President Joe Biden's administration will announce a new rule Thursday drastically cutting the use of a group of powerful&nbsp;greenhouse&nbsp;gases&nbsp;commonly found in refrigerators and air conditioners, officials said.

The super-pollutants, known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), can be hundreds to thousands times more&nbsp;potent&nbsp;than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, exacerbating the climate crisis.

A set of new actions unveiled by the government "are expected to reduce emissions by the equivalent of 4.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050," White House national climate advisor Gina McCarthy told reporters.

"That's as much as three entire years of emissions from our power sector."

Last year, Congress passed a law with support from both Democrats and Republicans to phase&nbsp;down&nbsp;HFCs by 85 percent below baseline levels within the next 15 years.

The move has support from US industry, which sees it as an opportunity to manufacture and sell their non-HFC refrigerants to the world.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/seat-is-ours-and-will-remain-that-way-france-rubbishes-reports-about-giving-up-unsc-seat-to-eu-414968">Also read |&nbsp;'Seat is ours and will remain that way': France rubbishes reports about giving up UNSC seat to EU</a>

Under the new actions, the government will also&nbsp;crack&nbsp;down&nbsp;on&nbsp;the illegal production and sale of HFCs, and support research into new alternatives.

The reductions would bring the United States in line with commitments called for by a treaty signed in Kigali in 2016, even though the world's number one economy has not yet ratified the deal.&nbsp;

If similar reductions are implemented worldwide, it can prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of planetary heating by the end of this century, Environmental Protection Agency chief Michael Regan told reporters.

The Paris climate accord of 2015 calls for the world to hold warming to 1.5C to avert a future filled with extreme weather events, desertification, mass species extinction and food insecurity.&nbsp;

HFCs were not always considered bad news.

They were first introduced in the 1990s, before their powerful heat-trapping properties were understood, to replace chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that had been found to erode the ozone layer.

President Joe Biden's administration will announce a new rule Thursday drastically cutting the use of a group of powerful greenhouse gases commonly found in refrigerators and air conditioners, officials said.

President Joe Biden's administration will announce a new rule Thursday drastically cutting the use of a group of powerful greenhouse gases commonly found in refrigerators and air conditioners, officials said. The super-pollutants, known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), can be hundreds to thousands times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, exacerbating the climate crisis. A set of new actions unveiled by the government "are expected to reduce emissions by the equivalent of 4.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050," White House national climate advisor Gina McCarthy told reporters. "That's as much as three entire years of emissions from our power sector." Last year, Congress passed a law with support from both Democrats and Republicans to phase down HFCs by 85 percent below baseline levels within the next 15 years. The move has support from US industry, which sees it as an opportunity to manufacture and sell their non-HFC refrigerants to the world. Also read | 'Seat is ours and will remain that way': France rubbishes reports about giving up UNSC seat to EU Under the new actions, the government will also crack down on the illegal production and sale of HFCs, and support research into new alternatives. The reductions would bring the United States in line with commitments called for by a treaty signed in Kigali in 2016, even though the world's number one economy has not yet ratified the deal. If similar reductions are implemented worldwide, it can prevent up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of planetary heating by the end of this century, Environmental Protection Agency chief Michael Regan told reporters. The Paris climate accord of 2015 calls for the world to hold warming to 1.5C to avert a future filled with extreme weather events, desertification, mass species extinction and food insecurity. HFCs were not always considered bad news. They were first introduced in the 1990s, before their powerful heat-trapping properties were understood, to replace chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that had been found to erode the ozone layer.

US to crack down on potent class of greenhouse gases

Prime Minister of India has arrived in the US, and ahead of the QUAD summit, US President Joe Biden to host PM Modi for a bilateral talk. Watch this report for more details.

WION-USA Direct: Ahead of QUAD summit, Biden to host PM Modi for a bilateral talk

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Jordan's King Abdullah said that Israel and Palestine could achieve genuine security only through the two-state solution.

WION-USA Direct: Jordan calls for resolution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomed their new security ties ahead of their bilateral meeting alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.

WION-USA Direct: US President Joe Biden meets Australian PM Scott Morrison on UNGA sidelines

US President Joe Biden used his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly to describe a world where American civic leadership, rather than military power, acts as the driving force to resolve persistent problems like coronavirus, climate change, and cyberwar. WION's Susan Tehrani brings you more on this.

