A&nbsp;man&nbsp;shot&nbsp;and&nbsp;killed his&nbsp;three&nbsp;children&nbsp;and&nbsp;a fourth person before taking his own life on Monday (Feb. 28) in an outburst of gun violence that unfolded in a&nbsp;church&nbsp;near&nbsp;California's capital, police said.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Rod Grassmann told reporters near the scene that investigators were seeking clues to a motive for the bloodshed but believed the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/zain-nadella-son-of-ceo-satya-nadella-dies-at-26-microsoft-457703">&nbsp;Zain Nadella, son of CEO Satya Nadella, dies at 26: Microsoft</a>

The shooting erupted at about 5 p.m. local time inside The&nbsp;Church&nbsp;in Sacramento, located in the Arden-Arcade community on the eastern edge of Sacramento's city limits, Grassmann told reporters.

A&nbsp;church&nbsp;employee on an upper floor of the&nbsp;church&nbsp;at the time told authorities he heard a single gunshot, followed by several more shots before he ran out of the building&nbsp;and&nbsp;called police, according to Grassmann.

Sheriff's deputies arriving at the scene found&nbsp;five&nbsp;people shot to death -&nbsp;three&nbsp;children&nbsp;under the age of 15, the father&nbsp;and&nbsp;another adult who was not immediately identified by investigators, Grassmann said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-will-there-be-a-nuclear-war-your-questions-answered-457697">Russia-Ukraine conflict: Will there be a nuclear war? Your questions answered</a>

He said the father was believed to have shot the four other victims before turning the gun on&nbsp;himself. Authorities did not say whether the second adult was related to the other family members or whether the person was a&nbsp;man&nbsp;or woman.

Local television station KTVU cited Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones as saying that investigators believe the shooting unfolded during a supervised visit between the father&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;children,&nbsp;and&nbsp;that the fourth victim was the adult chaperone.

A man shot and killed his three children and a fourth person before taking his own life on Monday (Feb. 28) in an outburst of gun violence that unfolded in a church near California's capital, police said.

A man shot and killed his three children and a fourth person before taking his own life on Monday (Feb. 28) in an outburst of gun violence that unfolded in a church near California's capital, police said. Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesperson Rod Grassmann told reporters near the scene that investigators were seeking clues to a motive for the bloodshed but believed the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute. Also read | Zain Nadella, son of CEO Satya Nadella, dies at 26: Microsoft The shooting erupted at about 5 p.m. local time inside The Church in Sacramento, located in the Arden-Arcade community on the eastern edge of Sacramento's city limits, Grassmann told reporters. A church employee on an upper floor of the church at the time told authorities he heard a single gunshot, followed by several more shots before he ran out of the building and called police, according to Grassmann. Sheriff's deputies arriving at the scene found five people shot to death - three children under the age of 15, the father and another adult who was not immediately identified by investigators, Grassmann said. Also read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Will there be a nuclear war? Your questions answered He said the father was believed to have shot the four other victims before turning the gun on himself. Authorities did not say whether the second adult was related to the other family members or whether the person was a man or woman. Local television station KTVU cited Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones as saying that investigators believe the shooting unfolded during a supervised visit between the father and the children, and that the fourth victim was the adult chaperone.

Five dead as man kills three children and himself in California church

Twitter&nbsp;will put warnings on&nbsp;tweets&nbsp;sharing links to&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;state-affiliated&nbsp;media, the platform said Monday, as Kremlin-tied outlets are accused of spreading misinformation on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Pressure is on social&nbsp;media&nbsp;giants to squelch misleading or false information about the attack, which has drawn fierce international condemnation.

Kremlin-run&nbsp;media&nbsp;outlets RT and Sputnik have both faced accusations of using false narratives in an effort to argue in favor of war.&nbsp;

Twitter's head of site integrity, Yoel Roth, wrote that the platform has been seeing more than 45,000&nbsp;tweets&nbsp;per day that are sharing links to&nbsp;state-affiliated&nbsp;media&nbsp;outlets.

"Our product should make it easy to understand who's behind the content you see, and what their motivations and intentions are," he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-ukraines-tank-man-halts-russian-military-convoy-twitter-applauds-as-video-goes-viral-456656">Watch: Ukraine's 'tank man' halts Russian military convoy; Twitter applauds as video goes viral</a>

In addition to adding labels that identify the sources of links, Roth said the platform is also "taking steps to significantly reduce the circulation of this content on&nbsp;Twitter."

The announcement came the day after Facebook's parent Meta said pro-Russia groups were orchestrating misinformation campaigns on social&nbsp;media, using fake profiles or hacked accounts to paint Ukraine as a feeble pawn of Western duplicity.

The cyber security team at the tech giant -- also parent to Instagram -- said it blocked a set of Russia-linked fake accounts that were part of a social&nbsp;media&nbsp;scheme to undermine Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/whatsapp-to-come-up-with-a-range-of-new-features-for-its-users-457296">WhatsApp to come up with a range of new features for its users</a>

The small network of Facebook and Instagram accounts targeted people in Ukraine, using posts to try to get people to visit websites featuring bogus news about the country's effort to defend itself from the invasion by Russia.

Twitter&nbsp;and Facebook have both been hit with access restrictions in Russia since the invasion and are now "largely unusable", said web monitoring group NetBlocks.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Twitter bans prominent US vaccine scientists' account over alleged misinformation

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/twitter-bans-prominent-us-vaccine-scientists-account-over-alleged-misinformation-441981/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Social&nbsp;media&nbsp;networks have become one of the fronts in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, home to sometimes misleading information but also real-time monitoring of a quickly developing conflict that marks Europe's biggest geopolitical crisis in decades.

Twitter will put warnings on tweets sharing links to Russian state-affiliated media, the platform said Monday, as Kremlin-tied outlets are accused of spreading misinformation on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Twitter will put warnings on tweets sharing links to Russian state-affiliated media, the platform said Monday, as Kremlin-tied outlets are accused of spreading misinformation on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Pressure is on social media giants to squelch misleading or false information about the attack, which has drawn fierce international condemnation. Kremlin-run media outlets RT and Sputnik have both faced accusations of using false narratives in an effort to argue in favor of war. Twitter's head of site integrity, Yoel Roth, wrote that the platform has been seeing more than 45,000 tweets per day that are sharing links to state-affiliated media outlets. "Our product should make it easy to understand who's behind the content you see, and what their motivations and intentions are," he added. Also read | Watch: Ukraine's 'tank man' halts Russian military convoy; Twitter applauds as video goes viral In addition to adding labels that identify the sources of links, Roth said the platform is also "taking steps to significantly reduce the circulation of this content on Twitter." The announcement came the day after Facebook's parent Meta said pro-Russia groups were orchestrating misinformation campaigns on social media, using fake profiles or hacked accounts to paint Ukraine as a feeble pawn of Western duplicity. The cyber security team at the tech giant -- also parent to Instagram -- said it blocked a set of Russia-linked fake accounts that were part of a social media scheme to undermine Ukraine. Also read | WhatsApp to come up with a range of new features for its users The small network of Facebook and Instagram accounts targeted people in Ukraine, using posts to try to get people to visit websites featuring bogus news about the country's effort to defend itself from the invasion by Russia. Twitter and Facebook have both been hit with access restrictions in Russia since the invasion and are now "largely unusable", said web monitoring group NetBlocks. Watch | Twitter bans prominent US vaccine scientists' account over alleged misinformation Social media networks have become one of the fronts in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, home to sometimes misleading information but also real-time monitoring of a quickly developing conflict that marks Europe's biggest geopolitical crisis in decades.

Twitter to label tweets linking to Russian state media

US officials warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin could imminently increase the intensity of the attack. The US has also continued sharing downgraded intelligence with the Ukrainians, including about Russian military moves, in an attempt to help Ukraine on the battlefield. WION brings you more insights.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: US warns of a 'second wave' of attack

Japan should consider hosting the nuclear weapons of the US, said former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. &nbsp;&nbsp;

With the ongoing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensifying, 67-year-old Abe seems to have got the right opportunity to promote his belief that the nation should abandon its pacifism and arm itself with offensive weapons. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In a TV interview on Sunday, the conservative politician said that Japan could seek an arrangement similar to NATO’s nuclear sharing policy, which allows countries without nuclear arms to keep such weapons on their soil for potential use in wartime. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nuclear-war-outbreaks-fear-grows-what-are-nuke-capabilities-of-russia-457686">Nuclear war outbreak’s fear grows. What are nuke capabilities of Russia? &nbsp;</a>

Abe, who is still an influential voice in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said, “We should not put a taboo on discussions about the reality we face.” &nbsp; &nbsp;

This comes as President Vladimir Putin has been making veiled threats of nuclear war over Western sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-will-there-be-a-nuclear-war-your-questions-answered-457697" hreflang="en">Russia-Ukraine conflict: Will there be a nuclear war? Your questions answered</a>

Abe’s suggestion seems to have not gone down well with several people in the country, which has seen widespread devastation during WWII due to two atomic bombs. It has prompted condemnation from the current prime minister and other anti-nuclear politicians. &nbsp;

Abe has also been advocating to develop a first-strike capability on enemy bases to counter nuclear-armed North Korea and an increasingly assertive China. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Japan should consider hosting the nuclear weapons of the US, said former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. With the ongoing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensifying, 67-year-old Abe seems to have got the right opportunity to promote his belief that the nation should abandon its pacifism and arm itself with offensive weapons.

