Their immigrant dream ended when eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, and her uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, were violently kidnapped from their trucking business in Merced on Monday and found murdered on Wednesday.
The family said in an online fundraiser on gofundme.com: "As immigrants to America, they worked tirelessly for 18 years to achieve safety, security, and community for themselves and their families."
The Merced County Sheriff's Office verified on Friday that the fundraiser was indeed the family's and the only one authorised by them after it had issued an alert about the possibility of unauthorised appeals.
The family's gofundme page said that they all lived under one roof with Randhir Singh and Kirpal Kaur, who were the parents of Amandeep Singh, and Jasdeep Singh, and the wife of Amandeep Singh, Jaspreet Kaur and their children, six-year-old Ekam and nine-year-old Seerat.
The two brothers were "the primary bread earners for the family (and) supported their elderly parents", the appeal said.
As of 8.45 p.m. in California on Friday, the appeal had received $102,238 from 1,070 people.
The appeal has a goal of $250,000 to support the education of Ekam and Seerat and "provide financial relief" to Jaspreet Kaur and the elderly parents.
The gofundme page gave a picture of a tight-knit, happy family now shattered by the tragedy.
The family said on the gofundme page that Amandeep Singh "routinely donated food to the local food bank and found comfort in his faith, never missing Sunday service in the temple".
Jasdeep Singh and Jasleen Kaur married three years ago in India and were re-united two years ago in the US after her immigration came through.
"They were barely starting to make memories together as a family with their baby," the family said.
"Aroohi loved to run around the house in her walker and was a joyous child" much loved by her grandparents and cousins, they added.
Randhir Singh and Kirpal Kaur were "overjoyed" by the birth of their granddaughter and "recently travelled to India to plan a Lohri celebrating Aroohi's arrival in the family", they said.
Jesus Manuel Salgado, a former convict who had worked for the family's trucking business, has been arrested formally and charged with four murders and kidnappings, according to the Sheriff's Office.
His brother, Alberto Salgado, was arrested on Thursday evening "for criminal conspiracy, accessory, and destroying evidence", the Office added.
However, the same braking system has now put the Italian car maker in troubled waters as it is forced to recall almost 23,555 cars for the same. The number is said to constitute almost every car sold in North America since 2005.
According to Fox Business, Ferrari is recalling the vehicles due to leaky brake fluid, which could lead to possible brake failure. While it may seem that this will be a lot of vehicles, the company estimated that just one percent of the recalled cars are actually affected by the flaw.
The affected cars have reportedly been fitted with a potentially faulty brake fluid reservoir cap, which may not vent pressure adequately. This could lead to a vacuum in the reservoir causing the brake fluid to leak, in turn, leading to a total brake failure once the reservoir runs dry. The fix though is said to be simple - a new brake fluid reservoir cap and a software update, which sends out a message on the gauge cluster warning drivers if the brake fluids run extremely low, reported Team BHP.
The Italian carmaker also suggested that if the cars flash a low brake fluid warning, the driver should pull up immediately and call up the Ferrari Road Side Assistance to have their car towed to the nearest authorised service centre. Ferrari plans to send out notifications to owners of affected cars on or before September 24, 2022.
From the list of cars potentially affected, older models include the 612 Scaglietti and the F430. Other models such as the F12 TDF, LaFerrari, F60 America, California & the 458 are also affected.
The company did not mention any problems with the cars sold in India though.
He said there was no reason to continue in a war that was no longer in the service of the vital national interest of the American people.
I give you my word: With all of my heart, I believe this is the right decision, a wise decision, and the best decision for America, Biden said in his address to the nation from the White House on Tuesday.
We've been a nation too long at war. If you're 20 years old today, you have never known an America at peace. So, when I hear that we could've, should've continued the so-called low-grade effort in Afghanistan, at low risk to our service members, at low cost, I don't think enough people understand how much we have asked of the 1 percent of this country who put that uniform on, who are willing to put their lives on the line in defense of our nation, he said.
Telling his fellow Americans that the war in Afghanistan is now over, Biden said he is the fourth President who has faced the issue of whether and when to end this war.
When I was running for President, I made a commitment to the American people that I would end this war. And today, I've honored that commitment. It was time to be honest with the American people again. We no longer had a clear purpose in an open-ended mission in Afghanistan, he said.
After 20 years of war in Afghanistan, I refused to send another generation of America's sons and daughters to fight a war that should have ended long ago, Biden added.
After more than USD 2 trillion spent in Afghanistan -- a cost that researchers at Brown University estimated would be over USD 300 million a day for 20 years in Afghanistan -- for two decades, he said.
If you take the number of USD 1 trillion, as many say, that's still USD 150 million a day for two decades. And what have we lost as a consequence in terms of opportunities? I refused to continue in a war that was no longer in the service of the vital national interest of our people, he added.
As Commander-in-Chief, I firmly believe the best path to guard our safety and our security lies in a tough, unforgiving, targeted, precise strategy that goes after terror where it is today, not where it was two decades ago. That's what's in our national interest, the President said.
Biden said that the world is changing and the US is confronted with new challenges.
We're engaged in a serious competition with China. We're dealing with the challenges on multiple fronts with Russia. We're confronted with cyberattacks and nuclear proliferation, he said.
We have to shore up America's competitive[ness] to meet these new challenges in the competition for the 21st century. And we can do both: fight terrorism and take on new threats that are here now and will continue to be here in the future, he added.
Biden said, There's nothing China or Russia would rather have, would want more in this competition than the United States to be bogged down another decade in Afghanistan. As we turn the page on the foreign policy that has guided our nation the last two decades, we've got to learn from our mistakes.
He said the terror threat has spread across the world, well beyond Afghanistan.
We face threats from al-Shabaab in Somalia; al Qaeda affiliates in Syria and the Arabian Peninsula; and ISIS attempting to create a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, and establishing affiliates across Africa and Asia, he added.
The fundamental obligation of a President, in my opinion, is to defend and protect America -- not against threats of 2001, but against the threats of 2021 and tomorrow. That is the guiding principle behind my decisions about Afghanistan. I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars a year in Afghanistan, Biden said.
But I also know that the threat from terrorism continues in its pernicious and evil nature. But it's changed, expanded to other countries. Our strategy has to change too, he added.
The United States, he said, will maintain the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and other countries.
