US Strikes Iran IRGC Targets as Conflict Escalates 
Greenland Says US Talks Remain Ongoing 
Iran War Civilian Toll Rises After U.S. Strikes Hit Wedding 
Nicaragua Congress Backs Reform Banning Opposition Parties 
Honduras Court Drops Charges Against Ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez 
Trump Reviews U.S. Position on Falkland Islands 
U.S., New Zealand Fund $60M Cook Islands Port Upgrade 
China Warns Over Taiwan’s Pacific Islands Forum Presence 
Ukraine Sanctions Chief Heads to Washington to Push Russia Bill 
USS Abraham Lincoln Arrives in Thailand After Record 200 Days at Sea 
US, Australia Pledge $580 Million for Pacific Islands 
Putin Says Russia Is Winning Ukraine War 
US Strikes Iran as Tehran Retaliates, Oil Prices Surge 
Augusto Cury Surges in Brazil Presidential Polls 
Two Palestinian Teenagers Killed in West Bank Violence 
UN Security Council Faces Iran Sanctions Vote 
Add as a preferred source on Google
With over 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines already administered, many are now urging US President Joe Biden to provide help to other countries. House Democrats are now urging Biden to waive the vaccine patents made in the Trump administration to allow developing countries to produce their vaccines.
A majority of Democrats in Congress have written a letter to Biden urging him to temporarily waive patents and other intellectual property protections on the vaccines to allow developing countries to manufacture their COVID-19 vaccines. The letter was drafted by Democratic Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Rosa DeLauro, and Earl Blumenauer with the support of 107 Democratic members of Congress.
They cited that Biden now has an opportunity to save lives and restore the image of the United States to the rest of the world. Further backing up the call for a temporary waiver was nine Democratic Senators, including Joe Manchin, who has expressed openness on a patent waiver. Progressive activist Ady Barkan also released a video calling on Biden to make good on another promise he made during his campaign.
“Your Administration has an incredible opportunity to reverse the damage done by the Trump Administration to our nation’s global reputation and restore America’s public health leadership on the world stage,” said the Reps. in the letter. “To bring the pandemic to its quickest end and save the lives of Americans and people around the world, we ask that you reverse the Trump position and announce US support for the WTO waiver.”
At the same time, Biden said this week that the US is already helping India in its fight against the second wave of COVID-19 cases by sending material and machine parts. At this time, six air shipments funded by USAID have already left the US for India, including health supplies, oxygen cylinders, medicines, and N95 masks.
Biden added that by July 4, the US is set to send over 10 percent of AstraZeneca vaccines to other countries in need. The AstraZeneca vaccine has already been approved for use all over the world but has not been granted approval in the US. Biden said that they have already sent this vaccine to Canada and Mexico, and he is currently speaking to other countries.
