Israel on Wednesday received the INS Magen, the country's&nbsp;first Sa'ar 6 warship amid tensions with Iran.

Watch:

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The INS Magen arrived from Germany to a tumultuous reception by Israel's navy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-writes-to-un-asserting-right-to-defend-itself-against-israel-after-mohsen-fakhrizadehs-death-346174">Also Read:&nbsp;Iran writes to UN asserting 'right to defend' itself against Israel&nbsp;</a>

Israel has ordered four Sa'ar 6 warships which is set to be operational in the next two years, reports said. The naval vessel is built by Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The other vessels are set to arrive by end of next year.

The naval warship will reportedly be fitted with anti-missile batteries, sensors and other weapons as it guards Israel's coast, gas rigs and shipping routes. The "offensive and defensive systems" is set to give the Israeli Navy a potent weapon.

The warship is reportedly the first to arrive in Israel in 26 years after Sa’ar 5-class INS Hanit was delivered in 1994. It has a sophisticated radar system which can detect aircraft as well as low-flying cruise missiles at sea level.&nbsp;

Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated recently after the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh who was shot in his car in the open as Iranian authorities blamed Israel.

Fakhrizadeh was known to be "mastermind of Iran's nuclear programme" and even Israel PM Netanyahu had talked about him.

In 2007, Fakhrizadeh was targeted with UN sanctions along with other "persons involved in nuclear or ballistic missile activities" for Iran.

Amid the arrival of INS Magen, Israel's Defence Minister Benny Gantz had frozen a probe into the purchase of German submarines built by ThyssenKrupp amid corruption charges. 
&nbsp;

Israel on Wednesday received the INS Magen, the country's first Sa'ar 6 warship amid tensions with Iran. Watch: The INS Magen arrived from Germany to a tumultuous reception by Israel's navy.

Israel on Wednesday received the INS Magen, the country's first Sa'ar 6 warship amid tensions with Iran. Watch: The INS Magen arrived from Germany to a tumultuous reception by Israel's navy. Also Read: Iran writes to UN asserting 'right to defend' itself against Israel Israel has ordered four Sa'ar 6 warships which is set to be operational in the next two years, reports said. The naval vessel is built by Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The other vessels are set to arrive by end of next year. The naval warship will reportedly be fitted with anti-missile batteries, sensors and other weapons as it guards Israel's coast, gas rigs and shipping routes. The "offensive and defensive systems" is set to give the Israeli Navy a potent weapon. The warship is reportedly the first to arrive in Israel in 26 years after Sa’ar 5-class INS Hanit was delivered in 1994. It has a sophisticated radar system which can detect aircraft as well as low-flying cruise missiles at sea level. Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated recently after the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh who was shot in his car in the open as Iranian authorities blamed Israel. Fakhrizadeh was known to be "mastermind of Iran's nuclear programme" and even Israel PM Netanyahu had talked about him. In 2007, Fakhrizadeh was targeted with UN sanctions along with other "persons involved in nuclear or ballistic missile activities" for Iran. Amid the arrival of INS Magen, Israel's Defence Minister Benny Gantz had frozen a probe into the purchase of German submarines built by ThyssenKrupp amid corruption charges.

German-made Sa'ar 6 warship arrives in Israel amid Iran tensions

British leaders who were invited to India's Republic Day

As the UK approved the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/took-steps-to-accelerate-covid-19-vaccine-process-without-shortcuts-german-firm-biontech-346949">Pfizer-BioNTech's</a> coronavirus vaccine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered "large-scale" vaccinations in the country with the Sputnik V.

Watch:

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Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu had said earlier that military had started a mass coronavirus <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-becomes-first-country-to-approve-pfizer-biontech-covid-vaccine-for-general-use-346858">vaccination</a> campaign aimed at vaccinating 400,000 servicemen. The defence ministry had announced that 2,500 soldiers were already been vaccinated.

"I would ask you to organise the work so that by the end of next week we will have started this large-scale vaccination," Putin said. The Russian president asserted that teachers and health workers would be the first to get the vaccine.

Russian authorities had said that the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine was 95 per cent effective, according to preliminary data. It was the world's first coronavirus vaccine which was unveiled by Putin in August.

The defence ministry was involved in the initial stages of developing the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/clinical-trials-of-sputnik-v-vaccine-begin-in-india-346752">Sputnik V</a> which has been named after the Soviet-era satellite.&nbsp;

Russia has been hit hard with the virus recording 25,487 new coronavirus infections last week taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to over 2,187,990 along with over 38,000 fatalities with Putin declaring the situation as "alarming".

The country has been hit by a second wave of the virus even as authorities have been downplaying the severity of the health crisis. Last month President Putin had announced that Russia had registered a second <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-vaccines-may-be-targetted-by-criminals-warns-interpol-346905">vaccine</a>, EpiVacCorona.

Russian health minister Mikhail Murashko had said that manufacturers would begin mass-producing vaccines in December or January.

As the UK approved the Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered "large-scale" vaccinations in the country with the Sputnik V.

As the UK approved the Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered "large-scale" vaccinations in the country with the Sputnik V. Watch: Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu had said earlier that military had started a mass coronavirus vaccination campaign aimed at vaccinating 400,000 servicemen. The defence ministry had announced that 2,500 soldiers were already been vaccinated. "I would ask you to organise the work so that by the end of next week we will have started this large-scale vaccination," Putin said. The Russian president asserted that teachers and health workers would be the first to get the vaccine. Russian authorities had said that the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine was 95 per cent effective, according to preliminary data. It was the world's first coronavirus vaccine which was unveiled by Putin in August. The defence ministry was involved in the initial stages of developing the Sputnik V which has been named after the Soviet-era satellite. Russia has been hit hard with the virus recording 25,487 new coronavirus infections last week taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to over 2,187,990 along with over 38,000 fatalities with Putin declaring the situation as "alarming". The country has been hit by a second wave of the virus even as authorities have been downplaying the severity of the health crisis. Last month President Putin had announced that Russia had registered a second vaccine, EpiVacCorona. Russian health minister Mikhail Murashko had said that manufacturers would begin mass-producing vaccines in December or January.

