After the Chinese tested new space capability with a hypersonic missile, US intelligence officials were caught by surprise, a report said. &nbsp; &nbsp;

According to a Financial Times report on Saturday, China launched a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the Earth at low orbit before descending towards its target. The hypersonic glide vehicle was carried by a Long March rocket. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The report cited multiple sources familiar with the test. Sources also said it missed by over 20 miles (32 kilometers). &nbsp;

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China had made "astounding progress on hypersonic weapons and was far more advanced than US officials realised," the report cited sources as saying. &nbsp;&nbsp;

John Kirby, press secretary, Department of Defense, said the United States sees China as the No. 1 "pacing challenge" as the two countries work towards developing hypersonic weapons. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"We have made clear our concerns about the military capabilities China continues to pursue, capabilities that only increase tensions in the region and beyond," Kirby added. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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This missile can deliver nuclear weapons and fly at more than five times the speed of sound. It is maneuverable, which makes it harder to detect and defend against. Apart from China, some other countries are also working on this technology. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China, said the country has no global strategy or plans of military operations. &nbsp; &nbsp;

"We are not at all interested in having an arms race with other countries. In contrast, the US has in recent years been fabricating excuses like 'the China threat' to justify its arms expansion and development of hypersonic weapons. This has directly intensified the arms race in this category and severely undermined global strategic stability,” Liu said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

After the Chinese tested new space capability with a hypersonic missile, US intelligence officials were caught by surprise, a report said. According to a Financial Times report on Saturday, China launched a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the Earth at low orbit before descending towards its target.

After the Chinese tested new space capability with a hypersonic missile, US intelligence officials were caught by surprise, a report said. According to a Financial Times report on Saturday, China launched a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the Earth at low orbit before descending towards its target. The hypersonic glide vehicle was carried by a Long March rocket. The report cited multiple sources familiar with the test. Sources also said it missed by over 20 miles (32 kilometers). Also Read: Biden says he's open to shortening length of new programmes China had made "astounding progress on hypersonic weapons and was far more advanced than US officials realised," the report cited sources as saying. John Kirby, press secretary, Department of Defense, said the United States sees China as the No. 1 "pacing challenge" as the two countries work towards developing hypersonic weapons. "We have made clear our concerns about the military capabilities China continues to pursue, capabilities that only increase tensions in the region and beyond," Kirby added. Also Read | China’s latest craze: Scripted murders, with real tears and piracy This missile can deliver nuclear weapons and fly at more than five times the speed of sound. It is maneuverable, which makes it harder to detect and defend against. Apart from China, some other countries are also working on this technology. Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China, said the country has no global strategy or plans of military operations. "We are not at all interested in having an arms race with other countries. In contrast, the US has in recent years been fabricating excuses like 'the China threat' to justify its arms expansion and development of hypersonic weapons. This has directly intensified the arms race in this category and severely undermined global strategic stability,” Liu said. (With inputs from agencies)

With new hypersonic missile test in August, China surprised US officials

On Thursday long time critic and US Senator Elizabeth Warren called for breaking up Amazon, saying the trillion-dollar firm is too powerful to contain.

US lawmakers accuse Amazon of manipulation, wrongdoing

Lab-grown coffee is being produced from cell cultures rather than coffee beans. &nbsp;&nbsp;

It could get regulatory approval in Europe and the US in four years. The development may pave way for a commercialised product that could have a much less&nbsp;climate impact than the regular coffee. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-australian-cops-check-mans-beverage-to-verify-excuse-for-not-wearing-mask-enrage-netizens-421483" hreflang="en">Watch: Australian cops check man’s beverage to verify excuse for not wearing mask, enrage netizens</a>

The scientists are trying to develop and commercialise coffee made without coffee beans in response to the industry’s challenges. The coffee has been developed by VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland. &nbsp;

This coffee is grown by floating cell cultures in bioreactors filled with a nutrient. This process requires no pesticides and has a much lower water footprint. It can also be produced in local markets, so it cuts the transport emissions too. The firm is working on a life cycle analysis of the process. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/highly-processed-food-may-affect-memory-and-lead-to-alzheimers-says-study-421379" hreflang="en">Highly processed food may affect memory and lead to Alzheimer's, says study</a>

Startups in the US are also working on beanless coffee. In September, a Seattle-based Atomo Coffee released what it called the world’s first “molecular coffee” in a one-day online pop-up. &nbsp;

Although the lab-grown coffee and others seem promising, it’s unclear how many people would be willing to give up the conventional coffee for it. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Lab-grown coffee is being produced from cell cultures rather than coffee beans. It could get regulatory approval in Europe and the US in four years. The development may pave way for a commercialised product that could have a much less climate impact than the regular coffee.

Lab-grown coffee is being produced from cell cultures rather than coffee beans. It could get regulatory approval in Europe and the US in four years. The development may pave way for a commercialised product that could have a much less climate impact than the regular coffee. Also Read | Watch: Australian cops check man’s beverage to verify excuse for not wearing mask, enrage netizens The scientists are trying to develop and commercialise coffee made without coffee beans in response to the industry’s challenges. The coffee has been developed by VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland. This coffee is grown by floating cell cultures in bioreactors filled with a nutrient. This process requires no pesticides and has a much lower water footprint. It can also be produced in local markets, so it cuts the transport emissions too. The firm is working on a life cycle analysis of the process. Also Read: Highly processed food may affect memory and lead to Alzheimer's, says study Startups in the US are also working on beanless coffee. In September, a Seattle-based Atomo Coffee released what it called the world’s first “molecular coffee” in a one-day online pop-up. Although the lab-grown coffee and others seem promising, it’s unclear how many people would be willing to give up the conventional coffee for it. (With inputs from agencies)

Lab-grown coffee in the making; may get approval in four years

Describing a well-planned conspiracy on the country's business sovereignty by foreign-funded companies like Amazon and Flipkart since 2016 to poison the e-commerce business, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAT) told Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal that American lawmakers have announced to present a bill whereas in India not only the government but all the political parties, responsible government agencies are silent which has generated lot of anger and resentment among the traders of the country.

 
CAIT said this attitude gives enough strength to the possibility that Amazon and other foreign companies have the protection of some people within the government administration for allowing it to violate the law at the cost of gross neglect of the domestic trading community.

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It has announced to take out a Rath Yatra from November 15 in all the states of the country, protesting against the abuse of dominance and other malpractices continued by Amazon and other foreign funded companies in India.

CAIT said that citing evidence in a news story recently published in the media, it was clearly stated that Amazon copies the products of Indian small manufacturers and involved a rigging in the search and selling the copied products at much lower prices thereby killing the entrepreneurial skills and potential of the country, which also contravene the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'&nbsp;agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"But it is very surprising that till date no government department or ministry has taken any cognizance of it and despite complaining no action has been taken, what is to be understood from this?" CAIT asked.

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CAIT said that Senator Elizabeth Warren of the US Senate, taking cognizance of this issue, said that "either one can become an umpire or a player, but Amazon but you can't be both at the same time. Amazon takes advantage of its power to tilt the playing field and crush small businesses. It's a long time to break them up".

Going a step further, Democrat Senator Amy Kloboucher and Republican Senator Chuck Grassley have announced to bring a bill in the US Senate against the business policy of Amazon and other tech companies, which was supported by Senators of both the US parties Democrat and Republic. Prominent among them are Senators Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, John Kennedy, Cory Booker, Cynthia Lummis, Mazie Hirono, Mark Warner and Josh Hawley.

CAIT said Amazon's misdeeds of predatory pricing and destroying competition are being strongly opposed in its home nation US whereas in India there is a mysterious silence among government, all political parties, government departments and all State Governments.

This reinforces the apprehension that somewhere the nefarious influence of Amazon is working and therefore it is continuing its violation of rules business practices at its free will. If it is not so, then why no concrete actions have been taken against Amazon and other companies for flouting the Law and the rules and that too despite making several complaints.

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"Are the laws of India weak or there is a lack of will&nbsp;Silence of the entire political spectrum of India has irked the traders," CAIT said.

CAIT said as per the decision taken by the prominent business leaders of the country in a meeting held in Varanasi on October 1st, the CAIT will run "Bharat Vyapar Kranti Rath Yatra" in all the states of the country from November 15.

The Rath Yatra will begin from Lucknow and will go to all the districts of Uttar Pradesh and will create public opinion among traders and other people about mal-practices of companies like Amazon and subsequent inaction of the Government.

The Rath Yatra will demand the government to punish these companies immediately. Along with this, similar chariot processions will also take place in other states.

Describing a well-planned conspiracy on the country's business sovereignty by foreign-funded companies like Amazon and Flipkart since 2016 to poison the e-commerce business, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAT) told Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal that American lawmakers have announced to present a bill whereas in India not only the government but all the political parties, responsible government agencies are silent which has generated lot of anger and resentment among the traders of the country.

