China knows how to control the narrative both at home and abroad. The Dragon has now attempted to control the minds of Indian newspaper readers.

The method Beijing uses is very simple - make one of its officials write an op-ed for a newspaper. An opinion piece in leading Indian dailies that carry them without understanding the hidden motives...

In February 2020, the coronavirus was slowly spreading and nobody knew about the danger it posed to global economies including India, however, China knew about it.&nbsp;

On February 29, the Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong published an opinion piece in one of India's leading newspaper - Economic Times. The title of the op-ed piece was "China's economy: the open road to development" - a one-sided narrative on how the world and especially India will need China's help for what was coming.

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The opinion piece said: "At present, the Chinese government and people are making all-out efforts to combat the novel coronavirus, China's efforts are not only protecting the health of its own people, but also that of the people of the world, including India."

The opinion piece was China's attempt at telling Indians how generous it is, but Indians know everything on how the Chinese military provoked India, grabbed Indian land and killed Indian soldiers.

Another on March 13 was penned by the Chinese ambassador to India. It was carried by The Hindu one of the oldest newspapers in India. It is published in 21 locations and 11 states and many Indians read it. The Hindu carried an op-ed titled: "Fighting COVID-19 together for a shared future". An exhaustive piece of Chinese propaganda. It talked about how the Chinese government had mobilised its efforts to contain the virus and how it was helping countries with medical equipment and research including how it had effectively maintained social stability.

Almost every leading Indian news daily is guilty of providing a platform to Chinese views and propaganda. &nbsp;On April 2, The Times of India carried this op-ed again by the Chinese ambassador titled: "A seven decades journey: Charting a new course for the Dragon-Elephant tango" with an attached photo of a dragon and elephant shaking hands.

On April 6, the Free Press Journal carried the op-ed: "India and China can show the way in fighting the virus" which was co-authored by China's consular general in Mumbai Mr Tang Guocai&nbsp;and Sudheendra Kulkarni - a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party.

On May 1, the Chinese ambassador wrote an opinion piece for the Hindustan Times titled: "Viruses don't respect border!&nbsp;

It&nbsp;triggered a wave of Indian media houses doing China's bidding.&nbsp;These are just some examples but all of us know how most Indian media groups work as both print and TV maintained absolute silence for months on China's culpability in spreading the Wuhan virus to the world. It took a border provocation by China to burst their bubble while WION reported each and every fact about China's growing aggression from the word go!

The opinion pieces with a pro-China spin to every event and crisis was&nbsp;designed to look like personal views but a look at the people behind these personal views shows that they are mostly Chinese officials posted in India.

China knows how to control the narrative both at home and abroad. The Dragon has now attempted to control the minds of Indian newspaper readers. The method Beijing uses is very simple - make one of its officials write an op-ed for a newspaper.

China knows how to control the narrative both at home and abroad. The Dragon has now attempted to control the minds of Indian newspaper readers. The method Beijing uses is very simple - make one of its officials write an op-ed for a newspaper. An opinion piece in leading Indian dailies that carry them without understanding the hidden motives... In February 2020, the coronavirus was slowly spreading and nobody knew about the danger it posed to global economies including India, however, China knew about it. On February 29, the Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong published an opinion piece in one of India's leading newspaper - Economic Times. The title of the op-ed piece was "China's economy: the open road to development" - a one-sided narrative on how the world and especially India will need China's help for what was coming. × The opinion piece said: "At present, the Chinese government and people are making all-out efforts to combat the novel coronavirus, China's efforts are not only protecting the health of its own people, but also that of the people of the world, including India." The opinion piece was China's attempt at telling Indians how generous it is, but Indians know everything on how the Chinese military provoked India, grabbed Indian land and killed Indian soldiers. Another on March 13 was penned by the Chinese ambassador to India. It was carried by The Hindu one of the oldest newspapers in India. It is published in 21 locations and 11 states and many Indians read it. The Hindu carried an op-ed titled: "Fighting COVID-19 together for a shared future". An exhaustive piece of Chinese propaganda. It talked about how the Chinese government had mobilised its efforts to contain the virus and how it was helping countries with medical equipment and research including how it had effectively maintained social stability. Almost every leading Indian news daily is guilty of providing a platform to Chinese views and propaganda. On April 2, The Times of India carried this op-ed again by the Chinese ambassador titled: "A seven decades journey: Charting a new course for the Dragon-Elephant tango" with an attached photo of a dragon and elephant shaking hands. On April 6, the Free Press Journal carried the op-ed: "India and China can show the way in fighting the virus" which was co-authored by China's consular general in Mumbai Mr Tang Guocai and Sudheendra Kulkarni - a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party. On May 1, the Chinese ambassador wrote an opinion piece for the Hindustan Times titled: "Viruses don't respect border! It triggered a wave of Indian media houses doing China's bidding. These are just some examples but all of us know how most Indian media groups work as both print and TV maintained absolute silence for months on China's culpability in spreading the Wuhan virus to the world. It took a border provocation by China to burst their bubble while WION reported each and every fact about China's growing aggression from the word go! The opinion pieces with a pro-China spin to every event and crisis was designed to look like personal views but a look at the people behind these personal views shows that they are mostly Chinese officials posted in India.

How China managed to manipulate opinion pieces in India on coronavirus

As France said there was no "second wave" in the country, Britain on Thursday extended the period of coronavirus self-isolation from seven to 10 days.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-masks-for-nordic-nations-day-or-night-to-keep-coronavirus-away-317078">Also Read:&nbsp;No masks for Nordic nations</a>

Britain had earlier introduced a 14-day quarantine period for anyone returning from Spain. A heatwave in Europe made wearing masks even more difficult as the continent continues to reel under the epidemic as Spain's meteorological agency said hot air was coming from Africa.

