Experts are investigating after the computer systems of two central Florida hospitals showed signs of unusual activity, an official said.

The Villages Regional Hospital and the UF Health Leesburg Hospital shut down multiple systems to protect patient information during the event on Monday night, switching to pen and paper to document patient visits, news outlets report.

"We have since learned that the activity was related to a cybersecurity event," Frank Faust, a spokesman for the University of Florida's Health Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel.

"With regard to protected information, at this time we do not believe any patient or personnel records have been compromised or shared." Faust said information technology teams from the University of Florida were investigating.

"These types of situations take time to fully resolve," Faust said. "We are continuing to methodically investigate to delicately and precisely understand what happened, and are taking the appropriate actions to resolve any and all issues." The Villages is one of the country's largest retirement communities, with a population of more than 130,000.

(With inputs from agencies)

Experts are investigating after the computer systems of two central Florida hospitals showed signs of unusual activity, an official said. The Villages Regional Hospital and the UF Health Leesburg Hospital shut down multiple systems to protect patient information during the event on Monday night, switching to pen and paper to document patient visits, news outlets report.

Experts are investigating after the computer systems of two central Florida hospitals showed signs of unusual activity, an official said. The Villages Regional Hospital and the UF Health Leesburg Hospital shut down multiple systems to protect patient information during the event on Monday night, switching to pen and paper to document patient visits, news outlets report. "We have since learned that the activity was related to a cybersecurity event," Frank Faust, a spokesman for the University of Florida's Health Central Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel. "With regard to protected information, at this time we do not believe any patient or personnel records have been compromised or shared." Faust said information technology teams from the University of Florida were investigating. "These types of situations take time to fully resolve," Faust said. "We are continuing to methodically investigate to delicately and precisely understand what happened, and are taking the appropriate actions to resolve any and all issues." The Villages is one of the country's largest retirement communities, with a population of more than 130,000. (With inputs from agencies)

Experts look into possible cyberattack at Florida hospitals

The European Union on Friday submitted a plan to the World Trade Organization that it believes will more effectively broaden the supply of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19 vaccines</a> than the intellectual property (IP) rights&nbsp;waiver&nbsp;backed by the United States.

India, South Africa and dozens of developing countries are demanding the&nbsp;waiver&nbsp;to address what they say is a "staggering inequity" in access to vaccines and other <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> treatments.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/brics-foreign-ministers-back-india-south-africa-vaccine-waiver-proposal-388839">BRICS foreign ministers back India-South Africa vaccine waiver proposal</a>

A surprise US&nbsp;shift in May to support a&nbsp;waiver&nbsp;heaped pressure on remaining opponents, such as the European Union and Switzerland that are home to many drugmakers.

The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation EU, said on Friday it had submitted an alternative, focused on limits on export restrictions and making use of flexibility in existing WTO rules.

The World Trade Organization will next be able to discuss the plan at meetings planned next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-vaccine-patent-waiver-will-not-be-enough-to-bridge-supply-gap-wto-386296">COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver will not be enough to bridge supply gap: WTO</a>

The EU contends that a&nbsp;waiver&nbsp;would not boost production and presented a three-part plan.

First, it says export restrictions should be kept to a minimum.

Second, the EU would encourage vaccine developers to enter deals with producers in developing countries and pledge increased supplies to vulnerable nations, as some have done.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vaccine-makers-oppose-ip-waiver-say-manufacturing-hurdles-slowing-rollout-379755">Vaccine makers oppose IP waiver, say manufacturing hurdles slowing rollout</a>

Third, the EU plan highlights existing WTO rules allowing countries to grant licences to manufacturers even without the consent of the patent-holder, although they would still receive compensation.

A Commission official said the proposal aimed to remove ambiguity, clarifying that the pandemic meant "compulsory licences" could be granted without having to negotiate with patent-holders first. Compensation could be kept to a minimum to ensure affordable prices.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vaccine-waiver-talks-a-chance-for-wto-to-show-its-relevance-us-trade-chief-tai-385138">Vaccine waiver talks a chance for WTO to show its relevance: US trade chief Tai</a>

Medical humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said the EU proposal was pushing only voluntary action by companies rather than the concrete legal solution a&nbsp;waiver&nbsp;would offer.

It added the existing "compulsory licensing" had critical shortcomings and that the EU plan was limited to vaccines.

The European Union on Friday submitted a plan to the World Trade Organization that it believes will more effectively broaden the supply of COVID-19 vaccines than the intellectual property (IP) rights waiver backed by the United States.

The European Union on Friday submitted a plan to the World Trade Organization that it believes will more effectively broaden the supply of COVID-19 vaccines than the intellectual property (IP) rights waiver backed by the United States. India, South Africa and dozens of developing countries are demanding the waiver to address what they say is a "staggering inequity" in access to vaccines and other COVID-19 treatments. Also Read | BRICS foreign ministers back India-South Africa vaccine waiver proposal A surprise US shift in May to support a waiver heaped pressure on remaining opponents, such as the European Union and Switzerland that are home to many drugmakers. The European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation EU, said on Friday it had submitted an alternative, focused on limits on export restrictions and making use of flexibility in existing WTO rules. The World Trade Organization will next be able to discuss the plan at meetings planned next Tuesday and Wednesday. Also Read | COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver will not be enough to bridge supply gap: WTO The EU contends that a waiver would not boost production and presented a three-part plan. First, it says export restrictions should be kept to a minimum. Second, the EU would encourage vaccine developers to enter deals with producers in developing countries and pledge increased supplies to vulnerable nations, as some have done. Also Read | Vaccine makers oppose IP waiver, say manufacturing hurdles slowing rollout Third, the EU plan highlights existing WTO rules allowing countries to grant licences to manufacturers even without the consent of the patent-holder, although they would still receive compensation. A Commission official said the proposal aimed to remove ambiguity, clarifying that the pandemic meant "compulsory licences" could be granted without having to negotiate with patent-holders first. Compensation could be kept to a minimum to ensure affordable prices. Also Read | Vaccine waiver talks a chance for WTO to show its relevance: US trade chief Tai Medical humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said the EU proposal was pushing only voluntary action by companies rather than the concrete legal solution a waiver would offer. It added the existing "compulsory licensing" had critical shortcomings and that the EU plan was limited to vaccines.

Resisting patent waiver, EU submits vaccine plan to WTO

Dedra Spears Johnson was working as a social worker in a suburb of the US capital Washington at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s when she concluded Black women's needs weren't being met by efforts to fight the disease.

Highly effective medications had recently been approved, but the people around her were hitting economic barriers and cultural taboos that prevented access.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hivaids-vaccine-why-dont-we-have-one-after-37-years-when-we-have-several-for-covid-19-after-a-few-months-385776">HIV/AIDS vaccine: Why don’t we have one after 37 years, when we have several for COVID-19 after a few months?</a>

"There's a shame about feeling they have this dirty disease," Spears Johnson,&nbsp;who in 1999 co-founded a nonprofit group called Heart to Hand Inc to broaden access to testing, treatments and education, told AFP.&nbsp;

"In our community, we don't talk about sex."&nbsp;

Forty years after US scientists documented the first cases of what would later be identified as HIV, life-saving medications have brought infection rates crashing down, but racial disparities are now wider than ever.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/argentina-second-person-known-to-be-naturally-cured-of-hiv-raises-hopes-for-millions-370742">Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions</a>

Black Americans went from making up 29 per cent of new infections in 1981 to 41 per cent in 2019, despite accounting for only 13 per cent of the US population, according to a new government report.

Part of the problem stems from the fragmented nature of the country's health care system.&nbsp;

Tens of millions are either uninsured or underinsured or reliant on government insurance for those with low incomes called Medicaid.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-trials-for-potential-hiv-vaccine-show-optimistic-results-375864">New trials for potential HIV vaccine show optimistic results</a>

On a recent visit by AFP, Heart to Hand was inundated with calls.&nbsp;

One of the callers, the receptionist told Spears Johnson, wanted to know whether Medicaid would cover treatment.

Spears Johnson said it wouldn't, but they would find another way.

'Death sentence'

On June 5, 1981, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first report describing five young white gay men diagnosed with a rare lung infection.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hiv-self-test-prices-to-be-slashed-in-half-in-135-countries-381086">HIV self-test prices to be slashed in half in 135 countries</a>

Two were dead by the time of publication and the rest would soon follow, marking the start of the AIDS crisis. Today, there are an estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV.&nbsp;

"When I first started seeing patients with HIV, it was largely a death sentence for the infected person," Johns Hopkins University medical professor Charles Flexner, who was a medical student at the time, told AFP.

The epidemic peaked in the mid-1980s, but in 1987 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first antiretroviral drug azidothymidine (AZT), offering a ray of hope.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-in-tell-all-interview-billy-porter-reveals-hes-had-hiv-since-14-years-386150">In tell-all interview, Billy Porter reveals he's had HIV since 14 years</a>

Its toxicity and propensity to cause anaemia however proved too much for some patients, particularly those already weakened by the disease.&nbsp;

More effective treatments called tri-therapies came along in 1995 and 1996, but a patient had to take 12-16 pills a day, which often made them sick.&nbsp;

"Ann," a Black woman who was infected in 1997 by an ex-husband who later died from AIDS, said the pills were also difficult to hide.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-can-she-have-hiv-pakistan-town-struggles-with-surge-in-infections-223487">'How can she have HIV?': Pakistan town struggles with surge in infections</a>

"Some had to be refrigerated," said Ann, who declined to give her real name, fearing rejection from family and friends she loves to cook for.&nbsp;

"But I didn't want anyone to see it in my fridge. So I would keep it in a cool drawer."

Turning point&nbsp;

The emotional and physical tolls endured by patients would pay off when in 1996, AIDS-related deaths declined for the first time in the United States.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/surge-in-deaths-due-to-hiv-tuberculosis-and-malaria-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-study-313145">Surge in deaths due to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria amid coronavirus pandemic: Study</a>

The FDA's approval in 2012 of a pill called PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, led to further dramatic reductions.&nbsp;

This medicine, taken once a day, reduces the risk of getting HIV by about 99 per cent.

But again, racial disparities are glaring.&nbsp;

Only 23 per cent of people who could benefit from it were using it in 2019. This included 63 per cent of white people, but only 14 per cent of Hispanics and eight per cent of Black people.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-berlin-patient-first-person-to-be-cured-of-hiv-dies-due-to-cancer-331454">'The Berlin patient' - First person to be cured of HIV dies due to cancer</a>

One of the most at-risk groups is gay Black men, and studies have shown this is not because they engage in more risk-associated behaviours but rather that HIV is already much more prevalent in the demographic.

Beyond this, a "lack of resources and historic underfunding has plagued Black gay communities," said a 2015 report by amFAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.&nbsp;

David Wilson, a 33-year-old Black gay man who is HIV-negative, told AFP he decided to start PrEP after finding out his partner "stepped out", had sex with someone else,&nbsp;and became infected.&nbsp;

"I'm completely realistic with my sexual practices and the things I like to do," Wilson said. "That's why I decided to get on PrEP."

'We don't give up on anybody'&nbsp;

Wilson is being treated at Whitman-Walker, a sexual health clinic in downtown Washington started by gay men in the 1970s, which found itself poised to recognize the beginnings of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s.

