Trump's behaviour is not exactly presidential. There's a lot to criticise him for&nbsp;but a recent press conference by him will get you thinking&nbsp;that he may also not be the monster the American media has made him out to be and&nbsp;that he may just be a victim of the general unwillingness on either side to acknowledge anything of worth on the opposite side.

Trump doesn't want to hear what his critics say and his critics demonise him for everything he says or does.&nbsp;Trump is not getting many chances to publicly ramble during the&nbsp;pandemic. He has had to cut down on election rallies. So he turned a press conference at Rose Garden into a rally venue.

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The US president spoke for a total of 63 minutes. The briefing started with the announcement of an executive order to hold China accountable for its actions in Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong will now be treated as the same as China," said Trump. It may just be Trump's biggest message of intent to Beijing.

According to the White House, the&nbsp;new law will give the Trump administration new and powerful tools to hold responsible the individuals and entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong's freedom.

Also, the executive order will revoke special treatment for all Hong Kong passport holders. This announcement was just the beginning as Donald Trump came prepared to settle all doubts about his alleged softness towards Beijing.

However, the remarks that followed make us loose&nbsp;hope as within a few minutes&nbsp;Trump turned the press conference into a campaign speech. He began attacking Joe Biden. The jibes ranged from Biden opposing Trump's travel ban on Chinese nationals to Biden never speaking anything bad about China and to how Biden's entire career had been a gift to the Chinese Communist Party.

It was a very well crafted speech to gain political points but it became slightly tough to follow Trump's stream of consciousness.

The US president wandered from one thought to another.&nbsp; Also, he mentioned Biden's name more than 20 times in the press conference. Trump took jabs at Biden's mental capacity and implied that Biden had grown senile.

Trump probably forgot that he was addressing the&nbsp;press conference as the president of the United States and not as somebody looking to secure another term at the White House.&nbsp; It&nbsp;was an event meant to announce new actions against China but Trump turned it into a never-ending monologue of political attacks.

Trump's niece Mary L Trump has the answers and its called, "Too much and never enough: How my family created the world's most dangerous man." The&nbsp;book questions Trump's mental health.

It asserts that pathologies stemming from his childhood are playing out now on a global stage. The&nbsp;book was&nbsp;released on the same day as the&nbsp;press conference which was the most rambling press conference witnessed under Trump's presidency.

However, the question being asked is Donald Trump as bad as he seems?

Well, if one does not take into account his regressive views, his questionable morality, his ridiculous tweets, his half-baked decisions, his poor pandemic response, his unwillingness to listen to others and his lack of interest in foreign relations and his silence when his allies need him, if one does not consider all these things then Donald Trump is not that bad after all.

Trump's behaviour is not exactly presidential. There's a lot to criticise him for but a recent press conference by him will get you thinking that he may also not be the monster the American media has made him out to be and that he may just be a victim of the general unwillingness on either side to acknowledge anything of worth on the opposite side.

Trump's behaviour is not exactly presidential. There's a lot to criticise him for but a recent press conference by him will get you thinking that he may also not be the monster the American media has made him out to be and that he may just be a victim of the general unwillingness on either side to acknowledge anything of worth on the opposite side. Trump doesn't want to hear what his critics say and his critics demonise him for everything he says or does. Trump is not getting many chances to publicly ramble during the pandemic. He has had to cut down on election rallies. So he turned a press conference at Rose Garden into a rally venue. The US president spoke for a total of 63 minutes. The briefing started with the announcement of an executive order to hold China accountable for its actions in Hong Kong. "Hong Kong will now be treated as the same as China," said Trump. It may just be Trump's biggest message of intent to Beijing. According to the White House, the new law will give the Trump administration new and powerful tools to hold responsible the individuals and entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong's freedom. Also, the executive order will revoke special treatment for all Hong Kong passport holders. This announcement was just the beginning as Donald Trump came prepared to settle all doubts about his alleged softness towards Beijing. However, the remarks that followed make us loose hope as within a few minutes Trump turned the press conference into a campaign speech. He began attacking Joe Biden. The jibes ranged from Biden opposing Trump's travel ban on Chinese nationals to Biden never speaking anything bad about China and to how Biden's entire career had been a gift to the Chinese Communist Party. It was a very well crafted speech to gain political points but it became slightly tough to follow Trump's stream of consciousness. The US president wandered from one thought to another. Also, he mentioned Biden's name more than 20 times in the press conference. Trump took jabs at Biden's mental capacity and implied that Biden had grown senile. Trump probably forgot that he was addressing the press conference as the president of the United States and not as somebody looking to secure another term at the White House. It was an event meant to announce new actions against China but Trump turned it into a never-ending monologue of political attacks. Trump's niece Mary L Trump has the answers and its called, "Too much and never enough: How my family created the world's most dangerous man." The book questions Trump's mental health. It asserts that pathologies stemming from his childhood are playing out now on a global stage. The book was released on the same day as the press conference which was the most rambling press conference witnessed under Trump's presidency. However, the question being asked is Donald Trump as bad as he seems? Well, if one does not take into account his regressive views, his questionable morality, his ridiculous tweets, his half-baked decisions, his poor pandemic response, his unwillingness to listen to others and his lack of interest in foreign relations and his silence when his allies need him, if one does not consider all these things then Donald Trump is not that bad after all.

Dissecting Trump and his behaviour as President of United States

Xu Zhangrun, a professor in Beijing is one of the few Chinese academics who took on Xi Jinping. A week back, the Chinese police detained Xu Zhangrun only to release him six days later.

