President Donald Trump threatened to "veto" the National Defense Authorization Act (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-china-standoff-us-house-passes-ndaa-amendment-slams-chinese-aggression-against-india-at-galwan-valley-314944">NDAA</a>) urging US House Republicans to vote against the "very weak" act as lawmakers scramble to pass the bill by year-end.

Watch:

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The $740 billion annual bill governs everything from pay raises for US service members to how many aircraft and missiles should be purchased by the Pentagon among other measures linked to America's national security.

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I hope House Republicans will vote against the very weak National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which I will VETO. Must include a termination of Section 230 (for National Security purposes), preserve our National Monuments, &amp; allow for 5G &amp; troop reductions in foreign lands!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1336318760106471424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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US lawmakers are set to vote on the bill on Tuesday. However, Trump has voiced his unhappiness over Section 230 which shields social media companies Facebook and Twitter from liability over what users post on their platforms.

The committee's Democratic chairman Adam Smith had said earlier that if Trump vetoed the NDAA, lawmakers would "come back to vote to override it." Both Houses are expected to pass the defence bill this week.

Trump had also demanded that lawmakers should remove language on renaming military bases that honour Civil War Confederate commanders.

Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee said: "The stronger the vote, the less chance of having to deal with a veto later, adding, "Section 230 needs to be addressed, but in a different place and a different way."

"Airdropping it at the last minute is not the right thing," Thornberry added. The bill appears to have bipartisan support with several Republicans ready to sign-up.&nbsp;

"For 59 straight years, the NDAA has passed because Members of Congress and presidents of both parties have set aside their own policy objectives and partisan preferences and put the needs of our military personnel and America’s security first. The time has come to do that again," Representatives Adam Smith, the House Armed Services Committee's Democratic chairman, and Mac Thornberry, the panel's ranking Republican, said in a joint statement.

President Donald Trump threatened to "veto" the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) urging US House Republicans to vote against the "very weak" act as lawmakers scramble to pass the bill by year-end.

President Donald Trump threatened to "veto" the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) urging US House Republicans to vote against the "very weak" act as lawmakers scramble to pass the bill by year-end. Watch: The $740 billion annual bill governs everything from pay raises for US service members to how many aircraft and missiles should be purchased by the Pentagon among other measures linked to America's national security. I hope House Republicans will vote against the very weak National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which I will VETO. Must include a termination of Section 230 (for National Security purposes), preserve our National Monuments, & allow for 5G & troop reductions in foreign lands! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2020 × US lawmakers are set to vote on the bill on Tuesday. However, Trump has voiced his unhappiness over Section 230 which shields social media companies Facebook and Twitter from liability over what users post on their platforms. The committee's Democratic chairman Adam Smith had said earlier that if Trump vetoed the NDAA, lawmakers would "come back to vote to override it." Both Houses are expected to pass the defence bill this week. Trump had also demanded that lawmakers should remove language on renaming military bases that honour Civil War Confederate commanders. Thornberry, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee said: "The stronger the vote, the less chance of having to deal with a veto later, adding, "Section 230 needs to be addressed, but in a different place and a different way." "Airdropping it at the last minute is not the right thing," Thornberry added. The bill appears to have bipartisan support with several Republicans ready to sign-up. "For 59 straight years, the NDAA has passed because Members of Congress and presidents of both parties have set aside their own policy objectives and partisan preferences and put the needs of our military personnel and America’s security first. The time has come to do that again," Representatives Adam Smith, the House Armed Services Committee's Democratic chairman, and Mac Thornberry, the panel's ranking Republican, said in a joint statement.

I hope Republicans vote against very weak NDAA which I will veto: Trump

The US Food and Drugs Administration(FDA) today backed the Pfizer-BioNTech <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-blaming-us-and-india-china-claims-covid-19-originated-in-australia-348371">coronavirus</a> vaccine in a document declaring that it has a "favourable safety profile", reports said.

Watch:

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According to reports, the FDA found the Pfizer-BioNTech “met the prescribed success criteria” in a clinical analysis after releasing two separate studies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-a-joke-william-shakespeare-from-warwickshire-gets-coronavirus-jab-in-uk-after-margaret-keenan-348372">Also Read:&nbsp;William Shakespeare from Warwickshire gets coronavirus jab in UK after Margaret Keenan</a>

The US agency found the vaccine which needs two doses helped in “reduction in the risk of confirmed COVID-19 occurring at least seven days after Dose 2” including "reduction in the risk of confirmed severe COVID-19 anytime after dose 1."

The 53-page review report was presented today providing a detailed independent analysis of the vaccine.

The report said the vaccine has “favourable safety profile, with no specific safety concerns identified that would preclude issuance of an [emergency authorization].”

The FDA is set to meet on December 10 to decide on emergency approval with reports suggesting that it could be made available in the United States as early as this weekend. The United States is the worst-hit country with the virus with over 14 million infection cases and 283,7400 deaths. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Last week Britain cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use across the country as British grandmother-of-four <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/90-year-old-grandma-becomes-first-in-the-world-to-receive-coronavirus-jab-outside-trial-348296">Margaret Keenan</a>, 90, became the first person in the world to be administered the vaccine on Tuesday at a hospital in Coventry, central England.

Nurses cheered as Keenan received the guard of honour from clapping health officials as she received the coveted jab. "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90 then you can have it too," she said, adding, "the best early birthday present".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beginning-of-the-end-for-pandemic-britain-begins-roll-out-of-pfizers-drug-to-the-public-348249">Britain</a> is the worst-hit country due to the virus with over 61,500 fatalities and 1.7 million cases.

The US Food and Drugs Administration(FDA) today backed the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in a document declaring that it has a "favourable safety profile", reports said.

The US Food and Drugs Administration(FDA) today backed the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in a document declaring that it has a "favourable safety profile", reports said. Watch: According to reports, the FDA found the Pfizer-BioNTech “met the prescribed success criteria” in a clinical analysis after releasing two separate studies. Also Read: William Shakespeare from Warwickshire gets coronavirus jab in UK after Margaret Keenan The US agency found the vaccine which needs two doses helped in “reduction in the risk of confirmed COVID-19 occurring at least seven days after Dose 2” including "reduction in the risk of confirmed severe COVID-19 anytime after dose 1." The 53-page review report was presented today providing a detailed independent analysis of the vaccine. The report said the vaccine has “favourable safety profile, with no specific safety concerns identified that would preclude issuance of an [emergency authorization].” The FDA is set to meet on December 10 to decide on emergency approval with reports suggesting that it could be made available in the United States as early as this weekend. The United States is the worst-hit country with the virus with over 14 million infection cases and 283,7400 deaths. Last week Britain cleared the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use across the country as British grandmother-of-four Margaret Keenan, 90, became the first person in the world to be administered the vaccine on Tuesday at a hospital in Coventry, central England. Nurses cheered as Keenan received the guard of honour from clapping health officials as she received the coveted jab. "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90 then you can have it too," she said, adding, "the best early birthday present". Britain is the worst-hit country due to the virus with over 61,500 fatalities and 1.7 million cases.