We just don't need to fight a ground war to do it. We have what's called over-the-horizon capabilities, which means we can strike terrorists and targets without American boots on the ground -- or very few, if needed, he said.
We've shown that capacity just in the last week. We struck ISIS-K remotely, days after they murdered 13 of our servicemembers and dozens of innocent Afghans. And to ISIS-K: We are not done with you yet, Biden said.
As reported in NPR (National Public Radio- an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization), Panigrahi had been heading a research on the subject for the last 20 years to find out the probiotic bacteria, common in kimchi, pickles and other fermented vegetables, that could be a life saving solution to this medical problem in newborns.
An alumnus of BJB College, Bhubaneswar and MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, Panigrahi is currently working as a pediatrician at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health.
Sepsis, a top killer of newborns affects 600,000 babies worldwide every year.
Quoting the Odia doctor, the NPR reported, once a baby is affected, all of a sudden it stops being active - crying and breastfeeding. The growth of the sepsis germs is so fast, by the time the baby is brought to the hospital, he or she dies. "In hospitals in India, you see so many babies dying of sepsis, it breaks your heart," Panigrahi said.
"Methodically, we screened more than 280 strains in preliminary animal and human studies," Panigrahi adds.
In the end, the team of doctors found a strain of Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from the diaper of a healthy Indian baby and decided to move forward with a large-scale study comprising thousands of babies in rural India. To their astonishment, the bacteria worked well beyond imagination, the report cited.
The finding further stated that babies who ate the microbes for a week — along with some sugars to feed the microbes — had a dramatic reduction in risk of death and sepsis. They dropped by 40 percent, from 9 percent to 5.4 percent.
But that's not all. The probiotic also warded off several other types of infections, including those in the lungs. Respiratory infections dropped by about 30 percent.
Also Read: Odia man’s journey from Jagatsinghpur to Kenyan Parliament
The treatment worked so well that the safety board for trial stopped the study early. "We were planning to enroll 8,000 babies, but stopped at just over 4,000 infants," Panigrahi further stated to NPR.
Panigrahi estimates a course of the probiotic costs about $1 per baby. "It can be manufactured in a very simple setting which makes it cheaper," Panigrahi said.
The Odisha Culture Centre (OCC) organized the event, where Houston-based Consul General from India Anupam Roy attended as chief guest and laid the foundation stone for a proposed Jagannath temple. The temple would be constructed in a 10 acre land at Fuqua Street, Houston.
Later, various cultural events were organised on the occasion. A large number of Non-Resident Odias joined the programme.
Akshaya Tritiya, considered as one of the most auspicious days for Hindus and Jains all over the world, falls on the third Tithi (lunar day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Vaisakh. Construction work of chariots for Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath begins on the day.
Sources said the MLA, the first Bonda a master degree holder, will attend the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) to be held in the USA in May this year.
The US Consulate General has invited Sisa to attend the prestigious event, which attracts around 5,000 international visitors every year.
The MLA is scheduled to stay in the USA from May 9 to 28, sources added.
Expressing happiness over the invitation, the MLA said, “It is a great moment for us as getting an invitation to go America is indeed a big thing for Bonda tribe. It comes just after a Bonda couple had met prime minister in Delhi on the occasion of Republic Day. I am grateful and humbled that I got a call from the USA to go there and attend a programme there.”
“We are extremely happy as our elder brother is going to America,” said a visibly happy Sania Kirsani.
Bonda couple - Samari Sisa (46) and Dhabalu Sisa (41) – were invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.
Sisa, a postgraduate in Mathematics, was doing a constable’s job in the CRPF before becoming the first member from the Bonda community to be elected as an MLA.
Bonda tribe, identified as one of the 13 PVTGs in Odisha, are found only in Odisha’s Malkangiri district. teh literacy rate among the Bondas is just 8 per cent.
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country first-hand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts.
Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.
Each year, nearly 5,000 International Visitors come to the U.S. on the IVLP. More than 200,000 International Visitors have engaged with Americans through the IVLP, including more than 335 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government.
Butte County Sheriff and Coroner Kory Honea said on Friday evening that the number of people missing due to Northern California's Camp Fire, deemed as the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state's history, was 1,011, CNN reported.
Of the 74 victims, 71 were killed in Northern California while the three others died in the Woolsey Fire in Southern California.
As of Friday, the Camp Fire has destroyed about 9,700 homes and scorched 146,000 acres.
President Donald Trump is expected to visit the region on Saturday. Governor Jerry Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom plan to accompany him.
Meanwhile, the Woolsey Fire in Southern California has destroyed 548 structures in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, said Cal Fire, the state's forestry and fire protection agency.
More than 98,000 acres have been burned since the blaze began the same day as Camp Fire on November 8, while over 3,300 firefighters were making progress against the massive wildfire, which was 67 per cent contained as of Friday.
More than 230,000 acres burned in California in the past week -- larger than the cities of Chicago and Boston combined.
In 30 days, firefighters have battled more than 500 blazes, Cal Fire said.
According to a CNN report, at the annual "Def Con hacker convention" here over the weekend, state and local election officials who attended the conference saw what hackers can do to voting machines.
"One hacker was essentially able to turn a voting machine into a jukebox, making it play music and display animations," said the report.
"While such hacks are a cause of concern for election officials, they are increasingly looking beyond the threats against traditional election infrastructure like voting machines and voting databases and more to the threat of disinformation," it added.
At the event, nearly 40 child hackers were able to tamper with vote tallies on the mock versions of election board websites, some even changing candidates names to things like "Bob Da Builder" and "Richard Nixon's Head".
"There's always been a concern about the integrity of our elections and there's always been a concern about misinformation, disinformation being disseminated around campaigns," Alex Padilla, California's Secretary of State, was quoted as saying.
This time, the "voting machine hacking village" at the conference featured a new set of voting machines which will be used in the 2018 mid-term elections.
An intense debate is going on in India over the security of EVMs.
As many as 17 parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, have approached the Election Commission for restoring the paper ballot system in view of their apprehensions over the integrity of the EVMs and the possibility of their manipulation.
The highest lung cancer mortality rates in 2030 are projected in Europe and Oceania, while the lowest lung cancer mortality rates in 2030 are projected in America and Asia, according to the study published in the journal Cancer Research.
"While we have made great strides in reducing breast cancer mortality globally, lung cancer mortality rates among women are on the rise worldwide," said study author Jose Martinez-Sanchez, Associate Professor at Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona) in Spain.