“The coronavirus epidemic has revealed the rotten core of Chinese governance,&nbsp;I can all too easily predict that I&nbsp;will be subjected to new punishments, indeed, this may well even be the last thing I write,”&nbsp;Zhangrun said as he dared to speak out against Xi Jinping in China which is a&nbsp;crime in the eyes of the Chinese state.

The Chinese police showed up at the door of Xu Zhangrun who is&nbsp;a&nbsp;prominent Chinese academic at Beijing’s Tsinghua University.

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Xu Zhangrun saw his detention coming and quickly&nbsp;packed few pairs of underwear and a toothbrush in a small bag. He was taken away by Chinese authorities on&nbsp;July 6.

Xu had feared the worst but&nbsp;after his words caught the attention of the world,&nbsp;Chinese authorities released him within a week.

Xu Zhangrun gained prominence in 2018 as a critique of Xi Jinping. He blamed the Chinese president of stifling debate. Chinese authorities issued warnings against Xu and&nbsp;he was suspended from the university but&nbsp;he continued to document the growing disquiet within China.

This essay in Mandarin was the last straw for the Communist Party&nbsp;titled "When fury becomes fear".&nbsp; The essay was translated in English by historian Geremie R Barme.&nbsp;It doesn’t name Xi Jinping&nbsp;but&nbsp;uses arcane terms to take on the supreme leader.

Xu calls Xi Jinping the axle and&nbsp;blames him and the “cabal” that surrounds him for the coronavirus outbreak.

The merciless criticism continues throughout the essay: “The bureaucratic and governance system of China that is now fully on display is one that values the mediocre, the dilatory&nbsp;and the timid. A similar political malaise infects every province and the rot goes right up to Beijing.”

Xu Zhangrun was first placed under house arrest for those words but was quietly released on Sunday. While China hasn’t confirmed his release,f riends of Xu have told the international media that he is back home.

The charges against him were never specified but a report quotes his wife saying that Xu was accused of soliciting prostitution.

China has used similar pretexts in the past to discredit critics of the government.&nbsp;Xu Zhangrun has been released for now&nbsp;but the Communist Party hasn’t stopped censoring criticism and punishing the dissenters.

At least four citizen journalists were detained recently for exposing the failures of China in tackling the coronavirus crisis.

Xu Zhangrun, a professor in Beijing is one of the few Chinese academics who took on Xi Jinping. A week back, the Chinese police detained Xu Zhangrun only to release him six days later.

Xu Zhangrun, a professor in Beijing is one of the few Chinese academics who took on Xi Jinping. A week back, the Chinese police detained Xu Zhangrun only to release him six days later. “The coronavirus epidemic has revealed the rotten core of Chinese governance, I can all too easily predict that I will be subjected to new punishments, indeed, this may well even be the last thing I write,” Zhangrun said as he dared to speak out against Xi Jinping in China which is a crime in the eyes of the Chinese state. The Chinese police showed up at the door of Xu Zhangrun who is a prominent Chinese academic at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. Xu Zhangrun saw his detention coming and quickly packed few pairs of underwear and a toothbrush in a small bag. He was taken away by Chinese authorities on July 6. Xu had feared the worst but after his words caught the attention of the world, Chinese authorities released him within a week. Xu Zhangrun gained prominence in 2018 as a critique of Xi Jinping. He blamed the Chinese president of stifling debate. Chinese authorities issued warnings against Xu and he was suspended from the university but he continued to document the growing disquiet within China. This essay in Mandarin was the last straw for the Communist Party titled "When fury becomes fear". The essay was translated in English by historian Geremie R Barme. It doesn’t name Xi Jinping but uses arcane terms to take on the supreme leader. Xu calls Xi Jinping the axle and blames him and the “cabal” that surrounds him for the coronavirus outbreak. The merciless criticism continues throughout the essay: “The bureaucratic and governance system of China that is now fully on display is one that values the mediocre, the dilatory and the timid. A similar political malaise infects every province and the rot goes right up to Beijing.” Xu Zhangrun was first placed under house arrest for those words but was quietly released on Sunday. While China hasn’t confirmed his release,f riends of Xu have told the international media that he is back home. The charges against him were never specified but a report quotes his wife saying that Xu was accused of soliciting prostitution. China has used similar pretexts in the past to discredit critics of the government. Xu Zhangrun has been released for now but the Communist Party hasn’t stopped censoring criticism and punishing the dissenters. At least four citizen journalists were detained recently for exposing the failures of China in tackling the coronavirus crisis.

Xu Zhangrun: Chinese professor who took on President Xi Jinping

Hong Kong is dying a slow death and self-censorship is now the norm with people looking for ways to leave.

Businesses want to exit and the city has lost its special status around the world.&nbsp;Free speech is dead in Hong Kong with&nbsp;publishers censoring their books.

Raymond Yeung, a publisher in Hong Kong has scrambled to change the draft of a&nbsp;book in the past week. It is called “to freedom”. It is a collection of essays by 50 protesters, lawyers, social workers and people who took part in the pro-democracy protests but now&nbsp;the new security law has stifled freedom of expression.

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Words like revolution are being replaced with protests.&nbsp;Slogans and passages that advocated freedom&nbsp;for&nbsp;Hong Kong are now being deleted.

Words like "independence" and "revolution" are out of the books in Hong Kong and now&nbsp;something else is going out of Hong Kong -&nbsp;&nbsp;money.

China has moved swiftly to exert greater control over Hong Kong&nbsp;but&nbsp;it has also sacrificed its biggest cash cow.&nbsp;A report claims that Chinese professionals want to move out of Hong Kong and it's not just about the national security law.

