The US Revoked the sanctions exemption for Chabahar port development on Thursday. The decision comes as the US Aims to isolate Iran, especially over its support for terrorism and regional proxies. 


India To Continue Operating Chabahar Port: U.S. Extends Sanctions Waiver Till April 2026

The United States has announced the admission of Qatar into its visa waiver programme. This will allow Qatari citizens to travel to the U.S. without a visa for up to 90 days. This change will take effect no later than December 1st.

Qatar Becomes First Gulf State In U.S. Visa Waiver Programme

In a fresh hope for the COVID vaccine patent agreement, World Trade Organization has now said that a deal between rich nations and other countries on intellectual property waivers are likely to be formulated in the coming weeks.

WTO: intellectual property waivers for COVID vaccine are likely to be formulated in the coming weeks

After months of debate, WTO members on Wednesday took a first, small step towards a deal aimed at boosting the production of Covid vaccines and treatments through patent waivers or compulsory licensing deals.

After months of debate, WTO members on Wednesday took a first, small step towards a deal aimed at boosting the production of Covid vaccines and treatments through patent waivers or compulsory licensing deals. The World Trade Organization has struggled to move forward on the hotly debated issue, since all decisions at the global trade body must be reached by consensus of all 164 member states. But during a meeting on Wednesday, countries finally backed launching a process towards drafting an agreement, and "agreed on the urgency of this discussion", a Geneva-based trade official said. Views on the matter meanwhile remain far apart, the trade official said, adding that an initial report on progress in the text-based discussions was expected around July 21-22. Since October, the WTO has faced calls led by India and South Africa for the temporary removal of such intellectual property protections, in what proponents argue will boost production in developing countries of vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and other vital medical tools needed to battle Covid-19. This, they have argued, could help address the dire inequity in access to vaccines especially. That notion long met with fierce opposition from pharmaceutical giants and their host countries, which insisted patents were not the main roadblocks to scaling up production and warned the move could hamper innovation. The positions seemed to shift some last month, when Washington came out in support of a global patent waiver for Covid jabs, with other long-time opponents voicing openness to discuss the matter. But others have stuck to their guns. Also Read | We have no time to lose, conclude talks on patent waiver proposal by July-end: India to WTO members Some countries, like Switzerland, prefer a scenario in which pharmaceutical companies enter into voluntary licensing deals, as AstraZeneca has done with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to make its Covid-19 jabs. And the European Commission last Friday presented a counter-proposal to the WTO calling for a multilateral pact aimed at boosting production of Covid-19 vaccines, not by suspending patents but through compulsory licensing deals and by urging countries to remove export restrictions. That text, along with a revised proposal by India and South Africa that is backed by more than 60 countries, will form the basis for the negotiations. Addressing Wednesday's debate, US Charge d'affaires David Bisbee stressed Washington's strong belief in IP protections. "But we must do what is necessary to accelerate manufacturing and equitable distribution of vaccines," he said, insisting that "the WTO must show that it can step up in a global crisis and act efficiently to improve the lives of ordinary people." "We must all come together to find a solution expeditiously, especially as the pandemic continues to spread with new variants." Bisbee said Washington was still examining the revised proposal from India and South Africa, adding though that it appeared to mark a "relatively modest change".

WTO moves forward in Covid vaccine patent waiver talks to boost production

India has suggested to the WTO members to begin text-based negotiations from mid-June on the temporary TRIPs waiver proposal to deal with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19 pandemic</a>, as there is no time to lose and countries should look at concluding the talks by July-end.

The country would also like to enter into line-by-line negotiations on the text and it is open and flexible to engage in all possible formats, whether, in plenary or small group meetings, India said in a statement on TRIPs waiver proposal in the formal TRIPs Council Meeting on June 8-9 in Geneva.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-g7-nato-to-do-list-unite-allies-fight-autocracy-attack-covid-19-389886">Biden G7, NATO to-do list: Unite allies, fight autocracy, attack COVID-19</a>

"We would like negotiations to begin after this formal meeting, i.e., by mid-June...Looking at the severity of the 2nd and 3rd wave hitting different parts of the world, we have no time to lose, we look at concluding these negotiations by the end of July before we go for the summer break," the statement said.

In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the implementation of certain provisions of the TRIPs Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">COVID-19</a>.

