US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel, four days after Gaza ceasefire was announced. Blinken and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks and pledged to rebuilt Gaza together. Humanitarian aid and a long term peace deal are on their priority list.

Blinken says US will tackle humanitarian crisis in Gaza without helping Hamas

A majority of Republicans still believe Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election and blame his loss to Joe Biden on illegal voting, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.&nbsp;

The May 17-19 national poll found that 53% of Republicans believe Trump, their party's nominee, is the “true president” now, compared to 3% of Democrats and 25% of all Americans.&nbsp;

About one-quarter of adults believe the Nov. 3 election was tainted by illegal voting, including 56% of Republicans, according to the poll. The figures were roughly the same in a poll that ran from November 13-17, which found that 28% of all Americans and 59% of Republicans felt that way.&nbsp;

A Democrat, Biden won by more than seven million votes. Dozens of courts rejected Trump’s challenges to the results, but Trump and his supporters have persisted in pushing baseless conspiracy theories on conservative news outlets.&nbsp;

The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 61% of Republicans believe the election was "stolen" from Trump. Only about 29% of Republicans believe he should share some of the blame for his supporters' January 6 deadly riot at the US Capitol.&nbsp;

Still, 67% of overall respondents say they trust election officials in their town to do their job honestly, including 58% of Republicans, according to the poll.&nbsp;

The November and May polls were both conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. The May poll gathered responses from 2,007 adults, including 909 Democrats and 754 Republicans. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 4 percentage points. &nbsp;

A majority of Republicans still believe Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election and blame his loss to Joe Biden on illegal voting, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.

A majority of Republicans still believe Donald Trump won the 2020 US presidential election and blame his loss to Joe Biden on illegal voting, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll. The May 17-19 national poll found that 53% of Republicans believe Trump, their party's nominee, is the “true president” now, compared to 3% of Democrats and 25% of all Americans. About one-quarter of adults believe the Nov. 3 election was tainted by illegal voting, including 56% of Republicans, according to the poll. The figures were roughly the same in a poll that ran from November 13-17, which found that 28% of all Americans and 59% of Republicans felt that way. A Democrat, Biden won by more than seven million votes. Dozens of courts rejected Trump’s challenges to the results, but Trump and his supporters have persisted in pushing baseless conspiracy theories on conservative news outlets. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that 61% of Republicans believe the election was "stolen" from Trump. Only about 29% of Republicans believe he should share some of the blame for his supporters' January 6 deadly riot at the US Capitol. Still, 67% of overall respondents say they trust election officials in their town to do their job honestly, including 58% of Republicans, according to the poll. The November and May polls were both conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. The May poll gathered responses from 2,007 adults, including 909 Democrats and 754 Republicans. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 4 percentage points.

53% of Republicans still view Trump as true US president, months after his defeat: Poll 

Several people were killed in a shooting Monday outside Columbus, Ohio, according to local news media reports.

The shooting happened in West Jefferson, Ohio, a village of some 4,000 people about 20 miles west of the state’s capital city. Authorities told The Columbus Dispatch that they found the victims’ bodies inside and outside a duplex residence on the 100 block of Jackson Street.

Three bodies were found inside the apartment and there were additional bodies outside the home, television station WSYX reported. The police told the station that they received a 911 call from a passerby around 5:30 p.m.

The station cited information from the village’s police chief, Christopher Floyd, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night. A dispatcher at the West Jefferson Police Department referred questions to the chief.

Officials did not immediately provide details on the total number of victims, their names or information on any possible suspects.

Officers from Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation were helping to process the crime scene at the request of local police, Steve Irwin, a spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office, said in an email Monday night.

Irwin said he could not provide additional details about the shooting because the West Jefferson Police Department was leading the investigation.

Floyd said that the shooting took place on a dead-end street, which led him to believe that the victims had been targeted, WSYX reported.

“We don’t know whether it’s a robbery, a target, we don’t know at this point,” Floyd told the station. “Something brought somebody to a dead-end street.”

Several people were killed in a shooting Monday outside Columbus, Ohio, according to local news media reports. The shooting happened in West Jefferson, Ohio, a village of some 4,000 people about 20 miles west of the state’s capital city.

Several people were killed in a shooting Monday outside Columbus, Ohio, according to local news media reports. The shooting happened in West Jefferson, Ohio, a village of some 4,000 people about 20 miles west of the state’s capital city. Authorities told The Columbus Dispatch that they found the victims’ bodies inside and outside a duplex residence on the 100 block of Jackson Street. Three bodies were found inside the apartment and there were additional bodies outside the home, television station WSYX reported. The police told the station that they received a 911 call from a passerby around 5:30 p.m. The station cited information from the village’s police chief, Christopher Floyd, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night. A dispatcher at the West Jefferson Police Department referred questions to the chief. Officials did not immediately provide details on the total number of victims, their names or information on any possible suspects. Officers from Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation were helping to process the crime scene at the request of local police, Steve Irwin, a spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office, said in an email Monday night. Irwin said he could not provide additional details about the shooting because the West Jefferson Police Department was leading the investigation. Floyd said that the shooting took place on a dead-end street, which led him to believe that the victims had been targeted, WSYX reported. “We don’t know whether it’s a robbery, a target, we don’t know at this point,” Floyd told the station. “Something brought somebody to a dead-end street.”

Several killed in a shooting outside Columbus, Ohio

US President Joe Biden called Egypt’s President Abdelfattah al-Sisi to discuss strengthening the Gaza ceasefire, urgent humanitarian aid to the strip and international reconstruction efforts. The two leaders also discussed ways to revive the peace process between Israel and Palestine.

US President Biden discusses Gaza ceasefire with Egypt's Sisi

According to a Pentagon official, Pakistan has allowed the US military to use its airspace and given ground access so that it can support its presence in Afghanistan. He also said that Pakistan has played an important role in Afghanistan and they have supported the Afghan peace process.

Pakistan to continue giving air, ground access to US says Pentagon

After 17 years underground, swarms of cicadas are emerging across the eastern United States -- and for one Washington chef, the rare bug invasion was his cue for a cookout, with a side of food ethics.&nbsp;

Bun Lai, an advocate for the sustainable food movement, invited locals for an insect hunt in a city park followed by a taste of his fried cicada sushi.&nbsp;

"In a world where we're suffering from the biggest pandemic in history, which is not Covid, but diet-related diseases, we're going to have to take a revolutionary approach to how we're used to eating," he said.&nbsp;

Over the weekend, the Hong Kong-born American chef showed residents how to harvest, cook and prepare cicadas as a way to talk about alternative methods of farming and eating.&nbsp;

Billions of "Brood X" cicadas are appearing in US states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee.&nbsp;

Using his Instagram and Twitter accounts, Bun announced when he would be catching and cooking a few -- and then sharing them free of charge. &nbsp;

"Free cicada hunt and cookout," Bun tweeted. "Bring ingredients to cook with and join me in getting creative or just eat!"&nbsp;

