Thai government on Wednesday issued a&nbsp;warning against Clubhouse app after it emerged almost overnight as a platform for discussion of the monarchy.

Digital minister Puttipong Punnakanta said the Thai authorities were watching Clubhouse users, and political groups on the app were distorting information and potentially violating laws.

A large number of Thai users joined Clubhouse in recent days after Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a prominent Japan-based critic of the Thai palace, joined on Friday and started discussing the monarchy.

Clubhouse, launched last year, lets users host audio chats. It has surged in popularity in the past couple of months, especially after Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared on it last month.

"What needs to be spoken will be spoken. It is risky but it must be encouraged, as the more we speak about it the more such discussions become the norm," Pavin, who had gained more than 70,000 followers in his first five days on the app, told Reuters. "These exercises help boost courage."

Youth protests last year focused on demands for reforms to the royal system in Thailand, a subject long considered taboo.Since the protests started, at least 59 people have been summoned or charged under Thailand's "lese majeste" law against insulting or defaming the king.

Audience grows

The Thai government regularly uses a cybercrime law to prosecute critics of the monarchy on national security grounds. It has previously cracked down on such criticisms on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Pavin's audience grew from around 300 on Friday to over 12,000 on Tuesday night, when he discussed King Maha Vajiralongkorn in a room that quickly reached the app's maximum capacity. Other rooms criticising the Thai government and the use of the lese majeste law are also popular, with many exiled critics speaking about their experiences.

The app's quick rise has drawn the attention of other governments in the region. Earlier this month, China blocked access to the app after a brief period when thousands of mainland users joined in discussions often censored in China, including about Xinjiang detention camps and Hong Kong's National Security Law.

Some Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have gained thousands of followers on the app, although users there appear so far to have stopped short of hosting public discussions about reviving protests that might attract Beijing's wrath.

On Wednesday, Indonesia said Clubhouse had yet to register with authorities and could be banned if it failed to comply with local regulations.

Indonesia, which compels tech platforms to register, has already banned Reddit, Vimeo, and scores of pornography sites.

Thai government on Wednesday issued a warning against Clubhouse app after it emerged almost overnight as a platform for discussion of the monarchy. Digital minister Puttipong Punnakanta said the Thai authorities were watching Clubhouse users, and political groups on the app were distorting information and potentially violating laws.

Thai government on Wednesday issued a warning against Clubhouse app after it emerged almost overnight as a platform for discussion of the monarchy. Digital minister Puttipong Punnakanta said the Thai authorities were watching Clubhouse users, and political groups on the app were distorting information and potentially violating laws. A large number of Thai users joined Clubhouse in recent days after Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a prominent Japan-based critic of the Thai palace, joined on Friday and started discussing the monarchy. Clubhouse, launched last year, lets users host audio chats. It has surged in popularity in the past couple of months, especially after Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared on it last month. "What needs to be spoken will be spoken. It is risky but it must be encouraged, as the more we speak about it the more such discussions become the norm," Pavin, who had gained more than 70,000 followers in his first five days on the app, told Reuters. "These exercises help boost courage." Youth protests last year focused on demands for reforms to the royal system in Thailand, a subject long considered taboo.Since the protests started, at least 59 people have been summoned or charged under Thailand's "lese majeste" law against insulting or defaming the king. Audience grows The Thai government regularly uses a cybercrime law to prosecute critics of the monarchy on national security grounds. It has previously cracked down on such criticisms on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Pavin's audience grew from around 300 on Friday to over 12,000 on Tuesday night, when he discussed King Maha Vajiralongkorn in a room that quickly reached the app's maximum capacity. Other rooms criticising the Thai government and the use of the lese majeste law are also popular, with many exiled critics speaking about their experiences. The app's quick rise has drawn the attention of other governments in the region. Earlier this month, China blocked access to the app after a brief period when thousands of mainland users joined in discussions often censored in China, including about Xinjiang detention camps and Hong Kong's National Security Law. Some Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have gained thousands of followers on the app, although users there appear so far to have stopped short of hosting public discussions about reviving protests that might attract Beijing's wrath. On Wednesday, Indonesia said Clubhouse had yet to register with authorities and could be banned if it failed to comply with local regulations. Indonesia, which compels tech platforms to register, has already banned Reddit, Vimeo, and scores of pornography sites.

Thai government issues warning against Clubhouse after it emerges as platform for dissidents

British regulators have approved the world's first coronavirus human challenge trial, in which volunteers will be deliberately exposed to the virus to study how the infection spreads.

The government said Wednesday that the UK's clinical trials ethics regulator has approved the trial and it will start within a month. The aim is to develop more effective vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.

Researchers are seeking up to 90 volunteers aged 18-30, who will be exposed to COVID-19 ''in a safe and controlled environment.''&nbsp;

The study will try to determine the smallest amount of virus needed to cause infection.

Young people are being asked to volunteer because they have the lowest risk of serious illness from the coronavirus. Participants in the study will be monitored 24 hours a day.

Britain is aiming for a "cautious but irreversible" plan to exit coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, as the first batch of travellers entered an enforced and expensive new hotel quarantine regime.

The government is targeting another 17 million people by the end of April, including everyone aged 50 and above, plus starting on second doses for the first wave.

The government intends next Monday to lay out a roadmap for easing its third stay-at-home order in England, which has shut down schools, non-essential businesses and hospitality venues since early January.

Schools could reopen on March 8, officials hope, and Johnson said he would set down "as much as we possibly can about the route to normality even though some things are very uncertain".

"Because we want this lockdown to be the last, and we want progress to be cautious but also irreversible."&nbsp;

With more than 117,000 Covid deaths, Britain is one of the world's worst-hit countries. But the daily figure for new cases on Monday dipped under 10,000 for the first time since October 4.&nbsp;

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was "some way to go" before easing restrictions, adding that the government was awaiting key data on the effect of vaccines on transmission.

British regulators have approved the world's first coronavirus human challenge trial, in which volunteers will be deliberately exposed to the virus to study how the infection spreads.