After UK, Putin orders mass COVID-19 vaccination in Russia from next week

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-blast-injures-russian-embassy-staff-346820">Afghan</a> government and the Taliban agreed to "procedures" for the intra-Afghan negotiations with discussions set to begin, negotiators said today.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/germany-warns-against-rash-actions-over-troop-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-346714">Also Read:&nbsp;Germany warns against 'rash actions' over troop withdrawal from Afghanistan</a>

The two sides had begun talks in September but it got bogged down over several issues amid escalation in violence.

"I welcome the initial major step taken in Doha today agreeing to the procedural framework that paves the way for discussions about the peace agenda," Dr Abudullah Abdullah, who is the chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, said.

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I welcome the initial major step taken in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Doha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Doha</a> today agreeing to the procedural framework that paves the way for discussions about the peace agenda. I thank the republic’s negotiation team, all facilitators &amp; the host <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Qatar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Qatar</a> for their valuable support.
— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrabdullahCE/status/1334117163372859395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The Trump administration has decided to pull foreign troops out of the country in exchange for security guarantees and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-demands-apology-from-china-for-repugnant-afghan-tweet-346407">Taliban</a>'s pledge to hold talks with the Ghani government.

"As negotiations on a political roadmap and permanent ceasefire begin, we will work hard &nbsp;with all sides for serious reduction of violence and even a ceasefire during this period," US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad said while reiterating that he now expects "rapid progress on a political roadmap and a ceasefire."

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4/4 As negotiations on a political roadmap and permanent ceasefire begin, we will work hard with all sides for serious reduction of violence and even a ceasefire during this period. This is what the Afghan people want and deserve.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) <a href="https://twitter.com/US4AfghanPeace/status/1334108221297004545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The agreement comes after several rounds of talks in Doha over months spearheaded by the United States government. The Taliban had earlier refused to agree to a ceasefire during the talks leading to a deadlock.

The Taliban said, "the procedures including its preamble of the intra-Afghan negotiations has been finalised and from now on, the negotiations will begin on the agenda."

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The procedures including its preamble of the Intra-Afghan Negotiations has been finalized and from now on, the negotiations will begin on the agenda.
— Dr.M.Naeem (@IeaOffice) <a href="https://twitter.com/IeaOffice/status/1334103287080116224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In February, the Trump administration had struck a deal with the Taliban according to which foreign forces were to leave Afghanistan by May 2021 subject to guarantees from the Taliban which included a permanent ceasefire and a power-sharing agreement with the Ghani government.

The talks were given a further boost by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo who called for "expedited discussions" when he met the Taliban representatives and the Afghan government officials in Doha last month. 
&nbsp;

The Afghan government and the Taliban agreed to "procedures" for the intra-Afghan negotiations with discussions set to begin, negotiators said today. Also Read: Germany warns against 'rash actions' over troop withdrawal from Afghanistan The two sides had begun talks in September but it got bogged down over several issues amid escalation in violence.

The Afghan government and the Taliban agreed to "procedures" for the intra-Afghan negotiations with discussions set to begin, negotiators said today. Also Read: Germany warns against 'rash actions' over troop withdrawal from Afghanistan The two sides had begun talks in September but it got bogged down over several issues amid escalation in violence. "I welcome the initial major step taken in Doha today agreeing to the procedural framework that paves the way for discussions about the peace agenda," Dr Abudullah Abdullah, who is the chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, said. I welcome the initial major step taken in #Doha today agreeing to the procedural framework that paves the way for discussions about the peace agenda. I thank the republic’s negotiation team, all facilitators & the host #Qatar for their valuable support. — Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) December 2, 2020 × The Trump administration has decided to pull foreign troops out of the country in exchange for security guarantees and the Taliban's pledge to hold talks with the Ghani government. "As negotiations on a political roadmap and permanent ceasefire begin, we will work hard with all sides for serious reduction of violence and even a ceasefire during this period," US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad said while reiterating that he now expects "rapid progress on a political roadmap and a ceasefire." 4/4 As negotiations on a political roadmap and permanent ceasefire begin, we will work hard with all sides for serious reduction of violence and even a ceasefire during this period. This is what the Afghan people want and deserve. — U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) December 2, 2020 × The agreement comes after several rounds of talks in Doha over months spearheaded by the United States government. The Taliban had earlier refused to agree to a ceasefire during the talks leading to a deadlock. The Taliban said, "the procedures including its preamble of the intra-Afghan negotiations has been finalised and from now on, the negotiations will begin on the agenda." The procedures including its preamble of the Intra-Afghan Negotiations has been finalized and from now on, the negotiations will begin on the agenda. — Dr.M.Naeem (@IeaOffice) December 2, 2020 × In February, the Trump administration had struck a deal with the Taliban according to which foreign forces were to leave Afghanistan by May 2021 subject to guarantees from the Taliban which included a permanent ceasefire and a power-sharing agreement with the Ghani government. The talks were given a further boost by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo who called for "expedited discussions" when he met the Taliban representatives and the Afghan government officials in Doha last month.

Taliban, Afghan government agree to advance talks to next stage

After the UK government approved the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-becomes-first-country-to-approve-pfizer-biontech-covid-vaccine-for-general-use-346858">Pfizer-BioNTech's</a> coronavirus vaccine, German firm BioNTech said it has taken steps to accelerate the process together with authorities&nbsp;without shortcuts.

Watch:

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BioNTech said the first supply in the UK is expected within days based on existing supply agreement. The company said it will be the marketing and authorization holder in the UK, US, EU and certain other countries with Pfizer which will market and distribute BNT162b2 in most countries.

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Exciting news: We received the world’s first authorization of a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vaccine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vaccine</a>, with @MHRA granting emergency use authorization in the UK. More regulatory decisions may come in 2020. More information: <a href="https://t.co/8Fpa22leS5">https://t.co/8Fpa22leS5</a> <a href="https://t.co/mTIO48RgnN">pic.twitter.com/mTIO48RgnN</a>
— BioNTech SE (@BioNTech_Group) <a href="https://twitter.com/BioNTech_Group/status/1334032545768484864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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BioNTech said the formal conditional marketing authorization application was submitted following the rolling review with the European Medicines Agency(EMA).

"We received the world’s first authorization of a COVID19 vaccine, with MHRA granting emergency use authorization in the UK," the company had said earlier.

