China's mission to the European Union urged NATO on Tuesday to stop exaggerating the 'China threat theory' after the group's leaders warned that the country presents 'systemic challenges'. 
 
NATO leaders on Monday had taken a forceful stance towards Beijing in a communique at United States President Joe Biden's first summit with the alliance. 
 
"China's stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security," NATO leaders had said. 
 
The new US&nbsp;president has urged his fellow NATO leaders to stand up to China's authoritarianism and growing military might, a change of focus for an alliance created to defend Europe from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. 
 
The NATO statement 'slandered' China's peaceful development, misjudged the international situation, and indicated a 'Cold War mentality',&nbsp;said China's response, posted on the mission's website. 
 
China is always committed to peaceful development, it said. 
 
"We will not pose a 'systemic challenge' to anyone, but if anyone wants to pose a 'systemic challenge' to us, we will not remain indifferent." 
 
G7 nations meeting in Britain over the weekend scolded China over human rights in its Xinjiang region, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy and demanded a full investigation of the origins of the coronavirus in China. 
 
China's embassy in London said it was resolutely opposed to mentions of Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which it said distorted the facts and exposed the 'sinister intentions of a few countries such as the United States'.

China's mission to the European Union urged NATO on Tuesday to stop exaggerating the 'China threat theory' after the group's leaders warned that the country presents 'systemic challenges'.

China's mission to the European Union urged NATO on Tuesday to stop exaggerating the 'China threat theory' after the group's leaders warned that the country presents 'systemic challenges'. NATO leaders on Monday had taken a forceful stance towards Beijing in a communique at United States President Joe Biden's first summit with the alliance. "China's stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security," NATO leaders had said. The new US president has urged his fellow NATO leaders to stand up to China's authoritarianism and growing military might, a change of focus for an alliance created to defend Europe from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The NATO statement 'slandered' China's peaceful development, misjudged the international situation, and indicated a 'Cold War mentality', said China's response, posted on the mission's website. China is always committed to peaceful development, it said. "We will not pose a 'systemic challenge' to anyone, but if anyone wants to pose a 'systemic challenge' to us, we will not remain indifferent." G7 nations meeting in Britain over the weekend scolded China over human rights in its Xinjiang region, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy and demanded a full investigation of the origins of the coronavirus in China. China's embassy in London said it was resolutely opposed to mentions of Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which it said distorted the facts and exposed the 'sinister intentions of a few countries such as the United States'.

China urges NATO to stop exaggerating 'China threat theory'

A US&nbsp;aircraft carrier group led by the USS Ronald Reagan has entered the South China Sea as part of a routine mission, the US&nbsp;Navy said on Tuesday, at a time of rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, which claims most the disputed waterway. 
 
China frequently objects to US&nbsp;military missions in the South China Sea saying they do not help promote peace or stability, and the announcement follows China blasting the Group of Seven nations for a statement scolding Beijing over a range of issues. 
 
"While in the South China Sea, the strike group is conducting maritime security operations, which include flight operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft, maritime strike exercises, and coordinated tactical training between surface and air units," the US&nbsp;Navy said. 
 
"Carrier operations in the South China Sea are part of the US&nbsp;Navy's routine presence in the Indo-Pacific." 
 
The carrier is being accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh and the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey, it added. 
 
China has ramped up its military presence in the South China Sea in recent years, including building artificial islands and air bases. 
 
The South China Sea has become one of many flashpoints in the testy relationship between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls unlawful territorial claims by Beijing in the resource-rich waters. 
 
US&nbsp;warships have passed through the South China Sea with increasing frequency in recent years, in a show of force against the Chinese claims.

A US aircraft carrier group led by the USS Ronald Reagan has entered the South China Sea as part of a routine mission, the US Navy said on Tuesday, at a time of rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, which claims most the disputed waterway.

A US aircraft carrier group led by the USS Ronald Reagan has entered the South China Sea as part of a routine mission, the US Navy said on Tuesday, at a time of rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, which claims most the disputed waterway. China frequently objects to US military missions in the South China Sea saying they do not help promote peace or stability, and the announcement follows China blasting the Group of Seven nations for a statement scolding Beijing over a range of issues. "While in the South China Sea, the strike group is conducting maritime security operations, which include flight operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft, maritime strike exercises, and coordinated tactical training between surface and air units," the US Navy said. "Carrier operations in the South China Sea are part of the US Navy's routine presence in the Indo-Pacific." The carrier is being accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh and the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey, it added. China has ramped up its military presence in the South China Sea in recent years, including building artificial islands and air bases. The South China Sea has become one of many flashpoints in the testy relationship between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls unlawful territorial claims by Beijing in the resource-rich waters. US warships have passed through the South China Sea with increasing frequency in recent years, in a show of force against the Chinese claims.

US Navy says carrier group operating in South China Sea

The United States passed 6,00,000 Covid-19 deaths on Monday, about 15 per cent of the world's total coronavirus fatalities of around 40 lakh

US crosses grim milestone of 600,000 covid-19 deaths

Ahead of the Wednesday’s Biden-Putin summit, US President Joe Biden says he will lay down 'red lines' to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in their meeting, calling him 'tough' and 'a worthy adversary'.&nbsp;

When a reporter asked if he still believes Putin is 'a killer', Biden didn't immediately answer. The question was asked at a news conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels.&nbsp;

But he issued a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny would hurt Russia’s relationships with the rest of the world.&nbsp;

“Navalny’s death would be another indication that Russia has little or no intention of abiding by basic fundamental human rights,” said Biden.&nbsp;

Biden-Putin meet&nbsp;

Biden will meet Putin for the first time since becoming president in Geneva summit. He has also declined to say how he'll measure the success of the meeting.&nbsp;

As US president prepares to meet one on one with Putin, the White House insists that the Geneva summit does not amount to a reward for Russian president, placing him on a par with the United States.&nbsp;

The meeting will actually be a businesslike review of the bilateral relationship. US president will raise several pressing concerns but will also seek areas where Russia and the United States can work together.&nbsp;

US President also said the NATO alliance remains 'strong', adding that Russia and China 'are seeking to drive a wedge in transatlantic solidarity'. &nbsp;

From Ukraine&nbsp;

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky Monday said US President Joe Biden should have met him before his high-profile summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin as they could resolve nothing on Ukraine without Kiev at the table.&nbsp;

The 43-year-old leader spoke to journalists as the US and Russian presidents prepare to hold their first summit meeting in Geneva on Wednesday. "It would be better to have this meeting before the summit of the two presidents," Zelensky said in an interview.&nbsp;

Transatlantic ties&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden will intensify efforts to renew transatlantic relations on Tuesday, meeting with European Union leaders to cool trade tensions and join forces to beat COVID-19, uphold democracy and hold back climate change.&nbsp;

Biden's summit in Brussels with the presidents of the EU's executive and the Council that represents the bloc's 27 member states is also expected to affirm Western solidarity in the face of the assertiveness of both Russia and China.&nbsp;

Congratulates Bennett &nbsp;

US President Joe Biden on Sunday called incoming Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and congratulated him. An alliance of parties led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid on Sunday ousted Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and ended his 12-year rule. Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving premier of Israel.&nbsp;

"I congratulate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and all the members of the new Israeli cabinet," Biden said in a statement issued shortly before the call.&nbsp;

Syria Libya tangle&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden on Monday (Indian time) appeared to mistake Syria for Libya at news conference after G7 summit in the UK. He appeared to make the mistake twice.&nbsp;

He was describing how the US and Russia can work together for the welfare of people of Libya (instead of Syria). In Syria, both US and Russia are involved in a decade-long civil conflict.&nbsp;

Talks with Erdoğan&nbsp;

Biden also met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels. He told members of the press that the two 'had a very good meeting’, but refused to answer any other reporter questions during a quick photo opportunity following the discussion.&nbsp;

Ahead of the meeting, Erdogan said talks with Biden would be 'very broad' but he focused on the dispute over Ankara's acquisition of a Russian air defence system, which led to Turkey being removed from the F-35 fighter programme and sanctions on defence industry officials.&nbsp;

The US says the S-400 missiles, which Turkey purchased in 2019, pose a threat to NATO's integrated air defence and has demanded Ankara abandon the $2.5 billion system.&nbsp;

He also described Biden's recognition of the killings of Armenian Ottoman citizens during World War I as genocide in April as 'very negative' and an 'approach that has seriously upset us’. Turkey denies the deportations and massacres that began in 1915 and killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenians amounted to genocide.&nbsp;

Tackling China &nbsp;

The US president has urged his fellow NATO leaders to stand up to China's authoritarianism and growing military might, a change of focus for an alliance created to defend Europe from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.&nbsp;

The language in the summit's final communique, which will now set the path for alliance policy, comes a day after the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations issued a statement on human rights in China and Taiwan that Beijing said slandered its reputation.&nbsp;

Capitol Riots&nbsp;

President Joe Biden says US allies were 'shocked' and 'surprised' by the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, but they nevertheless are unconcerned about American leadership on the world stage. Biden also urged Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as the country approaches a milestone of 600,000 deaths.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of the Wednesday’s Biden-Putin summit, US President Joe Biden says he will lay down 'red lines' to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in their meeting, calling him 'tough' and 'a worthy adversary'.

Ahead of the Wednesday’s Biden-Putin summit, US President Joe Biden says he will lay down 'red lines' to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in their meeting, calling him 'tough' and 'a worthy adversary'. When a reporter asked if he still believes Putin is 'a killer', Biden didn't immediately answer. The question was asked at a news conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels. But he issued a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin that the death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny would hurt Russia’s relationships with the rest of the world. “Navalny’s death would be another indication that Russia has little or no intention of abiding by basic fundamental human rights,” said Biden. Biden-Putin meet Biden will meet Putin for the first time since becoming president in Geneva summit. He has also declined to say how he'll measure the success of the meeting. As US president prepares to meet one on one with Putin, the White House insists that the Geneva summit does not amount to a reward for Russian president, placing him on a par with the United States. The meeting will actually be a businesslike review of the bilateral relationship. US president will raise several pressing concerns but will also seek areas where Russia and the United States can work together. US President also said the NATO alliance remains 'strong', adding that Russia and China 'are seeking to drive a wedge in transatlantic solidarity'. From Ukraine Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky Monday said US President Joe Biden should have met him before his high-profile summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin as they could resolve nothing on Ukraine without Kiev at the table. The 43-year-old leader spoke to journalists as the US and Russian presidents prepare to hold their first summit meeting in Geneva on Wednesday. "It would be better to have this meeting before the summit of the two presidents," Zelensky said in an interview. Transatlantic ties US President Joe Biden will intensify efforts to renew transatlantic relations on Tuesday, meeting with European Union leaders to cool trade tensions and join forces to beat COVID-19, uphold democracy and hold back climate change. Biden's summit in Brussels with the presidents of the EU's executive and the Council that represents the bloc's 27 member states is also expected to affirm Western solidarity in the face of the assertiveness of both Russia and China. Congratulates Bennett US President Joe Biden on Sunday called incoming Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and congratulated him. An alliance of parties led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid on Sunday ousted Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and ended his 12-year rule. Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest-serving premier of Israel. "I congratulate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and all the members of the new Israeli cabinet," Biden said in a statement issued shortly before the call. Syria Libya tangle US President Joe Biden on Monday (Indian time) appeared to mistake Syria for Libya at news conference after G7 summit in the UK. He appeared to make the mistake twice. He was describing how the US and Russia can work together for the welfare of people of Libya (instead of Syria). In Syria, both US and Russia are involved in a decade-long civil conflict. Talks with Erdoğan Biden also met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels. He told members of the press that the two 'had a very good meeting’, but refused to answer any other reporter questions during a quick photo opportunity following the discussion. Ahead of the meeting, Erdogan said talks with Biden would be 'very broad' but he focused on the dispute over Ankara's acquisition of a Russian air defence system, which led to Turkey being removed from the F-35 fighter programme and sanctions on defence industry officials. The US says the S-400 missiles, which Turkey purchased in 2019, pose a threat to NATO's integrated air defence and has demanded Ankara abandon the $2.5 billion system. He also described Biden's recognition of the killings of Armenian Ottoman citizens during World War I as genocide in April as 'very negative' and an 'approach that has seriously upset us’. Turkey denies the deportations and massacres that began in 1915 and killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenians amounted to genocide. Tackling China The US president has urged his fellow NATO leaders to stand up to China's authoritarianism and growing military might, a change of focus for an alliance created to defend Europe from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The language in the summit's final communique, which will now set the path for alliance policy, comes a day after the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations issued a statement on human rights in China and Taiwan that Beijing said slandered its reputation. Capitol Riots President Joe Biden says US allies were 'shocked' and 'surprised' by the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, but they nevertheless are unconcerned about American leadership on the world stage. Biden also urged Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as the country approaches a milestone of 600,000 deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden looks to strengthen relationships, tackle adversaries

The US and the European Union are expected to support a renewed push into investigating the origins of Covid-19 after conflicting assessments about where the outbreak started

After US and EU, UK calls for probe into Covid origins

Taiwan will be a 'force for good' and continue to seek even greater international support, the presidential office said, after the Chinese-claimed island won unprecedented backing from the Group of Seven of major democracies. 
 