WION-USA Direct: Pandemic and climate crisis are borderless says Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden used his first address before the UN General Assembly to summon allies to move more quickly to address the festering issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses, while insisting that the United States is not seeking "new Cold War” with China.

WION-USA Direct: Joe Biden says US not seeking 'new Cold War' with China

In the summer of 2020, America burnt in the flames of racial inequality. Millions rallied to tell the world that 'Black Lives Matter' Today, a memorial near the White House serves as a symbol of that movement. Here's a Ground Report by Palki Sharma

Gravitas US Edition: Black Lives Matter Movement: A WION Ground Report

Gun violence has plagued America for centuries. More than 100 Americans are killed every day by guns. WION's Palki Sharma travelled through Washington D.C. to find out why America has failed to rein in gun terror. Here's a Ground Report.

Gravitas US Edition: Gun Terror in America: A WION Ground Report

President Joe Biden says his administration is working to get the crisis on the US Southern border under control. Biden made the comment before exiting the United Nations headquarters in New York after declaring that America is back at the international stage. However it is a migrant crisis at the US Southern border that will give Biden the biggest cause of concern.

US Migrant Crisis: Texas Governor slams US President Joe Biden government

As President Joe Biden convenes heads of state for a COVID-19 summit on Wednesday, pressure is growing on American drug companies — particularly Moderna, the upstart biotech firm that developed its coronavirus vaccine with billions of dollars in taxpayer money — to share their formulas with manufacturers in nations that desperately need more shots.

Last year’s successful race to develop vaccines in extraordinarily short order put companies like Moderna and Pfizer in a highly favourable spotlight. But now, with less than 10% of those in many poor nations fully vaccinated and a dearth of doses contributing to millions of deaths, health officials in the United States and abroad are pressing the companies to do more to address the global shortage.

The Biden administration has privately urged both Pfizer and Moderna to enter into joint ventures where they would license their technology to contract manufacturers with the aim of providing vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, according to a senior administration official.

Those talks led to an agreement with Pfizer, announced on Wednesday, to sell the United States an additional 500 million doses of its vaccine at a not-for-profit price — rather than license its technology — to donate overseas.

The discussions with Moderna have not been fruitful, said the official, who expressed deep frustration with the company but requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

A coalition of major drug and vaccine manufacturers in developing countries around the world is drafting an appeal to Biden asking him to press the companies more aggressively to share the formulations and processes used to make their vaccines.

The World Health Organization has also had trouble getting Moderna to the negotiating table, according to Dr Martin Friede, a WHO official, and Charles Gore, who runs a United Nations-backed nonprofit organization, Medicines Patent Pool. Both are working with a WHO-backed technology transfer hub in South Africa to set up to teach manufacturers from developing countries how to make mRNA vaccines, a new type of vaccine technology used by both American companies.

“We would love to get a discussion with Moderna, about a license to their intellectual property. This would make life so much simpler, but for the moment all attempts have resulted in no reply,” Friede said.

At Wednesday’s virtual summit, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Biden will convene heads of state, drug company executives, philanthropic groups and nongovernmental organizations to encourage them to work together toward vaccinating 70% of the world’s population by this time next year, according to a draft document the White House sent to the summit participants.

Global health advocates say Moderna has a special obligation to share its technology because its vaccine relies in part on technology developed by the National Institutes of Health, and because the company accepted $2.5 billion from the federal government as part of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s fast-track vaccine initiative.

A Moderna spokesperson, Colleen Hussey, said in an email message Tuesday night that the company had agreed not to enforce its COVID-related patents and was “willing to license our intellectual property for COVID-19 vaccines to others for the post-pandemic period.”

But advocates say the world needs Moderna’s know-how now — not after the pandemic is over.

While sharing the vaccine “recipe” is a vital first step, it is not in and of itself enough to allow for the swift and efficient setup of new mRNA manufacturing locations, said Alain Alsalhani, a vaccines expert with Doctors Without Borders’ access-to-medicines campaign.

“You need someone to share all the process, because it’s a new technology,” he said. “One of the problems we have is that the scientific literature about industrial-scale manufacturing of mRNA vaccines is so slim. This is why it’s not just about a recipe, it’s about an active and full tech transfer.”