Former Whitman-Walker board director SaVanna Wanzer, a Black transgender woman activist, became one of the infected in 1985.&nbsp;

"AIDS was classified as a gay man's disease, and they treated you like you were the lowest specimen in the world," Wanzer said.&nbsp;

Few knew how the disease was transmitted at the time, and Wanzer described patients being left alone in isolated rooms to die with "all their lunch trays stacked up in front of the door."

Back then, one of Whitman-Walker's goals was to help patients to die with dignity.&nbsp;

Today, they offer a streamlined system for affordable access to HIV prevention and care. Uninsured patients are connected to "Insurance Navigators" with the goal of getting a same-day prescription.

Sometimes, helping people get the care they need can be straightforward as providing assistance like child care or transportation, explained Spears Johnson.

"We look at structural barriers to health care," she said. "And we don't give up on anybody."

Dedra Spears Johnson was working as a social worker in a suburb of the US capital Washington at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s when she concluded Black women's needs weren't being met by efforts to fight the disease.

Dedra Spears Johnson was working as a social worker in a suburb of the US capital Washington at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s when she concluded Black women's needs weren't being met by efforts to fight the disease. Highly effective medications had recently been approved, but the people around her were hitting economic barriers and cultural taboos that prevented access. Also Read | HIV/AIDS vaccine: Why don’t we have one after 37 years, when we have several for COVID-19 after a few months? "There's a shame about feeling they have this dirty disease," Spears Johnson, who in 1999 co-founded a nonprofit group called Heart to Hand Inc to broaden access to testing, treatments and education, told AFP. "In our community, we don't talk about sex." Forty years after US scientists documented the first cases of what would later be identified as HIV, life-saving medications have brought infection rates crashing down, but racial disparities are now wider than ever. Also Read | Argentina: Second person known to be naturally cured of HIV raises hopes for millions Black Americans went from making up 29 per cent of new infections in 1981 to 41 per cent in 2019, despite accounting for only 13 per cent of the US population, according to a new government report. Part of the problem stems from the fragmented nature of the country's health care system. Tens of millions are either uninsured or underinsured or reliant on government insurance for those with low incomes called Medicaid. Also Read | New trials for potential HIV vaccine show optimistic results On a recent visit by AFP, Heart to Hand was inundated with calls. One of the callers, the receptionist told Spears Johnson, wanted to know whether Medicaid would cover treatment. Spears Johnson said it wouldn't, but they would find another way. 'Death sentence' On June 5, 1981, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its first report describing five young white gay men diagnosed with a rare lung infection. Also Read | HIV self-test prices to be slashed in half in 135 countries Two were dead by the time of publication and the rest would soon follow, marking the start of the AIDS crisis. Today, there are an estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV. "When I first started seeing patients with HIV, it was largely a death sentence for the infected person," Johns Hopkins University medical professor Charles Flexner, who was a medical student at the time, told AFP. The epidemic peaked in the mid-1980s, but in 1987 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first antiretroviral drug azidothymidine (AZT), offering a ray of hope. Also Read | In tell-all interview, Billy Porter reveals he's had HIV since 14 years Its toxicity and propensity to cause anaemia however proved too much for some patients, particularly those already weakened by the disease. More effective treatments called tri-therapies came along in 1995 and 1996, but a patient had to take 12-16 pills a day, which often made them sick. "Ann," a Black woman who was infected in 1997 by an ex-husband who later died from AIDS, said the pills were also difficult to hide. Also Read | 'How can she have HIV?': Pakistan town struggles with surge in infections "Some had to be refrigerated," said Ann, who declined to give her real name, fearing rejection from family and friends she loves to cook for. "But I didn't want anyone to see it in my fridge. So I would keep it in a cool drawer." Turning point The emotional and physical tolls endured by patients would pay off when in 1996, AIDS-related deaths declined for the first time in the United States. Also Read | Surge in deaths due to HIV, tuberculosis and malaria amid coronavirus pandemic: Study The FDA's approval in 2012 of a pill called PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, led to further dramatic reductions. This medicine, taken once a day, reduces the risk of getting HIV by about 99 per cent. But again, racial disparities are glaring. Only 23 per cent of people who could benefit from it were using it in 2019. This included 63 per cent of white people, but only 14 per cent of Hispanics and eight per cent of Black people. Also Read | 'The Berlin patient' - First person to be cured of HIV dies due to cancer One of the most at-risk groups is gay Black men, and studies have shown this is not because they engage in more risk-associated behaviours but rather that HIV is already much more prevalent in the demographic. Beyond this, a "lack of resources and historic underfunding has plagued Black gay communities," said a 2015 report by amFAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. David Wilson, a 33-year-old Black gay man who is HIV-negative, told AFP he decided to start PrEP after finding out his partner "stepped out", had sex with someone else, and became infected. "I'm completely realistic with my sexual practices and the things I like to do," Wilson said. "That's why I decided to get on PrEP." 'We don't give up on anybody' Wilson is being treated at Whitman-Walker, a sexual health clinic in downtown Washington started by gay men in the 1970s, which found itself poised to recognize the beginnings of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s. Former Whitman-Walker board director SaVanna Wanzer, a Black transgender woman activist, became one of the infected in 1985. "AIDS was classified as a gay man's disease, and they treated you like you were the lowest specimen in the world," Wanzer said. Few knew how the disease was transmitted at the time, and Wanzer described patients being left alone in isolated rooms to die with "all their lunch trays stacked up in front of the door." Back then, one of Whitman-Walker's goals was to help patients to die with dignity. Today, they offer a streamlined system for affordable access to HIV prevention and care. Uninsured patients are connected to "Insurance Navigators" with the goal of getting a same-day prescription. Sometimes, helping people get the care they need can be straightforward as providing assistance like child care or transportation, explained Spears Johnson. "We look at structural barriers to health care," she said. "And we don't give up on anybody."

Forty years on, Black Americans disproportionately hit by HIV

Equity markets moved higher while the dollar fell on Friday after tepid job US growth numbers assuaged fears of a rapid reduction in stimulus measures and interest rate hikes.

The start of a Group of Seven finance ministers meeting drew investors' attention as well, with Europeans optimistic the world's wealthiest countries will support US-backed plans for a global minimum corporate tax.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/job-growth-slowed-in-april-muddling-expectations-383687">Job growth slowed in April, muddling expectations</a>

US Labor Department data released before Wall Street trading began showed the world's largest economy added 559,000 jobs in May, below expectations for the second straight month but an improvement on April.

That was good news for&nbsp;equities, as investors have feared the roaring return of the US economy would push the Federal Reserve to "taper" stimulus measures sooner than markets have been expecting.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-jobs-report-proves-us-economy-roaring-back-310276">Trump says jobs report proves US economy 'roaring back'</a>

"This employment report was not too hot, not too cold obviously and I think that the fact that we didn't see any big hike in the wages suggests that the Fed is not going to be in a hurry to accelerate any tapering debate sooner than anticipated," said Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital Securities.

The Dow ended up 0.5 per cent while the tech-rich Nasdaq added 1.5 per cent.

Before the closely-watched data was released, investors had been bracing for a jobs boom, after reports Thursday showed US private employers adding nearly one million positions in May and new unemployment benefits requests falling below 400,000 last week for the first time since the pandemic began.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-job-growth-slows-sharply-in-july-amid-coronavirus-resurgence-319004">US job growth slows sharply in July amid coronavirus resurgence</a>

"The key takeaway from the report is that it shows there is still ample room for improvement, which is apt to register in the Fed's mind as a basis for sticking with its patient-minded policy approach," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare.&nbsp;

Taper fears

The highly accommodative monetary policies of the Fed and other central banks have been key drivers of the blockbuster rally in world&nbsp;equities&nbsp;after they cratered at the start of the pandemic.

But there have been growing concerns on trading floors that too strong a rebound in the economy will set off a boom in inflation, forcing the Fed to begin to wind down its vast bond-buying program or even lift interest rates to prevent overheating.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/dollar-rises-after-us-jobs-come-out-better-than-worst-expectations-253795">Dollar rises after US jobs come out better than worst expectations</a>

CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said the jobs figure was "helping to support a view, that for all of the recent talk of a possible central bank retreat of support measures, that any such action was likely to be later rather than sooner."

And US central bankers have remained adamant that it is too soon to pull back on the stimulus measures.

Equity markets moved higher while the dollar fell on Friday after tepid job US growth numbers assuaged fears of a rapid reduction in stimulus measures and interest rate hikes.

Equity markets moved higher while the dollar fell on Friday after tepid job US growth numbers assuaged fears of a rapid reduction in stimulus measures and interest rate hikes. The start of a Group of Seven finance ministers meeting drew investors' attention as well, with Europeans optimistic the world's wealthiest countries will support US-backed plans for a global minimum corporate tax. Also Read | Job growth slowed in April, muddling expectations US Labor Department data released before Wall Street trading began showed the world's largest economy added 559,000 jobs in May, below expectations for the second straight month but an improvement on April. That was good news for equities, as investors have feared the roaring return of the US economy would push the Federal Reserve to "taper" stimulus measures sooner than markets have been expecting. Also Read | Trump says jobs report proves US economy 'roaring back' "This employment report was not too hot, not too cold obviously and I think that the fact that we didn't see any big hike in the wages suggests that the Fed is not going to be in a hurry to accelerate any tapering debate sooner than anticipated," said Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital Securities. The Dow ended up 0.5 per cent while the tech-rich Nasdaq added 1.5 per cent. Before the closely-watched data was released, investors had been bracing for a jobs boom, after reports Thursday showed US private employers adding nearly one million positions in May and new unemployment benefits requests falling below 400,000 last week for the first time since the pandemic began. Also Read | US job growth slows sharply in July amid coronavirus resurgence "The key takeaway from the report is that it shows there is still ample room for improvement, which is apt to register in the Fed's mind as a basis for sticking with its patient-minded policy approach," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare. Taper fears The highly accommodative monetary policies of the Fed and other central banks have been key drivers of the blockbuster rally in world equities after they cratered at the start of the pandemic. But there have been growing concerns on trading floors that too strong a rebound in the economy will set off a boom in inflation, forcing the Fed to begin to wind down its vast bond-buying program or even lift interest rates to prevent overheating. Also Read | Dollar rises after US jobs come out better than worst expectations CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said the jobs figure was "helping to support a view, that for all of the recent talk of a possible central bank retreat of support measures, that any such action was likely to be later rather than sooner." And US central bankers have remained adamant that it is too soon to pull back on the stimulus measures.