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has favourable safety profile with no specific safety concerns identified: US FDA report

After<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/90-year-old-grandma-becomes-first-in-the-world-to-receive-coronavirus-jab-outside-trial-348296"> Margaret Keenan</a>, 90, received the first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in the UK, it was followed by an elderly man called William Shakespeare who like the famous British playwright also hails from Warwickshire.

Watch:

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Reports said Shakespeare was the second person to get the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> jab after Keenan, but it has not been confirmed. He is reportedly the first man to get the vaccine.

William Shakespeare, 81, received the COVID-19 jab at University Hospital Coventry which is just a few miles from Stratford-Upon-Avon where his famous namesake was born in 1564.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, reports said British&nbsp;Queen Elizabeth II, 94, is in line to receive the vaccine due to her age and is being seen as the best person to front the public awareness campaign to urge people to vaccinate..

The Pfizer jab administered to Shakespeare led to several memes on social media as people hailed the move.

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BREAKING: The 2nd person in the world to have the Covid vaccine is... this is not a joke... WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE from Warwickshire!!! <a href="https://t.co/yNbPLXLhfP">pic.twitter.com/yNbPLXLhfP</a>
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1336212069415313413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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If Margaret Keenan is patient 1A for the vaccine, would William Shakespeare be 2B, or not 2B ... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BBCBreakfast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BBCBreakfast</a>
— VoiceOfTheMysterons (@Mysteron_Voice) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mysteron_Voice/status/1336214188998471680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Bill Gates right now: finally I can know *exactly* where both Margaret Keenan AND William Shakespeare are AT ALL TIMES <a href="https://t.co/m95CMoD8iO">pic.twitter.com/m95CMoD8iO</a>
— Dr Adam Rutherford (@AdamRutherford) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamRutherford/status/1336279208050515970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
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PM <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/doctor-who-saved-uk-pm-boris-johnsons-life-in-april-contracts-coronavirus-348357">Johnson</a> who was struck with the virus earlier this year, said he will not be among the first people to receive the vaccine. "I'm not in the priority group," the British prime minister told a man waiting to get a jab at a hospital.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/for-boris-johnson-a-week-to-exorcise-the-demons-of-2020-347712">Also Read:&nbsp;For Boris Johnson, a week to exorcise the demons of 2020</a>

The United Kingdom has ordered 40 million doses&nbsp;which is enough to vaccinate 20 million people since two shots are needed to complete the dose. There are at least 800,000 vaccines in the first batch.&nbsp;

As Britain leaves the European Union on December 31 there has been concern that Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine being produced in Belgium could hit a roadblock, however, the UK government said the military is on standby to airlift the vaccine if there is any disruption from January 1, 2021.

After Margaret Keenan, 90, received the first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in the UK, it was followed by an elderly man called William Shakespeare who like the famous British playwright also hails from Warwickshire.

After Margaret Keenan, 90, received the first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in the UK, it was followed by an elderly man called William Shakespeare who like the famous British playwright also hails from Warwickshire. Watch: Reports said Shakespeare was the second person to get the vaccine jab after Keenan, but it has not been confirmed. He is reportedly the first man to get the vaccine. William Shakespeare, 81, received the COVID-19 jab at University Hospital Coventry which is just a few miles from Stratford-Upon-Avon where his famous namesake was born in 1564. Meanwhile, reports said British Queen Elizabeth II, 94, is in line to receive the vaccine due to her age and is being seen as the best person to front the public awareness campaign to urge people to vaccinate.. The Pfizer jab administered to Shakespeare led to several memes on social media as people hailed the move. BREAKING: The 2nd person in the world to have the Covid vaccine is... this is not a joke... WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE from Warwickshire!!! pic.twitter.com/yNbPLXLhfP — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 8, 2020 × If Margaret Keenan is patient 1A for the vaccine, would William Shakespeare be 2B, or not 2B ... #BBCBreakfast — VoiceOfTheMysterons (@Mysteron_Voice) December 8, 2020 × Bill Gates right now: finally I can know *exactly* where both Margaret Keenan AND William Shakespeare are AT ALL TIMES pic.twitter.com/m95CMoD8iO — Dr Adam Rutherford (@AdamRutherford) December 8, 2020 × PM Johnson who was struck with the virus earlier this year, said he will not be among the first people to receive the vaccine. "I'm not in the priority group," the British prime minister told a man waiting to get a jab at a hospital. Also Read: For Boris Johnson, a week to exorcise the demons of 2020 The United Kingdom has ordered 40 million doses which is enough to vaccinate 20 million people since two shots are needed to complete the dose. There are at least 800,000 vaccines in the first batch. As Britain leaves the European Union on December 31 there has been concern that Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine being produced in Belgium could hit a roadblock, however, the UK government said the military is on standby to airlift the vaccine if there is any disruption from January 1, 2021.

'Not a joke': William Shakespeare from Warwickshire gets coronavirus jab in UK after Margaret Keenan

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strong-support-from-president-trump-saudi-arabia-says-final-agreement-with-qatar-within-reach-347759">Qatar's</a> Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday over the phone as the two leaders discussed cooperation between both countries in the fields of investment flows and energy security.&nbsp;

Both leaders decided to set up special a task force to further facilitate investments by the Qatar Investment Authority(QIA) into India and explore Qatari investments in the energy value-chain in India.

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) manages over $300 billion worth of sovereign wealth funds globally. QIA reportedly manages over $300 billion worth of sovereign wealth funds globally.&nbsp;

Sheikh Tamim also conveyed the country's appreciation for the Indian community which participates in Qatar's&nbsp;annual National Day celebrations.

The strengthing of India and Qatar ties comes amid reports that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt which had cut ties with Qatar in June 2017 would likely be restoring ties once again, reports said.

The Gulf states had closed their airspace to Qatari aircraft and sealed their borders three years ago. Saudi Arabia's closure of its airspace to Qatar Airways had forced it to fly over Iran. 
&nbsp;

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Qatar's Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday over the phone as the two leaders discussed cooperation between both countries in the fields of investment flows and energy security.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Qatar's Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday over the phone as the two leaders discussed cooperation between both countries in the fields of investment flows and energy security. Both leaders decided to set up special a task force to further facilitate investments by the Qatar Investment Authority(QIA) into India and explore Qatari investments in the energy value-chain in India. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) manages over $300 billion worth of sovereign wealth funds globally. QIA reportedly manages over $300 billion worth of sovereign wealth funds globally. Sheikh Tamim also conveyed the country's appreciation for the Indian community which participates in Qatar's annual National Day celebrations. The strengthing of India and Qatar ties comes amid reports that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt which had cut ties with Qatar in June 2017 would likely be restoring ties once again, reports said. The Gulf states had closed their airspace to Qatari aircraft and sealed their borders three years ago. Saudi Arabia's closure of its airspace to Qatar Airways had forced it to fly over Iran.