British regulators have approved the world's first coronavirus human challenge trial, in which volunteers will be deliberately exposed to the virus to study how the infection spreads. The government said Wednesday that the UK's clinical trials ethics regulator has approved the trial and it will start within a month. The aim is to develop more effective vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. Researchers are seeking up to 90 volunteers aged 18-30, who will be exposed to COVID-19 ''in a safe and controlled environment.'' The study will try to determine the smallest amount of virus needed to cause infection. Young people are being asked to volunteer because they have the lowest risk of serious illness from the coronavirus. Participants in the study will be monitored 24 hours a day. Britain is aiming for a "cautious but irreversible" plan to exit coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, as the first batch of travellers entered an enforced and expensive new hotel quarantine regime. The government is targeting another 17 million people by the end of April, including everyone aged 50 and above, plus starting on second doses for the first wave. The government intends next Monday to lay out a roadmap for easing its third stay-at-home order in England, which has shut down schools, non-essential businesses and hospitality venues since early January. Schools could reopen on March 8, officials hope, and Johnson said he would set down "as much as we possibly can about the route to normality even though some things are very uncertain". "Because we want this lockdown to be the last, and we want progress to be cautious but also irreversible." With more than 117,000 Covid deaths, Britain is one of the world's worst-hit countries. But the daily figure for new cases on Monday dipped under 10,000 for the first time since October 4. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was "some way to go" before easing restrictions, adding that the government was awaiting key data on the effect of vaccines on transmission.

UK approves trial deliberately exposing volunteers to virus

France said it will host talks Thursday between the top diplomats of European powers and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken focused on Iran, as they try to salvage a 2015 deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will meet his counterparts Heiko Maas of Germany and Dominic Raab of Britain in Paris, with Blinken joining via videoconference, the French foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The European powers want to revive the nuclear deal that former President Donald Trump walked out of in 2018 but that the administration of Joe Biden has said it could rejoin if Tehran returns to compliance with the deal.

France said it will host talks Thursday between the top diplomats of European powers and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken focused on Iran, as they try to salvage a 2015 deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.

France said it will host talks Thursday between the top diplomats of European powers and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken focused on Iran, as they try to salvage a 2015 deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will meet his counterparts Heiko Maas of Germany and Dominic Raab of Britain in Paris, with Blinken joining via videoconference, the French foreign ministry said Wednesday. The European powers want to revive the nuclear deal that former President Donald Trump walked out of in 2018 but that the administration of Joe Biden has said it could rejoin if Tehran returns to compliance with the deal.

France to hold talks with European powers and US on Iran

The biggest crater of the moon, which covers nearly a quarter of its surface, has revealed new information regarding its formation and scientists believe it has ''tremendous implications''.

The study published in JGR planets shows an analysis of the&nbsp;South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), that is 2500km in diametres and approximately 8.2 km deep, that has refined the timeline of the development of lunar mantle and crust.

According to&nbsp;Daniel Moriarty,&nbsp;planetary geologist of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and&nbsp;the lead researcher of the study, ''These results&nbsp;have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon.''

Like the Earth, the Moon is layered into a crust and mantle. The Moon's layering was shaped by an early global melting event known as the “Lunar Magma Ocean.”

As the magma ocean solidified, dense minerals sank to form the mantle, while less dense minerals floated to form the crust.

Elements such as thorium are not easily incorporated into mineral structures and remain in the liquid. Because of this, a thorium-rich dreg layer was sandwiched between the crust and mantle. These dregs are very dense and are expected to sink into the underlying mantle during or soon after crystallization.

The Moon's largest and oldest impact basin excavated material from this dense, thorium-rich layer before it sank.

The exposed material was then diluted and obscured by four billion years of impact cratering and volcanic eruptions. However, we identify several pristine exposures created by recent craters.

The impact basin also melted rocks from greater depths than the rocks it ejected. These melted rocks exhibit a much different composition.

This indicates that the lunar upper mantle included two compositionally distinct layers that were exposed in different ways by this large impact event. These results have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon.

The researchers&nbsp;wrote in their paper ''Formation of the South Pole-Aitken Basin is among the most ancient and important events in lunar history. Not only did it affect the thermal and chemical evolution of the lunar mantle, but it preserved heterogeneous mantle materials on the lunar surface in the form of ejecta and impact melt.''

''As we enter into a new age of international and commercial lunar exploration, these mantle materials at the lunar surface must be considered amongst the highest-priority targets for the advancement of planetary science," they added.

The biggest crater of the moon, which covers nearly a quarter of its surface, has revealed new information regarding its formation and scientists believe it has ''tremendous implications''.

The biggest crater of the moon, which covers nearly a quarter of its surface, has revealed new information regarding its formation and scientists believe it has ''tremendous implications''. The study published in JGR planets shows an analysis of the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), that is 2500km in diametres and approximately 8.2 km deep, that has refined the timeline of the development of lunar mantle and crust. According to Daniel Moriarty, planetary geologist of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the lead researcher of the study, ''These results have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon.'' Like the Earth, the Moon is layered into a crust and mantle. The Moon's layering was shaped by an early global melting event known as the “Lunar Magma Ocean.” As the magma ocean solidified, dense minerals sank to form the mantle, while less dense minerals floated to form the crust. Elements such as thorium are not easily incorporated into mineral structures and remain in the liquid. Because of this, a thorium-rich dreg layer was sandwiched between the crust and mantle. These dregs are very dense and are expected to sink into the underlying mantle during or soon after crystallization. The Moon's largest and oldest impact basin excavated material from this dense, thorium-rich layer before it sank. The exposed material was then diluted and obscured by four billion years of impact cratering and volcanic eruptions. However, we identify several pristine exposures created by recent craters. The impact basin also melted rocks from greater depths than the rocks it ejected. These melted rocks exhibit a much different composition. This indicates that the lunar upper mantle included two compositionally distinct layers that were exposed in different ways by this large impact event. These results have important implications for understanding the formation and evolution of the Moon. The researchers wrote in their paper ''Formation of the South Pole-Aitken Basin is among the most ancient and important events in lunar history. Not only did it affect the thermal and chemical evolution of the lunar mantle, but it preserved heterogeneous mantle materials on the lunar surface in the form of ejecta and impact melt.'' ''As we enter into a new age of international and commercial lunar exploration, these mantle materials at the lunar surface must be considered amongst the highest-priority targets for the advancement of planetary science," they added.

'Tremendous implications': Moon's biggest crater reveals lunar formation secrets

A New York-based school is being condemned for&nbsp;asking&nbsp;parents to rate their 'whiteness', detailing eight supposed stages for the ''tool for action''.

The graphic, sent out by the school's principal of&nbsp;East Side Community School in New York City, was shared on social networking platform Twitter after which it went viral. It was written by&nbsp;Northwestern University associate professor Barnor Hesse.