Describing a well-planned conspiracy on the country's business sovereignty by foreign-funded companies like Amazon and Flipkart since 2016 to poison the e-commerce business, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAT) told Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal that American lawmakers have announced to present a bill whereas in India not only the government but all the political parties, responsible government agencies are silent which has generated lot of anger and resentment among the traders of the country. CAIT said this attitude gives enough strength to the possibility that Amazon and other foreign companies have the protection of some people within the government administration for allowing it to violate the law at the cost of gross neglect of the domestic trading community. Also Read | Jeff Bezos shares an old article predicting Amazon's failure, Elon Musk replies It has announced to take out a Rath Yatra from November 15 in all the states of the country, protesting against the abuse of dominance and other malpractices continued by Amazon and other foreign funded companies in India. CAIT said that citing evidence in a news story recently published in the media, it was clearly stated that Amazon copies the products of Indian small manufacturers and involved a rigging in the search and selling the copied products at much lower prices thereby killing the entrepreneurial skills and potential of the country, which also contravene the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "But it is very surprising that till date no government department or ministry has taken any cognizance of it and despite complaining no action has been taken, what is to be understood from this?" CAIT asked. Also Read | Hundreds of Amazon and Google employees ask their companies to end military contract with Israel CAIT said that Senator Elizabeth Warren of the US Senate, taking cognizance of this issue, said that "either one can become an umpire or a player, but Amazon but you can't be both at the same time. Amazon takes advantage of its power to tilt the playing field and crush small businesses. It's a long time to break them up". Going a step further, Democrat Senator Amy Kloboucher and Republican Senator Chuck Grassley have announced to bring a bill in the US Senate against the business policy of Amazon and other tech companies, which was supported by Senators of both the US parties Democrat and Republic. Prominent among them are Senators Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, John Kennedy, Cory Booker, Cynthia Lummis, Mazie Hirono, Mark Warner and Josh Hawley. CAIT said Amazon's misdeeds of predatory pricing and destroying competition are being strongly opposed in its home nation US whereas in India there is a mysterious silence among government, all political parties, government departments and all State Governments. This reinforces the apprehension that somewhere the nefarious influence of Amazon is working and therefore it is continuing its violation of rules business practices at its free will. If it is not so, then why no concrete actions have been taken against Amazon and other companies for flouting the Law and the rules and that too despite making several complaints. Also Read | Facebook makes an attempt to stop the illegal sale of Amazon rainforest "Are the laws of India weak or there is a lack of will Silence of the entire political spectrum of India has irked the traders," CAIT said. CAIT said as per the decision taken by the prominent business leaders of the country in a meeting held in Varanasi on October 1st, the CAIT will run "Bharat Vyapar Kranti Rath Yatra" in all the states of the country from November 15. The Rath Yatra will begin from Lucknow and will go to all the districts of Uttar Pradesh and will create public opinion among traders and other people about mal-practices of companies like Amazon and subsequent inaction of the Government. The Rath Yatra will demand the government to punish these companies immediately. Along with this, similar chariot processions will also take place in other states.

US lawmakers protest more intensely than Indians over Amazon's rigging in India: CAIT

As per the data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost two-thirds of New York state is fully vaccinated. The data reveals that 65.3 per cent of the total population is fully vaccinated, this accounts for 12.7 million residents.&nbsp;

The percentage of people vaccinated above the age of 18 is somewhere at 77.1 per cent with 11.9 million people. The percentage of those with one dose out of the whole population is 72 per cent.

New York City has implemented one of the strictest COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the country. In New York City, one needs to show their vaccine card to get into certain places, such as restaurants. The city has also mandated vaccines for certain jobs. This includes public school teachers and police officers.&nbsp;

As of now, New York has the eighth-highest vaccination rate in the US, following behind Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and New Jersey. However, its vaccination rate is higher than the entire US with only 56.9 per cent fully vaccinated. The rate of those with one dose of the vaccine is 65.8 per cent in the US.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-covid-19-cases-among-children-peaked-in-september-shows-data-421035">Also read |&nbsp;US: COVID-19 cases among children peaked in September, shows data</a>

Meanwhile, recent data revealed that September was the worst month in the US for new cases and deaths.

Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics reveals that cases among children peaked in September, as many schools opened for offline classes amid growing cases of delta variant.

More than 6 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with more than 1.1 million new cases recorded from September 3 to September 30.

The weekly data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that COVID-19 deaths among children under age 15 also reached their highest level in September.&nbsp;

Recently, Pfizer has asked the US government to approve the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 years old, and if regulators agree, injections may start within weeks. In a trial of children, Pfizer had previously declared that a lower dose of their vaccine worked and looked to be safe.

As per the data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost two-thirds of New York state is fully vaccinated. The data reveals that 65.3 per cent of the total population is fully vaccinated, this accounts for 12.

As per the data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost two-thirds of New York state is fully vaccinated. The data reveals that 65.3 per cent of the total population is fully vaccinated, this accounts for 12.7 million residents. The percentage of people vaccinated above the age of 18 is somewhere at 77.1 per cent with 11.9 million people. The percentage of those with one dose out of the whole population is 72 per cent. New York City has implemented one of the strictest COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the country. In New York City, one needs to show their vaccine card to get into certain places, such as restaurants. The city has also mandated vaccines for certain jobs. This includes public school teachers and police officers. As of now, New York has the eighth-highest vaccination rate in the US, following behind Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and New Jersey. However, its vaccination rate is higher than the entire US with only 56.9 per cent fully vaccinated. The rate of those with one dose of the vaccine is 65.8 per cent in the US. Also read | US: COVID-19 cases among children peaked in September, shows data Meanwhile, recent data revealed that September was the worst month in the US for new cases and deaths. Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics reveals that cases among children peaked in September, as many schools opened for offline classes amid growing cases of delta variant. More than 6 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with more than 1.1 million new cases recorded from September 3 to September 30. The weekly data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that COVID-19 deaths among children under age 15 also reached their highest level in September. Recently, Pfizer has asked the US government to approve the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 years old, and if regulators agree, injections may start within weeks. In a trial of children, Pfizer had previously declared that a lower dose of their vaccine worked and looked to be safe.

Almost two-thirds of New York state is fully vaccinated, reveals CDC data

United States is all set to lift restrictions for its overseas visitors. It will reopen its land borders with Canada and Mexico to non-essential workers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The border which will be reopened on November 8th.Will end a 19-month curb on non-essential travel which was propelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.

United States set to lift restrictions for its overseas visitors

In an effort to compensate for the loss to the families of the victims&nbsp;killed in a botched drone attack in Afghanistan in August, the Pentagon has offered unspecified condolence payments and relocation to the United States. &nbsp;

In the attack on August 29, a US Hellfire missile struck a car driven by Zemerai Ahmadi, who had just pulled into the driveway of the Ahmadi family compound. Ahmadi was employed with Nutrition &amp; Education International. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;United States offers to compensate victims of US drone strike in Afghanistan

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In all, 10 members of the family, including seven children, were killed in the strike carried out during the final days before US troops withdrew from the war-torn country. &nbsp;

The US Defence Department said it is committed to offer condolence payments. In a statement on Friday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the Defence Department was also working with the State Department to help surviving family members relocate to the United States. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-joe-biden-slammed-for-likening-former-senator-dodd-with-one-who-would-not-disrespect-a-waitress-421154" hreflang="en">US President Joe Biden slammed for likening former Senator Dodd with one who would not 'disrespect a waitress'</a>

According to Kirby, the matter arose in a virtual meeting on Thursday between Dr Colin Kahl, under secretary of defence for policy, and Dr Steven Kwon, founder and president of the non-profit group Nutrition &amp; Education International. &nbsp;

"Dr Kahl reiterated Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin's commitment to the families, including offering ex-gratia condolence payments," Kirby said. The spokesman did not confirm how much money would be offered. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/justice-dept-to-ask-supreme-court-to-block-texas-near-total-abortion-ban-421139" hreflang="en">Justice dept to ask Supreme Court to block Texas’ near-total abortion ban</a>

During the meeting on Thursday, Kwon told Kahl that Ahmadi had work with NEI for many years, ‘providing care and lifesaving assistance for people facing high mortality rates in Afghanistan,' Kirby added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In an effort to compensate for the loss to the families of the victims killed in a botched drone attack in Afghanistan in August, the Pentagon has offered unspecified condolence payments and relocation to the United States.

