International
U.S. Ambassador: China must be honest about COVID’s origins
February 28 |
The U.S. ambassador to China says Beijing needs to be more forthcoming about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, a day after reports that the U.S. Department of Energy concluded that the outbreak likely began because of a leak at a Chinese lab.
Nicholas Burns said Monday at a US Chamber of Commerce event via video link that China needs to “be more honest about what happened three years ago in Wuhan with the origin of the COVID-19 crisis.” Wuhan is the Chinese city where the first cases of the new coronavirus were reported in December 2019.
His comments come a day after U.S. media reported that the Department of Energy determined that the pandemic likely stemmed from a lab leak in Wuhan.
The department made its judgment in a classified intelligence report provided to the White House and key members of Congress, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the development, citing people who read the report.
The WSJ said the Energy Department’s intelligence agency was now the second U.S. intelligence agency after the FBI to conclude that a leak at a Chinese lab was the likely cause of the pandemic, although U.S. spy agencies remain divided over the origins of the virus.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby echoed that sentiment.
“There has been no definitive conclusion or consensus in the U.S. government on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Kirby told reporters Monday when asked about the WSJ report.
The Energy Department’s assessment was made with “low confidence,” while the FBI’s conclusion was determined with “moderate confidence,” according to the WSJ. Four other U.S. agencies reportedly determined with “low confidence” that the virus was naturally transmitted through animals, while two other agencies remain undecided.
The reports bring national attention back to the question of what caused the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Energy Department’s conclusion marks a shift from its earlier position that it was undecided about how the virus began. U.S. officials did not disclose what new intelligence prompted the change. The Energy Department’s analysis came from its network of national laboratories, giving it a different perspective than more traditional intelligence assessments.
On Sunday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN that “there are a variety of views in the intelligence community.”
“Some elements of the intelligence community have come to conclusions on one side, some on the other,” he said.
Scientists have also been divided on the issue, with some pointing to the live animal market in Wuhan as the most likely place where the virus emerged, noting that animal-to-human transmission has been the pathway for many previously unknown pathogens. However, other scientists have given credence to the laboratory escape theory, noting that no animal source has been found and that Wuhan is a major site of coronavirus research.
The question of how the virus began has also exacerbated political divisions in the U.S., with Republicans more likely to back the lab leak hypothesis.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton was one of the first high-profile politicians to express the theory that the virus originated in a laboratory, commenting in February 2020, when the prevailing view was that the virus had been transmitted by bats and spread at a food market in Wuhan.
After a growing number of scientists urged serious consideration of both hypotheses, U.S. President Joe Biden ordered an intelligence review of the origins of COVID-19 in May 2021.
An intelligence assessment declassified in October 2021 indicated that both hypotheses were plausible, but that intelligence agencies remained divided over which theory was correct. The report said there was consensus among intelligence agencies that the pandemic was not the result of a Chinese biological weapons program.
China has repeatedly denied that there was a lab leak in Wuhan. It has placed limits on World Health Organization investigations to determine the origin of the virus.
Some of the information in this report came from Reuters.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
Honduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
Daniel Ortega’s last historic sandinista ally detained in Managua
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America3 days agoCosta Rica issues Yellow Alert and halts water activities over tsunami currents
-
Central America3 days agoFuneral turns tragic as armed attack leaves seven dead in Guatemala City
-
Central America4 days agoPeru’s ambassador highlights “historic bonds” with El Salvador on Independence Day
-
International5 days agoFour dead, thousands flee as floodwaters ravage Northern China
-
International5 days agoMultiple fatalities reported in Nevada Resort shooting as Police detain gunman
-
International4 days agoU.S. and China push for extension of tariff truce after “constructive” talks in Sweden
-
International3 days agoThree salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
-
International3 days agoKremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
-
International4 days agoTrump administration opens civil rights probe into duke university over alleged bias
-
International5 days agoFive security guards killed in mass shooting at Bangkok Market
-
International4 days agoMedvedev warns Trump after new Ukraine ultimatum: ‘Russia is neither Israel nor Iran’
-
International5 days agoNetanyahu cites historic success against Iran as he pledges relentless Gaza campaign
-
International5 days agoZelensky praises Trump’s ‘clear stance’ on Russia as ultimatum deadline tightens
-
International3 days agoU.S. launches ads urging undocumented migrants to self-deport via CBP Home App
-
International4 days agoArgentina requests reentry into U.S. Visa Waiver Program during DHS chief’s visit
-
International5 days agoVatican reports $72M profit in 2024, boosted by real estate and investments
-
International5 days agoHepatitis D declared carcinogenic as WHO urges action to end global crisis
-
International5 days agoPeru’s president under fire as she promises crackdown on organized crime
-
International4 days agoPetro accuses Marco Rubio of undermining colombia’s sovereignty over Uribe comments
-
Central America1 day agoDaniel Ortega’s last historic sandinista ally detained in Managua
-
Central America1 day agoHonduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
-
International1 day agoTrump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
-
Central America1 day agoGuatemala transfers top gang leaders to maximum security prison after funeral home massacre