The US Senate voted Saturday to allow the calling of witnesses in Donald Trump's impeachment trial, throwing a wrench into Republican hopes to wrap up proceedings with a swift acquittal of the former president.

The development came after news that Trump told a top congressional Republican during the deadly assault by his supporters last month that the mob was "more upset" about his election defeat than lawmakers.

Five Republicans joined all 50 Democrats to vote to allow witnesses after Democratic impeachment managers signalled their intent to subpoena to testify about the then-president's phone call with a House leader during the US Capitol insurrection.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/defence-says-trump-bears-no-responsibility-for-us-capitol-attack-as-impeachment-trial-set-to-conclude-363294">Defence says Trump bears no responsibility for US Capitol attack as impeachment trial set to conclude</a>

A lengthier trial could stymie efforts by Democratic President Joe Biden to move past the controversies surrounding his predecessor and push forward his own legislative agenda on COVID-19 relief and economic revival.

Herrera Beutler, one of 10 in her party who voted last month in the House of Representatives to impeach Trump, recounted in a statement late Friday the details of a call between Trump and the top House Republican, Kevin McCarthy.

"'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,'" Beutler quoted Trump as saying. She said Trump initially denied his supporters were involved in the attack, claiming the mob were members of the left-leaning Antifa movement, a false claim that McCarthy rejected.

The call for witnesses triggered moments of chaos on the Senate floor, with leaders hitting the pause button on the trial so they can figure out the next steps in the process.

Trump, who left office on January&nbsp;20, is the first US&nbsp;president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. If convicted, the&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;could then vote to bar him from running for office again.

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In arguments this week, Democratic members of the House of Representatives showed videos and shared tweets they said made clear Trump had set the stage for the violence by falsely claiming the election results were fraudulent and egging on his supporters with his rhetoric long before Jan. 6.

They said he summoned the mob to Washington, gave the crowd its marching orders and did nothing to stop the violence as it played out on television. His one request to act peacefully did not absolve him, they said.

"You rob the bank, and on the way out the door you yell, 'Respect private property!' That's not a defence to robbing the bank," said Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin.

The Democrats are unlikely to gain a conviction, as few Republican senators have come out against Trump, who remains popular among Republican voters.

Trump's team played a roughly 10-minute video showing prominent Democrats using the word "fight" in political speeches.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Trump lawyer David Schoen said, addressing Democrats. "It's a word people use, but please stop the hypocrisy."

Trump's defence team also portrayed the impeachment trial as little more than the result of a political witch hunt by Democrats who had been trying to get Trump for four years.

Senators sought to confirm whether Trump knew Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the certification, was endangered by the Capitol attack when he sent a Twitter message criticizing him.

Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville said he had told Trump over the phone that Pence had already been evacuated from the&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;for his safety.

Conviction unlikely

The Democratic-controlled House impeached Trump on January&nbsp;13. Conviction in the 100-member&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;requires a two-thirds majority, which means at least 17 Republicans would have to defy the former president.

"I'm anxious to see what my Republican friends do," Biden told reporters at the White House on Friday.

Van der Veen said there was a double standard at the heart of the prosecution's case, arguing that some Democrats had "encouraged and endorsed" violence that erupted at some anti-racism protests across the United States last summer without facing any legal consequences.

"They have clearly demonstrated that their opposition to mobs and their view of using the National Guard depends upon their political views," said van der Veen, a last-minute addition to the defence team who sued Trump in August in a separate case about mail voting.

On Tuesday, the&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;voted largely along party lines that the impeachment trial was constitutional even though Trump's term ended on January&nbsp;20. Six Republican senators sided with Democrats.

If Trump is acquitted, the&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;could decide to censure him or even vote to bar him from holding public office again. Asked on Thursday about pursuing the latter option,&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that decision would have to wait until the end of the trial.

Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the chamber, indicated that a censure motion could be in the cards.

"I've seen a couple of resolutions at least that I think could attract some support," Thune told reporters. He added that he did not think an effort to bar Trump from holding office again under the 14th Amendment would go anywhere.

Neither side has so far announced an intention to call witnesses, leaving senators on track for final arguments and a vote as soon as Saturday.