For those who answered the call, the culinary adventure began by collecting some of the tastiest-looking bugs. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Stella Roque, a 36-year-old who grew up with a fear of insects, was not overly eager, but she viewed it as a way to overcome her phobia.&nbsp;

"I'm here today because Bun Lai invited me to try cooked cicadas, and I thought it was going to be an interesting experience," she said.&nbsp;

"I decided to come along, given that I had heard about the whole cicada apocalypse happening in the area."&nbsp;

And she's not alone in trying some creepy-crawly cuisine. Cicada tacos are popular menu items in restaurants just now, according to The Washingtonian magazine.&nbsp;

However, Bun cautioned against cicadas becoming a "gourmet food," fearing they could even be "eaten away like we have with so many species that we've become obsessed with over time."&nbsp;

The group collected cicadas and edible greens from around the park under Bun's guidance. The cicadas were then placed in a jar near other fresh ingredients beside a charcoal fire.&nbsp;

The chef seasoned the cicadas with salt before frying them in a large skillet. Finally, the fried insects were rolled into sushi, getting wrapped in large leaves with rice and vegetables, before being served.&nbsp;

Roque, expecting the worst, said she was in fact "delightfully surprised."&nbsp;

"I was actually terrified when holding it in my hand," she said. "But... it was actually really tasty."&nbsp;

After 17 years underground, swarms of cicadas are emerging across the eastern United States -- and for one Washington chef, the rare bug invasion was his cue for a cookout, with a side of food ethics.

After 17 years underground, swarms of cicadas are emerging across the eastern United States -- and for one Washington chef, the rare bug invasion was his cue for a cookout, with a side of food ethics. Bun Lai, an advocate for the sustainable food movement, invited locals for an insect hunt in a city park followed by a taste of his fried cicada sushi. "In a world where we're suffering from the biggest pandemic in history, which is not Covid, but diet-related diseases, we're going to have to take a revolutionary approach to how we're used to eating," he said. Over the weekend, the Hong Kong-born American chef showed residents how to harvest, cook and prepare cicadas as a way to talk about alternative methods of farming and eating. Billions of "Brood X" cicadas are appearing in US states including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee. Using his Instagram and Twitter accounts, Bun announced when he would be catching and cooking a few -- and then sharing them free of charge. "Free cicada hunt and cookout," Bun tweeted. "Bring ingredients to cook with and join me in getting creative or just eat!" For those who answered the call, the culinary adventure began by collecting some of the tastiest-looking bugs. Stella Roque, a 36-year-old who grew up with a fear of insects, was not overly eager, but she viewed it as a way to overcome her phobia. "I'm here today because Bun Lai invited me to try cooked cicadas, and I thought it was going to be an interesting experience," she said. "I decided to come along, given that I had heard about the whole cicada apocalypse happening in the area." And she's not alone in trying some creepy-crawly cuisine. Cicada tacos are popular menu items in restaurants just now, according to The Washingtonian magazine. However, Bun cautioned against cicadas becoming a "gourmet food," fearing they could even be "eaten away like we have with so many species that we've become obsessed with over time." The group collected cicadas and edible greens from around the park under Bun's guidance. The cicadas were then placed in a jar near other fresh ingredients beside a charcoal fire. The chef seasoned the cicadas with salt before frying them in a large skillet. Finally, the fried insects were rolled into sushi, getting wrapped in large leaves with rice and vegetables, before being served. Roque, expecting the worst, said she was in fact "delightfully surprised." "I was actually terrified when holding it in my hand," she said. "But... it was actually really tasty."

Cicada sushi, anyone? US chef serves up sustainable 'Brood X' delicacy 

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday landed in New York, as part of his US visit, to meet with senior United States officials, and discuss Covid-related cooperation between the two countries.&nbsp;

Ambassador of India to the UN TS Tirumurti received EAM Jaishankar on his first visit to New York after India entered the UN Security Council.&nbsp;

"Privilege to receive External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar on his first visit to New York after #India entered the UN #SecurityCouncil on 1 January 2021," Ambassador Tirumurti tweeted. &nbsp;

Jaishankar's US visit is slated to last till May 28, the External Affairs Ministry said last week. The Foreign Minister is expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York and later, he will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC, the ministry said. He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship. &nbsp;

"External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and Covid-related cooperation between India and the US," said the ministry statement.&nbsp;

India is engaged in talks with various US entities involved in Covid vaccines production and is looking forward to procuring and subsequently producing these vaccines. The issue of vaccine procurement is expected to be a key agenda item during Jaishankar's interaction with US leadership and other stakeholders.&nbsp;

The US has already announced that it is going to distribute 80 million vaccines from its stockpile to countries in need. With India hit badly by the second Covid wave, efforts of New Delhi will focus on getting the maximum and also looking for tie-ups with vaccine developers to produce in India.&nbsp;

US has a stockpile of 60 million Astra Zeneca vaccine doses and also Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.&nbsp;

US is playing a lead role in assisting India's fight against the COVID-19 virus. It has already provided large oxygen plants, concentrators, critical medicines like Remdesivir and also raw materials for vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), which is manufacturing Covishield.&nbsp;

US is also backing India sponsored proposal on TRIPS waiver at the WTO. The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and save lives.&nbsp;

In October last year, India and South Africa, along with 57 members of WTO proposed a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement for prevention, containment, and treatment of the coronavirus. EAM Jaishankar met his US counterpart Antony Blinken in early May in London during G7 Foreign Minister's meeting. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday landed in New York, as part of his US visit, to meet with senior United States officials, and discuss Covid-related cooperation between the two countries.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Monday landed in New York, as part of his US visit, to meet with senior United States officials, and discuss Covid-related cooperation between the two countries. Ambassador of India to the UN TS Tirumurti received EAM Jaishankar on his first visit to New York after India entered the UN Security Council. "Privilege to receive External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar on his first visit to New York after #India entered the UN #SecurityCouncil on 1 January 2021," Ambassador Tirumurti tweeted. Jaishankar's US visit is slated to last till May 28, the External Affairs Ministry said last week. The Foreign Minister is expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York and later, he will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC, the ministry said. He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship. "External Affairs Minister will have two interactions with business forums on economic and Covid-related cooperation between India and the US," said the ministry statement. India is engaged in talks with various US entities involved in Covid vaccines production and is looking forward to procuring and subsequently producing these vaccines. The issue of vaccine procurement is expected to be a key agenda item during Jaishankar's interaction with US leadership and other stakeholders. The US has already announced that it is going to distribute 80 million vaccines from its stockpile to countries in need. With India hit badly by the second Covid wave, efforts of New Delhi will focus on getting the maximum and also looking for tie-ups with vaccine developers to produce in India. US has a stockpile of 60 million Astra Zeneca vaccine doses and also Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. US is playing a lead role in assisting India's fight against the COVID-19 virus. It has already provided large oxygen plants, concentrators, critical medicines like Remdesivir and also raw materials for vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII), which is manufacturing Covishield. US is also backing India sponsored proposal on TRIPS waiver at the WTO. The TRIPS waiver aims to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and save lives. In October last year, India and South Africa, along with 57 members of WTO proposed a waiver from certain provisions of the TRIPS agreement for prevention, containment, and treatment of the coronavirus. EAM Jaishankar met his US counterpart Antony Blinken in early May in London during G7 Foreign Minister's meeting. (With inputs from agencies)

EAM Jaishankar arrives in New York to discuss Covid-related cooperation with US officials 

Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has started his week long trip to the United States, where he has been scheduled to meet the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and also hold a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Indian EAM Jaishankar to meet Blinken, UN Chief Guterres during US visit

Britain's main opposition Labour Party said it would push for a vote in parliament on Monday over the support of United States' plans to introduce a global minimum corporation tax rate.