PM Modi speaks to Qatar's Sheikh Tamim; discuss investment & energy security

There are lines again at Glen Island Park, the drive-thru coronavirus testing center that state officials set up when the coronavirus was discovered in New Rochelle in March.

Nurses at the local hospital went on a two-day strike this past week over fears that their working conditions made them vulnerable to infection as hospitalization rates climb.

And at the synagogue where the first case here was detected nine months ago, a sign on the door now turns people who live in coronavirus hot zones away. Prayers for them are virtual.

As the virus rages across Westchester County, it has returned to New Rochelle, a city hit so hard during the outbreak’s earliest days that it was for a time the epicenter of the pandemic in the region. In early March, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state’s first so-called containment zone in this New York City suburb, New Rochelle’s fate proclaimed an unnerving message: The virus is here.

Now it is back.

On Friday, officials added 11,271 cases statewide as the daily positive test rate climbed above 5%. In New Rochelle, which added 73 cases Friday, the surge comes with a profound sense of defeat. The city of 80,000 about 20 miles north of Manhattan on Interstate 95 had at one point emerged as a model of how to beat the disease.

That the coronavirus could reemerge in a city and county scarred by loss and intimately familiar with the disease is not only a testament to the virus’s intractability. Local leaders and health experts fear it is also a bellwether for the rest of the country: If the disease can roar back into Westchester, the home of New Rochelle, a city that met the virus first and knows it with cruel intimacy, it can happen anywhere.

Some residents have returned to the extreme measures that helped them survive the first wave, cloistering themselves in their homes. Others said they had watched with dismay as their neighbors let down their guard.

“It’s crazy that it’s back at the scene of the crime,” said Josh Berkowitz, the owner of Eden Wok, a kosher Chinese restaurant on North Avenue, just down the road from the Young Israel of New Rochelle synagogue.

A congregant there had the city’s first detected case of the virus.

“It just shows we are so powerless,” Berkowitz said.

The seven-day average test positivity rate in Westchester has climbed to about 5%, far higher in some areas: In Peekskill and Ossining, the rate among those who have been tested is about 10%. In November, the state designated Port Chester, on the Connecticut border, as an “orange zone,” shutting down in-person schooling and closing certain businesses.

“The first time through we didn’t really realize how severe it would get, so we were learning as we went along,” said George Latimer, the Westchester County executive. “There was a sense that we took the best shot that COVID could give us, but we survived it, and things got better — but the virus isn’t done with us.”

Parts of New Rochelle, as well as parts of Yonkers, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, have been labeled yellow zones, requiring measures like weekly coronavirus testing for 20% of the student population, among other steps. As of Friday, there were 5,968 active cases countywide — more than double the number two weeks ago — and over 290 people were hospitalized; numbers on par with what they were in May.

Controlling the spread, which is dispersed across the region, is particularly problematic in Westchester. During the virus’s recent resurgence, about 70% of infections have been tied to private gatherings, according to the state’s contact-tracing efforts.

“When the virus is contained to one geographic area, or one source of spread that is easily controllable, it is easier to ‘close the valve,’ either geographically or by industry,” said Gareth Rhodes, the state’s deputy superintendent of financial services and a member of Cuomo’s coronavirus task force.

Now, with six cluster zones scattered across the county, he said, the virus “is geographically more dispersed than just one area, and the ability to conduct enforcement of gatherings in private homes is much more limited.”

There are other striking differences from the pandemic’s earliest days: Where the initial outbreak was first detected among a middle-class community connected to a local synagogue, the disease is now afflicting the predominantly blue-collar workers in the denser pockets of Westchester’s towns. And as hospitals fill up again, doctors in the area have learned new treatment strategies, like delaying the use of ventilators.

“The situation we are facing right now is undoubtedly grave and challenging, but it doesn’t have the same intense anxiety that I think we felt in the spring when all of this was painfully unfamiliar,” said Noam Bramson, New Rochelle’s mayor. “This is now a more familiar enemy.”

On Tuesday, nurses at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital staged a walkout over contract negotiations that began before the pandemic hit, but they also cited risks they had been subjected to by the outbreak.

“This place was the epicenter, the beginning of COVID,” Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, the president of the union representing the nurses, the New York State Nurses Association, told ABC News. “We have nurses who’ve died. We have people who’ve died, who’ve worked here for lack of PPE, for improper care, improper staffing and training. That’s what this strike is about.”

On Thursday, officials in Port Chester held an emergency meeting on how to fight the virus. Spanish and English language ads with clergy members and other local leaders highlighting the severity of the rise will be broadcast on local stations. Mobile testing units are being deployed. Giant electronic billboards flashing reminders to wear masks and social distance will be set up.

On Friday in Tarrytown, the annual party for the lighting of the village’s Christmas trees was moved online in an effort to comply with the yellow-zone restriction limiting outdoor gatherings to no more than 25 people. Similar holiday plans are in place in Sleepy Hollow, but also in areas that have not achieved that status but where numbers are creeping up, like Dobbs Ferry and Irvington.

Some county residents are taking matters into their own hands — as best as they can.

In New Rochelle, Dr. Michael Wechsler, 80, said that in recent weeks he had returned to the hermetic way he was forced to live at the height of the outbreak and had once again stopped going to the grocery store.

Wechsler, a urologist, blamed the rise in cases on a relaxed attitude toward the virus, even here, where National Guard troops rolled in to scrub public buildings in March, and fleets of health workers in head-to-toe protective equipment fanned out across neighbourhoods.

“People tend to repress something bad,” he said. “It’s a coping mechanism.”

In Port Chester, Ana Ponce, 79, put a surgical mask under the carrot nose of the inflatable snowman in her front yard as a message to her neighbourhood: Mask up.

“It makes me sad and it makes me worry,” Ponce said Thursday, referring to Port Chester’s 241 active cases.

By Friday, the total number of active cases in the village rose to 270.

Ponce said she was also frustrated by what she considered the lax approach that many local residents were taking to wearing masks and following social-distancing guidelines.

“A lot of people,” she said, “don’t have the sensibility to understand that they are hurting themselves and are hurting other people.”

There are lines again at Glen Island Park, the drive-thru coronavirus testing center that state officials set up when the coronavirus was discovered in New Rochelle in March.