Japan should consider hosting the nuclear weapons of the US, said former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. With the ongoing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensifying, 67-year-old Abe seems to have got the right opportunity to promote his belief that the nation should abandon its pacifism and arm itself with offensive weapons. In a TV interview on Sunday, the conservative politician said that Japan could seek an arrangement similar to NATO’s nuclear sharing policy, which allows countries without nuclear arms to keep such weapons on their soil for potential use in wartime. Also Read: Nuclear war outbreak’s fear grows. What are nuke capabilities of Russia? Abe, who is still an influential voice in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said, “We should not put a taboo on discussions about the reality we face.” This comes as President Vladimir Putin has been making veiled threats of nuclear war over Western sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Also Read: Russia-Ukraine conflict: Will there be a nuclear war? Your questions answered Abe’s suggestion seems to have not gone down well with several people in the country, which has seen widespread devastation during WWII due to two atomic bombs. It has prompted condemnation from the current prime minister and other anti-nuclear politicians. Abe has also been advocating to develop a first-strike capability on enemy bases to counter nuclear-armed North Korea and an increasingly assertive China. (With inputs from agencies)

With adversaries on the mind, former PM Shinzo Abe says Japan should host US nukes

The United States has waived in-person interview requirements for many visa applicants, including students and workers, at its diplomatic missions in India through December 31 this year, a senior American diplomat has told Indian community leaders.

These applicants eligible for the waiver are students (F, M, and academic J visas), workers (H-1, H-2, H-3, and individual L visas), Culture and extraordinary ability (O, P, and Q visas).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-external-affairs-minister-dr-s-jaishankar-to-visit-palestine-on-march-8-457248">India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to visit Palestine on March 8</a>

This is much-needed support to visa applicants. This would be very helpful to our friends and immediate family members and remove a lot of their concerns and remove inconveniences, Ajay Jain Bhutoria, South Asian Community Leader and US President Joe Biden's Advisor for Asian Americans, said after his meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for South Central Asia, Donal Lu. 
Bhutoria raised the issue of visas during his meeting with Lu in Silicon Valley in the US state of California on Friday.

Lu informed that through December 31, of this year, the US Department of State is authorised to waive in-person interview requirements for certain applicants and their qualifying derivatives in various non-immigrant visa classifications.

Also read |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-restricts-visas-for-somali-officials-accused-of-undermining-democracy-456641">US restricts visas for Somali officials accused of undermining democracy</a>

To be eligible for the expanded interview waiver programme, applicants seeking these visa classifications must have previously been issued any category of US visa; have never been refused a US visa and have no indication of ineligibility or potential visa ineligibility. 
They also need to be a resident or national of the country in which they are applying; among other, the State Department said.

The US embassy in New Delhi and its consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai will release more than 20,000 additional waiver (dropbox) appointments for Spring 2022 to allow qualified applicants to make use of the new interview waiver authority, according to a notice posted on the website of the US Embassy in New Delhi.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-abstains-from-unsc-procedural-vote-to-call-for-general-assembly-session-on-ukraine-457255">&nbsp;India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to call for General Assembly session on Ukraine</a>

During the meeting, Bhutoria discussed with Lu to increase people-to people relationships between the US and India. He stressed the importance of both the US and India working closely together in South Central Asia.

Both India and the US are strong democracies and share democratic values and provide leadership in the Asia Pacific region, he said.

They also discussed the immense contribution made by the Indian American diaspora and their influential role in digital economic growth, startups and establishing businesses and companies, and contributing to the growth of the US economy.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus | Ukraine War: Understanding Russian President Vladimir Putin

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-ukraine-war-understanding-russian-president-vladimir-putin-456846/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Assistant Secretary Lu, Bhutoria, Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna also met at the afternoon event to discuss with Afghan community leaders, elected officials the Afghanistan refugee resettlement.

During the meeting, Lu highlighted recent immigration changes, recognising the tremendous opportunities that US work and study offer and the important contributions of international visitors to US communities, campuses, and the economy, the Department of State has streamlined visa processes for many applicants while continuing to protect national security, a media release said.

The United States has waived in-person interview requirements for many visa applicants, including students and workers, at its diplomatic missions in India through December 31 this year, a senior American diplomat has told Indian community leaders.

The United States has waived in-person interview requirements for many visa applicants, including students and workers, at its diplomatic missions in India through December 31 this year, a senior American diplomat has told Indian community leaders. These applicants eligible for the waiver are students (F, M, and academic J visas), workers (H-1, H-2, H-3, and individual L visas), Culture and extraordinary ability (O, P, and Q visas). Also read | India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to visit Palestine on March 8 This is much-needed support to visa applicants. This would be very helpful to our friends and immediate family members and remove a lot of their concerns and remove inconveniences, Ajay Jain Bhutoria, South Asian Community Leader and US President Joe Biden's Advisor for Asian Americans, said after his meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for South Central Asia, Donal Lu. Bhutoria raised the issue of visas during his meeting with Lu in Silicon Valley in the US state of California on Friday. Lu informed that through December 31, of this year, the US Department of State is authorised to waive in-person interview requirements for certain applicants and their qualifying derivatives in various non-immigrant visa classifications. Also read | US restricts visas for Somali officials accused of undermining democracy To be eligible for the expanded interview waiver programme, applicants seeking these visa classifications must have previously been issued any category of US visa; have never been refused a US visa and have no indication of ineligibility or potential visa ineligibility. They also need to be a resident or national of the country in which they are applying; among other, the State Department said. The US embassy in New Delhi and its consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai will release more than 20,000 additional waiver (dropbox) appointments for Spring 2022 to allow qualified applicants to make use of the new interview waiver authority, according to a notice posted on the website of the US Embassy in New Delhi. Also read | India abstains from UNSC procedural vote to call for General Assembly session on Ukraine During the meeting, Bhutoria discussed with Lu to increase people-to people relationships between the US and India. He stressed the importance of both the US and India working closely together in South Central Asia. Both India and the US are strong democracies and share democratic values and provide leadership in the Asia Pacific region, he said. They also discussed the immense contribution made by the Indian American diaspora and their influential role in digital economic growth, startups and establishing businesses and companies, and contributing to the growth of the US economy. Watch | Gravitas Plus | Ukraine War: Understanding Russian President Vladimir Putin Assistant Secretary Lu, Bhutoria, Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna also met at the afternoon event to discuss with Afghan community leaders, elected officials the Afghanistan refugee resettlement. During the meeting, Lu highlighted recent immigration changes, recognising the tremendous opportunities that US work and study offer and the important contributions of international visitors to US communities, campuses, and the economy, the Department of State has streamlined visa processes for many applicants while continuing to protect national security, a media release said.

US waives in-person interview requirements for many visa applicants in India through December 31

Russian vodka is said to be a luxury now in the US and Canada, the local shopkeepers have started a movement to phase out Russian vodka from their shelves in what is called by the residents as tiny sanctions.

Russian vodka to be removed from shelves in US and Canada

The U.S. House of Representatives is lifting the House floor mask mandate in time for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday, ending a requirement that had allowed some Republicans to express their defiance, but at a personal cost.

Congress’ attending physician, Brian Monahan, delivered the news Sunday, saying coronavirus cases had dropped so much in Washington, D.C., that mask wearing should become optional, not mandatory.

“People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a properly fitted, high-quality filtration mask,” Monahan said, but even that was advisory.

It was yet another mask mandate being lifted, as others are being eliminated in states and cities across the country.

For months now, compliance with the mandate in the Capitol complex has been spotty and partisan. But on the House floor, the House sergeant-at-arms has diligently enforced the mask mandate and reported scofflaws to the House Ethics Committee. It has levied fine after fine, especially on Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde, both Republicans of Georgia, who racked up more than $100,000 combined in fines while declaring the mandate authoritarian.

Compliance on the Senate side of the Capitol was far looser, with no real consequences to ignoring the mandate.

The date for the president’s State of the Union address is later this year than is traditional — it will be the first to be delivered in March. And, unlike last year’s event, it will be open to all members of Congress, who will be required to produce a negative coronavirus test before entering the chamber for the president’s annual message.

Last year, Biden spoke to a socially distanced audience of fewer than 200 officials, a small fraction of the packed crowd of lawmakers that is typically present for the speech. Those who were allowed to attend were instructed to wear masks, and they sat with several empty seats separating them from other audience members.

The U.S. House of Representatives is lifting the House floor mask mandate in time for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday, ending a requirement that had allowed some Republicans to express their defiance, but at a personal cost.

The U.S. House of Representatives is lifting the House floor mask mandate in time for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday, ending a requirement that had allowed some Republicans to express their defiance, but at a personal cost. Congress’ attending physician, Brian Monahan, delivered the news Sunday, saying coronavirus cases had dropped so much in Washington, D.C., that mask wearing should become optional, not mandatory. “People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a properly fitted, high-quality filtration mask,” Monahan said, but even that was advisory. It was yet another mask mandate being lifted, as others are being eliminated in states and cities across the country. For months now, compliance with the mandate in the Capitol complex has been spotty and partisan. But on the House floor, the House sergeant-at-arms has diligently enforced the mask mandate and reported scofflaws to the House Ethics Committee. It has levied fine after fine, especially on Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde, both Republicans of Georgia, who racked up more than $100,000 combined in fines while declaring the mandate authoritarian. Compliance on the Senate side of the Capitol was far looser, with no real consequences to ignoring the mandate. The date for the president’s State of the Union address is later this year than is traditional — it will be the first to be delivered in March. And, unlike last year’s event, it will be open to all members of Congress, who will be required to produce a negative coronavirus test before entering the chamber for the president’s annual message. Last year, Biden spoke to a socially distanced audience of fewer than 200 officials, a small fraction of the packed crowd of lawmakers that is typically present for the speech. Those who were allowed to attend were instructed to wear masks, and they sat with several empty seats separating them from other audience members.