World Business Watch: UK's opposition pushes for vote in support of US minimum corporation tax plan

Belarusian authorities scrambled a fighter jet and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair plane to land on Sunday and then, detained an opposition-minded journalist, who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States.&nbsp;

In what was described by some EU leaders as a hijacking, the passenger plane flying from Athens to Lithuania was suddenly diverted to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, escorted there by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet. On its landing, authorities took journalist Roman Protasevich into custody.&nbsp;

Protasevich had his head in his hands and was shaking when he realised the flight was headed for Minsk, Lithuania's Delfi news outlet said, quoting a passenger. Later, as he was led away, according to the report, he remarked: "I'll get the death penalty here." The report could not be verified.&nbsp;

The 26-year-old journalist worked for Poland-based online news service NEXTA, which broadcast footage of mass protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last year via the Telegram messenger app at a time when it was hard for foreign media to do so.&nbsp;

Protasevich, who now works for a different Telegram channel called Belamova, is wanted in Belarus on extremism charges and stands accused of organising mass riots and of inciting social hatred, allegations he denies.&nbsp;

Data from the flightradar24.com website showed the plane was diverted just two minutes before it was due to cross into Lithuanian airspace. After seven hours on the ground, the plane took off and finally landed in Vilnius where Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte was waiting to meet the passengers.&nbsp;

As European officials threatened new sanctions on Belarus, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the forced landing and arrest a 'shocking act’, demanded Protasevich's immediate release and said President Joe Biden's administration was 'coordinating with our partners on next steps’.&nbsp;

EU member state Lithuania, where Protasevich is based, urged the European Union and NATO to respond.&nbsp;

Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive European Commission, said Protasevich must be released immediately and that those responsible for 'the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned’, adding EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Monday would discuss what action to take.&nbsp;

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a tweet that the incident was serious and dangerous and required an international investigation.&nbsp;

Simon Coveney, foreign minister of Ireland, where Ryanair is based, said on Twitter: "EU inaction or indecision will be taken as weakness by Belarus."&nbsp;

Lithuania's foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said he discussed the Ryanair plane diversion with US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker, urging a strong response from the West.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Lithuanian prosecutors also launched a criminal investigation into the forced landing of a Ryanair flight to Vilnius in Minsk, the General Prosecutors office said in a statement on Sunday.&nbsp;

The charges under investigation include hijacking of a plane for terrorism purposes and treatment of humans in violation of international treaties, it said in the statement.&nbsp;

The United States along with the EU, Britain and Canada have already imposed asset freezes and travel bans on almost 90 Belarusian officials, including Lukashenko, following an August election that opponents and the West say was a sham.&nbsp;

US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez issued a statement with the heads of seven European parliamentary foreign affairs panels denouncing the forced landing as 'an act of piracy’. They called for a ban on all overflights of Belarus, including to and from the country, and for NATO and EU states to impose sanctions and suspend Belarus' 'ability to use Interpol’.&nbsp;

Blinken demanded a 'full investigation' of an action he said endangered the lives of the passengers, including US citizens.&nbsp;

"Given indications the forced landing was based on false pretenses, we support the earliest possible meeting of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization to review these events," he said in a statement.&nbsp;

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who like Protasevich now operates from Lithuania, called on the UN aviation agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to kick Belarus out.&nbsp;

ICAO said it was 'strongly concerned' over the incident, which might have breached the Chicago Convention underpinning civil aviation. Global airline industry body IATA also called for a full investigation.&nbsp;

The incident is certain to worsen already dire relations between the West and Belarus, which has been tightly controlled since 1994 by Lukashenko.&nbsp;

Opponents accuse him of rigging a presidential election in his own favour last year and of then cracking down violently on the opposition. He denies electoral fraud.&nbsp;

Ryanair said in a statement that the plane`s crew was notified by Belarus of a potential security threat on board and was instructed to divert to the nearest airport, Minsk.&nbsp;

The plane landed safely, passengers were offloaded, security checks were made by local authorities and the aircraft later resumed its journey to Vilnius, Ryanair said.&nbsp;

One of the passengers, speaking to Reuters after arriving at Vilnius airport, said neither the pilot nor the crew gave a full explanation for the sudden diversion to Minsk, but Protasevich reacted quickly to the news, standing up from his seat.&nbsp;

The Lithuanian passenger, who gave his name only as Mantas, said Protasevich opened an overhead locker, pulled out a laptop computer and a phone and gave them to a female companion. On landing, Protasevich was immediately separated, Mantas said.&nbsp;

Belarusian officials with sniffer dogs searched the luggage of each passenger, including Protasevich, but appeared to find nothing. "It looked fake," Mantas said of the bomb-detection operation.&nbsp;

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told a news conference late on Sunday that Protasevich`s female companion had also not re-embarked on the flight from Minsk to Vilnius.&nbsp;

Belarusian news agency BelTA reported that Lukashenko had personally ordered the warplane to escort the Ryanair plane to Minsk. No explosives were found, it said.&nbsp;

Ben Hodges, former commander of US Army forces in Europe, said the air defenses of Belarus were closely integrated with those of Russia. "If you had anything happening in the Belarus airspace, it would be impossible for the Kremlin - or at least Russian military forces - not to know about it," he said.&nbsp;

Nauseda urged "NATO and EU allies to immediately react to the threat posed to international civil aviation by the Belarus regime."&nbsp;

Lithuanian presidential adviser Asta Skaisgiryte said the operation to force the plane carrying around 170 people from 12 countries to land seemed to be pre-planned.&nbsp;

The Belarusian department for organised crime control reported that Protasevich had been detained, before deleting the statement from its Telegram channel.&nbsp;

About 35,000 people have been detained in Belarus since August, human rights groups say. Dozens have received jail terms.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Belarusian authorities scrambled a fighter jet and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair plane to land on Sunday and then, detained an opposition-minded journalist, who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States.