There are lines again at Glen Island Park, the drive-thru coronavirus testing center that state officials set up when the coronavirus was discovered in New Rochelle in March. Nurses at the local hospital went on a two-day strike this past week over fears that their working conditions made them vulnerable to infection as hospitalization rates climb. And at the synagogue where the first case here was detected nine months ago, a sign on the door now turns people who live in coronavirus hot zones away. Prayers for them are virtual. As the virus rages across Westchester County, it has returned to New Rochelle, a city hit so hard during the outbreak’s earliest days that it was for a time the epicenter of the pandemic in the region. In early March, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state’s first so-called containment zone in this New York City suburb, New Rochelle’s fate proclaimed an unnerving message: The virus is here. Now it is back. On Friday, officials added 11,271 cases statewide as the daily positive test rate climbed above 5%. In New Rochelle, which added 73 cases Friday, the surge comes with a profound sense of defeat. The city of 80,000 about 20 miles north of Manhattan on Interstate 95 had at one point emerged as a model of how to beat the disease. That the coronavirus could reemerge in a city and county scarred by loss and intimately familiar with the disease is not only a testament to the virus’s intractability. Local leaders and health experts fear it is also a bellwether for the rest of the country: If the disease can roar back into Westchester, the home of New Rochelle, a city that met the virus first and knows it with cruel intimacy, it can happen anywhere. Some residents have returned to the extreme measures that helped them survive the first wave, cloistering themselves in their homes. Others said they had watched with dismay as their neighbors let down their guard. “It’s crazy that it’s back at the scene of the crime,” said Josh Berkowitz, the owner of Eden Wok, a kosher Chinese restaurant on North Avenue, just down the road from the Young Israel of New Rochelle synagogue. A congregant there had the city’s first detected case of the virus. “It just shows we are so powerless,” Berkowitz said. The seven-day average test positivity rate in Westchester has climbed to about 5%, far higher in some areas: In Peekskill and Ossining, the rate among those who have been tested is about 10%. In November, the state designated Port Chester, on the Connecticut border, as an “orange zone,” shutting down in-person schooling and closing certain businesses. “The first time through we didn’t really realize how severe it would get, so we were learning as we went along,” said George Latimer, the Westchester County executive. “There was a sense that we took the best shot that COVID could give us, but we survived it, and things got better — but the virus isn’t done with us.” Parts of New Rochelle, as well as parts of Yonkers, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, have been labeled yellow zones, requiring measures like weekly coronavirus testing for 20% of the student population, among other steps. As of Friday, there were 5,968 active cases countywide — more than double the number two weeks ago — and over 290 people were hospitalized; numbers on par with what they were in May. Controlling the spread, which is dispersed across the region, is particularly problematic in Westchester. During the virus’s recent resurgence, about 70% of infections have been tied to private gatherings, according to the state’s contact-tracing efforts. “When the virus is contained to one geographic area, or one source of spread that is easily controllable, it is easier to ‘close the valve,’ either geographically or by industry,” said Gareth Rhodes, the state’s deputy superintendent of financial services and a member of Cuomo’s coronavirus task force. Now, with six cluster zones scattered across the county, he said, the virus “is geographically more dispersed than just one area, and the ability to conduct enforcement of gatherings in private homes is much more limited.” There are other striking differences from the pandemic’s earliest days: Where the initial outbreak was first detected among a middle-class community connected to a local synagogue, the disease is now afflicting the predominantly blue-collar workers in the denser pockets of Westchester’s towns. And as hospitals fill up again, doctors in the area have learned new treatment strategies, like delaying the use of ventilators. “The situation we are facing right now is undoubtedly grave and challenging, but it doesn’t have the same intense anxiety that I think we felt in the spring when all of this was painfully unfamiliar,” said Noam Bramson, New Rochelle’s mayor. “This is now a more familiar enemy.” On Tuesday, nurses at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital staged a walkout over contract negotiations that began before the pandemic hit, but they also cited risks they had been subjected to by the outbreak. “This place was the epicenter, the beginning of COVID,” Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, the president of the union representing the nurses, the New York State Nurses Association, told ABC News. “We have nurses who’ve died. We have people who’ve died, who’ve worked here for lack of PPE, for improper care, improper staffing and training. That’s what this strike is about.” On Thursday, officials in Port Chester held an emergency meeting on how to fight the virus. Spanish and English language ads with clergy members and other local leaders highlighting the severity of the rise will be broadcast on local stations. Mobile testing units are being deployed. Giant electronic billboards flashing reminders to wear masks and social distance will be set up. On Friday in Tarrytown, the annual party for the lighting of the village’s Christmas trees was moved online in an effort to comply with the yellow-zone restriction limiting outdoor gatherings to no more than 25 people. Similar holiday plans are in place in Sleepy Hollow, but also in areas that have not achieved that status but where numbers are creeping up, like Dobbs Ferry and Irvington. Some county residents are taking matters into their own hands — as best as they can. In New Rochelle, Dr. Michael Wechsler, 80, said that in recent weeks he had returned to the hermetic way he was forced to live at the height of the outbreak and had once again stopped going to the grocery store. Wechsler, a urologist, blamed the rise in cases on a relaxed attitude toward the virus, even here, where National Guard troops rolled in to scrub public buildings in March, and fleets of health workers in head-to-toe protective equipment fanned out across neighbourhoods. “People tend to repress something bad,” he said. “It’s a coping mechanism.” In Port Chester, Ana Ponce, 79, put a surgical mask under the carrot nose of the inflatable snowman in her front yard as a message to her neighbourhood: Mask up. “It makes me sad and it makes me worry,” Ponce said Thursday, referring to Port Chester’s 241 active cases. By Friday, the total number of active cases in the village rose to 270. Ponce said she was also frustrated by what she considered the lax approach that many local residents were taking to wearing masks and following social-distancing guidelines. “A lot of people,” she said, “don’t have the sensibility to understand that they are hurting themselves and are hurting other people.”

One of the first US virus hot spots is under siege again

There is an urgent need to address long-term symptoms of the coronavirus, leading public health officials said this week, warning that hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions of people worldwide might experience lingering problems that could impede their ability to work and function normally.

In a two-day meeting Thursday and Friday, the federal government’s first workshop dedicated to long-term COVID-19, public health officials, medical researchers and patients said the condition needed to be recognized as a syndrome, given a name and taken seriously by doctors.

“This is a phenomenon that is really quite real and quite extensive,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said at the conference Thursday.

While the number of people affected is still unknown, he said, if long-term symptoms afflict even a small proportion of the millions of people infected with the coronavirus, it is “going to represent a significant public health issue.”

Such symptoms — ranging from breathing trouble to heart issues to cognitive and psychological problems — are already plaguing an untold number of people worldwide. Even for people who were never sick enough to be hospitalized, the aftermath can be long and gruelling, with a complex and lasting mix of symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently posted a list of some long-term symptoms, including fatigue, joint pain, chest pain, brain fog and depression, but doctors and researchers said they still know little about the extent or cause of many of the problems, which patients will develop them or how to address them.