Capitol's mask mandate being lifted in time for State of the Union

US President Joe Biden has approved $350 million in immediate support to Ukraine’s defence after Kyiv’s defence minister urged the West to send anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles to help it repel Russia’s military assault on his country.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: US President Biden approves $350 mn in military aid for Ukraine

Drug smugglers around the world have been making several attempts to bring contraband into one or the other innovative form nowadays. &nbsp;

In yet another failed attempt, nearly $3 million worth of methamphetamine, which was hidden in small packages within a shipment of onions, was seized by US Customs and Border Protection officers. &nbsp;

The catch was made at a commercial facility in San Diego, the agency said. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-ukraine-conflict-us-uk-eu-to-put-crippling-sanctions-on-russian-central-bank-block-swift-456943" hreflang="en">Over Ukraine conflict, US, UK, EU to put crippling sanctions on Russian central bank, block SWIFT</a>

In a news release on Friday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that federal officers at the Otay Mesa port-of-entry facility on last Sunday encountered a 46-year-old man, who was driving a tractor trailer containing a large shipment "manifested as onions." &nbsp;

In initial inspection of the vehicle, an officer directed the driver and shipment to a more intensive examination, which was conducted by the agency's K-9 team, the release said. &nbsp;

A detector dog&nbsp;alerted the officers. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-says-us-warship-sailing-in-taiwan-strait-provocative-456800" hreflang="en">China says US warship sailing in Taiwan Strait 'provocative'</a>

Around 1,197 packages of meth, which was roughly 1,336 pounds, were found. It's worth an estimated value of $2.9 million, as per CBP. &nbsp;

The packages, which were mixed with the onion shipment in sacks, "were shaped into small globes with a white covering, designed to blend into the onions they were hidden with," the release said. &nbsp;

The driver, an unidentified Mexico citizen, has been arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt. He has been handed over to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) for "further disposition," as per CBP. The tractor&nbsp;and trailer have also been seized, the agency said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Drug smugglers around the world have been making several attempts to bring contraband into one or the other innovative form nowadays. In yet another failed attempt, nearly $3 million worth of methamphetamine, which was hidden in small packages within a shipment of onions, was seized by US Customs and Border Protection officers.

Drug smugglers around the world have been making several attempts to bring contraband into one or the other innovative form nowadays. In yet another failed attempt, nearly $3 million worth of methamphetamine, which was hidden in small packages within a shipment of onions, was seized by US Customs and Border Protection officers. The catch was made at a commercial facility in San Diego, the agency said. Also Read: Over Ukraine conflict, US, UK, EU to put crippling sanctions on Russian central bank, block SWIFT In a news release on Friday, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that federal officers at the Otay Mesa port-of-entry facility on last Sunday encountered a 46-year-old man, who was driving a tractor trailer containing a large shipment "manifested as onions." In initial inspection of the vehicle, an officer directed the driver and shipment to a more intensive examination, which was conducted by the agency's K-9 team, the release said. A detector dog alerted the officers. Also Read: China says US warship sailing in Taiwan Strait 'provocative' Around 1,197 packages of meth, which was roughly 1,336 pounds, were found. It's worth an estimated value of $2.9 million, as per CBP. The packages, which were mixed with the onion shipment in sacks, "were shaped into small globes with a white covering, designed to blend into the onions they were hidden with," the release said. The driver, an unidentified Mexico citizen, has been arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt. He has been handed over to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) for "further disposition," as per CBP. The tractor and trailer have also been seized, the agency said. (With inputs from agencies)

Drugs or onions? $3 million worth methamphetamine seized in US

Western nations are going to hunt down Russian oligarchs’ “yachts, jets, fancy cars and luxury homes,” says a US official, after White House, EU and other allies announce new sanctions against Russia.

US official: West to hunt down Russian oligarchs' jets, cars

Have peanut allergies, but want to savour it? Well, don’t fret, there is a way as a clinical trial in the US has shown that adults, who have such allergies can eat small doses if they undergo fecal transplants, a hospital announced on Saturday. &nbsp;

Fecal microbiota transplanted out of non-allergic donors into allergic people, who earlier could only eat less than half a peanut before reacting, has shown positive results as the adults become resilient to two peanuts, Boston Children's Hospital said. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-species-of-carnivorous-dinosaur-with-short-arms-discovered-in-argentina-say-scientists-456715" hreflang="en">New species of carnivorous dinosaur with short arms discovered in Argentina, say scientists</a>

Dr Rima Rachid, lead investigator and co-director, Food Allergy Program at the hospital, said, "These results were very encouraging. A single FMT led to a significant increase in the threshold of reactivity to peanut at both one month and four months after treatment, showing that the effect was prolonged. This study is offering hope that microbiome interventions may be effective in food allergy." &nbsp;

Intestinal bacteria are a very critical part of the immune system, the researchers said. The study's samples came from OpenBiome, a non-profit stool bank in Cambridge, Massachusetts. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/evidence-of-first-ear-surgery-found-in-5300-year-old-skull-say-archaeologists-454953" hreflang="en">Evidence of first ear surgery found in 5,300-year-old skull, say archaeologists</a>

The study had included 15 participants from 18 to 33 years of age, with one participant gaining the ability to eat as many as four peanuts without a reaction. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Have peanut allergies, but want to savour it? Well, don’t fret, there is a way as a clinical trial in the US has shown that adults, who have such allergies can eat small doses if they undergo fecal transplants, a hospital announced on Saturday.

Have peanut allergies, but want to savour it? Well, don’t fret, there is a way as a clinical trial in the US has shown that adults, who have such allergies can eat small doses if they undergo fecal transplants, a hospital announced on Saturday. Fecal microbiota transplanted out of non-allergic donors into allergic people, who earlier could only eat less than half a peanut before reacting, has shown positive results as the adults become resilient to two peanuts, Boston Children's Hospital said. Also Read: New species of carnivorous dinosaur with short arms discovered in Argentina, say scientists Dr Rima Rachid, lead investigator and co-director, Food Allergy Program at the hospital, said, "These results were very encouraging. A single FMT led to a significant increase in the threshold of reactivity to peanut at both one month and four months after treatment, showing that the effect was prolonged. This study is offering hope that microbiome interventions may be effective in food allergy." Intestinal bacteria are a very critical part of the immune system, the researchers said. The study's samples came from OpenBiome, a non-profit stool bank in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Also Read: Evidence of first ear surgery found in 5,300-year-old skull, say archaeologists The study had included 15 participants from 18 to 33 years of age, with one participant gaining the ability to eat as many as four peanuts without a reaction. (With inputs from agencies)

Fecal transplant can help in easing peanut allergies, says study

Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;emerged from political exile Saturday to blast President Joe Biden and NATO over the Ukraine crisis and reprise his false claims of a stolen 2020&nbsp;election&nbsp;in a speech to grassroots Republicans.

Speaking at the annual&nbsp;Conservative&nbsp;Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, the former president spent 86 minutes reprising&nbsp;many of his favorite applause lines, assailing the "radical left" and its "witch hunt" against him.

As massive explosions lit up the sky over Ukraine's capital Kyiv,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;blamed Russia's invasion of its neighbor on Biden's "weakness" and lavished praise on President Vladimir&nbsp;Putin's intellect.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/did-nostradamus-foresee-the-russia-ukraine-war-reaching-france-456969">Did Nostradamus foresee the Russia-Ukraine war reaching France?&nbsp;</a>

"As everyone understands, this horrific disaster would never have happened if our&nbsp;election&nbsp;was not rigged," he said, to rapt applause.

NATO, he said, was "looking the opposite of smart" for hitting Russia with sanctions rather than resolving to "blow (Russia) to pieces -- at least psychologically."

"The problem is not that&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;is smart, which of course he's smart," he went on. "But the real problem is that our leaders are so dumb."

After a year largely out of the public eye,&nbsp;Trump's ecstatic reception left little doubt that the Republican Party remains in thrall to the twice-impeached, single-term president. &nbsp;

There were chants of "four more years" from the sea of supporters in red "Make America Great Again" hats, who clapped on cue as&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;railed against "woke tyranny" and "cancel culture."

The crowd reserved their largest cheers for the 75-year-old headliner's dismissal of Democrats' claims to be the party of democracy as "bullshit" -- and for his claim that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg "used to come to the White House and kiss my ass."

There were nods to a possible 2024 run -- "we did it twice and we'll do it again," he claimed, falsely recasting his 2020 defeat to Biden as a victory -- although he left the crowd guessing about whether he will personally challenge Biden to a rematch.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-tells-how-russia-ukraine-crisis-could-have-been-handled-differently-if-he-was-in-power-455657">Donald Trump tells how Russia-Ukraine crisis could have been handled differently if he was in power</a>

Fight like hell

CPAC, the country's largest&nbsp;conservative&nbsp;gathering, usually offers a valuable insight into the direction the Republicans plan to take over the coming months.