Trump is the first US&nbsp;president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. His first impeachment trial, which stemmed from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden, ended in an acquittal a year ago in what was then a Republican-controlled&nbsp;Senate.

The US Senate voted Saturday to allow the calling of witnesses in Donald Trump's impeachment trial, throwing a wrench into Republican hopes to wrap up proceedings with a swift acquittal of the former president.

The US Senate voted Saturday to allow the calling of witnesses in Donald Trump's impeachment trial, throwing a wrench into Republican hopes to wrap up proceedings with a swift acquittal of the former president. The development came after news that Trump told a top congressional Republican during the deadly assault by his supporters last month that the mob was "more upset" about his election defeat than lawmakers. Five Republicans joined all 50 Democrats to vote to allow witnesses after Democratic impeachment managers signalled their intent to subpoena to testify about the then-president's phone call with a House leader during the US Capitol insurrection. Also read: Defence says Trump bears no responsibility for US Capitol attack as impeachment trial set to conclude A lengthier trial could stymie efforts by Democratic President Joe Biden to move past the controversies surrounding his predecessor and push forward his own legislative agenda on COVID-19 relief and economic revival. Herrera Beutler, one of 10 in her party who voted last month in the House of Representatives to impeach Trump, recounted in a statement late Friday the details of a call between Trump and the top House Republican, Kevin McCarthy. "'Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,'" Beutler quoted Trump as saying. She said Trump initially denied his supporters were involved in the attack, claiming the mob were members of the left-leaning Antifa movement, a false claim that McCarthy rejected. The call for witnesses triggered moments of chaos on the Senate floor, with leaders hitting the pause button on the trial so they can figure out the next steps in the process. Trump, who left office on January 20, is the first US president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. If convicted, the Senate could then vote to bar him from running for office again. In arguments this week, Democratic members of the House of Representatives showed videos and shared tweets they said made clear Trump had set the stage for the violence by falsely claiming the election results were fraudulent and egging on his supporters with his rhetoric long before Jan. 6. They said he summoned the mob to Washington, gave the crowd its marching orders and did nothing to stop the violence as it played out on television. His one request to act peacefully did not absolve him, they said. "You rob the bank, and on the way out the door you yell, 'Respect private property!' That's not a defence to robbing the bank," said Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin. The Democrats are unlikely to gain a conviction, as few Republican senators have come out against Trump, who remains popular among Republican voters. Trump's team played a roughly 10-minute video showing prominent Democrats using the word "fight" in political speeches. "You didn't do anything wrong," Trump lawyer David Schoen said, addressing Democrats. "It's a word people use, but please stop the hypocrisy." Trump's defence team also portrayed the impeachment trial as little more than the result of a political witch hunt by Democrats who had been trying to get Trump for four years. Senators sought to confirm whether Trump knew Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the certification, was endangered by the Capitol attack when he sent a Twitter message criticizing him. Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville said he had told Trump over the phone that Pence had already been evacuated from the Senate for his safety. Conviction unlikely The Democratic-controlled House impeached Trump on January 13. Conviction in the 100-member Senate requires a two-thirds majority, which means at least 17 Republicans would have to defy the former president. "I'm anxious to see what my Republican friends do," Biden told reporters at the White House on Friday. Van der Veen said there was a double standard at the heart of the prosecution's case, arguing that some Democrats had "encouraged and endorsed" violence that erupted at some anti-racism protests across the United States last summer without facing any legal consequences. "They have clearly demonstrated that their opposition to mobs and their view of using the National Guard depends upon their political views," said van der Veen, a last-minute addition to the defence team who sued Trump in August in a separate case about mail voting. On Tuesday, the Senate voted largely along party lines that the impeachment trial was constitutional even though Trump's term ended on January 20. Six Republican senators sided with Democrats. If Trump is acquitted, the Senate could decide to censure him or even vote to bar him from holding public office again. Asked on Thursday about pursuing the latter option, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that decision would have to wait until the end of the trial. Senator John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the chamber, indicated that a censure motion could be in the cards. "I've seen a couple of resolutions at least that I think could attract some support," Thune told reporters. He added that he did not think an effort to bar Trump from holding office again under the 14th Amendment would go anywhere. Neither side has so far announced an intention to call witnesses, leaving senators on track for final arguments and a vote as soon as Saturday. Trump is the first US president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. His first impeachment trial, which stemmed from his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden, ended in an acquittal a year ago in what was then a Republican-controlled Senate.