China is now tracking down its citizens living abroad and taxing them. They face a tax rate of 45 per cent. Hong Kong has one of the lowest tax rates in the world and that’s the reason why many professionals and businesses prefer to operate from there but&nbsp;the demand for more taxes could force them to leave.

It is a double whammy for China,&nbsp;not only will its tax revenue reduce, businesses leaving Hong Kong will trigger a brain drain too.

China has only created more trouble for itself with the national security law.&nbsp;Hong Kong was vital for the Chinese economy. It was China’s economic gateway to the world,&nbsp;not anymore.

China uses Hong Kong’s currency, equity and debt markets to attract foreign funds. Chinese companies use Hong Kong to expand globally with&nbsp;bulk of FDI&nbsp;into China channeled through the city.

Last year, Chinese companies raised more than $64 billion globally with $35 billion coming&nbsp;through Hong Kong.&nbsp;Chinese banks hold more assets in Hong Kong. They were valued at $1.1 trillion in 2018.

All this was possible because Hong Kong was treated differently but now&nbsp;leading world powers want to treat the city as part of the mainland.

They are slapping sanctions and curbing the flow of funds.

Hong Kong is dying a slow death and self-censorship is now the norm with people looking for ways to leave. Businesses want to exit and the city has lost its special status around the world.

Hong Kong is dying a slow death and self-censorship is now the norm with people looking for ways to leave. Businesses want to exit and the city has lost its special status around the world. Free speech is dead in Hong Kong with publishers censoring their books. Raymond Yeung, a publisher in Hong Kong has scrambled to change the draft of a book in the past week. It is called “to freedom”. It is a collection of essays by 50 protesters, lawyers, social workers and people who took part in the pro-democracy protests but now the new security law has stifled freedom of expression. Words like revolution are being replaced with protests. Slogans and passages that advocated freedom for Hong Kong are now being deleted. Words like "independence" and "revolution" are out of the books in Hong Kong and now something else is going out of Hong Kong - money. China has moved swiftly to exert greater control over Hong Kong but it has also sacrificed its biggest cash cow. A report claims that Chinese professionals want to move out of Hong Kong and it's not just about the national security law. China is now tracking down its citizens living abroad and taxing them. They face a tax rate of 45 per cent. Hong Kong has one of the lowest tax rates in the world and that’s the reason why many professionals and businesses prefer to operate from there but the demand for more taxes could force them to leave. It is a double whammy for China, not only will its tax revenue reduce, businesses leaving Hong Kong will trigger a brain drain too. China has only created more trouble for itself with the national security law. Hong Kong was vital for the Chinese economy. It was China’s economic gateway to the world, not anymore. China uses Hong Kong’s currency, equity and debt markets to attract foreign funds. Chinese companies use Hong Kong to expand globally with bulk of FDI into China channeled through the city. Last year, Chinese companies raised more than $64 billion globally with $35 billion coming through Hong Kong. Chinese banks hold more assets in Hong Kong. They were valued at $1.1 trillion in 2018. All this was possible because Hong Kong was treated differently but now leading world powers want to treat the city as part of the mainland. They are slapping sanctions and curbing the flow of funds.

Hong Kong bleeds as China imposes new security law

Police worldwide have taken to technology to fight crime and undetake surveillance operations with the help of drones but a unique startup in Chicago named Benchmark Analytics has come up with a software to pointout police behaviour which the Minneapolis&nbsp;Police Department is looking at very seriously in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder by a police officer.

The announcement was made earlier by police chief Medaria Arradondo. The software has been jointly developed by University of Chicago. The model with the help of algorithms is reportedly able to predict which cop is likely to engage in improper behaviour.

The system takes into account complaints filed by residents, profile of policemen and then ranks them on their "risk" factor.

According to the company's CEO Ron Huberman it combines the University of Chicago's analytical technology with the police department's data to arrive at a conclusion by generating a daily score. It helps the department to work with the cop and help the person to be coached before an official complaint is raised.

The technology helps to negate the possibility of a one-off behaviour by a cop which could lead to mishandling of an incident rather it analysies a pattern of behaviour so that corrective steps can be taken beforehand.

The company has said the &nbsp;predictive data is being used by several law enforcement agencies with Nashville set to flag off the techonlogy shortly.

However, the technology is also dependent on the quality of data and lack of accuracy could hamper its pin-point usage, also the technology is expensive which not every agency or departement can afford.

Nashville's department has reportedly paid $455,000 for a three-year contract, although some agencies have reported it is a three-year deal. The licensed product which is now being widely put on display for commercial purposes has been a point of contention among officials.

Police worldwide have taken to technology to fight crime and undetake surveillance operations with the help of drones but a unique startup in Chicago named Benchmark Analytics has come up with a software to pointout police behaviour which the Minneapolis Police Department is looking at very seriously in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder by a police officer.

Police worldwide have taken to technology to fight crime and undetake surveillance operations with the help of drones but a unique startup in Chicago named Benchmark Analytics has come up with a software to pointout police behaviour which the Minneapolis Police Department is looking at very seriously in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder by a police officer. The announcement was made earlier by police chief Medaria Arradondo. The software has been jointly developed by University of Chicago. The model with the help of algorithms is reportedly able to predict which cop is likely to engage in improper behaviour. The system takes into account complaints filed by residents, profile of policemen and then ranks them on their "risk" factor. According to the company's CEO Ron Huberman it combines the University of Chicago's analytical technology with the police department's data to arrive at a conclusion by generating a daily score. It helps the department to work with the cop and help the person to be coached before an official complaint is raised. The technology helps to negate the possibility of a one-off behaviour by a cop which could lead to mishandling of an incident rather it analysies a pattern of behaviour so that corrective steps can be taken beforehand. The company has said the predictive data is being used by several law enforcement agencies with Nashville set to flag off the techonlogy shortly. However, the technology is also dependent on the quality of data and lack of accuracy could hamper its pin-point usage, also the technology is expensive which not every agency or departement can afford. Nashville's department has reportedly paid $455,000 for a three-year contract, although some agencies have reported it is a three-year deal. The licensed product which is now being widely put on display for commercial purposes has been a point of contention among officials.

