Washington, April 28: Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates has said that the US government is falling short in preparing itself and the world for the "significant probability of a large and lethal modern-day pandemic occurring in our lifetimes".

Gates, in an interview earlier this week, said that he raised the issue of pandemic preparedness with President Donald Trump since the 2016 presidential election, the Washington Post reported. 

Gates said he laid out the increasing risk of a bioterrorism attack and stressed the importance of US funding for advanced research on new therapeutics, including a universal flu vaccine which would protect against all or most strains of influenza.

He said that he told Trump that the President had a chance to lead on the issue of global health security. Trump encouraged him to follow up with top officials at the Health and Human Services Department, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, Gates said.

"This could be an important first step if the White House and Congress use the opportunity to articulate and embrace a leadership role for the US." 

Gates said he met several times with Trump's former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and also wanted to meet McMaster's replacement John Bolton. 

"...I think we've got to push this ... with the executive branch and Congress quite a bit," Gates said. "There hasn't been a big effort along these lines."

He, in a speech before the Massachusetts Medical Society on Friday, also announced a $12 million Grand Challenge in partnership with the family of Google Inc. co-founder Larry Page to accelerate the development of a universal flu vaccine.

Gates and his wife, Melinda, repeatedly warned that a pandemic was the greatest immediate threat to humanity. Experts said the risk was high, because new pathogens were constantly emerging and the world was interconnected.

According to several experts, the US is underprepared for a pandemic or a bioterrorism threat. 

The government's sprawling bureaucracy, they said, was not nimble enough to deal with mutations that suddenly turn an influenza virus into a virulent strain, like the 1918 influenza did in killing an estimated 50 million to 100 million people worldwide, the daily's report said.

"If a highly contagious and lethal airborne pathogen like the 1918 influenza were to take hold today, nearly 33 million people worldwide would die in just six months," Gates said, citing a simulation done by the Institute for Disease Modelling, a research organization in Bellevue, Washington.

"Even the best tools in the world won't be sufficient, if the US doesn't have a strategy to harness and coordinate resources at home and help to lead an effective global preparedness and response system," Gates said.

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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.

The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.

The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.

Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.

“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.

“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.

Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.

“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.

“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.

Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.

“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.

“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.

In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.

“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.

“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.