US Senate prolongs Trump's impeachment trial, allows calling of witnesses

At least three sailors were missing while one injured crewman was rescued after a fire raged through an offshore supply vessel, Greatship Rohini around 170 kms off Mumbai in the Arabian Sea, here on Saturday. 
 
According to an Indian Coast Guard spokesperson, the blaze broke out on the Greatship Rohini around this morning when it was close to the ONGC`s Bombay High NQO platform. 
 
On getting the information, the ICG diverted an offshore patrol vessel Samarth to the location and an ICG Dornier aircraft flew to the spot for an aerial assessment of the emergency. 
 
The ICG ship reached the vicinity of the fire-ravaged vessel around 13.30 hrs this afternoon while another ship, MV Albatross-5 pulled out the Greatship Rohini to a safe distance from the NQO ONGC platform rig. 
 
ICGS Samarth along with another OSV Priya-27 launched the fire-fighting operations with its advanced External Fire Fighting System and created a boundary cooling to control the spread of the blaze. 
 
Owing to excessive heat and some, the Greatship Rohini crew were unable to enter the engine room where the blaze started but an ICGS Samarth team boarded her for further assessment of the situation. 
 
The ICG said that while 3 sailors are still missing and believed to be trapped in the ship`s blazing engine room, the injured sailor was airlifted by an ONGC helicopter to Mumbai for treatment. 
 
Till 2000 hrs on Saturday, the fire-fighting operations were still underway on the Greatship Rohini and the ICGS also dispatched a pollution control vessel to the location, and further details are awaited on the mishap. 
&nbsp;

At least three sailors were missing while one injured crewman was rescued after a fire raged through an offshore supply vessel, Greatship Rohini around 170 kms off Mumbai in the Arabian Sea, here on Saturday.

At least three sailors were missing while one injured crewman was rescued after a fire raged through an offshore supply vessel, Greatship Rohini around 170 kms off Mumbai in the Arabian Sea, here on Saturday. According to an Indian Coast Guard spokesperson, the blaze broke out on the Greatship Rohini around this morning when it was close to the ONGC`s Bombay High NQO platform. On getting the information, the ICG diverted an offshore patrol vessel Samarth to the location and an ICG Dornier aircraft flew to the spot for an aerial assessment of the emergency. The ICG ship reached the vicinity of the fire-ravaged vessel around 13.30 hrs this afternoon while another ship, MV Albatross-5 pulled out the Greatship Rohini to a safe distance from the NQO ONGC platform rig. ICGS Samarth along with another OSV Priya-27 launched the fire-fighting operations with its advanced External Fire Fighting System and created a boundary cooling to control the spread of the blaze. Owing to excessive heat and some, the Greatship Rohini crew were unable to enter the engine room where the blaze started but an ICGS Samarth team boarded her for further assessment of the situation. The ICG said that while 3 sailors are still missing and believed to be trapped in the ship`s blazing engine room, the injured sailor was airlifted by an ONGC helicopter to Mumbai for treatment. Till 2000 hrs on Saturday, the fire-fighting operations were still underway on the Greatship Rohini and the ICGS also dispatched a pollution control vessel to the location, and further details are awaited on the mishap.

3 sailors missing, 1 hurt as fire breaks out in ship in Arabian Sea

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that considering the social cause, automobile manufacturers should provide basic safety in vehicles at a minimum affordable price.

Pointing to a recent study which states that if we succeed in preventing deaths in road accidents, we can save around Rs 90 lakh per person, Gadkari said that it is essential that automobile manufacturers should further enhance safety features.

The Minister was releasing the World Bank Report titled, "Traffic Crash Injuries And Disabilities: The Burden on India Society", prepared in association with the NGO-Save Life Foundation today.

Broadly, the report says that road accidents are a tremendous burden to society and the nation, and states: Reducing road accident deaths and injuries can boost income growth. Large welfare gains can be achieved from proven cost-effective road safety interventions. Road accident deaths and injuries strike down prime working-age adults in low and middle-income countries.