Trump&nbsp;had been expected to lay out a forward-looking "vision for America," according to organizers,&nbsp;as the Republicans look to take back control of Congress in November's midterm&nbsp;elections.

Instead he dwelt at length on his 2020&nbsp;election&nbsp;loss and his false claims that he was robbed by widespread voter fraud, urging the crowd to "fight like hell" or face their country being destroyed.

It was similar to the rhetoric that inspired a mob of his supporters to storm the US Capitol on January 6 2021, for which he was punished with his second impeachment.

His remarks came as Russian rockets began pounding the outskirts of Kyiv in an escalating crisis that ended up emerging as a major topic of discussion at CPAC.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Have Western Leaders failed Ukraine?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-have-western-leaders-failed-ukraine-456596/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Trump&nbsp;called besieged President Volodymyr Zelensky "a brave man," falsely claiming that the Ukrainian leader had exonerated him over the scandal that led to his first impeachment.

While he was president,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;withheld vital military aid from the US ally as he tried unsuccessfully to pressure Zelensky into digging up political dirt on the Biden family ahead of the 2020&nbsp;election.

"After spending four years selling out Ukraine, the defeated former president took the stage at CPAC to double down on his shameless praise for&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;as innocent Ukrainians shelter from bombs and missiles at the hands of Russia," Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Adonna Biel said after the speech.

Donald Trump emerged from political exile Saturday to blast President Joe Biden and NATO over the Ukraine crisis and reprise his false claims of a stolen 2020 election in a speech to grassroots Republicans.

Donald Trump emerged from political exile Saturday to blast President Joe Biden and NATO over the Ukraine crisis and reprise his false claims of a stolen 2020 election in a speech to grassroots Republicans. Speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, the former president spent 86 minutes reprising many of his favorite applause lines, assailing the "radical left" and its "witch hunt" against him. As massive explosions lit up the sky over Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Trump blamed Russia's invasion of its neighbor on Biden's "weakness" and lavished praise on President Vladimir Putin's intellect. Also read | Did Nostradamus foresee the Russia-Ukraine war reaching France? "As everyone understands, this horrific disaster would never have happened if our election was not rigged," he said, to rapt applause. NATO, he said, was "looking the opposite of smart" for hitting Russia with sanctions rather than resolving to "blow (Russia) to pieces -- at least psychologically." "The problem is not that Putin is smart, which of course he's smart," he went on. "But the real problem is that our leaders are so dumb." After a year largely out of the public eye, Trump's ecstatic reception left little doubt that the Republican Party remains in thrall to the twice-impeached, single-term president. There were chants of "four more years" from the sea of supporters in red "Make America Great Again" hats, who clapped on cue as Trump railed against "woke tyranny" and "cancel culture." The crowd reserved their largest cheers for the 75-year-old headliner's dismissal of Democrats' claims to be the party of democracy as "bullshit" -- and for his claim that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg "used to come to the White House and kiss my ass." There were nods to a possible 2024 run -- "we did it twice and we'll do it again," he claimed, falsely recasting his 2020 defeat to Biden as a victory -- although he left the crowd guessing about whether he will personally challenge Biden to a rematch. Also read | Donald Trump tells how Russia-Ukraine crisis could have been handled differently if he was in power Fight like hell CPAC, the country's largest conservative gathering, usually offers a valuable insight into the direction the Republicans plan to take over the coming months. Trump had been expected to lay out a forward-looking "vision for America," according to organizers, as the Republicans look to take back control of Congress in November's midterm elections. Instead he dwelt at length on his 2020 election loss and his false claims that he was robbed by widespread voter fraud, urging the crowd to "fight like hell" or face their country being destroyed. It was similar to the rhetoric that inspired a mob of his supporters to storm the US Capitol on January 6 2021, for which he was punished with his second impeachment. His remarks came as Russian rockets began pounding the outskirts of Kyiv in an escalating crisis that ended up emerging as a major topic of discussion at CPAC. Watch | Gravitas: Have Western Leaders failed Ukraine? Trump called besieged President Volodymyr Zelensky "a brave man," falsely claiming that the Ukrainian leader had exonerated him over the scandal that led to his first impeachment. While he was president, Trump withheld vital military aid from the US ally as he tried unsuccessfully to pressure Zelensky into digging up political dirt on the Biden family ahead of the 2020 election. "After spending four years selling out Ukraine, the defeated former president took the stage at CPAC to double down on his shameless praise for Putin as innocent Ukrainians shelter from bombs and missiles at the hands of Russia," Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Adonna Biel said after the speech.

Trump praises Putin, revives election lies at conservative forum

The United States barred on Friday travel by&nbsp;Somali&nbsp;officials&nbsp;and other individuals to the United States, accusing them of "undermining&nbsp;the democratic process" in&nbsp;Somalia.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States imposed the visa ban after&nbsp;Somalia pushed back to March 15 parliamentary elections due to have been completed on Friday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-conflict-us-eu-uk-sanction-russian-president-vladimir-putin-top-officials-456616">Ukraine conflict: US, EU, UK sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin, top officials</a>

"We are now imposing visa restrictions under this policy against a number of&nbsp;Somali&nbsp;officials&nbsp;and other individuals to promote accountability for their obstructionist actions," Blinken said in a statement issued by the State Department.

No central government has held broad authority for 30 years in&nbsp;Somalia, which is caught in a lengthy election process repeatedly held up in a power struggle between President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/somalia-president-suspends-prime-minister-over-corruption-charges-440324">Somalia: President 'suspends' prime minister over corruption charges</a>

The parliamentary election, which started in November, is an indirect process that involves clan elders picking the 275 members of the lower house, who then choose a new president on a date yet to be fixed.

Data from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs shows 4.3 million people in&nbsp;Somalia are affected by drought, with 271,000 displaced as a result.

The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group, which frequently carries out gun and bomb attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and elsewhere in&nbsp;Somalia, has also been an impediment to the election.

Watch |&nbsp;UN urge feuding Somalian leaders to reduce tensions

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-urge-feuding-somalian-leaders-to-reduce-tensions-441200/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In mid-February, a suicide bomber targeted a minibus full of election delegates, killing at least six people in Mogadishu. The delegates were unharmed.

The United States barred on Friday travel by Somali officials and other individuals to the United States, accusing them of "undermining the democratic process" in Somalia.

The United States barred on Friday travel by Somali officials and other individuals to the United States, accusing them of "undermining the democratic process" in Somalia. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States imposed the visa ban after Somalia pushed back to March 15 parliamentary elections due to have been completed on Friday. Also read | Ukraine conflict: US, EU, UK sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin, top officials "We are now imposing visa restrictions under this policy against a number of Somali officials and other individuals to promote accountability for their obstructionist actions," Blinken said in a statement issued by the State Department. No central government has held broad authority for 30 years in Somalia, which is caught in a lengthy election process repeatedly held up in a power struggle between President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed and Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble. Also read | Somalia: President 'suspends' prime minister over corruption charges The parliamentary election, which started in November, is an indirect process that involves clan elders picking the 275 members of the lower house, who then choose a new president on a date yet to be fixed. Data from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs shows 4.3 million people in Somalia are affected by drought, with 271,000 displaced as a result. The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group, which frequently carries out gun and bomb attacks in the capital, Mogadishu, and elsewhere in Somalia, has also been an impediment to the election. Watch | UN urge feuding Somalian leaders to reduce tensions In mid-February, a suicide bomber targeted a minibus full of election delegates, killing at least six people in Mogadishu. The delegates were unharmed.

US restricts visas for Somali officials accused of undermining democracy

In an attempt to keep her son away from social media, a US-based mother promised that she will give him a good reward for his 18th birthday if he refrained from using social media.&nbsp;

In a challenge that began in 2016, Lorna Goldstrand Klefsaas from Minnesota offered her son Sivert Klefsaas $1,800. Keeping up to his promise, the son somehow managed to stay away from social media and was given $1,800 on his 18th birthday.&nbsp;

The mother shared a post documenting the entire challenge.&nbsp;

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“Six years ago I offered Sivert $1800 to stay off social media until he was 18. Even though $1800 is a lot more to a 12 year old than it is to an 18 year old, he has stuck to our deal. He turns 18 tomorrow. He will have $1800 in his pocket and new accounts on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter! FYI—it’s some of the best money I have ever spent!!!” she wrote and shared an image of her son.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-first-former-south-african-president-nelson-mandelas-artwork-to-be-sold-as-nfts-soon-456754">Also read |&nbsp;In a first, former South African president Nelson Mandela’s artwork to be sold as NFTs soon</a>

Lorna while speaking to People said that she is proud of his son. "He was like 'I'm not breaking this.' I'm proud of him because there were a few times where it was harder," she said.&nbsp;

She decided about this challenge after hearing about it on the radio. Also, she had seen her daughter struggle during her teenage years. "She got so obsessed with keeping up her Snapchat streaks that really it was affecting her mood. It was affecting her friendships," the mother told.

(With inputs from agencies)

In an attempt to keep her son away from social media, a US-based mother promised that she will give him a good reward for his 18th birthday if he refrained from using social media.