Pfizer, in an emailed statement, noted that it and its partner, BioNTech, had signed a letter of intent, announced last month, with the South African biopharmaceutical company Biovac, which is part of the South African hub, to manufacture Pfizer’s vaccine for African nations. But Biovac will only bottle the vaccine, which does not necessitate sharing the formula. The actual “drug substance” will be made in Europe.

Some pharmaceutical executives have suggested the South African hub may not be ready to manufacture vaccines. But a recent site visit by WHO officials found that both Afrigen, the hub’s teaching facility, and Biovac are both “fit for purpose,” according to a summary of the visit, obtained by The New York Times. The summary said Afrigen’s team is “competent and experienced” and has developed a plan for a “robust mRNA vaccine production process, which will be transferred to Biovac.”

In the absence of voluntary cooperation from the companies, some legal experts and global health advocates say the Biden administration could attempt to force them to share their intellectual property, using the powers of the Defense Production Act, a 1950 law that gives the president broad power over American companies in emergency situations.

Lawrence O. Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said Biden could declare the pandemic a national security threat, which would enable him to “require companies to sign technology transfer contracts in exchange for reasonable compensation,” from either the federal government or manufacturing partners.

“Moderna accepted substantial federal funding under Operation Warp Speed and both Pfizer and Moderna benefited from NIH dollars for the basic research over a decade for mRNA technology,” Gostin said, adding that the companies “hold a special social and ethical responsibility to share that technology for the benefit of the world.”

Biden administration officials say that forcing the companies to act is not as simple as it sounds, and that an effort to compel them to share their technology would invariably lead to a drawn-out legal battle, which would be counterproductive.

Pfizer and Moderna executives have said that the mRNA production process is so complex, and that there are so few people with experience in it available, that setting up new operations in other parts of the world would not be feasible and could not happen quickly enough to be useful. They say that their combined manufacturing will produce more than enough vaccines to meet global need by the middle of next year and that the fastest way to address vaccine inequity would be through distribution of donated doses.

But some pharmaceutical manufacturing experts and drug-access advocates argue that the events of the past 18 months make it clear that manufacturing in developing countries is going to be crucial to ensuring equitable access.

Many of the donated doses bound for use in Africa, for example, were meant to come from the Serum Institute of India. But five months ago, the Indian government blocked the company from exporting any vaccines, ordering that the supply instead be directed to trying to stanch a raging second COVID wave in that country. (India now says it will allow exports to resume next month.)

“We keep hearing, ‘The vaccines are coming, the vaccines are coming,’ but 3 million people have died since the Pfizer vaccine was first authorized by the FDA,” said Zain Rizvi, an expert on access to medicines with the advocacy organization Public Citizen.

Moderna and Pfizer have a direct financial interest in keeping their technology to themselves and guarding a competitive advantage not just in the sale of COVID vaccines, which are on track to bring in more than $53 billion in revenue this year, but also other potentially lucrative mRNA vaccines in development, such as one for cancer, HIV and malaria, he said, adding, “They don’t want to stand up a future competitor.”

The coalition of drugmakers in developing countries that is drafting an appeal to Biden plans to ask the U.S. government to pressure companies for several things: a license for the intellectual property, a license for the technology involved in the manufacturing of the vaccines, the provision of items such as cell lines and assistance in acquiring vital but scarce equipment.

In exchange for sharing its process, Moderna would be compensated with a licensing fee, a percentage of each dose sold.

Even without Moderna’s cooperation, WHO says its tech transfer hub in South Africa will focus on trying to replicate as closely as possible the Moderna formula, as the gold standard against which to compare candidates from other biotechnology companies, and then teach any manufacturer who wants to make it how to do so at scale.

“If we had Moderna or BioNTech with us, we could get to an approved vaccine in 18 months, but without them we have to go through full development — so it’s 36 months if everything goes perfectly, but it could be longer,” said Friede, who heads the WHO’s Initiative for Vaccine Research.

Pfizer and Moderna are at a pivotal moment where they can decide what role they want to play in the process, he said. “I’ve made many successful vaccines; with me I have other people who have made successful vaccines,” he said. “What we are actually saying is: ‘We’re going to do this. So you can come in and try and maintain some control by actually producing vaccines locally, or we’re going to do it without you. And then you’ve lost control’.”