George Floyd death: Technology can now predict police officer's behaviour

A day after US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration will impose visa sanctions on some Huawei employees over human rights abuses, the Chinese foreign ministry hit back saying "US talks about human rights but is in fact the biggest human rights abuser".

Watch:

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"US politicians should be ashamed of themselves, Pompeo should better think of lives lost in Iraq, Libya and other countries," the Chinese foreign ministry said, adding,"we always implement our commitment, some in the US are oppressing China and bullying China such practices and not good for our mutual cooperation."

Pompeo's decision came after the Boris Johnson government in the United Kingdom decided ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei from its&nbsp;5G network. Pompeo backed UK's decision hailing it as "welcome news".

On Huawei, the Chinese foreign ministry said: "US is the biggest empire of hackers in the world, they have security loopholes while we look at Huawei which provides services to 170 countries without any complaint."

"The US cliams to be the champion of democratic free values but has a strong ideological bais and oppresses Chinese companies," it said. "It's just a dirty trick," the ministry said. 
&nbsp;

A day after US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration will impose visa sanctions on some Huawei employees over human rights abuses, the Chinese foreign ministry hit back saying "US talks about human rights but is in fact the biggest human rights abuser".

A day after US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration will impose visa sanctions on some Huawei employees over human rights abuses, the Chinese foreign ministry hit back saying "US talks about human rights but is in fact the biggest human rights abuser". Watch: "US politicians should be ashamed of themselves, Pompeo should better think of lives lost in Iraq, Libya and other countries," the Chinese foreign ministry said, adding,"we always implement our commitment, some in the US are oppressing China and bullying China such practices and not good for our mutual cooperation." Pompeo's decision came after the Boris Johnson government in the United Kingdom decided ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei from its 5G network. Pompeo backed UK's decision hailing it as "welcome news". On Huawei, the Chinese foreign ministry said: "US is the biggest empire of hackers in the world, they have security loopholes while we look at Huawei which provides services to 170 countries without any complaint." "The US cliams to be the champion of democratic free values but has a strong ideological bais and oppresses Chinese companies," it said. "It's just a dirty trick," the ministry said.

US is the biggest human rights abuser, says China on Trump administration's visa sanction on Huawei employees

After Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government in Britan banned China's telecom giant Huawei's 5G network from the country, the White House backed Britain's decision.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-bans-huawei-from-its-5g-network-as-uk-chairman-john-browne-resigns-313239">Also Read:&nbsp;Britain bans Huawei from its 5G network as UK chairman John Browne resigns</a>

White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said: "The reported UK action reflects a growing international consensus that Huawei and other untrusted vendors pose a threat to national security, as they remain beholden to the Chinese Communist Party."

Watch:

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Britain had earlier ordered the phased removal of Huawei from its 5G network. The Boris Johnson government also directed UK companies not to buy new 5G equipment from Huawei starting from December 31. UK's digital minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament Huawei's 5G network was banned "for our national security and our economy".

"We look forward to working with the UK, as well as our many other partners and allies, to spur innovation, promote vendor diversity in the 5G supply chain, and ensure 5G security free from dangerous manipulations,"&nbsp;O'Brien added.

Nokia CEO for the UK and Ireland Cormac Whelan said that his company was ready to "replace all of the Huawei equipment in the UK's networks at scale and speed", even as Huawei said that it was "bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone."

"This ban is about trade policy and not security," it added. The Huawei spokesman said the UK ban threatens to "move Britain into a digital slow lane."

The UK backed after from Huawei's 5G network after US sanctions two months ago blocked Huawei's access to US chips and semiconductors for the 5G networks. The US government has alleged that Huawei uses its network to spy for the Chinese government, an allegation the company has consistently denied.

After Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government in Britan banned China's telecom giant Huawei's 5G network from the country, the White House backed Britain's decision.

After Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government in Britan banned China's telecom giant Huawei's 5G network from the country, the White House backed Britain's decision. Also Read: Britain bans Huawei from its 5G network as UK chairman John Browne resigns White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said: "The reported UK action reflects a growing international consensus that Huawei and other untrusted vendors pose a threat to national security, as they remain beholden to the Chinese Communist Party." Watch: Britain had earlier ordered the phased removal of Huawei from its 5G network. The Boris Johnson government also directed UK companies not to buy new 5G equipment from Huawei starting from December 31. UK's digital minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament Huawei's 5G network was banned "for our national security and our economy". "We look forward to working with the UK, as well as our many other partners and allies, to spur innovation, promote vendor diversity in the 5G supply chain, and ensure 5G security free from dangerous manipulations," O'Brien added. Nokia CEO for the UK and Ireland Cormac Whelan said that his company was ready to "replace all of the Huawei equipment in the UK's networks at scale and speed", even as Huawei said that it was "bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone." "This ban is about trade policy and not security," it added. The Huawei spokesman said the UK ban threatens to "move Britain into a digital slow lane." The UK backed after from Huawei's 5G network after US sanctions two months ago blocked Huawei's access to US chips and semiconductors for the 5G networks. The US government has alleged that Huawei uses its network to spy for the Chinese government, an allegation the company has consistently denied.