Also read-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-supremacists-greatest-domestic-terror-threat-in-america-biden-364201">White supremacists greatest domestic terror threat in America: Biden</a>

The graphic by Slow Factory Foundation says, ''There is a regime of whiteness, and there are action-oriented white identities. People who identify with whiteness are one of these. It's about time we build an ethnography of whiteness since white people have been the ones writing about and governing others.''

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
SCOOP: The principal of East Side Community School in New York sent white parents this "tool for action," which tells them they must become "white traitors" and then advocate for full "white abolition." 
 
This is the new language of public education. <a href="https://t.co/0XA3xUpcuT">pic.twitter.com/0XA3xUpcuT</a>
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) <a href="https://twitter.com/realchrisrufo/status/1361370106283003907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
More genocide talk <a href="https://t.co/5DVmNcTJ54">https://t.co/5DVmNcTJ54</a>
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) <a href="https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1361525664562765824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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We need to end the public school monopoly of Wokist bureaucrats to save the concept of education. <a href="https://t.co/a4tnVASvR2">https://t.co/a4tnVASvR2</a>
— Andrew Follett (@AndrewCFollett) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewCFollett/status/1361484779313631237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Earlier,&nbsp;President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-wants-us-congress-to-reform-american-gun-laws-363630">Biden</a>&nbsp;in a town hall meeting on Wednesday said that "white supremacists are the greatest domestic terror threat in America."

"It's complex, it's wide-ranging, and it's real,"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-says-trump-did-not-do-his-job-on-coronavirus-vaccination-program-urges-patience-363295">Biden</a>&nbsp;said on the white supremacists' issue, adding, "I would make sure that my Justice Department and the Civil Rights Division is focused heavily on those very folks, and I would make sure that we, in fact, focus on how to deal with the rise of white supremacy."

The US president said those who support the white supremacists are "demented" and "dangerous."

A New York-based school is being condemned for asking parents to rate their 'whiteness', detailing eight supposed stages for the ''tool for action''. The graphic, sent out by the school's principal of East Side Community School in New York City, was shared on social networking platform Twitter after which it went viral.

A New York-based school is being condemned for asking parents to rate their 'whiteness', detailing eight supposed stages for the ''tool for action''. The graphic, sent out by the school's principal of East Side Community School in New York City, was shared on social networking platform Twitter after which it went viral. It was written by Northwestern University associate professor Barnor Hesse. Also read-White supremacists greatest domestic terror threat in America: Biden The graphic by Slow Factory Foundation says, ''There is a regime of whiteness, and there are action-oriented white identities. People who identify with whiteness are one of these. It's about time we build an ethnography of whiteness since white people have been the ones writing about and governing others.'' SCOOP: The principal of East Side Community School in New York sent white parents this "tool for action," which tells them they must become "white traitors" and then advocate for full "white abolition." This is the new language of public education. pic.twitter.com/0XA3xUpcuT — Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 15, 2021 × More genocide talk https://t.co/5DVmNcTJ54 — Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 16, 2021 × We need to end the public school monopoly of Wokist bureaucrats to save the concept of education. https://t.co/a4tnVASvR2 — Andrew Follett (@AndrewCFollett) February 16, 2021 × Earlier, President Biden in a town hall meeting on Wednesday said that "white supremacists are the greatest domestic terror threat in America." "It's complex, it's wide-ranging, and it's real," Biden said on the white supremacists' issue, adding, "I would make sure that my Justice Department and the Civil Rights Division is focused heavily on those very folks, and I would make sure that we, in fact, focus on how to deal with the rise of white supremacy." The US president said those who support the white supremacists are "demented" and "dangerous."

School in New York asks parents to rate their 'whiteness'

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has reclaimed the title of world's richest person by overtaking Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

Prices of Amazon shares surged over two per cent on Tuesday due to which Bezos&nbsp;surpassed Musk's fortune&nbsp;by $4 billion.

The Forbes Billionaires List, however, said Musk still trails Amazon's Bezos by $7.8 billion.&nbsp;

Forbes has a more conservative estimate based on the Tesla stake that he has pledged as collateral for personal loans. To take that into account, it applies a 25 per cent&nbsp;discount to his shareholding, according to its report in November.

Musk overtook Bezos as the world’s richest man six weeks ago. His personal wealth was boosted by last year’s more than eight-fold surge in the shares of Tesla, which became the world’s most valuable carmaker.

Amazon founder&nbsp;Jeff&nbsp;Bezos, the world's richest man, plans to build rockets and save the planet.

Bezos, 57, is the latest in a line of corporate titans who have stepped away from their day jobs to devote themselves to other activities.

Bezos, whose net worth is $197 billion according to Forbes magazine, announced on Tuesday he was resigning as chief executive officer of the online retail giant he launched 27 years ago.

He said he would remain executive chairman of Amazon but would devote more time to "passions" such as his private space firm Blue Origin and the&nbsp;Bezos&nbsp;Earth Fund, to which he made a&nbsp;$10 billion donation last year.

In stepping away from the executive suite,&nbsp;Bezos&nbsp;is following in the footsteps of other tycoons who temporarily -- and in some cases permanently -- walked away from running the businesses that made them rich.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has reclaimed the title of world's richest person by overtaking Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Prices of Amazon shares surged over two per cent on Tuesday due to which Bezos surpassed Musk's fortune by $4 billion.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has reclaimed the title of world's richest person by overtaking Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Prices of Amazon shares surged over two per cent on Tuesday due to which Bezos surpassed Musk's fortune by $4 billion. The Forbes Billionaires List, however, said Musk still trails Amazon's Bezos by $7.8 billion. Forbes has a more conservative estimate based on the Tesla stake that he has pledged as collateral for personal loans. To take that into account, it applies a 25 per cent discount to his shareholding, according to its report in November. Musk overtook Bezos as the world’s richest man six weeks ago. His personal wealth was boosted by last year’s more than eight-fold surge in the shares of Tesla, which became the world’s most valuable carmaker. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, plans to build rockets and save the planet. Bezos, 57, is the latest in a line of corporate titans who have stepped away from their day jobs to devote themselves to other activities. Bezos, whose net worth is $197 billion according to Forbes magazine, announced on Tuesday he was resigning as chief executive officer of the online retail giant he launched 27 years ago. He said he would remain executive chairman of Amazon but would devote more time to "passions" such as his private space firm Blue Origin and the Bezos Earth Fund, to which he made a $10 billion donation last year. In stepping away from the executive suite, Bezos is following in the footsteps of other tycoons who temporarily -- and in some cases permanently -- walked away from running the businesses that made them rich.

