The Dow Jones and the S&P 500 fell more than 1% each at the final bell in New York after minutes from the Federal Reserve meeting last month revealed discussions about slowing its asset purchases in 2021.

The Dow Jones plummeted 382 points, or 1.08%, to close at 34,960 while the S&P 500 fell 47, or 1.07%, to 4,400. Both indexes ended in negative territory for the second day in a row despite a major comeback on Monday.

The Nasdaq was down 130, or 0.89%, to 14,525 as GameStop and Apple shed 4% and 2.5%, respectively. Oil majors Chevron and ExxonMobil lost more than 2% apiece amid falling prices.

Brent crude lost 2.2% to $67.51 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate dived 2.9% to $64.4 at 4.18 p.m. EDT.

The major sell-off came after the Fed's minutes from its July meeting revealed that officials discussed the $120 billion monthly asset purchase program.

"It could be appropriate to start reducing the pace of asset purchases this year," it said.

Although the Fed noted "inflation had increased generally more than expected this year,” the central bank still believes the increase "would prove to be transitory."

The VIX volatility index, known as the fear index, was up for the third day in a row, soaring 20.4% to 21.57.

The dollar index climbed 0.03% to 93.16, and the yield on 10-year US Treasury notes rose 1.1% to 1.272%.

Precious metals were in negative territory as gold fell less than 0.1% to $1,785 per ounce. Silver lost 0.8% to $23.46./aa

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief on Wednesday renewed his call for a moratorium on booster vaccines to shift supply to countries which do not have access to jabs.

Speaking at a press webinar in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said that currently, only 10 countries had administered 75% of all vaccine supply, and low-income countries have vaccinated barely 2% of their people.

"I called for a temporary moratorium on boosters to help shift supply to those countries that have not even been able to vaccinate their health workers and at-risk communities and are now experiencing major spikes," Tedros said.

He said it is critical to get first shots and protect the most vulnerable before boosters are rolled out.

"The divide between the haves and have nots will only grow larger if manufacturers and leaders prioritize booster shots oversupply to low- and middle-income countries," said the world health chief.

He said the coronavirus is evolving, and it is not in leaders' interests to focus "on narrow nationalistic goals" in an interconnected world when the virus is rapidly mutating.

Stunned' by South Africa news

"In this context, I was stunned by the news that J&J (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines fill and finished in South Africa are leaving the continent and going to Europe, where virtually all adults have been offered vaccines at this point," said the WHO chief.

Tedros urged Johnson & Johnson to urgently prioritize vaccine distribution before considering supplies to rich countries that already have sufficient access.

On Aug. 4, the WHO chief called for a freeze on booster jabs against COVID-19 until the end of September to enable at least 10% of the global population to get vaccinated, the WHO chief said Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Tedros said the virus is evolving, and leaders should not focus merely "on narrow nationalistic goals" in an interconnected world in which the virus is mutating quickly.

He said strong leadership should commit to vaccine equity, saving lives and slowing variants down.

The world must do better at sharing resources and health tools, he said./agencies

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday voiced support for the people of Haiti, where a deadly earthquake last weekend has killed at least 1,941 and injured more than 9,900.

“You are not alone. We stand by your side in these trying times,” Guterres said on Twitter.

“The UN continues to assist those affected by Saturday's deadly earthquake with humanitarian aid, including medical supplies & health care, clean water, emergency shelter & more.”

The Caribbean country has called for international help since the magnitude 7.2 quake struck on Saturday morning, flattening hundreds of buildings and rendering thousands homeless.

Heavy rains brought by a tropical storm have hampered rescue efforts and diminished hopes of finding survivors under the rubble.

Haiti was already struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic and political instability worsened by the murder of President Jovenel Moise last month.

The country was also hit by a devastating earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010, which claimed at least 316,000 lives, injured some 300,000 more, and left about 1.3 million people homeless./agencies

At least two people have died and 24 injured on the third day of the wildfires that broke out in southern France, the prefect of the Var department informed on Wednesday.