In Rome, the temperature soared to 38 degree centigrade as Switzerland issued an alert to stay hydrated. Residents in Madrid experienced the heatwave as well amid the pandemic.

Amid the rising number of cases, British PM Boris Johnson said: "It is absolutely vital as a country that we continue to keep our focus and our discipline, and that we don't delude ourselves that somehow we are out of the woods or that that is all over, because it isn't all over," amid reports of growing coronavirus infections in Europe.

The virus cases have soared in Britain as well with 763 new cases&nbsp;reported. The UK has been the worst affected country in the European zone recording nearly 45,000 deaths.

According to UK's Office for National Statistics, England had "the longest continuous period of excess mortality of any country" in the first half of this year.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization(WHO) said that young people letting down to enjoy the summer holidays were driving up cases in some countries referring to Europe even as Spanish region of Catalonia warned young people to stop partying to help halt the surge.

As France said there was no "second wave" in the country, Britain on Thursday extended the period of coronavirus self-isolation from seven to 10 days. Also Read: No masks for Nordic nations Britain had earlier introduced a 14-day quarantine period for anyone returning from Spain.

As France said there was no "second wave" in the country, Britain on Thursday extended the period of coronavirus self-isolation from seven to 10 days. Also Read: No masks for Nordic nations Britain had earlier introduced a 14-day quarantine period for anyone returning from Spain. A heatwave in Europe made wearing masks even more difficult as the continent continues to reel under the epidemic as Spain's meteorological agency said hot air was coming from Africa. In Rome, the temperature soared to 38 degree centigrade as Switzerland issued an alert to stay hydrated. Residents in Madrid experienced the heatwave as well amid the pandemic. Amid the rising number of cases, British PM Boris Johnson said: "It is absolutely vital as a country that we continue to keep our focus and our discipline, and that we don't delude ourselves that somehow we are out of the woods or that that is all over, because it isn't all over," amid reports of growing coronavirus infections in Europe. The virus cases have soared in Britain as well with 763 new cases reported. The UK has been the worst affected country in the European zone recording nearly 45,000 deaths. According to UK's Office for National Statistics, England had "the longest continuous period of excess mortality of any country" in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization(WHO) said that young people letting down to enjoy the summer holidays were driving up cases in some countries referring to Europe even as Spanish region of Catalonia warned young people to stop partying to help halt the surge.

UK extends self-isolation period as Europe reels under heatwave amid pandemic

Big tech firms delivered robust results Thursday, underscoring growing consumer reliance on giants like Amazon during the pandemic as well as their extraordinary economic power -- the subject of a heated US congressional hearing a day earlier.

The results from Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google parent Alphabet -- ironically the same firms whose chief executives were in the spotlight at an antitrust hearing in Congress this week -- were largely better than expected.

The reports illustrated the increasing importance of social networks, digital content and connected devices which have been seen as a lifeline to pandemic-hit consumers.

Apple profits rose eight percent to $11.2 billion and revenues were up 11 percent to $59.7 billion in the three months ending June 27.

The California tech giant saw a modest increase in iPhone sales, with more significant rise for accessories and services such as its apps and digital content.

"In uncertain times, this performance is a testament to the important role our products play in our customers' lives and to Apple's relentless innovation," chief executive Tim Cook said.

Analyst Daniel Ives at Wedbush Securities said the results show momentum for Apple as it readies its new iPhone 12.

"The stage is setting up for a massive pent up iPhone 12 cycle heading into the fall," Ives said in a research note.&nbsp;

Amazon meanwhile said profits nearly doubled to $5.2 billion on sales that climbed 40 percent to $88.9 billion.

"This was another highly unusual quarter, and I couldn't be more proud of and grateful to our employees around the globe," said Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos.

Amid rising sales in its grocery, video and cloud computing operations, Amazon has told investors it expects to spend all its profits this year on costs related to keeping employees and customers safe during the pandemic.

"This phenomenal set of results from Amazon underlines how much shopping habits shifted during the pandemic period both in the US and around the world," Neil Saunders of the research firm GlobalData Retail said.

"Many of those changes were to Amazon's advantage as shoppers became increasingly digital and went online to fulfil their various needs."

Facebook said its profits doubled to $5.2 billion compared with the same period last year, when it paid a hefty fine to US regulators.

Revenue rose 11 percent to $18.7 billion, suggesting minimal impact from an ad boycott of the leading social network over its handling of hateful content and misinformation.

Facebook said its core social network grew to 2.7 billion while its total audience including its "family" of apps had more than 3.1 billion users.

Analyst Debra Aho Williamson of eMarketer said Facebook's ad business "was negatively affected by the global pandemic, but the impact was much less than many had expected."

Williamson said she believes Instagram "has played a major role in Facebook's ability to withstand the effects of the pandemic," even though details from the platform were not disclosed.

Alphabet reported a rare drop in revenue and profit in a quarterly update that nonetheless topped market expectations.

Profit slumped some 30 percent to $6.96 billion from a year for the online giant that relies on digital advertising for most of its income.

Revenues dipped two percent to $38 billion, as chief financial officer Ruth Porat said: "We continue to navigate through a difficult global economic environment."

Alphabet shares edged up slightly in after-market trades following the release, while the other firms showed stronger share increases.

As people hunkered down at home due to the pandemic, Alphabet saw growth in demand for entertainment content at YouTube and its online Play shop as well for cloud services being relied on increasingly for learning, work and online commerce.