In an attempt to keep her son away from social media, a US-based mother promised that she will give him a good reward for his 18th birthday if he refrained from using social media. In a challenge that began in 2016, Lorna Goldstrand Klefsaas from Minnesota offered her son Sivert Klefsaas $1,800. Keeping up to his promise, the son somehow managed to stay away from social media and was given $1,800 on his 18th birthday. The mother shared a post documenting the entire challenge. × “Six years ago I offered Sivert $1800 to stay off social media until he was 18. Even though $1800 is a lot more to a 12 year old than it is to an 18 year old, he has stuck to our deal. He turns 18 tomorrow. He will have $1800 in his pocket and new accounts on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter! FYI—it’s some of the best money I have ever spent!!!” she wrote and shared an image of her son. Also read | In a first, former South African president Nelson Mandela’s artwork to be sold as NFTs soon Lorna while speaking to People said that she is proud of his son. "He was like 'I'm not breaking this.' I'm proud of him because there were a few times where it was harder," she said. She decided about this challenge after hearing about it on the radio. Also, she had seen her daughter struggle during her teenage years. "She got so obsessed with keeping up her Snapchat streaks that really it was affecting her mood. It was affecting her friendships," the mother told. (With inputs from agencies)

Teenage son gets $1,800 reward from mom for staying away from social media for 6 years

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict intensifies, NATO leaders convene for a virtual summit. US President Joe Biden said he is deploying additional troops in Germany but won’t deploy any troops to fight Russia in Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine crisis: U.S. deploys troops in Germany; NATO leaders convene for virtual summit

Finally, the West has intensified efforts to halt Russian attack on Ukraine. The US government and European countries have imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Although the unprecedented move of sanctions against a head of state is quite rare, it seems to be the need of the hour. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In a statement late on Friday, the Treasury Department while announcing the sanctions, said, "President Putin and Minister Lavrov are directly responsible for Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful further invasion of Ukraine, a democratic sovereign state." &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/swift-has-the-power-to-put-russia-on-back-foot-but-what-is-it-actually-456396" hreflang="en">‘SWIFT’ has the power to put Russia on back foot. But what is it actually?</a>

It said that sanctions against a head of state were "exceedingly rare". The move puts Putin on a small list, which includes the leaders of Syria, North Korea and Belarus. &nbsp;&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden decided to target Putin, Lavrov and other officials after a conversation over phone with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier on Friday, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Earlier on Friday, EU states and UK also agreed to freeze any European assets of Putin and Lavrov. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-why-is-chernobyl-nuclear-power-plant-important-456329" hreflang="en">Explainer: Why is Chernobyl nuclear power plant important?</a>

The US government has also sanctioned two other senior Russian officials, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, for attack on Ukraine, the Treasury Department said. &nbsp;

On Twitter, Psaki said that the Treasury Department would also impose sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund. She described it as a "state owned financial entity that functions as a sovereign wealth fund, which is supposed to attract capital into the Russian economy in high-growth sectors." &nbsp;

The action against the Russian Direct Investment Fund would come in the next few days, a Treasury spokesperson said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Finally, the West has intensified efforts to halt Russian attack on Ukraine. The US government and European countries have imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday.

Finally, the West has intensified efforts to halt Russian attack on Ukraine. The US government and European countries have imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday. Although the unprecedented move of sanctions against a head of state is quite rare, it seems to be the need of the hour. In a statement late on Friday, the Treasury Department while announcing the sanctions, said, "President Putin and Minister Lavrov are directly responsible for Russia’s unprovoked and unlawful further invasion of Ukraine, a democratic sovereign state." Also Read: ‘SWIFT’ has the power to put Russia on back foot. But what is it actually? It said that sanctions against a head of state were "exceedingly rare". The move puts Putin on a small list, which includes the leaders of Syria, North Korea and Belarus. US President Joe Biden decided to target Putin, Lavrov and other officials after a conversation over phone with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier on Friday, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters. Earlier on Friday, EU states and UK also agreed to freeze any European assets of Putin and Lavrov. Also Read | Explainer: Why is Chernobyl nuclear power plant important? The US government has also sanctioned two other senior Russian officials, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, for attack on Ukraine, the Treasury Department said. On Twitter, Psaki said that the Treasury Department would also impose sanctions on the Russian Direct Investment Fund. She described it as a "state owned financial entity that functions as a sovereign wealth fund, which is supposed to attract capital into the Russian economy in high-growth sectors." The action against the Russian Direct Investment Fund would come in the next few days, a Treasury spokesperson said. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukraine conflict: US, EU, UK sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin, top officials

Russia has vetoed the United Nations Security Council resolution over the Ukraine crisis. In the UNSC meeting, 11 members have voted in favor of the resolution.

The US to Russia: 'You can't veto our voices' as UNSC draft against Russia fails

A&nbsp;US&nbsp;warship&nbsp;sailed through the sensitive&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait&nbsp;on Saturday, part of what the&nbsp;US&nbsp;military calls routine activity but which&nbsp;China&nbsp;described as "provocative".

The&nbsp;US&nbsp;Navy's 7th Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer&nbsp;USS&nbsp;Ralph Johnson was conducting a "routine" transit through international waters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-taiwan-to-join-democratic-countries-in-sanctions-on-russia-456545">Russia-Ukraine war: Taiwan to join 'democratic countries' in sanctions on Russia</a>

"The ship's transit through the&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;Strait&nbsp;demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," 7th Fleet spokesperson Nicholas Lingo said in a statement. "The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows."

The Eastern Theatre Command of&nbsp;China's People's Liberation Army monitored the passage, which a spokesperson in a statement called a "provocative act."

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the ship sailed in a northerly direction through the&nbsp;Strait, that its forces had monitored its passage and observed nothing out of the ordinary.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-chinese-fighter-jets-enter-taiwans-air-defence-zone-456169">Two Chinese fighter jets enter Taiwan’s air defence zone</a>

Taiwan&nbsp;is currently in a heightened state of alert due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, nervous that&nbsp;China&nbsp;may try to take advantage of the situation to make a move on the island though the government has reported no unusual Chinese manoeuvres.

Last year,&nbsp;US&nbsp;naval ships transited the&nbsp;Strait&nbsp;roughly monthly. Saturday's&nbsp;sailing&nbsp;was the first since November.

China&nbsp;claims democratically ruled&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;as its own territory and has mounted repeated air force missions into&nbsp;Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the past two years, provoking anger in&nbsp;Taipei.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that on Saturday eight Chinese aircraft, six fighters and two anti-submarine aircraft,&nbsp;flew into its ADIZ, to the northeast of the&nbsp;Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: China's lessons from the Ukraine crisis

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chinas-lessons-from-the-ukraine-crisis-455785/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Beijing calls&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with Washington.

Like most countries, the United States has no formal diplomatic ties with&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;but is its most important international backer and arms supplier.

A US warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Saturday, part of what the US military calls routine activity but which China described as "provocative".

A US warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Saturday, part of what the US military calls routine activity but which China described as "provocative". The US Navy's 7th Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson was conducting a "routine" transit through international waters. Also read | Russia-Ukraine war: Taiwan to join 'democratic countries' in sanctions on Russia "The ship's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," 7th Fleet spokesperson Nicholas Lingo said in a statement. "The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows." The Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army monitored the passage, which a spokesperson in a statement called a "provocative act." Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the ship sailed in a northerly direction through the Strait, that its forces had monitored its passage and observed nothing out of the ordinary. Also read | Two Chinese fighter jets enter Taiwan’s air defence zone Taiwan is currently in a heightened state of alert due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, nervous that China may try to take advantage of the situation to make a move on the island though the government has reported no unusual Chinese manoeuvres. Last year, US naval ships transited the Strait roughly monthly. Saturday's sailing was the first since November. China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has mounted repeated air force missions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the past two years, provoking anger in Taipei. Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that on Saturday eight Chinese aircraft, six fighters and two anti-submarine aircraft, flew into its ADIZ, to the northeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea. Watch | Gravitas: China's lessons from the Ukraine crisis Beijing calls Taiwan the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with Washington. Like most countries, the United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its most important international backer and arms supplier.

China says US warship sailing in Taiwan Strait 'provocative'

Americans are showing some of the highest levels of hostility toward the Russian Federation in 40 years, with Russophobia reaching Cold War levels.

The poll done for ABC News and the Washington Post found that 80% of Americans see Russia as unfriendly or an enemy of the United States. 
That’s the worst since 1983, when Russia was part of the Soviet Union - although Americans used to refer to the whole region as Russia. That was also the height of Cold War, when nuclear tensions between Russia and the West were at their peak.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-russia-conflict-anti-war-protests-solidarity-events-held-across-continents-456718">Ukraine-Russia conflict: Anti-war protests, solidarity events held across continents</a>

Now, just 12% of Americans see Russia as a friend of the US, found the new poll, which was conducted between Sunday and Thursday when Russia began its military operations targeting Ukraine.

That number was at its highest in 1993, two years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, when two-thirds of Americans saw Russia as friendly toward the US.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-taiwan-to-join-democratic-countries-in-sanctions-on-russia-456545">&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine war: Taiwan to join 'democratic countries' in sanctions on Russia</a>

Respondents were generally negative on Russia in spite of party affiliations. But it was slightly less for Republicans at 78% compared to 86% for Democrats, and 81% for independents.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Global reaction to Russian invasion of Ukraine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-global-reaction-to-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-456597/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

While 62% of Republicans said they supported anti-Russia sanction, 79% of Democrats and 63% of independents backed the measures.