As President Joe Biden convenes heads of state for a COVID-19 summit on Wednesday, pressure is growing on American drug companies — particularly Moderna, the upstart biotech firm that developed its coronavirus vaccine with billions of dollars in taxpayer money — to share their formulas with manufacturers in nations that desperately need more shots.

As President Joe Biden convenes heads of state for a COVID-19 summit on Wednesday, pressure is growing on American drug companies — particularly Moderna, the upstart biotech firm that developed its coronavirus vaccine with billions of dollars in taxpayer money — to share their formulas with manufacturers in nations that desperately need more shots. Last year’s successful race to develop vaccines in extraordinarily short order put companies like Moderna and Pfizer in a highly favourable spotlight. But now, with less than 10% of those in many poor nations fully vaccinated and a dearth of doses contributing to millions of deaths, health officials in the United States and abroad are pressing the companies to do more to address the global shortage. The Biden administration has privately urged both Pfizer and Moderna to enter into joint ventures where they would license their technology to contract manufacturers with the aim of providing vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, according to a senior administration official. Those talks led to an agreement with Pfizer, announced on Wednesday, to sell the United States an additional 500 million doses of its vaccine at a not-for-profit price — rather than license its technology — to donate overseas. The discussions with Moderna have not been fruitful, said the official, who expressed deep frustration with the company but requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information. A coalition of major drug and vaccine manufacturers in developing countries around the world is drafting an appeal to Biden asking him to press the companies more aggressively to share the formulations and processes used to make their vaccines. The World Health Organization has also had trouble getting Moderna to the negotiating table, according to Dr Martin Friede, a WHO official, and Charles Gore, who runs a United Nations-backed nonprofit organization, Medicines Patent Pool. Both are working with a WHO-backed technology transfer hub in South Africa to set up to teach manufacturers from developing countries how to make mRNA vaccines, a new type of vaccine technology used by both American companies. “We would love to get a discussion with Moderna, about a license to their intellectual property. This would make life so much simpler, but for the moment all attempts have resulted in no reply,” Friede said. At Wednesday’s virtual summit, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Biden will convene heads of state, drug company executives, philanthropic groups and nongovernmental organizations to encourage them to work together toward vaccinating 70% of the world’s population by this time next year, according to a draft document the White House sent to the summit participants. Global health advocates say Moderna has a special obligation to share its technology because its vaccine relies in part on technology developed by the National Institutes of Health, and because the company accepted $2.5 billion from the federal government as part of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s fast-track vaccine initiative. A Moderna spokesperson, Colleen Hussey, said in an email message Tuesday night that the company had agreed not to enforce its COVID-related patents and was “willing to license our intellectual property for COVID-19 vaccines to others for the post-pandemic period.” But advocates say the world needs Moderna’s know-how now — not after the pandemic is over. While sharing the vaccine “recipe” is a vital first step, it is not in and of itself enough to allow for the swift and efficient setup of new mRNA manufacturing locations, said Alain Alsalhani, a vaccines expert with Doctors Without Borders’ access-to-medicines campaign. “You need someone to share all the process, because it’s a new technology,” he said. “One of the problems we have is that the scientific literature about industrial-scale manufacturing of mRNA vaccines is so slim. This is why it’s not just about a recipe, it’s about an active and full tech transfer.” Pfizer, in an emailed statement, noted that it and its partner, BioNTech, had signed a letter of intent, announced last month, with the South African biopharmaceutical company Biovac, which is part of the South African hub, to manufacture Pfizer’s vaccine for African nations. But Biovac will only bottle the vaccine, which does not necessitate sharing the formula. The actual “drug substance” will be made in Europe. Some pharmaceutical executives have suggested the South African hub may not be ready to manufacture vaccines. But a recent site visit by WHO officials found that both Afrigen, the hub’s teaching facility, and Biovac are both “fit for purpose,” according to a summary of the visit, obtained by The New York Times. The summary said Afrigen’s team is “competent and experienced” and has developed a plan for a “robust mRNA vaccine production process, which will be transferred to Biovac.” In the absence of voluntary cooperation from the companies, some legal experts and global health advocates say the Biden administration could attempt to force them to share their intellectual property, using the powers of the Defense Production Act, a 1950 law that gives the president broad power over American companies in emergency situations. Lawrence O. Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said Biden could declare the pandemic a national security threat, which would enable him to “require companies to sign technology transfer contracts in exchange for reasonable compensation,” from either the federal government or manufacturing partners. “Moderna accepted substantial federal funding under Operation Warp Speed and both Pfizer and Moderna benefited from NIH dollars for the basic research over a decade for mRNA technology,” Gostin said, adding that the companies “hold a special social and ethical responsibility to share that technology for the benefit of the world.” Biden administration officials say that forcing the companies to act is not as simple as it sounds, and that an effort to compel them to share their technology would invariably lead to a drawn-out legal battle, which would be counterproductive. Pfizer and Moderna executives have said that the mRNA production process is so complex, and that there are so few people with experience in it available, that setting up new operations in other parts of the world would not be feasible and could not happen quickly enough to be useful. They say that their combined manufacturing will produce more than enough vaccines to meet global need by the middle of next year and that the fastest way to address vaccine inequity would be through distribution of donated doses. But some pharmaceutical manufacturing experts and drug-access advocates argue that the events of the past 18 months make it clear that manufacturing in developing countries is going to be crucial to ensuring equitable access. Many of the donated doses bound for use in Africa, for example, were meant to come from the Serum Institute of India. But five months ago, the Indian government blocked the company from exporting any vaccines, ordering that the supply instead be directed to trying to stanch a raging second COVID wave in that country. (India now says it will allow exports to resume next month.) “We keep hearing, ‘The vaccines are coming, the vaccines are coming,’ but 3 million people have died since the Pfizer vaccine was first authorized by the FDA,” said Zain Rizvi, an expert on access to medicines with the advocacy organization Public Citizen. Moderna and Pfizer have a direct financial interest in keeping their technology to themselves and guarding a competitive advantage not just in the sale of COVID vaccines, which are on track to bring in more than $53 billion in revenue this year, but also other potentially lucrative mRNA vaccines in development, such as one for cancer, HIV and malaria, he said, adding, “They don’t want to stand up a future competitor.” The coalition of drugmakers in developing countries that is drafting an appeal to Biden plans to ask the U.S. government to pressure companies for several things: a license for the intellectual property, a license for the technology involved in the manufacturing of the vaccines, the provision of items such as cell lines and assistance in acquiring vital but scarce equipment. In exchange for sharing its process, Moderna would be compensated with a licensing fee, a percentage of each dose sold. Even without Moderna’s cooperation, WHO says its tech transfer hub in South Africa will focus on trying to replicate as closely as possible the Moderna formula, as the gold standard against which to compare candidates from other biotechnology companies, and then teach any manufacturer who wants to make it how to do so at scale. “If we had Moderna or BioNTech with us, we could get to an approved vaccine in 18 months, but without them we have to go through full development — so it’s 36 months if everything goes perfectly, but it could be longer,” said Friede, who heads the WHO’s Initiative for Vaccine Research. Pfizer and Moderna are at a pivotal moment where they can decide what role they want to play in the process, he said. “I’ve made many successful vaccines; with me I have other people who have made successful vaccines,” he said. “What we are actually saying is: ‘We’re going to do this. So you can come in and try and maintain some control by actually producing vaccines locally, or we’re going to do it without you. And then you’ve lost control’.”