In Washington on Wednesday, the CEOs of the four tech firms faced an onslaught of criticism from US lawmakers at an antitrust hearing which could lay the groundwork for tougher regulation of the major internet platforms.

"Simply put, they have too much power," said Representative David Cicilline, a Democrat from the state of Rhode Island who chairs the panel.

Cicilline said the hearing made clear that the firms "have monopoly power -- some need to be broken up, all need to be properly regulated and held accountable."

Big tech firms delivered robust results Thursday, underscoring growing consumer reliance on giants like Amazon during the pandemic as well as their extraordinary economic power -- the subject of a heated US congressional hearing a day earlier.

Big tech firms delivered robust results Thursday, underscoring growing consumer reliance on giants like Amazon during the pandemic as well as their extraordinary economic power -- the subject of a heated US congressional hearing a day earlier. The results from Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google parent Alphabet -- ironically the same firms whose chief executives were in the spotlight at an antitrust hearing in Congress this week -- were largely better than expected. The reports illustrated the increasing importance of social networks, digital content and connected devices which have been seen as a lifeline to pandemic-hit consumers. Apple profits rose eight percent to $11.2 billion and revenues were up 11 percent to $59.7 billion in the three months ending June 27. The California tech giant saw a modest increase in iPhone sales, with more significant rise for accessories and services such as its apps and digital content. "In uncertain times, this performance is a testament to the important role our products play in our customers' lives and to Apple's relentless innovation," chief executive Tim Cook said. Analyst Daniel Ives at Wedbush Securities said the results show momentum for Apple as it readies its new iPhone 12. "The stage is setting up for a massive pent up iPhone 12 cycle heading into the fall," Ives said in a research note. Amazon meanwhile said profits nearly doubled to $5.2 billion on sales that climbed 40 percent to $88.9 billion. "This was another highly unusual quarter, and I couldn't be more proud of and grateful to our employees around the globe," said Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos. Amid rising sales in its grocery, video and cloud computing operations, Amazon has told investors it expects to spend all its profits this year on costs related to keeping employees and customers safe during the pandemic. "This phenomenal set of results from Amazon underlines how much shopping habits shifted during the pandemic period both in the US and around the world," Neil Saunders of the research firm GlobalData Retail said. "Many of those changes were to Amazon's advantage as shoppers became increasingly digital and went online to fulfil their various needs." Facebook said its profits doubled to $5.2 billion compared with the same period last year, when it paid a hefty fine to US regulators. Revenue rose 11 percent to $18.7 billion, suggesting minimal impact from an ad boycott of the leading social network over its handling of hateful content and misinformation. Facebook said its core social network grew to 2.7 billion while its total audience including its "family" of apps had more than 3.1 billion users. Analyst Debra Aho Williamson of eMarketer said Facebook's ad business "was negatively affected by the global pandemic, but the impact was much less than many had expected." Williamson said she believes Instagram "has played a major role in Facebook's ability to withstand the effects of the pandemic," even though details from the platform were not disclosed. Alphabet reported a rare drop in revenue and profit in a quarterly update that nonetheless topped market expectations. Profit slumped some 30 percent to $6.96 billion from a year for the online giant that relies on digital advertising for most of its income. Revenues dipped two percent to $38 billion, as chief financial officer Ruth Porat said: "We continue to navigate through a difficult global economic environment." Alphabet shares edged up slightly in after-market trades following the release, while the other firms showed stronger share increases. As people hunkered down at home due to the pandemic, Alphabet saw growth in demand for entertainment content at YouTube and its online Play shop as well for cloud services being relied on increasingly for learning, work and online commerce. In Washington on Wednesday, the CEOs of the four tech firms faced an onslaught of criticism from US lawmakers at an antitrust hearing which could lay the groundwork for tougher regulation of the major internet platforms. "Simply put, they have too much power," said Representative David Cicilline, a Democrat from the state of Rhode Island who chairs the panel. Cicilline said the hearing made clear that the firms "have monopoly power -- some need to be broken up, all need to be properly regulated and held accountable."

Big tech firms show robust results in pandemic-hit quarter; Amazon doubles profits

As Florida reported recorded 257 deaths in the last 24 hours, Hurricane Isaias lashed the Bahamas on Friday and churned its way toward Florida.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-dismisses-accusations-of-hacking-attempt-on-us-vaccine-developer-moderna-317257">Watch:&nbsp;China dismisses accusations of hacking attempt on US vaccine developer Moderna</a>

Hurricane Isaias has been designated as category one storm as the Miami Hurricane centre said Isaias was expected to remain a hurricane for the next few days. It may hit Florida on Sunday, according to weather forecasters with eastern Florida put under a tropical storm watch.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Florida governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to have seven days worth of food, water and medicine even as mayor of Miami-Dade county, Carlos Gimene said: "We have 20 evacuation centers on standby. They're not open and we will have them set up with COVID-19 safety measures."

The virus has already claimed over 6,000 lives in Florida which as become the epicentre with Miami being the worst-hit area.&nbsp;

On Friday, Florida recorded over 9,000 new coronavirus cases with the total number of cases rising to 470,000 which is the second-highest in the country after California. According to national data one person died about every minute from COVID-19 on Wednesday in the United States.

Meanwhile, America's Anthony Fauci while appearing before the House Select Subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis in Washington DC said: “While it remains unclear how long the pandemic will last, COVID-19 activity will likely continue for some time, I do not believe that it will disappear. It is unlikely that it will disappear."