In US, equities rebound as dollar falls, job market shows tepid growth

Top US&nbsp;infectious disease expert Dr Anthony&nbsp;Fauci&nbsp;has called on&nbsp;China&nbsp;to&nbsp;release&nbsp;the&nbsp;medical&nbsp;records&nbsp;of nine people whose ailments might provide vital clues into whether COVID-19 first emerged as the result of a&nbsp;lab&nbsp;leak, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

"I would like to see the&nbsp;medical&nbsp;records&nbsp;of the three people who are reported to have got sick in 2019. Did they really get sick, and if so, what did they get sick with?" the report quoted&nbsp;Fauci&nbsp;as saying.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/urging-further-probe-into-virus-origins-us-experts-warn-of-covid-26-and-covid-32-388601">Urging further probe into virus origins, US experts warn of 'COVID-26' and 'COVID-32'</a>

The origin of the virus is hotly contested, with US&nbsp;intelligence agencies still examining reports that researchers at a Chinese virology&nbsp;laboratory in&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;were seriously ill in 2019 a month before the first COVID-19 cases were reported.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/origin-of-wuhan-virus-needs-to-be-found-386627">Origin of Wuhan virus needs to be found</a>

However, Chinese scientists and officials have consistently rejected the&nbsp;lab&nbsp;leak hypothesis, saying the virus could have been circulating in other regions before it hit&nbsp;Wuhan&nbsp;and might have even entered&nbsp;China&nbsp;through imported frozen food shipments or wildlife trading.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/virus-origin-probe-poisoned-by-politics-says-who-388122">Virus origin probe 'poisoned by politics', says WHO</a>

Financial Times reported that&nbsp;Fauci&nbsp;continues to believe the virus was first transmitted to humans through animals, pointing out that even if the&nbsp;lab&nbsp;researchers did have COVID-19, they could have contracted the disease from the wider population.

Top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has called on China to release the medical records of nine people whose ailments might provide vital clues into whether COVID-19 first emerged as the result of a lab leak, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

Top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has called on China to release the medical records of nine people whose ailments might provide vital clues into whether COVID-19 first emerged as the result of a lab leak, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. "I would like to see the medical records of the three people who are reported to have got sick in 2019. Did they really get sick, and if so, what did they get sick with?" the report quoted Fauci as saying. Also Read | Urging further probe into virus origins, US experts warn of 'COVID-26' and 'COVID-32' The origin of the virus is hotly contested, with US intelligence agencies still examining reports that researchers at a Chinese virology laboratory in Wuhan were seriously ill in 2019 a month before the first COVID-19 cases were reported. Also Read | Origin of Wuhan virus needs to be found However, Chinese scientists and officials have consistently rejected the lab leak hypothesis, saying the virus could have been circulating in other regions before it hit Wuhan and might have even entered China through imported frozen food shipments or wildlife trading. Also Read | Virus origin probe 'poisoned by politics', says WHO Financial Times reported that Fauci continues to believe the virus was first transmitted to humans through animals, pointing out that even if the lab researchers did have COVID-19, they could have contracted the disease from the wider population.

Fauci calls on China to release medical records of Wuhan lab workers: Report

Top American lawmakers, industry groups and Indian Americans on Thursday welcomed the decision of the Biden Administration to send 25 million doses of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccines</a> to other countries, including India.

"This is a good first step. I continue to urge the administration to ramp up its global vaccine distribution with a plan that considers urgent need and regional priorities and I look forward to the next batch being allocated quickly,"&nbsp;Senator Mitt Romney said Thursday.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/biden-administration-unveils-strategy-for-global-vaccine-sharing-389335/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Countries like Taiwan and India are in desperate need of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> vaccines, so I'm pleased that the administration is moving into the implementation stage of its global vaccine distribution plan. US vaccines are far safer and more effective than those coming out of China or Russia,"&nbsp;Romney said.

Congresswoman Grace Meng commended the Biden Administration for unveiling the United States' plan to share COVID-19 vaccines with other nations, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other countries in Asia.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-cases-hotspots-emerge-globally-as-worries-mount-389170">COVID-19 cases hotspots emerge globally as worries mount</a>

"If we are going to defeat COVID-19 and move past this pandemic, we must fight this virus not just here at home but across the globe and I applaud President Biden and his administration for proceeding with his commitment to do so,"&nbsp;said Meng.

"These donations of vaccines are urgently needed. They will save lives and help with the world's recovery and I thank the President and his administration for hearing the pleas that I and others made for sharing vaccines with these other countries. I look forward to seeing the help that these vaccine distributions will provide and I'll be monitoring the situation closely," the Congresswoman said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/eu-parliament-extends-support-to-india-south-africas-covid-vaccine-patent-waiver-386638">EU Parliament extends support to India, South Africa's Covid vaccine patent waiver</a>

The US Chamber of Commerce in a statement welcomed the efforts to boost global vaccine manufacturing and expand vaccine access, including the decision to distribute nearly 19 million doses through the COVAX coalition and provide millions of additional doses directly to countries in need.

"As countries around the globe struggle to manage the health crisis, we know that more can,&nbsp;and must,&nbsp;be done. As production exceeds demand in the United States, the administration should release additional doses into the global supply,"&nbsp;said Myron Brilliant, executive vice-president and head of international affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wto-head-urges-g20-leaders-to-negotiate-ip-waiver-386567">WTO head urges G20 leaders to negotiate IP waiver</a>

"The good news: For months, vaccine producers have been scaling up production exponentially and sharing intellectual property with manufacturers via licenses to boost global capacity. These collaborations, rather than the risky move to circumvent them via IP waivers, will be key to vaccinating billions worldwide," he said.

Congresswoman Young Kim said that the US has provided PPE, medical equipment, therapeutics and raw vaccine materials to India over the past month. "However, with new infections daily and an overwhelmed health infrastructure, India needs help to ramp up its vaccine production capabilities and we can and should help," she said. 
Diaspora advocacy group, IMPACT welcomed the decision.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/over-50-million-pfizer-vaccines-ready-to-be-delivered-to-india-source-389143/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We are thankful the administration has responded to the pleas of the Indian American community. But with over one billion people in India still waiting to get access to vaccines, we must do much, much more. The US will have a surplus of nearly 300M vaccines by July and President Biden should act swiftly to send those doses to countries in dire need such as India,"&nbsp;said Neil Makhija, executive director at IMPACT.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-vaccine-patent-waiver-will-not-be-enough-to-bridge-supply-gap-wto-386296">COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver will not be enough to bridge supply gap: WTO</a>

Dr Vijay G Prabhakar, a public health physician described it as a "huge positive step forward" for US-India relations.

"Yes the quantum is lower than what we have been asking for but we wholeheartedly welcome this initial shipment to India in June," he said in a statement.

Welcoming the decision, Dr R D Prabhu from Las Vegas in Nevada said that this will go a long way in helping the people of India to successfully fight against COVID-19.

Top American lawmakers, industry groups and Indian Americans on Thursday welcomed the decision of the Biden Administration to send 25 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to other countries, including India.

Top American lawmakers, industry groups and Indian Americans on Thursday welcomed the decision of the Biden Administration to send 25 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to other countries, including India. "This is a good first step. I continue to urge the administration to ramp up its global vaccine distribution with a plan that considers urgent need and regional priorities and I look forward to the next batch being allocated quickly," Senator Mitt Romney said Thursday. "Countries like Taiwan and India are in desperate need of COVID-19 vaccines, so I'm pleased that the administration is moving into the implementation stage of its global vaccine distribution plan. US vaccines are far safer and more effective than those coming out of China or Russia," Romney said. Congresswoman Grace Meng commended the Biden Administration for unveiling the United States' plan to share COVID-19 vaccines with other nations, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other countries in Asia. Also Read | COVID-19 cases hotspots emerge globally as worries mount "If we are going to defeat COVID-19 and move past this pandemic, we must fight this virus not just here at home but across the globe and I applaud President Biden and his administration for proceeding with his commitment to do so," said Meng. "These donations of vaccines are urgently needed. They will save lives and help with the world's recovery and I thank the President and his administration for hearing the pleas that I and others made for sharing vaccines with these other countries. I look forward to seeing the help that these vaccine distributions will provide and I'll be monitoring the situation closely," the Congresswoman said. Also Read | EU Parliament extends support to India, South Africa's Covid vaccine patent waiver The US Chamber of Commerce in a statement welcomed the efforts to boost global vaccine manufacturing and expand vaccine access, including the decision to distribute nearly 19 million doses through the COVAX coalition and provide millions of additional doses directly to countries in need. "As countries around the globe struggle to manage the health crisis, we know that more can, and must, be done. As production exceeds demand in the United States, the administration should release additional doses into the global supply," said Myron Brilliant, executive vice-president and head of international affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce. Also Read | WTO head urges G20 leaders to negotiate IP waiver "The good news: For months, vaccine producers have been scaling up production exponentially and sharing intellectual property with manufacturers via licenses to boost global capacity. These collaborations, rather than the risky move to circumvent them via IP waivers, will be key to vaccinating billions worldwide," he said. Congresswoman Young Kim said that the US has provided PPE, medical equipment, therapeutics and raw vaccine materials to India over the past month. "However, with new infections daily and an overwhelmed health infrastructure, India needs help to ramp up its vaccine production capabilities and we can and should help," she said. Diaspora advocacy group, IMPACT welcomed the decision. "We are thankful the administration has responded to the pleas of the Indian American community. But with over one billion people in India still waiting to get access to vaccines, we must do much, much more. The US will have a surplus of nearly 300M vaccines by July and President Biden should act swiftly to send those doses to countries in dire need such as India," said Neil Makhija, executive director at IMPACT. Also Read | COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver will not be enough to bridge supply gap: WTO Dr Vijay G Prabhakar, a public health physician described it as a "huge positive step forward" for US-India relations. "Yes the quantum is lower than what we have been asking for but we wholeheartedly welcome this initial shipment to India in June," he said in a statement. Welcoming the decision, Dr R D Prabhu from Las Vegas in Nevada said that this will go a long way in helping the people of India to successfully fight against COVID-19.

US lawmakers, industry welcome global distribution of Covid vaccines

The Norwegian government has summoned a top US embassy official in Oslo in order to lodge an official protest against claims that Washington had spied on Norwegian and other European leaders.

Norway summons top US embassy official in Oslo over spying claims

The Joe Biden administration announced its framework for sharing at least 80 million US vaccine doses globally by the end of June and the plan for the first 25 million doses.

Biden administration unveils strategy for global vaccine sharing

Multiple recipes featuring&nbsp;cicadas&nbsp;have surfaced in the United States as billions of the bugs emerge from 17 years underground, prompting authorities to warn the hungry and curious to think twice before taking a bite.

"Yep! We have to say it! Don't eat #cicadas&nbsp;if you're allergic to seafood as these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters," said a tweet Wednesday from Food and Drug Administration regulators.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/trillions-of-cicadas-to-emerge-after-spending-nearly-2-decades-underground-382220">'Trillions' of cicadas to emerge after spending nearly 2 decades underground</a>

Billions of cicada nymphs that have been living underground since 2004 have begun bursting out of the soil to shed their skin, mate, lay eggs and then die, all against the backdrop of the deafening noise that males make to attract females.&nbsp;

US states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee have all seen the translucent-winged, red-eyed insects.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cicadas-to-swarm-southwestern-us-after-17-years-300923">Cicadas to swarm southwestern US after 17 years</a>

Their arrival, on a regular cycle every 17 years, has been delayed and spotty this year due to cold temperatures and heavy downpours in some areas.

But the craze for the&nbsp;cicadas&nbsp;has not dimmed, especially among peckish birds, dogs and the occasional human.