Amid the euphoria over the vaccine, PM Johnson said: "It's fantastic, the vaccine will begin to be made available across the UK from next week. It's the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-vaccines-may-be-targetted-by-criminals-warns-interpol-346905">Pfizer</a> had announced its vaccine in early November with stage III clinical trial results.

"This authorization is a goal we have been working toward since we first declared that science will win, and we applaud the MHRA for their ability to conduct a careful assessment and take timely action to help protect the people of the UK," BioNTech CEO Bourla said.

"As we anticipate further authorisations and approvals, we are focused on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world," Bourla added.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to meet on December 10 to discuss emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with the European Medicines Agency set to give emergency approval for the vaccine by December 29.

After the UK government approved the Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine, German firm BioNTech said it has taken steps to accelerate the process together with authorities without shortcuts.

After the UK government approved the Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine, German firm BioNTech said it has taken steps to accelerate the process together with authorities without shortcuts. Watch: BioNTech said the first supply in the UK is expected within days based on existing supply agreement. The company said it will be the marketing and authorization holder in the UK, US, EU and certain other countries with Pfizer which will market and distribute BNT162b2 in most countries. Exciting news: We received the world’s first authorization of a #COVID19 #vaccine, with @MHRA granting emergency use authorization in the UK. More regulatory decisions may come in 2020. More information: https://t.co/8Fpa22leS5 pic.twitter.com/mTIO48RgnN — BioNTech SE (@BioNTech_Group) December 2, 2020 × BioNTech said the formal conditional marketing authorization application was submitted following the rolling review with the European Medicines Agency(EMA). "We received the world’s first authorization of a COVID19 vaccine, with MHRA granting emergency use authorization in the UK," the company had said earlier. Amid the euphoria over the vaccine, PM Johnson said: "It's fantastic, the vaccine will begin to be made available across the UK from next week. It's the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again." Pfizer had announced its vaccine in early November with stage III clinical trial results. "This authorization is a goal we have been working toward since we first declared that science will win, and we applaud the MHRA for their ability to conduct a careful assessment and take timely action to help protect the people of the UK," BioNTech CEO Bourla said. "As we anticipate further authorisations and approvals, we are focused on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world," Bourla added. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to meet on December 10 to discuss emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with the European Medicines Agency set to give emergency approval for the vaccine by December 29.

Took steps to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine process without shortcuts: German firm BioNTech

According to German police, a car drove&nbsp;into pedestrians in the western city of Trier injuring several people.

Police confirmed at least two people were killed including a baby. Security officials said there were no indications of a "politically" motived attack.&nbsp;

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I am shocked. I can't believe those things would happen in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trier?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Trier</a>. This is the heart of the city, a street I have walked endless of times, in the morning, after school, in the evening, drunk, with friends, alone, endless of times. Heartbreaking... 😭😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/rN4wOGP5jR">pic.twitter.com/rN4wOGP5jR</a>
— Danny Engels (@G2Danny) <a href="https://twitter.com/G2Danny/status/1333772312471105536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"We have arrested one person, one vehicle has been secured. Two people have died, according to preliminary indications. Please continue to avoid the downtown area," German police told residents.

"Several dead and injured in Trier's inner city," police said, adding, "More info to come. Caring for the injured has absolute priority!"

<img alt="Trier in Germany" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="11d98aa8-17a1-4bf3-a7bc-d51b8d769d53" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Tier1.jpg" />

City mayor Wolfram Leibe said at least 15 people were injured with "some of them with the most severe injuries".

Witnesses said a dark grey Range Rover was being driven at high speed as it hit pedestrians.

<img alt="Trier in Germany" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="59600a4a-c6e5-4903-9689-25e5dfcb9eb0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Trier2.jpg" />

Reports said it was&nbsp;a 51-year-old German man who&nbsp;ploughed through the street&nbsp;for about a kilometre in his car.

Tuesday's incident brought back memories of the 2016 truck attack carnage through the Berlin Christmas market in which 12 people were killed.

German Chancellor spokesman Steffen Seibert called the events in Trier "shocking" as several leaders expressed their shock over the incident and the killing of a baby calling it "brutal".&nbsp;

According to German police, a car drove into pedestrians in the western city of Trier injuring several people. Police confirmed at least two people were killed including a baby.

According to German police, a car drove into pedestrians in the western city of Trier injuring several people. Police confirmed at least two people were killed including a baby. Security officials said there were no indications of a "politically" motived attack. I am shocked. I can't believe those things would happen in #Trier. This is the heart of the city, a street I have walked endless of times, in the morning, after school, in the evening, drunk, with friends, alone, endless of times. Heartbreaking... 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/rN4wOGP5jR — Danny Engels (@G2Danny) December 1, 2020 × "We have arrested one person, one vehicle has been secured. Two people have died, according to preliminary indications. Please continue to avoid the downtown area," German police told residents. "Several dead and injured in Trier's inner city," police said, adding, "More info to come. Caring for the injured has absolute priority!" City mayor Wolfram Leibe said at least 15 people were injured with "some of them with the most severe injuries". Witnesses said a dark grey Range Rover was being driven at high speed as it hit pedestrians. Reports said it was a 51-year-old German man who ploughed through the street for about a kilometre in his car. Tuesday's incident brought back memories of the 2016 truck attack carnage through the Berlin Christmas market in which 12 people were killed. German Chancellor spokesman Steffen Seibert called the events in Trier "shocking" as several leaders expressed their shock over the incident and the killing of a baby calling it "brutal".

Car drives into pedestrians in Germany's Trier city; 2 dead

Canadian Prime Minister&nbsp;Justin&nbsp;Trudeau's&nbsp;"ill-informed comments''&nbsp;relating to farmers in India have exposed his dual stance on&nbsp;Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The protests have also provoked a diplomatic spat between India and Canada&nbsp;which is home to a large Punjabi-origin diaspora.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/trudeau-targets-india-to-pander-to-canadian-punjabi-votebank-346772" hreflang="en">Trudeau targets India to pander to Canadian-Punjabi votebank</a>

Canadian Prime Minister Justin&nbsp;Trudeau&nbsp;published a video message on Twitter in which he said the demonstrations were "concerning" and defended the right to peaceful protest.

"We've reached out through multiple means directly to the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns," he added.

India's foreign ministry responded by hitting out at "ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India", without directly naming&nbsp;Trudeau.