According to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus live tracker, there were 1,379 new deaths from the coronavirus in 24 hours till Thursday with 1,200 deaths for the third day in a row as the total death toll rose to 151,826 which is the highest in the world.

There were 72,238 new infections officially recorded nationwide in the United States on Thursday.

As Florida reported recorded 257 deaths in the last 24 hours, Hurricane Isaias lashed the Bahamas on Friday and churned its way toward Florida. Watch: China dismisses accusations of hacking attempt on US vaccine developer Moderna Hurricane Isaias has been designated as category one storm as the Miami Hurricane centre said Isaias was expected to remain a hurricane for the next few days.

As Florida reported recorded 257 deaths in the last 24 hours, Hurricane Isaias lashed the Bahamas on Friday and churned its way toward Florida. Watch: China dismisses accusations of hacking attempt on US vaccine developer Moderna Hurricane Isaias has been designated as category one storm as the Miami Hurricane centre said Isaias was expected to remain a hurricane for the next few days. It may hit Florida on Sunday, according to weather forecasters with eastern Florida put under a tropical storm watch. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Florida governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to have seven days worth of food, water and medicine even as mayor of Miami-Dade county, Carlos Gimene said: "We have 20 evacuation centers on standby. They're not open and we will have them set up with COVID-19 safety measures." The virus has already claimed over 6,000 lives in Florida which as become the epicentre with Miami being the worst-hit area. On Friday, Florida recorded over 9,000 new coronavirus cases with the total number of cases rising to 470,000 which is the second-highest in the country after California. According to national data one person died about every minute from COVID-19 on Wednesday in the United States. Meanwhile, America's Anthony Fauci while appearing before the House Select Subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis in Washington DC said: “While it remains unclear how long the pandemic will last, COVID-19 activity will likely continue for some time, I do not believe that it will disappear. It is unlikely that it will disappear." According to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus live tracker, there were 1,379 new deaths from the coronavirus in 24 hours till Thursday with 1,200 deaths for the third day in a row as the total death toll rose to 151,826 which is the highest in the world. There were 72,238 new infections officially recorded nationwide in the United States on Thursday.

Hurricane Isaias on way to virus-hit Florida

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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Friday postponed a September&nbsp;6 election for seats in the city legislature for a year because of a spike in novel coronavirus cases, dealing a blow to the pro-democracy opposition hoping to make gains in the vote. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-postpones-elections-over-virus-as-china-crackdown-deepens-317298">Read more</a>

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Amid the growing of coronavirus cases, British PM Boris Johnson today said the UK has "puts brakes on" further reopening as virus cases have risen. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-should-now-squeeze-brake-pedal-on-reopening-says-uk-pm-johnson-amid-surge-in-coronavirus-cases-317306">Read more</a>

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali&nbsp;Khamenei, in a live speech on state TV on Friday, ruled out negotiations with the United States over Tehran's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, calling on Iranians to resist US&nbsp;bullying. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-khamenei-rejects-talks-with-us-over-missile-nuclear-programmes-317295">Read more</a>

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With some countries battling the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus, and some still struggling with containing the first wave, the number of coronavirus cases seem to be increasing at an alarming stage. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-cases-of-covid-19-jumps-to-1723-million-death-toll-crosses-670000-317145">Read more</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/belarus-says-russians-plotted-attacks-kremlin-denies-317199" hreflang="en">Belarus says Russians plotted attacks; Kremlin denies</a>

<img alt="Russia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="789272b1-9e2c-49fd-9919-08fa03dae59d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/bnePeople_Belarus_Lukashenko_Putin_-_luka_make_funny_face_Cropped.jpg" />

Belarus on Thursday accused more than 30 detained Russians of plotting terror attacks amid a presidential election campaign. Kremlin, however, vehemently refuted the allegations. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/belarus-says-russians-plotted-attacks-kremlin-denies-317199">Read more</a>

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uighur-group-calls-for-china-to-lose-2022-winter-olympics-over-genocide-317143" hreflang="en">Uighur group calls for China to lose 2022 Winter Olympics over 'genocide'</a>

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An overseas-based Uighur group urged the IOC on Thursday (Jul 30) to reconsider holding the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because of what it says is China's "genocide" of the Uighur population. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uighur-group-calls-for-china-to-lose-2022-winter-olympics-over-genocide-317143">Read more</a> 
&nbsp;

Hong Kong postpones elections over virus as China crackdown deepens Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Friday postponed a September 6 election for seats in the city legislature for a year because of a spike in novel coronavirus cases, dealing a blow to the pro-democracy opposition hoping to make gains in the vote.