"If we do not implement measures to reduce smoking behaviours in this population, lung cancer mortality will continue to increase throughout the world," Martinez-Sanchez added.
In this study, the researchers analysed breast and female lung cancer mortality data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Mortality Database.
Lung and breast cancer mortality rates in women were then calculated for each country, the study said.
The researchers found that compared to middle-income countries, high-income countries have the highest projected mortality rates for both lung and breast cancer in 2030.
However, these high-income countries are more likely to have decreasing breast cancer mortality rates, the study said.
In a statement published by North Korean state news agency KCNA, Pyongyang said it warned several times that it will counteract any threat to its national security.
"We have already warned several times that we will take counter-actions for self-defence including firing a salvo of missiles into waters near the US territory of Guam," the statement said, quoting Kim Kwang Hak, researcher at the North Korean Institute for American Studies, who added that the US has resorted to military actions in sensitive regions.
"The US military action hardens our determination that the US should be tamed with fire," the statement added.
It also accused President Donald Trump's administration of repeatedly trying to incite North Korea with provocations such as dispatching B-1B bombers, nuclear submarines and carriers in waters around the Korean peninsula.
The US-South Korea joint drills, set to begin on October 16, comes at a time of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula, owing to heated exchanges between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Trump.
It is a "regular, joint and combined exercise to counter North Korea's maritime threats and sharpen the interoperability of South Korea and the US", said Vice Admiral Jung Jin-seop, commander of the South Korean Navy's operation, Yonhap news agency reported.
Experts said Pyongyang might shortly launch a new intercontinental ballistic missile, either to coincide with the National Congress of the Communist Party of China which begins on October 18 or with Trump's visit to the region between November 2 and 14.
The bomb was developed under a special request of the IRGC, the corps' Aerospace Force commander, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said in an interview on Friday to Press TV.
"Following a proposal by the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), (Iran's) Defence Industries (Organisation) manufactured a 10-ton bomb. These bombs are at our disposal," Press TV cited the commander as saying.
"They can be launched from Ilyushin aircraft and they are highly destructive," he added, without providing any further details on the capabilities of the ordnance.
The commander called the device the "father of all bombs", comparing it to the US GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), commonly known as the "mother of all bombs". Since the American device weighs 9.8 tons and yields 11 tons in TNT equivalent, the IRGC commander presumably referred to the weight of the new Iranian ordnance rather than its destructive potential.
The MOAB was developed in 2003 and first used in combat this April, when the US dropped the device in Afghanistan on a mountain tunnel complex used by the Islamic State terrorists.
The new Iranian ordnance, however, might trigger a bomb paternity dispute, as Russia already possesses a non-nuclear ordnance known as the "daddy".
The Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power, known as the 'father of all bombs' (FOAB), was successfully tested by Russia in 2007, with impressive results for a non-nuclear device - a 44-ton yield when detonated. The bomb explodes midair, vaporizing its targets, collapsing structures, and leaving a moon-like scorched landscape.
"@CGHoust has informed me that 200 Indian students at University of Houston are marooned. They are surrounded by neck deep water," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
"We made efforts for delivery of food but US Coast Guard did not allow as boats were required for rescue operations," she said.
Stating that Indian Consul General in Houston Anupam Ray was organising the rescue operations, Sushma Swaraj said in a separate tweet: "Indian students Shalini and Nikhil Bhatia are in ICU. We are ensuring that their relatives reach there at the earliest."
According to a media report, at least two people have been killed as the Houston area continues to be inundated by torrential rain and catastrophic flooding from Harvey, which officials called an "unprecedented" weather event that has left thousands of homes flooded, stranding people and overwhelming rescue workers.
The circus gave the final performance titled "The Greatest Show on Earth" to a sold-out crowd at Nassau Coliseum on Sunday night, showing off its death-defying stunts and exotic animals for the last time after 146 years, NBC News reported.
"Let's go home and show everyone we are forever more the Greatest Show on Earth," Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson said to close out the show, leading to a standing ovation.
Iverson then led the audience through a one last rendition of "Auld Lang Syne", a tradition at the end of circuses, as performers sang along and hugged one another.
"It has been the honour of my life to be the voice of these tremendous artists," Iverson said.
Feld Entertainment, the circus' parent company, announced in January that the show would be coming to an end, citing changing public tastes and declining ticket sales after the company retired its elephants in May 2016 following a decades-long battle with animal rights groups, reports NBC News.
Ringling Bros was the last American circus that travelled by rail.
Until Sunday, the company's train was the primary residence for most of the performers, who hail from 13 different countries.
The WTO on Tuesday said that's how much money Mexico has lost from the US unfairly penalising Mexican tuna, CNN reported.
Mexico and the US have fought for years over tuna.
The US insists that any Mexican tuna sold in the US must be "dolphin safe", meaning dolphins were not killed by tuna fisherman, which was once common.
Mexico says its fisherman play by the rules. The US government disagrees.
Now the trade body has slammed the US, ruling in Mexico's favour.
The timing, however coincidental, is sensitive. President Donald Trump wants to renegotiate Nafta, the free trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada.
Trump's administration took its first steps to crack down on trade with Canada on Monday night when the Commerce Department announced a 20 per cent tariff against Canadian softwood lumber.
A war of words between Canadian and American leaders has followed.
Trump's decision to go after Canada first with tariffs was particularly surprising given his harsh criticism of Mexico on the campaign trail. Now Trump has upset Canada and suffered a trade defeat from Mexico, CNN said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a "very good" and "friendly" meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit on Friday, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said.
"JAI (Japan, America, India) trilateral marks the coming together of three friendly nations. Today's historic JAI meeting was a great beginning. PM @AbeShinzo, @POTUS and I held fruitful talks aimed at furthering connectivity, maritime cooperation and a stable Indo-Pacific," Modi tweeted after the meeting.
Asserting that India will "continue to work together on shared values," he said, "When you look at the acronym of our three countries -- Japan, America, and India -- it is 'JAI', which stands for success in Hindi."
The prime minister said the 'JAI' meeting was a convergence of vision between the three nations.
"This is a very good occasion for the three countries -- countries which have shared values, democratic values...We will continue to play a big role together for world peace, prosperity and stability," he said.
Modi underscored India's firm commitment to make the Indo Pacific a region for shared economic growth and common prosperity.