Canada, which&nbsp;had once&nbsp;opposed India’s farm subsidies&nbsp;at the World Trade Organization (WTO), has backed&nbsp;Indian farmers' protests on&nbsp;Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Specifically, according to the complaint, India left out from its notification information on the total value of production of each of the five kinds of pulses and there were issues around the production quantities of the pulses used to calculate market price support as well as the exchange rate used.

Though willing to defend India’s protesting farmers, Canada&nbsp;has always been vocal at the WTO against India’s food subsidy programmes for its staple crops.

A Geneva-based trade official said Canada was&nbsp;“most vocal challengers” to India exceeding the permitted limit of its rice subsidy in 2018-19.

Canada had challenged India&nbsp;at WTO meetings&nbsp;when it sought to defend its agricultural programmes&nbsp;like the minimum support price (MSP) for staple crops such as rice, wheat and pulses.

Developed countries, including Canada, have been raising the issue of India’s food subsidies at WTO meetings for years. With the adoption of a peace clause in 2013, the pressure intensified.

In July this year, Canada, along with the US, Japan and the European Union had questioned India on exceeding the permitted limits on food subsidies given for rice production — also called de minimis levels under WTO norms — to farmers in 2018-19, official sources told ThePrint. The de minis level is determined as 10 per cent of the value of food production.

“In its responses, India reiterated its compliance with the WTO rules, particularly on the Agreement on Agriculture as well as the Bali Ministerial Decision. It maintained the marketing year 2018-2019 was the only year that it exceeded the de minimis support for rice, which explains why it didn’t notify the public stockholding programme for rice prior to that period,” said the trade official.

In order to continue offering food subsidies to the farmers, India had to invoke the peace clause.&nbsp;The peace clause gives protection to developing countries like India, which run public food stockholding, from being dragged into disputes in case they exceed their de minis level.

India, along with other developing countries like Brazil, China and South Africa, obtained a so-called "peace clause"&nbsp;in 2013 under the WTO during one of its ministerial meetings that were held in Bali, Indonesia.

In July, Canada had registered 25 questions to India with regard to its farm subsidy and also explained the impact such food subsidies will have on global agricultural trade.

Subsequently, in September, a slew of questions was posed to India by Canada and other developed nations&nbsp;regarding its “multiple agriculture policies and transparency issues arising from its new domestic support notifications”, said the above-quoted trade official.

From 2015-18, attempts were made by Canada and other developed nations to also question India’s food stocks programme.

In July 2019, several developed countries, including Canada, made&nbsp;an attempt to take India&nbsp;to the WTO dispute settlement body over the MSP issue.

Jayant Dasgupta, former ambassador of India to the WTO, said Canada has repeatedly questioned India’s farm policies.

“It is not in keeping with diplomatic protocol. Canada has questioned India’s farm policies time and again, along with others like the Americans and Australians. Canadians also act at the behest of their major trade partners at the WTO. But as far as their (Canada’s) trade interest goes, they are not large exporters of farm produce, like the Americans or Australians,” Jayant Dasgupta said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "ill-informed comments'' relating to farmers in India have exposed his dual stance on Minimum Support Price (MSP). The protests have also provoked a diplomatic spat between India and Canada which is home to a large Punjabi-origin diaspora.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "ill-informed comments'' relating to farmers in India have exposed his dual stance on Minimum Support Price (MSP). The protests have also provoked a diplomatic spat between India and Canada which is home to a large Punjabi-origin diaspora. Also read: Trudeau targets India to pander to Canadian-Punjabi votebank Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau published a video message on Twitter in which he said the demonstrations were "concerning" and defended the right to peaceful protest. "We've reached out through multiple means directly to the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns," he added. India's foreign ministry responded by hitting out at "ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India", without directly naming Trudeau. Canada, which had once opposed India’s farm subsidies at the World Trade Organization (WTO), has backed Indian farmers' protests on Minimum Support Price (MSP). Specifically, according to the complaint, India left out from its notification information on the total value of production of each of the five kinds of pulses and there were issues around the production quantities of the pulses used to calculate market price support as well as the exchange rate used. Though willing to defend India’s protesting farmers, Canada has always been vocal at the WTO against India’s food subsidy programmes for its staple crops. A Geneva-based trade official said Canada was “most vocal challengers” to India exceeding the permitted limit of its rice subsidy in 2018-19. Canada had challenged India at WTO meetings when it sought to defend its agricultural programmes like the minimum support price (MSP) for staple crops such as rice, wheat and pulses. Developed countries, including Canada, have been raising the issue of India’s food subsidies at WTO meetings for years. With the adoption of a peace clause in 2013, the pressure intensified. In July this year, Canada, along with the US, Japan and the European Union had questioned India on exceeding the permitted limits on food subsidies given for rice production — also called de minimis levels under WTO norms — to farmers in 2018-19, official sources told ThePrint. The de minis level is determined as 10 per cent of the value of food production. “In its responses, India reiterated its compliance with the WTO rules, particularly on the Agreement on Agriculture as well as the Bali Ministerial Decision. It maintained the marketing year 2018-2019 was the only year that it exceeded the de minimis support for rice, which explains why it didn’t notify the public stockholding programme for rice prior to that period,” said the trade official. In order to continue offering food subsidies to the farmers, India had to invoke the peace clause. The peace clause gives protection to developing countries like India, which run public food stockholding, from being dragged into disputes in case they exceed their de minis level. India, along with other developing countries like Brazil, China and South Africa, obtained a so-called "peace clause" in 2013 under the WTO during one of its ministerial meetings that were held in Bali, Indonesia. In July, Canada had registered 25 questions to India with regard to its farm subsidy and also explained the impact such food subsidies will have on global agricultural trade. Subsequently, in September, a slew of questions was posed to India by Canada and other developed nations regarding its “multiple agriculture policies and transparency issues arising from its new domestic support notifications”, said the above-quoted trade official. From 2015-18, attempts were made by Canada and other developed nations to also question India’s food stocks programme. In July 2019, several developed countries, including Canada, made an attempt to take India to the WTO dispute settlement body over the MSP issue. Jayant Dasgupta, former ambassador of India to the WTO, said Canada has repeatedly questioned India’s farm policies. “It is not in keeping with diplomatic protocol. Canada has questioned India’s farm policies time and again, along with others like the Americans and Australians. Canadians also act at the behest of their major trade partners at the WTO. But as far as their (Canada’s) trade interest goes, they are not large exporters of farm produce, like the Americans or Australians,” Jayant Dasgupta said.

