The Central Intelligence Agency with a "low confidence" has changed its stance and concluded that it's likely the COVI-19 virus was leaked from a Chinese lab before it became a global pandemic five years ago.

It was unclear the extent to which the agency has collected new intelligence on COVID-19's origins and whether that new evidence was used to formulate the latest assessment.

Missouri is suing China for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic, Attorney General Andrew Bailey says.The bench trial began at 2 p.m. on Monday, January 27 at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau. It ended just before 3 p.

The news comes after the CIA announced over the weekend that COVID-19 most likely originated from a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2020.

The CIA says both a natural origin and a lab leak "remain plausible" as potential sources of covid-19, following a review of the pandemic's origins.

The Central Intelligence Agency previously said that two explanations were plausible, a lab leak or a natural source for the virus. Yet under new agency director John Ratcliffe, the CIA has changed its view, which is now in line with that of the Department of Energy and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The CIA announced on Saturday that it now considers a lab leak a more likely origin for the COVID-19 pandemic than a natural transmission, although the agency maintains "low confidence" in this assessment.

Missouri has taken legal action against China, demanding $25 billion in damages. The state claims that China’s actions at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant harm. The lawsuit argues that China hoarded vital medical supplies,

China’s oyster imports softened significantly in 2024, particularly hurting the nation’s key supplier: France. Official customs data shows China imported 1,570 metric tons (MT) of oysters last year, down on the 2,090 MT imported the year before and down even more than the 2,130 MT China bought in 2022.

The US CIA had on Saturday said the virus was "more likely" leaked from a Chinese lab than transmitted by animals.

The resumption of direct flights between India and China is good news for domestic airlines, who can reinstate and add flights and cash in on the huge cargo potential which exists between the two countries.