Gadkari said road accidents are a public health issue and challenge in countries like India, and said his Ministry has been taking several measures to reduce road accident deaths by strengthening what he termed the "4Es" of improving road safety - Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Emergency care services.

The Minister said the government is working with the World Bank on various projects, one of which is to streamline the road crash database that is Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD).

Pointing out that one of the key findings of the report is that number of accident deaths is double in poor families as compared to rich ones, Gadkari said that, for the government, each death is precious, whether it is from a poor family or a rich family.

Institutional reform, the Minister said, is very much needed, and it is very important to have a streamlined and robust, and accessible legal, insurance, and healthcare ecosystem.

The Minister said that recommendations of the report on the safety of vulnerable road users, cashless treatment, improvement of civic and health infrastructures, penetration and compensation mechanism of insurance, post-crash response ecosystem, and integration of stake-holders would help in revising the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019 and Motor Vehicle rules.

"The World Bank report comes even as the country is observing an extended first-ever "Road Safety Month" currently to build awareness of road safety," stated the press release by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.&nbsp;

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that considering the social cause, automobile manufacturers should provide basic safety in vehicles at a minimum affordable price.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that considering the social cause, automobile manufacturers should provide basic safety in vehicles at a minimum affordable price. Pointing to a recent study which states that if we succeed in preventing deaths in road accidents, we can save around Rs 90 lakh per person, Gadkari said that it is essential that automobile manufacturers should further enhance safety features. The Minister was releasing the World Bank Report titled, "Traffic Crash Injuries And Disabilities: The Burden on India Society", prepared in association with the NGO-Save Life Foundation today. Broadly, the report says that road accidents are a tremendous burden to society and the nation, and states: Reducing road accident deaths and injuries can boost income growth. Large welfare gains can be achieved from proven cost-effective road safety interventions. Road accident deaths and injuries strike down prime working-age adults in low and middle-income countries. Gadkari said road accidents are a public health issue and challenge in countries like India, and said his Ministry has been taking several measures to reduce road accident deaths by strengthening what he termed the "4Es" of improving road safety - Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Emergency care services. The Minister said the government is working with the World Bank on various projects, one of which is to streamline the road crash database that is Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD). Pointing out that one of the key findings of the report is that number of accident deaths is double in poor families as compared to rich ones, Gadkari said that, for the government, each death is precious, whether it is from a poor family or a rich family. Institutional reform, the Minister said, is very much needed, and it is very important to have a streamlined and robust, and accessible legal, insurance, and healthcare ecosystem. The Minister said that recommendations of the report on the safety of vulnerable road users, cashless treatment, improvement of civic and health infrastructures, penetration and compensation mechanism of insurance, post-crash response ecosystem, and integration of stake-holders would help in revising the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act 2019 and Motor Vehicle rules. "The World Bank report comes even as the country is observing an extended first-ever "Road Safety Month" currently to build awareness of road safety," stated the press release by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Vehicle manufacturers should provide basic safety features at minimum affordable price: Gadkari

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released stunning images of&nbsp;numerous gold prospecting pits in eastern Peru.

The pictures&nbsp;captured by a crew member of Expedition 64 at&nbsp;the International Space Station (ISS) shows&nbsp;Amazon rivers and&nbsp;pits, usually hidden from an astronaut’s view by cloud cover or outside the Sun’s&nbsp;glint point, stand out brilliantly in this image due to the reflected sunlight.&nbsp;

The river and the pits cut through the otherwise unbroken Amazon rainforest in Peru’s Madre de Dios state.

In this very wet climate, the prospecting pits appear as hundreds of tightly packed water-filled basins. Likely dug by independent miners, each pit is surrounded by de-vegetated areas of muddy soil.

These deforested tracts follow the courses of ancient rivers that deposited sediments, including gold.&nbsp;

Peru is the sixth-largest producer of gold in the world, and Madre de Dios is home to one of the largest independent gold mining industries in the world. Mining is the&nbsp;main cause of deforestation&nbsp;in the region, and it also can cause mercury pollution from the gold-extraction process.

Yet tens of thousands of people earn their living from this unregistered mining.