Hong Kong postpones elections over virus as China crackdown deepens Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Friday postponed a September 6 election for seats in the city legislature for a year because of a spike in novel coronavirus cases, dealing a blow to the pro-democracy opposition hoping to make gains in the vote. Read more Should now squeeze brake pedal on reopening: UK PM Johnson amid COVID-19 surge Amid the growing of coronavirus cases, British PM Boris Johnson today said the UK has "puts brakes on" further reopening as virus cases have risen. Read more Iran: Khamenei rejects talks with US over missile, nuclear programmes Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a live speech on state TV on Friday, ruled out negotiations with the United States over Tehran's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, calling on Iranians to resist US bullying. Read more TikTok owner ByteDance ditches US, considers listing business in Hong Kong Chinese tech giant ByteDance is considering listing its domestic business in Hong Kong or Shanghai, against a backdrop of rising Sino-US tensions over its hit non-China video app TikTok. Read more China dismisses accusations of hacking attempt on US vaccine developer Moderna China has rejected charges that hackers linked to its government targetted biotech firm Moderna Inc, a leading US-based coronavirus vaccine research developer, to steal data. Read more Russia-backed hackers running anti-NATO fake news campaign: Report Russia-backed hackers have been engaged in a sustained campaign to compromise news websites to plant false stories aimed at discrediting Nato, according to a latest report. Read more Australia unveils law forcing Google, Facebook to pay for news Australia on Friday unveiled a draft law to force Google and Facebook to pay news media for their content in a "world-leading" initiative sure to prompt a confrontation with the digital giants. Read more Global cases of COVID-19 jumps to 17.23 million; death toll crosses 670,000 With some countries battling the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus, and some still struggling with containing the first wave, the number of coronavirus cases seem to be increasing at an alarming stage. Read more Belarus says Russians plotted attacks; Kremlin denies Belarus on Thursday accused more than 30 detained Russians of plotting terror attacks amid a presidential election campaign. Kremlin, however, vehemently refuted the allegations. Read more Uighur group calls for China to lose 2022 Winter Olympics over 'genocide' An overseas-based Uighur group urged the IOC on Thursday (Jul 30) to reconsider holding the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because of what it says is China's "genocide" of the Uighur population. Read more

Top 10 world news today: Hong Kong postpones elections, UK tightens lockdown and more

President Donald Trump suggested that the US election should be delayed with less than 100 days left for voting day.

No presidential election has ever been postponed in the United States even during the civil war, or World War-II.

In his tweet, the US president spoke out against universal mail-in voting. America gives the option to cast votes through postal ballots. It will be widely used in America this time because of the Wuhan virus.

America is the worst hit country in the world and may not flatten the curve anytime soon. Postal votes will enable social distancing but Trump is against it.

The US president says if votes are mailed in then it will be the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in the history of America, therefore the election can be delayed until the people can go out and vote.

Later on Thursday, Trump faced the press and was bombarded with questions. However, he stuck to his message. Trump claimed ballots will be forged and the election will be triggered.

Several studies have shown that all forms of voting fraud are very rare in the US. The US president himself set up a panel to investigate election corruption but it was disbanded as they found no real evidence of fraud.

The president cannot cancel or postpone it with an order since a law made in the 1845 permanently fixed the election date - the first Tuesday in November. This year it falls on November 3. Only the US Congress can delay the polls with a constitution amendment and major lawmakers have already rejected the idea.

Senior members of Trump's own party say that the election will happen on November 3. Democrats haven't backed Trump. Some feel it will buy him some time to make some gains. Trump is behind Joe Biden in the opinion polls. A delay would buy him some time. Unfortunately for Trump he doesn’t have the powers to make his wish come true.

President Donald Trump suggested that the US election should be delayed with less than 100 days left for voting day. No presidential election has ever been postponed in the United States even during the civil war, or World War-II.

President Donald Trump suggested that the US election should be delayed with less than 100 days left for voting day. No presidential election has ever been postponed in the United States even during the civil war, or World War-II. In his tweet, the US president spoke out against universal mail-in voting. America gives the option to cast votes through postal ballots. It will be widely used in America this time because of the Wuhan virus. America is the worst hit country in the world and may not flatten the curve anytime soon. Postal votes will enable social distancing but Trump is against it. The US president says if votes are mailed in then it will be the most inaccurate and fraudulent election in the history of America, therefore the election can be delayed until the people can go out and vote. Later on Thursday, Trump faced the press and was bombarded with questions. However, he stuck to his message. Trump claimed ballots will be forged and the election will be triggered. Several studies have shown that all forms of voting fraud are very rare in the US. The US president himself set up a panel to investigate election corruption but it was disbanded as they found no real evidence of fraud. The president cannot cancel or postpone it with an order since a law made in the 1845 permanently fixed the election date - the first Tuesday in November. This year it falls on November 3. Only the US Congress can delay the polls with a constitution amendment and major lawmakers have already rejected the idea. Senior members of Trump's own party say that the election will happen on November 3. Democrats haven't backed Trump. Some feel it will buy him some time to make some gains. Trump is behind Joe Biden in the opinion polls. A delay would buy him some time. Unfortunately for Trump he doesn’t have the powers to make his wish come true.

Coronavirus conundrum: Trump suggests delaying US elections as Joe Biden leads in opinion poll

In a first of its kind anti-trust hearing, four most powerful CEOs in the tech world faced damning questions - Google's Sundar Pichai, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Tim Cook and Amazon's Jeff Bezos.

They were called "monarchs" by the angry and determined US congressional committee. The lawmakers made it clear they shall not bow in front of the&nbsp;"emperors" of the online economy. The grilling went on for more than five hours. It began with the big four being slammed for using their power to crush rivals.

"Many of the practices used by these companies have harmful economic effects. they discourage entrepreneurship, destroy jobs, hike costs and degrade quality. Simply put, they have too much power," the committee chairman's said.

Too big, too powerful - that's was the main accusation. The four companies are valued at $5 trillion which is more than the GDP of Germany.

All the CEOs unanimously said they are not as big as the lawmakers think. They had one argument to make: breaking up US companies would help China. They emphasised that their companies are from America, for America but failed to explain their business practices.

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Google and Facebook faced the worst ire.&nbsp;The questions and answers went like this:&nbsp;

"First question, Mr Pichai, why does Google steal content from honest businesses?" the chairman asked.

"I disagree with that characterization," Sundar Pichai said. The lawmaker hit back with evidence allegedly&nbsp;Google stole reviews from crowd-sourced review app Yelp and&nbsp;threatened to delist the company, if it objected.