The prime minister articulated five action points that would serve the common interest of promoting peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
He assured all countries of the inclusiveness and openness of this framework and highlighted the importance of working jointly in areas such as connectivity, sustainable development, disaster relief, maritime security and unfettered mobility.
Modi also underlined the importance of building consensus on an architecture in the Indo-Pacific region based on principles of mutual benefit and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Foreign Secretary Gokhale later told reporters that the three leaders exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific.
"They all agreed that a free, open, inclusive and rules based order is essential for the region's peace and prosperity," Gokhale said.
He said Prime Minister Modi offered some ideas on how to take forward the concept of the Indo-Pacific, how the three countries can work together to promote this concept.
"Prime Minister in particular felt that it is necessary for the three countries to reach out to all the stakeholders to explain the benefit of the Indo-Pacific strategy and their advantages to these countries," the Indian diplomat said.
The Japanese premier said he was happy to participate in "the first ever 'JAI' meeting" and hope that it would reinforce the trilateral partnership and its close cooperation "towards realising a free and open Indo-Pacific".
"By having three of us working together, we'll bring more prosperity and more stability in the region, as well as globally," Abe said.
Appreciating India's growth story during the meet, Trump said, "The relationships between our three countries is extremely good and extremely strong...with India, maybe stronger than ever...We are doing very well together. We are doing a lot of trade together. We are doing a lot of defence together, a lot of military purchases."
The leaders emphasised the importance of cooperation among the three countries on all major issue of global and multilateral interests such as connectivity, sustainable development, counterterrorism and maritime and cyber security.
The trilateral meeting took place at a time when China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and with Japan in the East China Sea. Both the areas are said to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the waterway, which includes vital sea lanes through which about USD 3 trillion in global trade passes each year.
The US has been conducting regular patrols in the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation in the area where Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region.
Prime Minister Modi, in his keynote address at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore in June expounded India's stand on the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
"India does not see the Indo-Pacific Region as a strategy or as a club of limited members. Nor as a grouping that seeks to dominate. And by no means do we consider it as directed against any country. A geographical definition, as such, cannot be," he had said.
Modi, Trump and Abe also agreed to cooperate in various ways and together with other countries.
The leaders agreed on the central role of ASEAN and they also agreed to work on maritime and connectivity issues and to synergize efforts in this regard, Gokhale said.
All three leaders felt that such meetings are useful and they should continue in the margins of the subsequent G20 meetings, he said, adding that the outcome of this first trilateral has been "very encouraging."
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the trilateral summit "reaffirmed the importance of the free and open Indo-Pacific vision for global stability and prosperity, and pledged to deepen trilateral cooperation." PTI SCY/ZH ZH
Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal -- which has seen it subjected to several sets of UN Security Council sanctions and threatened with military action by the Trump administration -- will top the agenda.
Bringing the Korean War to a formal end 65 years after hostilities ceased will also be on the table at the first-ever summit between a North Korean leader and a sitting president of its "imperialist enemy".
Kim arrived in Singapore on board an Air China 747 that according to flight tracking website Flightradar24 took off from Pyongyang in the morning ostensibly bound for Beijing, then changed its flight number midair and headed south.
The city-state's foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan tweeted a picture of himself shaking hands with Kim at Changi Airport, and the North Korean leader was driven into the centre in a stretch Mercedes-Benz limousine, accompanied by a convoy of more than 20 vehicles.
Kim was due to meet Singaporean President Lee Hsien Loong later on Sunday, the city-state's foreign ministry said, while Trump was flying from Canada on board Air Force One after leaving the G7 summit early.
Authorities imposed tight security around the summit venue and related luxury hotels -- including installing extra pot plants outside Kim's expected accommodation to obstruct reporters' views.
Tuesday's Singapore meeting is the climax of the astonishing flurry of diplomacy on and around the Korean peninsula this year, but critics charge that it risks being largely a triumph of style over substance.
Washington is demanding the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation (CVID) of the North, while Pyongyang has so far only made public pledges of its commitment to the denuclearisation of the peninsula -- a term open to wide interpretation -- while seeking security guarantees.
Former US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage expected little progress on the key issue of defining denuclearisation.
"The success will be in the shutter clicks of the cameras," he said. "They both get what they want." Trump insisted last week that the summit would "not be just a photo op", saying it would help forge a "good relationship" that would lead to a "process" towards the "ultimate making of a deal".
But as he embarked for Singapore he changed his tune, calling it a "one-time shot" and adding he will know "within the first minute" whether an agreement will be possible.
"If I think it won't happen, I'm not going to waste my time," he said. He has also dangled the prospect of Kim Jong Un visiting Washington if the meeting goes well.
But even the merit of the event itself -- long sought by the North, and which Trump apparently impulsively agreed to in March, reportedly without consulting his advisers -- has been called into question.
"People call it a historic summit but... it is important to understand that this summit was available to any US president who wanted to do it and the point is no US president wanted to do this, and for good reasons," said Christopher Hill, a former lead US nuclear negotiator with North Korea.
The two countries have been at loggerheads for decades.
The North invaded the South in 1950 and the ensuing war saw US-led UN troops backing Seoul fight their way to a stalemate against Pyongyang's forces which were aided by Russia and China, before the conflict ended in stalemate and an armistice which sealed the division of the peninsula.
Sporadic provocations by the North have continued while Pyongyang has made increasing advances in its nuclear arsenal, which it says it needs to defend against the risk of a US invasion.
Last year it carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date and launched missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, sending tensions soaring to a level unseen in years as a newly-elected Trump traded threats of war and colourful personal insults with Kim, with Trump dubbed a "dotard" and Kim "Little Rocket Man".
But the South's Winter Olympics in February catalysed a flurry of diplomatic moves as Seoul's dovish leader Moon Jae-in sought to bring the two sides together. Kim has met twice with both Moon and Xi Jinping, the president of China, long the North's most important ally.
Pyongyang has taken some steps to show sincerity, returning US detainees and blowing up its nuclear test site.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week that progress was being made in bringing the two sides together in their understanding of denuclearisation.
But Trump -- for whom a major accomplishment would bolster his position ahead of midterm elections in November -- baffled observers when he said he did not think he had to prepare "very much" for the summit.
"It's about attitude," Trump said. "So this isn't a question of preparation."
Image source: sky news
Washington: US President Donald Trump today announced that he will meet North Korea leader Kim Jong-un on June 12 in Singapore for the historic meeting to discuss the denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula.
