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Times of Oman
an hour ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
"Our relationship, connect, and empathy truly special": EAM Jaishankar hails India-Africa ties
New Delhi: Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the relationship, connect and empathy between India and Africa is "truly special." He expressed India's commitment to development of Africa by keeping India's market open, sharing experiences with the digital revolution to support Africa's development, improving delivery of public services, spreading education and digital literacy in Africa, strengthening African agriculture and working with African nations to keep the oceans open and free for the benefit of all nations. In his address at the Africa Day 2025 celebrations in Delhi on Wednesday, Jaishankar also recalled the COVID-19 pandemic and mentioned that the vaccine apartheid was accentuated by travel restrictions. Jaishankar said, "Our relationship, our connect, our empathy is truly special. Many of you would be aware of the deeply held view in this country that our independence would not be complete until Africa secured hers. Today that logic extends to development, to prosperity, and to progress as well. When we speak of food, health, and energy security, it is not just a concern about our national prospects. It is equally about the challenges that Africa faces and the solutions that could emerge from international partnerships. "The COVID experience was deeply scarring for all of us. But most of all for Africa. The vaccine apartheid was accentuated by travel restrictions and followed by financial decisions which hurt the continent very deeply. Assessing the dismal state of progress on realising SDGs, the picture is most difficult when it comes to Africa. So, these are indeed difficult times and challenging circumstances, but all the more reason for India and Africa to stand together firm and fast," he added. Speaking about the Global South, Jaishankar said, "I'm sometimes asked the question about the Global South, of which we, India and Africa, are two key segments. My reply has always been that those who raise queries about the Global South will never understand it, and those who get it will never raise questions." He affirmed India's support and partnership for Africa. He noted the transformations that were underway in Africa as it emerges as the continent of the future. He expressed confidence that the nations of Africa will overcome every obstacle and realise its destiny. He recalled how African Union became a member of G20 during India's presidency. Jaishankar said, "Let me underline that today is an occasion for us to express our solidarity, our friendship, our partnership with Africa, India has always been and will always be with Africa. Having said that, I must also fully recognise the profound transformations underway, economic, social, and political as Africa steadily emerges as the continent of the future. We have the fullest confidence that the nations of Africa will overcome every obstacle and realise their destiny." "As they do so, it is imperative that along with their freedom, they are also given their due and rightful place in international platforms. In keeping with its long-standing espousal of the African cause, it was natural that India, in its G20 presidency pushed for the African Union's full membership of the G20. The same spirit guides our approach to the reform of the United Nations, especially the Security Council. We believe that Africa should be represented in line with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Declaration," he added. Expressing India's commitment to overall development of Africa, he said, "India is committed to the overall development of Africa by keeping our markets open, sharing our experiences with the digital revolution to support Africa's development, improving delivery of public services, spreading education and digital literacy in Africa, strengthening African agriculture and working with African nations to keep the oceans open and free for the benefit of all nations." "Demonstrating our commitment to Africa, we have expanded our diplomatic footprint in recent years with the opening of 17 new diplomatic missions, bringing the total number of Indian missions in the continent to 46. In the line, in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is a family, India has placed development cooperation and capacity-building programmes at the core of its partnership," he added. Jaishankar noted that India has been at the forefront in offering training to African candidates under its flagship ITEC programme. He mentioned that more than 37,000 Africans have been trained in India under the ITEC/ICCR scholarships in the last 10 years. He said, "In the spirit of 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam' (The World is a family), India has placed development cooperation and capacity-building programmes at the core of its partnership. India has also been at the forefront in offering training to African candidates under its flagship ITEC programme. Over 37,000 Africans have been trained in India under the ITEC/ICCR scholarships in the last 10 years. The Indian Institute of Technology in Zanzibar (Tanzania), the National Forensic Science University in Uganda, the Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Rwanda, and various Centres of Information Technology in several countries testify to our commitment to advancing education in African countries." Expressing India's commitment to advancing Africa Development Framework Agenda 2063, Jaishankar said, "We also affirm our commitment in advancing Africa Development Framework Agenda 2063 aimed to provide a better, secure, and sustainable future for the people of Africa. Our engagement has been guided by the 10 principles enunciated by Prime Minister Modi, which reaffirm that Africa's goals and agenda are India's priority. Unlike extractive models of engagement, India believes in an inclusive, demand-driven development cooperation by way of building local capacity and creating local opportunities, ensuring that African countries not only benefit from investments but also develop self-sustaining growth ecosystems." He expressed India's commitment to developing Africa's connectivity and infrastructure. He said that India has extended over USD 700 million grant assistance to African nations, include cancer therapy machines like 'Bhabhatron', medical equipment and medicines including during the COVID through our 'Vaccine Maitri' program. He said, "India also remains steadfast in its commitment to develop Africa's connectivity and infrastructure. Spread over 200 projects across the continent in areas spanning railways, power generation and agriculture, as well as water supply, our initiatives aim to develop self-sustaining growth in Africa." "In the last decade, we have extended more than USD 700mn grant assistance to African countries which include cancer therapy machines like 'Bhabhatron', medical equipment and medicines including during the COVID through our 'Vaccine Maitri' program, Ambulances and indigenously made low-cost artificial limbs called 'Jaipur Foot', and which have actually benefitted more than 13,000 patients in 21 African countries as well as food grains to combat drought like situations," he added.