Over the past several months, coronavirus patients with lingering, debilitating health issues have been widely referred to as “COVID long-haulers.” But some survivors and experts feel that name trivializes the experience, lessening its importance as a medical syndrome that doctors and insurers should recognize, diagnose and try to treat. One of the pressing issues that patients and experts are now weighing is what official medical term should be adopted to describe the collection of post-COVID symptoms.

“We need to dig in and do the work that needs to be done to help relieve the suffering and stop this madness,” said Dr. Michael Haag, an infectious disease expert from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was a co-chair of a session.

In an inadvertent but stark illustration of the difficulty of the recovery process, two of the four patients scheduled to speak at the meeting were unable to because they had recently been rehospitalized.

“Those individuals had their acute illness several months ago, and they’ve been suffering pretty mightily since then,” Haag said. “And the fact that they’re still struggling with this gives extra power to what we’re trying to do today.”

Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer of the CDC’s COVID response and the co-chair with Haag of one session, said he expected long-term post-COVID symptoms would affect “on the order of tens of thousands in the United States and possibly hundreds of thousands.”

He added, “If you were to ask me, what do we know about this post-acute phase, I really am hard-pressed to tell you that we know much. This is what we’re really working on epidemiologically: to understand what is it, how many people get it, how long does it last, what causes it, who does it affect — and then, of course, what can we do to prevent it from happening?”

Presentations from COVID-19 survivors — including Dr. Peter Piot, a world-renowned infectious disease expert who helped discover the Ebola virus — made it clear that for many people, recovering from the disease is not like flipping a switch.

Piot, who is director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a special adviser on COVID-19 research to the president of the European Commission, said he contracted the coronavirus in March and was hospitalized for a week in April. The acute phase of his illness involved some but not all of the classic disease symptoms. For example, his oxygen saturation was very low, but he did not develop shortness of breath or a cough until after he got home from the hospital.

For the next month, he experienced a rapid heart rate several hours a day, he said. For nearly four months, he experienced extreme fatigue and insomnia.

“What I found most frustrating personally was that I couldn’t do anything,” said Piot, who now considers himself recovered except for needing more sleep than before his infection. “I just had to wait for improvement.”

Chimére Smith, 38, a teacher in Baltimore who has not been able to work since becoming sick in March, said she had struggled for months to have her symptoms, which included loss of vision in one eye, taken seriously by doctors.

“It’s been a harrowing task, and the task and the journey continues,” she said.

Smith, who is Black, said it was especially important to inform people in underserved communities that long-term effects are “as real and possible as dying from the virus itself.”

The condition, she said, “not only needs to be explored, but it needs to be explained to the same group of people who suffer with being stricken with it the most, and that’s the minority population. I am not just here today for me; I am here for us.”

Hannah Davis, 32, a researcher and artist in Brooklyn, described neurological and cognitive symptoms that began in late March.

“I forgot my partner’s name,” she said. “I forgot about sleep. I would regularly pick up a hot pan, burn myself, put it down, and literally do it again. I forgot how to shower. I forgot how to dress myself.”

Months later, some things have improved, but she still struggles to remember things, saying, “I feel like I am basically on a 48-hour memory cycle.”

Davis is part of a long-term COVID survivor group called Body Politic and said a survey of 3,800 of its members in 56 countries has found that 85% report cognitive dysfunction, 81% had numbness and other neurological sensations, nearly half had speech and language issues, and nearly three-quarters had some difficulty working at their jobs.

Clinics treating COVID survivors are seeing a striking number of people with brain fog and other thinking problems as well as psychological issues, doctors participating in the workshop said.

“Approximately three months after their acute illness, more than half of our patients have at least a mild cognitive impairment,” said Dr. Ann Parker, who codirects a post-COVID clinic at Johns Hopkins. “We’re also seeing substantial mental health impairments.”

Dr. Janet Diaz, head of clinical care for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 response, said the agency is planning a meeting focused on long-term coronavirus effects and will soon start collecting data on post-COVID symptoms and medical visits.

She said that while doctors are accustomed to prolonged recovery challenges for people hospitalized for serious illnesses, the lingering symptoms in younger people and those who were not hospitalized for the coronavirus “urgently needs to be better understood and investigated.”

There is an urgent need to address long-term symptoms of the coronavirus, leading public health officials said this week, warning that hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions of people worldwide might experience lingering problems that could impede their ability to work and function normally.

There is an urgent need to address long-term symptoms of the coronavirus, leading public health officials said this week, warning that hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions of people worldwide might experience lingering problems that could impede their ability to work and function normally. In a two-day meeting Thursday and Friday, the federal government’s first workshop dedicated to long-term COVID-19, public health officials, medical researchers and patients said the condition needed to be recognized as a syndrome, given a name and taken seriously by doctors. “This is a phenomenon that is really quite real and quite extensive,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said at the conference Thursday. While the number of people affected is still unknown, he said, if long-term symptoms afflict even a small proportion of the millions of people infected with the coronavirus, it is “going to represent a significant public health issue.” Such symptoms — ranging from breathing trouble to heart issues to cognitive and psychological problems — are already plaguing an untold number of people worldwide. Even for people who were never sick enough to be hospitalized, the aftermath can be long and gruelling, with a complex and lasting mix of symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently posted a list of some long-term symptoms, including fatigue, joint pain, chest pain, brain fog and depression, but doctors and researchers said they still know little about the extent or cause of many of the problems, which patients will develop them or how to address them. Over the past several months, coronavirus patients with lingering, debilitating health issues have been widely referred to as “COVID long-haulers.” But some survivors and experts feel that name trivializes the experience, lessening its importance as a medical syndrome that doctors and insurers should recognize, diagnose and try to treat. One of the pressing issues that patients and experts are now weighing is what official medical term should be adopted to describe the collection of post-COVID symptoms. “We need to dig in and do the work that needs to be done to help relieve the suffering and stop this madness,” said Dr. Michael Haag, an infectious disease expert from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was a co-chair of a session. In an inadvertent but stark illustration of the difficulty of the recovery process, two of the four patients scheduled to speak at the meeting were unable to because they had recently been rehospitalized. “Those individuals had their acute illness several months ago, and they’ve been suffering pretty mightily since then,” Haag said. “And the fact that they’re still struggling with this gives extra power to what we’re trying to do today.” Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer of the CDC’s COVID response and the co-chair with Haag of one session, said he expected long-term post-COVID symptoms would affect “on the order of tens of thousands in the United States and possibly hundreds of thousands.” He added, “If you were to ask me, what do we know about this post-acute phase, I really am hard-pressed to tell you that we know much. This is what we’re really working on epidemiologically: to understand what is it, how many people get it, how long does it last, what causes it, who does it affect — and then, of course, what can we do to prevent it from happening?” Presentations from COVID-19 survivors — including Dr. Peter Piot, a world-renowned infectious disease expert who helped discover the Ebola virus — made it clear that for many people, recovering from the disease is not like flipping a switch. Piot, who is director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a special adviser on COVID-19 research to the president of the European Commission, said he contracted the coronavirus in March and was hospitalized for a week in April. The acute phase of his illness involved some but not all of the classic disease symptoms. For example, his oxygen saturation was very low, but he did not develop shortness of breath or a cough until after he got home from the hospital. For the next month, he experienced a rapid heart rate several hours a day, he said. For nearly four months, he experienced extreme fatigue and insomnia. “What I found most frustrating personally was that I couldn’t do anything,” said Piot, who now considers himself recovered except for needing more sleep than before his infection. “I just had to wait for improvement.” Chimére Smith, 38, a teacher in Baltimore who has not been able to work since becoming sick in March, said she had struggled for months to have her symptoms, which included loss of vision in one eye, taken seriously by doctors. “It’s been a harrowing task, and the task and the journey continues,” she said. Smith, who is Black, said it was especially important to inform people in underserved communities that long-term effects are “as real and possible as dying from the virus itself.” The condition, she said, “not only needs to be explored, but it needs to be explained to the same group of people who suffer with being stricken with it the most, and that’s the minority population. I am not just here today for me; I am here for us.” Hannah Davis, 32, a researcher and artist in Brooklyn, described neurological and cognitive symptoms that began in late March. “I forgot my partner’s name,” she said. “I forgot about sleep. I would regularly pick up a hot pan, burn myself, put it down, and literally do it again. I forgot how to shower. I forgot how to dress myself.” Months later, some things have improved, but she still struggles to remember things, saying, “I feel like I am basically on a 48-hour memory cycle.” Davis is part of a long-term COVID survivor group called Body Politic and said a survey of 3,800 of its members in 56 countries has found that 85% report cognitive dysfunction, 81% had numbness and other neurological sensations, nearly half had speech and language issues, and nearly three-quarters had some difficulty working at their jobs. Clinics treating COVID survivors are seeing a striking number of people with brain fog and other thinking problems as well as psychological issues, doctors participating in the workshop said. “Approximately three months after their acute illness, more than half of our patients have at least a mild cognitive impairment,” said Dr. Ann Parker, who codirects a post-COVID clinic at Johns Hopkins. “We’re also seeing substantial mental health impairments.” Dr. Janet Diaz, head of clinical care for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 response, said the agency is planning a meeting focused on long-term coronavirus effects and will soon start collecting data on post-COVID symptoms and medical visits. She said that while doctors are accustomed to prolonged recovery challenges for people hospitalized for serious illnesses, the lingering symptoms in younger people and those who were not hospitalized for the coronavirus “urgently needs to be better understood and investigated.”