UK's action reflects Huawei poses threat to national security: US

India's financial capital Mumbai reported 1390 new coronavirus cases and 62 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 9,6253 including 22959 active cases.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-over-1-lakh-recover-from-covid-19-chennai-sees-lesser-daily-cases-313515">Also Read:&nbsp;Over 1 lakh recover from COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu; Chennai sees lesser daily cases</a>

The death toll due to COVID-19 in the city has risen to 5,464. Maharashtra which has been hit the hardest with the virus recorded 7975 new cases and 233 death in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the state to 2,75,640.

The Maharashtra health department said that 1,52,613 coronavirus patients have been discharged so far with with the COVID-19 recovery rate in the state at 55.37 per cent.

Meanwhile, Karnataka reported 3,176 new coronavirus cases along with 87 deaths with the death toll rising to 928. The total number of cases to in the state has shot up to 47,253 with Bengaluru recording 1,975 in the last 24 hours.

Amid the rising number of cases Dr Sudhakar K, Karnataka's minister for medical education said that state government would give Rs 5,000 each as "appreciation money" to the plasma donors even as Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated a coronavirus plasma Bank for treatment of serious patients

Gujarat which is one of the state hit hard due to the virus reported 925 coronavirus cases and ten deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the state to 44,648. The death toll due to the virus in the state has risen to 2,081.

In Madhya Pradesh today, 638 new coronavirus cases were reported with nine deaths taking the active cases in the state to 5,053. The death toll due to the virus in the state has risen to &nbsp;death toll to 682. The state health department said 18,783 COVID-19 samples were tested today. 
&nbsp;

India's financial capital Mumbai reported 1390 new coronavirus cases and 62 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 9,6253 including 22959 active cases.

India's financial capital Mumbai reported 1390 new coronavirus cases and 62 deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of coronavirus cases to 9,6253 including 22959 active cases. Also Read: Over 1 lakh recover from COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu; Chennai sees lesser daily cases The death toll due to COVID-19 in the city has risen to 5,464. Maharashtra which has been hit the hardest with the virus recorded 7975 new cases and 233 death in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the state to 2,75,640. The Maharashtra health department said that 1,52,613 coronavirus patients have been discharged so far with with the COVID-19 recovery rate in the state at 55.37 per cent. Meanwhile, Karnataka reported 3,176 new coronavirus cases along with 87 deaths with the death toll rising to 928. The total number of cases to in the state has shot up to 47,253 with Bengaluru recording 1,975 in the last 24 hours. Amid the rising number of cases Dr Sudhakar K, Karnataka's minister for medical education said that state government would give Rs 5,000 each as "appreciation money" to the plasma donors even as Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated a coronavirus plasma Bank for treatment of serious patients Gujarat which is one of the state hit hard due to the virus reported 925 coronavirus cases and ten deaths in the last 24 hours taking the total number of cases in the state to 44,648. The death toll due to the virus in the state has risen to 2,081. In Madhya Pradesh today, 638 new coronavirus cases were reported with nine deaths taking the active cases in the state to 5,053. The death toll due to the virus in the state has risen to death toll to 682. The state health department said 18,783 COVID-19 samples were tested today.

COVID-19: Maharashtra reports 7,975 new cases, death toll in Mumbai rises over 5,400

After the UK government banned Huawei's 5G network from operating in the country, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration will impose visa sanctions on some Huawei employees over human rights violations and abuses.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-convinced-many-countries-not-to-use-huawei-its-a-big-security-risk-trump-313340">Also Read:&nbsp;US convinced many countries not to use Huawei, it's a big security risk, says&nbsp;Trump</a>

Pompeo added that he would visit Britain amid the Huawei ban decision. Pompeo had earlier hailed Britain's decision calling it "welcome news", stating that it would enable "British friends on fostering a secure and vibrant 5G ecosystem, which is critical to transatlantic security and prosperity."

Watch:

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"The State Department will impose visa restrictions on certain employees of the Chinese technology companies like Huawei that provide material support to regimes engaging in human rights violations and abuses," Pompeo said.

The United States had blocked Huawei's access to US chips through sanctions in May for the 5G networks which led Britain to rethink its Huawei strategy. The United States has alleged China's international tech giant spies on behalf of the Chinese governmet, an allegation it has stridently denied.

"I leave on Monday for a quick trip to the United Kingdom and Denmark, and I'm sure that the Chinese Communist Party and its threat to free peoples around the world will be high on top of that agenda," Pompeo said.

Pompeo also vowed&nbsp;"potential consequences" over Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany. "Our expectation is that those who participate in the continued project will be subject to review for potential consequences," Pompeo added.

China on Wednesday hit out against UK's decision saying London had become "America's dupe" while asserting that it "will take a series of necessary measures to safeguard Chinese companies' legitimate rights and interests."

"Any decisions and actions (by Britain) must come at a cost," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

After the UK government banned Huawei's 5G network from operating in the country, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration will impose visa sanctions on some Huawei employees over human rights violations and abuses.