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
FBI examining COVID-19 origin 'cover-up' amid new strain emergence: Bongino
Print Close By Jasmine Baehr Published May 28, 2025 FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stated Wednesday evening that the bureau is examining issues related to the origin of COVID-19, though he did not confirm the existence of a formal investigation into a cover-up. Bongino made the remarks in a post on X amid growing media attention on a newly identified COVID-19 strain. "As we read and process reports of a new COVID strain emerging, I want you to know that we are actively investigating, in multiple field offices, the cover-up of the origin of the COVID virus, along with associated matters requiring our attention," Bongino wrote. "The American people deserve answers." FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR BONGINO: ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS AND CHILD PREDATORS ARE NEXT IN ONGOING CRACKDOWN He did not identify specific individuals or entities under scrutiny. The FBI has not issued an official news release on the matter, and the scope of the review remains unclear. The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Bongino's comment represents one of the most direct public statements by a senior FBI official regarding the agency's continued interest in the pandemic's origin and the surrounding circumstances. In 2023, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said the agency assessed with moderate confidence that COVID-19 most likely originated from a lab incident in Wuhan, China. Chinese authorities have consistently denied such claims, calling them politically motivated and unsubstantiated. FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR DAN BONGINO: JAMES COMEY 'BROUGHT SHAME TO THE FBI AGAIN' WITH '86 47' POST Bongino's post follows the detection of a new COVID-19 variant, provisionally identified by researchers as NB.1.8.1, which has appeared in several U.S. states. Federal health authorities have not designated it as a variant of concern. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has continued its inquiry into whether early public health messaging downplayed the lab leak theory for diplomatic or political reasons. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a former White House health advisor, has repeatedly denied any effort to conceal information, calling those allegations "entirely false." DOJ INVESTIGATING ANDREW CUOMO FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING ABOUT COVID DECISIONS, SOURCE CONFIRMS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Bongino has increasingly used social media to communicate bureau updates directly to the public. A former NYPD officer and Secret Service agent, Bongino was appointed deputy director earlier this year by FBI Director Kash Patel. Print Close URL
Washington Post
4 hours ago
- Health
- Washington Post
HHS cancels funding for Moderna to develop vaccines to combat bird flu
The Department of Health and Human Services is pulling millions of dollars it had committed to give Moderna to aid the effort to develop a vaccine to combat the bird flu, the company announced Wednesday. Under President Joe Biden, HHS had announced its intent last summer to award $176 million and then a subsequent $590 million in January to Moderna amid an outbreak of bird flu in dairy cattle. The virus has infected 70 people since last year, and federal health officials had previously described the effort as critical to strengthening the country's pandemic preparedness. The company was developing vaccines using messenger RNA — the same technology used in the most commonly administered coronavirus vaccines hailed as a major medical achievement during the first Trump administration. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been critical of mRNA vaccines, and this week announced the coronavirus shots would no longer be recommended for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. The termination reflects ongoing tensions between Kennedy and medical experts who say the vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective. On Wednesday, Moderna announced it had received positive interim data about immune response and safety from an early stage clinical trial of roughly 300 healthy adults aged 18 years and older. The move by HHS throws the future of the effort into uncertainty, and the company said it will explore alternatives for late-stage development and manufacturing of the vaccine. 'These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats,' Stéphane Bancel, Moderna's CEO, said in a statement touting the interim data on the bird flu vaccine. In a statement, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the decision was made after a 'rigorous review.' 'This is not simply about efficacy — it's about safety, integrity, and trust,' Nixon said. 'The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested, and we are not going to spend taxpayer dollars repeating the mistakes of the last administration, which concealed legitimate safety concerns from the public.' Since the H5N1 outbreak began in dairy cattle in spring 2024, more than 1,000 herds have been infected in 17 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The virus, widespread in wild birds, has caused outbreaks in poultry farms and also spilled over into dozens of other animals, including cats. At least 70 people, mostly farm workers, have been infected but most had mild illness and recovered. A Louisiana man older than 65 with underlying medical conditions became the first person to die of bird flu in January after exposure to backyard poultry flocks. But no human cases have been reported in recent months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CBC
4 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
'Most embarrassing moment of my life': Calgary lawyers who had Manitoba judge followed fight disbarment