Bun Lai, a chef and advocate for the sustainable food movement, invited locals for an insect hunt in a Washington park followed by a taste of his fried cicada sushi.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cicada-sushi-anyone-us-chef-serves-up-sustainable-brood-x-delicacy-387274">Cicada sushi, anyone? US chef serves up sustainable 'Brood X' delicacy</a>&nbsp;

"Free cicada hunt and cookout," Bun tweeted. "Bring ingredients to cook with and join me in getting creative or just eat!"&nbsp;

Multiple recipes featuring cicadas have surfaced in the United States as billions of the bugs emerge from 17 years underground, prompting authorities to warn the hungry and curious to think twice before taking a bite.

Multiple recipes featuring cicadas have surfaced in the United States as billions of the bugs emerge from 17 years underground, prompting authorities to warn the hungry and curious to think twice before taking a bite. "Yep! We have to say it! Don't eat #cicadas if you're allergic to seafood as these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters," said a tweet Wednesday from Food and Drug Administration regulators. Also Read | 'Trillions' of cicadas to emerge after spending nearly 2 decades underground Billions of cicada nymphs that have been living underground since 2004 have begun bursting out of the soil to shed their skin, mate, lay eggs and then die, all against the backdrop of the deafening noise that males make to attract females. US states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee have all seen the translucent-winged, red-eyed insects. Also Read | Cicadas to swarm southwestern US after 17 years Their arrival, on a regular cycle every 17 years, has been delayed and spotty this year due to cold temperatures and heavy downpours in some areas. But the craze for the cicadas has not dimmed, especially among peckish birds, dogs and the occasional human. Bun Lai, a chef and advocate for the sustainable food movement, invited locals for an insect hunt in a Washington park followed by a taste of his fried cicada sushi. Also Read | Cicada sushi, anyone? US chef serves up sustainable 'Brood X' delicacy "Free cicada hunt and cookout," Bun tweeted. "Bring ingredients to cook with and join me in getting creative or just eat!"

Allergic to seafood? Don't eat swarming cicadas, US warns

A man who joined the January 6 attack on the US&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;and carried a large red Trump flag onto the floor of the Senate pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of obstructing an official proceeding, as the Justice Department begins chipping away at some 450 cases related to the uprising.&nbsp;

Paul Hodgkins, 38, was the second person to plead guilty in what has been called an insurrection by supporters of president Donald Trump that shut down the Congress and stunned the country.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/majority-of-people-charged-for-us-capitol-riots-arent-in-jail-new-analysis-reveals-388207">Majority of people charged for US Capitol riots aren't in jail, new analysis reveals</a>

The native of Tampa, Florida travelled alone to Washington on the day that President Joe Biden's election victory over Trump was to be certified by Congress.

Encouraged by statements from Trump, he and several hundred others stormed the&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;and broke inside, injuring scores of police officers.

Wearing a "Trump 2020" T-shirt and waving a flag with the same slogan, he took selfies on the Senate floor along with several others.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senate-republicans-block-bill-on-probe-of-deadly-capitol-riot-388115">Senate Republicans block bill on probe of deadly Capitol riot</a>

But he was not accused of assault or similar charges levied against many of those who took part.

Hodgkins's crime brings up to 20 years in prison, but the court said based on his lack of a criminal record and other factors he could receive between 15 and 21 months in prison.

With more than 450 people charged in the&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;assault, the Justice Department is reportedly seeking plea deals to clear out many cases. Most are facing relatively minor charges of disorderly conduct and illegally entering a federal building.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-egged-on-us-capitol-rioters-facebook-oversight-panel-co-chair-383955">Donald Trump 'egged on' US Capitol rioters: Facebook oversight panel co-chair</a>

Several dozen, though, are charged with conspiracy and armed attack on law enforcement officials.

The Justice Department is reportedly still considering whether to charge some, especially those affiliated with armed, violent groups like the Proud Boys, with sedition.

A man who joined the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and carried a large red Trump flag onto the floor of the Senate pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of obstructing an official proceeding, as the Justice Department begins chipping away at some 450 cases related to the uprising.

A man who joined the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and carried a large red Trump flag onto the floor of the Senate pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of obstructing an official proceeding, as the Justice Department begins chipping away at some 450 cases related to the uprising. Paul Hodgkins, 38, was the second person to plead guilty in what has been called an insurrection by supporters of president Donald Trump that shut down the Congress and stunned the country. Also Read | Majority of people charged for US Capitol riots aren't in jail, new analysis reveals The native of Tampa, Florida travelled alone to Washington on the day that President Joe Biden's election victory over Trump was to be certified by Congress. Encouraged by statements from Trump, he and several hundred others stormed the Capitol and broke inside, injuring scores of police officers. Wearing a "Trump 2020" T-shirt and waving a flag with the same slogan, he took selfies on the Senate floor along with several others. Also Read | Senate Republicans block bill on probe of deadly Capitol riot But he was not accused of assault or similar charges levied against many of those who took part. Hodgkins's crime brings up to 20 years in prison, but the court said based on his lack of a criminal record and other factors he could receive between 15 and 21 months in prison. With more than 450 people charged in the Capitol assault, the Justice Department is reportedly seeking plea deals to clear out many cases. Most are facing relatively minor charges of disorderly conduct and illegally entering a federal building. Also Read | Donald Trump 'egged on' US Capitol rioters: Facebook oversight panel co-chair Several dozen, though, are charged with conspiracy and armed attack on law enforcement officials. The Justice Department is reportedly still considering whether to charge some, especially those affiliated with armed, violent groups like the Proud Boys, with sedition.

Second rioter who took selfie in Senate chamber pleads guilty in US Capitol attack

The US government announced that it will suspend punitive tariffs on India, Britain and four European nations for six months as it works to resolve the digital services taxes issue.

US suspends punitive tariffs on UK, India, four European nations over digital services tax dispute

The massive US services sector continued to improve in May, expanding for the 12th straight month and hitting an all-time high, according to an industry survey released Thursday.

As the economic reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic picked up speed, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its service sector index rose 1.3 points to 64, surpassing analyst expectations.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/belarus-slaps-retaliatory-sanctions-on-us-389264" hreflang="en">Belarus slaps retaliatory sanctions on US</a>

ISM's non-manufacturing index showed all 18 service industries reported growth, though the employment component slowed.

"The rate of expansion is very strong, as businesses have reopened and production capacity has increased," survey chair Anthony Nieves said in a statement.

"However, some capacity constraints, material shortages, weather-related delays and challenges in logistics and employment resources continue."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-distribute-80-million-vaccine-doses-through-covax-india-to-receive-6-million-in-first-phase-white-house-389263" hreflang="en">US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India to receive 6 million in first phase: White House</a>

The survey showed prices continued to climb as well amid widespread reports of rising costs for commodities — with none showing declines in the month, according to the report.

"Stimulus money, increased vaccinations, increased dining capacity and pent-up demand are driving a fast recovery for dine-in restaurants — and all consumer segments, it seems — resulting in labor shortages and supply chain gaps," said one respondent in the accommodation and food services sector.

A construction executive flagged shortages of "crucial material and equipment" as the biggest concern.

Nieves noted the 4.3 point jump in the supplier deliveries index indicating deliveries have slowed, which he said "is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases."

The massive US services sector continued to improve in May, expanding for the 12th straight month and hitting an all-time high, according to an industry survey released Thursday.

The massive US services sector continued to improve in May, expanding for the 12th straight month and hitting an all-time high, according to an industry survey released Thursday. As the economic reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic picked up speed, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its service sector index rose 1.3 points to 64, surpassing analyst expectations. Also read | Belarus slaps retaliatory sanctions on US ISM's non-manufacturing index showed all 18 service industries reported growth, though the employment component slowed. "The rate of expansion is very strong, as businesses have reopened and production capacity has increased," survey chair Anthony Nieves said in a statement. "However, some capacity constraints, material shortages, weather-related delays and challenges in logistics and employment resources continue." Also read | US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India to receive 6 million in first phase: White House The survey showed prices continued to climb as well amid widespread reports of rising costs for commodities — with none showing declines in the month, according to the report. "Stimulus money, increased vaccinations, increased dining capacity and pent-up demand are driving a fast recovery for dine-in restaurants — and all consumer segments, it seems — resulting in labor shortages and supply chain gaps," said one respondent in the accommodation and food services sector. A construction executive flagged shortages of "crucial material and equipment" as the biggest concern. Nieves noted the 4.3 point jump in the supplier deliveries index indicating deliveries have slowed, which he said "is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases."

US service sector index hits all-time high in May: Survey

In a bid to promote solidarity and help the struggling countries, the US has decided to give 80 million <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> doses to prioritised nations, of which 75 per cent will be distributed via Covax.

The US has decided to share 80 million of its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> vaccine supply with the rest of the world, especially the countries that are struggling to get proper access to these doses.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/work-from-home-employees-are-quitting-instead-of-returning-to-the-office-389202" hreflang="en">Work from home: Employees are quitting instead of returning to the office</a>

In a press briefing, the White House revealed that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden-led government</a> will be allocating the first 25 million of those vaccines very soon. Out of this 25 million, 75 per cent (nearly 19 million) will be shared through COVAX.

This will include six million doses for Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately seven million for South and Southeast Asia, and nearly five million for Africa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-in-talks-with-pfizer-jj-moderna-for-local-manufacturing-of-covid-vaccines-fs-harsh-shringla-389214" hreflang="en">India in talks with Pfizer, J&amp;J, Moderna for local manufacturing of covid vaccines: FS Harsh Shringla</a>

The remaining six million doses of these vaccines will be shared with other countries which are struggling to control the widespread of the deadly coronavirus. These countries are India, Mexico, Canada, and the Republic of Korea.

"We are sharing these doses not to secure favors or extract concessions. We are sharing these vaccines to save lives and to lead the world in bringing an end to the pandemic, with the power of our example and with our values," a statement from White House read. "And we will continue to follow the science and to work in close cooperation with our democratic partners to coordinate a multilateral effort, including through the G7."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-countries-that-are-vaccinating-children-against-deadly-virus-389192" hreflang="en">COVID-19: Countries that are vaccinating children against deadly virus</a>

The US also acknowledged that while the country has been urging citizens to get vaccinated and has been meeting its vaccine targets successfully, Joe Biden aims to help the world recover from the pandemic, rather than solely focusing on the US.

"As the United States continues our efforts to get every eligible American vaccinated and fight COVID-19 here at home, we also recognize that ending this pandemic means ending it everywhere," the statement read.

In a bid to promote solidarity and help the struggling countries, the US has decided to give 80 million vaccine doses to prioritised nations, of which 75 per cent will be distributed via Covax.

