US

US-based Moderna to send 25m vaccine doses to Australia

The government said 10 million doses of the mRNA vaccine are due to arrive by the end of the year, and 15 million shots in 2022.

Australia's rollout has lagged behind other nations after initial delays and caution over the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The country has so far administered 2.8 million shots of a Covid vaccine.

That is well short of the 50 million jabs needed to fully vaccinate its population. The country's immunisation programme was recently opened to all Australians aged over 50.

US inflation sees biggest jump since 2008

Consumer prices jumped 4.2% in the 12 months through to April, up from 2.6% in March and marking the biggest increase since September 2008.

The report from the US Labor Department comes amid fears that rising consumer prices could push up interest rates.

Some analysts said that the figures could be rising because of temporary factors like supply bottlenecks.

Inflation, which measures the rate at which the prices for goods and services increase, was pushed up by higher prices for cars and food in April.

Colonial hack: How did cyber-attackers shut off pipeline?

The hack on Colonial Pipeline is being seen as one of the most significant attacks on critical national infrastructure in history.

The pipeline transports nearly half of the east coast's fuel supplies and prices at pumps are expected to rise if the outage is long lasting.

How can a pipeline be hacked?

For many people, the image of the oil industry is one of pipes, pumps and greasy black liquid.

In truth, the type of modern operation Colonial Pipeline runs is extremely digital.

New directory to connect Pacific exporters with US consulting companies

The directory provides a list of U.S. companies with expertise in business-to-business matchmaking, distribution, marketing, and biosecurity compliance who are eager to work in Fiji and other Pacific markets. The directory is follow-up from the March 2021 Direct Line virtual conference “Growing the Fiji Brand: U.S. Services Needed” that attracted dozens of companies from across the United States eager to help Pacific exporters thrive.

US fires warning shots at Iranian boats in Gulf

The Pentagon said 13 fast boats from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came within 140m (459ft) of US vessels on Monday.

The Iranian vessels left after 30 warning shots were fired, the Pentagon said.

This is the second such incident in the region in two weeks.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby accused the Iranian boats of "acting very aggressively" near the US military vessels, which were escorting USS Georgia, a guided-missile submarine.

Indianapolis FedEx gunman was former employee

Police named the suspect as 19-year-old Brandon Hole, who last worked at the company in 2020.

He began shooting "randomly" almost immediately after exiting his car, according to police.

Seven people were also injured and the gunman apparently killed himself before police arrived, officials say.

This is the latest incident in a recent uptick of mass shootings across the US.

The victims in Thursday's shootings have not yet been named.

A statement from FedEx chairman and CEO Frederick Smith described the incident as a "senseless act of violence".

US agencies call for pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said six cases in 6.8 million doses had been reported and it was acting "out of an abundance of caution".

Following the news, South Africa, the first country to use the jab, said it would suspend its rollout.

Johnson & Johnson said it would also delay its vaccine drive in Europe.

The US move follows similar rare cases in the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has prompted some curbs in its use.

Reports of shooting at Knoxville, Tennessee high school with one dead and multiple victims - police

One person has been killed in the shooting, Local 10 News reports, citing a police statement.

"Multiple gunshot victims reported, including a KPD officer. The investigation remains active at this time," Knoxville police said on Twitter.

Authorities did not say if the gunman had been taken into custody but the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported that one person had been detained in connection with the shooting.

Television news images showed police and fire crews surrounding Austin-East High School in east Knoxville.

US rules out vaccine passports

Schemes to introduce such passports have been touted around the world as a way to enable safe circulation of people while fighting the pandemic.

The US said it did not and would not support a "system that requires Americans to carry a credential".

America has lost more than half a million lives to the virus.

Nearly 31 million cases have been registered, making the US the country worst affected by the pandemic, figures from Johns Hopkins University indicate.

Stray dog in US adopted after repeatedly breaking into store to steal stuffed unicorn

Sisu, a one-year-old stray, came to the Dollar General store in Kenansville, North Carolina, five times to steal the same stuffed toy when animal control was called on Tuesday NZT, CNN reports.

The Duplin County Animal Control officer who attended the scene to take Sisu away didn't leave him empty-pawed, however, as he decided to buy the coveted toy for him instead.