"The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong Un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th. We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!," Trump tweeted.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/994587349718847489
His early morning tweet came hours after three American nationals of South Korean-origin returned home after North Korea released them.
Source: abc news
Trump also called for unity, asserting that in moments of tragedy and horror, America has always stood united.
"Last night, a gunman opened fire in a large crowd at a country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. He brutally murdered more than 50 people and wounded hundreds more. It was an act of pure evil," Trump said in his address to the nation from the White House.
As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless act of violence, Trump issued a proclamation ordering that the US flag be flown at half-staff at the White House and other federal buildings.
Trump said he would be travelling to Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with law enforcement, first responders and the families of the victims. Trump will travel to Puerto Rico tomorrow.
"Hundreds of our fellow citizens are now mourning the sudden loss of a loved one: a parent, a child, a brother or sister. We cannot fathom their pain. We cannot imagine their loss," Trump said.
"To the families of the victims, we are praying for you, and we are here for you, and we ask God to help see you through this very dark period," he said while consoling his countrymen.
At least 50 people were shot dead and another more than 400 injured when a gunman went on a shooting rampage during a music festival in the casino city of Las Vegas, making it the deadliest mass shooting in the United States.
"Scripture teaches us the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. We seek comfort in those words, for we know that God lives in the hearts of those who grieve.
"To the wounded who are now recovering in hospitals, we are praying for your full and speedy recovery, and pledge to you our support from this day forward," Trump said.
The FBI has joined the investigations.
The gunman identified as Steven Paddock, 64, was a local Las Vegas resident, was killed in a 32nd floor of a hotel room. The police have also located an Asian female identified as Marilou Danley, 41, who has been described as roommate of the shooter.
The police said they received first reports of active shooting from a Mandalay Bay Hotel towards a musical concert taking place across the road.
The gunman was shooting from the 32nd floor of the hotel.
He was shot dead later during an exchange of fire with the police.
"We call upon the bonds that unite us: our faith, our family and our shared values; we call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community, and the comfort of our common humanity," he said.
"Our unity cannot be shattered by evil. Our bonds cannot be broken by violence. And though we feel such great anger at the senseless murder of our fellow citizens, it is our love that defines us today, and always will, forever," he said.
Trump said he and the First Lady Melania were praying for every American who has been hurt, wounded or has lost the loved ones in the "terrible" attack.
"We pray for the entire nation to find unity and peace.
And we pray for the day when evil is banished, and the innocent are safe from hatred and from fear," he said.
"My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting," Trump had tweeted earlier.
"Sikh Community and its issues are always close to my heart and I always admire the contribution of Sikhs in Indiana and across the US," he told a Sikh delegation in Indianapolis.
During the meeting with the Sikhs Political Action Committee (SikhsPAC) led by Gurinder Singh Khalsa, Pence said that he was fully aware of Sikh awareness issues since his days as Governor, a SikhsPAC media release said.
Main topic of discussion with the delegation was Sikh awareness and introduction of Sikh History in public history curriculum through federal department of education.
The 58-year-old leader also admired the efforts of SikhsPAC for encouraging Sikh Community for its participation in the main stream politics, the statement said.
During the meeting, Pence reaffirmed his commitment to the Sikh community and encouraged it to continue to give back in the form of serving in the military and public offices at local, state and federal levels, it said.
Early this week, Khalsa visited Washington DC and met about two dozen US Senator and Congressmen.
He also attended US Global Leadership Collision where about 500 world faith leaders, veterans and elected leaders participated to influence the American foreign aid policies.
Pence was the first siting Governor who attended Sikh Parade and bestowed highest Civil award to a Sikh in 2015.
The US state of Indiana has passed a resolution recognising Sikhs' "significant contributions" to America.
Hate-crime incidents against Sikhs have seen a spurt in in America recently.
"Islamabad has failed to curb militants and terrorists in Pakistan," Daniel Coats, Director of National Intelligence told members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during a Congressional hearing on Worldwide threats.
"These groups will present a sustained threat to the United States's interest in the region and continue to plan and conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan," Coats said.
Pakistan, he rued, is expanding its nuclear arsenal in pursuing tactical nuclear weapons, potentially lowering the threshold for their use.
In South Asia, the intelligence community assesses that the political and security situation in Afghanistan will almost certainly deteriorate through 2018 even with a modest increase in military assistance by the United States and its partners, he told the lawmakers.
"This deterioration is undermined by its dire economic situation. Afghanistan will struggle to curb its dependence on external support until it contains the insurgency or reaches a peace agreement with the Taliban," he said.
"Meanwhile, we assess that Taliban is likely to continue to make gains especially in rural areas. Afghan Security Forces performance will probably worsen due to a combination of Taliban operations, combat casualties, desertion, poor logistic support and weak leadership," Coats said.
"Pakistan is concerned about international isolation and sees its position of India's rising international status including India's expanded foreign outreach and deepening ties to the United States.
"Pakistan will likely turn to China to offset its isolation, empowering a relationship that will help Beijing to project influence into the Indian Ocean," Coats testified before the committee.
Harsh Patel, who most recently lived in New Jersey, is the third Indian national to have pleaded guilty to this scam that targeted hundreds of Americans.
Till date, Patel, over 50 other individuals and five India-based call centres have been charged for their roles in the fraud and money laundering scheme in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury last year in October.
He pleaded guilty before US District Court Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 7, 2017.
According to admissions made in connection with the plea, Patel and his co-conspirators perpetrated a complex scheme in which individuals from call centres located in Ahmedabad impersonated officials from the Internal Revenue Service or US Citizenship and Immigration Services in a ruse designed to defraud victims located throughout the United States, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
Using information obtained from data brokers and other sources, the call centre operators targeted US victims who were threatened with arrest, imprisonment, fines or deportation if they did not pay alleged monies owed to the government.
Victims who agreed to pay the scammers were instructed how to provide payment, including by purchasing stored value cards or wiring money, and upon payment, the call centres would immediately turn to a network of "runners" based in the US to liquidate and launder the fraudulently-obtained funds.
Since January, 2015, Patel worked as a "runner" operating primarily in New Jersey, California and Illinois.
Patel is the third Indian national to have pleaded guilty in the call centre scam.
Bharat Kumar Patel, 43, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the fraud and money laundering scheme.
Ashvinbhai Chaudhari, 28, also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in liquidating and laundering victim payments generated through various telephone fraud and money laundering schemes via India-based call centres.