Belarusian authorities scrambled a fighter jet and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair plane to land on Sunday and then, detained an opposition-minded journalist, who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States. In what was described by some EU leaders as a hijacking, the passenger plane flying from Athens to Lithuania was suddenly diverted to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, escorted there by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet. On its landing, authorities took journalist Roman Protasevich into custody. Protasevich had his head in his hands and was shaking when he realised the flight was headed for Minsk, Lithuania's Delfi news outlet said, quoting a passenger. Later, as he was led away, according to the report, he remarked: "I'll get the death penalty here." The report could not be verified. The 26-year-old journalist worked for Poland-based online news service NEXTA, which broadcast footage of mass protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last year via the Telegram messenger app at a time when it was hard for foreign media to do so. Protasevich, who now works for a different Telegram channel called Belamova, is wanted in Belarus on extremism charges and stands accused of organising mass riots and of inciting social hatred, allegations he denies. Data from the flightradar24.com website showed the plane was diverted just two minutes before it was due to cross into Lithuanian airspace. After seven hours on the ground, the plane took off and finally landed in Vilnius where Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte was waiting to meet the passengers. As European officials threatened new sanctions on Belarus, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the forced landing and arrest a 'shocking act’, demanded Protasevich's immediate release and said President Joe Biden's administration was 'coordinating with our partners on next steps’. EU member state Lithuania, where Protasevich is based, urged the European Union and NATO to respond. Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive European Commission, said Protasevich must be released immediately and that those responsible for 'the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned’, adding EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Monday would discuss what action to take. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a tweet that the incident was serious and dangerous and required an international investigation. Simon Coveney, foreign minister of Ireland, where Ryanair is based, said on Twitter: "EU inaction or indecision will be taken as weakness by Belarus." Lithuania's foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said he discussed the Ryanair plane diversion with US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker, urging a strong response from the West. Meanwhile, Lithuanian prosecutors also launched a criminal investigation into the forced landing of a Ryanair flight to Vilnius in Minsk, the General Prosecutors office said in a statement on Sunday. The charges under investigation include hijacking of a plane for terrorism purposes and treatment of humans in violation of international treaties, it said in the statement. The United States along with the EU, Britain and Canada have already imposed asset freezes and travel bans on almost 90 Belarusian officials, including Lukashenko, following an August election that opponents and the West say was a sham. US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez issued a statement with the heads of seven European parliamentary foreign affairs panels denouncing the forced landing as 'an act of piracy’. They called for a ban on all overflights of Belarus, including to and from the country, and for NATO and EU states to impose sanctions and suspend Belarus' 'ability to use Interpol’. Blinken demanded a 'full investigation' of an action he said endangered the lives of the passengers, including US citizens. "Given indications the forced landing was based on false pretenses, we support the earliest possible meeting of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization to review these events," he said in a statement. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who like Protasevich now operates from Lithuania, called on the UN aviation agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to kick Belarus out. ICAO said it was 'strongly concerned' over the incident, which might have breached the Chicago Convention underpinning civil aviation. Global airline industry body IATA also called for a full investigation. The incident is certain to worsen already dire relations between the West and Belarus, which has been tightly controlled since 1994 by Lukashenko. Opponents accuse him of rigging a presidential election in his own favour last year and of then cracking down violently on the opposition. He denies electoral fraud. Ryanair said in a statement that the plane`s crew was notified by Belarus of a potential security threat on board and was instructed to divert to the nearest airport, Minsk. The plane landed safely, passengers were offloaded, security checks were made by local authorities and the aircraft later resumed its journey to Vilnius, Ryanair said. One of the passengers, speaking to Reuters after arriving at Vilnius airport, said neither the pilot nor the crew gave a full explanation for the sudden diversion to Minsk, but Protasevich reacted quickly to the news, standing up from his seat. The Lithuanian passenger, who gave his name only as Mantas, said Protasevich opened an overhead locker, pulled out a laptop computer and a phone and gave them to a female companion. On landing, Protasevich was immediately separated, Mantas said. Belarusian officials with sniffer dogs searched the luggage of each passenger, including Protasevich, but appeared to find nothing. "It looked fake," Mantas said of the bomb-detection operation. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told a news conference late on Sunday that Protasevich`s female companion had also not re-embarked on the flight from Minsk to Vilnius. Belarusian news agency BelTA reported that Lukashenko had personally ordered the warplane to escort the Ryanair plane to Minsk. No explosives were found, it said. Ben Hodges, former commander of US Army forces in Europe, said the air defenses of Belarus were closely integrated with those of Russia. "If you had anything happening in the Belarus airspace, it would be impossible for the Kremlin - or at least Russian military forces - not to know about it," he said. Nauseda urged "NATO and EU allies to immediately react to the threat posed to international civil aviation by the Belarus regime." Lithuanian presidential adviser Asta Skaisgiryte said the operation to force the plane carrying around 170 people from 12 countries to land seemed to be pre-planned. The Belarusian department for organised crime control reported that Protasevich had been detained, before deleting the statement from its Telegram channel. About 35,000 people have been detained in Belarus since August, human rights groups say. Dozens have received jail terms. (With inputs from agencies)

Belarus forces airliner to land and arrests blogger opposed to president, sparking US, European outrage 

A body-cam video released by Louisiana authorities showed a Black man&nbsp;being tased, dragged, choked and beaten. The man&nbsp;later died and the authorities initially said the cause of death was a car crash during a police chace.

The incident took place on May 10, 2019 when police in northern Louisiana tried to stop a car driven by Ronald Greene, a 49-year-old barber, for what they said was an unspecified traffic violation.

Greene's relatives have been reported to have said that police initially told them that he died on impact when, during a chase, his car crashed into a tree.&nbsp;

But a written police report later said Greene survived the crash and struggled with troopers trying to arrest him. It said he died en route to a hospital.

Only later did Louisiana state police acknowledge that they had used force during the arrest, which they said was justified.&nbsp;

But the body-camera (body-cam) footage acquired by Associated Press and released by authorities late on May 22 shows a horrific scuffle.

The newly-released bodycam footage shows a high-speed chase and Louisiana state troopers punching&nbsp;Greene when he was already in handcuffs.

He was also dragged across the ground by shackled feet, and stunned with tasers as he cried, "I'm scared."

Greene, of West Monroe, Louisiana, led police on a high-speed chase after midnight of May 10, 2019, and crashed his car before being taken into custody, police said. He died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital.

An autopsy showed that Greene had alcohol and cocaine in his system, suffered multiple injuries from the crash, as well as injuries from a physical struggle. The manner of death was not listed.

Earlier this week, the case quickly became another national touchstone of alleged police abuse after the unauthorised release of police video by the Associated Press.

In response to that release, Colonel Lamar Davis, the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police held a late night press conference and said the department is releasing all the police bodycam video to add context to what has already been public.

Of the troopers involved, DaKota DeMoss was notified that the department intends to fire him and remains on leave pending another excessive use of force case, police said.

Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth was also notified of the department's intent to dismiss him, but died hours later in a fatal car crash in 2020, police said.

Another trooper, Kory York, served a 50-hour suspension and is back on active duty.

The case is also the subject of a federal civil rights investigation.

(With inputs from agencies)

A body-cam video released by Louisiana authorities showed a Black man being tased, dragged, choked and beaten. The man later died and the authorities initially said the cause of death was a car crash during a police chace.