In an effort to compensate for the loss to the families of the victims killed in a botched drone attack in Afghanistan in August, the Pentagon has offered unspecified condolence payments and relocation to the United States. In the attack on August 29, a US Hellfire missile struck a car driven by Zemerai Ahmadi, who had just pulled into the driveway of the Ahmadi family compound. Ahmadi was employed with Nutrition & Education International. Watch: United States offers to compensate victims of US drone strike in Afghanistan × In all, 10 members of the family, including seven children, were killed in the strike carried out during the final days before US troops withdrew from the war-torn country. The US Defence Department said it is committed to offer condolence payments. In a statement on Friday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the Defence Department was also working with the State Department to help surviving family members relocate to the United States. Also Read: US President Joe Biden slammed for likening former Senator Dodd with one who would not 'disrespect a waitress' According to Kirby, the matter arose in a virtual meeting on Thursday between Dr Colin Kahl, under secretary of defence for policy, and Dr Steven Kwon, founder and president of the non-profit group Nutrition & Education International. "Dr Kahl reiterated Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin's commitment to the families, including offering ex-gratia condolence payments," Kirby said. The spokesman did not confirm how much money would be offered. Also Read: Justice dept to ask Supreme Court to block Texas’ near-total abortion ban During the meeting on Thursday, Kwon told Kahl that Ahmadi had work with NEI for many years, ‘providing care and lifesaving assistance for people facing high mortality rates in Afghanistan,' Kirby added. (With inputs from agencies)

US offers condolence payments, relocation to kin of Afghans killed in botched drone attack

The head of the US International Development Finance Corporation would be visiting India later this month as part of the Quad's efforts to boost vaccine manufacturing.

The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is a state-run development finance institution, which invests in development projects primarily in lower- and middle-income countries.

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Leading a high-powered delegation, DFC Chief Operating Officer (COO) David Marchick would travel to India from October 24 to 26.

In Hyderabad, the delegation will visit the offices of the Indian vaccine manufacturer Biological E and participate in a signing ceremony to open a new facility with substantial capacity for vaccine manufacturing, an official release said.

This work is in support of the historic commitment set out by President (Joe) Biden and his counterparts in the 'Quad' &nbsp;Australia, India, Japan and the United States," the DFC said in a statement.

Marchick would travel to India after his visit to South Africa beginning October 18. The travel to South Africa and India is to advance DFC investments helping boost global health and expand COVID-19 vaccine production capacity throughout the developing world.

DFC Vice President of Development Credit Jim Polan and other DFC senior staff will accompany the COO.

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During the South Africa tour, the DFC delegation will visit Africa Data Centres, a DFC client that is developing and expanding critical technology infrastructure throughout Africa. The delegation will tour the sterile facilities of Aspen Pharmacare, Africa's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, in Gqeberha (formally known as Port Elizabeth), as well as meet with other pharmaceutical manufacturers critical to the COVID-19 response, a media release said.

Since day one of the Biden administration, President Biden has stated that the only way to defeat COVID-19 is to end the pandemic both at home and abroad by vaccinating Americans at home and non-Americans abroad,&nbsp;the DFC said.

The US has committed to donate 1.1 billion doses of Covid vaccines worldwide and has already shipped nearly 200 million doses to developing countries more doses than the rest of the world combined, it said.

The head of the US International Development Finance Corporation would be visiting India later this month as part of the Quad's efforts to boost vaccine manufacturing.

The head of the US International Development Finance Corporation would be visiting India later this month as part of the Quad's efforts to boost vaccine manufacturing. The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is a state-run development finance institution, which invests in development projects primarily in lower- and middle-income countries. Also Read | US experts recommend Moderna booster for older and at-risk groups Leading a high-powered delegation, DFC Chief Operating Officer (COO) David Marchick would travel to India from October 24 to 26. In Hyderabad, the delegation will visit the offices of the Indian vaccine manufacturer Biological E and participate in a signing ceremony to open a new facility with substantial capacity for vaccine manufacturing, an official release said. This work is in support of the historic commitment set out by President (Joe) Biden and his counterparts in the 'Quad' Australia, India, Japan and the United States," the DFC said in a statement. Marchick would travel to India after his visit to South Africa beginning October 18. The travel to South Africa and India is to advance DFC investments helping boost global health and expand COVID-19 vaccine production capacity throughout the developing world. DFC Vice President of Development Credit Jim Polan and other DFC senior staff will accompany the COO. Also Read | US to allow fully vaccinated travellers from November 8: White House During the South Africa tour, the DFC delegation will visit Africa Data Centres, a DFC client that is developing and expanding critical technology infrastructure throughout Africa. The delegation will tour the sterile facilities of Aspen Pharmacare, Africa's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, in Gqeberha (formally known as Port Elizabeth), as well as meet with other pharmaceutical manufacturers critical to the COVID-19 response, a media release said. Since day one of the Biden administration, President Biden has stated that the only way to defeat COVID-19 is to end the pandemic both at home and abroad by vaccinating Americans at home and non-Americans abroad, the DFC said. The US has committed to donate 1.1 billion doses of Covid vaccines worldwide and has already shipped nearly 200 million doses to developing countries more doses than the rest of the world combined, it said.

US Development Finance Corporation chief to visit India to boost vaccine manufacturing

The United States has offered to pay unspecified compensation to relatives of 10 people in Afghanistan including seven children who were killed by mistake in a US drone strike as American forces were completing their withdrawal from the country.

United States offers to compensate victims of US drone strike in Afghanistan

The most powerful part of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda — a program to rapidly replace the nation’s coal- and gas-fired power plants with wind, solar and nuclear energy — will likely be dropped from the massive budget bill pending in Congress, according to congressional staffers and lobbyists familiar with the matter.

Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from coal-rich West Virginia whose vote is crucial to passage of the bill, has told the White House that he strongly opposes the clean electricity program, according to three of those people. As a result, White House staffers are now rewriting the legislation without that climate provision and are trying to cobble together a mix of other policies that could also cut emissions.

A White House spokesperson, Vedant Patel, declined to comment on the specifics of the bill, saying, “The White House is laser focused on advancing the president’s climate goals and positioning the United States to meet its emission targets in a way that grows domestic industries and good jobs.”

A spokesperson for Manchin, Sam Runyon, wrote in an email, “Sen. Manchin has clearly expressed his concerns about using taxpayer dollars to pay private companies to do things they’re already doing. He continues to support efforts to combat climate change while protecting American energy independence and ensuring our energy reliability.”

West Virginia’s other senator, Republican Shelley Moore Capito, said she was “vehemently opposed” to the clean electricity program because it is “designed to ultimately eliminate coal and natural gas from our electricity mix, and would be absolutely devastating for my state.”

The $150 billion clean electricity program was the muscle behind Biden’s ambitious climate agenda. It would reward utilities that switched from burning fossil fuels to renewable energy sources and penalize those that did not.

Experts have said that over the next decade the policy would dramatically reduce the greenhouse gases that are heating the planet and that it would be the strongest climate change policy ever enacted by the United States.

“This is absolutely the most important climate policy in the package,” said Leah Stokes, an expert on climate policy, who has been advising Senate Democrats on how to craft the program. “We fundamentally need it to meet our climate goals. That’s just the reality. And now we can’t. So this is pretty sad.”

The setback also means President Joe Biden will have a weakened hand when he travels to Glasgow, Scotland, in two weeks for a major United Nations climate change summit. He had hoped to point to the clean electricity program as evidence that the United States, which is historically the largest emitter of planet-warming pollution, was serious about changing course and leading a global effort to fight climate change. Biden has vowed that the United States will cut its emissions 50% from 2005 levels by 2030.

The rest of the world remains deeply wary of the United States’ commitment to tackling global warming after four years in which former President Donald Trump openly mocked the science of climate change and enacted policies that encouraged more drilling and burning of fossil fuels.

“This will create a huge problem for the White House in Glasgow,” said David G. Victor, co-director of the Deep Decarbonization Initiative at the University of California, San Diego.“ If you see the president coming in and saying all the right things with all the right aspirations and then one of the earliest tests of whether he can deliver falls apart, it creates the question of whether you can believe him.”

Democrats had hoped to include the clean electricity program in their sweeping budget bill that would also expand the social safety net, which they plan to muscle through using a fast-track process known as reconciliation that would allow them to pass it without any Republican votes. The party is still trying to figure out how to pass the budget bill along with a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

For weeks, Democratic leaders have vowed that the clean electricity program was a nonnegotiable part of the legislation. Progressive Democrats held rallies chanting “No climate, no deal!”

Biden had hoped enactment of the legislation would clean up the electricity sector, which produces about one-quarter of the country’s greenhouse gases. He wanted a program with impacts that would last well after he leaves office, regardless of who occupies the White House.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at an event in San Francisco on Friday morning that she was still pushing for the strongest possible climate change provisions in the bill.

“What we’re here today about is specifically about the climate piece," Pelosi said. "This is our moment. We cannot – we don’t have any more time to wait."