Canada's dual stance on Minimum Support Price exposed

On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on a question that goes to the heart of American democracy: Must the government count everyone living in the country, citizens or not, in the census totals that the House of Representatives uses to reallocate its 435 seats among the states?

For more than two centuries, the answer has been “yes.” Both Article 1 of the Constitution and the 14th Amendment require that House seats be allotted according to “the whole number” of persons in each state.

That phrase has long been read to include all the nation’s residents, whether American citizens, foreigners admitted here on visas or immigrants with no documents at all. But President Donald Trump signalled in a memorandum this summer that he intends to exclude immigrants in the country illegally from the 2020 census totals that he hopes to send to the House next year for use in reapportionment.

Federal courts have ruled in three separate lawsuits that Trump lacks that authority, saying in one case that the question was not even close. But the Supreme Court will have the final say. Here’s a rundown of some of the basics behind the issue:

What’s at stake in the case?

First and foremost, the allocation of political power. No precise count of immigrants in the country illegally exists. Trump has ordered the Census Bureau to come up with an estimate, but many experts put the number at about 11 million.

Many are concentrated in states with large immigrant populations, such as New York and Texas, and in states like California and Florida where immigrants in the country illegally also are in demand for farm work. Some of those states and a few others could lose House seats if those immigrants were excluded from census totals.

Conversely, some states with few immigrants in the country illegally could pick up those seats. Alabama, for example, appears set to lose one of its seven House seats in the next reapportionment; the state is arguing in a separate lawsuit that such immigrants are illegally depriving its citizens of fair representation.

Many experts feel that restricting the count to citizens would tend to benefit states that are rural and Republican at the expense of ones that are urban and Democratic. But the Republican Party’s gains probably would be small, most say, given that big Republican states like Texas would be among those that could be affected by the change.

What is the legal argument for excluding immigrants in the country illegally from reapportionment totals?

While the Constitution required House seats to be equally apportioned among the states based on population, the Justice Department argues, federal law gives the president discretion to make policy judgments about whom the census counts. The discretion includes the definition of an “inhabitant” or “usual resident” of the United States, two terms that have historically been used to determine which people qualify to be counted in a census.

The president’s lawyers say federal law gives “virtually unfettered discretion” to the Commerce Department — the federal agency that oversees the Census Bureau — to decide what data is used in counting individual residents of states.

What is the legal argument for continuing to count immigrants in the country illegally?

History, for one: Noncitizens have been counted in every census — and used in every reapportionment of the House — since the very first census was conducted in 1790. In the nation’s early history, a substantial share of the population had migrated from other countries, and for many decades thereafter, some states actively recruited foreigners, legally or not, to provide labor and boost political representation. Both the framers of the Constitution and the drafters of the 14th Amendment debated whether to count all immigrants for apportionment purposes and elected in the end to do so.

Opponents of the president’s plan also say that the Constitution explicitly requires that the decennial census be used for reapportionment and that Trump has no authority to deduct unauthorized immigrants from that census before sending population totals to the House.

How have federal courts ruled on the issue so far?

Three courts — in New York, Maryland and California — have ruled against the White House on varying grounds and in some cases barred the Commerce Department from sending a count of immigrants in the country illegally to the White House. The California court ruled that excluding noncitizens violated both federal law and the Constitution.

In New York, a panel of three judges, two appointed by President George W. Bush and one by President Barack Obama, said unanimously that “the merits of the parties’ dispute are not particularly close or complicated.”

The panel said federal law requires the government to produce a single set of population figures for reapportionment, making Trump’s plan for a separate estimate of such immigrants moot. The judges also said that “so long as they reside in the United States, illegal aliens qualify as ‘persons’ in a ‘state’ as Congress used those words.”

Because of that, the judges said, there was no need to take up the question of whether the president’s plan also violated the Constitution.

Is it even possible to count the number of immigrants in the country illegally?

It would be extremely hard, if only because many of them are trying their best to avoid being seen for fear of deportation.

The Trump administration had ordered the Census Bureau to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census in an attempt to come up with a tally, but the Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the Commerce Department had failed to offer a plausible explanation of why the question was needed.

On the president’s order, a Census Bureau task force is working to provide a count anyway, mostly by sifting through federal and state records that show conclusively who is a citizen — and by implication, who is not.

A handful of records, such as compilations of people marked for deportation, do identify people who are in the county illegally, but those tallies are a small fraction of the entire population of such immigrants.

It appears unlikely that the bureau will produce an estimate by the Dec. 31 statutory deadline for sending population totals to the White House. Its experts are racing to complete a count in time to accompany the delivery of preliminary census figures to Congress in early January.

On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on a question that goes to the heart of American democracy: Must the government count everyone living in the country, citizens or not, in the census totals that the House of Representatives uses to reallocate its 435 seats among the states?