Jeff Bezos reclaims world's richest person title by overtaking Elon Musk

Bangladesh is moving 3,000-4,000 more Rohingya Muslim refugees to a remote Bay of Bengal island over the next two days, two officials said on Sunday, despite concerns about the risk of storms and floods lashing the site.

Dhaka has relocated around 7,000 to Bhasan Char island since early December from border camps in neighbouring Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where more than a million refugees live in ramshackle huts perched on razed hillsides.

The Rohingya refugees will be moved to Bhasan Char by ships on Monday and Tuesday, Navy Commodore Rashed Sattar said from the island.

Bangladesh says the relocation is voluntary, but some of a first group to be moved spoke of being coerced.

The government has dismissed safety concerns over the island, citing the building of flood defences as well as housing for 100,000 people, hospitals and cyclone centres.

It also says overcrowding in refugee camps fuels crime.

Once they arrive on Bhasan Char, the Rohingya, a minority group who fled violence, are not allowed to leave the island, which is several hours' journey from the southern port of Chittagong.

Bangladesh has drawn criticism for a reluctance to consult with the United Nations refugee agency and other aid bodies over the transfers.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says the agency has not been allowed to evaluate the safety and sustainability of life on the island.

"The process of moving the Rohingya will continue... they are going there happily for better life," Mohammad Shamsud Douza, the deputy Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said by phone from Cox's Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh.

"Our main priority is repatriating them to their homeland in a dignified and sustainable way," he said.

Bangladesh has called on Myanmar to move forward the stalled process of voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees, as international pressure mounts on the military leaders following a coup, which reduces the refugees' hopes of returning home.

"I don't see any future for us," said 42-year-old refugee, who chose to move the island. "The little hope we had of going back to our homeland was broken after the coup."

Bangladesh is moving 3,000-4,000 more Rohingya Muslim refugees to a remote Bay of Bengal island over the next two days, two officials said on Sunday, despite concerns about the risk of storms and floods lashing the site.

Bangladesh is moving 3,000-4,000 more Rohingya Muslim refugees to a remote Bay of Bengal island over the next two days, two officials said on Sunday, despite concerns about the risk of storms and floods lashing the site. Dhaka has relocated around 7,000 to Bhasan Char island since early December from border camps in neighbouring Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where more than a million refugees live in ramshackle huts perched on razed hillsides. The Rohingya refugees will be moved to Bhasan Char by ships on Monday and Tuesday, Navy Commodore Rashed Sattar said from the island. Bangladesh says the relocation is voluntary, but some of a first group to be moved spoke of being coerced. The government has dismissed safety concerns over the island, citing the building of flood defences as well as housing for 100,000 people, hospitals and cyclone centres. It also says overcrowding in refugee camps fuels crime. Once they arrive on Bhasan Char, the Rohingya, a minority group who fled violence, are not allowed to leave the island, which is several hours' journey from the southern port of Chittagong. Bangladesh has drawn criticism for a reluctance to consult with the United Nations refugee agency and other aid bodies over the transfers. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says the agency has not been allowed to evaluate the safety and sustainability of life on the island. "The process of moving the Rohingya will continue... they are going there happily for better life," Mohammad Shamsud Douza, the deputy Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said by phone from Cox's Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh. "Our main priority is repatriating them to their homeland in a dignified and sustainable way," he said. Bangladesh has called on Myanmar to move forward the stalled process of voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees, as international pressure mounts on the military leaders following a coup, which reduces the refugees' hopes of returning home. "I don't see any future for us," said 42-year-old refugee, who chose to move the island. "The little hope we had of going back to our homeland was broken after the coup."

Despite outcry Bangladesh to move more Rohingya Muslims to remote island

COVID-19 cases in India are shrinking in comparison to the other countries of the world.

Coronavirus has&nbsp;caused at least 2,400,543 deaths since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019.

At least 108,785,960 cases of&nbsp;coronavirus&nbsp;have been registered. Of these, at least 66,547,800 are now considered recovered.

The United States is the worst-affected country with 485,337 deaths followed by Brazil with 239,245, Mexico with 174,207.&nbsp;

The western nations are the hardest hit. In the United States, a&nbsp;batch of seven homegrown mutations has emerged.

Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the&nbsp;kent variant has become a 'variant of concern'

WATCH|

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-west-is-struggling-with-wuhan-virus-363892/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Britain is aiming for a "cautious but irreversible" plan to exit coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, as the country greeted the first arrivals subject to a new&nbsp;hotel&nbsp;quarantine&nbsp;regime.

The policy, designed to fight emerging variants of the coronavirus, requires all UK citizens and permanent residents entering England from 33 "red list" countries to self-isolate at their own expense in an approved&nbsp;hotel&nbsp;for 10 days.

Germany&nbsp;said on Monday its decision to impose border controls with the Czech Republic and Austria is a temporary measure of last resort and defended a lockdown extension against business demands for a roadmap to reopening.

The new restrictions along the normally open borders were prompted by alarm over outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Austria's Tyrol region of strains of the coronavirus that spread faster and cause more illness.

Germany&nbsp;installed frontier checks on Sunday, drawing protest from Austria and concerns about supply-chain disruptions that could damage the country's export-oriented manufacturing sector.

As India edges closer towards defeating the pandemic, the struggle is still not over for many countries.&nbsp;

Highly contagious coronavirus mutations such as Robin 1 in the US, Pelican in Mexico are spreading quickly.&nbsp;

How widespread are these variants?

Researchers are not sure how&nbsp;widespread these variants are but the cases are surging.

The United Kingdom is one of the worst affected countries with almost 115,000 deaths from the virus, while authorities hope the peak has passed.

The number of cases has topped 3.9 million but new cases, hospitalisation figures and death rates have fallen steeply.

England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said last week the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic appeared to have peaked.

In early January, the government imposed a fresh lockdown and closed schools after a dramatic rise in cases at the end of 2020, linked to the new more infectious&nbsp;variant&nbsp;first found in&nbsp;Kent, southeast England.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government is hoping to start lifting lockdown on March 8, banking on its mass vaccination drive to cut infection rates.&nbsp;

France's Health Ministry has asked regional health agencies and hospitals to enter "crisis organisation" to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus cases as a result of highly contagious variants.