Democratic presidents have tried but failed to enact climate change legislation since the Clinton administration. During a year of record and deadly droughts, wildfires, storms and floods that scientists say are worsened by climate change, Democrats had hoped to finally garner enough political support to enact a strong climate law, even as scientific reports say that the window is rapidly closing to avoid the most devastating impacts of a warming planet.

A major scientific report released in August concluded that countries must immediately shift away from burning fossil fuels in order to avoid a future of severe drought, intense heat waves, water shortages, devastating storms, rising seas and ecosystem collapse. To avert catastrophe, scientists say nations must keep the average global temperature from increasing 1.5 Celsius above preindustrial levels. But as countries continue to pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the average global temperature has already risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius.

Even as Pelosi vowed in San Francisco to protect those climate provisions, at least four people in Washington close to the negotiations called the clean electricity program “dead.”

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., the chief author of the program, said that while dropping it might win Manchin’s vote on the budget bill, it could cost hers — and those of other Democrats focused on the environment.

“We must have strong climate action in the Build Back Better budget," she said. "I’m open to all approaches, but as I’ve said, I will not support a budget deal that does not get us where we need to go on climate action. There are 50 Democratic senators, and it’s going to take every one of our votes to get this budget passed.”

Manchin, who has personal financial ties to the coal industry, had initially intended to write the details of the program as the chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Manchin was considering a clean electricity program that would reward utilities for switching from coal to natural gas, which is less polluting but still emits carbon dioxide and can leak methane, another greenhouse gas. Manchin’s home state, West Virginia, is one of the nation’s top producers of coal and gas.

But in recent days, Manchin indicated to the administration that he was now completely opposed to a clean energy program, people familiar with the discussions said.

As a result, White House staffers are scrambling to calculate the impact on emissions from other climate measures in the bill, including tax incentives for renewable energy producers and tax credits for consumers who purchase electric vehicles. Unlike a clean energy program, tax incentives tend to expire after a set period of time, and do not have the market-shifting power of a more durable strategy.

Those other programs include about $300 billion to extend existing tax credits for utilities, commercial businesses and homeowners that use or generate electricity from zero-carbon sources such as wind and solar and $32 billion in tax credits for individuals who purchase electric vehicles. It could also include $13.5 billion for electric car charging stations and $9 billion to update the electric grid, making it more conducive to transmitting wind and solar power, and $17.5 billion to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from federal buildings and vehicles.

But, analysts say, while those spending programs will help make it easier and cheaper for the U.S. economy to transition to a lower-emissions future, they are unlikely to lead to the same kind of rapid reduction in emissions that the clean electricity program would have.

“To clean up the electricity system as rapidly as possible, you need an incentive to add clean energy and a penalty that is a disincentive for dirty sources of energy,” Victor said. “A carrot and stick. These tax incentives are carrots. But there’s no more stick.”

It is also possible that Democrats may try to push through the clean electricity program as a stand-alone bill — but the timeline for doing so is narrowing, with the 2022 midterm elections approaching.

The most powerful part of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda — a program to rapidly replace the nation’s coal- and gas-fired power plants with wind, solar and nuclear energy — will likely be dropped from the massive budget bill pending in Congress, according to congressional staffers and lobbyists familiar with the matter.

The most powerful part of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda — a program to rapidly replace the nation’s coal- and gas-fired power plants with wind, solar and nuclear energy — will likely be dropped from the massive budget bill pending in Congress, according to congressional staffers and lobbyists familiar with the matter. Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from coal-rich West Virginia whose vote is crucial to passage of the bill, has told the White House that he strongly opposes the clean electricity program, according to three of those people. As a result, White House staffers are now rewriting the legislation without that climate provision and are trying to cobble together a mix of other policies that could also cut emissions. A White House spokesperson, Vedant Patel, declined to comment on the specifics of the bill, saying, “The White House is laser focused on advancing the president’s climate goals and positioning the United States to meet its emission targets in a way that grows domestic industries and good jobs.” A spokesperson for Manchin, Sam Runyon, wrote in an email, “Sen. Manchin has clearly expressed his concerns about using taxpayer dollars to pay private companies to do things they’re already doing. He continues to support efforts to combat climate change while protecting American energy independence and ensuring our energy reliability.” West Virginia’s other senator, Republican Shelley Moore Capito, said she was “vehemently opposed” to the clean electricity program because it is “designed to ultimately eliminate coal and natural gas from our electricity mix, and would be absolutely devastating for my state.” The $150 billion clean electricity program was the muscle behind Biden’s ambitious climate agenda. It would reward utilities that switched from burning fossil fuels to renewable energy sources and penalize those that did not. Experts have said that over the next decade the policy would dramatically reduce the greenhouse gases that are heating the planet and that it would be the strongest climate change policy ever enacted by the United States. “This is absolutely the most important climate policy in the package,” said Leah Stokes, an expert on climate policy, who has been advising Senate Democrats on how to craft the program. “We fundamentally need it to meet our climate goals. That’s just the reality. And now we can’t. So this is pretty sad.” The setback also means President Joe Biden will have a weakened hand when he travels to Glasgow, Scotland, in two weeks for a major United Nations climate change summit. He had hoped to point to the clean electricity program as evidence that the United States, which is historically the largest emitter of planet-warming pollution, was serious about changing course and leading a global effort to fight climate change. Biden has vowed that the United States will cut its emissions 50% from 2005 levels by 2030. The rest of the world remains deeply wary of the United States’ commitment to tackling global warming after four years in which former President Donald Trump openly mocked the science of climate change and enacted policies that encouraged more drilling and burning of fossil fuels. “This will create a huge problem for the White House in Glasgow,” said David G. Victor, co-director of the Deep Decarbonization Initiative at the University of California, San Diego.“ If you see the president coming in and saying all the right things with all the right aspirations and then one of the earliest tests of whether he can deliver falls apart, it creates the question of whether you can believe him.” Democrats had hoped to include the clean electricity program in their sweeping budget bill that would also expand the social safety net, which they plan to muscle through using a fast-track process known as reconciliation that would allow them to pass it without any Republican votes. The party is still trying to figure out how to pass the budget bill along with a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill. For weeks, Democratic leaders have vowed that the clean electricity program was a nonnegotiable part of the legislation. Progressive Democrats held rallies chanting “No climate, no deal!” Biden had hoped enactment of the legislation would clean up the electricity sector, which produces about one-quarter of the country’s greenhouse gases. He wanted a program with impacts that would last well after he leaves office, regardless of who occupies the White House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at an event in San Francisco on Friday morning that she was still pushing for the strongest possible climate change provisions in the bill. “What we’re here today about is specifically about the climate piece," Pelosi said. "This is our moment. We cannot – we don’t have any more time to wait." Democratic presidents have tried but failed to enact climate change legislation since the Clinton administration. During a year of record and deadly droughts, wildfires, storms and floods that scientists say are worsened by climate change, Democrats had hoped to finally garner enough political support to enact a strong climate law, even as scientific reports say that the window is rapidly closing to avoid the most devastating impacts of a warming planet. A major scientific report released in August concluded that countries must immediately shift away from burning fossil fuels in order to avoid a future of severe drought, intense heat waves, water shortages, devastating storms, rising seas and ecosystem collapse. To avert catastrophe, scientists say nations must keep the average global temperature from increasing 1.5 Celsius above preindustrial levels. But as countries continue to pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the average global temperature has already risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius. Even as Pelosi vowed in San Francisco to protect those climate provisions, at least four people in Washington close to the negotiations called the clean electricity program “dead.” Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., the chief author of the program, said that while dropping it might win Manchin’s vote on the budget bill, it could cost hers — and those of other Democrats focused on the environment. “We must have strong climate action in the Build Back Better budget," she said. "I’m open to all approaches, but as I’ve said, I will not support a budget deal that does not get us where we need to go on climate action. There are 50 Democratic senators, and it’s going to take every one of our votes to get this budget passed.” Manchin, who has personal financial ties to the coal industry, had initially intended to write the details of the program as the chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Manchin was considering a clean electricity program that would reward utilities for switching from coal to natural gas, which is less polluting but still emits carbon dioxide and can leak methane, another greenhouse gas. Manchin’s home state, West Virginia, is one of the nation’s top producers of coal and gas. But in recent days, Manchin indicated to the administration that he was now completely opposed to a clean energy program, people familiar with the discussions said. As a result, White House staffers are scrambling to calculate the impact on emissions from other climate measures in the bill, including tax incentives for renewable energy producers and tax credits for consumers who purchase electric vehicles. Unlike a clean energy program, tax incentives tend to expire after a set period of time, and do not have the market-shifting power of a more durable strategy. Those other programs include about $300 billion to extend existing tax credits for utilities, commercial businesses and homeowners that use or generate electricity from zero-carbon sources such as wind and solar and $32 billion in tax credits for individuals who purchase electric vehicles. It could also include $13.5 billion for electric car charging stations and $9 billion to update the electric grid, making it more conducive to transmitting wind and solar power, and $17.5 billion to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from federal buildings and vehicles. But, analysts say, while those spending programs will help make it easier and cheaper for the U.S. economy to transition to a lower-emissions future, they are unlikely to lead to the same kind of rapid reduction in emissions that the clean electricity program would have. “To clean up the electricity system as rapidly as possible, you need an incentive to add clean energy and a penalty that is a disincentive for dirty sources of energy,” Victor said. “A carrot and stick. These tax incentives are carrots. But there’s no more stick.” It is also possible that Democrats may try to push through the clean electricity program as a stand-alone bill — but the timeline for doing so is narrowing, with the 2022 midterm elections approaching.