In a bid to promote solidarity and help the struggling countries, the US has decided to give 80 million vaccine doses to prioritised nations, of which 75 per cent will be distributed via Covax. The US has decided to share 80 million of its coronavirus vaccine supply with the rest of the world, especially the countries that are struggling to get proper access to these doses. Also read | Work from home: Employees are quitting instead of returning to the office In a press briefing, the White House revealed that the Joe Biden-led government will be allocating the first 25 million of those vaccines very soon. Out of this 25 million, 75 per cent (nearly 19 million) will be shared through COVAX. This will include six million doses for Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately seven million for South and Southeast Asia, and nearly five million for Africa. Also read | India in talks with Pfizer, J&J, Moderna for local manufacturing of covid vaccines: FS Harsh Shringla The remaining six million doses of these vaccines will be shared with other countries which are struggling to control the widespread of the deadly coronavirus. These countries are India, Mexico, Canada, and the Republic of Korea. "We are sharing these doses not to secure favors or extract concessions. We are sharing these vaccines to save lives and to lead the world in bringing an end to the pandemic, with the power of our example and with our values," a statement from White House read. "And we will continue to follow the science and to work in close cooperation with our democratic partners to coordinate a multilateral effort, including through the G7." Also read | COVID-19: Countries that are vaccinating children against deadly virus The US also acknowledged that while the country has been urging citizens to get vaccinated and has been meeting its vaccine targets successfully, Joe Biden aims to help the world recover from the pandemic, rather than solely focusing on the US. "As the United States continues our efforts to get every eligible American vaccinated and fight COVID-19 here at home, we also recognize that ending this pandemic means ending it everywhere," the statement read.

US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India included in list: White House

Belarus on Thursday announced that the United States would have to cut its diplomatic and administrative staff in the ex-Soviet country as part of retaliatory sanctions following punitive measures from Washington.

The Belarusian foreign ministry also said that permission for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to work in the country had been revoked.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/norway-summons-american-embassy-official-amid-denmark-us-nsa-spying-row-389260" hreflang="en">Norway summons American embassy official amid Denmark-US NSA spying row</a>

In a statement, the Belarusian foreign ministry spokesman, Anatoly Glaz, said the United States would have to cut its diplomatic and administrative staff in Belarus and visa procedures would also be tightened. He did not provide specifics.

In April, the United States said it was reimposing sanctions on nine state-owned companies in Belarus after strongman Alexander Lukashenko ignored warnings to release political prisoners following a crackdown on the opposition after a disputed election last year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-distribute-80-million-vaccine-doses-through-covax-india-to-receive-6-million-in-first-phase-white-house-389263" hreflang="en">US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India to receive 6 million in first phase: White House</a>

The sanctions came into effect earlier Thursday.

Glaz said the US measures would only hurt "ordinary Belarus citizens".

"These actions are illegal, contradict international law and are aimed at putting pressure on a sovereign state," he said in the statement.

Last week the White House announced it would impose more sanctions on Belarus after it diverted a European flight and arrested a dissident on board.

Lukashenko in 2008 threw out the US ambassador after the George W. Bush administration imposed sanctions on the president, his allies and a state oil company following elections seen as unfair and a crackdown on protesters.

Belarus on Thursday announced that the United States would have to cut its diplomatic and administrative staff in the ex-Soviet country as part of retaliatory sanctions following punitive measures from Washington.

Belarus on Thursday announced that the United States would have to cut its diplomatic and administrative staff in the ex-Soviet country as part of retaliatory sanctions following punitive measures from Washington. The Belarusian foreign ministry also said that permission for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to work in the country had been revoked. Also read | Norway summons American embassy official amid Denmark-US NSA spying row In a statement, the Belarusian foreign ministry spokesman, Anatoly Glaz, said the United States would have to cut its diplomatic and administrative staff in Belarus and visa procedures would also be tightened. He did not provide specifics. In April, the United States said it was reimposing sanctions on nine state-owned companies in Belarus after strongman Alexander Lukashenko ignored warnings to release political prisoners following a crackdown on the opposition after a disputed election last year. Also read | US to distribute 80 million vaccine doses through Covax; India to receive 6 million in first phase: White House The sanctions came into effect earlier Thursday. Glaz said the US measures would only hurt "ordinary Belarus citizens". "These actions are illegal, contradict international law and are aimed at putting pressure on a sovereign state," he said in the statement. Last week the White House announced it would impose more sanctions on Belarus after it diverted a European flight and arrested a dissident on board. Lukashenko in 2008 threw out the US ambassador after the George W. Bush administration imposed sanctions on the president, his allies and a state oil company following elections seen as unfair and a crackdown on protesters.

Belarus slaps retaliatory sanctions on US

According to leading experts in the field, in recent years portable microwave weapons with the capability to cause the mysterious series of “Havana Syndrome” brain injuries in US diplomats and spies have been developed by several countries.

Back in 2004, a US-based company also made a prototype of such a weapon for the marine corps. Codenamed Medusa, the weapon was small enough to fit in a car and temporarily incapacitate the target, but “with a low probability of fatality or permanent injury”.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-still-seeking-clues-to-mystery-illness-afflicting-diplomats-and-spies-337168">US still seeking clues to mystery illness afflicting diplomats and spies</a>

A report on the prototype was previously available on the US navy website since removed. There is no evidence that the project was ever then beyond this stage. While the US project was reportedly shelved keeping in mind the ethical considerations preventing human experimentation, according to the scientists in the know, such considerations have not stopped US adversaries, like Russia and quite possibly China as well.

A professor of neurology and ethics at Georgetown University Medical Center, James Giordano says&nbsp;“the state of that science has for the most part been, if not abandoned, pretty much left fallow in the United States, but it has not been fallow elsewhere,”.

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He was brought in as an adviser by the US government in late 2016 after about&nbsp;two dozen US diplomats began falling sick in Havana, James Giordano is also the senior fellow in biotechnology, biosecurity and ethics at the US Naval War College. He was also a part of an assessment for US Special Forces Command, attempting to evaluate which countries were developing the technology and to what extent they had achieved their goals.

“It became clear that some of the work that was conducted in the former Soviet Union was taken up again by Russia and its satellite proxies,” said Giordano.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-begins-probe-on-cases-similar-to-havana-syndrome-symptoms-381761">White House begins probe on cases similar to Havana syndrome symptoms</a>

According to Giordano, with technology that can be weaponised, China had also developed directed energy devices to test the structure of various materials. In 2018, a second&nbsp;major wave of brain injuries among US diplomats and intelligence officers took place in China.

While he is restricted from giving details on countries and what kind of device they have developed, Giordano revealed that the new weapons used microwave frequencies, a technology that is able to disrupt brain function without any burning sensation.

“This was important – and rather frightening – to us, because it represented a state of advancement and sophistication of these types of instruments that heretofore had not been thought to be accomplished,” he said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-report-havana-syndrome-likely-caused-by-directed-microwaves-348005/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

A plausible explanation for the Havana syndrome is that a US adversary has succeeded in miniaturising and weaponising the directed energy technology needed to inflict tissue damage from a distance.

Havana Syndrome was first identified in Cuba, with some victims experiencing long-lasting and debilitating effects, more than&nbsp;130 US officials, from various departments, including the state department, CIA and national security council (NSC), have suffered from a multitude of symptoms, including dizziness, loss of balance, nausea and headaches.

A report by the National Academy of Sciences, launched in December, says that the Havana syndrome injuries were most likely caused by “directed pulsed radiofrequency energy”. Some of the most recent incidents involve NSC officials experiencing&nbsp;crippling symptoms in broad daylight in Washington. While the state department, CIA and Pentagon have all launched investigations, none have yet come to any conclusions.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/rage-over-havana-syndrome-diplomats-and-their-family-fell-ill-during-posting-in-cuba-195766/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">
Pointing out that a weapon capable of inflicting brain injury that too from a distance will be too unwieldy to be used in urban areas, sceptics of the microwave weapon theory also signal to the decades of alleged US efforts that went into building such a device during the cold war and since,&nbsp;without any confirmed success.
</div>

Addressing sceptics, James Lin, the leading US authority on the biological impact of microwave energy, says that in fact a large apparatus would not be needed to focus enough energy on a small area, which can heat the area a minute amount and causing “a thermoelastic pressure wave” that can then travel through the brain, causing damage to soft tissue.

It is believed that the pressure wave is initially experienced as sound by the target. Lending credibility to this theory, many of the targeted US diplomats, spies, soldiers and officials being examined as part of the Havana Syndrome investigation have reported hearing strange sounds at the onset of the attacks.

“It’s not something that you need to have enormous amounts of space or equipment to do it.” Said Lin, professor emeritus in the electrical and computer engineering department at the University of Illinois. “You can certainly put together a system in a couple of big suitcases that will allow you to put it in a van or an SUV,”.

a company called&nbsp;WaveBand Corporation was behind the microwave weapon project for the US Marine Corps. They were paid $100,000 for the weapon prototype. The weapon codenamed ‘Medusa’, an acronym for Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio used the same technology as that suggested by Professor Lin.

According to the&nbsp;specifications of the contract, the prototype&nbsp;would “be portable, require low power, have a controllable radius of coverage, be able to switch from crowd to individual coverage, cause a temporarily incapacitating effect, have a low probability of fatality or permanent injury, cause no damage to property, and have a low probability of affecting friendly personnel”.

The&nbsp;navy document from 2004&nbsp;(since removed from the Navy Small Business Innovation Research site) said the hardware had been designed and built, adding that “Experimental evidence of MAE [microwave auditory effect] was observed.”
</div>

While saying that he was limited in what he was allowed to say about the project, WaveBand’s former president and CEO, Lev Sadovnik, said, that the immediate effects of MAE were disorientation and the impression of hearing sounds. According to him a device capable of causing Havana Syndrome symptoms could be relatively portable.

“It’s quite conceivable that you can hide it in a car, or in a van but it would not work over a long distance,” he said. “You can do it through a wall, say, if you are in the next room in a hotel.”

While many of the victims and US officials believe that Russia is behind the Havana attacks, so far there is no compelling evidence to support this. In some cases, there were reports of Russian military intelligence (GRU) vehicles close to the scene of an apparent attack. But it would not be unusual for the GRU to tail US officials.

Calling the initial two dozen cases in Havana, a representation of a field test of the equipment, Giordano reiterated that while the development of such weapons had stalled in the US, it is continued by America’s adversaries.

According to him, while the US focuses on expensive weapons for traditional warfare, Russia, China and others are “very interested in, and dedicated to, developing non-kinetic tools that can be leveraged below the threshold of what would formally be considered acts of war, so as to engage in processes of mass disruption”.

According to leading experts in the field, in recent years portable microwave weapons with the capability to cause the mysterious series of “Havana Syndrome” brain injuries in US diplomats and spies have been developed by several countries.