A body-cam video released by Louisiana authorities showed a Black man being tased, dragged, choked and beaten. The man later died and the authorities initially said the cause of death was a car crash during a police chace. The incident took place on May 10, 2019 when police in northern Louisiana tried to stop a car driven by Ronald Greene, a 49-year-old barber, for what they said was an unspecified traffic violation. Greene's relatives have been reported to have said that police initially told them that he died on impact when, during a chase, his car crashed into a tree. But a written police report later said Greene survived the crash and struggled with troopers trying to arrest him. It said he died en route to a hospital. Only later did Louisiana state police acknowledge that they had used force during the arrest, which they said was justified. But the body-camera (body-cam) footage acquired by Associated Press and released by authorities late on May 22 shows a horrific scuffle. The newly-released bodycam footage shows a high-speed chase and Louisiana state troopers punching Greene when he was already in handcuffs. He was also dragged across the ground by shackled feet, and stunned with tasers as he cried, "I'm scared." Greene, of West Monroe, Louisiana, led police on a high-speed chase after midnight of May 10, 2019, and crashed his car before being taken into custody, police said. He died in an ambulance on the way to a hospital. An autopsy showed that Greene had alcohol and cocaine in his system, suffered multiple injuries from the crash, as well as injuries from a physical struggle. The manner of death was not listed. Earlier this week, the case quickly became another national touchstone of alleged police abuse after the unauthorised release of police video by the Associated Press. In response to that release, Colonel Lamar Davis, the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police held a late night press conference and said the department is releasing all the police bodycam video to add context to what has already been public. Of the troopers involved, DaKota DeMoss was notified that the department intends to fire him and remains on leave pending another excessive use of force case, police said. Master Trooper Chris Hollingsworth was also notified of the department's intent to dismiss him, but died hours later in a fatal car crash in 2020, police said. Another trooper, Kory York, served a 50-hour suspension and is back on active duty. The case is also the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. (With inputs from agencies)

Police in US seen choking Black man they said died in car crash

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently assessing heart inflammation among some teenagers and young adults after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

CDC has recommended further study of the rare condition. In a statement dated May 17, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said that many adolescents and young adults who were predominantly male develop myocarditis after the vaccine.

Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle and the condition generally goes away on its own. The CDC adds that the condition can be caused by multiple viruses. Even though no more than expected instances of such inflammation have been found so far, healthcare providers ought to be made aware of “potential adverse event”, the CDC said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/two-doses-of-covid-vaccines-offer-significant-protection-against-b16172-variant-study-finds-386812" hreflang="en">Two doses of Covid vaccines offer significant protection against B.1.617.2 variant, study finds</a>

It is still unclear how many people have been affected by the condition. Further investigation is currently underway. According to the CDC, most cases occurred four days after receiving the mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer).

In April, Israel’s Health Ministry said that it was observing a small number of heart inflammation cases reported among people who received the Pfizer jab.&nbsp; Most cases in Israel were among people aged upto 30.

At the same time, Pfizer said that no higher rate of the condition was observed than what is normal among the general population, and that no causal link has been established.

Earlier in May, American regulators allowed Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine to be used on children aged between 12-15.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently assessing heart inflammation among some teenagers and young adults after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently assessing heart inflammation among some teenagers and young adults after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. CDC has recommended further study of the rare condition. In a statement dated May 17, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said that many adolescents and young adults who were predominantly male develop myocarditis after the vaccine. Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle and the condition generally goes away on its own. The CDC adds that the condition can be caused by multiple viruses. Even though no more than expected instances of such inflammation have been found so far, healthcare providers ought to be made aware of “potential adverse event”, the CDC said. Also read: Two doses of Covid vaccines offer significant protection against B.1.617.2 variant, study finds It is still unclear how many people have been affected by the condition. Further investigation is currently underway. According to the CDC, most cases occurred four days after receiving the mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer). In April, Israel’s Health Ministry said that it was observing a small number of heart inflammation cases reported among people who received the Pfizer jab. Most cases in Israel were among people aged upto 30. At the same time, Pfizer said that no higher rate of the condition was observed than what is normal among the general population, and that no causal link has been established. Earlier in May, American regulators allowed Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine to be used on children aged between 12-15.

US studying cases of heart inflammation among youngsters who received Covid jabs

For the first time in 11 months, the daily average of new coronavirus infections in the US fell below 30,000 amid continuing signs that most communities are emerging from the worst of the pandemic, but the progress has not been even across the nation, according to media reports. 
 
The seven-day average dipped to 27,815 on Friday, the lowest since June 22 and less than a tenth of the infection rate during the winter surge, Xinhua news agency quoted state health department data compiled by The Washington Post. 
 
"The pandemic map remains speckled with hot spots, including parts of the Deep South, the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest. At the local level, progress against the contagion has not been uniform as some communities struggle with inequities in vaccine distribution and in the health impacts of the virus," The Washington Post said in a report on Saturday. 
 
The vast bulk of the American landscape has turned pale green, the colour-code for "low or moderate" viral burden, in a Covid-19 Community Profile Report released this week by President Joe Biden`s administration. 
 
The report showed 694 counties still have "high" levels of transmission, less than half as many as in mid-April. 
 
The big question now is whether the virus will be thoroughly squelched through mounting vaccinations, or whether it will smolder in areas with low immunisation rates and potentially flare when colder weather returns, David Rubin, director of PolicyLab at Children`s Hospital of Philadelphia, was quoted as saying. 
 
The lab has been modeling the outbreak for more than a year. 
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention`s Covid-19 data tracker showed that currently 60.5 per cent of American adults have received at least one vaccination, putting the country on a path of reaching President Biden`s 70 per cent target by July 4. 
 
Currently, around half a million Americans would need to receive the first dose of the vaccine each day over the next 44 days in order to reach Biden`s goal. 
 
Around 160 million Americans have already received at least one dose of the vaccine, The Washington Post said on Friday. 
 
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the target goal will be met with the current vaccination rate. 
 
While the number of vaccines administered daily has fallen, the rate is still high enough for Biden`s benchmark to be met, he said. 
 
Administration officials are becoming increasingly confident that the pandemic will be brought under control in the coming months, although infections will not plunge to zero and there remains the threat of mutated variants as the virus continues to circulate globally, according to the report. 
 
Meanwhile, the US is seeing an average of 552 Covid-19 deaths per day, according to John Hopkins University data, the lowest level since July. 
 
As of Sunday morning, the US has registered a total of 33,103,118 confirmed cases and 589,670 deaths. 
 
The two tallies currently account for the world`s highest.

For the first time in 11 months, the daily average of new coronavirus infections in the US fell below 30,000 amid continuing signs that most communities are emerging from the worst of the pandemic, but the progress has not been even across the nation, according to media reports.