Key to Biden’s climate agenda likely to be cut because of Manchin opposition

A Texas deputy was shot dead, with two colleagues injured, outside a bar as they were investigating a disturbance early Saturday. It happened around 2:15 am in the 4400 block of the North Freeway at the 45 North Bar and Lounge.

One person was taken into custody, even though the authorities did not immediately know whether that person was a suspect or a witness, Houston police Executive Assistant Chief James Jones told reporters.

The deputies were taken to a hospital, and one died. The names were not immediately released. Among the injured, one deputy was shot in the back, and another deputy was shot in the foot.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/texas-high-schools-falls-prey-to-yet-another-shooting-at-least-4-injured-418710">Also read |&nbsp;Texas high schools falls prey to yet another shooting; at least 4 injured</a>

Authorities have been searching for a Hispanic man in his early 20s wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans, who is believed to have been the shooter. He was described as a heavyset man with a beard.

There was a heavy police presence in the area of the nightclub.

Harris County sheriff's deputies, deputy constables and Houston police officers could also be seen searching an area off the freeway, including a hotel.

"We hope to have a suspect in custody soon," Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman. He further asked anyone with information about the shooting to call Houston police.

A Texas deputy was shot dead, with two colleagues injured, outside a bar as they were investigating a disturbance early Saturday. It happened around 2:15 am in the 4400 block of the North Freeway at the 45 North Bar and Lounge.

A Texas deputy was shot dead, with two colleagues injured, outside a bar as they were investigating a disturbance early Saturday. It happened around 2:15 am in the 4400 block of the North Freeway at the 45 North Bar and Lounge. One person was taken into custody, even though the authorities did not immediately know whether that person was a suspect or a witness, Houston police Executive Assistant Chief James Jones told reporters. The deputies were taken to a hospital, and one died. The names were not immediately released. Among the injured, one deputy was shot in the back, and another deputy was shot in the foot. Also read | Texas high schools falls prey to yet another shooting; at least 4 injured Authorities have been searching for a Hispanic man in his early 20s wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans, who is believed to have been the shooter. He was described as a heavyset man with a beard. There was a heavy police presence in the area of the nightclub. Harris County sheriff's deputies, deputy constables and Houston police officers could also be seen searching an area off the freeway, including a hotel. "We hope to have a suspect in custody soon," Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman. He further asked anyone with information about the shooting to call Houston police.

Texas deputy killed, two wounded as gunman opens fire outside a bar

Joe Biden’s administration recently issued a 40-page report warning that the climate crisis “poses serious and systemic risks to the US economy and financial system." It further said that setting out steps for action as “climate impacts are already affecting American jobs, homes, families’ hard-earned savings, and businesses”.

As a part of the new plan, the federal government will weigh up climate risks for employee benefit and retirement plan investments. They will also incorporate climate disasters into lending and budgeting decisions. The building standards will also be revised for homes at risk of flooding.&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden, in the report, said, "The intensifying impacts of climate change present physical risk to assets, publicly traded securities, private investments, and companies."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cop26-queen-finds-world-leaders-irritating-because-they-only-talk-and-dont-act-420982">Also read |&nbsp;COP26: Queen finds world leaders 'irritating' because they only 'talk' and don't 'act'</a>

He further added that the climate crisis “threatens the competitiveness of US companies and markets, the life savings and pensions of US workers and families, and the ability of US financial institutions to serve communities."

The new White House plan has been welcomed by environmental groups .

Gina McCarthy, Biden’s top climate advisor, said that the climate crisis “poses a risk to our economy and to the lives and livelihoods of Americans, and we must act now”.&nbsp;

McCarthy further added, “This roadmap isn’t just about protecting our financial system – it’s about protecting people, their paychecks and their prosperity.”

The report comes in as the crucial Cop26 global climate talks are due to begin in Scotland at the end of the month.

Joe Biden’s administration recently issued a 40-page report warning that the climate crisis “poses serious and systemic risks to the US economy and financial system.

Joe Biden’s administration recently issued a 40-page report warning that the climate crisis “poses serious and systemic risks to the US economy and financial system." It further said that setting out steps for action as “climate impacts are already affecting American jobs, homes, families’ hard-earned savings, and businesses”. As a part of the new plan, the federal government will weigh up climate risks for employee benefit and retirement plan investments. They will also incorporate climate disasters into lending and budgeting decisions. The building standards will also be revised for homes at risk of flooding. US President Joe Biden, in the report, said, "The intensifying impacts of climate change present physical risk to assets, publicly traded securities, private investments, and companies." Also read | COP26: Queen finds world leaders 'irritating' because they only 'talk' and don't 'act' He further added that the climate crisis “threatens the competitiveness of US companies and markets, the life savings and pensions of US workers and families, and the ability of US financial institutions to serve communities." The new White House plan has been welcomed by environmental groups . Gina McCarthy, Biden’s top climate advisor, said that the climate crisis “poses a risk to our economy and to the lives and livelihoods of Americans, and we must act now”. McCarthy further added, “This roadmap isn’t just about protecting our financial system – it’s about protecting people, their paychecks and their prosperity.” The report comes in as the crucial Cop26 global climate talks are due to begin in Scotland at the end of the month.

Climate crisis poses ‘serious risks’ to US economy, warns 40-page report

United States offers to pay compensation to drone attack victims

The United States has disproved of Russia’s claims that one of its military vessels chased away an American naval destroyer that attempted to violate its territorial waters while drills between Russian and Chinese navies were underway in the Sea of Japan on Friday. &nbsp;

According to the US military, the guided missile destroyer Chafee was conducting routine operations in international waters in the Sea of Japan when a Russian destroyer came within 65 yards (60 metres) of the ship. The interactions during the incident were safe and professional. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Tense faceoff during Russian-Chinese war games in sea of Japan

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In the statement, the US military&nbsp;said, "The statement from the Russian Defense Ministry about the interaction between our two navy ships is false. At all times, USS Chafee conducted operations in accordance with international law and custom.” &nbsp;

Earlier, the Russian defense ministry said the crew of a Russian anti-submarine vessel, the Admiral Tributs, had radioed a warning to the USS Chafee that it was "in an area closed to navigation due to exercises with artillery fire." &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-offers-condolence-payments-relocation-to-kin-of-afghans-killed-in-botched-drone-attack-421207" hreflang="en">US offers condolence payments, relocation to kin of Afghans killed in botched drone attack</a>

Russian defence ministry said in its statement that the US destroyer failed to change course and instead raised a flag to indicate that it was preparing to launch helicopter from its deck, meaning it was unable to change course and speed. &nbsp;

"Acting within the framework of the international rules of navigation, the Admiral Tributs set a course for ousting the intruder from Russian territorial waters," it said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-joe-biden-slammed-for-likening-former-senator-dodd-with-one-who-would-not-disrespect-a-waitress-421154" hreflang="en">US President Joe Biden slammed for likening former Senator Dodd with one who would not 'disrespect a waitress'</a>&nbsp;

The Chafee eventually changed course when the two vessels were less than 60 meters apart, it said. &nbsp;

The ministry said that incident lasted for about 50 minutes and took place in Peter the Great Bay, which lies south of Vladivostok in the west of the Sea of Japan. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United States has disproved of Russia’s claims that one of its military vessels chased away an American naval destroyer that attempted to violate its territorial waters while drills between Russian and Chinese navies were underway in the Sea of Japan on Friday.