Jindal, who joined his rivals in an interview with PBS, gave three reasons for his opposition.
First, Iran will be allowed to hold onto "thousands of centrifuges," which Jindal said will allow the country to maintain uranium enrichment capacity.
Second, Iranian leaders aren't going to be required to sever ties with militant anti-Israel groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, he said.
Third, inspectors won't be allowed free rein to inspect nuclear sites, even though Jindal said President Barack Obama "said we will get anywhere, anytime inspections."
"I worry under this president's deal we could end up with a nuclear arms race in the Middle East," Jindal said.
Jindal hoped that Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary "Clinton, who's been the architect of this president's foreign policy will come out and oppose this deal and say it is time for America to stand with Israel."
"There is still time for America to come out and say we will not allow Iran to become a nuclear power."
Jindal went on to say that if he is elected president, he would impose tougher sanctions on Iran.
Asked about his insistence on people to stop using "hyphenated" terms such as Indian-Americans, Jindal returned to familiar rhetoric about how he thinks immigrants should embrace US values and learn English.
"The great thing about America is, we're a wonderful melting pot," he said. "Folks can be proud of their heritage. But I think the hyphenations, the divisions are keeping us apart," he said.
"I think it's common sense to say, if you want to come here, you should want to be an American. Otherwise, why are you coming here?
"We can still embrace our Italian heritage or our old country heritages, but we should be Americans. Stop the hyphenated Americans," Jindal said.
Meanwhile, according to a report in the Washington Examiner, Jindal raised nearly $579,000 in his first week as a presidential candidate, but has another $8.6 million in his corner thanks to supportive outside groups.
Believe Again, the super PAC supporting Jindal's presidential bid, raised $3.7 million since launching in January. An additional almost $4 million was raised by America Next, a nonprofit backing Jindal, with another $1 million flowing to American Future Project.
Jindal, 44, is lagging in the polls, registering at 1.4 percent nationally among Republican primary voters, according to the RealClearPolitics average, placing him far out of contention to qualify for the first televised debate, set for Aug 6 in Cleveland.
They were among the 40 high school seniors, 13 of them of Indian origin, who were in Washington for the finals of the contest to find the most promising young US innovators creating the technologies and solutions that will make people's lives better.
The finalists took home awards totalling more than $1 million with Noah Golowich, Andrew Jin and Michael Hofmann Winer each receiving first-place awards of $150,000 in the competition run by Society for Science and the Public.
In addition to the top awards, three second-place winners received awards of $75,000 and three third-place winners received awards of $35,000.
Indian-American Saranesh (Saran) Thanika Prembabu, 17, of San Ramon, California, won the Second Place Medal of Distinction for Innovation.
Saran studied how varying the layers of lead titanate and strontium ruthenate in nanocrystal superlattices can affect their electrical and magnetic properties, which could be harnessed for a variety of electrical and computing applications.
Shashwat Kishore, 18, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, won the Third Place Medal of Distinction for Basic Research.
Kishore's math project focused on representing abstract algebras using matrices. His work developed a new relationship between these matrices and topology.
Anvita Gupta, 17, of Scottsdale, Arizona, also won the Third Place Medal of Distinction for Global Good.
Gupta used machine learning to "teach" a computer to identify potential drugs for cancer, tuberculosis and Ebola. Preclinical trials are already underway in China on the tuberculosis drugs that she identified.
"A solid foundation in science, technology, engineering and math creates the critical talent corporations and startups need to drive their business and contribute to economic development," said Renee James, president of Intel Corporation.
"These students serve as shining examples of the incredible work being accomplished in STEM fields by young people, and we are proud to recognize and reward these stellar young researchers," said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science and the Public and alumna of the Science Talent Search.
The US made its intention to be back in the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on Monday during at the agency's executive council meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, reports Efe news.
Emma Doyle, the White House Principal Deputy Chief of Staff, led the US delegation at the 110th session of the executive council of the global body that promotes responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism across its member states.
"The US will now begin negotiations with the UNWTO and its member states to seek terms to rejoin that are advantageous to the US and will maximize benefits to the American tourism sector," the Department said in a statement.
It said that President Donald Trump's administration believes that the UNWTO "offers great potential to fuel growth in that sector, create new jobs for Americans, and highlight the unmatched range and quality of US tourist destinations".
In its statement posted on its website, the UN agency said it welcomed the presence of the US at the meeting in Baku as "recognition of tourism's growing relevance to global economic growth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as an endorsement of UNWTO's leadership".
The UNWTO said the US was currently "one of the world's biggest tourism markets, both as a destination and as a source of international tourists".
According to the agency, the US received over 60 million tourists in 2018 while the tourism sector grew by 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 as compared to the same period last year.
A three-judge panel of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco allowed the US government to enforce a controversial rule to ban Title X recipients from performing abortion as a method of family planning, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Trump administration unveiled in February this year its final rule imposing sweeping changes to the national family planning programme, known as Title X, but the policy, which critics also called "gag rule," has been challenged by more than 20 states and several civil rights groups in lawsuits field in the states of California, Oregon and Washington.
The gag rule blocks federally-funded providers of healthcare services from offering patients advices on where to perform abortions, which also requires clinics to separate their property from facilities that conduct abortion operations.
The judges of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said in Thursday's decision that the Trump government's rule is a "reasonable interpretation" of the family planning program of Title X because of the support from the general public.
They agreed that the federal government may succeed in seeing its final rule upheld to ensure taxpayers' dollars were not used to fund or subsidize abortions.
Trump's government is appealing the case brought by opponents in local district courts in California and many other states, which aimed to block the gag rule from taking effect.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is an outspoken critic of the gag rule, filed in March 2019 a motion to ask the federal court to block restrictions imposed by the controversial gag rule.
In response to Thursday's federal ruling, Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that supports women's abortion rights, called the decision of the federal court of appeals "devastating".
"This is a devastating blow to the 4 million patients who obtain birth control, cancer screenings, and other essential care through Title X," it tweeted.
"We will not stand for this attack on patients nor will we ever let the government censor our doctors and nurses from informing patients where & how they can access health care. We're doing everything to undo this egregious attack on our health care," said the non-profit rights advocacy group.
The decision in this regard comes after a recent Indian request to buy equipment for C-17 follow-on support, to include spares and repair parts, support equipment, and personnel training and training equipment among others.