After the UK government banned Huawei's 5G network from operating in the country, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration will impose visa sanctions on some Huawei employees over human rights violations and abuses. Also Read: US convinced many countries not to use Huawei, it's a big security risk, says Trump Pompeo added that he would visit Britain amid the Huawei ban decision. Pompeo had earlier hailed Britain's decision calling it "welcome news", stating that it would enable "British friends on fostering a secure and vibrant 5G ecosystem, which is critical to transatlantic security and prosperity." Watch: "The State Department will impose visa restrictions on certain employees of the Chinese technology companies like Huawei that provide material support to regimes engaging in human rights violations and abuses," Pompeo said. The United States had blocked Huawei's access to US chips through sanctions in May for the 5G networks which led Britain to rethink its Huawei strategy. The United States has alleged China's international tech giant spies on behalf of the Chinese governmet, an allegation it has stridently denied. "I leave on Monday for a quick trip to the United Kingdom and Denmark, and I'm sure that the Chinese Communist Party and its threat to free peoples around the world will be high on top of that agenda," Pompeo said. Pompeo also vowed "potential consequences" over Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany. "Our expectation is that those who participate in the continued project will be subject to review for potential consequences," Pompeo added. China on Wednesday hit out against UK's decision saying London had become "America's dupe" while asserting that it "will take a series of necessary measures to safeguard Chinese companies' legitimate rights and interests." "Any decisions and actions (by Britain) must come at a cost," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

After UK ban, US to impose visa sanctions on some Huawei employees

India posted a trade surplus of $790 million in June, its first in over 18 years, with imports plunging as the coronavirus pandemic depressed domestic demand for crude oil, gold and other industrial products, reflecting a slowing economy.

Indian exports and imports have been falling since March and worsening India-China relations, shrinking global demand and disruptions in supply chains are likely to pressure the trade outlook over the next few quarters, analysts said.

Asia's third largest economy is projected to contract by up to 5% this financial year, beginning April, from an earlier government estimate of nearly 6% growth as an over two-month-long COVID-19 lockdown has hit economic activities and consumer demand.

Merchandise imports contracted 47.59% in June to $21.11 billion from a year ago, while exports fell 12.41% to $21.91 billion, leading to a marginal trade surplus, data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday showed.

India last posted a trade surplus - a slim $10 million - in January 2002, according to Refinitiv data.

Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said a marginal trade surplus was "good news."

"However, we will have to analyse to what extent lockdown, import restrictions and slowdown in the domestic economy have contributed to the fall in imports," he said, referring to a fall in raw material imports by exporters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pushing for import substitutions and has so far resisted industry pressure to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union.

Imports of crude oil, electronic items, gold jewellery and other products fell sharply during the three months to end June.

India posted a trade surplus of $790 million in June, its first in over 18 years, with imports plunging as the coronavirus pandemic depressed domestic demand for crude oil, gold and other industrial products, reflecting a slowing economy.

India posted a trade surplus of $790 million in June, its first in over 18 years, with imports plunging as the coronavirus pandemic depressed domestic demand for crude oil, gold and other industrial products, reflecting a slowing economy. Indian exports and imports have been falling since March and worsening India-China relations, shrinking global demand and disruptions in supply chains are likely to pressure the trade outlook over the next few quarters, analysts said. Asia's third largest economy is projected to contract by up to 5% this financial year, beginning April, from an earlier government estimate of nearly 6% growth as an over two-month-long COVID-19 lockdown has hit economic activities and consumer demand. Merchandise imports contracted 47.59% in June to $21.11 billion from a year ago, while exports fell 12.41% to $21.91 billion, leading to a marginal trade surplus, data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday showed. India last posted a trade surplus - a slim $10 million - in January 2002, according to Refinitiv data. Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said a marginal trade surplus was "good news." "However, we will have to analyse to what extent lockdown, import restrictions and slowdown in the domestic economy have contributed to the fall in imports," he said, referring to a fall in raw material imports by exporters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pushing for import substitutions and has so far resisted industry pressure to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union. Imports of crude oil, electronic items, gold jewellery and other products fell sharply during the three months to end June.

India posts trade surplus first time in 18 years as coronavirus hits imports

China has been facing its worst floods in 33 years. The floods and landslides have uprooted millions and dozens have been killed so far and the worst is yet to come.

At least 38 million people have been evacuated from their homes in China. It is&nbsp;the worst floods to hit the country in the last 30 years with over 100 dead so far.

At least 28 thousand homes have been destroyed and 33 rivers are flowing at their highest levels. Alerts have been issued on a total of 433 rivers.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-china-floods-38-million-people-affected-313323/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Water levels of 433 rivers in China have exceeded the alerting height since June, of which 109 ones have seen a water level topping the warning line; floods in 33 ones have hit their historical records. The Yangtze River, the upper reaches of the yellow river, the Xijiang and Beijiang rivers in the Zhujiang river basin and the Taihu lake have seen their No-1 floods," Ye Jianchun, vice-minister of water resources, said.

It is the most punishing flood season for China with most of the mainland being affected by floods but the biggest cause of concern is the Yangtze River. The Yangtze flows through the Hubei province. Its where the city of Wuhan is located - the original hotspot for the coronavirus outbreak and now the Chinese citizens living there could be staring at their worst nightmare.

The historical high-water levels on the Yangtze are pushing the three gorges dam to its limits. It was the largest engineering project in China when it was completed in 2006. It was also the largest dam structure in the world.

The dam has now begun opening its floodgates. The locals are afraid that the dam may not be able to hold the floodwaters as they fear that the water could breach its banks.

The three gorges was a controversial infrastructure project with millions being displaced to build it, reportedly around 600 kilometres of area was submerged to build the dam and the hydroelectric facility.

There were protests&nbsp;and opposition but the Chinese authorities chose to ignore it. Now, &nbsp;nature is testing China’s so-called infrastructure marvel. Hubei is yet to recover from the damage of the coronavirus but now&nbsp;the floods and a potential dam overflow could deliver another devastating jolt to China.