The G7 leaders on Sunday scolded China over human rights in Xinjiang, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. 
 
Taiwan presidential office spokesman Xavier Chang said this was the first time the G7 leaders' communique has stressed the importance of peace and stability in the strait and first time since its founding there was 'content friendly to Taiwan', expressing deep thanks for the support. 
 
Taiwan and G7 member countries share basic values, such as democracy, freedom, and human rights, he added. 
 
"Taiwan will certainly adhere to its role as a responsible member of the region, and it will also firmly defend the democratic system and safeguard shared universal values," Chang said. 
 
Taiwan will continue to deepen its partnership with G7 states and other like-minded countries and strive for greater support from the international community, he said. 
 
Taiwan will also 'firmly contribute the greatest force for good' for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, Chang added. 
 
China has stepped up its pressure against democratically-run Taiwan in recent months, with regular military drills near the island as it tries to assert Beijing's sovereignty. 
 
While most countries, including G7 members, have no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the grouping along with other Western allies have been bolstering their backing for the island. 
 
That includes calling for Taiwan to be given proper access to the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic. Taiwan is not a member due to Chinese objections, which considers it merely one of its provinces with no right to the trappings of a state. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan will be a 'force for good' and continue to seek even greater international support, the presidential office said, after the Chinese-claimed island won unprecedented backing from the Group of Seven of major democracies.

Taiwan will be a 'force for good' and continue to seek even greater international support, the presidential office said, after the Chinese-claimed island won unprecedented backing from the Group of Seven of major democracies. The G7 leaders on Sunday scolded China over human rights in Xinjiang, called for Hong Kong to keep a high degree of autonomy and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan presidential office spokesman Xavier Chang said this was the first time the G7 leaders' communique has stressed the importance of peace and stability in the strait and first time since its founding there was 'content friendly to Taiwan', expressing deep thanks for the support. Taiwan and G7 member countries share basic values, such as democracy, freedom, and human rights, he added. "Taiwan will certainly adhere to its role as a responsible member of the region, and it will also firmly defend the democratic system and safeguard shared universal values," Chang said. Taiwan will continue to deepen its partnership with G7 states and other like-minded countries and strive for greater support from the international community, he said. Taiwan will also 'firmly contribute the greatest force for good' for peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, Chang added. China has stepped up its pressure against democratically-run Taiwan in recent months, with regular military drills near the island as it tries to assert Beijing's sovereignty. While most countries, including G7 members, have no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the grouping along with other Western allies have been bolstering their backing for the island. That includes calling for Taiwan to be given proper access to the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic. Taiwan is not a member due to Chinese objections, which considers it merely one of its provinces with no right to the trappings of a state. (With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan says will be 'force for good' after unprecedented G7 support

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he expects this week's summit with US President Joe Biden will help establish constructive dialogues between the two countries. Putin also added that Russia would be ready to hand over cybercriminals to the United States if Washington did the same for Moscow.

Putin says Russia ready to handover cybercriminals to US

Western states in the US have been dealing with the increase in wildfires. Environmentalists have been concerned about the toxin chemicals released from burned homes into the soil. A non-profit organization in California is using mushrooms to clean up the environment. WION brings you a report.

Fighting the impact of US wildfires with mushrooms

Lithuania told a summit of NATO leaders on Monday that Russia was trying to 'swallow' Belarus and that the Western military alliance needed to be united in deterring Moscow. 
 
"Belarus is losing the last elements of the independence, and those trends are very dangerous," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on arriving to the talks. 
 
"I would expect that (US) President Biden will send a very clear message about the decisiveness and unity of NATO, and will react with very clear messages to what is happening," he said, adding that NATO won't have closer ties with Russia for as long as Moscow does not change its course.

Recently,&nbsp;according to the Russian military, the country's defence forces started large-scale drills in the central part of the Pacific Ocean.

The Russian defence ministry said, "an operational exercise of the fleet’s combined arms forces is running in the distant maritime zone."

The Russian military exercise involves submarines and missile cruiser including the anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Panteleyev and the MiG-31 interceptor.

Russia has sent twenty warships including support vessels for the exercise along with the frigate "Marshal Shaposhnikov". The Russian navy will also showcase the Tu-142mz long-range anti-submarine aircraft during the exercise.

The Russian defence military's move comes as NATO launched one of its biggest air and missile exercise named “At-Sea-Demo/Formidable Shield” involving ten nations off Norway and Scotland last month.

NATO said part of the exercise was to 'detect and track' missiles at 20,000 km per hour.

"Ships will also defend against an array of anti-ship and other sub and supersonic missiles," NATO declared.

The NATO exercise ended on June 3 as several nations including France, Germany, Italy, UK, the US and Belgium took part.

Lithuania told a summit of NATO leaders on Monday that Russia was trying to 'swallow' Belarus and that the Western military alliance needed to be united in deterring Moscow.

Lithuania told a summit of NATO leaders on Monday that Russia was trying to 'swallow' Belarus and that the Western military alliance needed to be united in deterring Moscow. "Belarus is losing the last elements of the independence, and those trends are very dangerous," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on arriving to the talks. "I would expect that (US) President Biden will send a very clear message about the decisiveness and unity of NATO, and will react with very clear messages to what is happening," he said, adding that NATO won't have closer ties with Russia for as long as Moscow does not change its course. Recently, according to the Russian military, the country's defence forces started large-scale drills in the central part of the Pacific Ocean. The Russian defence ministry said, "an operational exercise of the fleet’s combined arms forces is running in the distant maritime zone." The Russian military exercise involves submarines and missile cruiser including the anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Panteleyev and the MiG-31 interceptor. Russia has sent twenty warships including support vessels for the exercise along with the frigate "Marshal Shaposhnikov". The Russian navy will also showcase the Tu-142mz long-range anti-submarine aircraft during the exercise. The Russian defence military's move comes as NATO launched one of its biggest air and missile exercise named “At-Sea-Demo/Formidable Shield” involving ten nations off Norway and Scotland last month. NATO said part of the exercise was to 'detect and track' missiles at 20,000 km per hour. "Ships will also defend against an array of anti-ship and other sub and supersonic missiles," NATO declared. The NATO exercise ended on June 3 as several nations including France, Germany, Italy, UK, the US and Belgium took part.

At NATO, Lithuania says Russia trying to 'swallow' Belarus

US&nbsp;citizen Nathan Maung has been released from detention in Myanmar and is due to fly out of the country on Tuesday, his lawyer Tin Zar Oo told Reuters. 
 
A court dismissed the case against the editor at Kamayut Media after the plaintiff withdrew the lawsuit, Tin Zar Oo said on Monday. 
 
The United States had expressed concern over the detention of Nathan Maung and another US&nbsp;citizen, Daniel Fenster, by the military authorities in the Southeast Asian country.

US citizen Nathan Maung has been released from detention in Myanmar and is due to fly out of the country on Tuesday, his lawyer Tin Zar Oo told Reuters. A court dismissed the case against the editor at Kamayut Media after the plaintiff withdrew the lawsuit, Tin Zar Oo said on Monday.

US citizen Nathan Maung has been released from detention in Myanmar and is due to fly out of the country on Tuesday, his lawyer Tin Zar Oo told Reuters. A court dismissed the case against the editor at Kamayut Media after the plaintiff withdrew the lawsuit, Tin Zar Oo said on Monday. The United States had expressed concern over the detention of Nathan Maung and another US citizen, Daniel Fenster, by the military authorities in the Southeast Asian country.

US journalist Nathan Maung released from detention in Myanmar: Lawyer

It sounds like a real-life take on "Pinocchio" -- a US lobster fisherman says he was scooped into the mouth of a&nbsp;humpback&nbsp;whale Friday and yet lived to tell the story.&nbsp;

"I was in his closed mouth for about 30 to 40 seconds before he rose to the surface and spit me out," Michael Packard wrote on Facebook hours after his brush with the depths.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"A&nbsp;humpback&nbsp;whale tried to eat me," he added. "I am very bruised up but have no broken bones."&nbsp;

Packard's beyond-belief big fish yarn began, he told local paper Cape Cod Times, when he was diving for lobster off the coast of the northeastern state of Massachusetts.

"All of a sudden, I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew it was completely black," he said after being released from the hospital.

He was about 35 feet down (10 meters) and his first thought was that he had been attacked by a shark, but the lack of teeth and obvious wounds made him reconsider.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-unveils-pictures-by-martian-rover-on-red-planet-391000">Also Read |&nbsp;</a><a href="China unveils pictures by Martian rover on Red Planet">China unveils pictures by Martian rover on Red Planet</a>

Packard said he began to struggle -- but unlike in the classic children's tale "Pinocchio" there was no need to build a fire to secure his escape.

"I saw light, and he started throwing his head side-to-side and the next thing I knew I was outside (in the water)," Packard told the paper.

The story says Packard's fishing mate Josiah Mayo "saw the explosion of water as the whale surfaced and Packard was ejected," but doesn't include any quotes attributed to him.&nbsp;

Jooke Robbins, director of&nbsp;humpback&nbsp;whale studies at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Massachusetts, said she had no reason to doubt the account.&nbsp;

"I didn't think it was a hoax because I knew the people involved... So I have every reason to believe that what they say is true," she told AFP.&nbsp;

Robbins said she had never heard of an "accident" of this type, but "it may be that he (Packard) was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."&nbsp;

"When they (whales) fish... they rush forward, open their mouth and engulf the fish and the water very quickly," she said, adding they have largemouths, but throats so narrow they wouldn't be able to swallow a human. &nbsp;

The whale, which according to Mayo's description was on the young side, "may not be able to detect quickly enough that something is in the way."&nbsp;

Even if all the details weren't yet known, one thing was clear for Robbins: "It is important for people to be quite aware... And when they see a whale, keep a good distance. It's really important to give whales their space."&nbsp;

It sounds like a real-life take on "Pinocchio" -- a US lobster fisherman says he was scooped into the mouth of a humpback whale Friday and yet lived to tell the story.