For the first time in 11 months, the daily average of new coronavirus infections in the US fell below 30,000 amid continuing signs that most communities are emerging from the worst of the pandemic, but the progress has not been even across the nation, according to media reports. The seven-day average dipped to 27,815 on Friday, the lowest since June 22 and less than a tenth of the infection rate during the winter surge, Xinhua news agency quoted state health department data compiled by The Washington Post. "The pandemic map remains speckled with hot spots, including parts of the Deep South, the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest. At the local level, progress against the contagion has not been uniform as some communities struggle with inequities in vaccine distribution and in the health impacts of the virus," The Washington Post said in a report on Saturday. The vast bulk of the American landscape has turned pale green, the colour-code for "low or moderate" viral burden, in a Covid-19 Community Profile Report released this week by President Joe Biden`s administration. The report showed 694 counties still have "high" levels of transmission, less than half as many as in mid-April. The big question now is whether the virus will be thoroughly squelched through mounting vaccinations, or whether it will smolder in areas with low immunisation rates and potentially flare when colder weather returns, David Rubin, director of PolicyLab at Children`s Hospital of Philadelphia, was quoted as saying. The lab has been modeling the outbreak for more than a year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention`s Covid-19 data tracker showed that currently 60.5 per cent of American adults have received at least one vaccination, putting the country on a path of reaching President Biden`s 70 per cent target by July 4. Currently, around half a million Americans would need to receive the first dose of the vaccine each day over the next 44 days in order to reach Biden`s goal. Around 160 million Americans have already received at least one dose of the vaccine, The Washington Post said on Friday. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the target goal will be met with the current vaccination rate. While the number of vaccines administered daily has fallen, the rate is still high enough for Biden`s benchmark to be met, he said. Administration officials are becoming increasingly confident that the pandemic will be brought under control in the coming months, although infections will not plunge to zero and there remains the threat of mutated variants as the virus continues to circulate globally, according to the report. Meanwhile, the US is seeing an average of 552 Covid-19 deaths per day, according to John Hopkins University data, the lowest level since July. As of Sunday morning, the US has registered a total of 33,103,118 confirmed cases and 589,670 deaths. The two tallies currently account for the world`s highest.

Daily average of new Covid cases in US falls below 30,000

The Biden administration on Saturday extended special protections to Haitians living temporarily in the United States after being displaced by a devastating 2010 earthquake, reversing efforts by the previous administration to force them to leave the country.

The decision, announced by the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, makes good on President Joe Biden’s campaign promise to restore a program that shields thousands of Haitian migrants from the threat of deportation under the restrictive policies put in place under President Donald Trump.

Mayorkas said the new 18-month designation, known as temporary protected status, would apply to Haitians already living in the United States as of Friday.

“Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayorkas said in a statement Saturday.

The protections, created in a 1990 law, allow foreigners who have had to flee their homes because of natural disasters and conflict to work and live in the United States. The Obama administration granted the temporary protected status to Haitians living in the United States illegally after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in January 2010.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the new designation could protect as many as 150,000 Haitians from having to return to the political and security crisis in their home country.

“The last thing our country should be doing is forcing an entire community in the U.S. to decide between packing up their lives and tearing their families apart by self-deporting, or becoming undocumented and forced into the shadows of our society,” Menendez said in a statement Saturday.

As part of its hard-line efforts to curb legal and illegal immigration, the Trump administration sought to end protections for about 400,000 immigrants living in the United States, including Haitians.

Lawsuits blocked the cancellations, but in September a federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration, putting hundreds of thousands of immigrants on notice that they would have to leave the country or face deportation. The Trump administration agreed to keep the protections in place at least through early 2021, meaning a new administration could decide to continue the policy.

The Biden administration on Saturday extended special protections to Haitians living temporarily in the United States after being displaced by a devastating 2010 earthquake, reversing efforts by the previous administration to force them to leave the country.

The Biden administration on Saturday extended special protections to Haitians living temporarily in the United States after being displaced by a devastating 2010 earthquake, reversing efforts by the previous administration to force them to leave the country. The decision, announced by the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, makes good on President Joe Biden’s campaign promise to restore a program that shields thousands of Haitian migrants from the threat of deportation under the restrictive policies put in place under President Donald Trump. Mayorkas said the new 18-month designation, known as temporary protected status, would apply to Haitians already living in the United States as of Friday. “Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayorkas said in a statement Saturday. The protections, created in a 1990 law, allow foreigners who have had to flee their homes because of natural disasters and conflict to work and live in the United States. The Obama administration granted the temporary protected status to Haitians living in the United States illegally after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in January 2010. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the new designation could protect as many as 150,000 Haitians from having to return to the political and security crisis in their home country. “The last thing our country should be doing is forcing an entire community in the U.S. to decide between packing up their lives and tearing their families apart by self-deporting, or becoming undocumented and forced into the shadows of our society,” Menendez said in a statement Saturday. As part of its hard-line efforts to curb legal and illegal immigration, the Trump administration sought to end protections for about 400,000 immigrants living in the United States, including Haitians. Lawsuits blocked the cancellations, but in September a federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration, putting hundreds of thousands of immigrants on notice that they would have to leave the country or face deportation. The Trump administration agreed to keep the protections in place at least through early 2021, meaning a new administration could decide to continue the policy.

US grants temporary protections to thousands of Haitians

US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday injected fresh urgency into attempts to engage North Korea in dialogue over its nuclear weapons, with Biden saying he would meet its leader Kim Jong Un under the right conditions.

Joe Biden appoints a new envoy to Pyongyang

US President Joe Biden has announced the appointment of a special envoy for North Korea after he hosted his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In at the White House. The two leaders also unveiled a new vaccine partnership to expand manufacturing and scale up global vaccine supply.

Biden appoints a new envoy to North Korea after meeting South Korean President

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed measures to ensure that the recently established ceasefire with Israel holds. This comes after Israel and Hamas agreed to an Egypt-brokered ceasefire, after 11 days of rocket attacks and airstrikes that left hundreds dead.

Blinken, Palestinian Prez Abbas discuss ceasefire measures

With an aim to save the planet Earth for future generations, the world’s richest countries have decided to pull the plug on funding coal development projects overseas.

After two days of the G7 meeting of environment and energy ministers, hosted by the UK, all countries present in the meet have decided to end the financial support of coal development and have assured their commitment to limiting global heating to 1.5C.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astrophysicists-detect-gamma-rays-from-surprising-cosmic-sources-386599" hreflang="en">Astrophysicists detect gamma rays from surprising cosmic sources</a>

G7 members — namely the UK, US, France, Canada, Italy, Germany, and the EU — have come together to make sure there is no more funding for any such projects that can harm the environment for future generations.

Japan, however, has raised concerns about this change. The Japanese government believes if the country does not invest money in coal development, China will step in to build less-efficient and more harmful coal-fired power plants, which will be more harmful, Japan claims.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/meet-climate-changes-latest-offering-to-earth-zombie-wildfires-386102" hreflang="en">Meet climate change's latest offering to Earth - 'Zombie wildfires'</a>

"I will strongly recommend to the president that this is a policy that we should pursue … But I guarantee that we will be completely consistent with 1.5C. 1.5C governs the choices we have to make in the next 10 years. Any decision has to be within that framework," John Kerry, the US climate envoy said.