"India needs this follow-on support to maintain its operational readiness and ability to provide Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HA/DR) assistance in the region," the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
India will have no difficulty in absorbing this support into its armed forces, it added.
The proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the mobility capabilities of a major defensive partner. This partnership continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions, the statement said.
Asserting that the proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region, the Pentagon agency said the implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of one US government representative and 23 contractor representatives to India.
By Lalit K Jha
The tweet from 24-year-old musician Bri Hall, who uses the stage name "La Hara", boosted the business of Roaming Rooster as people started lining up to get a taste of the fried chicken sandwich. Roaming Rooster has made a mark for the use of grain-fed antibiotic free chicken.
"While Popeyes is cool and all if you live in the DMV area you should check out Roaming Rooster in DC. It's Black owned, and the founder Mike is Ethiopian born. He grew the family business from a food truck and has always been kind," Hall said in the tweet.
Michael Habtemariam, one of the restaurant's owners, promised Hall that she would never have to pay again.
"Mike called us tonight completely speechless and said, "thank you from the bottom of my heart." Y'all really are amazing for making this tweet blow up," Hall said in a tweet on August 31.
"We made it! Big hello from Mike, his brother, and whole family! We stopped in for an hour to catch up and of course get some dinner," Hall announced in a tweet on September 1.
Many of her followers agreed that the restaurant serves awesome food.
"Good look to anybody that mentioned Roaming Rooster on here... best damn chicken sandwich I ever had...," said one user.
"We will tell you that probably it was going to be the embassy in Baghdad," Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Friday when asked about what had been specifically targeted by Iran.
"I can reveal that I believe it would have been four embassies," Trump added, Xinhua news agency reported.
Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, was killed last Friday in US drone strikes near Baghdad airport.
The killing of Soleimani drew scepticism from some US experts and Democratic lawmakers, who argued that Trump's decision was "provocative and disproportionate," and might trigger an uncontrolled conflict between the United States and Iran.
(IANS)
Abbas, who met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here, criticised American interference in the affairs of the Middle East countries.
He said his nation did not believe and had no confidence in American policies.
"Where there is US, there is trouble. Who has invited America to Middle East countries," he asked.
Abbas said that all American policies have failed in the Middle East.
"The US could not stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea. They could not do any form of development in Ukraine or the Middle East. The Americans follow the Israeli policy in the Middle East and have failed miserably," said Abbas.
In response to US-Iran tension, he said Iran has now become a superpower and can defeat the Americans.
https://youtu.be/LdgvuuGUayc
(IANS)
However, the move will not have any impact on those entering the country on a temporary basis, Trump said on Tuesday.
Many have interpreted that those on non-immigrant work visas like H-1B issued mainly to foreign technology professionals will not be impacted. Seasonal immigrant workers for agricultural purposes too will not be impacted.
In any case, the executive order to be signed by Trump on Wednesday will impact a large number of tens and thousands of Indian Americans, who are waiting to get a green card. This is expected to further delay the process.
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"We must first take care of the American worker... This pause will be in effect for 60 days, after which need for any extension or modification will be evaluated by myself and a group of people based on economic conditions at the time," Trump told reporters at his daily White House news conference on coronavirus.
This order will only apply to individuals seeking a permanent residency, in other words, those receiving green cards, big factor, will not apply to those entering on a temporary basis, he asserted.
Without elaborating, he said that there will be exemptions.
Some people will be able to get in. We have to do that, obviously, even from a humane standpoint, he said.
We have a solemn duty to ensure these unemployed Americans regain their jobs and their livelihoods. Therefore, in order to protect American workers, I will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigration into the United States."
"You heard about that last night. By pausing immigration, we'll help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens, he said.
It would be wrong and unjust for Americans laid off by the virus to be replaced with new immigrant labour flown in from abroad, he asserted.
Trump said, moving forward, his administration will examine what additional immigration-related measures should be put in place to protect US workers.
We want to protect our US workers, and I think as we move forward, we will become more and more protective of them, he said indicating that more such measures are being prepared.
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 22 million American workers have applied for unemployment benefits, which is a record in itself.
In the coming weeks, several more millions are expected to be laid off as the US economy is in tatters.
Trump said that this pause on new immigration will also help to conserve vital medical resources for American citizens.
A short break from new immigration, depending on the time we're talking about, will protect the solvency of our healthcare system and provide relief to jobless Americans, he said.
Read More: Trump pledges to support oil, gas industries amid oil futures crash
Responding to questions, Trump explained that he has to take this unprecedented measure because of the massive impact that coronavirus is having on the US economy.
The last thing we want to do is take American workers' jobs. It's one thing when we were essential--they used to call it full employment and it's another thing right now, he said.
Right now, we have people that have lost their jobs and we hope they're going to come back and come back fast and then we can have an even deeper discussion. But right now, we have to have jobs for Americans, he asserted.
According to a recent report by Congressional Research Service, currently, there are almost 1 million lawfully present foreign workers and their family members waiting to receive a green card.
This employment-based backlog is projected to double by the financial year 2030.
Under current law, and owing to a limited number of green card issuances, the current backlog of 568,414 Indian nationals would require an estimated 195 years to disappear, CRS said.
As per the existing law, the US can issue a maximum of 1,40,000 employment-based Green Cards every year with a per-country cap of seven percent.
Accordingly, in fiscal year 2019, Indian nationals received 9,008 category 1 (EB1), 2,908 category 2 (EB2), and 5,083 category 3 (EB3) green cards. EB1-3 are different categories of employment-based Green Cards.
(PTI)
We continue to pray for the victims as well as for those Americans who are grieving their lost ones and their loved ones. There's never been anything like this. We suffer from one heart but we will prevail. We are coming back, and we're coming back strong, US President Donald Trump said at the White House during his remarks on the Paycheck Protection Program.
The US on Tuesday became the first country in the world to have more than one million cases of coronavirus. It accounts for nearly one-third of the 3.1 million cases globally.
With nearly 59,000 deaths, the US also accounts for one-fourth of the over 213,000 global fatalities.
"Now that our experts believe the worst days of the pandemic are behind us, Americans are looking forward to the safe and rapid reopening of our country, Trump said.
Throughout this ordeal, millions of hard-working Americans have been asked to really make tremendous, tremendous sacrifices. It is sacrifices like nobody thought would even be possible; nobody thought we would ever be talking about something like this, he said.