China has been facing its worst floods in 33 years. The floods and landslides have uprooted millions and dozens have been killed so far and the worst is yet to come.

China has been facing its worst floods in 33 years. The floods and landslides have uprooted millions and dozens have been killed so far and the worst is yet to come. At least 38 million people have been evacuated from their homes in China. It is the worst floods to hit the country in the last 30 years with over 100 dead so far. At least 28 thousand homes have been destroyed and 33 rivers are flowing at their highest levels. Alerts have been issued on a total of 433 rivers. "Water levels of 433 rivers in China have exceeded the alerting height since June, of which 109 ones have seen a water level topping the warning line; floods in 33 ones have hit their historical records. The Yangtze River, the upper reaches of the yellow river, the Xijiang and Beijiang rivers in the Zhujiang river basin and the Taihu lake have seen their No-1 floods," Ye Jianchun, vice-minister of water resources, said. It is the most punishing flood season for China with most of the mainland being affected by floods but the biggest cause of concern is the Yangtze River. The Yangtze flows through the Hubei province. Its where the city of Wuhan is located - the original hotspot for the coronavirus outbreak and now the Chinese citizens living there could be staring at their worst nightmare. The historical high-water levels on the Yangtze are pushing the three gorges dam to its limits. It was the largest engineering project in China when it was completed in 2006. It was also the largest dam structure in the world. The dam has now begun opening its floodgates. The locals are afraid that the dam may not be able to hold the floodwaters as they fear that the water could breach its banks. The three gorges was a controversial infrastructure project with millions being displaced to build it, reportedly around 600 kilometres of area was submerged to build the dam and the hydroelectric facility. There were protests and opposition but the Chinese authorities chose to ignore it. Now, nature is testing China’s so-called infrastructure marvel. Hubei is yet to recover from the damage of the coronavirus but now the floods and a potential dam overflow could deliver another devastating jolt to China.

After virus, China's Hubei province at risk as floods hit Yangtze River

Iran's Chabahar port is the only deep seaport and India's gateway to central Asia. The port was inaugurated in 2017, it not only side-stepped Pakistan but also counter-balanced the Chinese-controlled Gwadar port.

India had an ambitious plan - offload shipments in Chabahar, load them on trucks and trains, send them to Zahedan in Iran, go further to Zarang in Afghanistan and take the goods to the central Asian republics.

For this plan to be successful, India needed to develop better connectivity to the port - enter the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line, the 628-km-long track connecting the port to Zahedan.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-india-dropped-from-the-chabahar-railway-project-313321/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

India and Iran had agreed to jointly construct the railway line with 34 stations estimated to ferry 2.8 million tonnes of freight per year. The deal was reached in 2016&nbsp;during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Iran. Four years on, Tehran has thrown New Delhi out of the project. It now wants to construct the railway&nbsp;line alone. Reports claim that Iran has already inaugurated the track-laying process.

Tehran claims New Delhi has been delaying funding. The project was being stalled because of US sanctions on Iran, although it was waived in 2018 but finding suppliers and partners continued to remain a challenge as banks too were reluctant to provide loans.

Iran is now constructing the railway line alone. It wants to complete the project by 2022. It is a big roadblock in India's strategic ambitions in central Asia. It loses its influence in the trade corridor and it is a setback for India's bigger plan since the railroad was supposed to be a transit corridor to Afghanistan after connecting Chabahar to Zahedan, the railroad was to be linked to Zaranj in Afghanistan.

The plan may now need a rethink. The loss is diplomatic too. It is a sign of Iran losing confidence in India.

India's loss is China's gain. The development comes at a time when China is finalising a $400 billion strategic partnership deal with Iran. Not surprising given the two countries have a common enemy - the United States.

Beijing is set to gain from Chabahar development. Firstly, it will ensure a tighter grip over Iran which is a country with a population of 80 million with 60 per cent people under 30.

Secondly, Chabahar's loss is Gwadar's gain. The two ports are just 172 km away. Gwadar already has better connectivity, and China is unlikely to be shy of promoting it as the go-to port for trading with central Asia.

Also, by kicking India out of a project in Iran, China gets to poison one more of India's allies and China gets to carve its way into trying to influence the affairs in Chabahar.

India must learn from the episode. New Delhi cannot take its allies for granted especially when the expansionist Dragon is on the loose and desperate.

Iran's Chabahar port is the only deep seaport and India's gateway to central Asia. The port was inaugurated in 2017, it not only side-stepped Pakistan but also counter-balanced the Chinese-controlled Gwadar port.