Pressure grows on US companies to share Covid vaccine technology

US President Joe Biden hosted a virtual summit with world leaders on Wednesday, to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, a day after his address at the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

US President Joe Biden hosts virtual COVID-19 summit on UNGA sidelines

US President Joe Biden is all set to host a virtual COVID-19 summit on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The aim of the summit is to rally world leaders, health professionals, experts, NGOs with a singular message to end the pandemic by 2022.

Joe Biden to hold virtual COVID-19 summit, push for ending pandemic 'together'

The Taliban, which recently took power in Afghanistan, have reportedly asked the United Nations to allow their foreign minister to represent the country and deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly that is currently being held in New York.

Afghanistan's Taliban wants to address the UN General Assembly meeting this week

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries.

The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said

“The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. "

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-engaged-in-new-cold-war-with-rivals-china-and-russia-say-most-europeans-in-poll-414905">US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll &nbsp;</a>

The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses.

On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries.

The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders.

They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/changing-a-lot-of-nappies-uk-pm-boris-johnson-admits-he-has-6-children-414871">'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children</a>

Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said.

These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million doses of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House. “This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said “The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. " Also read | US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses. On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries. The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders. They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa. Also read | 'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said. These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden pledges to donate 500 million vaccines to other nations

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries.

The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said

“The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. "

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-engaged-in-new-cold-war-with-rivals-china-and-russia-say-most-europeans-in-poll-414905">US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll &nbsp;</a>

The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses.

On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries.

The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders.

They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/changing-a-lot-of-nappies-uk-pm-boris-johnson-admits-he-has-6-children-414871">'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children</a>

Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said.

These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House.

United States President Joe Biden has pledged to buy 500 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines and donate it lower-income countries. The announcement from Biden came during a COVID-19 summit of world leaders that was held virtually from the White House. “This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis. America will become the arsenal for vaccines as we were the arsenal for democracy in World War II,” Biden said “The US has already shipped 160 million of these doses to 100 countries. For every one shot we’ve put in an American arm to date, we are now donating three shots globally,” the White House said in a statement. " Also read | US engaged in new cold war with rivals China and Russia, say most Europeans in poll The US and other wealthy countries have been criticized by the World Health Organization for their plans to roll out booster shots for elderly and high-risk populations, while much of the world faces a severe shortage in doses. On Tuesday, in his first speech to the UN as president, Biden told delegates that the United States had put more than $15 billion towards the global Covid response and shipped more than 160 million doses to other countries. The summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, saw Biden and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield hosting a wide variety of health and foreign leaders. They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the heads of Britain, Canada, the European Union, Indonesia, and South Africa. Also read | 'Changing a lot of nappies': UK PM Boris Johnson admits he has 6 children Washington will seek to rally the world around three goals, the administration official said. These are: increasing vaccine supply; saving lives now by resolving the oxygen crisis and access to testing, medicine and therapeutics; and lastly improving future preparedness. (With inputs from agencies)

US President Biden pledges to donate 500 million vaccines to 'low-income nations'

In his debut address at the UNGA, US President Joe Biden detailed his vision for leading the United States to a new era of diplomacy.

US President Joe Biden calls for diplomacy, not conflict at UNGA

America's botch-up in Afghanistan has derailed the fight against terrorism. How will South Asia deal with an unstable Afghanistan? Palki Sharma discusses with a special panel of guests.

Gravitas US Edition: How should South Asia deal with an unstable Afghanistan?

Top EU official Charles Michel has accused Joe Biden of disloyalty over the AUKUS deal. With Europe backing France's position, is the transatlantic partnership facing a new challenge? What happened to Biden's promise of reviving alliances? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas US Edition: Europe rebels against Biden over AUKUS

More than 600,000 white flags have been planted at the National Mall as a tribute to America's COVID-19 victims. The death toll has now crossed that of the Spanish Flu in 1918. How did the world's most advanced nation succumb to a virus? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas US Edition: India v/s US: The vaccination story

At the UN, President Joe Biden declared that the US is opening an era of relentless diplomacy in Afghanistan. But, countries in South Asia are facing the consequences. Today, India seizes $2.7 billion of heroin from Afghanistan in Gujarat. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas US Edition: India seizes $2.7 billion of heroin from Afghanistan in Gujarat

United States President Joe Biden made his debut at the 76th session of the UNGA. Biden's stressed on the fact that US is not seeking a new cold war acknowledge the increasing concerns about rising US china tensions as well.

WION-USA Direct | Biden: Quad to work on climate change and health security

US President Joe Biden hosted UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the White House after both of them address the UN General Assembly. Watch this report to know more.

WION-USA Direct: UK PM Boris Johnson visits the White House amid row with France

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for a visit to the United States on Wednesday. PM Modi and US President Joe Biden will meet on Friday for their first in-person discussion at the White House. The Indian PM will also address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25.

Modi-Biden meet: Both leaders to discuss trade, defence and clean energy

Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi speaks at the 76th general debate at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

WION-USA Direct: Ebrahim Raisi slams the United States in maiden UNGA address

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