The United States has disproved of Russia’s claims that one of its military vessels chased away an American naval destroyer that attempted to violate its territorial waters while drills between Russian and Chinese navies were underway in the Sea of Japan on Friday. According to the US military, the guided missile destroyer Chafee was conducting routine operations in international waters in the Sea of Japan when a Russian destroyer came within 65 yards (60 metres) of the ship. The interactions during the incident were safe and professional. Watch: Tense faceoff during Russian-Chinese war games in sea of Japan × In the statement, the US military said, "The statement from the Russian Defense Ministry about the interaction between our two navy ships is false. At all times, USS Chafee conducted operations in accordance with international law and custom.” Earlier, the Russian defense ministry said the crew of a Russian anti-submarine vessel, the Admiral Tributs, had radioed a warning to the USS Chafee that it was "in an area closed to navigation due to exercises with artillery fire." Also Read: US offers condolence payments, relocation to kin of Afghans killed in botched drone attack Russian defence ministry said in its statement that the US destroyer failed to change course and instead raised a flag to indicate that it was preparing to launch helicopter from its deck, meaning it was unable to change course and speed. "Acting within the framework of the international rules of navigation, the Admiral Tributs set a course for ousting the intruder from Russian territorial waters," it said. Also Read: US President Joe Biden slammed for likening former Senator Dodd with one who would not 'disrespect a waitress' The Chafee eventually changed course when the two vessels were less than 60 meters apart, it said. The ministry said that incident lasted for about 50 minutes and took place in Peter the Great Bay, which lies south of Vladivostok in the west of the Sea of Japan. (With inputs from agencies)

US military refutes Russia's claims over naval face-off in Sea of Japan

The United States on Thursday announced $ 2 million rewards for information regarding Pakistani national and "human smuggler" Abid Ali Khan - one million USD for information leading to the arrest and another one million USD for information leading to the financial disruption of his network.

US State Department spokesperson said that Ali Khan allegedly operates a Pakistani-based smuggling network that facilitates the travel of undocumented individuals into the United States from the middle-east and southwest Asia in exchange for payment.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/top-us-naval-commander-hosts-senior-indian-navy-officers-aboard-uss-carl-vinson-420814">Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson</a>

In addition to planning and coordinating the international travel from Pakistan through multiple countries, Ali Khan allegedly offered or provided false documents for foreign nationals to use for travel.

"Today, the Department of State is announcing two rewards for information regarding Pakistani national and human smuggler Abid Ali Khan.

The first reward of up to $1 million is offered for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ali Khan, while a second $1 million reward is offered for information leading to the financial disruption of Ali Khan's human smuggling network," the spokesperson said in a statement.

It said smuggling organizations like Ali Khan's take advantage of vulnerable populations, pose high risk, and gravely endanger the individuals being smuggled.

"Persons smuggled to the United States are often subject to perilous travel through South and Central America, which can involve many days of walking through difficult terrain with little food or water, with many falling victim to robbery and abuse during the journey."

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/56-in-us-feel-cheating-affected-2020-presidential-election-outcome-says-poll-420060">56% in US feel cheating affected 2020 presidential election outcome, says poll</a>

On April 7, the US&nbsp;Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia charging Ali Khan with Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States, Encouraging and Inducing an Alien to Unlawfully Entering the United States, and Bringing an Alien to the United States.

On the same date, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against Ali Khan and the Ali Khan Transnational Criminal Organization pursuant to Executive Order 13581 "Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations," stemming from the same criminal conduct.

The statement said these rewards are offered under the Department of State's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP).

More than 75 transnational criminals and major narcotics traffickers have been brought to justice under the TOCRP and the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) since 1986, with the Department paying more than $135 million in rewards to date.

The State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the TOCRP in close coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DHS/Homeland Security Investigations, and other US&nbsp;government agencies.

The United States on Thursday announced $ 2 million rewards for information regarding Pakistani national and "human smuggler" Abid Ali Khan - one million USD for information leading to the arrest and another one million USD for information leading to the financial disruption of his network.

The United States on Thursday announced $ 2 million rewards for information regarding Pakistani national and "human smuggler" Abid Ali Khan - one million USD for information leading to the arrest and another one million USD for information leading to the financial disruption of his network. US State Department spokesperson said that Ali Khan allegedly operates a Pakistani-based smuggling network that facilitates the travel of undocumented individuals into the United States from the middle-east and southwest Asia in exchange for payment. Also Read | Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson In addition to planning and coordinating the international travel from Pakistan through multiple countries, Ali Khan allegedly offered or provided false documents for foreign nationals to use for travel. "Today, the Department of State is announcing two rewards for information regarding Pakistani national and human smuggler Abid Ali Khan. The first reward of up to $1 million is offered for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ali Khan, while a second $1 million reward is offered for information leading to the financial disruption of Ali Khan's human smuggling network," the spokesperson said in a statement. It said smuggling organizations like Ali Khan's take advantage of vulnerable populations, pose high risk, and gravely endanger the individuals being smuggled. "Persons smuggled to the United States are often subject to perilous travel through South and Central America, which can involve many days of walking through difficult terrain with little food or water, with many falling victim to robbery and abuse during the journey." Also Read | 56% in US feel cheating affected 2020 presidential election outcome, says poll On April 7, the US Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia charging Ali Khan with Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States, Encouraging and Inducing an Alien to Unlawfully Entering the United States, and Bringing an Alien to the United States. On the same date, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions against Ali Khan and the Ali Khan Transnational Criminal Organization pursuant to Executive Order 13581 "Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations," stemming from the same criminal conduct. The statement said these rewards are offered under the Department of State's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP). More than 75 transnational criminals and major narcotics traffickers have been brought to justice under the TOCRP and the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP) since 1986, with the Department paying more than $135 million in rewards to date. The State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the TOCRP in close coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DHS/Homeland Security Investigations, and other US government agencies.

US announces reward for arrest of Pakistani 'human smuggler'

The four largest US consumer banks posted another strong quarter this week as the rebounding economy allowed them to release more cash they had set aside for pandemic losses, while sizzling deals, equity financing and trading also boosted their bottom lines.

US consumer banks post another strong quarter this week

India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term on Thursday with an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly, with New Delhi's envoy here describing the election as a "robust endorsement" of the country's strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The 76th UN General Assembly held elections on Thursday for 18 new members of the UN Human Rights Council who will serve for a period of three years, starting in January 2022.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat">Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat</a>

India got 184 votes in the 193-member assembly, while the required majority was 97.

"I am truly delighted at this overwhelming support for India in elections to Human Rights Council. It's a robust endorsement of our strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution. We thank all UN Member States for giving us a strong mandate," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told PTI.

India's Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted "India gets re-elected to the @UN_HRC (2022-24) for a 6th term with overwhelming majority. Heartfelt gratitude to the @UN membership for reposing its faith in India."

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India 🇮🇳 elected for the record 6th term of the Human Rights Council by an overwhelming endorsement of UN Member States. 
 
We stand committed to work together with fellow members of the Council towards the goal of global promotion and protection of human rights. 
(1/3) <a href="https://t.co/DtLocUCOxo">pic.twitter.com/DtLocUCOxo</a>
— India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaUNGeneva/status/1448683963896184838?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

India's current term was set to end on December 31 2021. For election for the term 2022-2024, there were five vacant seats in the Asia-Pacific States category - India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

The 193-member General Assembly elected by secret ballot Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE and the USA for the 2022-2024 term on the Council.

India's mission congratulated other UN Member States for their election to the Human Rights Council, which consists of 47 Member States elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-employees-request-cash-and-other-benefits-as-tata-group-takes-over-420762">Air India employees request cash and other benefits as Tata Group takes over</a>

The members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.

The membership is based on equitable geographical distribution, and seats are distributed among regional groups Group of African States (13), Group of Asia-Pacific States (13), Group of Eastern European States (6), Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (8) and Group of Western European and other States (7).

As of January 2021, 119 of the 193 UN member States will have served as a member of the HRC. "This broad membership not only reflects the UN's diversity, but it gives the Council legitimacy when speaking out on human rights violations in all countries," the UN said.

In 2018, the US under the Donald Trump administration had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council. US Ambassador at UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington's election to the Council has "fulfilled President Biden's campaign pledge to rejoin the Human Rights Council" and the US will "work to ensure this body lives up to these principles."

"Our initial efforts as full members in the Council will focus on what we can accomplish in situations of dire need, such as in Afghanistan, Burma, China, Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen. More broadly, we will promote respect for fundamental freedoms and women's rights, and oppose religious intolerance, racial and ethnic injustices, and violence and discrimination against members of minority groups, including LGBTQI+ persons and persons with disabilities," Thomas-Greenfield said.