On Monday, the Supreme Court heard arguments on a question that goes to the heart of American democracy: Must the government count everyone living in the country, citizens or not, in the census totals that the House of Representatives uses to reallocate its 435 seats among the states? For more than two centuries, the answer has been “yes.” Both Article 1 of the Constitution and the 14th Amendment require that House seats be allotted according to “the whole number” of persons in each state. That phrase has long been read to include all the nation’s residents, whether American citizens, foreigners admitted here on visas or immigrants with no documents at all. But President Donald Trump signalled in a memorandum this summer that he intends to exclude immigrants in the country illegally from the 2020 census totals that he hopes to send to the House next year for use in reapportionment. Federal courts have ruled in three separate lawsuits that Trump lacks that authority, saying in one case that the question was not even close. But the Supreme Court will have the final say. Here’s a rundown of some of the basics behind the issue: What’s at stake in the case? First and foremost, the allocation of political power. No precise count of immigrants in the country illegally exists. Trump has ordered the Census Bureau to come up with an estimate, but many experts put the number at about 11 million. Many are concentrated in states with large immigrant populations, such as New York and Texas, and in states like California and Florida where immigrants in the country illegally also are in demand for farm work. Some of those states and a few others could lose House seats if those immigrants were excluded from census totals. Conversely, some states with few immigrants in the country illegally could pick up those seats. Alabama, for example, appears set to lose one of its seven House seats in the next reapportionment; the state is arguing in a separate lawsuit that such immigrants are illegally depriving its citizens of fair representation. Many experts feel that restricting the count to citizens would tend to benefit states that are rural and Republican at the expense of ones that are urban and Democratic. But the Republican Party’s gains probably would be small, most say, given that big Republican states like Texas would be among those that could be affected by the change. What is the legal argument for excluding immigrants in the country illegally from reapportionment totals? While the Constitution required House seats to be equally apportioned among the states based on population, the Justice Department argues, federal law gives the president discretion to make policy judgments about whom the census counts. The discretion includes the definition of an “inhabitant” or “usual resident” of the United States, two terms that have historically been used to determine which people qualify to be counted in a census. The president’s lawyers say federal law gives “virtually unfettered discretion” to the Commerce Department — the federal agency that oversees the Census Bureau — to decide what data is used in counting individual residents of states. What is the legal argument for continuing to count immigrants in the country illegally? History, for one: Noncitizens have been counted in every census — and used in every reapportionment of the House — since the very first census was conducted in 1790. In the nation’s early history, a substantial share of the population had migrated from other countries, and for many decades thereafter, some states actively recruited foreigners, legally or not, to provide labor and boost political representation. Both the framers of the Constitution and the drafters of the 14th Amendment debated whether to count all immigrants for apportionment purposes and elected in the end to do so. Opponents of the president’s plan also say that the Constitution explicitly requires that the decennial census be used for reapportionment and that Trump has no authority to deduct unauthorized immigrants from that census before sending population totals to the House. How have federal courts ruled on the issue so far? Three courts — in New York, Maryland and California — have ruled against the White House on varying grounds and in some cases barred the Commerce Department from sending a count of immigrants in the country illegally to the White House. The California court ruled that excluding noncitizens violated both federal law and the Constitution. In New York, a panel of three judges, two appointed by President George W. Bush and one by President Barack Obama, said unanimously that “the merits of the parties’ dispute are not particularly close or complicated.” The panel said federal law requires the government to produce a single set of population figures for reapportionment, making Trump’s plan for a separate estimate of such immigrants moot. The judges also said that “so long as they reside in the United States, illegal aliens qualify as ‘persons’ in a ‘state’ as Congress used those words.” Because of that, the judges said, there was no need to take up the question of whether the president’s plan also violated the Constitution. Is it even possible to count the number of immigrants in the country illegally? It would be extremely hard, if only because many of them are trying their best to avoid being seen for fear of deportation. The Trump administration had ordered the Census Bureau to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census in an attempt to come up with a tally, but the Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that the Commerce Department had failed to offer a plausible explanation of why the question was needed. On the president’s order, a Census Bureau task force is working to provide a count anyway, mostly by sifting through federal and state records that show conclusively who is a citizen — and by implication, who is not. A handful of records, such as compilations of people marked for deportation, do identify people who are in the county illegally, but those tallies are a small fraction of the entire population of such immigrants. It appears unlikely that the bureau will produce an estimate by the Dec. 31 statutory deadline for sending population totals to the White House. Its experts are racing to complete a count in time to accompany the delivery of preliminary census figures to Congress in early January.

A census case that goes to the heart of American democracy

Justin Trudeau is not an average world leader. He enjoys a level of global popularity that rivals rockstars. He is a leader who could probably charm his way through a negotiation.

However, in India, the Canadian prime minister has a different kind of reputation. He has been accused of encouraging separatism against India on Canadian soil. His office invited a convicted terrorist for a reception.

Now, Trudeau has become the first foreign leader to meddle in India's internal affairs. Last week, thousands of Indian farmers launched a protest against three new farmer laws brought in by the government of India. The protest continues, however, the Indian government has opened a dialogue with the farmers.

Ultimately, it is about laws made in India, by the Indian government for the Indian farmer. Foreign leaders have no business talking about it despite knowing that Justin Trudeau and some other foreign leaders decided to weigh-in on India's domestic issues since they want to cater to their own vote banks at home.

That's exactly what Justin Trudeau is trying to do.

The Canadian prime minister was addressing the Canadian-Punjabi community during Gurupurab which kick-started an entire row. It is an influential voting bloc. In the last election, 18 Sikhs were elected to the Canadian parliament. Just for reference, 13 Sikhs were elected to India's lower House last year.

Trudeau's cabinet has four Sikhs. So, the community has a voice at the highest levels of power but that doesn't mean, they get a voice in India's internal affairs. India has made that amply clear with a statement of its own.

The ministry of external affairs said: "We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially pertaining to the internal affairs of a Democratic country. It is also best that diplomatic &nbsp;conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes."

The statement isn't just for Trudeau but for all those leaders abroad who chose to weigh in on the protests in India. It includes Canadian opposition leader Jagmeet Singh whose party started a petition on its website calling on Justin Trudeau to make a statement on the protests in India.

There were other Canadian lawmakers who issued similar statements recently. Some lawmakers from Great Britain have made similar noises too. These are not Indian MPs. They don't have a vote within the Indian parliament. They have no power to influence the laws made in India. They simply pander to their vote banks.

The question is why wouldn't Justin Trudeau express concern when Islamists held Islamabad hostage during protests against Emmanuel Macron or over the situation in &nbsp;Thailand where citizens were targeted by the police for protesting against the monarchy.

Justin Trudeau is catering to the voters at home, something that got him into trouble a few years ago.

Justin Trudeau is not an average world leader. He enjoys a level of global popularity that rivals rockstars. He is a leader who could probably charm his way through a negotiation.