Evence Richard, at a news conference on Wednesday said two charred bodies, one of which is identified as male, were found in a burnt house. Another 24 people were lightly injured, including 19 civilians and five firefighters.

The fire was suspected to have started by some miscreants in the Maures massif around the town of Gonfaron on Monday evening, and it has yet to be brought under control.

Richard said the problem is not resources or capacity, but unfavorable weather conditions, which made it extremely difficult to control the active fire. Var is experiencing high temperatures of 32-35 degrees Celsius, with a strong easterly wind fanning thick plumes of smoke and reducing visibility.

Several A57 and A8 motorway junctions have been closed to traffic. Tourists and locals are advised to avoid commuting unless there are compelling reasons to do so.

Var, located in the scenic Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region of southeastern France, is a popular destination for both jet-setters and budget campers.

An estimated 10,000 people have been evacuated and rescued since Monday. They were taken to the 14 reception centers set up in the municipalities of Bormes-les-Mimosas, Cavalaire, Cogolin, La Croix-Valmer, Grimaud, Le Lavandou, and Sainte-Maxime. Eight campsites have been closed as a preventive measure and tourists have been warned to not return to these sites.

At least 1,100 firefighters and 45 gendarmeries are engaged alongside aerial reinforcements of water jet bombers, helicopters to bring the raging fires under control. Assessment reports from Var firefighters have said that over 6,300 hectares of land have been burned.

The strong gusts of wind are also spreading the fire in the neighboring departments. More than 100 hectares of land burnt down in the department of Aude, where fires erupted in at least three communes, and 240 hectares in the department of Vaucluse, according to local media reports./agencies

It's long been known that getting too little of vitamin D weakens bones. But when it comes to heart health, the role vitamin D may play is less clear.

Vitamin D deficiency may be linked to heart disease and an increased risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). However, recent research casts doubt on whether taking a vitamin D supplement reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Still, vitamin D remains an important nutrient for overall good health. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day for adults ages 19 to 70. For adults age 71 and older, the recommendation increases to 800 IU a day.

Some doctors question whether these levels are adequate and think that getting more vitamin D would benefit many people. But the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that adults avoid taking more than 4,000 IU a day.

If you're concerned that you're getting too little — or too much — vitamin D, contact your doctor. He or she may recommend a blood test to check the level of vitamin D in your blood.

Screening for vitamin D deficiency is important in African Americans and others with dark skin. Darker skin has higher levels of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. The more melanin you have, the harder it is for your skin to make vitamin D from the sun.

Others who may benefit from screening for vitamin D deficiency include:

• People who don't spend a lot of time in the sun
• Older adults
• People with certain health conditions that make it difficult to absorb vitamin D

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Mayo clinic

Gold prices rose today, Wednesday, to hover near the highest level in two weeks, as the demand for the yellow metal, which is considered a safe haven, was boosted by growing concerns about the fast-spreading delta strain of Covid-19 and its economic impact.

Spot gold rose 0.4 percent to $1,792.42 an ounce by 0636 GMT, after hitting its highest level since August 6 at $1,795.25 in the previous session.

US gold futures rose 0.3 percent to $1,793.50.

“The biggest issue is the delta strain and whether it will have a measurable impact on the global recovery. In this situation, gold is likely to find more haven buying,” said Jeffrey Haley, senior market analyst for Asia Pacific at OANDA.

“But gold is facing difficulties to surpass the significant technical resistance levels between 1,800 and 1,850 dollars. The fate of gold will be decided by the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee and whether it hints at an imminent cut in stimulus in September.”

Risk sentiment remains weak in the broader financial markets, with Asian stocks hovering near their lowest levels since the beginning of the year as the strain sweeps the region’s delta.

Adding to signs of a slowing economy, US retail sales fell more than expected in July.

Investors are now awaiting the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting in July, due to be published later today, for indications of the US central bank’s plans to cut stimulus policies.

As for other precious metals, silver rose 0.5 percent to $23.75 an ounce, while platinum rose 1.1 percent to $1,008.60.

And palladium rose 1.7 percent to $ 2532.18, rebounding from its lowest level in nearly two months, which was recorded on Tuesday./agencies