It sounds like a real-life take on "Pinocchio" -- a US lobster fisherman says he was scooped into the mouth of a humpback whale Friday and yet lived to tell the story. "I was in his closed mouth for about 30 to 40 seconds before he rose to the surface and spit me out," Michael Packard wrote on Facebook hours after his brush with the depths. "A humpback whale tried to eat me," he added. "I am very bruised up but have no broken bones." Packard's beyond-belief big fish yarn began, he told local paper Cape Cod Times, when he was diving for lobster off the coast of the northeastern state of Massachusetts. "All of a sudden, I felt this huge shove and the next thing I knew it was completely black," he said after being released from the hospital. He was about 35 feet down (10 meters) and his first thought was that he had been attacked by a shark, but the lack of teeth and obvious wounds made him reconsider. Also Read | China unveils pictures by Martian rover on Red Planet Packard said he began to struggle -- but unlike in the classic children's tale "Pinocchio" there was no need to build a fire to secure his escape. "I saw light, and he started throwing his head side-to-side and the next thing I knew I was outside (in the water)," Packard told the paper. The story says Packard's fishing mate Josiah Mayo "saw the explosion of water as the whale surfaced and Packard was ejected," but doesn't include any quotes attributed to him. Jooke Robbins, director of humpback whale studies at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Massachusetts, said she had no reason to doubt the account. "I didn't think it was a hoax because I knew the people involved... So I have every reason to believe that what they say is true," she told AFP. Robbins said she had never heard of an "accident" of this type, but "it may be that he (Packard) was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." "When they (whales) fish... they rush forward, open their mouth and engulf the fish and the water very quickly," she said, adding they have largemouths, but throats so narrow they wouldn't be able to swallow a human. The whale, which according to Mayo's description was on the young side, "may not be able to detect quickly enough that something is in the way." Even if all the details weren't yet known, one thing was clear for Robbins: "It is important for people to be quite aware... And when they see a whale, keep a good distance. It's really important to give whales their space."

Humpback whale swallows US fisherman, then spits him out

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong reaffirmed a commitment between their countries and Japan to work closely toward the 'denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula',&nbsp;the State Department said. 
 
The statement, issued after the two met on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit, referred, without naming North Korea, to efforts that have made little or no progress towards getting Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arsenal. 
 
Blinken and Chung also stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation to address other regional issues "including the&nbsp;return to the path to democracy&nbsp;for the people of Burma," the statement said, referring to a military coup in Myanmar earlier this year.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong reaffirmed a commitment between their countries and Japan to work closely toward the 'denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula', the State Department said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-Yong reaffirmed a commitment between their countries and Japan to work closely toward the 'denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula', the State Department said. The statement, issued after the two met on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit, referred, without naming North Korea, to efforts that have made little or no progress towards getting Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arsenal. Blinken and Chung also stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation to address other regional issues "including the return to the path to democracy for the people of Burma," the statement said, referring to a military coup in Myanmar earlier this year.

US, South Korea reaffirm cooperation towards denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula

A shooting in a popular nightlife district in downtown Austin, Texas, early Saturday left 14 people injured, with two of them in critical condition, police said.

Officers responded to a report of shots fired around 1:25 a.m. in a district known for drawing large crowds to its bars and restaurants.

Joseph Chacon, the interim chief of the Austin Police Department, said at a news briefing Saturday afternoon that the shooting appeared to have started as “some kind of disturbance between two parties.”

He said that there was no information to indicate the victims were intentionally targeted, and that most were “innocent bystanders.”

The police revised the number of victims to 14, from 13. The chief said it was possible there are still others who were hurt who have not sought medical help or reported their injuries to police.

The police said on Saturday afternoon that a suspect was in custody and a second suspect remained at large. The person in custody was not identified.

The police said in a statement that the victims had been wounded or injured, but the chief said all of them had been shot. Two victims were in critical condition and 12 were in stable condition, police said.

Chacon said that police officers used first aid gear they carry, such as chest seals and tourniquets, to provide lifesaving help and that responding officers had exhausted all of their supplies at the scene.

He said that the downtown area was filled with people at the time of the shooting and that the neighborhood was drawing pre-pandemic crowd sizes.

A shooting in a popular nightlife district in downtown Austin, Texas, early Saturday left 14 people injured, with two of them in critical condition, police said.

A shooting in a popular nightlife district in downtown Austin, Texas, early Saturday left 14 people injured, with two of them in critical condition, police said. Officers responded to a report of shots fired around 1:25 a.m. in a district known for drawing large crowds to its bars and restaurants. Joseph Chacon, the interim chief of the Austin Police Department, said at a news briefing Saturday afternoon that the shooting appeared to have started as “some kind of disturbance between two parties.” He said that there was no information to indicate the victims were intentionally targeted, and that most were “innocent bystanders.” The police revised the number of victims to 14, from 13. The chief said it was possible there are still others who were hurt who have not sought medical help or reported their injuries to police. The police said on Saturday afternoon that a suspect was in custody and a second suspect remained at large. The person in custody was not identified. The police said in a statement that the victims had been wounded or injured, but the chief said all of them had been shot. Two victims were in critical condition and 12 were in stable condition, police said. Chacon said that police officers used first aid gear they carry, such as chest seals and tourniquets, to provide lifesaving help and that responding officers had exhausted all of their supplies at the scene. He said that the downtown area was filled with people at the time of the shooting and that the neighborhood was drawing pre-pandemic crowd sizes.

14 people are hurt in shooting in downtown Austin, police say

US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts will bid a symbolic farewell to Afghanistan on Monday in their last summit before America winds up its longest 'forever war' and the US military pulls out for good.

The meeting is bound to renew questions about whether NATO's most ambitious operation ever was worth it.

The 18-year effort cost the United States alone USD 2.26 trillion, and the price in lives includes 2,442 American troops and 1,144 personnel among US allies, according to figures from Brown University. NATO does not keep a record of those, who die in its operations.

Those casualty figures dwarf Afghan losses, which include more than 47,000 civilians, up to 69,000 members of the national armed forces and police, and over 51,000 opposition fighters.

The military effort followed the 2001 arrival of a US-led coalition that ousted the Taliban for harbouring al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Few experts argue that it brought long-term stability, meaningful democracy or security.

"At this point, you get the impression that NATO leaders almost want to downplay and leave quietly, rather than making too big a deal of it, and going on to focus on other business," said Erik Brattberg, director of the Europe Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

With the US leading the withdrawal, European allies and Canada want to hear Biden's thinking about how security will be assured at their embassies, along major transport routes and above all at Kabul's airport.

Many wonder whether the Afghan government can survive a resurgent Taliban. Some think Kabul's capitulation is only a matter of time.

"We are currently in intense discussions with our member states, the United States, NATO and the United Nations on the absence of essential security conditions for our continued diplomatic presence. It will be difficult to keep it&nbsp;in place," European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

For now, NATO plans to leave civilian advisers to help build up government institutions. It's unclear, who will protect them. The 30-nation alliance is also weighing whether to train Afghan special forces outside the country.

As an organisation, NATO will not provide sanctuary for Afghans, who worked alongside its forces 'routinely risking their lives' although a few individual members will. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says it's simply time to leave.

"Afghanistan has come a long way, both when it comes to building strong, capable security forces, but also when it comes to social and economic progress," he said.

"At some stage, it has to be the Afghans that take full responsibility for peace and stability in their own country." 
Few Afghans share that assessment of their country, which has a 54% poverty rate, runaway crime, rampant corruption and an illicit economy that outstrips the legal economy.

When NATO took charge of international security operations in 2003, Afghanistan was its first major mission outside Europe and North America. The aim was to stabilise the government, build up local security forces and remove a potential base for extremist groups.

Yet 18 years later, security is at its lowest ebb for most Afghans. The capital is rife with criminal gangs, many linked to powerful warlords, and there are routine attacks by an upstart Islamic State.

Quite early into the operations, as combat took its toll on NATO troops, extremists and civilians, a stalemate developed. The Taliban could not be routed from outlying areas, but neither could its fighters seize and hold major cities.

Troop surges made little difference, and it soon became clear that NATO's military training effort was its exit strategy. Only by creating a big army capable of standing on its own feet could the organisation wind up its operations.

But the Afghan army was plagued by corruption, desertion and low morale. Experts say it still is, and this remains a major concern as NATO insists on funding the nation's security forces after it's gone.

Donald Trump's unilateral decision to leave by May 1 stunned US&nbsp;Allies. It highlighted NATO's weakness: European members and Canada simply cannot sustain major operations without logistical support from their biggest partner. 
Biden's decision to pull US&nbsp;troops out by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington changed little, although he did consult allies this time.

James Dobbins, a former Afghan envoy, who now works for the RAND Corporation think tank, predicts the exit will mean the loss of government legitimacy.

"The US&nbsp;Departure will be seen as a victory for the Taliban and a defeat for the United States," he said in an opinion piece. "The result will be a blow to American credibility, the weakening of deterrence and the value of American reassurance elsewhere."

On Monday, NATO's leaders will reaffirm the strength of their alliance and go back to what they know best: their old nemesis, Russia. Biden will brief his partners before meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was not invited to NATO's summit.

"There is little appetite left to continue investing in Afghanistan," Brattberg said. "There is a sense of being fed up in a lot of NATO countries, and now it's just time to pack the bags and get out with little consideration about the consequences that could have on the ground."

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts will bid a symbolic farewell to Afghanistan on Monday in their last summit before America winds up its longest 'forever war' and the US military pulls out for good.

US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts will bid a symbolic farewell to Afghanistan on Monday in their last summit before America winds up its longest 'forever war' and the US military pulls out for good. The meeting is bound to renew questions about whether NATO's most ambitious operation ever was worth it. The 18-year effort cost the United States alone USD 2.26 trillion, and the price in lives includes 2,442 American troops and 1,144 personnel among US allies, according to figures from Brown University. NATO does not keep a record of those, who die in its operations. Those casualty figures dwarf Afghan losses, which include more than 47,000 civilians, up to 69,000 members of the national armed forces and police, and over 51,000 opposition fighters. The military effort followed the 2001 arrival of a US-led coalition that ousted the Taliban for harbouring al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Few experts argue that it brought long-term stability, meaningful democracy or security. "At this point, you get the impression that NATO leaders almost want to downplay and leave quietly, rather than making too big a deal of it, and going on to focus on other business," said Erik Brattberg, director of the Europe Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. With the US leading the withdrawal, European allies and Canada want to hear Biden's thinking about how security will be assured at their embassies, along major transport routes and above all at Kabul's airport. Many wonder whether the Afghan government can survive a resurgent Taliban. Some think Kabul's capitulation is only a matter of time. "We are currently in intense discussions with our member states, the United States, NATO and the United Nations on the absence of essential security conditions for our continued diplomatic presence. It will be difficult to keep it in place," European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. For now, NATO plans to leave civilian advisers to help build up government institutions. It's unclear, who will protect them. The 30-nation alliance is also weighing whether to train Afghan special forces outside the country. As an organisation, NATO will not provide sanctuary for Afghans, who worked alongside its forces 'routinely risking their lives' although a few individual members will. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says it's simply time to leave. "Afghanistan has come a long way, both when it comes to building strong, capable security forces, but also when it comes to social and economic progress," he said. "At some stage, it has to be the Afghans that take full responsibility for peace and stability in their own country." Few Afghans share that assessment of their country, which has a 54% poverty rate, runaway crime, rampant corruption and an illicit economy that outstrips the legal economy. When NATO took charge of international security operations in 2003, Afghanistan was its first major mission outside Europe and North America. The aim was to stabilise the government, build up local security forces and remove a potential base for extremist groups. Yet 18 years later, security is at its lowest ebb for most Afghans. The capital is rife with criminal gangs, many linked to powerful warlords, and there are routine attacks by an upstart Islamic State. Quite early into the operations, as combat took its toll on NATO troops, extremists and civilians, a stalemate developed. The Taliban could not be routed from outlying areas, but neither could its fighters seize and hold major cities. Troop surges made little difference, and it soon became clear that NATO's military training effort was its exit strategy. Only by creating a big army capable of standing on its own feet could the organisation wind up its operations. But the Afghan army was plagued by corruption, desertion and low morale. Experts say it still is, and this remains a major concern as NATO insists on funding the nation's security forces after it's gone. Donald Trump's unilateral decision to leave by May 1 stunned US Allies. It highlighted NATO's weakness: European members and Canada simply cannot sustain major operations without logistical support from their biggest partner. Biden's decision to pull US troops out by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington changed little, although he did consult allies this time. James Dobbins, a former Afghan envoy, who now works for the RAND Corporation think tank, predicts the exit will mean the loss of government legitimacy. "The US Departure will be seen as a victory for the Taliban and a defeat for the United States," he said in an opinion piece. "The result will be a blow to American credibility, the weakening of deterrence and the value of American reassurance elsewhere." On Monday, NATO's leaders will reaffirm the strength of their alliance and go back to what they know best: their old nemesis, Russia. Biden will brief his partners before meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was not invited to NATO's summit. "There is little appetite left to continue investing in Afghanistan," Brattberg said. "There is a sense of being fed up in a lot of NATO countries, and now it's just time to pack the bags and get out with little consideration about the consequences that could have on the ground." (With inputs from agencies)

NATO leaders to bid symbolic adieu to Afghanistan at summit

Russian President Vladimir&nbsp;Putin, in an interview with NBC News ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, said U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point in years.