The move, which would echo measures taken in March and November when&nbsp;France&nbsp;went into lockdown, involves increasing the number of hospital beds available, delaying non-urgent surgery and mobilising all medical staff resources.

French President Macron said, ''Timing and scale are absolutely critical. We have to maximize but we have to deliver vaccines very rapidly otherwise we will give a window of opportunity to the virus to create new mutants in the coming months and to come back in this new form in the high-income countries a few months later.''

The west is still overwhelmed by the pandemic. There is a glaring gap between expectations and the actual performance of western nations.

COVID-19 cases in India are shrinking in comparison to the other countries of the world. Coronavirus has caused at least 2,400,543 deaths since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019.

COVID-19 cases in India are shrinking in comparison to the other countries of the world. Coronavirus has caused at least 2,400,543 deaths since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019. At least 108,785,960 cases of coronavirus have been registered. Of these, at least 66,547,800 are now considered recovered. The United States is the worst-affected country with 485,337 deaths followed by Brazil with 239,245, Mexico with 174,207. The western nations are the hardest hit. In the United States, a batch of seven homegrown mutations has emerged. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, the kent variant has become a 'variant of concern' WATCH| Britain is aiming for a "cautious but irreversible" plan to exit coronavirus lockdown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, as the country greeted the first arrivals subject to a new hotel quarantine regime. The policy, designed to fight emerging variants of the coronavirus, requires all UK citizens and permanent residents entering England from 33 "red list" countries to self-isolate at their own expense in an approved hotel for 10 days. Germany said on Monday its decision to impose border controls with the Czech Republic and Austria is a temporary measure of last resort and defended a lockdown extension against business demands for a roadmap to reopening. The new restrictions along the normally open borders were prompted by alarm over outbreaks in the Czech Republic and Austria's Tyrol region of strains of the coronavirus that spread faster and cause more illness. Germany installed frontier checks on Sunday, drawing protest from Austria and concerns about supply-chain disruptions that could damage the country's export-oriented manufacturing sector. As India edges closer towards defeating the pandemic, the struggle is still not over for many countries. Highly contagious coronavirus mutations such as Robin 1 in the US, Pelican in Mexico are spreading quickly. How widespread are these variants? Researchers are not sure how widespread these variants are but the cases are surging. The United Kingdom is one of the worst affected countries with almost 115,000 deaths from the virus, while authorities hope the peak has passed. The number of cases has topped 3.9 million but new cases, hospitalisation figures and death rates have fallen steeply. England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said last week the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic appeared to have peaked. In early January, the government imposed a fresh lockdown and closed schools after a dramatic rise in cases at the end of 2020, linked to the new more infectious variant first found in Kent, southeast England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government is hoping to start lifting lockdown on March 8, banking on its mass vaccination drive to cut infection rates. France's Health Ministry has asked regional health agencies and hospitals to enter "crisis organisation" to prepare for a possible surge in coronavirus cases as a result of highly contagious variants. The move, which would echo measures taken in March and November when France went into lockdown, involves increasing the number of hospital beds available, delaying non-urgent surgery and mobilising all medical staff resources. French President Macron said, ''Timing and scale are absolutely critical. We have to maximize but we have to deliver vaccines very rapidly otherwise we will give a window of opportunity to the virus to create new mutants in the coming months and to come back in this new form in the high-income countries a few months later.'' The west is still overwhelmed by the pandemic. There is a glaring gap between expectations and the actual performance of western nations.

How countries are still struggling due to coronavirus pandemic

Dozens of activists rallied in Paris on Sunday demanding the French government to abandon the&nbsp;anti-extremism bill aimed at rooting out Islamist radicalism.

President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government argues that the anti-extremism bill is needed to protect French values like gender equality and secularism.

Scrubbing France clean of radicals and their breeding grounds is a priority for President Emmanuel Macron in a nation bloodied by terror attacks, including the beheading of a teacher outside his school in a Paris suburb in October, followed by a deadly attack inside the basilica in Nice.

WATCH|

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-france-set-to-table-anti-extremism-bill-363894/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The proposed legislation is intended to re-anchor secularism in a changing France, where Muslims are increasingly visible and Islam&nbsp;the nation's No. 2 religion&nbsp;is gaining a stronger voice.

It is a response to a series of jihadist terror attacks in France that have killed more than 250 people since 2015.

The legislation, expected to pass Tuesday's vote in the lower house of parliament, will also expand the crackdown.

Along with the bill, contested by some Muslims, politicians and others, such strong-arm inspections risk accentuating the climate of suspicion many Muslims feel in a country where the vast majority of Muslims don't hold extremist views.

According to&nbsp;Nagib Azergui, founder of the Union of the French Muslim Democrats (UDMF), "This bill tends to criminalize, or at least render suspicious, all Muslim citizens due to their practice, which makes it a law of exception inside the Republic.''

The draft bill was introduced in December 2020 after a string of Islamist terror attacks across France.

The purpose of the bill is to arm France against radicalism. It targets home schools&nbsp;mosques and associations that promulgate an ideology running contrary to French values.

It will clamp down on home-schooling of children that are over three&nbsp;years of age, punish doctors who provide virginity certificates to Muslim women, make hate speech a punishable offence with 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros,&nbsp;refuse residence permits for immigrants practising polygamy, increase penalties or simply shut down places of worship found peddling hate, prohibit religious symbols like the hijab in all public and&nbsp;private-sector jobs and control the foreign funding of Islamic institutes and associations in France.

France has suffered due to Islamic extremism more than any European country and it needs to take tough measures to rein in radicals.

At the same time,&nbsp;it must ensure that progressive french Muslims do not become collateral damage.

In an election year, President Macron must get the balance right. His bill and its implementation may well provide a playbook to the west on dealing with radicalism.

Dozens of activists rallied in Paris on Sunday demanding the French government to abandon the anti-extremism bill aimed at rooting out Islamist radicalism. President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government argues that the anti-extremism bill is needed to protect French values like gender equality and secularism.