The small town of Nueva Arequipa is just visible along the&nbsp;Southern Interoceanic Highway. Inaugurated in 2011, the highway, is the only road connection between Brazil and Peru. It was intended to stimulate trade and tourism, but due to the great expansion of surface prospecting,&nbsp;deforestation may be the larger result&nbsp;of the highway. Some areas in the state are protected from mining, such as the Tambopata National Reserve.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released stunning images of numerous gold prospecting pits in eastern Peru. The pictures captured by a crew member of Expedition 64 at the International Space Station (ISS) shows Amazon rivers and pits, usually hidden from an astronaut’s view by cloud cover or outside the Sun’s glint point, stand out brilliantly in this image due to the reflected sunlight.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released stunning images of numerous gold prospecting pits in eastern Peru. The pictures captured by a crew member of Expedition 64 at the International Space Station (ISS) shows Amazon rivers and pits, usually hidden from an astronaut’s view by cloud cover or outside the Sun’s glint point, stand out brilliantly in this image due to the reflected sunlight. The river and the pits cut through the otherwise unbroken Amazon rainforest in Peru’s Madre de Dios state. In this very wet climate, the prospecting pits appear as hundreds of tightly packed water-filled basins. Likely dug by independent miners, each pit is surrounded by de-vegetated areas of muddy soil. These deforested tracts follow the courses of ancient rivers that deposited sediments, including gold. Peru is the sixth-largest producer of gold in the world, and Madre de Dios is home to one of the largest independent gold mining industries in the world. Mining is the main cause of deforestation in the region, and it also can cause mercury pollution from the gold-extraction process. Yet tens of thousands of people earn their living from this unregistered mining. The small town of Nueva Arequipa is just visible along the Southern Interoceanic Highway. Inaugurated in 2011, the highway, is the only road connection between Brazil and Peru. It was intended to stimulate trade and tourism, but due to the great expansion of surface prospecting, deforestation may be the larger result of the highway. Some areas in the state are protected from mining, such as the Tambopata National Reserve.

NASA releases stunning photo of 'gold' Peruvian Amazon rivers

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he is an ''alien'' in response to&nbsp;fintech startup&nbsp;Cred&nbsp;Kunal Shah's question regarding how he is running more than four $500-billion companies simultaneously at a relatively young age.

"What I want to really understand how does he do it? How does he manage context switching? How does he design his Org," Shah asked.

In response, the silicon valley billionaire tweeted:&nbsp;"I'm an alien."

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I’m an alien
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1360170735033978880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The banter between Musk and Shah triggered a slew of memes, with many laughing about the world’s&nbsp;“Worst kept secret.”

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<a href="https://t.co/tJodU1RJAv">https://t.co/tJodU1RJAv</a> <a href="https://t.co/hwQISzWZJM">pic.twitter.com/hwQISzWZJM</a>
— Renata Konkoly 🐢🦔 (@RenataKonkoly) <a href="https://twitter.com/RenataKonkoly/status/1360172300910354433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> 👽 <a href="https://t.co/OcA8fvPn53">pic.twitter.com/OcA8fvPn53</a>
— venus 🧜‍♀️ (@venus47203379) <a href="https://twitter.com/venus47203379/status/1360231596230590469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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With social media prognostications about Bitcoin or GameStop,&nbsp;Elon&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;has ventured further away from his own businesses and become more like a Wall Street heavyweight who can move markets with just a few words.

Musk, who last month became the richest man in the world on paper thanks to a Tesla stock market boom, has nearly 45 million followers on Twitter.

Swept on by the success of his companies Tesla and SpaceX, as well as by interest in the electric cars and rockets they manufacture, he is considered by many fans to be a visionary, his slightest word enough to sway some investors.&nbsp;

When he changed his Twitter profile to read simply "#bitcoin" on Friday, the cryptocurrency's price temporarily skyrocketed by around 20 per cent.

And the mere mention of the Polish publisher of video game CD Projekt, or the e-commerce platform Shopify or the craft market Etsy -- which apparently delighted&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;with a hand-knitted hat for his dog,&nbsp;caused their stocks to soar.