According to leading experts in the field, in recent years portable microwave weapons with the capability to cause the mysterious series of “Havana Syndrome” brain injuries in US diplomats and spies have been developed by several countries. Back in 2004, a US-based company also made a prototype of such a weapon for the marine corps. Codenamed Medusa, the weapon was small enough to fit in a car and temporarily incapacitate the target, but “with a low probability of fatality or permanent injury”. Also Read | US still seeking clues to mystery illness afflicting diplomats and spies A report on the prototype was previously available on the US navy website since removed. There is no evidence that the project was ever then beyond this stage. While the US project was reportedly shelved keeping in mind the ethical considerations preventing human experimentation, according to the scientists in the know, such considerations have not stopped US adversaries, like Russia and quite possibly China as well. A professor of neurology and ethics at Georgetown University Medical Center, James Giordano says “the state of that science has for the most part been, if not abandoned, pretty much left fallow in the United States, but it has not been fallow elsewhere,”. Also Read | Havana syndrome brain injury: 130 US spies, diplomats, officials hit by mysterious illness He was brought in as an adviser by the US government in late 2016 after about two dozen US diplomats began falling sick in Havana, James Giordano is also the senior fellow in biotechnology, biosecurity and ethics at the US Naval War College. He was also a part of an assessment for US Special Forces Command, attempting to evaluate which countries were developing the technology and to what extent they had achieved their goals. “It became clear that some of the work that was conducted in the former Soviet Union was taken up again by Russia and its satellite proxies,” said Giordano. Also Read | White House begins probe on cases similar to Havana syndrome symptoms According to Giordano, with technology that can be weaponised, China had also developed directed energy devices to test the structure of various materials. In 2018, a second major wave of brain injuries among US diplomats and intelligence officers took place in China. While he is restricted from giving details on countries and what kind of device they have developed, Giordano revealed that the new weapons used microwave frequencies, a technology that is able to disrupt brain function without any burning sensation. “This was important – and rather frightening – to us, because it represented a state of advancement and sophistication of these types of instruments that heretofore had not been thought to be accomplished,” he said. A plausible explanation for the Havana syndrome is that a US adversary has succeeded in miniaturising and weaponising the directed energy technology needed to inflict tissue damage from a distance. Havana Syndrome was first identified in Cuba, with some victims experiencing long-lasting and debilitating effects, more than 130 US officials, from various departments, including the state department, CIA and national security council (NSC), have suffered from a multitude of symptoms, including dizziness, loss of balance, nausea and headaches. A report by the National Academy of Sciences, launched in December, says that the Havana syndrome injuries were most likely caused by “directed pulsed radiofrequency energy”. Some of the most recent incidents involve NSC officials experiencing crippling symptoms in broad daylight in Washington. While the state department, CIA and Pentagon have all launched investigations, none have yet come to any conclusions. Pointing out that a weapon capable of inflicting brain injury that too from a distance will be too unwieldy to be used in urban areas, sceptics of the microwave weapon theory also signal to the decades of alleged US efforts that went into building such a device during the cold war and since, without any confirmed success. Addressing sceptics, James Lin, the leading US authority on the biological impact of microwave energy, says that in fact a large apparatus would not be needed to focus enough energy on a small area, which can heat the area a minute amount and causing “a thermoelastic pressure wave” that can then travel through the brain, causing damage to soft tissue. It is believed that the pressure wave is initially experienced as sound by the target. Lending credibility to this theory, many of the targeted US diplomats, spies, soldiers and officials being examined as part of the Havana Syndrome investigation have reported hearing strange sounds at the onset of the attacks. “It’s not something that you need to have enormous amounts of space or equipment to do it.” Said Lin, professor emeritus in the electrical and computer engineering department at the University of Illinois. “You can certainly put together a system in a couple of big suitcases that will allow you to put it in a van or an SUV,”. a company called WaveBand Corporation was behind the microwave weapon project for the US Marine Corps. They were paid $100,000 for the weapon prototype. The weapon codenamed ‘Medusa’, an acronym for Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio used the same technology as that suggested by Professor Lin. According to the specifications of the contract, the prototype would “be portable, require low power, have a controllable radius of coverage, be able to switch from crowd to individual coverage, cause a temporarily incapacitating effect, have a low probability of fatality or permanent injury, cause no damage to property, and have a low probability of affecting friendly personnel”. The navy document from 2004 (since removed from the Navy Small Business Innovation Research site) said the hardware had been designed and built, adding that “Experimental evidence of MAE [microwave auditory effect] was observed.” While saying that he was limited in what he was allowed to say about the project, WaveBand’s former president and CEO, Lev Sadovnik, said, that the immediate effects of MAE were disorientation and the impression of hearing sounds. According to him a device capable of causing Havana Syndrome symptoms could be relatively portable. “It’s quite conceivable that you can hide it in a car, or in a van but it would not work over a long distance,” he said. “You can do it through a wall, say, if you are in the next room in a hotel.” While many of the victims and US officials believe that Russia is behind the Havana attacks, so far there is no compelling evidence to support this. In some cases, there were reports of Russian military intelligence (GRU) vehicles close to the scene of an apparent attack. But it would not be unusual for the GRU to tail US officials. Calling the initial two dozen cases in Havana, a representation of a field test of the equipment, Giordano reiterated that while the development of such weapons had stalled in the US, it is continued by America’s adversaries. According to him, while the US focuses on expensive weapons for traditional warfare, Russia, China and others are “very interested in, and dedicated to, developing non-kinetic tools that can be leveraged below the threshold of what would formally be considered acts of war, so as to engage in processes of mass disruption”.

Havana syndrome, the investigation and theories

According to US Defence officials, as Washington speed-up to complete the withdrawal of its troops ahead of September 11, the American military will be handing over its main Bagram Air Base to Afghan forces in about 20 days.

Officials: US to hand Bagram base to Afghan forces in 20 days

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US&nbsp;court cases, according to a US&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday. 
 
The administration of President Joe Biden paused the programme, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), shortly after he took office on January&nbsp;20. Since then, more than 11,000 migrants enrolled in it have been allowed to enter the United States to pursue asylum claims, a DHS official said on Tuesday. 
 
Biden, a Democrat, has reversed many of the restrictive immigration policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, saying Trump failed to honor US&nbsp;asylum laws. Republicans have criticised Biden's actions, including ending the MPP programme, saying he encouraged an increase in migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border in recent months. 
 
US&nbsp;Border Patrol apprehensions at the southwestern border reached the highest monthly levels in 20 years in March and April. Apprehensions in May were similar, according to preliminary figures. 
 
Despite rolling back some Trump border policies, Biden has left in place a March 2020 health order known as Title 42 that allows US&nbsp;authorities to rapidly send migrants caught at the border back to Mexico during the pandemic. 
 
Advocates contend the policy cuts off access to the US&nbsp;asylum system for many migrants caught at the border while Biden officials say it is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
 
The MPP decision comes after a February&nbsp;2 Biden executive order called for US&nbsp;agencies to review the programme, first launched in 2019, and consider whether to terminate it. 
 
The memo formally ending MPP, issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, said the programme did not "adequately or sustainably enhance border management," noting that border arrests increased at times while it remained in place. 
 
"Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders," Mayorkas wrote. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US court cases, according to a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday.

The United States has formally ended the Trump-era 'remain in Mexico' policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US court cases, according to a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday. The administration of President Joe Biden paused the programme, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), shortly after he took office on January 20. Since then, more than 11,000 migrants enrolled in it have been allowed to enter the United States to pursue asylum claims, a DHS official said on Tuesday. Biden, a Democrat, has reversed many of the restrictive immigration policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, saying Trump failed to honor US asylum laws. Republicans have criticised Biden's actions, including ending the MPP programme, saying he encouraged an increase in migrant arrivals at the US-Mexico border in recent months. US Border Patrol apprehensions at the southwestern border reached the highest monthly levels in 20 years in March and April. Apprehensions in May were similar, according to preliminary figures. Despite rolling back some Trump border policies, Biden has left in place a March 2020 health order known as Title 42 that allows US authorities to rapidly send migrants caught at the border back to Mexico during the pandemic. Advocates contend the policy cuts off access to the US asylum system for many migrants caught at the border while Biden officials say it is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The MPP decision comes after a February 2 Biden executive order called for US agencies to review the programme, first launched in 2019, and consider whether to terminate it. The memo formally ending MPP, issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, said the programme did not "adequately or sustainably enhance border management," noting that border arrests increased at times while it remained in place. "Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders," Mayorkas wrote. (With inputs from agencies)

US formally ends Trump’s 'remain in Mexico' asylum policy

US President Joe Biden marked the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre that destroyed a thriving Black community in Oklahoma City, declaring that he had "come to fill the silence" about one of the country's darkest and long-suppressed moments of racial violence.

Biden honours victims of Tulsa massacre on 100th anniversary

A century after a white mob destroyed a vibrant African American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, torching hundreds of homes and indiscriminately shooting people in the streets, President Joe Biden told a crowd of survivors and their families that the story of the massacre “will be known in full view.”

It was the first time a president visited the area to address what had happened in Greenwood, a prosperous African American community, which was one of the worst outbreaks of racist violence in the United States but was largely ignored in history books.

“For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence,” Biden said. “While darkness can hide much, it erases nothing.”

Biden, who has made racial equity and justice central themes of his presidency, was in Tulsa to shed light on a painful part of the country’s history. He recalled in detail the horror that occurred from May 31 to June 1, 1921, when angry white people descended on Greenwood, killing as many as 300 people and destroying more than 1,250 homes.

“My fellow Americans, this was not a riot,” Biden said, as people in the crowd rose to their feet. “This was a massacre.”

A man was strapped to a truck and dragged through the street, the president said. The bodies of a murdered family were draped over a fence outside their home. An older couple was shot while praying.

“We do ourselves no favors by pretending none of this ever happened,” Biden told the crowd. “We should know the good, the bad, everything. That’s what great nations do: They come to terms with their dark sides.”

The president’s visit was also intended to highlight steps his administration is taking to close the wealth gap between Black and white people in the United States, even as activists criticized him for not doing enough to correct historical wrongs and put the disadvantaged on equal footing.

Administration officials on Monday detailed efforts to direct more federal spending to small and minority-owned businesses, fair housing enhancements and programs intended to repair the damage to neighborhoods divided by transportation projects.

Missing from the rollout, though, was a plan to cancel student debt — which disproportionately affects Black students — or to address the issue of reparations, federal repayments that relatives of Tulsa victims say could restore what was erased. White House officials have said that the president supports a study of the issue, as he does with the broader issue of reparations for Black Americans.

The NAACP and other civil rights groups have criticized the Biden administration for not taking the step to cancel student loans, saying it is one of the biggest obstacles holding back Black people from sharing in the wealth of other Americans.

“Student loan debt continues to suppress the economic prosperity of Black Americans across the nation,” Derrick Johnson, the NAACP president, said in a statement. “You cannot begin to address the racial wealth gap without addressing the student loan debt crisis.”

On the way to Tulsa, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House principal deputy press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One that the administration had provided billions in funding to Black colleges as part of its $1.7 trillion coronavirus plan. But she did not answer questions about alleviating the financial stress of those who currently have student debt.

In a briefing for reporters Monday night, administration officials insisted that the other steps would help Black people around the country, particularly hard-hit communities like Greenwood.

Biden’s visit to Tulsa was a somber one. Before he delivered remarks, he met privately with survivors of the massacre, each between the ages of 101 and 107, whom he mentioned throughout his speech.

The violence started after the arrest of Dick Rowland, 19, a Black shoe shiner who was accused of assault against Sarah Page, 17, a white elevator operator. Accounts vary about what happened, but a common theory suggests Rowland tripped and grabbed onto the arm of Page while trying to catch his fall. She screamed, and he ran away, according to the commission report.

As Biden toured the Greenwood Cultural Center, he was told that within 24 hours of that encounter, the white mob that formed after Rowland’s arrest destroyed much of Greenwood. The case was later dismissed.

“The attack on Black families and Black wealth in Greenwood persisted across generations,” Biden said Sunday in a proclamation honoring the anniversary of the Tulsa massacre. “The federal government must reckon with and acknowledge the role that it has played in stripping wealth and opportunity from Black communities.”