Putin&nbsp;and Biden will meet in Geneva on Wednesday. The White House has said Biden will bring up ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, the jailing of dissidents, and other issues that have irritated the relationship.

"We have a bilateral relationship that has deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years,"&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;said, according to an NBC translation of excerpts of an interview broadcast on Friday.

Putin&nbsp;praised former President Donald Trump as "an extraordinary individual, talented individual," and said Biden, as a career politician, was "radically different" from Trump.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g7-leaders-agree-on-a-joint-declaration-to-stop-future-pandemics-390934">Also Read |&nbsp;G7 leaders agree on a joint declaration to stop future pandemics</a>

Asked about Biden calling him a killer in an interview in March,&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;said he had heard dozens of such accusations. "This is not something I worry about in the least,"&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;said.

Biden, at the start of an eight-day visit to Europe this week, said: "We're not seeking conflict with Russia."

"We want a stable and predictable relationship ... but I've been clear: The United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way if the Russian government engages in harmful activities."

Putin&nbsp;was asked about several Russian dissidents whose deaths have been blamed on Moscow, including ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned in 2006.&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;dismissed the question as “verbal indigestion.“ He said some of those responsible for the deaths are in prison.

On the issue of recent ransomware attacks that the United States has traced to Russia,&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;denied any knowledge of the hackings and called on Biden to reach an agreement with him on cyberspace, NBC News said.

Putin&nbsp;also dismissed a report in the Washington Post this week that Russia was preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite that would enable it to track potential military targets across the Middle East.

"It's just fake news. At the very least, I don't know anything about this kind of thing,"&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;said, according to NBC News. "It's just nonsense garbage."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with NBC News ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, said U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point in years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with NBC News ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, said U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point in years. Putin and Biden will meet in Geneva on Wednesday. The White House has said Biden will bring up ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, the jailing of dissidents, and other issues that have irritated the relationship. "We have a bilateral relationship that has deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years," Putin said, according to an NBC translation of excerpts of an interview broadcast on Friday. Putin praised former President Donald Trump as "an extraordinary individual, talented individual," and said Biden, as a career politician, was "radically different" from Trump. Also Read | G7 leaders agree on a joint declaration to stop future pandemics Asked about Biden calling him a killer in an interview in March, Putin said he had heard dozens of such accusations. "This is not something I worry about in the least," Putin said. Biden, at the start of an eight-day visit to Europe this week, said: "We're not seeking conflict with Russia." "We want a stable and predictable relationship ... but I've been clear: The United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way if the Russian government engages in harmful activities." Putin was asked about several Russian dissidents whose deaths have been blamed on Moscow, including ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko who was poisoned in 2006. Putin dismissed the question as “verbal indigestion.“ He said some of those responsible for the deaths are in prison. On the issue of recent ransomware attacks that the United States has traced to Russia, Putin denied any knowledge of the hackings and called on Biden to reach an agreement with him on cyberspace, NBC News said. Putin also dismissed a report in the Washington Post this week that Russia was preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite that would enable it to track potential military targets across the Middle East. "It's just fake news. At the very least, I don't know anything about this kind of thing," Putin said, according to NBC News. "It's just nonsense garbage."

Putin says relations with US at lowest point in years, praises Trump

A Los Angeles-Atlanta flight was diverted for emergency landing after a passenger attacked two flight attendants and threatened to bring the plane down. The incident took place late Friday (local time)

A frightening commotion broke out in the front of Delta Flight 1730, according to the airline and media reports.

As a man grappled with flight attendants -- and said repeatedly that he was "going to take the plane down" -- the pilot called over the public address system for "all able-bodied men" to assist.

Several, including an off-duty pilot, rushed forward and, after several moments of violent struggle partly captured on video, were able to overpower the man, police said.

The plane, which had been well on its way from the West Coast to Atlanta in the southeast, was diverted instead to Oklahoma City.&nbsp;

Police there took the suspect, identified as an off-duty Delta employee in his late 20s, into custody, reports said. His precise motive was unknown.

After complaining of chest pains and showing signs of what police said were mental issues, the man was hospitalized.

No other injuries were reported.

In a statement, Delta thanked the passengers and crew who "assisted in detaining an unruly passenger."

Police searched the plane before allowing the flight to continue on. The FBI is investigating.

The incident took place the same day the US Transportation Security Administration said its agents had screened more than two million passengers at airports -- the most since before the Covid-19 crisis erupted.

Meantime, data from the Federal Aviation Authority show that "unruly passenger" incidents on commercial flights have shot up this year amid high stress levels and as mask-wearing has taken on a political edge.

The agency has launched 394 formal enforcement actions in "unruly passenger" cases through May 25 of this year, a far higher pace than the 183 for all of 2020, according to its website.

Many more cases have not led to formal action.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Los Angeles-Atlanta flight was diverted for emergency landing after a passenger attacked two flight attendants and threatened to bring the plane down. The incident took place late Friday (local time) A frightening commotion broke out in the front of Delta Flight 1730, according to the airline and media reports.

A Los Angeles-Atlanta flight was diverted for emergency landing after a passenger attacked two flight attendants and threatened to bring the plane down. The incident took place late Friday (local time) A frightening commotion broke out in the front of Delta Flight 1730, according to the airline and media reports. As a man grappled with flight attendants -- and said repeatedly that he was "going to take the plane down" -- the pilot called over the public address system for "all able-bodied men" to assist. Several, including an off-duty pilot, rushed forward and, after several moments of violent struggle partly captured on video, were able to overpower the man, police said. The plane, which had been well on its way from the West Coast to Atlanta in the southeast, was diverted instead to Oklahoma City. Police there took the suspect, identified as an off-duty Delta employee in his late 20s, into custody, reports said. His precise motive was unknown. After complaining of chest pains and showing signs of what police said were mental issues, the man was hospitalized. No other injuries were reported. In a statement, Delta thanked the passengers and crew who "assisted in detaining an unruly passenger." Police searched the plane before allowing the flight to continue on. The FBI is investigating. The incident took place the same day the US Transportation Security Administration said its agents had screened more than two million passengers at airports -- the most since before the Covid-19 crisis erupted. Meantime, data from the Federal Aviation Authority show that "unruly passenger" incidents on commercial flights have shot up this year amid high stress levels and as mask-wearing has taken on a political edge. The agency has launched 394 formal enforcement actions in "unruly passenger" cases through May 25 of this year, a far higher pace than the 183 for all of 2020, according to its website. Many more cases have not led to formal action. (With inputs from agencies)

Flight diverted after man threatens to 'take plane down' in US

The United States and China clashed in rare talks Friday as President Joe Biden made his international debut at the G7 summit, with his administration pressing Beijing on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">Covid</a>, Taiwan and human rights.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, joining Biden at the summit of industrial democracies in England, spoke by telephone with senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi, their first talks since a heated in-person encounter in Alaska in March.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-leaders-meet-at-g7-summit-amid-coronavirus-crisis-390883">World leaders meet at G7 summit amid coronavirus crisis</a>

As Biden used his first presidential trip abroad to unveil a massive plan to buy and distribute 500 million Covid vaccine doses around the world, Blinken renewed US pressure on China over the origins of the pandemic that has killed more than 3.7 million people.

Blinken "stressed the importance of cooperation and transparency regarding the origin of the virus," including allowing World Health Organization experts back into China, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Biden has ordered US intelligence to report back by late August on whether Covid-19, first detected in late 2019 in the city of Wuhan, emerged from an animal source or a laboratory accident.

Former President Donald Trump trotted out the lab-leak theory but was widely dismissed, with many believing he was seeking to deflect criticism over his own handling of the pandemic, but Biden has said there was a need for further study after criticizing Beijing for not giving more access to a WHO probe.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/g7-summit-from-protests-to-elbow-bumps-day-1-in-cornwall-391023/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Yang told Blinken that the laboratory theory was "absurd," according to the state-run China Global Television Network.

"We urge the US side to respect facts and science, not to politicize the origin tracing and to focus its attention on international cooperation on the fight against the pandemic," Yang said.

China, which like Russia has been shipping its own vaccines to friendly countries, has sought to rebrand itself in the world's eyes not as the country that failed to stop the virus but as a model on how to contain it.

'Interests of small circles'&nbsp;

Yang, a senior Politburo member who has long taken a lead in Beijing's handling of the United States, renewed denunciations of Washington as Biden met with leaders from other Group of Seven nations, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-g7-may-reallocate-100-billion-from-imf-funds-to-covid-ravaged-nations-390990">US says G7 may reallocate $100 billion from IMF funds to COVID-ravaged nations</a>

"Genuine multilateralism is not pseudo-multilateralism based on the interests of small circles," Yang told Blinken, according to China Central Television.

"The only genuine multilateralism is that founded on the principles of the charter of the United Nations and international law," Yang said.

Yang also renewed accusations of US hypocrisy on human rights as Blinken pressed on what the United States considers the genocide of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic people who are incarcerated in camps.

"The United States should resolve its own domestic serious human rights violations, and not use the so-called human rights issues as an excuse to arbitrarily interfere in the internal affairs of other countries," he said.

Yang made similar accusations about the United States in front of cameras during the meeting in Anchorage, taking aback US officials who expected brief, civil remarks but raising his star power inside China.

Concern on Taiwan

Blinken also voiced alarm at China's increasing pressure on Taiwan including military flights off its coast.

Blinken "called on Beijing to cease its pressure campaign against Taiwan and peacefully resolve cross-Strait issues," the State Department statement said.

Washington has been increasingly alarmed that China will attempt to use force on Taiwan, a self-governing democracy it considers part of its territory, after its sweeping curbs on freedoms in Hong Kong.

The United States in recent days agreed to reopen trade talks with Taiwan and authorized a military plane to bring a delegation of senators who offered Covid vaccines.

Amid wide bipartisan criticism of China, Biden has largely continued the hawkish stance of Trump, in substance if not in tone.

The Biden administration has described China as a pre-eminent international challenge and vowed to counter it by shoring up alliances and investing heavily in infrastructure and development at home.