Iran's Chabahar port is the only deep seaport and India's gateway to central Asia. The port was inaugurated in 2017, it not only side-stepped Pakistan but also counter-balanced the Chinese-controlled Gwadar port. India had an ambitious plan - offload shipments in Chabahar, load them on trucks and trains, send them to Zahedan in Iran, go further to Zarang in Afghanistan and take the goods to the central Asian republics. For this plan to be successful, India needed to develop better connectivity to the port - enter the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line, the 628-km-long track connecting the port to Zahedan. India and Iran had agreed to jointly construct the railway line with 34 stations estimated to ferry 2.8 million tonnes of freight per year. The deal was reached in 2016 during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Iran. Four years on, Tehran has thrown New Delhi out of the project. It now wants to construct the railway line alone. Reports claim that Iran has already inaugurated the track-laying process. Tehran claims New Delhi has been delaying funding. The project was being stalled because of US sanctions on Iran, although it was waived in 2018 but finding suppliers and partners continued to remain a challenge as banks too were reluctant to provide loans. Iran is now constructing the railway line alone. It wants to complete the project by 2022. It is a big roadblock in India's strategic ambitions in central Asia. It loses its influence in the trade corridor and it is a setback for India's bigger plan since the railroad was supposed to be a transit corridor to Afghanistan after connecting Chabahar to Zahedan, the railroad was to be linked to Zaranj in Afghanistan. The plan may now need a rethink. The loss is diplomatic too. It is a sign of Iran losing confidence in India. India's loss is China's gain. The development comes at a time when China is finalising a $400 billion strategic partnership deal with Iran. Not surprising given the two countries have a common enemy - the United States. Beijing is set to gain from Chabahar development. Firstly, it will ensure a tighter grip over Iran which is a country with a population of 80 million with 60 per cent people under 30. Secondly, Chabahar's loss is Gwadar's gain. The two ports are just 172 km away. Gwadar already has better connectivity, and China is unlikely to be shy of promoting it as the go-to port for trading with central Asia. Also, by kicking India out of a project in Iran, China gets to poison one more of India's allies and China gets to carve its way into trying to influence the affairs in Chabahar. India must learn from the episode. New Delhi cannot take its allies for granted especially when the expansionist Dragon is on the loose and desperate.

Iran ignores India, starts work on Chabahar-Zahedan railway project

Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is not a traditional politician. He is a school dropout and was sent to jail at the age of 22, not for any civil offence but for the murder of Dharma Prasad Dhakal, a farmer in eastern Nepal.

It is something that Oli doesn’t talk about much. He was born in 1952 in eastern Nepal. Oli was called "Dhruba" as a child and raised by his grandmother. His mother died due to smallpox when he was just four.

At the age of 18, he signed up for the Communist Party and&nbsp;almost immediately he was arrested. Oli spent 14 years in prison.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-who-is-kp-sharma-oli-313318/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The Nepali prime minister rarely refers to his time in jail but those who know him say he was moulded by his experiences there. Oli was released after getting a royal pardon in the mid-1980s.

Oli got a break in politics when he was elected to Parliament in 1991. He was one of the strongest critics of the Maoists throughout the insurgency that left 17,000&nbsp;people dead.

It was also the phase when&nbsp;he developed a rivalry with Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Prachanda went&nbsp;the other way, he launched an armed insurgency and adopted Maoism to finish the monarchy.

When the peace process ended in 2006, Prachanda won big. He was elected prime minister first in 2008&nbsp;then once again in 2016.

Nepal underwent a transition as monarchy gave way to a secular, federal republic with coalition governments becoming the norm.

It was the transition that also brought Oli and Prachanda together. They decided to contest the 2017 elections together and merged their parties. Two years later, the daggers have been drawn again.

Today, KP Sharma Oli is known as the face of "Nepali nationalism”&nbsp;but it wasn’t the case earlier. In 1996, Oli had split from his own party&nbsp;just because he wanted to support the India-Nepal agreement over the Mahakali river water-sharing agreement.

Oli’s shift to China is fairly recent driven by political and economic considerations. In 2016, he signed a deal with Beijing that gave Nepal access to dry ports and rail links from China for the first time since then&nbsp;the partnership has only grown from strength to strength.

Today, China drives the political choices of Oli, choices that have damaged India’s ties with Nepal, choices that have brought Oli to the brink of his ouster. The Nepal prime minister could end up paying a heavy price for an alliance with Beijing. 
&nbsp;

Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is not a traditional politician. He is a school dropout and was sent to jail at the age of 22, not for any civil offence but for the murder of Dharma Prasad Dhakal, a farmer in eastern Nepal.

Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is not a traditional politician. He is a school dropout and was sent to jail at the age of 22, not for any civil offence but for the murder of Dharma Prasad Dhakal, a farmer in eastern Nepal. It is something that Oli doesn’t talk about much. He was born in 1952 in eastern Nepal. Oli was called "Dhruba" as a child and raised by his grandmother. His mother died due to smallpox when he was just four. At the age of 18, he signed up for the Communist Party and almost immediately he was arrested. Oli spent 14 years in prison. The Nepali prime minister rarely refers to his time in jail but those who know him say he was moulded by his experiences there. Oli was released after getting a royal pardon in the mid-1980s. Oli got a break in politics when he was elected to Parliament in 1991. He was one of the strongest critics of the Maoists throughout the insurgency that left 17,000 people dead. It was also the phase when he developed a rivalry with Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Prachanda went the other way, he launched an armed insurgency and adopted Maoism to finish the monarchy. When the peace process ended in 2006, Prachanda won big. He was elected prime minister first in 2008 then once again in 2016. Nepal underwent a transition as monarchy gave way to a secular, federal republic with coalition governments becoming the norm. It was the transition that also brought Oli and Prachanda together. They decided to contest the 2017 elections together and merged their parties. Two years later, the daggers have been drawn again. Today, KP Sharma Oli is known as the face of "Nepali nationalism” but it wasn’t the case earlier. In 1996, Oli had split from his own party just because he wanted to support the India-Nepal agreement over the Mahakali river water-sharing agreement. Oli’s shift to China is fairly recent driven by political and economic considerations. In 2016, he signed a deal with Beijing that gave Nepal access to dry ports and rail links from China for the first time since then the partnership has only grown from strength to strength. Today, China drives the political choices of Oli, choices that have damaged India’s ties with Nepal, choices that have brought Oli to the brink of his ouster. The Nepal prime minister could end up paying a heavy price for an alliance with Beijing.

KP Sharma Oli's journey from spending 14 years in prison to becoming Nepal's Prime Minister

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