The president’s trip came as the country struggles to confront police brutality toward people of color a year after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer galvanized Black Lives Matter protesters nationwide.

But the political response to recent killings remains uncertain. Biden had vowed to secure passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by May 25, the anniversary of Floyd’s death. The bill would ban the police’s use of chokeholds, impose restrictions on deadly force and make it easier to prosecute officers for wrongdoing. The administration missed that deadline, but lawmakers in both parties have expressed optimism that they would be able to reach a compromise on the legislation in the coming weeks.

Officials said that Biden’s visit Tuesday was intended to signal a new emphasis on racial equity and justice for Black Americans. Biden also said that he had directed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead Democrats in a sweeping legislative effort to protect voting rights, an issue that is critical to his legacy but faces increasingly daunting odds in the Senate.

“To signify the importance of our efforts, today I’m asking Vice President Harris to help these efforts and lead them, among her many other responsibilities,” Biden said Tuesday. “With her leadership and your support, we’re going to overcome again, I promise you, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot of work.”

Despite investigations, no one was ever convicted of crimes related to the Tulsa massacre. Biden has promised that his Justice Department will be more active in helping to root out bias and bigotry in American police departments. The Justice Department has already begun “pattern or practice” investigations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, which are intended to examine excessive force, biased policing and other misconduct by officers.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has observed Biden’s evolution for decades, attended his speech in Tulsa. He graded the president’s performance on civil rights in an interview this spring.

“I think that he has gone from probably a 65 to somewhere in the early 80s,” Sharpton said. “I think that we all haven’t gotten to the finals yet. He may go higher than that.”

A century after a white mob destroyed a vibrant African American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, torching hundreds of homes and indiscriminately shooting people in the streets, President Joe Biden told a crowd of survivors and their families that the story of the massacre “will be known in full view.

A century after a white mob destroyed a vibrant African American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, torching hundreds of homes and indiscriminately shooting people in the streets, President Joe Biden told a crowd of survivors and their families that the story of the massacre “will be known in full view.” It was the first time a president visited the area to address what had happened in Greenwood, a prosperous African American community, which was one of the worst outbreaks of racist violence in the United States but was largely ignored in history books. “For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence,” Biden said. “While darkness can hide much, it erases nothing.” Biden, who has made racial equity and justice central themes of his presidency, was in Tulsa to shed light on a painful part of the country’s history. He recalled in detail the horror that occurred from May 31 to June 1, 1921, when angry white people descended on Greenwood, killing as many as 300 people and destroying more than 1,250 homes. “My fellow Americans, this was not a riot,” Biden said, as people in the crowd rose to their feet. “This was a massacre.” A man was strapped to a truck and dragged through the street, the president said. The bodies of a murdered family were draped over a fence outside their home. An older couple was shot while praying. “We do ourselves no favors by pretending none of this ever happened,” Biden told the crowd. “We should know the good, the bad, everything. That’s what great nations do: They come to terms with their dark sides.” The president’s visit was also intended to highlight steps his administration is taking to close the wealth gap between Black and white people in the United States, even as activists criticized him for not doing enough to correct historical wrongs and put the disadvantaged on equal footing. Administration officials on Monday detailed efforts to direct more federal spending to small and minority-owned businesses, fair housing enhancements and programs intended to repair the damage to neighborhoods divided by transportation projects. Missing from the rollout, though, was a plan to cancel student debt — which disproportionately affects Black students — or to address the issue of reparations, federal repayments that relatives of Tulsa victims say could restore what was erased. White House officials have said that the president supports a study of the issue, as he does with the broader issue of reparations for Black Americans. The NAACP and other civil rights groups have criticized the Biden administration for not taking the step to cancel student loans, saying it is one of the biggest obstacles holding back Black people from sharing in the wealth of other Americans. “Student loan debt continues to suppress the economic prosperity of Black Americans across the nation,” Derrick Johnson, the NAACP president, said in a statement. “You cannot begin to address the racial wealth gap without addressing the student loan debt crisis.” On the way to Tulsa, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House principal deputy press secretary, told reporters aboard Air Force One that the administration had provided billions in funding to Black colleges as part of its $1.7 trillion coronavirus plan. But she did not answer questions about alleviating the financial stress of those who currently have student debt. In a briefing for reporters Monday night, administration officials insisted that the other steps would help Black people around the country, particularly hard-hit communities like Greenwood. Biden’s visit to Tulsa was a somber one. Before he delivered remarks, he met privately with survivors of the massacre, each between the ages of 101 and 107, whom he mentioned throughout his speech. The violence started after the arrest of Dick Rowland, 19, a Black shoe shiner who was accused of assault against Sarah Page, 17, a white elevator operator. Accounts vary about what happened, but a common theory suggests Rowland tripped and grabbed onto the arm of Page while trying to catch his fall. She screamed, and he ran away, according to the commission report. As Biden toured the Greenwood Cultural Center, he was told that within 24 hours of that encounter, the white mob that formed after Rowland’s arrest destroyed much of Greenwood. The case was later dismissed. “The attack on Black families and Black wealth in Greenwood persisted across generations,” Biden said Sunday in a proclamation honoring the anniversary of the Tulsa massacre. “The federal government must reckon with and acknowledge the role that it has played in stripping wealth and opportunity from Black communities.” The president’s trip came as the country struggles to confront police brutality toward people of color a year after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer galvanized Black Lives Matter protesters nationwide. But the political response to recent killings remains uncertain. Biden had vowed to secure passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by May 25, the anniversary of Floyd’s death. The bill would ban the police’s use of chokeholds, impose restrictions on deadly force and make it easier to prosecute officers for wrongdoing. The administration missed that deadline, but lawmakers in both parties have expressed optimism that they would be able to reach a compromise on the legislation in the coming weeks. Officials said that Biden’s visit Tuesday was intended to signal a new emphasis on racial equity and justice for Black Americans. Biden also said that he had directed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead Democrats in a sweeping legislative effort to protect voting rights, an issue that is critical to his legacy but faces increasingly daunting odds in the Senate. “To signify the importance of our efforts, today I’m asking Vice President Harris to help these efforts and lead them, among her many other responsibilities,” Biden said Tuesday. “With her leadership and your support, we’re going to overcome again, I promise you, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot of work.” Despite investigations, no one was ever convicted of crimes related to the Tulsa massacre. Biden has promised that his Justice Department will be more active in helping to root out bias and bigotry in American police departments. The Justice Department has already begun “pattern or practice” investigations in Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis, which are intended to examine excessive force, biased policing and other misconduct by officers. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has observed Biden’s evolution for decades, attended his speech in Tulsa. He graded the president’s performance on civil rights in an interview this spring. “I think that he has gone from probably a 65 to somewhere in the early 80s,” Sharpton said. “I think that we all haven’t gotten to the finals yet. He may go higher than that.”

In Tulsa, US President Biden tells of a massacre’s horrors

The US Central Command has said that an estimated 30 to 44 per cent of American troops have been withdrawn from Afghanistan until last month, inching closer to achieve President Joe Biden's ambitious target of 100 per cent removal of its military from the war-torn country by September 11 this year.

The US has also officially handed over six facilities to Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in an update on the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan till May 31. US Central Command estimates that we have completed between 30-44 per cent of the entire retrograde process, it said on Tuesday.

President Biden in April announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year, thus bringing to end the country's longest war, spanning across two decades.

Since the President's decision, the Department of Defence has retrograded the equivalent of approximately 300 C-17 loads of material out of Afghanistan and have turned nearly 13,000 pieces of equipment to the Defence Logistics Agency for disposition, CENTCOM said.

The US and the Taliban signed a landmark deal in Doha on February 29, 2020 to bring lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan and allow US troops to return home from America's longest war.

Under the US-Taliban pact, the US has agreed to withdraw all its soldiers from Afghanistan in 14 months. There are currently 2,500 American troops left in Afghanistan, the lowest level of American forces in the war-torn country since 2001.

Since the US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban after the September 11, 2001 attacks, America has spent more than USD 1 trillion in fighting and rebuilding in Afghanistan.&nbsp;About 2,400 US soldiers have been killed, along with tens of thousands of Afghan troops, Taliban insurgents and Afghan civilians.

The US Central Command has said that an estimated 30 to 44 per cent of American troops have been withdrawn from Afghanistan until last month, inching closer to achieve President Joe Biden's ambitious target of 100 per cent removal of its military from the war-torn country by September 11 this year.

The US Central Command has said that an estimated 30 to 44 per cent of American troops have been withdrawn from Afghanistan until last month, inching closer to achieve President Joe Biden's ambitious target of 100 per cent removal of its military from the war-torn country by September 11 this year. The US has also officially handed over six facilities to Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in an update on the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan till May 31. US Central Command estimates that we have completed between 30-44 per cent of the entire retrograde process, it said on Tuesday. President Biden in April announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year, thus bringing to end the country's longest war, spanning across two decades. Since the President's decision, the Department of Defence has retrograded the equivalent of approximately 300 C-17 loads of material out of Afghanistan and have turned nearly 13,000 pieces of equipment to the Defence Logistics Agency for disposition, CENTCOM said. The US and the Taliban signed a landmark deal in Doha on February 29, 2020 to bring lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan and allow US troops to return home from America's longest war. Under the US-Taliban pact, the US has agreed to withdraw all its soldiers from Afghanistan in 14 months. There are currently 2,500 American troops left in Afghanistan, the lowest level of American forces in the war-torn country since 2001. Since the US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban after the September 11, 2001 attacks, America has spent more than USD 1 trillion in fighting and rebuilding in Afghanistan. About 2,400 US soldiers have been killed, along with tens of thousands of Afghan troops, Taliban insurgents and Afghan civilians.

US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan 30-44 per cent complete: CENTCOM

The United States will announce in the next two weeks how it plans to distribute 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses it has pledged globally, US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday. 
 
Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the administration of US&nbsp;President Joe Biden would focus on equitable distribution of the vaccines and not tie political strings to the process, a criticism at times directed at China. 
 
"Sometime in the next week to two weeks, we will be announcing the process by which we will distribute those vaccines, what the criteria are, how we will do it," Blinken said during his first trip as secretary of state to Latin America, which is fighting to contain COVID-19. 
 
"We will distribute vaccines without political requirements of those receiving them." 
 
On Monday, Biden said his administration would send at least 20 million doses of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc and Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries. 
 
The Biden administration has been under pressure to share vaccines to help curb worsening outbreaks from India to Brazil, where health experts fear new, more contagious coronavirus variants could undermine the effectiveness of available shots. 
 
Blinken said the announcement would reveal the criteria and details of the process but that the United States would focus on the equitable distribution and work in coordination of the COVAX vaccine sharing facility. 
 
As the pandemic outlook within the United States brightens with advancing vaccinations, the aid pledge is central to the administration's drive to use US&nbsp;vaccine supply as a tool to counter Chinese and Russian vaccine diplomacy. 
 
A senior State Department official, when asked if the United States during this trip made vaccine commitments, to Central America or Costa Rica specifically, said no region or country specific pledges had been made. 
 
"We don't know what the final distribution is going to be. A lot of it has to do with essentially epidemiology and where the science says that we should be dedicating those vaccines to prevent further spread," the official told reporters in a briefing. 
 