COVID survivors with long-term symptoms need urgent attention, experts say

A church in Manhattan was gutted by a massive fire on Saturday as firefighters tried to put out the blaze.

The fire had reportedly&nbsp;spread from a building nearby early on Saturday.&nbsp;Firefighters said four people were injured in the fire. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The church was built in 1892 and housed New York’s historic Liberty Bell which marked the creation of the United States of America in 1776 and was rung on several other occasions. It is not known if the bell survived the fire.

Streets and avenues in the area were closed as rescue teams fought the blaze.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are devastated and crushed that our beloved physical sanctuary at Middle Collegiate Church has burned. 
 
And yet no fire can stop Revolutionary Love. <a href="https://t.co/R8D3NVjAiY">pic.twitter.com/R8D3NVjAiY</a>
— Rev. Jacqui Lewis, PhD (@RevJacquiLewis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RevJacquiLewis/status/1335229964359229441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Rev. Jacqui Lewis said: "We are devastated and crushed that our beloved physical sanctuary at Middle Collegiate Church has burned. And yet no fire can stop Revolutionary Love."

"We thank God that there has been no loss of life," Rev. Jacqui Lewis informed. 
&nbsp;

A church in Manhattan was gutted by a massive fire on Saturday as firefighters tried to put out the blaze. The fire had reportedly spread from a building nearby early on Saturday.

A church in Manhattan was gutted by a massive fire on Saturday as firefighters tried to put out the blaze. The fire had reportedly spread from a building nearby early on Saturday. Firefighters said four people were injured in the fire. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The church was built in 1892 and housed New York’s historic Liberty Bell which marked the creation of the United States of America in 1776 and was rung on several other occasions. It is not known if the bell survived the fire. Streets and avenues in the area were closed as rescue teams fought the blaze. We are devastated and crushed that our beloved physical sanctuary at Middle Collegiate Church has burned. And yet no fire can stop Revolutionary Love. pic.twitter.com/R8D3NVjAiY — Rev. Jacqui Lewis, PhD (@RevJacquiLewis) December 5, 2020 × Rev. Jacqui Lewis said: "We are devastated and crushed that our beloved physical sanctuary at Middle Collegiate Church has burned. And yet no fire can stop Revolutionary Love." "We thank God that there has been no loss of life," Rev. Jacqui Lewis informed.

Massive fire guts historic New York church that housed Liberty Bell

Protesters in Paris took to the streets on Saturday to demonstrate against police violence and President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/macron-targets-radical-islam-in-france-with-massive-and-unprecedented-measures-347310">Macron's </a>proposed security law&nbsp;as police fired tear gas shells amid the coronavirus restrictions in French capital.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/france-president-macrons-administration-agrees-to-rewrite-police-bill-346701/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Reports said the protesters damaged supermarkets and cars were set on fire in the French capital as last weekends violence was repeated on Saturday. At least 133,000 people had demonstrated nationwide against the security bill last weekend.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-macron-govt-backtracks-on-plan-to-curb-filming-of-police-officers-346687">Macron's</a> party this week had decided rewrite the draft plan which protesters say curbs the freedom to share images identifying police officers.&nbsp;

According to the controversial article 24, the plan deemed sharing of images of police with "obvious intention to harm" punishable by a year in prison and $54,000 fine.

Protesters said it would hinder human rights and curb the people's will to expose police brutality. Amid the escalating tension, Macron's party said it was ready with a "new version" of Article 24.

The contentious bill was approved last week by the country's lower house and was sent to the upper house for approval&nbsp;where the Conservatives have a majority. 
&nbsp;

Protesters in Paris took to the streets on Saturday to demonstrate against police violence and President Macron's proposed security law as police fired tear gas shells amid the coronavirus restrictions in French capital.

Protesters in Paris took to the streets on Saturday to demonstrate against police violence and President Macron's proposed security law as police fired tear gas shells amid the coronavirus restrictions in French capital. Watch: Reports said the protesters damaged supermarkets and cars were set on fire in the French capital as last weekends violence was repeated on Saturday. At least 133,000 people had demonstrated nationwide against the security bill last weekend. Macron's party this week had decided rewrite the draft plan which protesters say curbs the freedom to share images identifying police officers. According to the controversial article 24, the plan deemed sharing of images of police with "obvious intention to harm" punishable by a year in prison and $54,000 fine. Protesters said it would hinder human rights and curb the people's will to expose police brutality. Amid the escalating tension, Macron's party said it was ready with a "new version" of Article 24. The contentious bill was approved last week by the country's lower house and was sent to the upper house for approval where the Conservatives have a majority.

