold arms control talks with Russia in Geneva on Wednesday. Sherman was in China earlier this week for talks at which Beijing accused Washington of creating an "imaginary enemy" to divert attention from domestic problems and suppress China. Beijing says its arsenal is dwarfed by those of the United States and Russia and it is ready to conduct bilateral dialogues on strategic security "on the basis of equality and mutual respect."

US concern over China nukes buildup after new silos report

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that if the United States ended up in a "real shooting war" with a "major power" it could be the result of a significant cyber attack on the country, highlighting what Washington sees as growing threats posed by Russia and China. 
 
Cybersecurity has risen to the top of the agenda for the Biden administration after a series of high-profile attacks on entities such as network management company SolarWinds, the Colonial Pipeline company, meat processing company JBS and software firm Kaseya hurt the US&nbsp;far beyond just the companies hacked. Some of the attacks affected fuel and food supplies in parts of the United States. 
 
"I think it's more than likely we're going to end up, if we end up in a war - a real shooting war with a major power - it's going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it's increasing exponentially, the capabilities," Biden said during a half-hour speech while visiting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). 
 
During a June 16 summit in Geneva between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden shared a list of critical infrastructure the US&nbsp;considers off-limits to nation-state actors. 
 
Since then, senior members of the Biden administration's national security team have been in constant contact with senior members of the Kremlin over cyber attacks on the United States, the White House has said. 
 
Biden also highlighted the threats posed by China, referring to President Xi Jinping as "deadly earnest about becoming the most powerful military force in the world, as well as the largest and most prominent economy in the world by the mid-40s, the 2040s."

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that if the United States ended up in a "real shooting war" with a "major power" it could be the result of a significant cyber attack on the country, highlighting what Washington sees as growing threats posed by Russia and China.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that if the United States ended up in a "real shooting war" with a "major power" it could be the result of a significant cyber attack on the country, highlighting what Washington sees as growing threats posed by Russia and China. Cybersecurity has risen to the top of the agenda for the Biden administration after a series of high-profile attacks on entities such as network management company SolarWinds, the Colonial Pipeline company, meat processing company JBS and software firm Kaseya hurt the US far beyond just the companies hacked. Some of the attacks affected fuel and food supplies in parts of the United States. "I think it's more than likely we're going to end up, if we end up in a war - a real shooting war with a major power - it's going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it's increasing exponentially, the capabilities," Biden said during a half-hour speech while visiting the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). During a June 16 summit in Geneva between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden shared a list of critical infrastructure the US considers off-limits to nation-state actors. Since then, senior members of the Biden administration's national security team have been in constant contact with senior members of the Kremlin over cyber attacks on the United States, the White House has said. Biden also highlighted the threats posed by China, referring to President Xi Jinping as "deadly earnest about becoming the most powerful military force in the world, as well as the largest and most prominent economy in the world by the mid-40s, the 2040s."

Biden: If US has 'real shooting war' it could be result of cyber attacks

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Americans "still need to do better" on COVID-19 vaccinations, as US health authorities tightened mask guidelines for parts of the country where infections are surging once again.

In a statement following the move by the Centres for Disease Control to require the vaccinated to mask up indoors in high-risk areas, Biden said he would lay out new steps on Thursday to overcome a lag in vaccinations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/keepthemhome-trends-on-twitter-as-activists-urge-biden-to-let-prisoners-stay-at-home-400564">Also read |&nbsp;#KeepThemHome trends on Twitter as activists urge Biden to let prisoners stay at home</a>

In a separate address to the US intelligence community, when asked about a possible vaccine mandate for US federal workers, Biden replied: "That's under consideration right now."

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Americans "still need to do better" on COVID-19 vaccinations, as US health authorities tightened mask guidelines for parts of the country where infections are surging once again.

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Americans "still need to do better" on COVID-19 vaccinations, as US health authorities tightened mask guidelines for parts of the country where infections are surging once again. In a statement following the move by the Centres for Disease Control to require the vaccinated to mask up indoors in high-risk areas, Biden said he would lay out new steps on Thursday to overcome a lag in vaccinations. Also read | #KeepThemHome trends on Twitter as activists urge Biden to let prisoners stay at home In a separate address to the US intelligence community, when asked about a possible vaccine mandate for US federal workers, Biden replied: "That's under consideration right now."

Biden says US must 'do better' on COVID-19 vaccinations

A former Air Force intelligence analyst who helped find targets for deadly US drone strikes has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for leaking top-secret details about the program.

Daniel Hale told a federal judge he felt compelled to leak information to a journalist out of guilt over his own participation in a program that he believed was 'indiscriminately' killing civilians in Afghanistan.

In a statement, Hale said, "It is wrong to kill. It is especially wrong to kill the defenceless".

However, the US District Judge Liam O’Grady told Hale that he had options to seek other measures than speaking with the journalist.&nbsp;

<a href="wionews.com/technology/biden-if-us-has-real-shooting-war-it-could-be-result-of-cyber-attacks-401055">Also read |&nbsp;Biden: If US has 'real shooting war' it could be result of cyber attacks</a>

Also, he imposed a punishment that was harsher than the 12 to 18-month term sought by Hale’s attorneys.

Prosecutors argued that Hale, who deployed to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2012 and was honourably discharged the following year, abused the government’s trust and knew the documents he was sharing “risked causing serious, and in some cases exceptionally grave, damage to the national security” but leaked them anyway.&nbsp;

They further say that the documents leaked by Hale were found in an internet compilation of the material designed to help Islamic State fighters avoid detection.

A former Air Force intelligence analyst who helped find targets for deadly US drone strikes has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for leaking top-secret details about the program.

A former Air Force intelligence analyst who helped find targets for deadly US drone strikes has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for leaking top-secret details about the program. Daniel Hale told a federal judge he felt compelled to leak information to a journalist out of guilt over his own participation in a program that he believed was 'indiscriminately' killing civilians in Afghanistan. In a statement, Hale said, "It is wrong to kill. It is especially wrong to kill the defenceless". However, the US District Judge Liam O’Grady told Hale that he had options to seek other measures than speaking with the journalist. Also read | Biden: If US has 'real shooting war' it could be result of cyber attacks Also, he imposed a punishment that was harsher than the 12 to 18-month term sought by Hale’s attorneys. Prosecutors argued that Hale, who deployed to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2012 and was honourably discharged the following year, abused the government’s trust and knew the documents he was sharing “risked causing serious, and in some cases exceptionally grave, damage to the national security” but leaked them anyway. They further say that the documents leaked by Hale were found in an internet compilation of the material designed to help Islamic State fighters avoid detection.

Former intelligence analyst who leaked information sentenced to prison for 45 months

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