Biden, who has loaned some unused vaccines to Canada and Mexico and donated funds to a multilateral vaccination effort for poor countries, in April said the White House was still looking at its options for eventually sending vaccines to Canada, Central America and elsewhere. 
 
Costa Rica's Alvarado stressed that his country was hoping for prompt news on vaccine distribution. 
 
Earlier on Tuesday, the World Bank urged the United States to free up excess vaccines.

The United States will announce in the next two weeks how it plans to distribute 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses it has pledged globally, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday.

The United States will announce in the next two weeks how it plans to distribute 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses it has pledged globally, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday. Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the administration of US President Joe Biden would focus on equitable distribution of the vaccines and not tie political strings to the process, a criticism at times directed at China. "Sometime in the next week to two weeks, we will be announcing the process by which we will distribute those vaccines, what the criteria are, how we will do it," Blinken said during his first trip as secretary of state to Latin America, which is fighting to contain COVID-19. "We will distribute vaccines without political requirements of those receiving them." On Monday, Biden said his administration would send at least 20 million doses of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE, Moderna Inc and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, on top of 60 million AstraZeneca Plc doses he had already planned to give to other countries. The Biden administration has been under pressure to share vaccines to help curb worsening outbreaks from India to Brazil, where health experts fear new, more contagious coronavirus variants could undermine the effectiveness of available shots. Blinken said the announcement would reveal the criteria and details of the process but that the United States would focus on the equitable distribution and work in coordination of the COVAX vaccine sharing facility. As the pandemic outlook within the United States brightens with advancing vaccinations, the aid pledge is central to the administration's drive to use US vaccine supply as a tool to counter Chinese and Russian vaccine diplomacy. A senior State Department official, when asked if the United States during this trip made vaccine commitments, to Central America or Costa Rica specifically, said no region or country specific pledges had been made. "We don't know what the final distribution is going to be. A lot of it has to do with essentially epidemiology and where the science says that we should be dedicating those vaccines to prevent further spread," the official told reporters in a briefing. Biden, who has loaned some unused vaccines to Canada and Mexico and donated funds to a multilateral vaccination effort for poor countries, in April said the White House was still looking at its options for eventually sending vaccines to Canada, Central America and elsewhere. Costa Rica's Alvarado stressed that his country was hoping for prompt news on vaccine distribution. Earlier on Tuesday, the World Bank urged the United States to free up excess vaccines.

US to detail global distribution plan for 80 million vaccine doses

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Central American governments to do more to help contain illegal immigration and voiced concerns about the health of local democracy and human rights during a visit to the region on Tuesday. 
 
Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the United States wanted to hear from its partners in the region about their shared commitment to managing migratory pressures. 
 
"Good governance is crucial for confronting the challenges and seizing the opportunities of this moment, and yet we meet at a moment when democracy and human rights are being undermined in many parts of the region," Blinken told reporters. 
 
Blinken cited erosion of judicial independence, crackdowns on independent media and NGOs, as well as the suppression of anti-corruption efforts to illustrate his point, noting that the United States had also suffered its own setbacks. 
 
US&nbsp;President Joe Biden has been under pressure to reduce a sharp increase in undocumented immigration at the US-Mexico border since taking office in January. 
 
Regional cooperation to address the issue was now more important than ever, said Blinken, who travelled to Costa Rica, to hold talks with leaders from Central America and Mexico. 
 
Many immigrants stopped at the US&nbsp;border are from three violent and impoverished Central American countries, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, which Washington has pledged aid in return for commitments to improve local governance. 
 
That drive has been clouded by concern about graft, cronyism, signs of authoritarianism and efforts to block the appointment of judges with track records of tackling corruption. 
 
The United States has promised to help poorer countries in the fight against COVID-19 with vaccines, and Blinken said the government would in the next week or so set out plans for how millions of doses would be distributed. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Central American governments to do more to help contain illegal immigration and voiced concerns about the health of local democracy and human rights during a visit to the region on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Central American governments to do more to help contain illegal immigration and voiced concerns about the health of local democracy and human rights during a visit to the region on Tuesday. Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the United States wanted to hear from its partners in the region about their shared commitment to managing migratory pressures. "Good governance is crucial for confronting the challenges and seizing the opportunities of this moment, and yet we meet at a moment when democracy and human rights are being undermined in many parts of the region," Blinken told reporters. Blinken cited erosion of judicial independence, crackdowns on independent media and NGOs, as well as the suppression of anti-corruption efforts to illustrate his point, noting that the United States had also suffered its own setbacks. US President Joe Biden has been under pressure to reduce a sharp increase in undocumented immigration at the US-Mexico border since taking office in January. Regional cooperation to address the issue was now more important than ever, said Blinken, who travelled to Costa Rica, to hold talks with leaders from Central America and Mexico. Many immigrants stopped at the US border are from three violent and impoverished Central American countries, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, which Washington has pledged aid in return for commitments to improve local governance. That drive has been clouded by concern about graft, cronyism, signs of authoritarianism and efforts to block the appointment of judges with track records of tackling corruption. The United States has promised to help poorer countries in the fight against COVID-19 with vaccines, and Blinken said the government would in the next week or so set out plans for how millions of doses would be distributed. (With inputs from agencies)

Blinken asks Central America's help on migrants, flags democracy concerns

China and the United States agreed that bilateral economic relations are very important, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing a video conversation between Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday. 
 
The two sides had extensive exchanges on the macroeconomic situation and bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, Xinhua said. 
 
The two sides also expressed willingness to maintain communication, Xinhua reported. 
 
Meanwhile, the US&nbsp;Commerce Department is failing to do its part to protect national security and keep sensitive technology out of the hands of China's military, according to a US&nbsp;congressional advisory report. 
 
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission report, due to be published on Tuesday, said the Commerce Department had been slow to create a list of sensitive technology that should be scrutinised before export to China. 
 
The lag in developing the list of emerging and foundational technologies, as required by a 2018 law, may exacerbate national security risks, the report said. 
 
The Commerce Department, entrusted to strengthen US&nbsp;export control laws, "has, to date, failed to carry out its responsibilities," said the report, titled, "Unfinished Business: Export Control and Foreign Investment Reforms." 
 
In a statement, the Commerce Department declined to directly respond to the lack of a list, but noted it had published four rules on controls on emerging technologies and more are pending. 
 
It also said it had expanded the military end user rule and added companies to its entity list, which restricts US&nbsp;suppliers from selling to companies like Huawei Technologies and Hangzhou Hikvision. 
 
In 2018, Congress tightened US&nbsp;export policies and the process for screening foreign investment in response to efforts by Chinese entities to obtain sensitive US&nbsp;technology and use civilian innovation for the military. 
 
The report questions whether a more-than-two-year delay in developing the list should be investigated&nbsp;by the Commerce Department's inspector general. It also asks whether the authority to enforce export controls should be delegated to another agency. 
 
Congress passed the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 to make it harder to export key technologies to adversaries like China. 
 
The law directed the Commerce Department to work with other agencies to identify emerging, or cutting edge, technologies and so-called foundational technologies essential to making key items like semiconductors, that should be controlled. 
 
In November 2018, the department published 45 examples of emerging technologies, including face and voice recognition, but no list was ever finalised. And it has yet to propose a list of foundational technologies, instead asking for input in August about how to define the category. 
 
Eric Hirschhorn, a former Commerce under secretary, said the criticism of the agency was unfair. "They’re already controlling emerging technologies to the extent that it can be done, which is limited by the need to be specific,” he said. “Foundational technologies are, by definition, widely available outside the United States, which makes controlling them difficult, if not impossible." 
 
The report did note some actions by Commerce. 
 
The department has proposed to regulate software for gene editing, which can make it easier to develop biological weapons, but the rule has not been finalised. It also released an interim rule on geospatial imagery involving AI neural networks. 
 
Advanced surveillance technology has received some attention as well, including on export controls to promote human rights, given its use in Xinjiang for the detention of minority Muslim Uyghurs. But the department still does not control&nbsp;newer types of advanced surveillance software, the report says. 
 
The US-China commission was created by Congress two decades ago to report on the national security implications of trade with China. It is now chaired by Carolyn Bartholomew, who was appointed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

China and the United States agreed that bilateral economic relations are very important, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing a video conversation between Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday.

China and the United States agreed that bilateral economic relations are very important, state news agency Xinhua reported, citing a video conversation between Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday. The two sides had extensive exchanges on the macroeconomic situation and bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, Xinhua said. The two sides also expressed willingness to maintain communication, Xinhua reported. Meanwhile, the US Commerce Department is failing to do its part to protect national security and keep sensitive technology out of the hands of China's military, according to a US congressional advisory report. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission report, due to be published on Tuesday, said the Commerce Department had been slow to create a list of sensitive technology that should be scrutinised before export to China. The lag in developing the list of emerging and foundational technologies, as required by a 2018 law, may exacerbate national security risks, the report said. The Commerce Department, entrusted to strengthen US export control laws, "has, to date, failed to carry out its responsibilities," said the report, titled, "Unfinished Business: Export Control and Foreign Investment Reforms." In a statement, the Commerce Department declined to directly respond to the lack of a list, but noted it had published four rules on controls on emerging technologies and more are pending. It also said it had expanded the military end user rule and added companies to its entity list, which restricts US suppliers from selling to companies like Huawei Technologies and Hangzhou Hikvision. In 2018, Congress tightened US export policies and the process for screening foreign investment in response to efforts by Chinese entities to obtain sensitive US technology and use civilian innovation for the military. The report questions whether a more-than-two-year delay in developing the list should be investigated by the Commerce Department's inspector general. It also asks whether the authority to enforce export controls should be delegated to another agency. Congress passed the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 to make it harder to export key technologies to adversaries like China. The law directed the Commerce Department to work with other agencies to identify emerging, or cutting edge, technologies and so-called foundational technologies essential to making key items like semiconductors, that should be controlled. In November 2018, the department published 45 examples of emerging technologies, including face and voice recognition, but no list was ever finalised. And it has yet to propose a list of foundational technologies, instead asking for input in August about how to define the category. Eric Hirschhorn, a former Commerce under secretary, said the criticism of the agency was unfair. "They’re already controlling emerging technologies to the extent that it can be done, which is limited by the need to be specific,” he said. “Foundational technologies are, by definition, widely available outside the United States, which makes controlling them difficult, if not impossible." The report did note some actions by Commerce. The department has proposed to regulate software for gene editing, which can make it easier to develop biological weapons, but the rule has not been finalised. It also released an interim rule on geospatial imagery involving AI neural networks. Advanced surveillance technology has received some attention as well, including on export controls to promote human rights, given its use in Xinjiang for the detention of minority Muslim Uyghurs. But the department still does not control newer types of advanced surveillance software, the report says. The US-China commission was created by Congress two decades ago to report on the national security implications of trade with China. It is now chaired by Carolyn Bartholomew, who was appointed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. (With inputs from agencies)

Chinese vice premier holds talks with US treasury secretary

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia is not expecting any major breakthrough when President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Joe Biden hold their first summit this month.

Sergei Lavrov: Russia expects no 'breakthrough' at Putin-Biden summit

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