Social Sharing The two Calgary lawyers who hired a private investigator in 2021 to follow a Manitoba judge who'd been presiding over their court challenge of COVID-19 public health restrictions should be disbarred for their dishonourable professional conduct, argued a prosecutor for the Law Society of Alberta on Wednesday. The law society hearing is underway this week to determine what sanctions will be imposed against John Carpay and Jay Cameron, lawyers who work for the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. Carpay is the organization's president. Cameron was working in private practice and was retained by the justice centre. While law society lawyer Karl Seidenz asked the panel to impose the "maximum sanction" of disbarment, lawyers for the two men are fighting to keep them employed in their chosen profession, arguing the pair have already faced significant consequences. 'Professional disgrace' Cameron's lawyer, Alex Steigerwald, told the court that his client's reputation is "irreversibly tarnished" and said he had "experienced professional disgrace." "The consequences of his actions have already been severe," argued Steigerwald, telling the panel that Cameron is the sole breadwinner for his family and hasn't been able to practise law since 2022. Steigerwald asked the law society to impose a suspension that would run concurrently with the three-year Canada-wide practising prohibition, issued by a Manitoba judge, which is set to expire in October 2026. Carpay's lawyer, Alain Hepner, also asked the law society panel to impose a suspension. "This is a case of an error in judgment for which he's apologized," said Hepner. The panel reserved its decision. Carpay testifies As part of the misconduct hearing, Carpay was called to testify. Carpay called the decision to hire a PI "the worst error in judgment I've ever made in my legal career." In the spring and summer of 2021, the justice centre was involved in a court case challenging COVID-19 restrictions, presided over by Manitoba Justice Glenn Joyal. On June 1, 2021, photos were released of then-Alberta premier Jason Kenney dining with several of his top ministers on the patio of a government building nicknamed Sky Palace. Although restrictions had been recently relaxed, there were questions about whether the politicians were properly distanced and/or having indoor encounters as well. A week later, Cameron, the lead litigator in the court challenge to the constitutionality of public health orders, emailed Carpay, suggesting the justice centre hire a PI in hopes of catching Joyal and others breaching government-imposed restrictions. "We know most of these jokers aren't following their own laws," wrote Cameron. 'Most embarrassing moment of my life' Carpay went ahead and hired an investigator, instructing him to follow Joyal, Manitoba's chief medical officer of health and the premier. On July 12, 2021, Justice Joyal called the parties into court after he noticed he was being followed. The judge also learned that the private investigator had, days earlier, sent a teenage boy to knock on his door. The boy spoke with the judge's daughter but when she asked who he was, he "got nervous" and ran to a waiting car. When confronted in court that day, Carpay admitted to the judge that he'd hired a PI. "Monday, July 12, 2021, is probably the most embarrassing moment of my life," Cameron said while being questioned by Hepner. 'I've paid a very heavy price' Carpay testified that he's apologized numerous times, to numerous people, including a letter written to Justice Joyal. The decision to have the judge followed was a "grave error in judgment," he said. "I've paid a very heavy price for this." Carpay and Cameron were ultimately arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and intimidation of a justice system participant. In 2023, the pair entered into a peace bond, the conditions of which include a three-year ban on practising law in Canada. In exchange, their criminal charges were withdrawn. In that case, the judge who accepted the peace bond called the men's actions "unprofessional, unethical and dishonourable," and said their behaviour was "nothing short of an affront on the administration of justice." Carpay 'traumatized' by arrest While Carpay says he's remorseful, he stood by his denouncement of the criminal prosecution, calling it "utterly baseless" and "politically motivated." After his arrest, Carpay spent nearly a full day in custody. "I was quite traumatized by the whole experience of being locked up for 23 hours," he told the panel. The men also faced Law Society of Manitoba citations. As part of those proceedings, both men were banned for life from practising law in that province. And they agreed to each pay a $5,000 fine. On top of that, Carpay said he has had to fork out "tens of thousands of dollars in legal bills." Lawyers deleted evidence In 2023, Carpay tendered his resignation from the Law Society of Alberta. In arguing for disbarment, the lawyer for the law society pointed out Cameron and Carpay's post-offence conduct, which involved deleting evidence. After he appeared before Joyal in July 2021, Carpay instructed Cameron and the PI to delete all communications and to refrain from speaking to police. During questioning on Wednesday, Carpay said he didn't recall that instruction. "You don't recall advising the person in charge of the litigation to delete evidence?" questioned Seidenz.
CTV News
6 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
COVID vaccine ‘strongly recommended' during pregnancy, Canadian doctors say
A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus, Dec. 17, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Rogelio V. Solis TORONTO — Canada's gynecologists say COVID-19 vaccination is 'strongly recommended' during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada issued the statement Wednesday, a day after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared the shot no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women south of the border. The Canadian group says pregnant women who become infected with COVID-19 are more likely to be hospitalized and require intensive care than women who are not pregnant. They also say getting vaccinated helps protect against serious complications associated with the virus, such as preterm birth. Citing 'an age of growing misinformation and disinformation,' the statement urges women and health-care providers to rely on 'evidence-based science and clinical expertise' to make vaccine decisions. Kennedy has long been a prominent anti-vaccine activist in the United States. — With files from The Associated Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