In May this year, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia. 
The agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPs came into effect in January 1995. It is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP) rights such as copyright, industrial designs, patents and protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/resisting-patent-waiver-eu-submits-vaccine-plan-to-wto-389616">Resisting patent waiver, EU submits vaccine plan to WTO</a>

"We urge that as we are working on a tight schedule we can engage daily in the similar way as we are engaging to conclude the fisheries negotiations," the statement said, adding any dilly-dallying would only cause more harm especially when "we are in a race against time".

If there are any members who are still in two minds and have concerns about the text, India urged them to come to the table, join the text-based negotiations and work on thrashing out these issues, it noted.

"The proponents have no intention of continuing the waiver for an indefinite period and no intention of denying benefits of IP rights to right holders beyond the waiver period," it said.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-europe-bows-to-big-pharma-blocks-patent-waiver-389544/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The scope of the proposal focuses on the prevention, containment, and treatment of COVID-19, and includes the health products and technologies needed to deal with the pandemic.

The council has agreed with consensus to start text-based negotiations on the proposal, submitted by India, and South Africa.

India has suggested to the WTO members to begin text-based negotiations from mid-June on the temporary TRIPs waiver proposal to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as there is no time to lose and countries should look at concluding the talks by July-end.

India has suggested to the WTO members to begin text-based negotiations from mid-June on the temporary TRIPs waiver proposal to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, as there is no time to lose and countries should look at concluding the talks by July-end. The country would also like to enter into line-by-line negotiations on the text and it is open and flexible to engage in all possible formats, whether, in plenary or small group meetings, India said in a statement on TRIPs waiver proposal in the formal TRIPs Council Meeting on June 8-9 in Geneva. Also read | Biden G7, NATO to-do list: Unite allies, fight autocracy, attack COVID-19 "We would like negotiations to begin after this formal meeting, i.e., by mid-June...Looking at the severity of the 2nd and 3rd wave hitting different parts of the world, we have no time to lose, we look at concluding these negotiations by the end of July before we go for the summer break," the statement said. In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the implementation of certain provisions of the TRIPs Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of COVID-19. In May this year, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia. The agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPs came into effect in January 1995. It is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property (IP) rights such as copyright, industrial designs, patents and protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets. Also read | Resisting patent waiver, EU submits vaccine plan to WTO "We urge that as we are working on a tight schedule we can engage daily in the similar way as we are engaging to conclude the fisheries negotiations," the statement said, adding any dilly-dallying would only cause more harm especially when "we are in a race against time". If there are any members who are still in two minds and have concerns about the text, India urged them to come to the table, join the text-based negotiations and work on thrashing out these issues, it noted. "The proponents have no intention of continuing the waiver for an indefinite period and no intention of denying benefits of IP rights to right holders beyond the waiver period," it said. The scope of the proposal focuses on the prevention, containment, and treatment of COVID-19, and includes the health products and technologies needed to deal with the pandemic. The council has agreed with consensus to start text-based negotiations on the proposal, submitted by India, and South Africa.

We have no time to lose, conclude talks on patent waiver proposal by July-end: India to WTO members

Dozens of countries have revised a proposal at the WTO for patent waivers for medical tools needed to combat Covid, insisting it must be broader than just vaccines, non-governmental organisations said Saturday.

More than 60 countries have presented a revision of their text before the World Trade Organization on ditching intellectual property protections for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> jabs and other medical tools while the pandemic rages, according to the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity and NGO Knowledge Ecology International (KEI).

KEI published what it said was the revised text, which pushed for the waiver to be broad and long-lasting.

The WTO did not immediately verify the authenticity of the document, but a Western diplomat close to the waiver discussions confirmed it was genuine and had been distributed to all WTO members.

That text said the waiver should cover all medical "prevention, treatment and containment" tools needed to battle Covid.

In addition to vaccines, it should include treatments, diagnostics, vaccines, medical devices and protective equipment, along with the material and components needed to produce them, it said.

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>

It also said the waiver should last for "at least three years" from the date it takes effect, following which, the WTO's General Council should determine whether it could be lifted or should be prolonged.

'Frightening increase'

"We are pleased to see the governments sponsoring the COVID-19 intellectual property waiver proposal reaffirm that the waiver aims to remove monopoly barriers for all medical tools ... needed to tackle this pandemic," MSF South Asia chief Leena Manghaney said in a statement.