The United States and China clashed in rare talks Friday as President Joe Biden made his international debut at the G7 summit, with his administration pressing Beijing on Covid, Taiwan and human rights.

The United States and China clashed in rare talks Friday as President Joe Biden made his international debut at the G7 summit, with his administration pressing Beijing on Covid, Taiwan and human rights. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, joining Biden at the summit of industrial democracies in England, spoke by telephone with senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi, their first talks since a heated in-person encounter in Alaska in March. Also read | World leaders meet at G7 summit amid coronavirus crisis As Biden used his first presidential trip abroad to unveil a massive plan to buy and distribute 500 million Covid vaccine doses around the world, Blinken renewed US pressure on China over the origins of the pandemic that has killed more than 3.7 million people. Blinken "stressed the importance of cooperation and transparency regarding the origin of the virus," including allowing World Health Organization experts back into China, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. Biden has ordered US intelligence to report back by late August on whether Covid-19, first detected in late 2019 in the city of Wuhan, emerged from an animal source or a laboratory accident. Former President Donald Trump trotted out the lab-leak theory but was widely dismissed, with many believing he was seeking to deflect criticism over his own handling of the pandemic, but Biden has said there was a need for further study after criticizing Beijing for not giving more access to a WHO probe. Yang told Blinken that the laboratory theory was "absurd," according to the state-run China Global Television Network. "We urge the US side to respect facts and science, not to politicize the origin tracing and to focus its attention on international cooperation on the fight against the pandemic," Yang said. China, which like Russia has been shipping its own vaccines to friendly countries, has sought to rebrand itself in the world's eyes not as the country that failed to stop the virus but as a model on how to contain it. 'Interests of small circles' Yang, a senior Politburo member who has long taken a lead in Beijing's handling of the United States, renewed denunciations of Washington as Biden met with leaders from other Group of Seven nations, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Also read | US says G7 may reallocate $100 billion from IMF funds to COVID-ravaged nations "Genuine multilateralism is not pseudo-multilateralism based on the interests of small circles," Yang told Blinken, according to China Central Television. "The only genuine multilateralism is that founded on the principles of the charter of the United Nations and international law," Yang said. Yang also renewed accusations of US hypocrisy on human rights as Blinken pressed on what the United States considers the genocide of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic people who are incarcerated in camps. "The United States should resolve its own domestic serious human rights violations, and not use the so-called human rights issues as an excuse to arbitrarily interfere in the internal affairs of other countries," he said. Yang made similar accusations about the United States in front of cameras during the meeting in Anchorage, taking aback US officials who expected brief, civil remarks but raising his star power inside China. Concern on Taiwan Blinken also voiced alarm at China's increasing pressure on Taiwan including military flights off its coast. Blinken "called on Beijing to cease its pressure campaign against Taiwan and peacefully resolve cross-Strait issues," the State Department statement said. Washington has been increasingly alarmed that China will attempt to use force on Taiwan, a self-governing democracy it considers part of its territory, after its sweeping curbs on freedoms in Hong Kong. The United States in recent days agreed to reopen trade talks with Taiwan and authorized a military plane to bring a delegation of senators who offered Covid vaccines. Amid wide bipartisan criticism of China, Biden has largely continued the hawkish stance of Trump, in substance if not in tone. The Biden administration has described China as a pre-eminent international challenge and vowed to counter it by shoring up alliances and investing heavily in infrastructure and development at home.

US, China clash as Biden debuts at G7

Covaxin has been denied emergency use authorisation in the US. The vaccine is yet to be listed on the WHO's list of approved vaccines. The lack of global approvals has put a question mark on travel, work & study plans of millions of Indians.

Gravitas: Why did America deny approval to Covaxin?

The US Food and Drug Administration said Friday it had told Johnson &amp; Johnson that millions of doses of Covid vaccine produced at a troubled plant can't be used because of possible contamination issues.

In a statement, the FDA said "several" batches of vaccine manufactured at the Emergent BioSolutions facility in the city of Baltimore are not suitable for use. Each batch is known to correspond to several million doses. 
Neither the agency nor J&amp;J revealed the precise number of doses, but The New York Times placed the number at 60 million, quoting people familiar with the matter.

"These actions followed an extensive review of records, including the production history of the facility and the testing performed to evaluate the quality of the product," said FDA scientist Peter Marks.

The Emergent plant was ordered to pause production in April several weeks after it was determined that batches of substance used to produce the J&amp;J vaccine were cross-contaminated with ingredients from the AstraZeneca vaccine, ruining a reported 15 million J&amp;J doses.

The FDA is still deciding whether to allow the factory to reopen. Sixty million AstraZeneca doses produced there and earmarked to be donated abroad are currently being inspected for quality before they can be shipped.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-europe-reopens-borders-germany-to-lift-travel-warning-for-most-countries-from-july-1-390867">Also Read |&nbsp;As Europe reopens borders, Germany to lift travel warning for most countries from July 1</a>

All of the J&amp;J vaccines distributed and used in the United States so far were made in the Netherlands, not in Baltimore.

On the other hand, the FDA said it was greenlighting two batches of J&amp;J vaccine made at the plant -- that is to say, 10 million doses of the one-shot regimen, a source familiar with the matter said.

Additional J&amp;J batches remain under review.

"Johnson &amp; Johnson has committed to producing safe, high-quality vaccines in order to bring health and hope to people everywhere," said J&amp;J executive vice president Kathy Wengel.

Meanwhile, Canada on Friday announced it would not distribute 300,000 doses of the J&amp;J vaccine made at the Baltimore plant due to quality "concerns."

The country's health authorities planned to inspect the facility this summer.

"Until this inspection has been completed, Canada will not be accepting any product or ingredients made at this site," Health Canada said in a statement.

The US Food and Drug Administration said Friday it had told Johnson & Johnson that millions of doses of Covid vaccine produced at a troubled plant can't be used because of possible contamination issues.

The US Food and Drug Administration said Friday it had told Johnson & Johnson that millions of doses of Covid vaccine produced at a troubled plant can't be used because of possible contamination issues. In a statement, the FDA said "several" batches of vaccine manufactured at the Emergent BioSolutions facility in the city of Baltimore are not suitable for use. Each batch is known to correspond to several million doses. Neither the agency nor J&J revealed the precise number of doses, but The New York Times placed the number at 60 million, quoting people familiar with the matter. "These actions followed an extensive review of records, including the production history of the facility and the testing performed to evaluate the quality of the product," said FDA scientist Peter Marks. The Emergent plant was ordered to pause production in April several weeks after it was determined that batches of substance used to produce the J&J vaccine were cross-contaminated with ingredients from the AstraZeneca vaccine, ruining a reported 15 million J&J doses. The FDA is still deciding whether to allow the factory to reopen. Sixty million AstraZeneca doses produced there and earmarked to be donated abroad are currently being inspected for quality before they can be shipped. Also Read | As Europe reopens borders, Germany to lift travel warning for most countries from July 1 All of the J&J vaccines distributed and used in the United States so far were made in the Netherlands, not in Baltimore. On the other hand, the FDA said it was greenlighting two batches of J&J vaccine made at the plant -- that is to say, 10 million doses of the one-shot regimen, a source familiar with the matter said. Additional J&J batches remain under review. "Johnson & Johnson has committed to producing safe, high-quality vaccines in order to bring health and hope to people everywhere," said J&J executive vice president Kathy Wengel. Meanwhile, Canada on Friday announced it would not distribute 300,000 doses of the J&J vaccine made at the Baltimore plant due to quality "concerns." The country's health authorities planned to inspect the facility this summer. "Until this inspection has been completed, Canada will not be accepting any product or ingredients made at this site," Health Canada said in a statement.

US tells J&J millions of vaccine doses from troubled plant can't be used

Attorney General Merrick Garland laid out an expansive plan on Friday for protecting voting rights, announcing that the Justice Department would double enforcement staff on the issue, scrutinize new state laws that seek to curb voter access and take action if it sees a violation of federal law.

In his first public speech on an issue that has provoked intense partisan conflict in statehouses and in Washington, Garland served notice to Republicans pushing a raft of restrictive voting laws that he was determined to ensure the right to vote for all Americans.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/heres-how-democrats-sweeping-voting-rights-law-would-work-374584">Here’s how Democrats’ sweeping voting rights law would work</a>

Garland did not outline any investigations or specific actions the department might take against states. Nevertheless, his pledge is an about-face from the department’s near abdication of voting rights enforcement under the Trump administration. Over the past four years, the department did not file any new cases under the Voting Rights Act until May of last year, a rare period of silence for one of the most consequential arms for protecting voting rights in the country.

“To meet the challenge of the current moment, we must rededicate the resources of the Department of Justice to a critical part of its original mission: enforcing federal law to protect the franchise for all eligible voters,” Garland said in an address at the department headquarters.

Garland made a specific commitment to protect the voting rights of people of colour, reflecting a return to the traditional role the Justice Department has played in preventing discrimination based on race. Voting rights groups and civil rights activists have argued that many of the new voting laws would have a disproportionate impact on voters of colour, and President Joe Biden described the restrictions Georgia passed in March as “Jim Crow in the 21st Century.’’

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-republicans-pass-voting-limits-in-broad-elections-bill-381618">Florida Republicans pass voting limits in broad elections bill</a>

Without identifying specific states, Garland made an apparent allusion to the hourslong lines many Black voters faced last year in Georgia’s June primary elections, citing studies showing that “in some jurisdictions, nonwhite voters must wait in a line substantially longer than white voters to cast their ballots.’’

He also made a clear reference to Arizona’s Republican-led&nbsp;and widely derided. recount of 2 million votes in Maricopa County, saying the department would scrutinize postelection audits “to ensure they abide by federal statutory requirements to protect election records and avoid the intimidation of voters.”

In a statement Friday evening, the department said it had sent a letter to the Arizona Senate, expressing concern over, and explaining federal legal constraints on, the conduct of its continuing postelection audit.

The drive to enact new voting laws has become a core mission of the Republican Party, as former President Donald Trump and his allies continue to peddle false claims about a rigged election and call for more states he lost to audit their results despite no evidence of fraud. Pledges to restrict access to voting under the banner of “election integrity” have become commonplace in fundraising emails and campaign ads from Republican candidates.

Republican-led legislatures in several states including Georgia, Florida and Iowa have passed laws imposing new voting restrictions, and Texas, New Hampshire, Arizona and Michigan, among other states, are considering changes to their electoral systems.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgia-law-kicks-off-partisan-battle-over-voting-rights-373609">Georgia law kicks off partisan battle over voting rights</a>&nbsp;

At the same time, hopes have dimmed on the left that Congress will pass two major election bills after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. said he would not support abolishing the filibuster to advance such measures.

Garland has said that protecting the right to vote is one of his top priorities as attorney general, and his top lieutenants include high-profile voting rights advocates such as Vanita Gupta, the department’s No. 3 official, and Kristen Clarke, head of the Civil Rights Division. The division currently has about a dozen employees on its enforcement staff, which is focused on protecting the right to vote, according to a department official familiar with the staff.

Despite his pledge, Garland is still limited in what he can do unless Democrats in Congress somehow manage to pass new voter protection laws. He can sue states that are found to have violated any of the nation’s four major federal voting rights laws. He can notify state and local governments when he believes that their procedures violate federal law. And federal prosecutors can charge people who are found to have intimidated voters, a federal crime.

The Justice Department’s most powerful tool, the Voting Rights Act, was significantly weakened by a 2013 Supreme Court decision that struck down pieces of the act forcing states with legacies of racial discrimination to receive Justice Department approval before they could change their voting laws.

Now the department can only sue after a law has been passed and found to violate the act, meaning that a restrictive law could stand through multiple election cycles as litigation winds its way through the courts.