Protesters clash with police in Paris over security law

As the World Health Organization(WHO) cautioned against relying too much on vaccines, the chief of the UN health body <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-chief-tedros-to-take-covid-19-vaccine-on-camera-347722">Tedros</a> Adhanom Ghebreyesus&nbsp;said: "COVID-19 has shown what humanity is capable of at its best and worst."

Watch:

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Tedros said the virus has shown "inspiring acts of compassion &amp; self-sacrifice, breathtaking feats of science and innovation, heart-warming demonstrations of solidarity but also disturbing signs of self-interest, blame-shifting &amp; division."

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> has shown what humanity is capable of at its best &amp; worst: 
Inspiring acts of compassion &amp; self-sacrifice 
Breathtaking feats of science &amp; innovation 
Heart-warming demonstrations of solidarity 
But also disturbing signs of self-interest, blame-shifting &amp; division<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGASS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGASS</a>
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1335157157776461825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan had said earlier that "vaccines do not equal zero Covid" warning against treating it as a silver bullet.

"Vaccination will add a major, major, powerful tool to the tool kit that we have. But by themselves, they will not do the job," Ryan said while Tedros asserted that there was was "growing perception that the pandemic is over".

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-suggests-e-certificates-for-covid-19-vaccine-receivers-347445">WHO</a> said 51 candidate vaccines were currently being tested on humans, with 13 reaching final-stage mass testing.&nbsp;

Tedros had said earlier that would be happy to have a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-vaccines-do-not-mean-pandemic-is-over-who-347583">coronavirus</a> vaccine, however, he said "I need to make sure it's my turn. I don't want to take anybody's vaccine."

Tedros applauded US president-elect Joe Biden and ex-US presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton who have volunteered the take the jabs to ensure public trust for the vaccine.

"It's a good idea... I think it's very good that they already have shown their commitment. They can influence," he said, adding,"they are influencers."

As the World Health Organization(WHO) cautioned against relying too much on vaccines, the chief of the UN health body Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "COVID-19 has shown what humanity is capable of at its best and worst.

As the World Health Organization(WHO) cautioned against relying too much on vaccines, the chief of the UN health body Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "COVID-19 has shown what humanity is capable of at its best and worst." Watch: Tedros said the virus has shown "inspiring acts of compassion & self-sacrifice, breathtaking feats of science and innovation, heart-warming demonstrations of solidarity but also disturbing signs of self-interest, blame-shifting & division." #COVID19 has shown what humanity is capable of at its best & worst: Inspiring acts of compassion & self-sacrifice Breathtaking feats of science & innovation Heart-warming demonstrations of solidarity But also disturbing signs of self-interest, blame-shifting & division#UNGASS — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 5, 2020 × WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan had said earlier that "vaccines do not equal zero Covid" warning against treating it as a silver bullet. "Vaccination will add a major, major, powerful tool to the tool kit that we have. But by themselves, they will not do the job," Ryan said while Tedros asserted that there was was "growing perception that the pandemic is over". The WHO said 51 candidate vaccines were currently being tested on humans, with 13 reaching final-stage mass testing. Tedros had said earlier that would be happy to have a coronavirus vaccine, however, he said "I need to make sure it's my turn. I don't want to take anybody's vaccine." Tedros applauded US president-elect Joe Biden and ex-US presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton who have volunteered the take the jabs to ensure public trust for the vaccine. "It's a good idea... I think it's very good that they already have shown their commitment. They can influence," he said, adding,"they are influencers."

COVID-19 has shown disturbing signs of self-interest, blame-shifting & division: WHO chief Tedros

Delhi's air quality turned "severe" on Saturday with slow wind speed allowing the accumulation of "locally generated" pollutants, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials.

However, it is expected to improve by Monday as the wind speed is likely to pick up.&nbsp;At 10 am, the city's air quality index (AQI) was 401, which falls in the "severe" category.

The 24-hour average AQI was 382 on Friday, 341 on Thursday, 373 on Wednesday, 367 on Tuesday, 318 on Monday and 268 on Sunday.

Air pollution in the neighbouring cities of Ghaziabad (AQI 446), Greater Noida (401) and Noida (406) also entered the "severe" zone.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".

The wind speed remained slow allowing the accumulation of pollutants generated locally, V K Soni, head of the IMD's environment research centre said.

"Easterly winds carrying moisture also led to the formation of secondary particulate matter. All these factors together pushed the air quality in the 'severe' zone," he said.

However, Soni said, the air quality is likely to improve to the "poor" category by Monday as the wind speed is expected to pick up.

According to the IMD, the maximum wind speed is likely to be 8 kmph on Saturday, 10 kmph on Sunday and 15 kmph on Monday.

The minimum temperature in Delhi was 11 degrees Celsius on Saturday and the maximum is expected to settle around 28 degrees Celsius, the weather department said.

However, the minimum temperature is likely to dip again with the wind direction changing to northwesterly by Monday, according to IMD officials.

Westerly and northwesterly winds blow from snow-laden western Himalayas towards the plains. Shallow to moderate fog is also predicted over the next two days, the IMD said.

The minimum temperature this season has remained 2-3 notches below normal in the absence of a cloud cover on most days, according to IMD officials.

Calm winds and low temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground, while favourable wind speed helps in their dispersion.

The central government's Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said the city's ventilation index -- a product of mixing depth and average wind speed -- is likely to be 2,500 m2/s on Friday.

Mixing depth is the vertical height at which pollutants are suspended in the air. It reduces on cold days with calm wind speed. 
A ventilation index lower than 6,000 sqm/second, with the average wind speed less than 10 kmph, is unfavourable for the dispersal of pollutants.

Delhi's air quality turned "severe" on Saturday with slow wind speed allowing the accumulation of "locally generated" pollutants, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials.