"With a frightening increase in infections and deaths in developing countries, and with potentially promising treatments in the pipeline, it is crucial that governments have every flexibility at their disposal to beat back this pandemic," she said.

The WTO has since October faced calls led by India and South Africa for the temporary removal of such IP protections, in what proponents argue will boost production in developing countries and address the dramatic inequity in access.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-big-pharma-is-trying-to-block-vaccine-patent-waivers-385902">How big pharma is trying to block vaccine patent waivers</a>

That notion has long met with fierce opposition from pharmaceutical giants and their host countries, which insisted patents were not the main roadblocks to scaling up production and warned the move could hamper innovation.

The positions appeared to shift earlier this month, when Washington came out in support of a global patent waiver for the jabs, with other long-time opponents voicing openness to discuss the matter.

The European Parliament voted narrowly this week to urge Brussels to get behind the proposal.

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>

Observers have however said the ambitions for the waiver appear to differ significantly among the longtime supporters and those now coming around to the idea, who have seemed to focus more narrowly on vaccines.

It remains unclear if countries will be able to see eye to eye, but with the pandemic that has killed over 3.4 million people still far from over, there is intense pressure on them to do so.

With the new revision on the table, MSF called for "governments to immediately move towards text-based negotiations," insisting there was no time to lose.

In light of the WTO's usual glacial pace in decision-making, with agreements requiring consensus backing by all 164 member states, a deal could meanwhile take time.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-backs-talks-on-intellectual-property-waiver-for-covid-19-vaccines-384946/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to MSF, more than 100 countries overall now support the proposal, including China and Russia.

A full 62 countries are now official co-sponsors of the proposal, with Indonesia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Namibia having joined in recent weeks.

Dozens of countries have revised a proposal at the WTO for patent waivers for medical tools needed to combat Covid, insisting it must be broader than just vaccines, non-governmental organisations said Saturday.

Dozens of countries have revised a proposal at the WTO for patent waivers for medical tools needed to combat Covid, insisting it must be broader than just vaccines, non-governmental organisations said Saturday. More than 60 countries have presented a revision of their text before the World Trade Organization on ditching intellectual property protections for COVID-19 jabs and other medical tools while the pandemic rages, according to the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity and NGO Knowledge Ecology International (KEI). KEI published what it said was the revised text, which pushed for the waiver to be broad and long-lasting. The WTO did not immediately verify the authenticity of the document, but a Western diplomat close to the waiver discussions confirmed it was genuine and had been distributed to all WTO members. That text said the waiver should cover all medical "prevention, treatment and containment" tools needed to battle Covid. In addition to vaccines, it should include treatments, diagnostics, vaccines, medical devices and protective equipment, along with the material and components needed to produce them, it said. Also Read | COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver will not be enough to bridge supply gap: WTO It also said the waiver should last for "at least three years" from the date it takes effect, following which, the WTO's General Council should determine whether it could be lifted or should be prolonged. 'Frightening increase' "We are pleased to see the governments sponsoring the COVID-19 intellectual property waiver proposal reaffirm that the waiver aims to remove monopoly barriers for all medical tools ... needed to tackle this pandemic," MSF South Asia chief Leena Manghaney said in a statement. "With a frightening increase in infections and deaths in developing countries, and with potentially promising treatments in the pipeline, it is crucial that governments have every flexibility at their disposal to beat back this pandemic," she said. The WTO has since October faced calls led by India and South Africa for the temporary removal of such IP protections, in what proponents argue will boost production in developing countries and address the dramatic inequity in access. Also Read | How big pharma is trying to block vaccine patent waivers That notion has long met with fierce opposition from pharmaceutical giants and their host countries, which insisted patents were not the main roadblocks to scaling up production and warned the move could hamper innovation. The positions appeared to shift earlier this month, when Washington came out in support of a global patent waiver for the jabs, with other long-time opponents voicing openness to discuss the matter. The European Parliament voted narrowly this week to urge Brussels to get behind the proposal. Also Read | EU Parliament extends support to India, South Africa's Covid vaccine patent waiver Observers have however said the ambitions for the waiver appear to differ significantly among the longtime supporters and those now coming around to the idea, who have seemed to focus more narrowly on vaccines. It remains unclear if countries will be able to see eye to eye, but with the pandemic that has killed over 3.4 million people still far from over, there is intense pressure on them to do so. With the new revision on the table, MSF called for "governments to immediately move towards text-based negotiations," insisting there was no time to lose. In light of the WTO's usual glacial pace in decision-making, with agreements requiring consensus backing by all 164 member states, a deal could meanwhile take time. According to MSF, more than 100 countries overall now support the proposal, including China and Russia. A full 62 countries are now official co-sponsors of the proposal, with Indonesia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Namibia having joined in recent weeks.