Any new steps to protect voting rights are unlikely to move quickly, said Joanna Lydgate, a former deputy attorney general of Massachusetts who co-founded the States United Democracy Center. “People will need to be patient,” she said.

Still, progressive groups praised the announcement, which is seen as an important bulwark against the new voting laws introduced in all but two states that have Republican-controlled legislatures. There are nearly 400 measures in total, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a progressive public policy institute that is part of the New York University School of Law.

As of May 14, lawmakers had passed 22 new laws in 14 states to make the process of voting more difficult, according to the group.

Democrats have filed lawsuits against some new voting laws, but that litigation could take years to wind its way through the courts and may have little power to stop those laws from affecting upcoming elections. And so far, the federal government has not joined the legal fight.

“We need to make sure that the federal government is an active participant in protecting the right to vote,” said Tom Perez, a former Democratic National Committee chair who led the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division during President Barack Obama’s first term. “We can’t simply rely on private lawsuits.”

Conservatives who have crafted and pushed for the new voting laws scoffed at Garland’s announcement.

“Americans have been clear: they support laws making it easy to vote and hard to cheat in states across the country,” said Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action, which helped write and then organized support for many of the new laws. “Despite the false narrative coming out of the White House and now the Department of Justice, Americans support secure, fair elections, even if the left does not.”

The Justice Department’s curbed abilities to fight voter fraud were amplified under the Trump administration.

“It was a really low point for voting rights enforcement,” said Wendy R. Weisser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center. “There’s a lot of ground to be made up obviously, and now there’s unprecedented challenges to voting rights.”

During the 2020 election, the department publicly appeared to be more concerned with hunting for fraud than protecting voting rights. In September, then-Attorney General William Barr made numerous false statements about voting by mail in an interview with CNN, and amplified the importance of a minor ballot error in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, making it appear as if it warranted a major fraud investigation.

Garland expressed scepticism about the use of unorthodox postelection audits, saying they could undermine faith in the nation’s ability to host free and fair elections. He said that some jurisdictions had used disinformation to justify such audits.

Assertions of material voter fraud in the 2020 election “have been refuted by the law enforcement and intelligence agencies of both this administration and the previous one, as well as by every court, federal and state, that has considered them,” Garland said.

The Justice Department will publish guidance explaining the civil and criminal statutes that apply to post-election audits, as well as guidance on early voting and voting by mail, and will work with other agencies to combat disinformation, Garland said.

Republicans have taken aim at specific pillars of voting access, particularly ones utilized during the 2020 election as voters sought safer options amid the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus pandemic</a>. In an effort to restrict voting by mail, they have sought to limit the number of drop boxes in multiple states, limit who can request mail ballots and add new identification requirements for absentee ballots.

Republican legislatures are also seeking to greatly empower partisan poll watchers across the country. The role, which is meant to simply be an observational check granted to both political parties and all candidates, has grown increasingly controversial as party leaders, including Trump, have sometimes used militarist language to describe them.

Garland said that the Justice Department had taken note of a sharp rise “in menacing and violent threats” against state and local election workers. Such threats, he said, undermined the electoral process and violated federal laws.

Attorney General Merrick Garland laid out an expansive plan on Friday for protecting voting rights, announcing that the Justice Department would double enforcement staff on the issue, scrutinize new state laws that seek to curb voter access and take action if it sees a violation of federal law.

Attorney General Merrick Garland laid out an expansive plan on Friday for protecting voting rights, announcing that the Justice Department would double enforcement staff on the issue, scrutinize new state laws that seek to curb voter access and take action if it sees a violation of federal law. In his first public speech on an issue that has provoked intense partisan conflict in statehouses and in Washington, Garland served notice to Republicans pushing a raft of restrictive voting laws that he was determined to ensure the right to vote for all Americans. Also read | Here’s how Democrats’ sweeping voting rights law would work Garland did not outline any investigations or specific actions the department might take against states. Nevertheless, his pledge is an about-face from the department’s near abdication of voting rights enforcement under the Trump administration. Over the past four years, the department did not file any new cases under the Voting Rights Act until May of last year, a rare period of silence for one of the most consequential arms for protecting voting rights in the country. “To meet the challenge of the current moment, we must rededicate the resources of the Department of Justice to a critical part of its original mission: enforcing federal law to protect the franchise for all eligible voters,” Garland said in an address at the department headquarters. Garland made a specific commitment to protect the voting rights of people of colour, reflecting a return to the traditional role the Justice Department has played in preventing discrimination based on race. Voting rights groups and civil rights activists have argued that many of the new voting laws would have a disproportionate impact on voters of colour, and President Joe Biden described the restrictions Georgia passed in March as “Jim Crow in the 21st Century.’’ Also read | Florida Republicans pass voting limits in broad elections bill Without identifying specific states, Garland made an apparent allusion to the hourslong lines many Black voters faced last year in Georgia’s June primary elections, citing studies showing that “in some jurisdictions, nonwhite voters must wait in a line substantially longer than white voters to cast their ballots.’’ He also made a clear reference to Arizona’s Republican-led and widely derided. recount of 2 million votes in Maricopa County, saying the department would scrutinize postelection audits “to ensure they abide by federal statutory requirements to protect election records and avoid the intimidation of voters.” In a statement Friday evening, the department said it had sent a letter to the Arizona Senate, expressing concern over, and explaining federal legal constraints on, the conduct of its continuing postelection audit. The drive to enact new voting laws has become a core mission of the Republican Party, as former President Donald Trump and his allies continue to peddle false claims about a rigged election and call for more states he lost to audit their results despite no evidence of fraud. Pledges to restrict access to voting under the banner of “election integrity” have become commonplace in fundraising emails and campaign ads from Republican candidates. Republican-led legislatures in several states including Georgia, Florida and Iowa have passed laws imposing new voting restrictions, and Texas, New Hampshire, Arizona and Michigan, among other states, are considering changes to their electoral systems. Also read | Georgia law kicks off partisan battle over voting rights At the same time, hopes have dimmed on the left that Congress will pass two major election bills after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. said he would not support abolishing the filibuster to advance such measures. Garland has said that protecting the right to vote is one of his top priorities as attorney general, and his top lieutenants include high-profile voting rights advocates such as Vanita Gupta, the department’s No. 3 official, and Kristen Clarke, head of the Civil Rights Division. The division currently has about a dozen employees on its enforcement staff, which is focused on protecting the right to vote, according to a department official familiar with the staff. Despite his pledge, Garland is still limited in what he can do unless Democrats in Congress somehow manage to pass new voter protection laws. He can sue states that are found to have violated any of the nation’s four major federal voting rights laws. He can notify state and local governments when he believes that their procedures violate federal law. And federal prosecutors can charge people who are found to have intimidated voters, a federal crime. The Justice Department’s most powerful tool, the Voting Rights Act, was significantly weakened by a 2013 Supreme Court decision that struck down pieces of the act forcing states with legacies of racial discrimination to receive Justice Department approval before they could change their voting laws. Now the department can only sue after a law has been passed and found to violate the act, meaning that a restrictive law could stand through multiple election cycles as litigation winds its way through the courts. Any new steps to protect voting rights are unlikely to move quickly, said Joanna Lydgate, a former deputy attorney general of Massachusetts who co-founded the States United Democracy Center. “People will need to be patient,” she said. Still, progressive groups praised the announcement, which is seen as an important bulwark against the new voting laws introduced in all but two states that have Republican-controlled legislatures. There are nearly 400 measures in total, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a progressive public policy institute that is part of the New York University School of Law. As of May 14, lawmakers had passed 22 new laws in 14 states to make the process of voting more difficult, according to the group. Democrats have filed lawsuits against some new voting laws, but that litigation could take years to wind its way through the courts and may have little power to stop those laws from affecting upcoming elections. And so far, the federal government has not joined the legal fight. “We need to make sure that the federal government is an active participant in protecting the right to vote,” said Tom Perez, a former Democratic National Committee chair who led the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division during President Barack Obama’s first term. “We can’t simply rely on private lawsuits.” Conservatives who have crafted and pushed for the new voting laws scoffed at Garland’s announcement. “Americans have been clear: they support laws making it easy to vote and hard to cheat in states across the country,” said Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action, which helped write and then organized support for many of the new laws. “Despite the false narrative coming out of the White House and now the Department of Justice, Americans support secure, fair elections, even if the left does not.” The Justice Department’s curbed abilities to fight voter fraud were amplified under the Trump administration. “It was a really low point for voting rights enforcement,” said Wendy R. Weisser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center. “There’s a lot of ground to be made up obviously, and now there’s unprecedented challenges to voting rights.” During the 2020 election, the department publicly appeared to be more concerned with hunting for fraud than protecting voting rights. In September, then-Attorney General William Barr made numerous false statements about voting by mail in an interview with CNN, and amplified the importance of a minor ballot error in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, making it appear as if it warranted a major fraud investigation. Garland expressed scepticism about the use of unorthodox postelection audits, saying they could undermine faith in the nation’s ability to host free and fair elections. He said that some jurisdictions had used disinformation to justify such audits. Assertions of material voter fraud in the 2020 election “have been refuted by the law enforcement and intelligence agencies of both this administration and the previous one, as well as by every court, federal and state, that has considered them,” Garland said. The Justice Department will publish guidance explaining the civil and criminal statutes that apply to post-election audits, as well as guidance on early voting and voting by mail, and will work with other agencies to combat disinformation, Garland said. Republicans have taken aim at specific pillars of voting access, particularly ones utilized during the 2020 election as voters sought safer options amid the coronavirus pandemic. In an effort to restrict voting by mail, they have sought to limit the number of drop boxes in multiple states, limit who can request mail ballots and add new identification requirements for absentee ballots. Republican legislatures are also seeking to greatly empower partisan poll watchers across the country. The role, which is meant to simply be an observational check granted to both political parties and all candidates, has grown increasingly controversial as party leaders, including Trump, have sometimes used militarist language to describe them. Garland said that the Justice Department had taken note of a sharp rise “in menacing and violent threats” against state and local election workers. Such threats, he said, undermined the electoral process and violated federal laws.

Garland pledges renewed efforts to protect voting rights

On Feb. 6, 2018, Apple received a grand jury subpoena for the names and phone records connected to 109 email addresses and phone numbers. It was one of the more than 250 data requests that the company received on average from US law enforcement each week at the time. An Apple paralegal complied and provided the information.

This year, a gag order on the subpoena expired. Apple said it alerted the people who were the subjects of the subpoena, just as it does with dozens of customers each day. But this request was out of the ordinary.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-officials-seized-apple-data-of-two-democratic-lawmakers-new-york-times-390716">Trump officials seized Apple data of two Democratic lawmakers: New York Times</a>

Without knowing it, Apple said, it had handed over the data of congressional staffers, their families and at least two members of Congress, including Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., then the House Intelligence Committee’s ranking member and now its chair. It turned out the subpoena was part of a wide-ranging investigation by the Trump administration into leaks of classified information.

The revelations have now plunged Apple into the middle of a firestorm over the Trump administration’s efforts to find the sources of news stories, and the handling underscores the flood of law enforcement requests that tech companies increasingly contend with. The number of these requests has soared in recent years to thousands a week, putting Apple and other tech giants like Google and Microsoft in an uncomfortable position between law enforcement, the courts and the customers whose privacy they have promised to protect.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-google-and-a-deal-that-controls-the-internet-337885">Apple, Google and a deal that controls the internet</a>

The companies regularly comply with the requests because they are legally required to do so. The subpoenas can be vague, so Apple, Google and others are often unclear on the nature or subject of an investigation. They can challenge some subpoenas if they are too broad or if they relate to a corporate client. In the first six months of 2020, Apple challenged 238 demands from the government for its customers’ account data or 4 per cent of such requests.