Dozens of activists rallied in Paris on Sunday demanding the French government to abandon the anti-extremism bill aimed at rooting out Islamist radicalism. President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government argues that the anti-extremism bill is needed to protect French values like gender equality and secularism. Scrubbing France clean of radicals and their breeding grounds is a priority for President Emmanuel Macron in a nation bloodied by terror attacks, including the beheading of a teacher outside his school in a Paris suburb in October, followed by a deadly attack inside the basilica in Nice. WATCH| The proposed legislation is intended to re-anchor secularism in a changing France, where Muslims are increasingly visible and Islam the nation's No. 2 religion is gaining a stronger voice. It is a response to a series of jihadist terror attacks in France that have killed more than 250 people since 2015. The legislation, expected to pass Tuesday's vote in the lower house of parliament, will also expand the crackdown. Along with the bill, contested by some Muslims, politicians and others, such strong-arm inspections risk accentuating the climate of suspicion many Muslims feel in a country where the vast majority of Muslims don't hold extremist views. According to Nagib Azergui, founder of the Union of the French Muslim Democrats (UDMF), "This bill tends to criminalize, or at least render suspicious, all Muslim citizens due to their practice, which makes it a law of exception inside the Republic.'' The draft bill was introduced in December 2020 after a string of Islamist terror attacks across France. The purpose of the bill is to arm France against radicalism. It targets home schools mosques and associations that promulgate an ideology running contrary to French values. It will clamp down on home-schooling of children that are over three years of age, punish doctors who provide virginity certificates to Muslim women, make hate speech a punishable offence with 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros, refuse residence permits for immigrants practising polygamy, increase penalties or simply shut down places of worship found peddling hate, prohibit religious symbols like the hijab in all public and private-sector jobs and control the foreign funding of Islamic institutes and associations in France. France has suffered due to Islamic extremism more than any European country and it needs to take tough measures to rein in radicals. At the same time, it must ensure that progressive french Muslims do not become collateral damage. In an election year, President Macron must get the balance right. His bill and its implementation may well provide a playbook to the west on dealing with radicalism.

Macron's new anti-extremism bill sparks fresh protests in France

Using vitamin C and zinc to treat coronavirus symptoms is not beneficial, as per a new study published on Friday on Jama Network Open.

In this&nbsp;clinical trial of 214 patients with confirmed COVID-19&nbsp;infection receiving outpatient care, there was no significant difference in the duration of symptoms among the 4 groups.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In this RCT of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vitaminC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vitaminC</a> vs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/zinc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#zinc</a> vs both for prevention of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> progression in mildly ill outpatients =&gt; no difference in duration of symptoms compared to usual care <a href="https://t.co/2InNHhBBe7">https://t.co/2InNHhBBe7</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/JAMANetworkOpen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JAMANetworkOpen</a> part of <a href="https://twitter.com/JAMANetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JAMANetwork</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OpenAccess?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OpenAccess</a>
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) <a href="https://twitter.com/JAMA_current/status/1360264536717156352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Zinc gluconate and ascorbic acid are commonly available over-the-counter supplements that patients take for the treatment of viral illnesses.

Zinc has been purported to increase polymorphonuclear cells’ ability to fight infection, and vitamin c or ascorbic acid is an antioxidant that may play a role in an immune response.

Erin Michos of John Hopkins and Houston Methodist's Dr Miguel Cainzos-Achirica said&nbsp;"Unfortunately, these 2 supplements failed to live up to their hype,"

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-study-zinc-vitamin-c-wont-help-fight-wuhan-virus-363896">WATCH|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-study-zinc-vitamin-c-wont-help-fight-wuhan-virus-363896/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Limited evidence suggests that high doses of ascorbic acid and zinc gluconate may reduce the duration of common cold symptoms and decrease the severity of symptoms.

However, the role of zinc gluconate and ascorbic acid in decreasing symptoms and improving recovery in patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection is uncertain.

Michos, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Cainzos-Achirica, an assistant professor of preventive cardiology at Houston Methodist wrote: "More adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps) were reported in the supplement groups than in the usual care group."

Using vitamin C and zinc to treat coronavirus symptoms is not beneficial, as per a new study published on Friday on Jama Network Open. In this clinical trial of 214 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection receiving outpatient care, there was no significant difference in the duration of symptoms among the 4 groups.

Using vitamin C and zinc to treat coronavirus symptoms is not beneficial, as per a new study published on Friday on Jama Network Open. In this clinical trial of 214 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection receiving outpatient care, there was no significant difference in the duration of symptoms among the 4 groups. In this RCT of #vitaminC vs #zinc vs both for prevention of #COVID19 progression in mildly ill outpatients => no difference in duration of symptoms compared to usual care https://t.co/2InNHhBBe7 via @JAMANetworkOpen part of @JAMANetwork #OpenAccess — JAMA (@JAMA_current) February 12, 2021 × Zinc gluconate and ascorbic acid are commonly available over-the-counter supplements that patients take for the treatment of viral illnesses. Zinc has been purported to increase polymorphonuclear cells’ ability to fight infection, and vitamin c or ascorbic acid is an antioxidant that may play a role in an immune response. Erin Michos of John Hopkins and Houston Methodist's Dr Miguel Cainzos-Achirica said "Unfortunately, these 2 supplements failed to live up to their hype," WATCH| Limited evidence suggests that high doses of ascorbic acid and zinc gluconate may reduce the duration of common cold symptoms and decrease the severity of symptoms. However, the role of zinc gluconate and ascorbic acid in decreasing symptoms and improving recovery in patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection is uncertain. Michos, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Cainzos-Achirica, an assistant professor of preventive cardiology at Houston Methodist wrote: "More adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps) were reported in the supplement groups than in the usual care group."

Vitamin C and zinc have no impact on coronavirus symptoms: Study

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said that he is planning a cautious but irreversible path out of the COVID-19 lockdown this week after the vaccination of 15 million vulnerable people.

Britain, with more than 117,000 deaths from Covid-19, is one of the worst-hit countries in the world by the pandemic.&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;has come under criticism for acting too quickly to relax measures and too slowly to re-impose them in recent months.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-hits-an-early-target-for-vaccine-363788/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Speaking at a health clinic in southeast London,&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;said the government needed to be "very prudent" as it reviewed a third stay-at-home order in England that has shut down schools, non-essential businesses and hospitality venues since early January.

"If because of the rate of infection, we have to push off something a little bit to the right - delay it for a little bit - we won't hesitate to do that."

Johnson, due to set the path out of lockdown on February&nbsp;22, said the rates of infection were still high and too many people were still dying.

Asked if he would ensure schools reopened on March 8, Johnson said he would do everything he could to ensure that.