The business giant, who has expressed his contempt for investors betting on a decline in a company's shares, waded in on the GameStop affair by tweeting a link to the Reddit group WallStreetBets, which helped stock of the video game specialist take off.&nbsp;

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he is an ''alien'' in response to fintech startup Cred Kunal Shah's question regarding how he is running more than four $500-billion companies simultaneously at a relatively young age.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he is an ''alien'' in response to fintech startup Cred Kunal Shah's question regarding how he is running more than four $500-billion companies simultaneously at a relatively young age. "What I want to really understand how does he do it? How does he manage context switching? How does he design his Org," Shah asked. In response, the silicon valley billionaire tweeted: "I'm an alien." I’m an alien — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 12, 2021 × The banter between Musk and Shah triggered a slew of memes, with many laughing about the world’s “Worst kept secret.” https://t.co/tJodU1RJAv pic.twitter.com/hwQISzWZJM — Renata Konkoly 🐢🦔 (@RenataKonkoly) February 12, 2021 × @elonmusk 👽 pic.twitter.com/OcA8fvPn53 — venus 🧜‍♀️ (@venus47203379) February 12, 2021 × With social media prognostications about Bitcoin or GameStop, Elon Musk has ventured further away from his own businesses and become more like a Wall Street heavyweight who can move markets with just a few words. Musk, who last month became the richest man in the world on paper thanks to a Tesla stock market boom, has nearly 45 million followers on Twitter. Swept on by the success of his companies Tesla and SpaceX, as well as by interest in the electric cars and rockets they manufacture, he is considered by many fans to be a visionary, his slightest word enough to sway some investors. When he changed his Twitter profile to read simply "#bitcoin" on Friday, the cryptocurrency's price temporarily skyrocketed by around 20 per cent. And the mere mention of the Polish publisher of video game CD Projekt, or the e-commerce platform Shopify or the craft market Etsy -- which apparently delighted Musk with a hand-knitted hat for his dog, caused their stocks to soar. The business giant, who has expressed his contempt for investors betting on a decline in a company's shares, waded in on the GameStop affair by tweeting a link to the Reddit group WallStreetBets, which helped stock of the video game specialist take off.

'I'm an alien': Musk says in response to question from Cred founder Kunal Shah

WHO Director-General&nbsp;Tedros&nbsp;Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday cautioned against relaxing restrictions that have helped curb the spread of the coronavirus&nbsp;around the world.

''Now is not the time for any country to relax measures or for any individual to let down their guard,'' he&nbsp;told a briefing.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday said the number of reported infections globally has declined for the fourth week in a row, and the number of deaths also fell for the second consecutive week.

While the figures reported by countries to the WHO for the week ending Feb 8 are still incomplete, the global body said so far about 1.9 million newly confirmed cases were registered worldwide, down from more than 3.2 million the previous week.

Tedros said members of a WHO expert mission who recently visited China to investigate the possible source of the outbreak would publish a summary of their findings next week.

Chinese scientists and the WHO's team of international researchers said this week that the coronavirus most likely first appeared in humans after jumping from an animal, and an alternate theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab was unlikely.

The mission has said its main hypotheses are that the virus originated in a bat, although there are several possible scenarios for how it passed to humans, possibly first by infecting another species of animal.

Peter Ben Embarek, the leader of the WHO mission, said Friday the labs in Wuhan that his team visited stated they had not been working with the virus that causes COVID-19 or had it in their collections before the outbreak. But he said it was possible the virus could still be present in samples that haven't yet been analysed.

He said the team had gained a much better insight into the early stages of the outbreak and concluded there was no large cluster of the disease in Wuhan or elsewhere around the city in the months prior to the first cases in December 2019.&nbsp;

The former administration of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, which left office last month, said it believed the virus may have escaped from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. China has strongly denied this and says the Wuhan Institute of Virology was not studying related viruses.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday cautioned against relaxing restrictions that have helped curb the spread of the coronavirus around the world.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday cautioned against relaxing restrictions that have helped curb the spread of the coronavirus around the world. ''Now is not the time for any country to relax measures or for any individual to let down their guard,'' he told a briefing. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday said the number of reported infections globally has declined for the fourth week in a row, and the number of deaths also fell for the second consecutive week. While the figures reported by countries to the WHO for the week ending Feb 8 are still incomplete, the global body said so far about 1.9 million newly confirmed cases were registered worldwide, down from more than 3.2 million the previous week. