A man in the US has sued the Detroit Police Department for arresting him after he was falsely accused of shoplifting based on a faulty facial recognition match.&nbsp;

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Robert Williams, The Verge reported on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Williams' experience was the first case of wrongful arrest due to facial recognition technology to come to light in the US, according to the ACLU.&nbsp;

"I came home from work and was arrested in my driveway in front of my wife and daughters, who watched in tears, because a computer made an error," Williams said in a statement.&nbsp;

"This never should have happened, and I want to make sure that this painful experience never happens to anyone else."&nbsp;

After a shoplifter allegedly stole several watches at a Shinola store in Detroit in 2018, Detroit police officers tried to identify the thief by using a blurry image from the store's surveillance camera video and feeding it through facial recognition technology.&nbsp;

The lawsuit cites studies that show that facial recognition technology is poor at accurately identifying Black people, especially in cases like this one when the photo is grainy, the lighting is poor, and the suspect is not looking at the camera.&nbsp;

Williams was held for 30 hours in a Detroit detention centre where he was forced to sleep on a raised cement slab due to overcrowding.&nbsp;

"We know that facial recognition technology threatens everyone's privacy by turning everybody into a suspect," said Phil Mayor, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Michigan.&nbsp;

"We've repeatedly urged the Detroit Police Department to abandon its use of this dangerous technology, but it insists on using it anyhow."&nbsp;

The lawsuit seeks damages and policy changes to stop the abuse of facial recognition technology.&nbsp;

A man in the US has sued the Detroit Police Department for arresting him after he was falsely accused of shoplifting based on a faulty facial recognition match. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Robert Williams, The Verge reported on Tuesday.

A man in the US has sued the Detroit Police Department for arresting him after he was falsely accused of shoplifting based on a faulty facial recognition match. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Robert Williams, The Verge reported on Tuesday. Williams' experience was the first case of wrongful arrest due to facial recognition technology to come to light in the US, according to the ACLU. "I came home from work and was arrested in my driveway in front of my wife and daughters, who watched in tears, because a computer made an error," Williams said in a statement. "This never should have happened, and I want to make sure that this painful experience never happens to anyone else." After a shoplifter allegedly stole several watches at a Shinola store in Detroit in 2018, Detroit police officers tried to identify the thief by using a blurry image from the store's surveillance camera video and feeding it through facial recognition technology. The lawsuit cites studies that show that facial recognition technology is poor at accurately identifying Black people, especially in cases like this one when the photo is grainy, the lighting is poor, and the suspect is not looking at the camera. Williams was held for 30 hours in a Detroit detention centre where he was forced to sleep on a raised cement slab due to overcrowding. "We know that facial recognition technology threatens everyone's privacy by turning everybody into a suspect," said Phil Mayor, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Michigan. "We've repeatedly urged the Detroit Police Department to abandon its use of this dangerous technology, but it insists on using it anyhow." The lawsuit seeks damages and policy changes to stop the abuse of facial recognition technology.

US man sues police for wrongful facial recognition-based arrest 

The Minneapolis cop who shot Daunte Wright has said that she mistook her gun for her taser. How plausible is this version of events? What does it say about police training in the U.S.? WION's Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: US cop 'mistook' gun for teaser

Even before President Joe Biden took office, some of his closest aides were focused on a question that risked derailing his economic agenda: Would his plans for a $1.9 trillion economic rescue package and additional government spending overheat the economy and fuel runaway inflation?

To find the answer, a close circle of advisers now working at the White House and the Treasury Department projected the behaviors of shoppers, employers, stock traders and others if Biden’s plans succeeded. Officials as senior as Janet Yellen, the Treasury secretary, pored over the analyses in video calls and in-person meetings, looking for any hint that Biden’s plans could generate sustained price increases that could hamstring family budgets. It never appeared.

Those efforts convinced Biden’s team that there is little risk of inflation spiraling out of the Federal Reserve’s control — an outcome that Wall Street analysts, a few prominent Republicans and even liberal economists like former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers have said could flow from the trillions being pumped into the economy.

Traditional readings of price increases are beginning to turn upward as the recovery accelerates. On Tuesday, the Consumer Price Index rose 0.6%, its fastest monthly increase in more than a decade, while a less volatile index excluding food and energy rose a more muted 0.3%.

But Biden’s advisers believe any price spike is likely to be temporary and not harmful, essentially a one-time event stemming from the unique nature of a pandemic recession that ruptured supply chains and continues to depress activity in key economic sectors like restaurant dining and tourism.

The administration’s view mirrors the posture of top officials at the Fed, including its chairman, Jerome Powell, whose mandate includes maintaining price stability in the economy. Powell has said that the Fed expects any short-term price pops to be temporary, not sustained, and not the type of uptick that would prompt the central bank to raise interest rates rapidly — or anytime soon.

“What we see is relatively modest increases in inflation,” Powell said in March. “But those are not permanent things.”

Armed with their internal data and conclusions, administration officials have begun to push back on warnings that a stimulus-fueled surge in consumer spending could revive a 1970s-style escalation in wages and prices that could cripple the economy in the years to come.

Yet they remain wary of the inflation threat and have devised the next wave of Biden’s spending plans, a $2.3 trillion infrastructure package, to dispense money gradually enough not to stoke further price increases right away. Administration officials also continue to check on real-time measures of prices across the economy, multiple times a day.

“We think the likeliest outlook over the next several months is for inflation to rise modestly,” two officials at Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers, Jared Bernstein and Ernie Tedeschi, wrote Monday in a blog post outlining some of the administration’s thinking. “We will, however, carefully monitor both actual price changes and inflation expectations for any signs of unexpected price pressures that might arise as America leaves the pandemic behind and enters the next economic expansion.”

Some Republicans call that posture dangerous. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, chairman of his party’s campaign arm for the 2022 midterm elections, has called on Biden and Powell to present plans to fight inflation now.

“The president’s refusal to address this critical issue has a direct negative effect on Floridians and families across our nation, and hurts low- and fixed-income Americans the most,” Scott said in a news release last week. “It’s time for Biden to wake up from his liberal dream and realize that reckless spending has consequences, inflation is real and America’s debt crisis is growing. Inflation is rising and Americans deserve answers from Biden now.”

Economic teams in recent administrations spent little time worrying about inflation, because inflationary pressures have been tame for decades. It has fallen short of the Fed’s average target of 2% for 10 of the last 12 years, topping out at 2.5% in the midst of the longest economic expansion in history.

Shortly before the pandemic recession hit the United States in 2020, President Donald Trump’s economic team wrote that “price inflation remains low and stable” even with unemployment below 4%. As the economy struggled to climb out from the 2008 financial crisis under President Barack Obama, White House aides feared that prices might fall, instead of rise.

“Given the economic crisis, we worried about preventing deflation rather than inflation,” said Austan Goolsbee, a chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during Obama’s first term.

The conversation has changed given the large amounts of money that the federal government is channeling into the economy, first under Trump and now under Biden. Since the pandemic took hold, Congress has approved more than $5 trillion in spending, including direct checks to individuals.

Biden’s aides are sufficiently worried about the risk of that spending fueling inflation that they shaped his infrastructure proposal, which has yet to be taken up by Congress, to funnel out $2.3 trillion over the course of eight years, which is slower than traditional stimulus.

Even before Summers and others raised economic concerns about Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief bill, officials were wrestling with their own worries about its inflation risks. They had internally concluded, with direction from Biden, that the biggest risk to the economy was going “too small” on the aid package — not spending enough to help vulnerable Americans survive continued stints of joblessness or lost income. But they wanted to know the risks of going “too big.”

They tested whether an uptick in inflation might cause people and financial markets to expect rapid price increases in the years to come, upending decades of what economists call “well-anchored” expectations for prices and potentially creating a situation where higher expectations led to higher inflation. They estimated the odds that the Fed would react to such moves by quickly and steeply raising interest rates, potentially slamming the brakes on growth and causing another recession.

The informal group that initially gathered to research those questions included Bernstein; David Kamin, a deputy director of the National Economic Council; Michael Pyle, Vice President Kamala Harris’ chief economic adviser; and two Treasury officials, Nellie Liang and Ben Harris. More members have joined over time, including Tedeschi.

The group reports regularly to Yellen and other senior officials including Brian Deese, who heads the National Economic Council, and Cecilia Rouse, who leads the Council of Economic Advisers. Its work has informed economic briefings of Biden and Harris.

“The president and the vice president, their job is to deliver good economic outcomes for the American people,” Pyle said in an interview. “Part of what delivering strong economic outcomes to the American people means is ensuring that their team is fully on top of both the tail winds to the U.S. economy but also the risks that are out there. And this is one of them.”

Pyle and his colleagues looked at financial market measures of inflation expectations, including one called the five-year, five-year forward, which currently shows investors expecting lower inflation levels over the next several years than they expected in 2018.

At the same time, officials at the Treasury’s Office of Economic Policy conducted a series of modeling exercises to “stress test” the virus relief package and how it might change those price and expectation measures if put in place. They considered scenarios in which consumers quickly spent their aid money, which included $1,400 checks, and scenarios in which they did not spend much of it at all right away. They talked with large banks about trends in customers’ cash balances and how quickly people were returning to the workforce. Yellen, a former Fed chair, helped adjust the models herself.

The exercises produced a wide range of possibilities for inflation. But they never suggested it would rise so rapidly that the Fed could not easily handle it by adjusting interest rates or other monetary policy tools. They saw no risk of a sharp return to recession — and no reason to pull back from spending proposals that administration officials believe will help the economy heal faster and help historically disadvantaged groups, like Black and Hispanic workers, regain jobs and income.

“We’re going to see some heat in this economy,” Pyle said. “That heat is going to be good and redound to the benefit of wages and labor market conditions overall and particularly for a number of communities that have been at the margins of the labor market for too long.”

If the data proves that forecast wrong, officials say privately, they will be quick to adapt. But they will not say how. If inflation were to accelerate in a sustained and surprising way, some officials suggest, the administration would trust the Fed to step in to contain it.

There is no plan, as of yet, for Biden to consider inflation-fighting actions of his own.

Even before President Joe Biden took office, some of his closest aides were focused on a question that risked derailing his economic agenda: Would his plans for a $1.

Even before President Joe Biden took office, some of his closest aides were focused on a question that risked derailing his economic agenda: Would his plans for a $1.9 trillion economic rescue package and additional government spending overheat the economy and fuel runaway inflation? To find the answer, a close circle of advisers now working at the White House and the Treasury Department projected the behaviors of shoppers, employers, stock traders and others if Biden’s plans succeeded. Officials as senior as Janet Yellen, the Treasury secretary, pored over the analyses in video calls and in-person meetings, looking for any hint that Biden’s plans could generate sustained price increases that could hamstring family budgets. It never appeared. Those efforts convinced Biden’s team that there is little risk of inflation spiraling out of the Federal Reserve’s control — an outcome that Wall Street analysts, a few prominent Republicans and even liberal economists like former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers have said could flow from the trillions being pumped into the economy. Traditional readings of price increases are beginning to turn upward as the recovery accelerates. On Tuesday, the Consumer Price Index rose 0.6%, its fastest monthly increase in more than a decade, while a less volatile index excluding food and energy rose a more muted 0.3%. But Biden’s advisers believe any price spike is likely to be temporary and not harmful, essentially a one-time event stemming from the unique nature of a pandemic recession that ruptured supply chains and continues to depress activity in key economic sectors like restaurant dining and tourism. The administration’s view mirrors the posture of top officials at the Fed, including its chairman, Jerome Powell, whose mandate includes maintaining price stability in the economy. Powell has said that the Fed expects any short-term price pops to be temporary, not sustained, and not the type of uptick that would prompt the central bank to raise interest rates rapidly — or anytime soon. “What we see is relatively modest increases in inflation,” Powell said in March. “But those are not permanent things.” Armed with their internal data and conclusions, administration officials have begun to push back on warnings that a stimulus-fueled surge in consumer spending could revive a 1970s-style escalation in wages and prices that could cripple the economy in the years to come. Yet they remain wary of the inflation threat and have devised the next wave of Biden’s spending plans, a $2.3 trillion infrastructure package, to dispense money gradually enough not to stoke further price increases right away. Administration officials also continue to check on real-time measures of prices across the economy, multiple times a day. “We think the likeliest outlook over the next several months is for inflation to rise modestly,” two officials at Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers, Jared Bernstein and Ernie Tedeschi, wrote Monday in a blog post outlining some of the administration’s thinking. “We will, however, carefully monitor both actual price changes and inflation expectations for any signs of unexpected price pressures that might arise as America leaves the pandemic behind and enters the next economic expansion.” Some Republicans call that posture dangerous. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, chairman of his party’s campaign arm for the 2022 midterm elections, has called on Biden and Powell to present plans to fight inflation now. “The president’s refusal to address this critical issue has a direct negative effect on Floridians and families across our nation, and hurts low- and fixed-income Americans the most,” Scott said in a news release last week. “It’s time for Biden to wake up from his liberal dream and realize that reckless spending has consequences, inflation is real and America’s debt crisis is growing. Inflation is rising and Americans deserve answers from Biden now.” Economic teams in recent administrations spent little time worrying about inflation, because inflationary pressures have been tame for decades. It has fallen short of the Fed’s average target of 2% for 10 of the last 12 years, topping out at 2.5% in the midst of the longest economic expansion in history. Shortly before the pandemic recession hit the United States in 2020, President Donald Trump’s economic team wrote that “price inflation remains low and stable” even with unemployment below 4%. As the economy struggled to climb out from the 2008 financial crisis under President Barack Obama, White House aides feared that prices might fall, instead of rise. “Given the economic crisis, we worried about preventing deflation rather than inflation,” said Austan Goolsbee, a chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during Obama’s first term. The conversation has changed given the large amounts of money that the federal government is channeling into the economy, first under Trump and now under Biden. Since the pandemic took hold, Congress has approved more than $5 trillion in spending, including direct checks to individuals. Biden’s aides are sufficiently worried about the risk of that spending fueling inflation that they shaped his infrastructure proposal, which has yet to be taken up by Congress, to funnel out $2.3 trillion over the course of eight years, which is slower than traditional stimulus. Even before Summers and others raised economic concerns about Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief bill, officials were wrestling with their own worries about its inflation risks. They had internally concluded, with direction from Biden, that the biggest risk to the economy was going “too small” on the aid package — not spending enough to help vulnerable Americans survive continued stints of joblessness or lost income. But they wanted to know the risks of going “too big.” They tested whether an uptick in inflation might cause people and financial markets to expect rapid price increases in the years to come, upending decades of what economists call “well-anchored” expectations for prices and potentially creating a situation where higher expectations led to higher inflation. They estimated the odds that the Fed would react to such moves by quickly and steeply raising interest rates, potentially slamming the brakes on growth and causing another recession. The informal group that initially gathered to research those questions included Bernstein; David Kamin, a deputy director of the National Economic Council; Michael Pyle, Vice President Kamala Harris’ chief economic adviser; and two Treasury officials, Nellie Liang and Ben Harris. More members have joined over time, including Tedeschi. The group reports regularly to Yellen and other senior officials including Brian Deese, who heads the National Economic Council, and Cecilia Rouse, who leads the Council of Economic Advisers. Its work has informed economic briefings of Biden and Harris. “The president and the vice president, their job is to deliver good economic outcomes for the American people,” Pyle said in an interview. “Part of what delivering strong economic outcomes to the American people means is ensuring that their team is fully on top of both the tail winds to the U.S. economy but also the risks that are out there. And this is one of them.” Pyle and his colleagues looked at financial market measures of inflation expectations, including one called the five-year, five-year forward, which currently shows investors expecting lower inflation levels over the next several years than they expected in 2018. At the same time, officials at the Treasury’s Office of Economic Policy conducted a series of modeling exercises to “stress test” the virus relief package and how it might change those price and expectation measures if put in place. They considered scenarios in which consumers quickly spent their aid money, which included $1,400 checks, and scenarios in which they did not spend much of it at all right away. They talked with large banks about trends in customers’ cash balances and how quickly people were returning to the workforce. Yellen, a former Fed chair, helped adjust the models herself. The exercises produced a wide range of possibilities for inflation. But they never suggested it would rise so rapidly that the Fed could not easily handle it by adjusting interest rates or other monetary policy tools. They saw no risk of a sharp return to recession — and no reason to pull back from spending proposals that administration officials believe will help the economy heal faster and help historically disadvantaged groups, like Black and Hispanic workers, regain jobs and income. “We’re going to see some heat in this economy,” Pyle said. “That heat is going to be good and redound to the benefit of wages and labor market conditions overall and particularly for a number of communities that have been at the margins of the labor market for too long.” If the data proves that forecast wrong, officials say privately, they will be quick to adapt. But they will not say how. If inflation were to accelerate in a sustained and surprising way, some officials suggest, the administration would trust the Fed to step in to contain it. There is no plan, as of yet, for Biden to consider inflation-fighting actions of his own.

The Biden administration is quietly keeping tabs on inflation

China has accused the United States of damaging the peace and stability of Taiwan. Beijing said that it also opposes any official US-Taiwan talks as several former American officials arrived in Taipei to signal President Joe Biden's commitment towards Taiwan.

China opposes any contact between US and Taiwan

US President Joe Biden has decided to withdraw all the remaining American troops from Afghanistan by the September 11. The United States will not be meeting the original deadline of May 1 which was set by the Trump administration.

Biden to pull out all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11

A Texas police officer was shot multiple times during a traffic stop early on Wednesday and police were searching for suspects, authorities said.&nbsp;

The shooting happened at about 4:15 am. Wednesday in Burleson, about 45 miles (70 kilometres) southwest of Dallas, the police department said on Twitter.&nbsp;

Police said the officer was taken to a Fort Worth hospital and his condition wasn't immediately known.&nbsp;

The shooting is at least the fourth involving a Texas law enforcement officer in recent weeks.&nbsp;

An Austin police officer was shot and wounded on Friday, while a state trooper was shot and wounded during a manhunt for a man accused of opening fire on a cabinet business. And late last month, a state trooper was fatally shot during a traffic stop near Mexia, about 75 miles (120 kilometres) southeast of Dallas. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, massive protests have broken out near the US city of Minneapolis after a policeman fatally shot a young Black man near where George Floyd was killed last year.&nbsp;

The man has been identified as 20-year-old Daunte Wright.&nbsp;

Police in a Minneapolis suburb said an officer fatally shot a driver Sunday, leading to clashes between protesters and law enforcement.&nbsp;

Hundreds of people gathered outside the police station in Brooklyn Center, northwest of Minneapolis. Police fired tear gas and flashbangs at the demonstrators, according to videojournalists at the scene.&nbsp;

The mother of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, told a crowd earlier Sunday evening that he called her to say he had been pulled over by police, local media reported.&nbsp;

Katie Wright said she heard officers tell her son to put his phone down, and then one of the officers ended the call. Soon after, her son's girlfriend told her he had been shot.&nbsp;

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed that it is "investigating an officer-involved shooting incident" in Brooklyn Center.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A Texas police officer was shot multiple times during a traffic stop early on Wednesday and police were searching for suspects, authorities said. The shooting happened at about 4:15 am.

A Texas police officer was shot multiple times during a traffic stop early on Wednesday and police were searching for suspects, authorities said. The shooting happened at about 4:15 am. Wednesday in Burleson, about 45 miles (70 kilometres) southwest of Dallas, the police department said on Twitter. Police said the officer was taken to a Fort Worth hospital and his condition wasn't immediately known. The shooting is at least the fourth involving a Texas law enforcement officer in recent weeks. An Austin police officer was shot and wounded on Friday, while a state trooper was shot and wounded during a manhunt for a man accused of opening fire on a cabinet business. And late last month, a state trooper was fatally shot during a traffic stop near Mexia, about 75 miles (120 kilometres) southeast of Dallas. Meanwhile, massive protests have broken out near the US city of Minneapolis after a policeman fatally shot a young Black man near where George Floyd was killed last year. The man has been identified as 20-year-old Daunte Wright. Police in a Minneapolis suburb said an officer fatally shot a driver Sunday, leading to clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Hundreds of people gathered outside the police station in Brooklyn Center, northwest of Minneapolis. Police fired tear gas and flashbangs at the demonstrators, according to videojournalists at the scene. The mother of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, told a crowd earlier Sunday evening that he called her to say he had been pulled over by police, local media reported. Katie Wright said she heard officers tell her son to put his phone down, and then one of the officers ended the call. Soon after, her son's girlfriend told her he had been shot. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed that it is "investigating an officer-involved shooting incident" in Brooklyn Center. (With inputs from agencies)

US cop shot multiple times during traffic stop in Texas 

The Kremlin said Wednesday it will consider US President Joe Biden's proposal to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
 
In a phone call on Tuesday, Biden proposed that the two leaders hold a summit "in the near future" that would come at a time of heightened tensions between the former Cold War rivals.&nbsp; 
 
"It is early to talk about this meeting in terms of specifics. This is a new proposal and it will be studied," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 
 
He added that there is still no set agenda for the summit, but said that "without a doubt bilateral ties are important" in areas of mutual interest. 
 
Tensions between Moscow and Washington have escalated in recent weeks, with Russia building up its troops on the border with Ukraine, where government forces have been fighting pro-Russian separatists since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.&nbsp; 
 
The United States and its allies have called on Moscow to withdraw its forces. 
 
"We consider the concerns of anyone -- including the United States -- regarding the movement of our armed forces on Russian territory to be unfounded," Peskov said.&nbsp; 
 
The Kremlin has repeatedly denied its involvement in the long-simmering conflict and rejected claims that it props up the separatist forces. 
 
Ties were already strained after Washington demanded the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and slapped sanctions on Moscow over his poisoning in August last year.&nbsp; 
 
Peskov, however, said that Navalny was not discussed in the Putin-Biden call.&nbsp; 
 
A Kremlin statement on Tuesday said that the two leaders discussed Ukraine as well as the Iranian nuclear programme, Afghanistan peace talks and climate change.

The Kremlin said Wednesday it will consider US President Joe Biden's proposal to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a phone call on Tuesday, Biden proposed that the two leaders hold a summit "in the near future" that would come at a time of heightened tensions between the former Cold War rivals.

The Kremlin said Wednesday it will consider US President Joe Biden's proposal to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a phone call on Tuesday, Biden proposed that the two leaders hold a summit "in the near future" that would come at a time of heightened tensions between the former Cold War rivals. "It is early to talk about this meeting in terms of specifics. This is a new proposal and it will be studied," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added that there is still no set agenda for the summit, but said that "without a doubt bilateral ties are important" in areas of mutual interest. Tensions between Moscow and Washington have escalated in recent weeks, with Russia building up its troops on the border with Ukraine, where government forces have been fighting pro-Russian separatists since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The United States and its allies have called on Moscow to withdraw its forces. "We consider the concerns of anyone -- including the United States -- regarding the movement of our armed forces on Russian territory to be unfounded," Peskov said. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied its involvement in the long-simmering conflict and rejected claims that it props up the separatist forces. Ties were already strained after Washington demanded the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and slapped sanctions on Moscow over his poisoning in August last year. Peskov, however, said that Navalny was not discussed in the Putin-Biden call. A Kremlin statement on Tuesday said that the two leaders discussed Ukraine as well as the Iranian nuclear programme, Afghanistan peace talks and climate change.

Russia says will 'study' US proposal for Putin-Biden summit

Venezuela's government wants funds frozen in the United States to be put toward paying for coronavirus vaccines and will keep working with the opposition to negotiate this payment, the head of the government-controlled legislature said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido have for months been in talks with state officials to buy vaccines through the COVAX programme using funds frozen by the US Treasury as part of sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.&nbsp;

Maduro over the weekend said his government had paid some $64 million to the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, spurring doubts as to whether the government would pull the plug on talks to use the frozen funds for the inoculation campaign.&nbsp;

Jorge Rodriguez, head of the National Assembly dominated by the ruling Socialist Party, said talks regarding the 'kidnapped' funds would continue.&nbsp;

"If more of the kidnapped resources are used, it would be to buy the vaccines that are needed via the (Pan American Health Organisation) and the (World Health Organisation)," Rodriguez said in a news conference.&nbsp;

In 2019, Washington froze $342 million held by the Venezuelan central bank in the United States, as part of a sanctions programme that sought to remove Maduro from power. &nbsp;

The funds were put under the control of opposition leader Guaido and the interim government he created, but moving them requires a license from the US Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).&nbsp;

A working group created last year to ensure Venezuela's access to COVAX, which includes health ministry officials as well as advisers to Guaido, will continue seeking to use the OFAC funds for vaccines, Rodriguez said. &nbsp;

His comments were the first time a government official has publicly acknowledged the discussions with the Guaido allies, who he described as 'kidnappers’. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Venezuela's government wants funds frozen in the United States to be put toward paying for coronavirus vaccines and will keep working with the opposition to negotiate this payment, the head of the government-controlled legislature said on Tuesday.

Venezuela's government wants funds frozen in the United States to be put toward paying for coronavirus vaccines and will keep working with the opposition to negotiate this payment, the head of the government-controlled legislature said on Tuesday. Allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido have for months been in talks with state officials to buy vaccines through the COVAX programme using funds frozen by the US Treasury as part of sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro over the weekend said his government had paid some $64 million to the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, spurring doubts as to whether the government would pull the plug on talks to use the frozen funds for the inoculation campaign. Jorge Rodriguez, head of the National Assembly dominated by the ruling Socialist Party, said talks regarding the 'kidnapped' funds would continue. "If more of the kidnapped resources are used, it would be to buy the vaccines that are needed via the (Pan American Health Organisation) and the (World Health Organisation)," Rodriguez said in a news conference. In 2019, Washington froze $342 million held by the Venezuelan central bank in the United States, as part of a sanctions programme that sought to remove Maduro from power. The funds were put under the control of opposition leader Guaido and the interim government he created, but moving them requires a license from the US Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). A working group created last year to ensure Venezuela's access to COVAX, which includes health ministry officials as well as advisers to Guaido, will continue seeking to use the OFAC funds for vaccines, Rodriguez said. His comments were the first time a government official has publicly acknowledged the discussions with the Guaido allies, who he described as 'kidnappers’. (With inputs from agencies)

Venezuela government wants to use funds frozen in US to pay for vaccines 

Former secretary of defence Mark Esper has said the United States should deploy more troops along the Black Sea in Bulgaria and Romania to deter potential aggression from Russia as tensions between Moscow and Washington heat up.&nbsp;

Esper, now a fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, said "I think we need to continue to stand up to Russia and try to deter their bad behavior."&nbsp;

Washington should look to reassure European allies and boost the NATO alliance by deploying more forces in Poland, "into the Baltics, if it makes sense, and places like Romania and Bulgaria, if not on a permanent - on a rotational basis," Esper said in an interview on Tuesday.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden called on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to reduce tensions stirred by a Russian military build-up on Ukraine's border and proposed a summit of the estranged leaders to tackle a raft of disputes.&nbsp;

Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and fighting has increased in recent weeks in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in a seven-year conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people. &nbsp;

When he was running the Pentagon last year, Esper advocated a similar shift as former President Donald Trump announced his intention to cut the US troop contingent in Germany by about a third, saying Berlin had been taking advantage of the United States while not meeting financial obligations to NATO.&nbsp;

The United States announced on Tuesday that it will ramp up its forces in Germany amid the latest tensions with Russia over Ukraine, abandoning Trump's plan to withdraw around 12,000 of the 36,000 US troops there.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Former secretary of defence Mark Esper has said the United States should deploy more troops along the Black Sea in Bulgaria and Romania to deter potential aggression from Russia as tensions between Moscow and Washington heat up.

Former secretary of defence Mark Esper has said the United States should deploy more troops along the Black Sea in Bulgaria and Romania to deter potential aggression from Russia as tensions between Moscow and Washington heat up. Esper, now a fellow at the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, said "I think we need to continue to stand up to Russia and try to deter their bad behavior." Washington should look to reassure European allies and boost the NATO alliance by deploying more forces in Poland, "into the Baltics, if it makes sense, and places like Romania and Bulgaria, if not on a permanent - on a rotational basis," Esper said in an interview on Tuesday. President Joe Biden called on Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to reduce tensions stirred by a Russian military build-up on Ukraine's border and proposed a summit of the estranged leaders to tackle a raft of disputes. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and fighting has increased in recent weeks in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in a seven-year conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people. When he was running the Pentagon last year, Esper advocated a similar shift as former President Donald Trump announced his intention to cut the US troop contingent in Germany by about a third, saying Berlin had been taking advantage of the United States while not meeting financial obligations to NATO. The United States announced on Tuesday that it will ramp up its forces in Germany amid the latest tensions with Russia over Ukraine, abandoning Trump's plan to withdraw around 12,000 of the 36,000 US troops there. (With inputs from agencies)

US should deploy troops along Black Sea, says former Pentagon chief 

The attorney for Derek Chauvin began his defence of the former Minneapolis police officer on Tuesday. A use of force expert called by Chauvin's defence team said that former police officer was justified in kneeling on George Floyd's neck.

Chauvin's defence begins case: Expert says use of force on Floyd was justified

With 3 conflicts looming in 3 different parts of the world, America's global leadership is being put to the test. To overcome these conflicts, Joe Biden will need allies. But Washington's recent adventurism near Lakshadweep sends mixed signals. WION's Palki Sharma has more.

Gravitas: US needs to reboot alliance politics

16 kilometres away from where George Floyd was killed, another Black-American has been shot dead for a 'traffic violation'. WION's Palki Sharma tells you how America's virus of racism is yet to be eradicated.

Gravitas: Black-American killed by cops in Minnesota

The US Food and Drug Administration announced that they are temporarily halting use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after developing six cases of rare blood-clotting in the country, that left one woman dead and another in critical condition.

Temporary halt on Johnson & Johnson vaccination in US over blood clot concerns

Huawei on Tuesday blamed the US for a global chip shortage as it called for cooperation with South Korea, Japan and Europe to form a new semiconductor supply chain.&nbsp;

The move came hours after US President Joe Biden urged more spending in the chipmaking sector to resolve the chip shortage and build up a stable supply chain, Yonhap news agency reported.&nbsp;

A recent shortage of semiconductors has stalled production across manufacturing industries, especially in the auto sector.&nbsp;

Karl Song, Huawei's Vice President of Corporate Communications, called for the lifting of US sanctions, which the Chinese network equipment maker claimed has led to the recent chip crisis.&nbsp;

Currently, the Chinese telecom equipment giant is being cut off from semiconductors made with US equipment, software and designs due to US sanctions over national security concerns.&nbsp;

"The current global chipset shortage is due to the sanctions (Huawei) faces and its impact on the companies that we cooperate with," Song said in a press conference.&nbsp;

"We hope to cooperate with advanced semiconductor countries, such as South Korea, Japan and Europe, to form a global supply chain again," he said.&nbsp;

Eric Xu, Huawei's Rotating Chairman, said on Monday that US sanctions against the company have hurt the broader semiconductor industry as they have created supply uncertainties.&nbsp;

The US has long alleged that Huawei's equipment is used to spy on foreign networks, a claim repeatedly rejected by the Chinese company.&nbsp;

The US sanctions have hurt the Chinese tech giant, which requires semiconductors for its telecom equipment and electronic devices.&nbsp;

Huawei said it still plans to further strengthen its presence in South Korea by collaborating with South Korean companies, adding that it has made purchases worth $37 billion from South Korea over the past five years.&nbsp;

LG Uplus, the smallest of South Korea's three major mobile carriers, currently uses equipment manufactured by Huawei for its 5G network.&nbsp;

In Washington, Biden said on Monday that the US will increase its investment in infrastructure to protect its supply chains, including the supply chain of semiconductors.&nbsp;

His remarks came in a meeting with the top executive officers of 19 global firms, including South Korea's tech giant Samsung Electronics, to discuss ways to address the ongoing shortage of semiconductors.&nbsp;

Huawei on Tuesday blamed the US for a global chip shortage as it called for cooperation with South Korea, Japan and Europe to form a new semiconductor supply chain.

Huawei on Tuesday blamed the US for a global chip shortage as it called for cooperation with South Korea, Japan and Europe to form a new semiconductor supply chain. The move came hours after US President Joe Biden urged more spending in the chipmaking sector to resolve the chip shortage and build up a stable supply chain, Yonhap news agency reported. A recent shortage of semiconductors has stalled production across manufacturing industries, especially in the auto sector. Karl Song, Huawei's Vice President of Corporate Communications, called for the lifting of US sanctions, which the Chinese network equipment maker claimed has led to the recent chip crisis. Currently, the Chinese telecom equipment giant is being cut off from semiconductors made with US equipment, software and designs due to US sanctions over national security concerns. "The current global chipset shortage is due to the sanctions (Huawei) faces and its impact on the companies that we cooperate with," Song said in a press conference. "We hope to cooperate with advanced semiconductor countries, such as South Korea, Japan and Europe, to form a global supply chain again," he said. Eric Xu, Huawei's Rotating Chairman, said on Monday that US sanctions against the company have hurt the broader semiconductor industry as they have created supply uncertainties. The US has long alleged that Huawei's equipment is used to spy on foreign networks, a claim repeatedly rejected by the Chinese company. The US sanctions have hurt the Chinese tech giant, which requires semiconductors for its telecom equipment and electronic devices. Huawei said it still plans to further strengthen its presence in South Korea by collaborating with South Korean companies, adding that it has made purchases worth $37 billion from South Korea over the past five years. LG Uplus, the smallest of South Korea's three major mobile carriers, currently uses equipment manufactured by Huawei for its 5G network. In Washington, Biden said on Monday that the US will increase its investment in infrastructure to protect its supply chains, including the supply chain of semiconductors. His remarks came in a meeting with the top executive officers of 19 global firms, including South Korea's tech giant Samsung Electronics, to discuss ways to address the ongoing shortage of semiconductors.

Huawei blames US for global chip shortage 

Police shooting of Black man sparks fresh protests in US

Moscow has accused the United States and other NATO countries of turning Ukraine into a "powder keg ". Russia also added that countries are increasing their arms supplies to Ukraine.

Moscow accuses US, NATO nations of turning Ukraine into 'powder keg'

The Biden administration has struck an agreement with Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras to temporarily increase border security in an effort to stop migrants from reaching the US border.

US strikes agreement with Mexico, Honduras and Gautemala to secure borders

Russia on Tuesday accused the United States and other NATO countries of turning Ukraine into a “powder keg” after military buildup in the region.

"The United States and other NATO countries are deliberately turning Ukraine into a powder keg," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited as saying by local media

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Russia recently stationed soldiers along the Ukraine border and also accused Western countries of supplying arms to Ukraine.

A Ukrainian&nbsp;soldier was killed on Sunday and another seriously wounded in artillery fire from Russia-backed separatist rebels, as hostilities rise sharply in the country’s east. As of Monday, Ukraine claimed 27 soldiers had been killed in the east this year, more than half the number who died in all of 2020. Attacks have intensified in recent weeks and Russia has built up troops along the Ukraine border.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/whats-happening-between-russia-and-ukraine-heres-a-cheat-sheet-377164" hreflang="en">What's happening between Russia and Ukraine? Here's a cheat-sheet</a>

The troops' buildup has raised sharp concerns in the West. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned in an interview Sunday of "consequences" if&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;acts "aggressively" towards Ukraine, amid rising alarm over a Russian troop build-up on the border of the former Soviet republic.

"President Biden's been very clear about this. If&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;acts recklessly, or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences," Blinken said.

In recent weeks fighting has intensified between Ukraine's army and pro-Russian separatists in the country's east, with signs of a Russian troop build-up in the region raising concerns of major escalation in the long-running conflict.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/russian-military-spotted-near-ukraine-border-after-us-warning-376922" hreflang="en">Russian military spotted near Ukraine border after US warning</a>

Ukraine has accused&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;of amassing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.

The Kremlin, which has not denied the troop movements, said Sunday it was not moving towards war with Ukraine - but also that it "will not remain indifferent" to the fate of Russian speakers in the conflict-torn region.

The White House this week said the number of Russian troops at the border with Ukraine was now greater than at any time since 2014, when the conflict erupted after&nbsp;Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russia on Tuesday accused the United States and other NATO countries of turning Ukraine into a “powder keg” after military buildup in the region. "The United States and other NATO countries are deliberately turning Ukraine into a powder keg," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited as saying by local media Russia recently stationed soldiers along the Ukraine border and also accused Western countries of supplying arms to Ukraine.

Russia on Tuesday accused the United States and other NATO countries of turning Ukraine into a “powder keg” after military buildup in the region. "The United States and other NATO countries are deliberately turning Ukraine into a powder keg," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited as saying by local media Russia recently stationed soldiers along the Ukraine border and also accused Western countries of supplying arms to Ukraine. A Ukrainian soldier was killed on Sunday and another seriously wounded in artillery fire from Russia-backed separatist rebels, as hostilities rise sharply in the country’s east. As of Monday, Ukraine claimed 27 soldiers had been killed in the east this year, more than half the number who died in all of 2020. Attacks have intensified in recent weeks and Russia has built up troops along the Ukraine border. Also read: What's happening between Russia and Ukraine? Here's a cheat-sheet The troops' buildup has raised sharp concerns in the West. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned in an interview Sunday of "consequences" if Russia acts "aggressively" towards Ukraine, amid rising alarm over a Russian troop build-up on the border of the former Soviet republic. "President Biden's been very clear about this. If Russia acts recklessly, or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences," Blinken said. In recent weeks fighting has intensified between Ukraine's army and pro-Russian separatists in the country's east, with signs of a Russian troop build-up in the region raising concerns of major escalation in the long-running conflict. Also read: Russian military spotted near Ukraine border after US warning Ukraine has accused Russia of amassing thousands of military personnel on its northern and eastern borders as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula. The Kremlin, which has not denied the troop movements, said Sunday it was not moving towards war with Ukraine - but also that it "will not remain indifferent" to the fate of Russian speakers in the conflict-torn region. The White House this week said the number of Russian troops at the border with Ukraine was now greater than at any time since 2014, when the conflict erupted after Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia accuses US, other NATO countries of turning Ukraine into 'powder keg'

Iran has warned the United States against sanctions and sabotage attacks as Washington denies any involvement in the latest attack at the Natanz nuclear facilities.

Iran: US should not use sanctions, sabotage as negotiating tool

Racism in United States of America is not an exception. It's the norm. Two incidents have come as a reminder of this grim reality.

The first is from the state of Virginia, where two White cops pointed guns and pepper-sprayed a Black US army officer for a missing license plate.&nbsp;This happened in December, a lawsuit has been filed now, and the second incident is from Minneapolis, where a Black man has been shot and killed by the police.

Why? For a traffic violation in any other country, these violations would lead to a fine but clearly not in the land of the free. &nbsp;

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Where the colour of your skin seems to increasingly determine the severity of your crime and the timing is important here. These incidents are being reported and discussed at a time when Derek Chauvin, a White police officer, is on trial for the murder of a Black man George Floyd.&nbsp;

This is not an encounter. This is a traffic stop. This man is not a wanted criminal. He is a lieutenant in the US Army. What's his crime? A missing license plate. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Caron Nazario, a second lieutenant in the US Army and a Black and Latino American, was driving his new SUV with a temporary paper plate. He was asked to pull over by two cops. What followed was sheer racism camouflaged as obstruction of justice. The footage was shot in December but a lawsuit in the case has been filed now. &nbsp;

Nazario has sued the two cops for their behaviour. More than a thousand miles away from Virginia in the state of Minneapolis, another Black American couldn't even opt for legal recourse. He was shot and killed by police officers for a traffic violation in Minnesota. The incident took place barely 16 kilometres away from where George Floyd was killed. &nbsp;

Minnesota department of public safety commissioner John Harrington said about the police incident that later prompted the protests. "Our early report was that one officer had fired a weapon, striking the driver. The vehicle continued and eventually crashed and medical resources were then deployed to the scene to aid the people in both the vehicle that was crashed into and the original group. The driver of the vehicle was deceased."

The aftermath seems like deja vu. Hundreds of locals have descended on the streets of Minnesota.&nbsp;

There are protests, there's tear-gas and the same rallying call, 'Black lives matter'.&nbsp;

Myah, a protester, said, "Who knows if there’s gonna be a difference in this world, who knows if it’s going to be the last time that we all come together in something like this."&nbsp;

As the protests continue, the trial of Derek Chauvin over George Floyd's death is yet to reach any conclusion. It's been three weeks and jurors are still analysing the testimonies.&nbsp;

Whatever be the final verdict, the chances of it are eradicating America's virus of racism seem abysmally low.&nbsp;

Racism in United States of America is not an exception. It's the norm. Two incidents have come as a reminder of this grim reality. The first is from the state of Virginia, where two White cops pointed guns and pepper-sprayed a Black US army officer for a missing license plate.

Racism in United States of America is not an exception. It's the norm. Two incidents have come as a reminder of this grim reality. The first is from the state of Virginia, where two White cops pointed guns and pepper-sprayed a Black US army officer for a missing license plate. This happened in December, a lawsuit has been filed now, and the second incident is from Minneapolis, where a Black man has been shot and killed by the police. Why? For a traffic violation in any other country, these violations would lead to a fine but clearly not in the land of the free. Where the colour of your skin seems to increasingly determine the severity of your crime and the timing is important here. These incidents are being reported and discussed at a time when Derek Chauvin, a White police officer, is on trial for the murder of a Black man George Floyd. This is not an encounter. This is a traffic stop. This man is not a wanted criminal. He is a lieutenant in the US Army. What's his crime? A missing license plate. Caron Nazario, a second lieutenant in the US Army and a Black and Latino American, was driving his new SUV with a temporary paper plate. He was asked to pull over by two cops. What followed was sheer racism camouflaged as obstruction of justice. The footage was shot in December but a lawsuit in the case has been filed now. Nazario has sued the two cops for their behaviour. More than a thousand miles away from Virginia in the state of Minneapolis, another Black American couldn't even opt for legal recourse. He was shot and killed by police officers for a traffic violation in Minnesota. The incident took place barely 16 kilometres away from where George Floyd was killed. Minnesota department of public safety commissioner John Harrington said about the police incident that later prompted the protests. "Our early report was that one officer had fired a weapon, striking the driver. The vehicle continued and eventually crashed and medical resources were then deployed to the scene to aid the people in both the vehicle that was crashed into and the original group. The driver of the vehicle was deceased." The aftermath seems like deja vu. Hundreds of locals have descended on the streets of Minnesota. There are protests, there's tear-gas and the same rallying call, 'Black lives matter'. Myah, a protester, said, "Who knows if there’s gonna be a difference in this world, who knows if it’s going to be the last time that we all come together in something like this." As the protests continue, the trial of Derek Chauvin over George Floyd's death is yet to reach any conclusion. It's been three weeks and jurors are still analysing the testimonies. Whatever be the final verdict, the chances of it are eradicating America's virus of racism seem abysmally low.

Rising racist attacks in US raise many questions 

Keeping alliances thriving is difficult work. In Second World War, USA, Britain and USSR were allies. But the cold war divided these nations into opposite camps.

The recent incident of US Navy's foray into India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near Lakshadweep island raises many questions about USA's ability to keep alliances in robust shape.

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The US Navy dropped a big statement mid-week. Its warship USS John paul jones sailed in India's EEZ. And it was sailing 241 kilometres west of Lakshadweep islands. The US did not seek permission from India for this.

India protested this adventurism not by sending a warship to Hawaii but through diplomatic channels. India's position on EEZ has been clear. For military exercises involving weapons, consent is required.

It's a position Washington is familiar with but decided to ignore last week.

But if you ask the Pentagon. This operation wasn't targeted at any particular nation-state. It was intended to drive home a principle.

However, there are two issues with Pentagon's statement.

1. US Navy ship was sailing in India's EEZ. Navy's statement talks about checking India's claims. This clearly makes India a target.

2. The issue of principles

The only principle in question here is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

It guides how states interact on the high seas. The US itself is yet to ratify the convention. Washington is still basking in the glory of a unipolar order.

But the world has moved on. India, Japan, South Korea -- all these countries have their own democratic experiments, cultures and principles. The US must accept this.

Historically the US Has preferred clones over allies. It rebuilt western Europe in its image. But this is unlikely to work in Asia.

To beat back China, the US must let regional states take the lead. It must look at the bigger picture.

India's EEZ is peaceful waters. There is no comparison with the South China Sea. There are no disputes.

The US may be a superpower, but in the Indo-Pacific, it will have to put allies first. Europe may blindly follow Washington to war but Asia will not.

Keeping alliances thriving is difficult work. In Second World War, USA, Britain and USSR were allies. But the cold war divided these nations into opposite camps.

Keeping alliances thriving is difficult work. In Second World War, USA, Britain and USSR were allies. But the cold war divided these nations into opposite camps. The recent incident of US Navy's foray into India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near Lakshadweep island raises many questions about USA's ability to keep alliances in robust shape. The US Navy dropped a big statement mid-week. Its warship USS John paul jones sailed in India's EEZ. And it was sailing 241 kilometres west of Lakshadweep islands. The US did not seek permission from India for this. India protested this adventurism not by sending a warship to Hawaii but through diplomatic channels. India's position on EEZ has been clear. For military exercises involving weapons, consent is required. It's a position Washington is familiar with but decided to ignore last week. But if you ask the Pentagon. This operation wasn't targeted at any particular nation-state. It was intended to drive home a principle. However, there are two issues with Pentagon's statement. 1. US Navy ship was sailing in India's EEZ. Navy's statement talks about checking India's claims. This clearly makes India a target. 2. The issue of principles The only principle in question here is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It guides how states interact on the high seas. The US itself is yet to ratify the convention. Washington is still basking in the glory of a unipolar order. But the world has moved on. India, Japan, South Korea -- all these countries have their own democratic experiments, cultures and principles. The US must accept this. Historically the US Has preferred clones over allies. It rebuilt western Europe in its image. But this is unlikely to work in Asia. To beat back China, the US must let regional states take the lead. It must look at the bigger picture. India's EEZ is peaceful waters. There is no comparison with the South China Sea. There are no disputes. The US may be a superpower, but in the Indo-Pacific, it will have to put allies first. Europe may blindly follow Washington to war but Asia will not.

US must put allies first in the Indo-Pacific

Hawley’s bill tackles some of the same problems as an antitrust bill introduced by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar in February and contains some similar measures.

Republican senator wants to ban Big Tech from buying anything ever again

The student died at the school, and an officer was wounded and rushed to hospital for surgery, authorities said. No one else was hurt.

One dead and police officer injured at Knoxville high school

Amid rising tensions between China and Philippines, the United States and Philippines will conduct a two-week joint military exercise from today. The announcement came after the two countries' defence secretaries held a phone call to discuss the drills, the situation in the South China Sea, and recent regional security developments.

Philippines, US to begin two-week joint military drill from Monday

A US Army lieutenant filed a lawsuit against two Virginia policemen in federal court over a violent traffic stop, where police officers pointed their guns, knocked him to the ground, pepper-sprayed him, and "threatened to murder him."

US army officer files lawsuit against two Virginia policemen

Issuing a stern warning to China US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that the United States is concerned about China’s aggressive actions against Taiwan and warned it would be a “serious mistake” for anyone to try to change the status quo in the Western Pacific by force.

Blinken warns China against aggression near Taiwan

Protests have broken out in the US city of Minneapolis after a policeman fatally shot a 20-year-old Black man named Daunte Wright. Hundreds of protesters chanting Daunte Wright's name gathered late on Sunday outside the police headquarters in Brooklyn Center,

Protests near Minneapolis after Police shoot 20-year-old man

US has now issued warning to Russia over its troop build-up. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Russia of consequences if it escalates tensions on the Ukrainian border.