If many people get infected, there would be a high risk of mutation in the virus and higher risk of it spreading to older and more vulnerable groups, he said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/significant-milestone-uk-hits-target-to-vaccinate-15-million-most-at-risk-from-coronavirus-363615" hreflang="en">'Significant milestone': UK hits target to vaccinate 15 million most at risk from coronavirus</a>

Johnson called Britain hitting a target of inoculating 15 million of the most vulnerable people with a first coronavirus jab "a significant milestone", as the country prepared for the next phase of its vaccination programme.

However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there is "some way to go" before lockdown can be eased, stressing the government was awaiting key data on how successfully the vaccines reduce transmission.

The biggest and swiftest global vaccine rollout in history is seen as the best chance of exiting the COVID-19 pandemic which has killed 2.4 million people, tipped the global economy into its worst peacetime slump since the Great Depression, and upended normal life for billions.

Vaccine passports?

Britain has vaccinated 15.062 million people with a first dose and 537,715 with a second dose, the fastest rollout per capita of any large country. Hancock said he expected vaccine supplies to increase as manufacturing accelerated.

An influential group of lawmakers in Johnson's Conservative Party is urging an end to the lockdown as soon as the most vulnerable nine groups are vaccinated. They want no more rules beyond May 1.

"We're all filled with sorrow for the people we've lost, the harms that we've suffered but we don't honour those we've loved and lost by wrecking the rest of our lives," lawmaker Steve Baker said. "We've got to find a way to rebuild our society and our economy and our prospects, our livelihoods."

Britain is speaking to other countries about giving its citizens certificates showing they have been vaccinated so that they can travel abroad in the future to countries that require them, Johnson said.

"That's going to be very much in the mix, down the road I think that is going to happen," Johnson said, referring to such certificates. "What I don't think we will have in this country is, as it were, vaccination passports to allow you to go to the pub, or something like that."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said that he is planning a cautious but irreversible path out of the COVID-19 lockdown this week after the vaccination of 15 million vulnerable people.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said that he is planning a cautious but irreversible path out of the COVID-19 lockdown this week after the vaccination of 15 million vulnerable people. Britain, with more than 117,000 deaths from Covid-19, is one of the worst-hit countries in the world by the pandemic. Johnson has come under criticism for acting too quickly to relax measures and too slowly to re-impose them in recent months. Speaking at a health clinic in southeast London, Johnson said the government needed to be "very prudent" as it reviewed a third stay-at-home order in England that has shut down schools, non-essential businesses and hospitality venues since early January. "If because of the rate of infection, we have to push off something a little bit to the right - delay it for a little bit - we won't hesitate to do that." Johnson, due to set the path out of lockdown on February 22, said the rates of infection were still high and too many people were still dying. Asked if he would ensure schools reopened on March 8, Johnson said he would do everything he could to ensure that. If many people get infected, there would be a high risk of mutation in the virus and higher risk of it spreading to older and more vulnerable groups, he said. Also read: 'Significant milestone': UK hits target to vaccinate 15 million most at risk from coronavirus Johnson called Britain hitting a target of inoculating 15 million of the most vulnerable people with a first coronavirus jab "a significant milestone", as the country prepared for the next phase of its vaccination programme. However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there is "some way to go" before lockdown can be eased, stressing the government was awaiting key data on how successfully the vaccines reduce transmission. The biggest and swiftest global vaccine rollout in history is seen as the best chance of exiting the COVID-19 pandemic which has killed 2.4 million people, tipped the global economy into its worst peacetime slump since the Great Depression, and upended normal life for billions. Vaccine passports? Britain has vaccinated 15.062 million people with a first dose and 537,715 with a second dose, the fastest rollout per capita of any large country. Hancock said he expected vaccine supplies to increase as manufacturing accelerated. An influential group of lawmakers in Johnson's Conservative Party is urging an end to the lockdown as soon as the most vulnerable nine groups are vaccinated. They want no more rules beyond May 1. "We're all filled with sorrow for the people we've lost, the harms that we've suffered but we don't honour those we've loved and lost by wrecking the rest of our lives," lawmaker Steve Baker said. "We've got to find a way to rebuild our society and our economy and our prospects, our livelihoods." Britain is speaking to other countries about giving its citizens certificates showing they have been vaccinated so that they can travel abroad in the future to countries that require them, Johnson said. "That's going to be very much in the mix, down the road I think that is going to happen," Johnson said, referring to such certificates. "What I don't think we will have in this country is, as it were, vaccination passports to allow you to go to the pub, or something like that."

UK PM Boris Johnson planning cautious path out of COVID-19 lockdown

Three months after the Trump administration rejected her, former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received unanimous backing on Monday to become the first woman and first African director-general of the World Trade Organization.

A self-declared "doer" with a track record of taking on seemingly intractable problems, Okonjo-Iweala will have her work cut out for her at the trade body, even with Donald Trump, who had threatened to pull the United States out of the organisation, no longer in the White House.

As director-general, a position that wields limited formal power, Okonjo-Iweala, 66, will need to broker international trade talks in the face of persistent US-China conflict; respond to pressure to reform trade rules, and counter protectionism heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her acceptance speech at the WTO, she said that getting a trade deal at the next major ministerial meeting would be a "top priority" and also urged members to reject vaccine nationalism, according to a delegate attending the closed-door meeting.

In the same speech, she described the challenges facing the body as "numerous and tricky but not insurmountable".

A 25-year veteran of the World Bank, where she oversaw an $81 billion portfolio, Okonjo-Iweala ran against seven other candidates by espousing a belief in trade's ability to lift people out of poverty.

She studied development economics at Harvard after experiencing a civil war in Nigeria as a teenager. She returned to the country in 2003 to serve as finance minister and backers point to her hard-nosed negotiating skills that helped seal a deal to cancel billions of dollars of Nigerian debt with the Paris Club of creditor nations in 2005.

"She brings stature, she brings experience, a network and a temperament of trying to get things done, which is quite a welcome lot in my view," former WTO chief Pascal Lamy told Reuters. "I think she's a good choice."

Key to her success will be her ability to operate in the centre of a "US-EU-China triangle", he said.

The endorsement of the Biden administration cleared the last obstacle to her appointment.

Sweet but strong

Okonjo-Iweala becomes one of the few female heads of a major multilateral body. She is expected to join the WTO's Geneva lakeside headquarters within weeks where her portrait is set to be hung beside others of men, mostly white and from rich countries.

Her bright Nigerian prints are sure to stand out among the suits there where the majority of top staff are also men, like most of the delegates and ministers that walk its corridors.