India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term on Thursday with an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly, with New Delhi's envoy here describing the election as a "robust endorsement" of the country's strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term on Thursday with an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly, with New Delhi's envoy here describing the election as a "robust endorsement" of the country's strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. The 76th UN General Assembly held elections on Thursday for 18 new members of the UN Human Rights Council who will serve for a period of three years, starting in January 2022. Also Read | Locals come forward in support of minority communities to save Kashmiriyat India got 184 votes in the 193-member assembly, while the required majority was 97. "I am truly delighted at this overwhelming support for India in elections to Human Rights Council. It's a robust endorsement of our strong roots in democracy, pluralism and fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution. We thank all UN Member States for giving us a strong mandate," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told PTI. India's Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted "India gets re-elected to the @UN_HRC (2022-24) for a 6th term with overwhelming majority. Heartfelt gratitude to the @UN membership for reposing its faith in India." India 🇮🇳 elected for the record 6th term of the Human Rights Council by an overwhelming endorsement of UN Member States. We stand committed to work together with fellow members of the Council towards the goal of global promotion and protection of human rights. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/DtLocUCOxo — India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) October 14, 2021 × India's current term was set to end on December 31 2021. For election for the term 2022-2024, there were five vacant seats in the Asia-Pacific States category - India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. The 193-member General Assembly elected by secret ballot Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE and the USA for the 2022-2024 term on the Council. India's mission congratulated other UN Member States for their election to the Human Rights Council, which consists of 47 Member States elected directly and individually by secret ballot by the majority of the members of the General Assembly. Also Read | Air India employees request cash and other benefits as Tata Group takes over The members of the Council shall serve for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms. The membership is based on equitable geographical distribution, and seats are distributed among regional groups Group of African States (13), Group of Asia-Pacific States (13), Group of Eastern European States (6), Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (8) and Group of Western European and other States (7). As of January 2021, 119 of the 193 UN member States will have served as a member of the HRC. "This broad membership not only reflects the UN's diversity, but it gives the Council legitimacy when speaking out on human rights violations in all countries," the UN said. In 2018, the US under the Donald Trump administration had withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council. US Ambassador at UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington's election to the Council has "fulfilled President Biden's campaign pledge to rejoin the Human Rights Council" and the US will "work to ensure this body lives up to these principles." "Our initial efforts as full members in the Council will focus on what we can accomplish in situations of dire need, such as in Afghanistan, Burma, China, Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen. More broadly, we will promote respect for fundamental freedoms and women's rights, and oppose religious intolerance, racial and ethnic injustices, and violence and discrimination against members of minority groups, including LGBTQI+ persons and persons with disabilities," Thomas-Greenfield said.

India re-elected to UN Human Rights Council for the sixth time with overwhelming majority

A former chief technical pilot for Boeing was charged with fraud for deceiving federal regulators evaluating the company's 737 max jet, hindering the ability to protect airline passengers and leaving "Pilots in the lurch," the US Justice department said.

Former chief technical pilot for Boeing charged with fraud

In August this year, the United States air force led the largest non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) in US history. In 17 days the department of defense evacuated 120,000 thousand people, including 6,000 Americans.

Afghanistan: U.S forces were prepared to deal with a 'different' Taliban

In October 2019, a prison officer who worked at a juvenile detention center in Central Texas was charged with sexual assault and accused of forcing a boy in custody to perform oral sex on him in his cell. The incident came to light the day after the alleged crime, when the boy tried to kill himself.

Two months before that, at another detention facility in Texas, a corrections officer was fired after a teenage girl said she was pregnant with his child. He was later charged in connection with that case. And in May of last year, another prison worker was arrested on charges that he had carried on a relationship with a teenager who was on parole.

At five state juvenile detention centers, the day-to-day conditions are relentlessly violent and oppressive, with guards often resorting to force, according to a complaint filed to the Justice Department. In 2019, prison staff used force against incarcerated children almost 7,000 times&nbsp;equivalent to six times per child who was confined that year.

Over the years, nearly a dozen staff members have been arrested on charges of sexual abuse against juveniles, and complaints about mayhem inside the facilities gang wars, fights and suicide attempts — are common. Now the Justice Department has begun a wide-ranging investigation into the detention centers, part of a broader effort to overhaul the country’s most troubled prisons.

Taken together, the voluminous allegations by advocacy groups and families, lawsuits filed against the state, news media reports, and investigations at the state level present a portrait of a terrifying environment inside juvenile prisons in Texas, one that is rife with sexual abuse, violence and severe staffing shortages.

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The Justice Department’s investigation comes almost a year after two Texas advocacy groups — Disability Rights Texas and Texas Appleseed&nbsp; filed a complaint urging the federal government to intervene. The organisations have been working together since 2007 to push for reforms of the state’s juvenile justice system.

That document amounted to a devastating compilation of abuses, despite close attention by Gov. Greg Abbott, who ousted the head of the juvenile justice system in 2017 after an investigation by The Dallas Morning News revealed a litany of degradations, including staff members distributing pornography and paying children money and drugs to fight one another.

In a statement, Camille Cain, the executive director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, which oversees one of the nation’s largest networks of youth correctional facilities, said her office intended to cooperate fully with investigators. “We all share the same goals for the youth in our care: providing for their safety, their effective rehabilitation, and the best chance for them to lead productive, fulfilling lives,” she said.

Despite reforms that began in 2007, with the closure of some facilities and a push to expand probation and reduce the number of children locked away, the groups found that violence and sexual abuse persisted within the five facilities that remain open and are now under investigation.

The problems, according to the complaint, have been exacerbated by severe staffing shortages, in part because of officers calling in sick during the coronavirus pandemic. This has led to a lack of supervision, the complaint said, which has allowed violence among the incarcerated children to flourish, as well as violence between staff members and the youths. On any given day, there are between 800 and 900 children in the state’s juvenile centers.

“The high staff turnover and lack of staffing in general both lead to a lack of programming and supervision, with kids often on lockdown in their dorms, which in turn leads to unrest and acting out by kids,” the complaint says.

Staff members have responded with beatings and pepper spray, the complaint explained, behavior that has created “a generally unsafe environment where rehabilitation, the primary goal of the juvenile justice system, is nearly impossible.”

Christie Dennis said her son was 15 when he entered one of the facilities at the center of the investigation, the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Mart, Texas.

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Dennis was horrified when she called one day in 2019 and learned that her son had been beaten and taunted as guards apparently stood by, she said. Her son was sent to the jail’s doctors on one occasion, she said, and she was later told that many guards did not intervene because they were afraid of the youths themselves.

“I was wondering, where are the guards? They didn’t have enough staff to handle the chaos,” Dennis said. “He was actually scared,” she said of her son.

Dennis said her son ended up at the center after taking her car without permission several times and money from her purse. After talking to the authorities, she was advised that if she “wanted to teach her son a lesson,” he needed to go to a juvenile facility, Dennis said, a decision she ended up regretting.

The attacks against her son escalated to the point where he begged guards to keep him in solitary confinement, Dennis said. Released in July 2020, months before his 17th birthday, he now works at a fast-food restaurant and is earning his general equivalency diploma with plans to pursue welding. But he is not the same as he was before his detention, she said. “He has PTSD,” she said. “He hears a noise and he panics.”

Her son’s experience was included in the complaint filed to the Justice Department. In the complaint, he was identified by the initials “M.C.” and described an environment in which “gangs ran the facility” and put out “hits” on children. Food was frequently stolen, he said, and staffing was so limited that officers resorted to the use of pepper spray to pacify groups of children who were fighting.

Sometimes parents were not notified when their children were transported to other facilities. A seasoned volunteer at Gainesville State School who did not want her name used because she was not authorised to speak publicly about an open investigation, said she witnessed instances in which mothers showed up to see their children only to learn they were no longer there. After nine years, she was let go in 2019 after she reported one such case, she said.

In announcing the investigation, Kristen Clarke, who leads the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department, said the federal inquiry would examine the state’s use of isolation and chemicals like pepper spray, plus the allegations of physical violence, sexual abuse and mistreatment of children.

Three years ago, the Justice Department found that children in Texas detention centers suffered much higher rates of sexual victimisation than in other states. The department found that while 7% of youth in juvenile facilities across the country had reported being the victim of sexual abuse, complaints at three Texas facilities were significantly higher. For example, 14% of children at a detention center in Brownwood, Texas, were reportedly victims of sexual violence. At two other prisons, the rate was higher, with 1 in 6 children said to have been abused.

In one egregious case, in August 2019, a corrections officer was charged with having sex with a girl who was housed in the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex in Brownwood. The victim reportedly became pregnant, and the officer was later charged with sexual abuse and possession of child pornography. Last year, another staff member at the complex, a woman whose title was “youth development coach,” was accused of sexual misconduct with a child in custody.

The announcement of the Justice Department investigation was praised by advocates for criminal justice reform, families of those confined and former inmates as a move that could bring relief and better conditions to people held in the centers.

In October 2019, a prison officer who worked at a juvenile detention center in Central Texas was charged with sexual assault and accused of forcing a boy in custody to perform oral sex on him in his cell.