Countries urge broader patent waivers than just Covid vaccines

The head of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech said on Monday that there is no need to waive patents on coronavirus vaccines because manufacturers will be able to produce enough shots to supply the world over the coming year.&nbsp;

Ugur Sahin, the chief executive of BioNTech, rejected the US-backed proposal to temporarily lift some intellectual property rights for vaccines in order to boost global supply during the ongoing pandemic.&nbsp;

In a call with investors announcing the company’s first-quarter net profit of 1.13 billion euros ($1.37 billion), Sahin said BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer had already delivered vaccines to more than 90 countries and more than doubled its forecast production capacity for the year.&nbsp;

“We have now scaled the manufacturing capacity up to 3 billion doses in 2021, and more than 40% of these doses are expected to go to middle- and low-income countries,” Sahin said.&nbsp;

Waiving patents would not ease supply shortages in the coming months, he said, citing the complexity of producing the mRNA-based shot his company developed last year.&nbsp;

Sahin said his company is working to further expand its manufacturing network with its own sites, such as one now planned in Singapore, and through cooperation with other manufacturers to ensure greater supply while maintaining the quality of the vaccine. But he also noted that rival manufacturers have their own shots either on the market already or in the pipeline.&nbsp;

“We believe, together with the other vaccine developers, in the next 9 to 12 months, that there will be more than enough vaccine produced and there is absolutely no need for waiving patents,” he said.&nbsp;

BioNTech’s estimated revenues surged to over two billion euros for the period from January to March, compared with just 28 million euros in the same period last year, after it launched the first widely used vaccine against COVID-19 together with Pfizer, which holds the market and distribution rights in much of the world.&nbsp;

The Mainz-based company said its revenues included over 1.75 billion euros in gross profits from vaccine sales in Pfizer’s territories, and almost 200 million from sales to customers in its region. Based on current orders for some 1.8 billion doses, it expects full-year revenues of 12.4 billion euros in 2021.&nbsp;

BioNTech shares rose by more than 7% to $196.60 in early trading on Monday on Nasdaq.&nbsp;

The results are a significant turnaround for the company, which made a net loss of 53 million euros in the first quarter of 2020.&nbsp;

Early last year as the pandemic began, BioNTech pivoted from researching treatments for cancer to developing a vaccine against COVID-19. Like its rival Moderna, the company’s vaccine uses mRNA technology to prime the body’s immune system to attack the virus.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The head of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech said on Monday that there is no need to waive patents on coronavirus vaccines because manufacturers will be able to produce enough shots to supply the world over the coming year.

The head of German pharmaceutical company BioNTech said on Monday that there is no need to waive patents on coronavirus vaccines because manufacturers will be able to produce enough shots to supply the world over the coming year. Ugur Sahin, the chief executive of BioNTech, rejected the US-backed proposal to temporarily lift some intellectual property rights for vaccines in order to boost global supply during the ongoing pandemic. In a call with investors announcing the company’s first-quarter net profit of 1.13 billion euros ($1.37 billion), Sahin said BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer had already delivered vaccines to more than 90 countries and more than doubled its forecast production capacity for the year. “We have now scaled the manufacturing capacity up to 3 billion doses in 2021, and more than 40% of these doses are expected to go to middle- and low-income countries,” Sahin said. Waiving patents would not ease supply shortages in the coming months, he said, citing the complexity of producing the mRNA-based shot his company developed last year. Sahin said his company is working to further expand its manufacturing network with its own sites, such as one now planned in Singapore, and through cooperation with other manufacturers to ensure greater supply while maintaining the quality of the vaccine. But he also noted that rival manufacturers have their own shots either on the market already or in the pipeline. “We believe, together with the other vaccine developers, in the next 9 to 12 months, that there will be more than enough vaccine produced and there is absolutely no need for waiving patents,” he said. BioNTech’s estimated revenues surged to over two billion euros for the period from January to March, compared with just 28 million euros in the same period last year, after it launched the first widely used vaccine against COVID-19 together with Pfizer, which holds the market and distribution rights in much of the world. The Mainz-based company said its revenues included over 1.75 billion euros in gross profits from vaccine sales in Pfizer’s territories, and almost 200 million from sales to customers in its region. Based on current orders for some 1.8 billion doses, it expects full-year revenues of 12.4 billion euros in 2021. BioNTech shares rose by more than 7% to $196.60 in early trading on Monday on Nasdaq. The results are a significant turnaround for the company, which made a net loss of 53 million euros in the first quarter of 2020. Early last year as the pandemic began, BioNTech pivoted from researching treatments for cancer to developing a vaccine against COVID-19. Like its rival Moderna, the company’s vaccine uses mRNA technology to prime the body’s immune system to attack the virus. (With inputs from agencies)