The Trump administration's main criticism of her was that she lacked direct trade experience compared to her main South Korean rival and even supporters say she will have to quickly get up to speed on the technicalities of trade negotiations.

She has rejected this, saying that she has plenty of experience of trade plus other expertise.

"The qualities I have are even better," she said.

Raised by academics, the mother-of-four earned a reputation for hard work and modesty amid the pomp of Nigeria's governing class, acquaintances say.

"She is persistent and stubborn," said Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor of Nigeria's central bank who worked with her when she was the country's first female finance minister.

Even when her elderly mother was kidnapped in the Niger Delta, she refused to back down on a series of oil reforms, one of several incidents that earned her the nickname 'Okonjo-Wahala', Wahala meaning "trouble" in Nigerian Pidgin.

"People recognise that this is not someone who is going to tolerate nonsense," her son Uzodinma Iweala, a writer, told Reuters.

"She's a very strong woman like many African women. There's that song 'Sweet Mother' and that's true for her but you also know that you don't cross a Sweet Mother."

Reforming the unreformable

The 26-year-old WTO that Okonjo-Iweala inherits after a six-month leadership gap is partially paralysed, thanks to the Trump administration which blocked appointments to its top appeals body that acts as the global arbiter of trade disputes.

But even before Trump, negotiators had struggled to clinch deals that must be agreed by consensus, with the United States and other developed WTO members arguing that developing counties, notably China, cannot cling on to exceptions and that rules need to change to reflect China's economic growth.

Okonjo-Iweala who is a special envoy for the World Health Organization on COVID-19 and, until recently chair of the board of global vaccine alliance Gavi, told Reuters that trade's contribution to public health would be a priority.

The WTO currently faces deadlock over an issue of waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 drugs, with many wealthy countries opposed.

High on the to-do list will also be fisheries subsidies, the subject of the WTO's main multilateral talks that missed a deadline to conclude by end-2020.

Asked about the challenges ahead, she joked that a book she wrote about fixing Nigeria's broken institutions could well apply to today's WTO: 'Reforming the Unreformable'.

"I feel I can solve the problems. I'm a known reformer, not someone who talks about it," she said. "I've actually done it".

Three months after the Trump administration rejected her, former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received unanimous backing on Monday to become the first woman and first African director-general of the World Trade Organization.

Three months after the Trump administration rejected her, former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala received unanimous backing on Monday to become the first woman and first African director-general of the World Trade Organization. A self-declared "doer" with a track record of taking on seemingly intractable problems, Okonjo-Iweala will have her work cut out for her at the trade body, even with Donald Trump, who had threatened to pull the United States out of the organisation, no longer in the White House. As director-general, a position that wields limited formal power, Okonjo-Iweala, 66, will need to broker international trade talks in the face of persistent US-China conflict; respond to pressure to reform trade rules, and counter protectionism heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. In her acceptance speech at the WTO, she said that getting a trade deal at the next major ministerial meeting would be a "top priority" and also urged members to reject vaccine nationalism, according to a delegate attending the closed-door meeting. In the same speech, she described the challenges facing the body as "numerous and tricky but not insurmountable". A 25-year veteran of the World Bank, where she oversaw an $81 billion portfolio, Okonjo-Iweala ran against seven other candidates by espousing a belief in trade's ability to lift people out of poverty. She studied development economics at Harvard after experiencing a civil war in Nigeria as a teenager. She returned to the country in 2003 to serve as finance minister and backers point to her hard-nosed negotiating skills that helped seal a deal to cancel billions of dollars of Nigerian debt with the Paris Club of creditor nations in 2005. "She brings stature, she brings experience, a network and a temperament of trying to get things done, which is quite a welcome lot in my view," former WTO chief Pascal Lamy told Reuters. "I think she's a good choice." Key to her success will be her ability to operate in the centre of a "US-EU-China triangle", he said. The endorsement of the Biden administration cleared the last obstacle to her appointment. Sweet but strong Okonjo-Iweala becomes one of the few female heads of a major multilateral body. She is expected to join the WTO's Geneva lakeside headquarters within weeks where her portrait is set to be hung beside others of men, mostly white and from rich countries. Her bright Nigerian prints are sure to stand out among the suits there where the majority of top staff are also men, like most of the delegates and ministers that walk its corridors. The Trump administration's main criticism of her was that she lacked direct trade experience compared to her main South Korean rival and even supporters say she will have to quickly get up to speed on the technicalities of trade negotiations. She has rejected this, saying that she has plenty of experience of trade plus other expertise. "The qualities I have are even better," she said. Raised by academics, the mother-of-four earned a reputation for hard work and modesty amid the pomp of Nigeria's governing class, acquaintances say. "She is persistent and stubborn," said Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor of Nigeria's central bank who worked with her when she was the country's first female finance minister. Even when her elderly mother was kidnapped in the Niger Delta, she refused to back down on a series of oil reforms, one of several incidents that earned her the nickname 'Okonjo-Wahala', Wahala meaning "trouble" in Nigerian Pidgin. "People recognise that this is not someone who is going to tolerate nonsense," her son Uzodinma Iweala, a writer, told Reuters. "She's a very strong woman like many African women. There's that song 'Sweet Mother' and that's true for her but you also know that you don't cross a Sweet Mother." Reforming the unreformable The 26-year-old WTO that Okonjo-Iweala inherits after a six-month leadership gap is partially paralysed, thanks to the Trump administration which blocked appointments to its top appeals body that acts as the global arbiter of trade disputes. But even before Trump, negotiators had struggled to clinch deals that must be agreed by consensus, with the United States and other developed WTO members arguing that developing counties, notably China, cannot cling on to exceptions and that rules need to change to reflect China's economic growth. Okonjo-Iweala who is a special envoy for the World Health Organization on COVID-19 and, until recently chair of the board of global vaccine alliance Gavi, told Reuters that trade's contribution to public health would be a priority. The WTO currently faces deadlock over an issue of waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 drugs, with many wealthy countries opposed. High on the to-do list will also be fisheries subsidies, the subject of the WTO's main multilateral talks that missed a deadline to conclude by end-2020. Asked about the challenges ahead, she joked that a book she wrote about fixing Nigeria's broken institutions could well apply to today's WTO: 'Reforming the Unreformable'. "I feel I can solve the problems. I'm a known reformer, not someone who talks about it," she said. "I've actually done it".

Nigeria's Okonjo-Iweala makes history as head of World Trade Organization

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