In October 2019, a prison officer who worked at a juvenile detention center in Central Texas was charged with sexual assault and accused of forcing a boy in custody to perform oral sex on him in his cell. The incident came to light the day after the alleged crime, when the boy tried to kill himself. Two months before that, at another detention facility in Texas, a corrections officer was fired after a teenage girl said she was pregnant with his child. He was later charged in connection with that case. And in May of last year, another prison worker was arrested on charges that he had carried on a relationship with a teenager who was on parole. At five state juvenile detention centers, the day-to-day conditions are relentlessly violent and oppressive, with guards often resorting to force, according to a complaint filed to the Justice Department. In 2019, prison staff used force against incarcerated children almost 7,000 times equivalent to six times per child who was confined that year. Over the years, nearly a dozen staff members have been arrested on charges of sexual abuse against juveniles, and complaints about mayhem inside the facilities gang wars, fights and suicide attempts — are common. Now the Justice Department has begun a wide-ranging investigation into the detention centers, part of a broader effort to overhaul the country’s most troubled prisons. Taken together, the voluminous allegations by advocacy groups and families, lawsuits filed against the state, news media reports, and investigations at the state level present a portrait of a terrifying environment inside juvenile prisons in Texas, one that is rife with sexual abuse, violence and severe staffing shortages. Also read | As schools shift back to classroom teaching, are students ready to be reintroduced to outer world? The Justice Department’s investigation comes almost a year after two Texas advocacy groups — Disability Rights Texas and Texas Appleseed filed a complaint urging the federal government to intervene. The organisations have been working together since 2007 to push for reforms of the state’s juvenile justice system. That document amounted to a devastating compilation of abuses, despite close attention by Gov. Greg Abbott, who ousted the head of the juvenile justice system in 2017 after an investigation by The Dallas Morning News revealed a litany of degradations, including staff members distributing pornography and paying children money and drugs to fight one another. In a statement, Camille Cain, the executive director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, which oversees one of the nation’s largest networks of youth correctional facilities, said her office intended to cooperate fully with investigators. “We all share the same goals for the youth in our care: providing for their safety, their effective rehabilitation, and the best chance for them to lead productive, fulfilling lives,” she said. Despite reforms that began in 2007, with the closure of some facilities and a push to expand probation and reduce the number of children locked away, the groups found that violence and sexual abuse persisted within the five facilities that remain open and are now under investigation. The problems, according to the complaint, have been exacerbated by severe staffing shortages, in part because of officers calling in sick during the coronavirus pandemic. This has led to a lack of supervision, the complaint said, which has allowed violence among the incarcerated children to flourish, as well as violence between staff members and the youths. On any given day, there are between 800 and 900 children in the state’s juvenile centers. “The high staff turnover and lack of staffing in general both lead to a lack of programming and supervision, with kids often on lockdown in their dorms, which in turn leads to unrest and acting out by kids,” the complaint says. Staff members have responded with beatings and pepper spray, the complaint explained, behavior that has created “a generally unsafe environment where rehabilitation, the primary goal of the juvenile justice system, is nearly impossible.” Christie Dennis said her son was 15 when he entered one of the facilities at the center of the investigation, the McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility in Mart, Texas. Also read | Tour of the neighbouring galaxy: NASA shares stunning video of the Andromeda Dennis was horrified when she called one day in 2019 and learned that her son had been beaten and taunted as guards apparently stood by, she said. Her son was sent to the jail’s doctors on one occasion, she said, and she was later told that many guards did not intervene because they were afraid of the youths themselves. “I was wondering, where are the guards? They didn’t have enough staff to handle the chaos,” Dennis said. “He was actually scared,” she said of her son. Dennis said her son ended up at the center after taking her car without permission several times and money from her purse. After talking to the authorities, she was advised that if she “wanted to teach her son a lesson,” he needed to go to a juvenile facility, Dennis said, a decision she ended up regretting. The attacks against her son escalated to the point where he begged guards to keep him in solitary confinement, Dennis said. Released in July 2020, months before his 17th birthday, he now works at a fast-food restaurant and is earning his general equivalency diploma with plans to pursue welding. But he is not the same as he was before his detention, she said. “He has PTSD,” she said. “He hears a noise and he panics.” Her son’s experience was included in the complaint filed to the Justice Department. In the complaint, he was identified by the initials “M.C.” and described an environment in which “gangs ran the facility” and put out “hits” on children. Food was frequently stolen, he said, and staffing was so limited that officers resorted to the use of pepper spray to pacify groups of children who were fighting. Sometimes parents were not notified when their children were transported to other facilities. A seasoned volunteer at Gainesville State School who did not want her name used because she was not authorised to speak publicly about an open investigation, said she witnessed instances in which mothers showed up to see their children only to learn they were no longer there. After nine years, she was let go in 2019 after she reported one such case, she said. In announcing the investigation, Kristen Clarke, who leads the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department, said the federal inquiry would examine the state’s use of isolation and chemicals like pepper spray, plus the allegations of physical violence, sexual abuse and mistreatment of children. Three years ago, the Justice Department found that children in Texas detention centers suffered much higher rates of sexual victimisation than in other states. The department found that while 7% of youth in juvenile facilities across the country had reported being the victim of sexual abuse, complaints at three Texas facilities were significantly higher. For example, 14% of children at a detention center in Brownwood, Texas, were reportedly victims of sexual violence. At two other prisons, the rate was higher, with 1 in 6 children said to have been abused. In one egregious case, in August 2019, a corrections officer was charged with having sex with a girl who was housed in the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex in Brownwood. The victim reportedly became pregnant, and the officer was later charged with sexual abuse and possession of child pornography. Last year, another staff member at the complex, a woman whose title was “youth development coach,” was accused of sexual misconduct with a child in custody. The announcement of the Justice Department investigation was praised by advocates for criminal justice reform, families of those confined and former inmates as a move that could bring relief and better conditions to people held in the centers.

Complaints against Texas’ juvenile prisons include violence and sex abuse

Donald Trump could win the 2024 Presidential Race. Bookies are placing their bets on Trump to defeat President Joe Biden. What are the odds? Palki Sharma decodes.

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US authorities are trying to cap the amount of salt food manufacturers and restaurants put in food. Many European countries already have salt limits. Palki Sharma tells you why India too must rethink the amount of salt and sugar it is consuming.

Gravitas: FDA issues salt guidelines for processed, restaurant food

Three and a half years after its dramatic walkout, Washington is poised to return to a seat on the human rights council after the former trump administration withdrew from the global body.

Washington poised to return to seat on UNHRC after three and a half years

New data shows that September was the worst month in the US for new cases and deaths. Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics reveals that cases among children peaked in September, as many schools opened for offline classes amid growing cases of delta variant.

More than 6 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with more than 1.1 million new cases recorded from September 3 to September 30.

The data has been obtained from individual states, which have varying definitions of “child.”

While some include 19-year-olds, West Virginia includes people up to age 20.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pfizer-asks-us-government-to-allow-covid-vaccine-for-children-ages-5-11-418917">Also read |&nbsp;Pfizer asks US government to allow COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11</a>

A very small proportion of young children infected with COVID-19 get severely ill or die.&nbsp;

The weekly data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that COVID-19 deaths among children under age 15 also reached their highest level in September.&nbsp;

Recently, Pfizer has asked the US government to approve the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 years old, and if regulators agree, injections may start within weeks. In a trial of children, Pfizer had previously declared that a lower dose of their vaccine worked and looked to be safe.

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech officially submitted their application to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday.

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The data will be debated by FDA advisers later this month.

Last month, Pfizer submitted research to the US Food and Drug Administration on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine in children. Pfizer says it will also submit the data to the European Medicines Agency and other regulators.

New data shows that September was the worst month in the US for new cases and deaths. Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics reveals that cases among children peaked in September, as many schools opened for offline classes amid growing cases of delta variant.

New data shows that September was the worst month in the US for new cases and deaths. Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics reveals that cases among children peaked in September, as many schools opened for offline classes amid growing cases of delta variant. More than 6 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with more than 1.1 million new cases recorded from September 3 to September 30. The data has been obtained from individual states, which have varying definitions of “child.” While some include 19-year-olds, West Virginia includes people up to age 20. Also read | Pfizer asks US government to allow COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11 A very small proportion of young children infected with COVID-19 get severely ill or die. The weekly data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that COVID-19 deaths among children under age 15 also reached their highest level in September. Recently, Pfizer has asked the US government to approve the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 years old, and if regulators agree, injections may start within weeks. In a trial of children, Pfizer had previously declared that a lower dose of their vaccine worked and looked to be safe. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech officially submitted their application to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. Also read | France 'stole' millions of Covid vaccines from UK in an 'act of war': Report The data will be debated by FDA advisers later this month. Last month, Pfizer submitted research to the US Food and Drug Administration on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine in children. Pfizer says it will also submit the data to the European Medicines Agency and other regulators.

US: COVID-19 cases among children peaked in September, shows data

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