Vaccine maker BioNTech says no need to waive patents 

The European Commission called on Friday on the United States and other major COVID-19 vaccine producers to export what they make as the European Union does, rather than talk about waiving intellectual property rights to the shots.&nbsp;

Commission head Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference on the sidelines of a summit of EU leaders that discussions on the waiver would not produce a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the short- to medium-term.&nbsp;

"We should be open to lead this discussion. But when we lead this discussion, there needs to be a 360-degree view on it because we need vaccines now for the whole world," she said.&nbsp;

"The European Union is the only continental or democratic region of this world that is exporting at large scale," von der Leyen said.&nbsp;

She said about 50% of European-produced coronavirus vaccine is exported to almost 90 countries, including those in the World Health Organization-backed COVAX programme.&nbsp;

"And we invite all those, who engage in the debate of a waiver for IP rights also to join us to commit to be willing to export a large share of what is being produced in that region," she said.&nbsp;

Only higher production, removing exports barriers and the sharing of already-ordered vaccines could immediately help fight the pandemic quickly, she said.&nbsp;

"So, what is necessary in the short term and the medium term: First of all, vaccine sharing. Secondly export of vaccines that are being produced. And the third is investment in the increasing of the capacity to manufacture vaccines."&nbsp;

Von der Leyen said the European Union had started its vaccine sharing mechanism, citing delivery of 615,000 doses to the Western Balkans as an example.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The European Commission called on Friday on the United States and other major COVID-19 vaccine producers to export what they make as the European Union does, rather than talk about waiving intellectual property rights to the shots.

The European Commission called on Friday on the United States and other major COVID-19 vaccine producers to export what they make as the European Union does, rather than talk about waiving intellectual property rights to the shots. Commission head Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference on the sidelines of a summit of EU leaders that discussions on the waiver would not produce a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the short- to medium-term. "We should be open to lead this discussion. But when we lead this discussion, there needs to be a 360-degree view on it because we need vaccines now for the whole world," she said. "The European Union is the only continental or democratic region of this world that is exporting at large scale," von der Leyen said. She said about 50% of European-produced coronavirus vaccine is exported to almost 90 countries, including those in the World Health Organization-backed COVAX programme. "And we invite all those, who engage in the debate of a waiver for IP rights also to join us to commit to be willing to export a large share of what is being produced in that region," she said. Only higher production, removing exports barriers and the sharing of already-ordered vaccines could immediately help fight the pandemic quickly, she said. "So, what is necessary in the short term and the medium term: First of all, vaccine sharing. Secondly export of vaccines that are being produced. And the third is investment in the increasing of the capacity to manufacture vaccines." Von der Leyen said the European Union had started its vaccine sharing mechanism, citing delivery of 615,000 doses to the Western Balkans as an example. (With inputs from agencies)

EU calls on US, others to export vaccines, rather than talk about IP waiver

US government led by President Joe Biden is mulling over options it has to decide whether to support waiver of intellectual property protections on Covid vaccines. A group of progressive Democrats met Biden and urged him to support the waiver.

In case the waiver is granted by World Trade Organisation with support from US and other countries, the rules regarding production and export of Covid vaccines and other medical goods to fight the pandemic would be eased. This may have potential to help make Covid vaccines available to all.