'There will be consequences', Antony Blinken warns Russia

Philippine and US soldiers will conduct a two-week joint military exercise from Monday, resuming the annual training event after last year's cancellation due to the pandemic, the Philippine military chief said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The announcement came after the two countries' defence secretaries held a phone call to discuss the drills, the situation in the South China Sea, and recent regional security developments.&nbsp;

Unlike previous exercises, however, this year's 'Balikatan' (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) drills to test the readiness of their militaries to respond to threats such natural disasters and militant extremist attacks, will be scaled down.&nbsp;

Only 1,700 troops, 700 from the United States and 1,000 from the Philippines, will participate, unlike previous exercises, which involved as many as 7,600 soldiers, said Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana.&nbsp;

"There will be physical contact but it is minimal," he said.&nbsp;

The Philippines has protested against the presence of the Chinese boats inside its 200-mile exclusive economic zone at Whitsun Reef in the strategic waterway, repeatedly asking China to move the vessels away. &nbsp;

Chinese diplomats, however, have said the fishing boats were just sheltering from rough seas and no militia were aboard.&nbsp;

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, China and Vietnam have competing territorial claims in the South China Sea.&nbsp;

In the phone call on Sunday between Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Austin also reiterated the importance of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries, according to a statement issued by Lorenzana's department.&nbsp;

Lorenzana committed to discussing the matter with President Rodrigo Duterte.&nbsp;

Duterte last year unilaterally cancelled the two-decade-old VFA in an angry response after an ally was denied a US visa. The agreement provides the legal framework under which US troops can operate on a rotational basis in the Philippines.&nbsp;

The VFA withdrawal period, however, has been twice extended, creating what Philippine officials say is a window for better terms to be agreed.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Philippine and US soldiers will conduct a two-week joint military exercise from Monday, resuming the annual training event after last year's cancellation due to the pandemic, the Philippine military chief said on Sunday.

Philippine and US soldiers will conduct a two-week joint military exercise from Monday, resuming the annual training event after last year's cancellation due to the pandemic, the Philippine military chief said on Sunday. The announcement came after the two countries' defence secretaries held a phone call to discuss the drills, the situation in the South China Sea, and recent regional security developments. Unlike previous exercises, however, this year's 'Balikatan' (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) drills to test the readiness of their militaries to respond to threats such natural disasters and militant extremist attacks, will be scaled down. Only 1,700 troops, 700 from the United States and 1,000 from the Philippines, will participate, unlike previous exercises, which involved as many as 7,600 soldiers, said Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana. "There will be physical contact but it is minimal," he said. The Philippines has protested against the presence of the Chinese boats inside its 200-mile exclusive economic zone at Whitsun Reef in the strategic waterway, repeatedly asking China to move the vessels away. Chinese diplomats, however, have said the fishing boats were just sheltering from rough seas and no militia were aboard. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, China and Vietnam have competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. In the phone call on Sunday between Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Austin also reiterated the importance of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries, according to a statement issued by Lorenzana's department. Lorenzana committed to discussing the matter with President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte last year unilaterally cancelled the two-decade-old VFA in an angry response after an ally was denied a US visa. The agreement provides the legal framework under which US troops can operate on a rotational basis in the Philippines. The VFA withdrawal period, however, has been twice extended, creating what Philippine officials say is a window for better terms to be agreed. (With inputs from agencies)

Philippines, US to begin two-week joint military drill from Monday 

Fuelling the worsening relationship between the US and China, the US Senate’s new policy will have a “profound effect” on the Chinese entities.

The Strategic Competition Act of 2021, a 283-page bill, will be introduced next week and aims to provide help for American companies to diversify their global supply chain.

“This includes in terms of developing new technologies, global investment strategies, selling into US-allied countries, receiving support from the Chinese government, and how the country's technology market interacts and influences global governance and standards-setting,” said Cameron Johnson, an adjunct faculty instructor at New York University and a partner at Shanghai-based Tidal Wave Solutions told South China Morning Post.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/son-of-a-donald-trump-slams-republican-leaders-during-dinner-at-mar-a-lago-club-376769" hreflang="en">'Son of a...': Donald Trump slams Republican leaders during dinner</a>

The bill’s science and technology section will lay out pointers to provide help for US-based companies in diversifying global supply chain; total or partial acquisition of infrastructure like 5G mobile networks and undersea cables; negotiations for bilateral and plurilateral digital trade agreements; and building up cybersecurity capabilities.

More importantly, the bill is set to call sanctions against Chinese officials who are accused of “forced labour, forced sterilisation and other abuses in Xinjiang”. The region has had numerous reports of human rights violations as the United Nations has also reported that more than one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to torture.

The bill will also set aside nearly $10 million “to promote democracy in Hong Kong”. The US State Department will also be asked to make a report on “the extent to which the Government of China uses the status of Hong Kong to circumvent the laws and protections of the United States”.

It "focuses on countering and confronting China's predatory international economic behaviour, and includes measures to track intellectual property violators, Chinese government subsidies, monitor Chinese use of Hong Kong to circumvent US export controls, and track the presence of Chinese companies in US capital markets. Directs the United States to provide technical assistance to countries working to counter foreign corrupt practices, and debt relief to the poorest countries who have requested forbearance due to the Covid-19 pandemic," a statement by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations read.

The bill also calls for strengthening military ties with the country’s allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

It "calls for enhanced coordination and cooperation with allies on arms control in the face of China's military modernization and expansion, and requires reporting on Chinese ballistic, hypersonic glide, and cruise missiles, conventional forces, nuclear, space, cyberspace and other strategic domains."

(With inputs from agencies)

Fuelling the worsening relationship between the US and China, the US Senate’s new policy will have a “profound effect” on the Chinese entities. The Strategic Competition Act of 2021, a 283-page bill, will be introduced next week and aims to provide help for American companies to diversify their global supply chain.

Fuelling the worsening relationship between the US and China, the US Senate’s new policy will have a “profound effect” on the Chinese entities. The Strategic Competition Act of 2021, a 283-page bill, will be introduced next week and aims to provide help for American companies to diversify their global supply chain. “This includes in terms of developing new technologies, global investment strategies, selling into US-allied countries, receiving support from the Chinese government, and how the country's technology market interacts and influences global governance and standards-setting,” said Cameron Johnson, an adjunct faculty instructor at New York University and a partner at Shanghai-based Tidal Wave Solutions told South China Morning Post. Also read | 'Son of a...': Donald Trump slams Republican leaders during dinner The bill’s science and technology section will lay out pointers to provide help for US-based companies in diversifying global supply chain; total or partial acquisition of infrastructure like 5G mobile networks and undersea cables; negotiations for bilateral and plurilateral digital trade agreements; and building up cybersecurity capabilities. More importantly, the bill is set to call sanctions against Chinese officials who are accused of “forced labour, forced sterilisation and other abuses in Xinjiang”. The region has had numerous reports of human rights violations as the United Nations has also reported that more than one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are being subjected to torture. The bill will also set aside nearly $10 million “to promote democracy in Hong Kong”. The US State Department will also be asked to make a report on “the extent to which the Government of China uses the status of Hong Kong to circumvent the laws and protections of the United States”. It "focuses on countering and confronting China's predatory international economic behaviour, and includes measures to track intellectual property violators, Chinese government subsidies, monitor Chinese use of Hong Kong to circumvent US export controls, and track the presence of Chinese companies in US capital markets. Directs the United States to provide technical assistance to countries working to counter foreign corrupt practices, and debt relief to the poorest countries who have requested forbearance due to the Covid-19 pandemic," a statement by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations read. The bill also calls for strengthening military ties with the country’s allies in the Indo-Pacific region. It "calls for enhanced coordination and cooperation with allies on arms control in the face of China's military modernization and expansion, and requires reporting on Chinese ballistic, hypersonic glide, and cruise missiles, conventional forces, nuclear, space, cyberspace and other strategic domains." (With inputs from agencies)

US increases pressure on China through new strategic competition policy

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One dead and police officer injured at Knoxville high school