France has come out in support of the decision and hopes this will send out a message that coal is an energy 'of the past'.

"I am delighted that an agreement could be found regarding a key aspect of our G7 communique: the absolute end of new direct government support for international coal power generation. It gives a very strong signal to the world that coal is an energy of the past and has no place in our future energy mix. It sets the stage for a radical transition towards clean energy," Barbara Pompili, France’s environment minister said.

With an aim to save the planet Earth for future generations, the world’s richest countries have decided to pull the plug on funding coal development projects overseas.

With an aim to save the planet Earth for future generations, the world’s richest countries have decided to pull the plug on funding coal development projects overseas. After two days of the G7 meeting of environment and energy ministers, hosted by the UK, all countries present in the meet have decided to end the financial support of coal development and have assured their commitment to limiting global heating to 1.5C. Also read | Astrophysicists detect gamma rays from surprising cosmic sources G7 members — namely the UK, US, France, Canada, Italy, Germany, and the EU — have come together to make sure there is no more funding for any such projects that can harm the environment for future generations. Japan, however, has raised concerns about this change. The Japanese government believes if the country does not invest money in coal development, China will step in to build less-efficient and more harmful coal-fired power plants, which will be more harmful, Japan claims. Also read | Meet climate change's latest offering to Earth - 'Zombie wildfires' "I will strongly recommend to the president that this is a policy that we should pursue … But I guarantee that we will be completely consistent with 1.5C. 1.5C governs the choices we have to make in the next 10 years. Any decision has to be within that framework," John Kerry, the US climate envoy said. France has come out in support of the decision and hopes this will send out a message that coal is an energy 'of the past'. "I am delighted that an agreement could be found regarding a key aspect of our G7 communique: the absolute end of new direct government support for international coal power generation. It gives a very strong signal to the world that coal is an energy of the past and has no place in our future energy mix. It sets the stage for a radical transition towards clean energy," Barbara Pompili, France’s environment minister said.

Rich countries halt funding for coal production overseas

The US Treasury Department has offered to accept a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15% during international negotiations, a rate significantly below its proposed 21% minimum for US MNC's.

World Business Watch: US Treasury floats global corporate tax of at least 15%

US House of Representatives have narrowly approved $1.9 billion Capitol security bill. This bill aims to bolster security at the US Capitol. The bill has been passed with 213-212 votes.

US House of Representatives passes $1.9bn bill to bolster security at Capitol

The US wants to strengthen its relationship with&nbsp;Greenland, especially commercially, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, but stressed that they, unlike Donald Trump, don't want to buy it.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-confirms-interest-in-buying-greenland-243957">US President Donald Trump confirms interest in buying Greenland</a>

Blinken visited the Danish autonomous territory as he ended a four-day trip that included a meeting of the foreign ministers of countries bordering the Arctic in Reykjavik.

"I am in&nbsp;Greenland&nbsp;because the United States deeply values our partnership and wants to make it even stronger," Antony Blinken told reporters on his final stop of the Arctic tour.

Last year, the US reopened a consulate in&nbsp;Greenland's capital Nuuk and pledged $12 million in aid for civilian projects.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-donald-trump-wants-to-buy-greenland-244206">Why Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland</a>

While he spoke of potential additional funding, Blinken was vague about new US projects, even though the new Greenlandic local government had floated the idea of a free trade agreement earlier in the week.

"We would like to find ways to strengthen even more the commercial relationship," Blinken said.

The then US president Donald Trump's 2019 proposal to buy the Arctic territory, described as "absurd" by the Danish government, caused a diplomatic kerfuffle but meanwhile signalled in clear terms the US' renewed interest in the region.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/greenland-tells-trump-it-is-open-for-business-but-not-for-sale-243427">Greenland tells US President Donald Trump it is open for business but not for sale</a>

Asked whether the US had definitively ruled out any plans to buy&nbsp;Greenland, Blinken replied with a smile: "I can confirm that's correct."

Greenlandic new young Prime Minister Mute Egede, who came to power in April, said he was "convinced that this decade will be the beginning of a new era in the relationship between our countries."

The left-wing government, which won snap parliamentary elections last month, is allied with a small pro-independence party, Naleraq, which has shown itself to be in favour of mending ties with the US.

The US wants to strengthen its relationship with Greenland, especially commercially, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, but stressed that they, unlike Donald Trump, don't want to buy it.

The US wants to strengthen its relationship with Greenland, especially commercially, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, but stressed that they, unlike Donald Trump, don't want to buy it. Also Read | US President Donald Trump confirms interest in buying Greenland Blinken visited the Danish autonomous territory as he ended a four-day trip that included a meeting of the foreign ministers of countries bordering the Arctic in Reykjavik. "I am in Greenland because the United States deeply values our partnership and wants to make it even stronger," Antony Blinken told reporters on his final stop of the Arctic tour. Last year, the US reopened a consulate in Greenland's capital Nuuk and pledged $12 million in aid for civilian projects. Also Read | Why Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland While he spoke of potential additional funding, Blinken was vague about new US projects, even though the new Greenlandic local government had floated the idea of a free trade agreement earlier in the week. "We would like to find ways to strengthen even more the commercial relationship," Blinken said. The then US president Donald Trump's 2019 proposal to buy the Arctic territory, described as "absurd" by the Danish government, caused a diplomatic kerfuffle but meanwhile signalled in clear terms the US' renewed interest in the region. Also Read | Greenland tells US President Donald Trump it is open for business but not for sale Asked whether the US had definitively ruled out any plans to buy Greenland, Blinken replied with a smile: "I can confirm that's correct." Greenlandic new young Prime Minister Mute Egede, who came to power in April, said he was "convinced that this decade will be the beginning of a new era in the relationship between our countries." The left-wing government, which won snap parliamentary elections last month, is allied with a small pro-independence party, Naleraq, which has shown itself to be in favour of mending ties with the US.

US wants 'stronger' ties with Greenland without buying it, assures Blinken

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Thursday that the United States was no longer interested in buying Greenland, scuttling for good a quixotic 2019 proposal by the Trump administration to annex the self-governing Danish territory.

“I can confirm that’s correct,” Blinken said during an appearance in Greenland with Danish officials and the premier of Greenland, Mute Egede, in response to a reporter who asked him to “definitively say that the United States does not seek to buy Greenland.” Earlier in the day, the secretary of state toured the territory and met privately with the premier to discuss “bilateral trade and investment.”

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Blinken’s brief remarks closed the book on a bizarre episode in US foreign policy. The Wall Street Journal had first reported in August 2019 that President Donald Trump had repeatedly asked aides to pursue a purchase of Greenland, in part to exploit the territory’s abundant natural resources. Trump’s advisers were highly skeptical of the idea, but agreed to investigate the matter.