Next, the committee accused Facebook of using threats to acquire Instagram. "Has Facebook ever threatened to clone the products of another company while also attempting to acquire that company?" the lawmaker asked.

"Congresswoman, not that I would not that I recall," Facebook founder Zuckerberg said. Once again&nbsp;the committee hit back with evidence with internal emails in which Zuckerberg himself had threatened Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom.

Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon, the biggest tech company in the world, was delayed due to tech issues. He was accused of breaching data privacy laws.

"Does Amazon ever access and use third-party seller data when making business decisions? and just yes or no will suffice sir," the lawmaker asserted.

"I can't answer that question yes or no," Bezos said.

Then came the role of China, the committee demanded clarification. The question was asked if Apple was still manufacturing its iPhones in China? and why was Amazon featuring 80 companies to source from China and use bonded Uighur labour?

Amazon CEO Bezos did not say much, but, Apple CEO Tim Cook had an answer.

"Forced labour is abhorrent, and we would not tolerate it in Apple, and so I would love to get with your office and engage in the legislation." The lawmakers asked more about China.

While the others evaded the question, Zuckerberg said: "Congressman, I think it's well documented that the Chinese government steals technology from American companies."

A hearing such as this has not been seen in a long time, not since Microsoft stood trial in the 1990s and not since the 1994 Congressional hearing of top American tobacco executives including the AT&amp;T antitrust trial in the 1980s.

 
&nbsp;

In a first of its kind anti-trust hearing, four most powerful CEOs in the tech world faced damning questions - Google's Sundar Pichai, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Tim Cook and Amazon's Jeff Bezos.

In a first of its kind anti-trust hearing, four most powerful CEOs in the tech world faced damning questions - Google's Sundar Pichai, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Tim Cook and Amazon's Jeff Bezos. They were called "monarchs" by the angry and determined US congressional committee. The lawmakers made it clear they shall not bow in front of the "emperors" of the online economy. The grilling went on for more than five hours. It began with the big four being slammed for using their power to crush rivals. "Many of the practices used by these companies have harmful economic effects. they discourage entrepreneurship, destroy jobs, hike costs and degrade quality. Simply put, they have too much power," the committee chairman's said. Too big, too powerful - that's was the main accusation. The four companies are valued at $5 trillion which is more than the GDP of Germany. All the CEOs unanimously said they are not as big as the lawmakers think. They had one argument to make: breaking up US companies would help China. They emphasised that their companies are from America, for America but failed to explain their business practices. × Google and Facebook faced the worst ire. The questions and answers went like this: "First question, Mr Pichai, why does Google steal content from honest businesses?" the chairman asked. "I disagree with that characterization," Sundar Pichai said. The lawmaker hit back with evidence allegedly Google stole reviews from crowd-sourced review app Yelp and threatened to delist the company, if it objected. Next, the committee accused Facebook of using threats to acquire Instagram. "Has Facebook ever threatened to clone the products of another company while also attempting to acquire that company?" the lawmaker asked. "Congresswoman, not that I would not that I recall," Facebook founder Zuckerberg said. Once again the committee hit back with evidence with internal emails in which Zuckerberg himself had threatened Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom. Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon, the biggest tech company in the world, was delayed due to tech issues. He was accused of breaching data privacy laws. "Does Amazon ever access and use third-party seller data when making business decisions? and just yes or no will suffice sir," the lawmaker asserted. "I can't answer that question yes or no," Bezos said. Then came the role of China, the committee demanded clarification. The question was asked if Apple was still manufacturing its iPhones in China? and why was Amazon featuring 80 companies to source from China and use bonded Uighur labour? Amazon CEO Bezos did not say much, but, Apple CEO Tim Cook had an answer. "Forced labour is abhorrent, and we would not tolerate it in Apple, and so I would love to get with your office and engage in the legislation." The lawmakers asked more about China. While the others evaded the question, Zuckerberg said: "Congressman, I think it's well documented that the Chinese government steals technology from American companies." A hearing such as this has not been seen in a long time, not since Microsoft stood trial in the 1990s and not since the 1994 Congressional hearing of top American tobacco executives including the AT&T antitrust trial in the 1980s.

China looms as US Congress committee grills chiefs of big 4 tech companies

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday suggested that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) create an "army of contact tracers" to identify people who have come in contact with COVID-19 patients and contain the viral spread.

In a virtual meeting with senior AMC officials, chief scientist of the WHO Dr Soumya Swaminathan stressed on the need to create a big army of contact tracers consisting of students and graduates, and training them as it had been done in United Kingdom and Germany.

According to a release, the briefing which revolved around showcasing "Ahmedabad model" of fighting coronavirus, was attended by Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Mukesh Kumar and officer on special duty Rajiv Kumar Gupta.

Dr Swaminathan showed interest in the AMC's COVID-19 management model, which comprises screening and testing vans, '104' fever helpline service and PPP model of roping in private hospitals for treating patients.

"These interventions were very useful and encouraging experiences, which could be adopted by other cities," she reportedly said.

The WHO will soon be providing a platform for sharing the Ahmedabad model with other cities in India and across the world as part of its ongoing exercise of sharing and learning from best practices of COVID-19 management, the release said.