The waiver includes patents, copyrights and trade secrets.

The proposal for the waiver has support of India, South Africa and more than 50 other countries. Under former President Donald Trump, the US had opposed the waiver.&nbsp;

The waiver was also opposed by the European Union, UK, Japan, Switzerland, Brazil and Norway. However, it is being seen that if the US supports the waiver, opposition from the other camps would not be as fierce.

There is a growing clamour for the support of the waiver. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has urged all the countries to support the waiver&nbsp;

"In this COVID-19 pandemic, we are once again faced with issues of scarcity, which can be addressed through diversification of manufacturing and supply capacity and ensuring the temporary waiver of relevant intellectual property,” said Dr Maria Guevara, MSF’s International Medical Secretary.

“We urge all countries in opposition to this, including the US and the EU, to stand on the right side of history and join hands with those in support. It is about saving lives at the end, not protecting systems.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

US government led by President Joe Biden is mulling over options it has to decide whether to support waiver of intellectual property protections on Covid vaccines.

US government led by President Joe Biden is mulling over options it has to decide whether to support waiver of intellectual property protections on Covid vaccines. A group of progressive Democrats met Biden and urged him to support the waiver. In case the waiver is granted by World Trade Organisation with support from US and other countries, the rules regarding production and export of Covid vaccines and other medical goods to fight the pandemic would be eased. This may have potential to help make Covid vaccines available to all. The waiver includes patents, copyrights and trade secrets. The proposal for the waiver has support of India, South Africa and more than 50 other countries. Under former President Donald Trump, the US had opposed the waiver. The waiver was also opposed by the European Union, UK, Japan, Switzerland, Brazil and Norway. However, it is being seen that if the US supports the waiver, opposition from the other camps would not be as fierce. There is a growing clamour for the support of the waiver. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has urged all the countries to support the waiver "In this COVID-19 pandemic, we are once again faced with issues of scarcity, which can be addressed through diversification of manufacturing and supply capacity and ensuring the temporary waiver of relevant intellectual property,” said Dr Maria Guevara, MSF’s International Medical Secretary. “We urge all countries in opposition to this, including the US and the EU, to stand on the right side of history and join hands with those in support. It is about saving lives at the end, not protecting systems.” (With inputs from agencies)

US mulls over options on Covid vaccine patent waiver

Farmers across the country said Friday that they had begun a 10-day nationwide strike. The farmers said they would not sell their produce in cities.&nbsp

In Punjab and Maharashtra, farmers were seen dumping vegetables, fruit, and milk on the streets.&nbsp

News reports said farmers in seven states &nbsp— Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala — had joined the strike

Shivkumar Sharma, convenor of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, which is spearheading the strike in MP, however told PTI that farmers from 22 states had joined their protest.&nbsp

"The farmers' bodies have named the agitation as 'Gaon Bandh' (village blockade). The cultivators have been asked not to come to the markets in urban areas to sell their farm produce, including milk," PTI quoted Sharma as saying.&nbsp

Sharma added that on the last day of the protest — June 10 — the farmers' bodies will orgainse a "Bharat Bandh".&nbsp

The farmers are demanding a waiver of their loans, the right price&nbspfor their produce, and the implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.&nbsp

The farmers' protest is expected to soon hit essential supplies in cities.&nbsp

The farmers are demanding a waiver of their loans, the right price for their produce, and the implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission

Farmers across the country said Friday that they had begun a 10-day nationwide strike. The farmers said they would not sell their produce in cities. In Punjab and Maharashtra, farmers were seen dumping vegetables, fruit, and milk on the streets. News reports said farmers in seven states — Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala — had joined the strike Shivkumar Sharma, convenor of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, which is spearheading the strike in MP, however told PTI that farmers from 22 states had joined their protest. "The farmers' bodies have named the agitation as 'Gaon Bandh' (village blockade). The cultivators have been asked not to come to the markets in urban areas to sell their farm produce, including milk," PTI quoted Sharma as saying. Sharma added that on the last day of the protest — June 10 — the farmers' bodies will orgainse a "Bharat Bandh". The farmers are demanding a waiver of their loans, the right price&nbspfor their produce, and the implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. The farmers' protest is expected to soon hit essential supplies in cities.

Farmers begin 10-day nationwide strike, say will not sell produce in cities

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