Justin Trudeau is not an average world leader. He enjoys a level of global popularity that rivals rockstars. He is a leader who could probably charm his way through a negotiation. However, in India, the Canadian prime minister has a different kind of reputation. He has been accused of encouraging separatism against India on Canadian soil. His office invited a convicted terrorist for a reception. Now, Trudeau has become the first foreign leader to meddle in India's internal affairs. Last week, thousands of Indian farmers launched a protest against three new farmer laws brought in by the government of India. The protest continues, however, the Indian government has opened a dialogue with the farmers. Ultimately, it is about laws made in India, by the Indian government for the Indian farmer. Foreign leaders have no business talking about it despite knowing that Justin Trudeau and some other foreign leaders decided to weigh-in on India's domestic issues since they want to cater to their own vote banks at home. That's exactly what Justin Trudeau is trying to do. The Canadian prime minister was addressing the Canadian-Punjabi community during Gurupurab which kick-started an entire row. It is an influential voting bloc. In the last election, 18 Sikhs were elected to the Canadian parliament. Just for reference, 13 Sikhs were elected to India's lower House last year. Trudeau's cabinet has four Sikhs. So, the community has a voice at the highest levels of power but that doesn't mean, they get a voice in India's internal affairs. India has made that amply clear with a statement of its own. The ministry of external affairs said: "We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially pertaining to the internal affairs of a Democratic country. It is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes." The statement isn't just for Trudeau but for all those leaders abroad who chose to weigh in on the protests in India. It includes Canadian opposition leader Jagmeet Singh whose party started a petition on its website calling on Justin Trudeau to make a statement on the protests in India. There were other Canadian lawmakers who issued similar statements recently. Some lawmakers from Great Britain have made similar noises too. These are not Indian MPs. They don't have a vote within the Indian parliament. They have no power to influence the laws made in India. They simply pander to their vote banks. The question is why wouldn't Justin Trudeau express concern when Islamists held Islamabad hostage during protests against Emmanuel Macron or over the situation in Thailand where citizens were targeted by the police for protesting against the monarchy. Justin Trudeau is catering to the voters at home, something that got him into trouble a few years ago.

Trudeau targets India to pander to Canadian-Punjabi votebank

There's been a lot of buzz around Indian-Americans being a part of Joe Biden's cabinet with a plethora of likely names doing the rounds but so far only a few have been confirmed.

The names include 50-year-old Neera Tanden. The US president-elect has nominated Neera Tanden as the director of the office of management and budget. It is a top position inside the White House responsible for managing the administration's budget.

50-year-old Tanden will be the first woman of colour to head the influential post.

She was born in Bedford, Massachusetts to immigrant parents from India and studied arts at the University of California. She graduated from Yale law school in 1996 and then went on to work for think tanks and various Senatorial and presidential campaigns of the Democratic party.

She is currently the chief executive of the "Left-leaning" centre for American progress. Her nomination to the White House is said to be a &nbsp;part of Joe Biden's plan to build a team of liberal and centrist economic advisers.

These advisers will be working alongside the treasury secretary nominee Janet Yellen. As head of the office of management, Neera Tanden would be responsible for preparing Joe Biden's budget submissions. She would command several hundred budget analysts - economists and policy advisers within the next US government.

While accepting her nomination to the high-profile post, Tanden said: "After my parents were divorced when I was young, my mother relied on public food and housing programs to get by. Now, I’m being nominated to help ensure those programs are secure, and ensure families like mine can live with dignity. I am beyond honored."

Besides Neera Tanden, another Indian-American is already part of Team Biden. Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist who traces her roots to a village in Tamil Nadu. She was named to the coronavirus task force set up by Biden earlier this month.

Another Indian-American who co-chairs Joe Biden's COVID-19 task force is surgeon general Vivek Murthy. His family hails from Karnataka and he received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University. He served as a surgeon-general under the Obama administration as well but in 2017, he was asked to step down by the Trump administration.

Murthy's inclusion in Biden's COVID-19 task force marks his return to mainstream policy-making.&nbsp;

There's been a lot of buzz around Indian-Americans being a part of Joe Biden's cabinet with a plethora of likely names doing the rounds but so far only a few have been confirmed.

There's been a lot of buzz around Indian-Americans being a part of Joe Biden's cabinet with a plethora of likely names doing the rounds but so far only a few have been confirmed. The names include 50-year-old Neera Tanden. The US president-elect has nominated Neera Tanden as the director of the office of management and budget. It is a top position inside the White House responsible for managing the administration's budget. 50-year-old Tanden will be the first woman of colour to head the influential post. She was born in Bedford, Massachusetts to immigrant parents from India and studied arts at the University of California. She graduated from Yale law school in 1996 and then went on to work for think tanks and various Senatorial and presidential campaigns of the Democratic party. She is currently the chief executive of the "Left-leaning" centre for American progress. Her nomination to the White House is said to be a part of Joe Biden's plan to build a team of liberal and centrist economic advisers. These advisers will be working alongside the treasury secretary nominee Janet Yellen. As head of the office of management, Neera Tanden would be responsible for preparing Joe Biden's budget submissions. She would command several hundred budget analysts - economists and policy advisers within the next US government. While accepting her nomination to the high-profile post, Tanden said: "After my parents were divorced when I was young, my mother relied on public food and housing programs to get by. Now, I’m being nominated to help ensure those programs are secure, and ensure families like mine can live with dignity. I am beyond honored." Besides Neera Tanden, another Indian-American is already part of Team Biden. Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist who traces her roots to a village in Tamil Nadu. She was named to the coronavirus task force set up by Biden earlier this month. Another Indian-American who co-chairs Joe Biden's COVID-19 task force is surgeon general Vivek Murthy. His family hails from Karnataka and he received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University. He served as a surgeon-general under the Obama administration as well but in 2017, he was asked to step down by the Trump administration. Murthy's inclusion in Biden's COVID-19 task force marks his return to mainstream policy-making.

Indian-Americans named in Biden's cabinet

China's state media said the country's Chang'e-5&nbsp;mission&nbsp;has successfully landed on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/did-we-just-discover-the-moons-long-lost-sibling-340734">Moon</a> to retrieve lunar surface samples.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-brief-history-of-lunar-missions-248094/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

China had launched the spacecraft on November 24 to help scientists learn about the Moon's origins. It is the first attempt by any nation to retrieve Moon samples after the United States and the former Soviet Union nearly 50 years ago.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-launches-first-unmanned-spacecraft-to-moon-to-collect-lunar-rocks-344985">Also Read:&nbsp;China launches first unmanned spacecraft to Moon to collect lunar rocks</a>

The spacecraft will drill into the Moon's surface with a robotic arm and transfer the samples to a vehicle.&nbsp;

The Long March 5 rocket carrying the Chang'e-5&nbsp;probe had blasted off from the Wenchang Space Center on in the island province of Hainan. The mission was initially set to take off in 2017 but due to engine failure of the Long March 5 rocket had to be put off to a later date.