Americans are showing some of the highest levels of hostility toward the Russian Federation in 40 years, with Russophobia reaching Cold War levels. The poll done for ABC News and the Washington Post found that 80% of Americans see Russia as unfriendly or an enemy of the United States.

Americans are showing some of the highest levels of hostility toward the Russian Federation in 40 years, with Russophobia reaching Cold War levels. The poll done for ABC News and the Washington Post found that 80% of Americans see Russia as unfriendly or an enemy of the United States. That’s the worst since 1983, when Russia was part of the Soviet Union - although Americans used to refer to the whole region as Russia. That was also the height of Cold War, when nuclear tensions between Russia and the West were at their peak. Also read | Ukraine-Russia conflict: Anti-war protests, solidarity events held across continents Now, just 12% of Americans see Russia as a friend of the US, found the new poll, which was conducted between Sunday and Thursday when Russia began its military operations targeting Ukraine. That number was at its highest in 1993, two years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, when two-thirds of Americans saw Russia as friendly toward the US. Also read | Russia-Ukraine war: Taiwan to join 'democratic countries' in sanctions on Russia Respondents were generally negative on Russia in spite of party affiliations. But it was slightly less for Republicans at 78% compared to 86% for Democrats, and 81% for independents. Watch | Gravitas: Global reaction to Russian invasion of Ukraine While 62% of Republicans said they supported anti-Russia sanction, 79% of Democrats and 63% of independents backed the measures.

Russophobia in US nears Cold War levels, 80% see Russia as enemy: Poll

“Fun to be had! Fun. To. Be. Had!” Todd Zanzinger crowed to an audience of remote tech workers on Zoom. It was the opening ceremony of an information technology company’s virtual Olympics, and music blared as Zanzinger, whose Zoom display name read “Hype Guy Todd,” walked 69 teams of co-workers through the rules of lip sync karaoke.

In the world of tech companies, off-site retreats were once the stuff of legend: a Beyoncé concert for Uber employees in Las Vegas. A lavish summer camp for WeWork employees in the English countryside. Parties that lasted all night. Friendships that lasted forever.

During the pandemic, they have taken a turn for the tamer: remote trivia. Virtual escape room. Three more hours on Zoom. “You’re on mute.”

Many organizations, especially high-growth tech companies, have long relied on off-site retreats — broadly defined as team-building or strategizing events that occur beyond the scope of regular office work — to build and maintain their corporate culture, as well as to present workers with an attractive perk in a competitive labor market.

When the pandemic hit, flights, hotel blocks and banquet dinners were canceled. But instead of shelving the idea of off-sites, which often involve both meetings and social activities, companies strove to re-create the magic remotely. Companies planned events online, and in recent months, some have crept back into in-person and hybrid events. Although it is much less expensive to gather on Zoom than it is to fly workers to a beach, many companies have plans to rebook those hotel blocks and try to meet up in person again this year.

Why, in a time when many workers are not on site to begin with, are bosses pushing so hard to retain the off-site, a concept that by definition depended on going somewhere else?

Managers are betting that off-sites will help their workers feel invested even when a remote job can feel like little more than an abstracted paycheck. During the pandemic, the tech industry, famed for its luxurious offices and no-expense-spared parties, lost key elements of the signature in-person culture that set Silicon Valley apart. Big tech companies like Facebook have announced that many employees can work from home indefinitely. In January, nearly half of workers employed in the computer or math fields said they had worked from home at some point because of the pandemic, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Bosses with growing teams and a lot on their plates have landed on off-sites as way to build culture and retain workers. Hanmei Wu, co-founder and CEO of Empowerly, a tech company with about 40 full-time remote workers around the world, said she would advise founders with struggling teams that an off-site “could be a fantastic opportunity to reinvigorate them and motivate them — and realign them with your mission or values.”

Off-sites help companies convey messages efficiently to many employees, build trust among workers and make the staff feel treated well without paying them extra. So managers are hanging on for dear life. Off-sites are not just about leaving the office. They are about breaking up daily routines that, after nearly two pandemic years, can feel monotonous.

But Google Hangouts is no team trip to Hawaii. Faced with the prospect of planning an engaging suite of activities for a remote or hybrid workforce, managers have rushed to consultants for help executing off-sites.

“The trajectory of our businesses has been crazy since March 2020,” said Mat MacDonell, CEO of the Offsite Co., which primarily plans events for startups. (Zanginger works for him.) He added, “We’ve been in hyper growth mode.”

Bob Frisch, founding partner of the Strategic Offsites Group in Boston, whose company focuses on executive retreats for corporations, said, “We’ve had our busiest two years we’ve ever had,” partly because many leaders are stumped about how to plan a viable virtual event without outside help.

Facilitators like Zanzinger show up equipped with activities, costumes and playlists. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Zanzinger, this time in the role of Ranger Todd, coached a group of tech recruiters through a virtual escape room. The co-workers, in teams of four, solved word and math puzzles in breakout rooms on Zoom.

One woman arrived in her breakout room — just a smaller Zoom — to announce that this activity was, to be honest, not her favorite. She conceded, however, that it is nice to socialize with colleagues that she cannot see in person. A co-worker chimed in that Zooms could never replace in-person events, while a third said it was her second day at the job. They gamely tackled a puzzle together and laughed about a viral clip of a child saying, “I smell like beef.” Their team did not ultimately win.

Some workers enjoy these retreats and even organize them. Genesis Bonds, 27, a software engineer in New York, planned a virtual escape room to boost morale on her team. She said she and another engineer sat down to try to plan something new — after months of virtual happy hours — that would get people excited to work together even if they were not going to be in the same place anytime soon. It was not on the same level as the in-person summit for Black employees that she had attended in 2019, which she said was “fantastic,” but the escape room went well. She said that she enjoyed getting to know co-workers beyond formal interactions in meetings.

Many find remote work to be more transactional than in-person work. You Slack someone when you need something and otherwise stare at your own screen in your own home. Managers see off-sites as a way to make remote work feel more personal.

Laura Burkhauser, a product manager at Twitter in San Francisco, planned a hybrid off-site in January to help her team build what she called “that elusive rapport.” In May 2020, Twitter told its employees that they could continue to work from home permanently. Burkhauser, whose team included workers in London and New York, said “off-sites are more important than ever in a time of virtual work” because it is easier to trust and communicate with remote co-workers when you actually know them.

If many tech workers and executives agree that there is some value in off-site retreats, even when they are held remotely, how to execute them is much more tricky.

Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab and co-founder of Strivr, a virtual reality startup, called the idea of doing a multiday retreat with back-to-back meetings “insanity — and I’m going to use that word not lightly.” He added, “You can’t just talk at someone for 36 hours and expect the brain to absorb it.” He recently published a paper on Zoom fatigue, and he said that “Zoom is like a fire hose. You’re getting flooded with nonverbal cues.”

Then there is the question of how to actually spend your time together on an off-site. Wu said her startup’s recent off-site in Napa, California, which the Offsite Co. planned, was mainly social. She knows that in-demand software engineers, in particular, can easily quit and take different jobs. “So,” she said, “you want to really create an environment where people are stoked to be there, believe in the company, like the people they work with and aren’t just going to jump ship.”

Meghana Reddy, a human resources executive in Oakland, California, said that while off-sites used to be “nice to have,” during the pandemic they became “a must-have.” She said that for tech companies that want to attract talent, investing in off-sites “will be a better use of money than trying to get people back in the office.” Some companies are already giving up their offices and diverting facilities budgets into off-sites. Hunter Block, the founder of Offsiter, said he knew of a large company that is planning more than 600 off-sites a year for smaller teams of employees.

Bailenson, who wrote on Zoom fatigue, would advise that, whatever companies do to amp up their off-site plans, they should not lean too heavily on video chats.

“If I were running a retreat,” he said, “we would be doing some Zoom. We’d be doing some audio-only stuff, some screen-sharing stuff. And then we would go into VR. We’d go into VR, and we’d do something really special.” He recommends gathering in virtual reality for bursts of five or 10 minutes at a time.

Reddy said the VR tech she used for a virtual off-site last year “was definitely not ready for prime time.” Although, she added approvingly, a virtual gathering around a campfire was “just as awkward as in real life.”

The Offsite Co., for one, has not yet done an in-person retreat for its staff. But like many of its clients, it has one in the pipeline for 2023.

“Fun to be had! Fun. To. Be. Had!” Todd Zanzinger crowed to an audience of remote tech workers on Zoom. It was the opening ceremony of an information technology company’s virtual Olympics, and music blared as Zanzinger, whose Zoom display name read “Hype Guy Todd,” walked 69 teams of co-workers through the rules of lip sync karaoke.