Dr Swaminathan also appreciated the AMC's strategy of using Aarogya Setu Data Intelligence for focussed surveillance and testing, it was stated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday suggested that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) create an "army of contact tracers" to identify people who have come in contact with COVID-19 patients and contain the viral spread.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday suggested that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) create an "army of contact tracers" to identify people who have come in contact with COVID-19 patients and contain the viral spread. In a virtual meeting with senior AMC officials, chief scientist of the WHO Dr Soumya Swaminathan stressed on the need to create a big army of contact tracers consisting of students and graduates, and training them as it had been done in United Kingdom and Germany. According to a release, the briefing which revolved around showcasing "Ahmedabad model" of fighting coronavirus, was attended by Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Mukesh Kumar and officer on special duty Rajiv Kumar Gupta. Dr Swaminathan showed interest in the AMC's COVID-19 management model, which comprises screening and testing vans, '104' fever helpline service and PPP model of roping in private hospitals for treating patients. "These interventions were very useful and encouraging experiences, which could be adopted by other cities," she reportedly said. The WHO will soon be providing a platform for sharing the Ahmedabad model with other cities in India and across the world as part of its ongoing exercise of sharing and learning from best practices of COVID-19 management, the release said. Dr Swaminathan also appreciated the AMC's strategy of using Aarogya Setu Data Intelligence for focussed surveillance and testing, it was stated.

Ahmedabad model: WHO suggests creation of an army of contact tracers to combat coronavirus

The US government will pump in $2.1 billion in two pharma companies Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline(GSK) to combat the coronavirus pandemic as part of Operation Warp Speed.

Watch:

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"The US government will provide up to $2.1 billion, more than half of which is to support further development of the vaccine, including clinical trials, with the remainder used for manufacturing scale-up and delivery of an initial 100 million doses of the vaccine," Sanofi's and GSK said in a statement.

The companies said the US government has the option for the supply of "additional 500 million doses" in the long term.&nbsp;

Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline had earlier signed a deal with the UK government earlier. According to reports, Sanofi will conduct the final study at the end of the year.&nbsp;

The race for the vaccine has taken a leap in the past few months with the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca leading the race with phase 3 human trials underway in the United Kingdom and Brazil.

US-based Pfizer and BioNTech SE have said they will supply the vaccine to Japan in early 2021.

"If the data are positive, the companies can request US regulatory approval in the first half of 2021. In parallel, Sanofi and GSK are scaling up manufacturing of the antigen and adjuvant to produce up to one billion doses per year globally," Sanofi and GSK said.

The US government will pump in $2.1 billion in two pharma companies Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline(GSK) to combat the coronavirus pandemic as part of Operation Warp Speed.

The US government will pump in $2.1 billion in two pharma companies Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline(GSK) to combat the coronavirus pandemic as part of Operation Warp Speed. Watch: "The US government will provide up to $2.1 billion, more than half of which is to support further development of the vaccine, including clinical trials, with the remainder used for manufacturing scale-up and delivery of an initial 100 million doses of the vaccine," Sanofi's and GSK said in a statement. The companies said the US government has the option for the supply of "additional 500 million doses" in the long term. Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline had earlier signed a deal with the UK government earlier. According to reports, Sanofi will conduct the final study at the end of the year. The race for the vaccine has taken a leap in the past few months with the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca leading the race with phase 3 human trials underway in the United Kingdom and Brazil. US-based Pfizer and BioNTech SE have said they will supply the vaccine to Japan in early 2021. "If the data are positive, the companies can request US regulatory approval in the first half of 2021. In parallel, Sanofi and GSK are scaling up manufacturing of the antigen and adjuvant to produce up to one billion doses per year globally," Sanofi and GSK said.

Trump administration to pump $2.1 billion for Sanofi, GSK coronavirus vaccine

Amid the growing of coronavirus cases, British PM Boris Johnson today said the UK has "puts brakes on" further reopening as virus cases have risen.

Watch:&nbsp;

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"I have said our plan to reopen society and the economy is conditional... that we would not hesitate to put the brakes on if required. Our assessment is that we should now squeeze that brake pedal," PM Johnson said.

Britain had earlier extended the period of coronavirus self-isolation from seven to 10 days as the virus cases surged in the country. The country had already introduced a 14-day quarantine period for anyone returning from Spain, a move that had drawn criticism from the Spanish government.

A lot Britishers had to cancel or reshape their travel plans to Spain after the UK government's announcement. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier warned of a "second wave" of cases in Europe.

The death toll in the United Kingdom reached over 46,000 deaths with over 303, 913 coronavirus infections, according to Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource centre. On Wednesday, the country recorded 753 infections as health workers continued to grapple with the virus.

The UK Office for National Statistics had earlier said that England had "the longest continuous period of excess mortality of any country" in the first half of this year.

Amid the growing of coronavirus cases, British PM Boris Johnson today said the UK has "puts brakes on" further reopening as virus cases have risen. Watch: "I have said our plan to reopen society and the economy is conditional.

Amid the growing of coronavirus cases, British PM Boris Johnson today said the UK has "puts brakes on" further reopening as virus cases have risen. Watch: "I have said our plan to reopen society and the economy is conditional... that we would not hesitate to put the brakes on if required. Our assessment is that we should now squeeze that brake pedal," PM Johnson said. Britain had earlier extended the period of coronavirus self-isolation from seven to 10 days as the virus cases surged in the country. The country had already introduced a 14-day quarantine period for anyone returning from Spain, a move that had drawn criticism from the Spanish government. A lot Britishers had to cancel or reshape their travel plans to Spain after the UK government's announcement. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier warned of a "second wave" of cases in Europe. The death toll in the United Kingdom reached over 46,000 deaths with over 303, 913 coronavirus infections, according to Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource centre. On Wednesday, the country recorded 753 infections as health workers continued to grapple with the virus. The UK Office for National Statistics had earlier said that England had "the longest continuous period of excess mortality of any country" in the first half of this year.