The Chang'e 5 spacecraft is set to bring back two kilograms of Moon surface from the "Oceanus Procellarum" part of the Moon which hasn't been explored earlier.&nbsp;

The sample is set to sent back to earth in a capsule and will likely land in northern China's Inner Mongolia region in early December.

Chinese authorities have named the Chang'e-5 mission after the ancient Chinese goddess of the Moon is the country's most ambitious project yet with the country aiming for manned mission to begin around 2022.

China is also planning to build a base on the Moon aimed at establishing a lunar mission by 2029.

 
&nbsp;

China's state media said the country's Chang'e-5 mission has successfully landed on the Moon to retrieve lunar surface samples. Watch: China had launched the spacecraft on November 24 to help scientists learn about the Moon's origins.

China's state media said the country's Chang'e-5 mission has successfully landed on the Moon to retrieve lunar surface samples. Watch: China had launched the spacecraft on November 24 to help scientists learn about the Moon's origins. It is the first attempt by any nation to retrieve Moon samples after the United States and the former Soviet Union nearly 50 years ago. Also Read: China launches first unmanned spacecraft to Moon to collect lunar rocks The spacecraft will drill into the Moon's surface with a robotic arm and transfer the samples to a vehicle. The Long March 5 rocket carrying the Chang'e-5 probe had blasted off from the Wenchang Space Center on in the island province of Hainan. The mission was initially set to take off in 2017 but due to engine failure of the Long March 5 rocket had to be put off to a later date. The Chang'e 5 spacecraft is set to bring back two kilograms of Moon surface from the "Oceanus Procellarum" part of the Moon which hasn't been explored earlier. The sample is set to sent back to earth in a capsule and will likely land in northern China's Inner Mongolia region in early December. Chinese authorities have named the Chang'e-5 mission after the ancient Chinese goddess of the Moon is the country's most ambitious project yet with the country aiming for manned mission to begin around 2022. China is also planning to build a base on the Moon aimed at establishing a lunar mission by 2029.

China's lunar probe Chang'e-5 mission lands on Moon: Report

According to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/anti-parasitic-drug-successfully-kills-covid-19-in-48-hours-reveals-study-346727">COVID</a> tracking project in the US, the death toll in the country continues to rise by the "Thanksgiving holiday and weekend".

Watch:

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The data shows hospitalizations in the US are at the record-high level of 96,039.

"Hospitalizations have doubled since November 1 and tripled since October 1," it said, adding that "we should see 100k hospitalizations in the next couple of days."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our daily update is published. Our testing, case, and death statistics continue to be affected by the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. Hospitalizations are less affected by the data slowdown and are at the record-high level of 96,039. <a href="https://t.co/Z849KJR8JJ">pic.twitter.com/Z849KJR8JJ</a>
— The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) <a href="https://twitter.com/COVID19Tracking/status/1333573974404460546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Top US scientist Anthony Fauci had warned that Americans should brace for &nbsp;"surge upon a surge" in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/positive-test-rate-of-11-frances-schools-remain-open-346698">COVID-19 </a>cases as people travellers return home from Thanksgiving holidays.

The United States is the worst-hit country in the world with the virus with over 13 million coronavirus cases and 266,831 deaths. The country had recorded 140,651 COVID-19 cases on Monday taking the total number of cases to 13,373,673 with 822 fatalities.

Several million Americans had reportedly even after the US government had issued guidelines cautioning citizens against travel.

Last week the United States registered over 2,400 coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours which is the highest death toll in six months with 200,000 new coronavirus cases as Americans criss-crossd the country to be with family and friends during Thanksgiving.

Amid the rise in cases, US firm Moderna said it would file requests for emergency authorization of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-europe-before-the-end-of-2020-pfizer-biontech-files-for-eu-approval-of-coronavirus-vaccine-346707">vaccine </a>in the United States and Europe with American pharma giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech applying for approvals last week.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said its vaccine committee will sit on December 10 to discuss the approval for emergency use authorization.

"The FDA recognizes that transparency and dialogue are critical for the public to have confidence in COVID-19 vaccines," it said, adding,"I want to assure the American people that the FDA's process and evaluation of the data for a potential Covid-19 vaccine will be as open and transparent as possible."

According to COVID tracking project in the US, the death toll in the country continues to rise by the "Thanksgiving holiday and weekend". Watch: The data shows hospitalizations in the US are at the record-high level of 96,039.

According to COVID tracking project in the US, the death toll in the country continues to rise by the "Thanksgiving holiday and weekend". Watch: The data shows hospitalizations in the US are at the record-high level of 96,039. "Hospitalizations have doubled since November 1 and tripled since October 1," it said, adding that "we should see 100k hospitalizations in the next couple of days." Our daily update is published. Our testing, case, and death statistics continue to be affected by the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. Hospitalizations are less affected by the data slowdown and are at the record-high level of 96,039. pic.twitter.com/Z849KJR8JJ — The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) December 1, 2020 × Top US scientist Anthony Fauci had warned that Americans should brace for "surge upon a surge" in COVID-19 cases as people travellers return home from Thanksgiving holidays. The United States is the worst-hit country in the world with the virus with over 13 million coronavirus cases and 266,831 deaths. The country had recorded 140,651 COVID-19 cases on Monday taking the total number of cases to 13,373,673 with 822 fatalities. Several million Americans had reportedly even after the US government had issued guidelines cautioning citizens against travel. Last week the United States registered over 2,400 coronavirus-related deaths in 24 hours which is the highest death toll in six months with 200,000 new coronavirus cases as Americans criss-crossd the country to be with family and friends during Thanksgiving. Amid the rise in cases, US firm Moderna said it would file requests for emergency authorization of the vaccine in the United States and Europe with American pharma giant Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech applying for approvals last week. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said its vaccine committee will sit on December 10 to discuss the approval for emergency use authorization. "The FDA recognizes that transparency and dialogue are critical for the public to have confidence in COVID-19 vaccines," it said, adding,"I want to assure the American people that the FDA's process and evaluation of the data for a potential Covid-19 vaccine will be as open and transparent as possible."

100k hospitalizations in next couple of days: US data on coronavirus

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