News of Trump’s interest in annexing Greenland quickly became the butt of jokes online, while receiving a cold reception both from residents of the semiautonomous territory and among Danish leadership, who took umbrage at the then-president’s suggestion that the territory could be bought as, essentially, “a large real estate deal.”

“Greenland is not for sale,” Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark, told a Danish newspaper at the time. “Greenland is not Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland. I strongly hope that this is not meant seriously.”

Trump, angered at the Danish response to his idea, abruptly canceled a diplomatic visit to Denmark and described Frederiksen as “nasty,” sparking an international incident.

“All they had to do is say, ‘No, we’d rather not do that’ or ‘We’d rather not talk about it,’” Trump said to reporters on the day he canceled the trip. “Don’t say, ‘What an absurd idea that is.’”

Pele Broberg, Greenland’s foreign minister, alluded to the diplomatic rupture during his appearance with Blinken on Thursday.

“We will underscore this is not considered a real estate deal,” Broberg said of talks with US officials, quoting Trump. “Secretary Blinken has made it very clear that he is here for the people living in the Arctic, for the people living in Greenland.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Thursday that the United States was no longer interested in buying Greenland, scuttling for good a quixotic 2019 proposal by the Trump administration to annex the self-governing Danish territory.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Thursday that the United States was no longer interested in buying Greenland, scuttling for good a quixotic 2019 proposal by the Trump administration to annex the self-governing Danish territory. “I can confirm that’s correct,” Blinken said during an appearance in Greenland with Danish officials and the premier of Greenland, Mute Egede, in response to a reporter who asked him to “definitively say that the United States does not seek to buy Greenland.” Earlier in the day, the secretary of state toured the territory and met privately with the premier to discuss “bilateral trade and investment.” Also read | Scientists discover plants buried deep beneath Greenland's ice sheet. What does this mean? Blinken’s brief remarks closed the book on a bizarre episode in US foreign policy. The Wall Street Journal had first reported in August 2019 that President Donald Trump had repeatedly asked aides to pursue a purchase of Greenland, in part to exploit the territory’s abundant natural resources. Trump’s advisers were highly skeptical of the idea, but agreed to investigate the matter. News of Trump’s interest in annexing Greenland quickly became the butt of jokes online, while receiving a cold reception both from residents of the semiautonomous territory and among Danish leadership, who took umbrage at the then-president’s suggestion that the territory could be bought as, essentially, “a large real estate deal.” “Greenland is not for sale,” Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark, told a Danish newspaper at the time. “Greenland is not Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland. I strongly hope that this is not meant seriously.” Trump, angered at the Danish response to his idea, abruptly canceled a diplomatic visit to Denmark and described Frederiksen as “nasty,” sparking an international incident. “All they had to do is say, ‘No, we’d rather not do that’ or ‘We’d rather not talk about it,’” Trump said to reporters on the day he canceled the trip. “Don’t say, ‘What an absurd idea that is.’” Pele Broberg, Greenland’s foreign minister, alluded to the diplomatic rupture during his appearance with Blinken on Thursday. “We will underscore this is not considered a real estate deal,” Broberg said of talks with US officials, quoting Trump. “Secretary Blinken has made it very clear that he is here for the people living in the Arctic, for the people living in Greenland.”

Secretary of State confirms the US does not want to buy Greenland

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East "in the coming days," the State Department said Thursday after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire halting 11 days of fighting.

Blinken spoke with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi, who "welcomed Secretary Blinken's planned travel to the region," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

The top US diplomat "will meet with Israeli, Palestinian and regional counterparts in the coming days to discuss recovery efforts and working together to build better futures for Israelis and Palestinians," Price said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-hamas-conflict-ceasefire-between-israel-and-hamas-takes-effect-after-11-day-conflict-leaves-hundreds-dead-386387">Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect after 11-day conflict leaves hundreds dead</a>

The announcement came after Blinken spoke twice Thursday with Ashkenazi ahead of implementation of the ceasefire, which was brokered by Egypt and followed mounting international pressure to stem the bloodshed.

"Both leaders expressed their appreciation for Egypt's mediation efforts, and the secretary noted that he would continue to remain in close touch with his Egyptian counterpart and other regional stakeholders," Price said.

Blinken was headed home Thursday following an Arctic tour overshadowed by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Working from hotel rooms and the airplane in the scramble for a ceasefire, he spoke to leaders on both sides, as well as from Arab nations with influence over Hamas.

The secretary "welcomed the (Israeli) foreign minister's confirmation that the parties had agreed to a ceasefire," Price said.

Earlier in the day Blinken announced that he was prepared to go to the Middle East "at any time."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-sees-genuine-opportunity-for-peace-after-israel-hamas-ceasefire-386388">US President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire as a "genuine opportunity" for peace in a speech from the White House</a>.

"I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I'm committed to working toward it," Biden said.

The Israeli army said Hamas and other Islamist armed groups in Gaza have fired more than 4,300 rockets towards Israel, which have claimed 12 lives, including two children and an Israeli soldier.

Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, as well as fighters, and have wounded another 1,900, according to the Gaza health ministry.

The truce also included Gaza's second-most powerful armed group, Islamic Jihad.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East "in the coming days," the State Department said Thursday after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire halting 11 days of fighting.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to the Middle East "in the coming days," the State Department said Thursday after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire halting 11 days of fighting. Blinken spoke with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi, who "welcomed Secretary Blinken's planned travel to the region," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. The top US diplomat "will meet with Israeli, Palestinian and regional counterparts in the coming days to discuss recovery efforts and working together to build better futures for Israelis and Palestinians," Price said. Also read | Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect after 11-day conflict leaves hundreds dead The announcement came after Blinken spoke twice Thursday with Ashkenazi ahead of implementation of the ceasefire, which was brokered by Egypt and followed mounting international pressure to stem the bloodshed. "Both leaders expressed their appreciation for Egypt's mediation efforts, and the secretary noted that he would continue to remain in close touch with his Egyptian counterpart and other regional stakeholders," Price said. Blinken was headed home Thursday following an Arctic tour overshadowed by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Working from hotel rooms and the airplane in the scramble for a ceasefire, he spoke to leaders on both sides, as well as from Arab nations with influence over Hamas. The secretary "welcomed the (Israeli) foreign minister's confirmation that the parties had agreed to a ceasefire," Price said. Earlier in the day Blinken announced that he was prepared to go to the Middle East "at any time." US President Joe Biden welcomed the ceasefire as a "genuine opportunity" for peace in a speech from the White House. "I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I'm committed to working toward it," Biden said. The Israeli army said Hamas and other Islamist armed groups in Gaza have fired more than 4,300 rockets towards Israel, which have claimed 12 lives, including two children and an Israeli soldier. Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, as well as fighters, and have wounded another 1,900, according to the Gaza health ministry. The truce also included Gaza's second-most powerful armed group, Islamic Jihad.

Blinken to travel to Middle East 'in the coming days'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Arctic Council summit in Iceland’s Reykjavik on Wednesd

Lavrov and Blinken meet in Reykjavik on Arctic Council summit sidelines

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