“Fun to be had! Fun. To. Be. Had!” Todd Zanzinger crowed to an audience of remote tech workers on Zoom. It was the opening ceremony of an information technology company’s virtual Olympics, and music blared as Zanzinger, whose Zoom display name read “Hype Guy Todd,” walked 69 teams of co-workers through the rules of lip sync karaoke. In the world of tech companies, off-site retreats were once the stuff of legend: a Beyoncé concert for Uber employees in Las Vegas. A lavish summer camp for WeWork employees in the English countryside. Parties that lasted all night. Friendships that lasted forever. During the pandemic, they have taken a turn for the tamer: remote trivia. Virtual escape room. Three more hours on Zoom. “You’re on mute.” Many organizations, especially high-growth tech companies, have long relied on off-site retreats — broadly defined as team-building or strategizing events that occur beyond the scope of regular office work — to build and maintain their corporate culture, as well as to present workers with an attractive perk in a competitive labor market. When the pandemic hit, flights, hotel blocks and banquet dinners were canceled. But instead of shelving the idea of off-sites, which often involve both meetings and social activities, companies strove to re-create the magic remotely. Companies planned events online, and in recent months, some have crept back into in-person and hybrid events. Although it is much less expensive to gather on Zoom than it is to fly workers to a beach, many companies have plans to rebook those hotel blocks and try to meet up in person again this year. Why, in a time when many workers are not on site to begin with, are bosses pushing so hard to retain the off-site, a concept that by definition depended on going somewhere else? Managers are betting that off-sites will help their workers feel invested even when a remote job can feel like little more than an abstracted paycheck. During the pandemic, the tech industry, famed for its luxurious offices and no-expense-spared parties, lost key elements of the signature in-person culture that set Silicon Valley apart. Big tech companies like Facebook have announced that many employees can work from home indefinitely. In January, nearly half of workers employed in the computer or math fields said they had worked from home at some point because of the pandemic, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Bosses with growing teams and a lot on their plates have landed on off-sites as way to build culture and retain workers. Hanmei Wu, co-founder and CEO of Empowerly, a tech company with about 40 full-time remote workers around the world, said she would advise founders with struggling teams that an off-site “could be a fantastic opportunity to reinvigorate them and motivate them — and realign them with your mission or values.” Off-sites help companies convey messages efficiently to many employees, build trust among workers and make the staff feel treated well without paying them extra. So managers are hanging on for dear life. Off-sites are not just about leaving the office. They are about breaking up daily routines that, after nearly two pandemic years, can feel monotonous. But Google Hangouts is no team trip to Hawaii. Faced with the prospect of planning an engaging suite of activities for a remote or hybrid workforce, managers have rushed to consultants for help executing off-sites. “The trajectory of our businesses has been crazy since March 2020,” said Mat MacDonell, CEO of the Offsite Co., which primarily plans events for startups. (Zanginger works for him.) He added, “We’ve been in hyper growth mode.” Bob Frisch, founding partner of the Strategic Offsites Group in Boston, whose company focuses on executive retreats for corporations, said, “We’ve had our busiest two years we’ve ever had,” partly because many leaders are stumped about how to plan a viable virtual event without outside help. Facilitators like Zanzinger show up equipped with activities, costumes and playlists. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Zanzinger, this time in the role of Ranger Todd, coached a group of tech recruiters through a virtual escape room. The co-workers, in teams of four, solved word and math puzzles in breakout rooms on Zoom. One woman arrived in her breakout room — just a smaller Zoom — to announce that this activity was, to be honest, not her favorite. She conceded, however, that it is nice to socialize with colleagues that she cannot see in person. A co-worker chimed in that Zooms could never replace in-person events, while a third said it was her second day at the job. They gamely tackled a puzzle together and laughed about a viral clip of a child saying, “I smell like beef.” Their team did not ultimately win. Some workers enjoy these retreats and even organize them. Genesis Bonds, 27, a software engineer in New York, planned a virtual escape room to boost morale on her team. She said she and another engineer sat down to try to plan something new — after months of virtual happy hours — that would get people excited to work together even if they were not going to be in the same place anytime soon. It was not on the same level as the in-person summit for Black employees that she had attended in 2019, which she said was “fantastic,” but the escape room went well. She said that she enjoyed getting to know co-workers beyond formal interactions in meetings. Many find remote work to be more transactional than in-person work. You Slack someone when you need something and otherwise stare at your own screen in your own home. Managers see off-sites as a way to make remote work feel more personal. Laura Burkhauser, a product manager at Twitter in San Francisco, planned a hybrid off-site in January to help her team build what she called “that elusive rapport.” In May 2020, Twitter told its employees that they could continue to work from home permanently. Burkhauser, whose team included workers in London and New York, said “off-sites are more important than ever in a time of virtual work” because it is easier to trust and communicate with remote co-workers when you actually know them. If many tech workers and executives agree that there is some value in off-site retreats, even when they are held remotely, how to execute them is much more tricky. Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab and co-founder of Strivr, a virtual reality startup, called the idea of doing a multiday retreat with back-to-back meetings “insanity — and I’m going to use that word not lightly.” He added, “You can’t just talk at someone for 36 hours and expect the brain to absorb it.” He recently published a paper on Zoom fatigue, and he said that “Zoom is like a fire hose. You’re getting flooded with nonverbal cues.” Then there is the question of how to actually spend your time together on an off-site. Wu said her startup’s recent off-site in Napa, California, which the Offsite Co. planned, was mainly social. She knows that in-demand software engineers, in particular, can easily quit and take different jobs. “So,” she said, “you want to really create an environment where people are stoked to be there, believe in the company, like the people they work with and aren’t just going to jump ship.” Meghana Reddy, a human resources executive in Oakland, California, said that while off-sites used to be “nice to have,” during the pandemic they became “a must-have.” She said that for tech companies that want to attract talent, investing in off-sites “will be a better use of money than trying to get people back in the office.” Some companies are already giving up their offices and diverting facilities budgets into off-sites. Hunter Block, the founder of Offsiter, said he knew of a large company that is planning more than 600 off-sites a year for smaller teams of employees. Bailenson, who wrote on Zoom fatigue, would advise that, whatever companies do to amp up their off-site plans, they should not lean too heavily on video chats. “If I were running a retreat,” he said, “we would be doing some Zoom. We’d be doing some audio-only stuff, some screen-sharing stuff. And then we would go into VR. We’d go into VR, and we’d do something really special.” He recommends gathering in virtual reality for bursts of five or 10 minutes at a time. Reddy said the VR tech she used for a virtual off-site last year “was definitely not ready for prime time.” Although, she added approvingly, a virtual gathering around a campfire was “just as awkward as in real life.” The Offsite Co., for one, has not yet done an in-person retreat for its staff. But like many of its clients, it has one in the pipeline for 2023.

For workers who are never on site, the ‘off-site’ still beckons

2017: U.S.- Nepal sign $500 mn MCC agreement. 2022: U.S. grant leads to violent protests in Nepal. China warns the U.S. against carrying out "Coercive Diplomacy". U.S. sets Feb 28 deadline for MCC ratification. What will Nepal do?

Nepal: U.S.-China power struggle, explained | WION WIDEANGLE

Last summer, drought conditions and water shortages dominated headlines in America's West, and 2022 has seen some half a dozen states ramping up to fight over the water they want and need coming from America's biggest mountain chain, the spectacular Rocky Mountains.

The Rocky Mountains run some 3,000 miles (about 4828 km) from the state of New Mexico deep into Canada, and literally divide North America -- rivers on the west side of the Rockies flow to the Pacific Ocean, and east-bound rivers eventually find the Atlantic, Xinhua news agency reported.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/1962-cuban-missile-crisis-when-world-was-on-brink-of-nuclear-war-like-it-is-now-over-ukraine-455806">1962 Cuban missile crisis: When world was on brink of nuclear war, like it is now over Ukraine</a> 
 
Surface water accounts for 55 per cent of America's water use, according to the US Department of Agriculture, which says water from the Rockies makes more than half of Wyoming's water yield and 70 per cent of the public surface water supply in Colorado. 
 
In no place in the United States is water more vital for survival than the parched southwest, where a historic, 1,200-year drought has dried streams, rivers, reservoirs and lakes, and left politicians scrambling for solutions. 
 
In January, the governor of Nebraska announced a $500 million plan to build a canal to divert water from Colorado, which was opposed by the Centennial State. 
 
"Colorado will continue to aggressively defend our water rights for the Eastern Plains, our farmers and ranchers, and all of Colorado," and will "oppose attempts to divert Colorado's precious rightful water resources," Colorado`s Governor Jared Polis said in a statement recently. 
 
"This canal to nowhere would clearly be a huge waste of Nebraska taxpayer money and is unlikely to ever be built. There remains time for thoughtful Nebraskans to avoid this boondoggle and focus on meaningful water policy working with partners like Colorado," Polis added.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-presidents-who-have-visited-india-280298">&nbsp;US Presidents who have visited India</a> 
 
Even water experts who teach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have pointed out that it is uncertain how much water Nebraska could actually get out of such a canal, local media outlets have reported. 
 
Meanwhile, divergence was quite apparent in states west of the Rocky Mountains. 
 
The Colorado River, runs 1,397 miles (about 2,248 km) from Grand County, Colorado, to the Gulf of California, provides water for over 40 million people, irrigates 2 million acres (around 8,094 square km) of land, and creates 4,000 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity, according to data from propublica.org. 
 
More than 75 per cent of the river's water comes from melted snowpack in the high Rockies. 
 
In December, the states of California, Arizona and Nevada, announced a voluntary agreement to scale back their use of the Colorado River, according to Deseret News. 
 
The cooperation, however, did not deter Utah's governor from finger pointing. 
 
California, Arizona and Nevada have "drawn too much water over the years. The lower basin has been overusing their portion of the Colorado River for years," said Utah Governor Spencer Cox in December, "everyone knows that."

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However, a report released by the Utah Rivers Council alleges that Utah is actually using more water than it was allowed under the century-old Colorado River Compact. 
 
The 1922 agreement, signed by Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, is a loosely-defined agreement limiting excessive river water use by states, and defined the "lower (Colorado River) basin" states as Arizona, California, and Nevada. 
 