Delhi's air quality turned "severe" on Saturday with slow wind speed allowing the accumulation of "locally generated" pollutants, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials. However, it is expected to improve by Monday as the wind speed is likely to pick up. At 10 am, the city's air quality index (AQI) was 401, which falls in the "severe" category. The 24-hour average AQI was 382 on Friday, 341 on Thursday, 373 on Wednesday, 367 on Tuesday, 318 on Monday and 268 on Sunday. Air pollution in the neighbouring cities of Ghaziabad (AQI 446), Greater Noida (401) and Noida (406) also entered the "severe" zone. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". The wind speed remained slow allowing the accumulation of pollutants generated locally, V K Soni, head of the IMD's environment research centre said. "Easterly winds carrying moisture also led to the formation of secondary particulate matter. All these factors together pushed the air quality in the 'severe' zone," he said. However, Soni said, the air quality is likely to improve to the "poor" category by Monday as the wind speed is expected to pick up. According to the IMD, the maximum wind speed is likely to be 8 kmph on Saturday, 10 kmph on Sunday and 15 kmph on Monday. The minimum temperature in Delhi was 11 degrees Celsius on Saturday and the maximum is expected to settle around 28 degrees Celsius, the weather department said. However, the minimum temperature is likely to dip again with the wind direction changing to northwesterly by Monday, according to IMD officials. Westerly and northwesterly winds blow from snow-laden western Himalayas towards the plains. Shallow to moderate fog is also predicted over the next two days, the IMD said. The minimum temperature this season has remained 2-3 notches below normal in the absence of a cloud cover on most days, according to IMD officials. Calm winds and low temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground, while favourable wind speed helps in their dispersion. The central government's Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi said the city's ventilation index -- a product of mixing depth and average wind speed -- is likely to be 2,500 m2/s on Friday. Mixing depth is the vertical height at which pollutants are suspended in the air. It reduces on cold days with calm wind speed. A ventilation index lower than 6,000 sqm/second, with the average wind speed less than 10 kmph, is unfavourable for the dispersal of pollutants.

Delhi's air quality 'severe'; moderate fog next 2 days: IMD

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has indicated that dispute between Gulf countries and Qatar could end after "significant progress in the last few days".

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-kuwait-qatar-flag-movement-on-resolving-gulf-row-347575/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The Saudi foreign minister said the peace moves have been possible due to "strong support from President Trump".

United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt had imposed large scale embargo against Qatar three years ago accusing the country of terrorism which it denies.

"We hope this progress can lead to a final agreement which looks within reach and I can say I am somewhat optimistic that we are close to finalising an agreement between all the nations in the dispute," Prince Faisal said.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries had closed its airspace to Qatar's planes and sealed borders while imposing sanctions against the country. Prince Faisal said the border talks were continuing as the Gulf countries look to resolve the dispute.

Qatar Airways aircraft fly over Iran which is Saudi Arabia's arch-rival in the region. US national security advisor Robert O'Brien had said last month that allowing Qatar planes to fly over Saudi Arabia through an "air bridge" was a priority of the outgoing Trump administration. &nbsp;

The peace overtures were started by Jared <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-senior-aide-jared-kushner-headed-to-saudi-arabia-qatar-346545">Kushner</a>, President's Trump's son-in-law who is also his adviser and his team who met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to try to persuade Gulf Cooperation Council countries to end the blockade of Qatar amid US calls to push for Saudi Arabia and Qatar to normalise ties.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has indicated that dispute between Gulf countries and Qatar could end after "significant progress in the last few days".

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has indicated that dispute between Gulf countries and Qatar could end after "significant progress in the last few days". Watch: The Saudi foreign minister said the peace moves have been possible due to "strong support from President Trump". United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt had imposed large scale embargo against Qatar three years ago accusing the country of terrorism which it denies. "We hope this progress can lead to a final agreement which looks within reach and I can say I am somewhat optimistic that we are close to finalising an agreement between all the nations in the dispute," Prince Faisal said. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries had closed its airspace to Qatar's planes and sealed borders while imposing sanctions against the country. Prince Faisal said the border talks were continuing as the Gulf countries look to resolve the dispute. Qatar Airways aircraft fly over Iran which is Saudi Arabia's arch-rival in the region. US national security advisor Robert O'Brien had said last month that allowing Qatar planes to fly over Saudi Arabia through an "air bridge" was a priority of the outgoing Trump administration. The peace overtures were started by Jared Kushner, President's Trump's son-in-law who is also his adviser and his team who met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to try to persuade Gulf Cooperation Council countries to end the blockade of Qatar amid US calls to push for Saudi Arabia and Qatar to normalise ties.

'Strong support from President Trump': Saudi Arabia says final agreement with Qatar 'within reach'

As several countries in Europe continue to be in various stages of lockdown, Turkey's capital entered its first full weekend lockdown since May amid growing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-wouldnt-demand-it-be-mandatory-biden-on-vaccine-347715">coronavirus</a> cases.

Watch:

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Turkey recorded 32,736 new COVID-19 cases as the virus continues to surge in the country. The death toll due to the virus in Turkey rose to 193 with the total number of fatalities rising to 14,509.

President Erdogan had earlier announced the full weekend lockdown including a curfew on weekdays in order to minimise the impact on the economy.

Europe which has been hit the hardest due to the virus witnessed a surge in cases last month even as several countries began lifting the strict lockdown measures imposed earlier ahead of the busy Christmas season.

The Austrian government has undertaken mass testing programme to help the country safely emerge from the second coronavirus lockdown.

The Austrian government informed the second lockdown had at least some effect in infection cases with&nbsp;new COVID-19 cases going down from 4,954 last week.

Like Austria, Slovenia announced mass nationwide testing to begin from December 11 or 12 as the country took steps to come out of lockdown last month.

Belgium is also currently under lockdown until December 13 even as shops open gradually with restaurants expected to stay closed until January.

In Greece, PM Mitsotakis faced a severe backlash over a mountain bike trip which deemed to have violated the government's strict lockdown measures. Greece has imposed lockdown till December 14 after enforcing it on November 7.

At least 2,800 people have died of the virus in Greece as it continues to grapple with the virus.

As several countries in Europe continue to be in various stages of lockdown, Turkey's capital entered its first full weekend lockdown since May amid growing coronavirus cases.

As several countries in Europe continue to be in various stages of lockdown, Turkey's capital entered its first full weekend lockdown since May amid growing coronavirus cases. Watch: Turkey recorded 32,736 new COVID-19 cases as the virus continues to surge in the country. The death toll due to the virus in Turkey rose to 193 with the total number of fatalities rising to 14,509. President Erdogan had earlier announced the full weekend lockdown including a curfew on weekdays in order to minimise the impact on the economy. Europe which has been hit the hardest due to the virus witnessed a surge in cases last month even as several countries began lifting the strict lockdown measures imposed earlier ahead of the busy Christmas season. The Austrian government has undertaken mass testing programme to help the country safely emerge from the second coronavirus lockdown. The Austrian government informed the second lockdown had at least some effect in infection cases with new COVID-19 cases going down from 4,954 last week. Like Austria, Slovenia announced mass nationwide testing to begin from December 11 or 12 as the country took steps to come out of lockdown last month. Belgium is also currently under lockdown until December 13 even as shops open gradually with restaurants expected to stay closed until January. In Greece, PM Mitsotakis faced a severe backlash over a mountain bike trip which deemed to have violated the government's strict lockdown measures. Greece has imposed lockdown till December 14 after enforcing it on November 7. At least 2,800 people have died of the virus in Greece as it continues to grapple with the virus.

Turkey enters weekend lockdown as Europe grapples with virus

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