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom outlined the phased reopening of his state.
"We are not going back to the way things were until we get to immunity or a vaccine. We will base reopening plans on facts and data, not on ideology. Not what we want. Not what we hope," he told reporters.
More than 1,800 people have died due to coronavirus in California so far. Schools and colleges, he said, could start in July-August.
California and Washington were among the first two states to impose stay-at-home order. Now more than 95 per cent of the country's 330 million population are under stay-at-home order.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also announced the first phase reopening of the state.
Tennessee on Monday allowed reopening of restaurants and later this week retail outlets could resume their businesses.
Pennsylvania has announced three-phase reopening of the state beginning May 3.
States like South Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio, have announced phased reopening of their economies. The state of Utah Tuesday announced relax restrictions and offered a mask to its residents.
In New York, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, non-essential businesses are ordered to stay closed till May 15. New York along with other states including New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island and Massachusetts have announced to coordinate reopening.
Responding to questions, Trump said the US has done more testing that any other country in the world. "We're doing more testing than any other country in the world by far So, we're going to show more cases because we're doing much, much more testing, double than anybody else, he said.
Trump said he relied on experts, who apparently went wrong on this.
We were listening to experts and we always will listen to experts. But, the experts got it wrong. A lot of people got it wrong. And, a lot of people had no idea it would be this serious, he said.
I listened to experts. I'll tell you what. I did something that the experts thought I shouldn't have done. I closed down our country and our borders. I did a ban on China from coming in, other than US citizens, and we did very strong checks on even our US citizens, he asserted. The United States, he said, is opening up again.
I think it's going to be very, very successful. I think that third quarter, it's obviously a transition quarter, but I think it's going to be okay, maybe better than okay. Then I think fourth-quarter will the great and I think next year is going to be a tremendous year for this country, Trump said.
(PTI)
A US government statement said the initial tranche of funding will seek to further strengthen and support the Central government's efforts to increase laboratory capacity for SARS-COV-2 testing, including molecular diagnostics and serology.
The funds will also support the development of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) centers that can improve the ability of hospital networks to detect Covid-19 cases and strengthen local health systems through enhanced surveillance and monitoring systems.
The CDC will work with local partners to assist in the development of a strong public health workforce to support India's capacity to respond not only to this pandemic but also to future threats as well, the statement said.
It will also include planning for health emergency operation centres. In addition, the statement said, the CDC India programme will provide technical assistance for the ongoing crisis emergency and risk communication efforts of the government.
Since early January, the CDC's India office has been collaborating with various government institutes to support the Covid-19 response in India.
According to the statement, the US government agencies, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, and the Department of Health and Human Services, have provided more than $1.4 billion in health assistance and nearly $2.8 billion in total assistance to India over the last 20 years.
(IANS)
The shot wouldn't be broadly available to most of the US population until the summer or fall of 2021, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr. Robert Redfield told the Congress on Wednesday.
At this time, public polling is showing that less than 50 per cent of all Americans are willing to get a shot even when the vaccine is widely available.
Any version available this year would be in "very limited supply", Redfield said, while appealing to Americans to mask up because "they really work".
"The goal of the US government is to have enough COVID-19 vaccine for all people in the United States who wish to be vaccinated," read the first page of the report from the CDC.
In an optimistic scenario, US health agencies are hoping for a vaccination campaign to begin in January 2021 or even as early as December 2020 and reach population scale by next summer. The Pentagon would be involved in vaccine distribution while civilian health workers will be pushing needles into bare arms.
The CDC assesses that for most vaccines, people will need two doses about 21 to 28 days apart. These double-dose vaccines will have to come from the same drugmaker.
CDC's existing centralised distributor contract with McKesson, which distributed the H1N1 vaccine in 2009–2010, includes an option for the distribution of vaccines during a pandemic. The McKesson contract can cover rapid distribution of doses of refrigerated (2–8 degrees Celsius) and frozen (-20 degrees Celsius) vaccines.
(IANS)
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"By the end of January, enough vaccine for all of our seniors as well as our health care workers and first responders," Xinhua news agency quoted Azar as saying in a CBS News interview on Thursday.
"By the end of March and early April - enough for all Americans," he added.
Azar said the HHS will have enough vaccines authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to vaccinate "most vulnerable people" by the end of the year.
Moncef Slaoui, scientific head of Operation Warp Speed, a White House program designed to shorten the amount of time it takes to develop a coronavirus vaccine, had said on Wednesday that all Americans could be immunized with a Covid-19 vaccine by June 2021.
He said the pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer are likely to be the first with vaccine candidates to apply for FDA emergency use authorization, possibly as soon as November or December.
If a vaccine is authorized before the end of the year, Slaoui said approximately 20 to 40 million doses of it will be stockpiled and ready for distribution for a limited population.
Azar's remarks come as some parts of the US were witnessing a resurgence in the number of fresh coronavirus cases.
Currently the worst-hit country in the world, the US has so far reported a total of 8,404,743 cases and 223,000 deaths.
(IANS)
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"Right now we are extremely concerned by the surge in cases we're seeing in some countries. Particularly in Europe and the Americas, health workers and health systems are being pushed to the breaking point," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing.
He warned that "those countries that are letting the virus run unchecked are playing with fire," as there will be "further needless deaths and suffering," "a significant number of people experiencing long-term effects of the virus," and health workers in particular facing "extreme mental health pressure and cases severely burdening health systems in too many countries."
According to the latest WHO statistics, as of 2:59 p.m. CET (Central European Time) on Monday, the organization's regional offices in Europe and the Americas had respectively recorded 15,266,390 and 23,190,772 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 344,459 and 679,201 deaths, the Xinhua news agency reported.
The two regions combined have recorded more than 70 per cent of the overall confirmed cases and over 77 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths worldwide. Many countries in the two regions have reported record daily spikes in infection in the past few weeks.
"There is no excuse for inaction. My message is very clear: act fast, act now, act decisively," urged Tedros.
He added that the WHO and its partners are working with governments and health leaders to ensure cover for health workers who are sick, enough beds for Covid-19 patients and for essential health services to continue safely, and enough masks, gloves and other protective equipment.
"A laissez-faire attitude to the virus, not using the full range of tools available, leads to death, suffering and hurts livelihoods and economies," he warned, and asked governments to put restrictions in place so that "there is once again a narrow window of time to strengthen key systems."
(With IANS Inputs)