"The upper basin states have absolutely been underutilising their amounts compared to the lower basin states, and California being the most egregious example of that," Cox has said. 
 
The Colorado River is severely threatened by human overuse, environmental issues, and poor river management technique. As an extremely over-apportioned water resource, the water quality of the river is jeopardised by agricultural overdraw, which increases the salinity of the river, the Utah Rivers report noted.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: US cops manhandle black teen but let off white teen

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-cops-manhandle-black-teen-but-let-off-white-teen-454150/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In 2021, the federal government made the emergency decision to send water from reservoirs in Colorado and other states to Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border, which had dropped to its lowest level on record, Colorado Public Radio reported. 
 
Last week, Lake Powell was sitting at only 3,529 feet (about 1076 meters), only four feet (around 1.22 metres) above the minimum threshold. The latest projections from the US Bureau of Reclamation show there is a chance that Powell could dip below this critical level by the fall of 2022 if conditions remain historically dry, said the report.

&nbsp;

Last summer, drought conditions and water shortages dominated headlines in America's West, and 2022 has seen some half a dozen states ramping up to fight over the water they want and need coming from America's biggest mountain chain, the spectacular Rocky Mountains.

Last summer, drought conditions and water shortages dominated headlines in America's West, and 2022 has seen some half a dozen states ramping up to fight over the water they want and need coming from America's biggest mountain chain, the spectacular Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains run some 3,000 miles (about 4828 km) from the state of New Mexico deep into Canada, and literally divide North America -- rivers on the west side of the Rockies flow to the Pacific Ocean, and east-bound rivers eventually find the Atlantic, Xinhua news agency reported. Also read | 1962 Cuban missile crisis: When world was on brink of nuclear war, like it is now over Ukraine Surface water accounts for 55 per cent of America's water use, according to the US Department of Agriculture, which says water from the Rockies makes more than half of Wyoming's water yield and 70 per cent of the public surface water supply in Colorado. In no place in the United States is water more vital for survival than the parched southwest, where a historic, 1,200-year drought has dried streams, rivers, reservoirs and lakes, and left politicians scrambling for solutions. In January, the governor of Nebraska announced a $500 million plan to build a canal to divert water from Colorado, which was opposed by the Centennial State. "Colorado will continue to aggressively defend our water rights for the Eastern Plains, our farmers and ranchers, and all of Colorado," and will "oppose attempts to divert Colorado's precious rightful water resources," Colorado`s Governor Jared Polis said in a statement recently. "This canal to nowhere would clearly be a huge waste of Nebraska taxpayer money and is unlikely to ever be built. There remains time for thoughtful Nebraskans to avoid this boondoggle and focus on meaningful water policy working with partners like Colorado," Polis added. Also read | US Presidents who have visited India Even water experts who teach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have pointed out that it is uncertain how much water Nebraska could actually get out of such a canal, local media outlets have reported. Meanwhile, divergence was quite apparent in states west of the Rocky Mountains. The Colorado River, runs 1,397 miles (about 2,248 km) from Grand County, Colorado, to the Gulf of California, provides water for over 40 million people, irrigates 2 million acres (around 8,094 square km) of land, and creates 4,000 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity, according to data from propublica.org. More than 75 per cent of the river's water comes from melted snowpack in the high Rockies. In December, the states of California, Arizona and Nevada, announced a voluntary agreement to scale back their use of the Colorado River, according to Deseret News. The cooperation, however, did not deter Utah's governor from finger pointing. California, Arizona and Nevada have "drawn too much water over the years. The lower basin has been overusing their portion of the Colorado River for years," said Utah Governor Spencer Cox in December, "everyone knows that." Also read | Rise in temperature leads to more mental health emergencies, claims study However, a report released by the Utah Rivers Council alleges that Utah is actually using more water than it was allowed under the century-old Colorado River Compact. The 1922 agreement, signed by Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, is a loosely-defined agreement limiting excessive river water use by states, and defined the "lower (Colorado River) basin" states as Arizona, California, and Nevada. "The upper basin states have absolutely been underutilising their amounts compared to the lower basin states, and California being the most egregious example of that," Cox has said. The Colorado River is severely threatened by human overuse, environmental issues, and poor river management technique. As an extremely over-apportioned water resource, the water quality of the river is jeopardised by agricultural overdraw, which increases the salinity of the river, the Utah Rivers report noted. Watch | Gravitas: US cops manhandle black teen but let off white teen In 2021, the federal government made the emergency decision to send water from reservoirs in Colorado and other states to Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border, which had dropped to its lowest level on record, Colorado Public Radio reported. Last week, Lake Powell was sitting at only 3,529 feet (about 1076 meters), only four feet (around 1.22 metres) above the minimum threshold. The latest projections from the US Bureau of Reclamation show there is a chance that Powell could dip below this critical level by the fall of 2022 if conditions remain historically dry, said the report.

Water from rocky mountains strains state relations in America's west

Russia is facing severe sanctions by western allies after invading Ukraine. The United States has targeted Russia's financial system blocking assets of large Russian banks, imposing export controls on Russia's high-tech needs and sanctioning its business oligarchs.

US and allies impose harsh sanctions on Russia amid conflict with Ukraine

The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday will announce a change to the metrics it uses to determine whether to recommend face coverings, shifting from looking at COVID-19 case counts to a more holistic view of risk from the coronavirus to a community. Under current guidelines, masks are recommended for people residing in communities of substantial or high transmission roughly 95 per cent of U.S. Counties, according to the latest data.

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The new metrics will still consider caseloads, but also take into account hospitalisations and local hospital capacity, which have been markedly improved during the emergence of the omicron variant. That strain is highly transmissible, but indications are that it is less severe than earlier strains, particularly for people who are fully vaccinated and boosted. Under the new guidelines, the vast majority of Americans will no longer live in areas where indoor masking in public is recommended, based on current data.

The new policy comes as the Biden administration moves to shift its focus to preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, rather than all instances of infection, as part of a strategy adjustment for a new "phase" in the response as the virus becomes endemic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/morning-brief-russia-hit-with-more-sanctions-us-accuses-iran-of-orchestrating-cyberattacks-and-more-456289">Morning brief: Russia hit with more sanctions, US accuses Iran of orchestrating cyberattacks and more</a>

The two people familiar with the change spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the CDC's action before the announcement. 
The change comes as nearly all U.S. States that had put in place indoor mask-wearing mandates for the winter Omicron surge are letting them lapse as cases have precipitously dropped nationwide. Some have eliminated the mandates entirely, while others have kept mask-wearing requirements in place for schools and medical facilities.

It was not immediately clear how the new CDC guidance would affect U.S. Federal mandates requiring face coverings on public transportation.

The CDC's director, Dr Rochelle Walensky, has said a change has been in the works.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine Conflict: US President Joe Biden targets Russian economy as he imposes sanctions

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"We must consider hospital capacity as an additional important barometer. Our hospitals need to be able to take care of people with heart attacks and strokes. Our emergency departments can't be so overwhelmed that patients with emergent issues have to wait in line," she said during a White House briefing last week.

However, she declined to give a specific day when the CDC would announce a change. CDC officials on Thursday refused to confirm a release date.

The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings.

The Biden administration will significantly loosen federal mask-wearing guidelines to protect against COVID-19 transmission on Friday, according to two people familiar with the matter, meaning most Americans will no longer be advised to wear masks in indoor public settings. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday will announce a change to the metrics it uses to determine whether to recommend face coverings, shifting from looking at COVID-19 case counts to a more holistic view of risk from the coronavirus to a community. Under current guidelines, masks are recommended for people residing in communities of substantial or high transmission roughly 95 per cent of U.S. Counties, according to the latest data. Also read | As United States watches, Pakistan PM Imran Khan 'excited' to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow The new metrics will still consider caseloads, but also take into account hospitalisations and local hospital capacity, which have been markedly improved during the emergence of the omicron variant. That strain is highly transmissible, but indications are that it is less severe than earlier strains, particularly for people who are fully vaccinated and boosted. Under the new guidelines, the vast majority of Americans will no longer live in areas where indoor masking in public is recommended, based on current data. The new policy comes as the Biden administration moves to shift its focus to preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, rather than all instances of infection, as part of a strategy adjustment for a new "phase" in the response as the virus becomes endemic. Also read | Morning brief: Russia hit with more sanctions, US accuses Iran of orchestrating cyberattacks and more The two people familiar with the change spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the CDC's action before the announcement. The change comes as nearly all U.S. States that had put in place indoor mask-wearing mandates for the winter Omicron surge are letting them lapse as cases have precipitously dropped nationwide. Some have eliminated the mandates entirely, while others have kept mask-wearing requirements in place for schools and medical facilities. It was not immediately clear how the new CDC guidance would affect U.S. Federal mandates requiring face coverings on public transportation. The CDC's director, Dr Rochelle Walensky, has said a change has been in the works. Watch | Russia-Ukraine Conflict: US President Joe Biden targets Russian economy as he imposes sanctions "We must consider hospital capacity as an additional important barometer. Our hospitals need to be able to take care of people with heart attacks and strokes. Our emergency departments can't be so overwhelmed that patients with emergent issues have to wait in line," she said during a White House briefing last week. However, she declined to give a specific day when the CDC would announce a change. CDC officials on Thursday refused to confirm a release date.

CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday

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