As part of the same leak investigation by the Trump administration, Google fought a gag order this year on a subpoena to turn over data on the emails of four New York Times reporters. Google argued that its contract as The Times’ corporate email provider required it to inform the newspaper of any government requests for its emails, said Ted Boutrous, an outside lawyer for The Times.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/privacy-for-sale-as-apple-and-facebook-fight-for-consumers-354932">Privacy for sale as Apple and Facebook fight for consumers</a>

But more frequently than not, the companies comply with law enforcement demands. And that underlines an awkward truth: As their products become more central to people’s lives, the world’s largest tech companies have become surveillance intermediaries and crucial partners to authorities, with the power to arbitrate which requests to honour and which to reject.

Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesman, said in a statement that the company regularly challenged government data requests and informed affected customers as soon as it legally could.

“In this case, the subpoena, which was issued by a federal grand jury and included a nondisclosure order signed by a federal magistrate judge, provided no information on the nature of the investigation and it would have been virtually impossible for Apple to understand the intent of the desired information without digging through users’ accounts,” he said. “Consistent with the request, Apple limited the information it provided to account subscriber information and did not provide any content such as emails or pictures.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-lawmakers-question-google-twitter-and-others-over-auction-of-user-data-375266">US lawmakers question Google, Twitter and others over auction of user data</a>

In a statement, Microsoft said it received a subpoena in 2017 related to a personal email account. It said it notified the customer after the gag order expired and learned that the person was a congressional staff member. “We will continue to aggressively seek reform that imposes reasonable limits on government secrecy in cases like this,” the company said.

Google declined to comment on whether it received a subpoena related to the investigation on the House Intelligence Committee.

The Justice Department has not commented publicly on Apple’s turning over House Intelligence Committee records. In congressional testimony this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland sidestepped criticism of the Trump administration’s decisions and said the seizure of records was made “under a set of policies that have existed for decades.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-defense-intelligence-agency-admits-it-bought-peoples-location-data-report-358741">US Defense Intelligence Agency admits it bought people's location data: Report</a>

In the Justice Department’s leak investigation, Apple and Microsoft turned over the so-called metadata of people who worked in Congress, including phone records, device information, and addresses. It is not unusual for the Justice Department to subpoena such metadata, because the information can be used to establish whether someone had contact with a member of the media or whether the person’s work or home accounts were tied to anonymous accounts that were used to disseminate classified information.

Under the gag orders that authorities placed on the subpoenas, Apple and Microsoft also agreed to not tell those people whose information was being demanded. In Apple’s case, a yearlong gag order was renewed three separate times. That contrasted with Google, which resisted the gag order on a subpoena to turn over data on the four Times reporters.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-surveillance-of-democrats-sparks-abuse-of-power-claims-390987">Trump surveillance of Democrats sparks abuse of power claims</a>

The differing responses are largely explained by the different relationships the companies had with their customers in the case. Apple and Microsoft were ordered to hand over data related to individual accounts, while the subpoena to Google affected a corporate customer, which was governed by a contract. That contract gave Google a more specific basis on which to challenge the gag order, lawyers said.

The subpoena to Apple was also more opaque, it simply asked for information about a series of email addresses and phone numbers, and the company said it did not know it related to an investigation into Congress. For Google, it was clear that the Justice Department sought records from The Times because the email addresses were clearly those of Times reporters.

Google said it generally did not handle requests for customer information differently for individual accounts and corporate customers. But the company has a strong argument to redirect requests for data of corporate customers based on the Justice Department’s own recommendations.

In guidelines released in 2017, the Justice Department urged prosecutors to “seek data directly” from companies instead of going through a technology provider, unless doing so was impractical or would compromise the investigation. By going to Google to seize information about the reporters, the Justice Department sought to circumvent The Times. Google declined to say whether it used the Justice Department guidelines to fight the gag order.

Google said it produced some data in 83 per cent of the nearly 40,000 requests for information from US government agencies it received in the first half of 2020. By comparison, it produced some data in 39 per cent of requests for information on 398 paying corporate customers of Google Cloud, including its email and web-hosting offerings, during the same time period.

Law enforcement requests for data from American tech companies have more than doubled in recent years. Facebook said it received nearly 123,000 data requests from the US government last year, up from 37,000 in 2015.

Apple said that in the first half of 2020, it received an average of 400 requests a week for customer data from US law enforcement, more than double the rate five years prior. The company’s compliance rate has remained roughly between 80 per cent and 85 per cent for years.

Authorities are also demanding information about more accounts in each request. In the first half of 2020, each US government subpoena or warrant to Apple requested data for 11 accounts or devices on average, up from fewer than three accounts or devices in the first half of 2015, the company said.

Apple said that after the government began including more than 100 accounts in some subpoenas, as it did in the leak investigation in 2018, it asked law enforcement to limit requests to 25 accounts each. Police did not always comply, the company said.

Apple has often challenged subpoenas that included so many accounts because they were too broad, said a former senior lawyer for the company, who spoke on the condition of confidentiality. This person said that it would not have been surprising for Apple to challenge the 2018 Justice Department subpoena but that whether a request was challenged often depended on whether a paralegal handling the subpoena elevated it to more senior lawyers.

On Feb. 6, 2018, Apple received a grand jury subpoena for the names and phone records connected to 109 email addresses and phone numbers. It was one of the more than 250 data requests that the company received on average from US law enforcement each week at the time.

On Feb. 6, 2018, Apple received a grand jury subpoena for the names and phone records connected to 109 email addresses and phone numbers. It was one of the more than 250 data requests that the company received on average from US law enforcement each week at the time. An Apple paralegal complied and provided the information. This year, a gag order on the subpoena expired. Apple said it alerted the people who were the subjects of the subpoena, just as it does with dozens of customers each day. But this request was out of the ordinary. Also read | Trump officials seized Apple data of two Democratic lawmakers: New York Times Without knowing it, Apple said, it had handed over the data of congressional staffers, their families and at least two members of Congress, including Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., then the House Intelligence Committee’s ranking member and now its chair. It turned out the subpoena was part of a wide-ranging investigation by the Trump administration into leaks of classified information. The revelations have now plunged Apple into the middle of a firestorm over the Trump administration’s efforts to find the sources of news stories, and the handling underscores the flood of law enforcement requests that tech companies increasingly contend with. The number of these requests has soared in recent years to thousands a week, putting Apple and other tech giants like Google and Microsoft in an uncomfortable position between law enforcement, the courts and the customers whose privacy they have promised to protect. Also read | Apple, Google and a deal that controls the internet The companies regularly comply with the requests because they are legally required to do so. The subpoenas can be vague, so Apple, Google and others are often unclear on the nature or subject of an investigation. They can challenge some subpoenas if they are too broad or if they relate to a corporate client. In the first six months of 2020, Apple challenged 238 demands from the government for its customers’ account data or 4 per cent of such requests. As part of the same leak investigation by the Trump administration, Google fought a gag order this year on a subpoena to turn over data on the emails of four New York Times reporters. Google argued that its contract as The Times’ corporate email provider required it to inform the newspaper of any government requests for its emails, said Ted Boutrous, an outside lawyer for The Times. Also read | Privacy for sale as Apple and Facebook fight for consumers But more frequently than not, the companies comply with law enforcement demands. And that underlines an awkward truth: As their products become more central to people’s lives, the world’s largest tech companies have become surveillance intermediaries and crucial partners to authorities, with the power to arbitrate which requests to honour and which to reject. Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesman, said in a statement that the company regularly challenged government data requests and informed affected customers as soon as it legally could. “In this case, the subpoena, which was issued by a federal grand jury and included a nondisclosure order signed by a federal magistrate judge, provided no information on the nature of the investigation and it would have been virtually impossible for Apple to understand the intent of the desired information without digging through users’ accounts,” he said. “Consistent with the request, Apple limited the information it provided to account subscriber information and did not provide any content such as emails or pictures.” Also read | US lawmakers question Google, Twitter and others over auction of user data In a statement, Microsoft said it received a subpoena in 2017 related to a personal email account. It said it notified the customer after the gag order expired and learned that the person was a congressional staff member. “We will continue to aggressively seek reform that imposes reasonable limits on government secrecy in cases like this,” the company said. Google declined to comment on whether it received a subpoena related to the investigation on the House Intelligence Committee. The Justice Department has not commented publicly on Apple’s turning over House Intelligence Committee records. In congressional testimony this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland sidestepped criticism of the Trump administration’s decisions and said the seizure of records was made “under a set of policies that have existed for decades.” Also read | US Defense Intelligence Agency admits it bought people's location data: Report In the Justice Department’s leak investigation, Apple and Microsoft turned over the so-called metadata of people who worked in Congress, including phone records, device information, and addresses. It is not unusual for the Justice Department to subpoena such metadata, because the information can be used to establish whether someone had contact with a member of the media or whether the person’s work or home accounts were tied to anonymous accounts that were used to disseminate classified information. Under the gag orders that authorities placed on the subpoenas, Apple and Microsoft also agreed to not tell those people whose information was being demanded. In Apple’s case, a yearlong gag order was renewed three separate times. That contrasted with Google, which resisted the gag order on a subpoena to turn over data on the four Times reporters. Also read | Trump surveillance of Democrats sparks abuse of power claims The differing responses are largely explained by the different relationships the companies had with their customers in the case. Apple and Microsoft were ordered to hand over data related to individual accounts, while the subpoena to Google affected a corporate customer, which was governed by a contract. That contract gave Google a more specific basis on which to challenge the gag order, lawyers said. The subpoena to Apple was also more opaque, it simply asked for information about a series of email addresses and phone numbers, and the company said it did not know it related to an investigation into Congress. For Google, it was clear that the Justice Department sought records from The Times because the email addresses were clearly those of Times reporters. Google said it generally did not handle requests for customer information differently for individual accounts and corporate customers. But the company has a strong argument to redirect requests for data of corporate customers based on the Justice Department’s own recommendations. In guidelines released in 2017, the Justice Department urged prosecutors to “seek data directly” from companies instead of going through a technology provider, unless doing so was impractical or would compromise the investigation. By going to Google to seize information about the reporters, the Justice Department sought to circumvent The Times. Google declined to say whether it used the Justice Department guidelines to fight the gag order. Google said it produced some data in 83 per cent of the nearly 40,000 requests for information from US government agencies it received in the first half of 2020. By comparison, it produced some data in 39 per cent of requests for information on 398 paying corporate customers of Google Cloud, including its email and web-hosting offerings, during the same time period. Law enforcement requests for data from American tech companies have more than doubled in recent years. Facebook said it received nearly 123,000 data requests from the US government last year, up from 37,000 in 2015. Apple said that in the first half of 2020, it received an average of 400 requests a week for customer data from US law enforcement, more than double the rate five years prior. The company’s compliance rate has remained roughly between 80 per cent and 85 per cent for years. Authorities are also demanding information about more accounts in each request. In the first half of 2020, each US government subpoena or warrant to Apple requested data for 11 accounts or devices on average, up from fewer than three accounts or devices in the first half of 2015, the company said. Apple said that after the government began including more than 100 accounts in some subpoenas, as it did in the leak investigation in 2018, it asked law enforcement to limit requests to 25 accounts each. Police did not always comply, the company said. Apple has often challenged subpoenas that included so many accounts because they were too broad, said a former senior lawyer for the company, who spoke on the condition of confidentiality. This person said that it would not have been surprising for Apple to challenge the 2018 Justice Department subpoena but that whether a request was challenged often depended on whether a paralegal handling the subpoena elevated it to more senior lawyers.