We should now squeeze brake pedal on reopening, says UK PM Johnson amid surge in coronavirus cases

India's health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who is the chief guest in WION's COVID-19 Health Summit being held currently said that the country has responded to the coronavirus challenge with the highest level of commitment.

"The current pandemic has demonstrated the vulnerability of humankind&nbsp;where people&nbsp;are simply trying to stay alive," Dr Harsh Vardhan said during the keynote address at the WION Health Summit.

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Current pandemic has demonstrated the vulnerability of humankind, says India's health minister <a href="https://twitter.com/drharshvardhan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@drharshvardhan</a>, while delivering the keynote address at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WIONHealthSummit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WIONHealthSummit</a> 
 
Watch LIVE: <a href="https://t.co/iSR65rv97J">https://t.co/iSR65rv97J</a> <a href="https://t.co/cZMNSfMdic">pic.twitter.com/cZMNSfMdic</a>
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India's health minister said "collective action is a critical need" while asserting that the crisis should be looked upon as a "shared responsibility" with countries standing in unison.

Highlighting India's role in medical diplomacy, the health minister said that the "post-COVID-19 world must remember this pandemic", stating that India has supplied hydroxychloroquine to many countries.

"When India decides, it performs, we have unmatched scale and determination," he said.

"We need global leadership and shared responsibilities, our world has changed," India health minister said at WION's Health Summit.

"Given our constraints, India has handled the COVID-19 situation very maturely and we took many bold steps, our disease burden is among the lowest in the world in proportion to our population," Dr Harsh Vardhan stated.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
"These are unprecedented trying times and it is my extreme privilege to serve my country at this time," the minister added.

India's health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who is the chief guest in WION's COVID-19 Health Summit being held currently said that the country has responded to the coronavirus challenge with the highest level of commitment.

India's health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who is the chief guest in WION's COVID-19 Health Summit being held currently said that the country has responded to the coronavirus challenge with the highest level of commitment. "The current pandemic has demonstrated the vulnerability of humankind where people are simply trying to stay alive," Dr Harsh Vardhan said during the keynote address at the WION Health Summit. Current pandemic has demonstrated the vulnerability of humankind, says India's health minister @drharshvardhan, while delivering the keynote address at #WIONHealthSummit Watch LIVE: https://t.co/iSR65rv97J pic.twitter.com/cZMNSfMdic — WION (@WIONews) July 31, 2020 × India's health minister said "collective action is a critical need" while asserting that the crisis should be looked upon as a "shared responsibility" with countries standing in unison. Highlighting India's role in medical diplomacy, the health minister said that the "post-COVID-19 world must remember this pandemic", stating that India has supplied hydroxychloroquine to many countries. "When India decides, it performs, we have unmatched scale and determination," he said. "We need global leadership and shared responsibilities, our world has changed," India health minister said at WION's Health Summit. "Given our constraints, India has handled the COVID-19 situation very maturely and we took many bold steps, our disease burden is among the lowest in the world in proportion to our population," Dr Harsh Vardhan stated. "These are unprecedented trying times and it is my extreme privilege to serve my country at this time," the minister added.

We need global leadership and shared responsibilities, says India's health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at WION's COVID-19 Health Summit

The United States recorded 10,000 coronavirus cases in eleven days with the death toll due to the virus climbing to 149,873 as Florida reported 216 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday.

Watch:

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The number of fatalities due to the virus in Florida has now risen to 6,333 as 9,446 cases were recorded in the US state in 24 hours with the total number of cases rising to 451,423 amid reports of slow testing and contact tracing.

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis hit out at the poor testing record, saying: "You have somebody going through one of the sites, and then they get a result back 10 days later. That is not really going to be very helpful."

Florida which has become the new epicentre of the virus is now second only to California in total number of coronavirus cases even as Miami reported a sizeable decline in intensive care beds as the virus cases have surged.

Texas, Florida, California and Arizona have seen huge spike in cases in the past month&nbsp;putting pressure on health services as fatalities have increased manifold.

At least 4,000 fatalities have been recorded in Texas with Florida accounting for 2,900 deaths and California witnessing 2,500 casualties due to the virus. The United States now has 4.5 COVID-19 fatalities per 10,000 people which is one of the highest in the world.

The United States has the highest COVID-19 cases in the world with over 4.3 million cases.&nbsp;

The United States recorded 10,000 coronavirus cases in eleven days with the death toll due to the virus climbing to 149,873 as Florida reported 216 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday.

The United States recorded 10,000 coronavirus cases in eleven days with the death toll due to the virus climbing to 149,873 as Florida reported 216 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday. Watch: The number of fatalities due to the virus in Florida has now risen to 6,333 as 9,446 cases were recorded in the US state in 24 hours with the total number of cases rising to 451,423 amid reports of slow testing and contact tracing. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis hit out at the poor testing record, saying: "You have somebody going through one of the sites, and then they get a result back 10 days later. That is not really going to be very helpful." Florida which has become the new epicentre of the virus is now second only to California in total number of coronavirus cases even as Miami reported a sizeable decline in intensive care beds as the virus cases have surged. Texas, Florida, California and Arizona have seen huge spike in cases in the past month putting pressure on health services as fatalities have increased manifold. At least 4,000 fatalities have been recorded in Texas with Florida accounting for 2,900 deaths and California witnessing 2,500 casualties due to the virus. The United States now has 4.5 COVID-19 fatalities per 10,000 people which is one of the highest in the world. The United States has the highest COVID-19 cases in the world with over 4.3 million cases.

US struggles as coronavirus death toll near 150,000; Florida records highest single day deaths

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