Tech giants are plunged into political firestorm

The United States believes keeping an international diplomatic presence in Kabul requires a 'functioning, secure' airport, a State Department spokesperson said on Friday, suggesting that embassies could be forced to close without one. 
 
The statement came a day after a Taliban spokesman effectively rejected Turkey's proposal that its troops remain to guard and run the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the departure of the rest of the US-led foreign force. 
 
The Taliban's position poses serious questions for the United States, other countries and international organisations with missions in Kabul about how to evacuate personnel from landlocked Afghanistan should fighting threaten the capital. 
 
"We underscore that a functioning, secure airport is essential to any international diplomatic presence and will benefit Afghan travellers and the Afghan economy," the State Department spokesperson said in response to the Taliban statement. 
 
The spokesperson declined to elaborate. But their comment appeared to be a message to the Islamist Taliban that unless countries with embassies in Kabul feel that their diplomats can safely access a functioning airport, they could close their missions. 
 
US&nbsp;officials have said they believe the insurgents seek international legitimacy and an end to their pariah status. 
 
Australia shuttered its embassy in Kabul last month because of security concerns. US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week vowed to keep the US&nbsp;embassy open. 
 
President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from America's longest war, stalled peace talks and unrelenting violence are fueling fears that Afghanistan is headed into an all-out civil war that could return the Taliban to power. 
 
Biden is expected to discuss the issue when he holds talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels on Monday. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The United States believes keeping an international diplomatic presence in Kabul requires a 'functioning, secure' airport, a State Department spokesperson said on Friday, suggesting that embassies could be forced to close without one.

The United States believes keeping an international diplomatic presence in Kabul requires a 'functioning, secure' airport, a State Department spokesperson said on Friday, suggesting that embassies could be forced to close without one. The statement came a day after a Taliban spokesman effectively rejected Turkey's proposal that its troops remain to guard and run the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the departure of the rest of the US-led foreign force. The Taliban's position poses serious questions for the United States, other countries and international organisations with missions in Kabul about how to evacuate personnel from landlocked Afghanistan should fighting threaten the capital. "We underscore that a functioning, secure airport is essential to any international diplomatic presence and will benefit Afghan travellers and the Afghan economy," the State Department spokesperson said in response to the Taliban statement. The spokesperson declined to elaborate. But their comment appeared to be a message to the Islamist Taliban that unless countries with embassies in Kabul feel that their diplomats can safely access a functioning airport, they could close their missions. US officials have said they believe the insurgents seek international legitimacy and an end to their pariah status. Australia shuttered its embassy in Kabul last month because of security concerns. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week vowed to keep the US embassy open. President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from America's longest war, stalled peace talks and unrelenting violence are fueling fears that Afghanistan is headed into an all-out civil war that could return the Taliban to power. Biden is expected to discuss the issue when he holds talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels on Monday. (With inputs from agencies)

US says diplomatic presence in Kabul requires 'functioning, secure airport'

The Pentagon announced on Friday a new package of $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine that will include counter-artillery radar, electronic warfare equipment and counter-drone technology, bolstering Kyiv amid elevated tensions with Moscow. 
 
Although the funds were already committed by Congress, the Defense Department's announcement details specifically how the US&nbsp;military will allocate assistance earmarked for Ukraine before the end of the US&nbsp;government's fiscal year in September. 
 
The latest tranche of assistance will come in addition to the $125 million that the Pentagon announced on March 1, which included armed Mark VI patrol boats. 
 
Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and backed a pro-Russian separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine that triggered a conflict that has killed over 14,000 people. 
 
Tensions have flared again in recent months after the two countries traded blame for a surge in fighting in Ukraine's Donbass, and Russia, in what it called a defensive exercise, massed troops on its border with Ukraine and in Crimea. 
 
US&nbsp;President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday that he will stand up for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity ahead of a summit between Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16. 
 
The Pentagon said the US&nbsp;security assistance included capabilities 'to enhance the lethality, command and control and situational awareness of Ukraine's forces'. 
 
It would provide counter-artillery radars, counter-drone systems, secure communications gear, electronic warfare and military medical evacuation equipment. The United States would also provide training and equipment to improve the operational safety and capacity of Ukrainian Air Force bases, it said. 
 
The US&nbsp;assistance followed certification by the Pentagon that Ukraine 'made sufficient progress on defence reforms this year',&nbsp;as required by US&nbsp;law. 
 
When he was the US&nbsp;president, Donald Trump was impeached by the Democratic-led House of Representatives in 2019 after accusing him of using US&nbsp;aid as leverage to try to force Kyiv into smearing Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The Republican-led Senate later acquitted Trump. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The Pentagon announced on Friday a new package of $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine that will include counter-artillery radar, electronic warfare equipment and counter-drone technology, bolstering Kyiv amid elevated tensions with Moscow.

The Pentagon announced on Friday a new package of $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine that will include counter-artillery radar, electronic warfare equipment and counter-drone technology, bolstering Kyiv amid elevated tensions with Moscow. Although the funds were already committed by Congress, the Defense Department's announcement details specifically how the US military will allocate assistance earmarked for Ukraine before the end of the US government's fiscal year in September. The latest tranche of assistance will come in addition to the $125 million that the Pentagon announced on March 1, which included armed Mark VI patrol boats. Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and backed a pro-Russian separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine that triggered a conflict that has killed over 14,000 people. Tensions have flared again in recent months after the two countries traded blame for a surge in fighting in Ukraine's Donbass, and Russia, in what it called a defensive exercise, massed troops on its border with Ukraine and in Crimea. US President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday that he will stand up for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity ahead of a summit between Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16. The Pentagon said the US security assistance included capabilities 'to enhance the lethality, command and control and situational awareness of Ukraine's forces'. It would provide counter-artillery radars, counter-drone systems, secure communications gear, electronic warfare and military medical evacuation equipment. The United States would also provide training and equipment to improve the operational safety and capacity of Ukrainian Air Force bases, it said. The US assistance followed certification by the Pentagon that Ukraine 'made sufficient progress on defence reforms this year', as required by US law. When he was the US president, Donald Trump was impeached by the Democratic-led House of Representatives in 2019 after accusing him of using US aid as leverage to try to force Kyiv into smearing Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The Republican-led Senate later acquitted Trump. (With inputs from agencies)

Eying Russia, Pentagon to send Ukraine counter-drone, electronic warfare equipment

The&nbsp;US Food &amp; Drug Administration on Friday, June 11,&nbsp;said Johnson &amp; Johnson must throw away&nbsp;millions&nbsp;of&nbsp;doses&nbsp;of its&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;that were manufactured at a problem-plagued Baltimore factory but also cleared&nbsp;millions&nbsp;for use.

Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the agency had cleared about 10 million&nbsp;doses. The New York Times said that the batches being&nbsp;discarded amount to around 60 million&nbsp;doses, citing people familiar with the matter.

Without disclosing or confirming the number of&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;doses, the&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;said in a news release that it had authorized two batches of the&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;for use, that several other batches were not suitable for use, and that others were being evaluated.

The agency said it was not yet ready to authorize Emergent BioSolutions Inc's plant for manufacturing the J&amp;J&nbsp;vaccine. Production of J&amp;J's&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;at the Baltimore site was halted by&nbsp;US authorities in April and J&amp;J was put in charge of manufacturing at the plant.

One source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the J&amp;J&nbsp;doses&nbsp;are expected to be exported to other countries. The&nbsp;doses&nbsp;are already in vials and ready for use, the other source said.

Safety concerns about the J&amp;J&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;paired with flagging&nbsp;US demand for vaccinations, in general, have slowed the rollout of the one-shot&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;to a crawl. Close to half of the 21 million&nbsp;doses&nbsp;produced for the United States sit unused.

The&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;said its decision allows for the J&amp;J&nbsp;doses&nbsp;to be used in the United States or exported. The agency said the drugmaker and Emergent must agree that the&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;can share relevant information about the manufacturing of the&nbsp;doses&nbsp;with regulators where the&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;is shipped.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-g7-may-reallocate-100-billion-from-imf-funds-to-covid-ravaged-nations-390990">Also Read |&nbsp;US says G7 may reallocate $100 billion from IMF funds to COVID-ravaged nations</a>

J&amp;J, in a statement, confirmed that the&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;authorized the two batches, but did not acknowledge the&nbsp;doses&nbsp;regulators decided should be tossed.

The&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;declined to comment beyond its statement.

Last month, Emergent Chief Executive Robert Kramer said it was his understanding that there are 100 million&nbsp;doses&nbsp;of J&amp;J's&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;ready for&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;review and that regulators had begun the review process.

The April halt followed the discovery that ingredients from AstraZeneca's&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;vaccine, also being produced at the plant at the time, contaminated a batch of J&amp;J's&nbsp;vaccine. AstraZeneca's shot is no longer being made there.

An&nbsp;FDA&nbsp;inspection also turned up a long list of sanitary problems and bad manufacturing practices at the Emergent plant.

Separately, Europe's drug regulator said on Friday that batches of J&amp;J&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;made for the region around the time the contamination issues&nbsp;were revealed at the Baltimore plant would, as a precaution, not be used.

The European Medicines Agency did not say how many shots were affected, but Reuters has reported it involves&nbsp;millions&nbsp;of&nbsp;doses, making it harder for J&amp;J to meet a target of delivering 55 million to Europe by end of June.

The US Food & Drug Administration on Friday, June 11, said Johnson & Johnson must throw away millions of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine that were manufactured at a problem-plagued Baltimore factory but also cleared millions for use.

The US Food & Drug Administration on Friday, June 11, said Johnson & Johnson must throw away millions of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine that were manufactured at a problem-plagued Baltimore factory but also cleared millions for use. Two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters that the agency had cleared about 10 million doses. The New York Times said that the batches being discarded amount to around 60 million doses, citing people familiar with the matter. Without disclosing or confirming the number of vaccine doses, the FDA said in a news release that it had authorized two batches of the vaccine for use, that several other batches were not suitable for use, and that others were being evaluated. The agency said it was not yet ready to authorize Emergent BioSolutions Inc's plant for manufacturing the J&J vaccine. Production of J&J's vaccine at the Baltimore site was halted by US authorities in April and J&J was put in charge of manufacturing at the plant. One source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the J&J doses are expected to be exported to other countries. The doses are already in vials and ready for use, the other source said. Safety concerns about the J&J vaccine paired with flagging US demand for vaccinations, in general, have slowed the rollout of the one-shot vaccine to a crawl. Close to half of the 21 million doses produced for the United States sit unused. The FDA said its decision allows for the J&J doses to be used in the United States or exported. The agency said the drugmaker and Emergent must agree that the FDA can share relevant information about the manufacturing of the doses with regulators where the vaccine is shipped. Also Read | US says G7 may reallocate $100 billion from IMF funds to COVID-ravaged nations J&J, in a statement, confirmed that the FDA authorized the two batches, but did not acknowledge the doses regulators decided should be tossed. The FDA declined to comment beyond its statement. Last month, Emergent Chief Executive Robert Kramer said it was his understanding that there are 100 million doses of J&J's vaccine ready for FDA review and that regulators had begun the review process. The April halt followed the discovery that ingredients from AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, also being produced at the plant at the time, contaminated a batch of J&J's vaccine. AstraZeneca's shot is no longer being made there. An FDA inspection also turned up a long list of sanitary problems and bad manufacturing practices at the Emergent plant. Separately, Europe's drug regulator said on Friday that batches of J&J COVID-19 vaccine made for the region around the time the contamination issues were revealed at the Baltimore plant would, as a precaution, not be used. The European Medicines Agency did not say how many shots were affected, but Reuters has reported it involves millions of doses, making it harder for J&J to meet a target of delivering 55 million to Europe by end of June.

US FDA says J&J should discard millions of defected doses

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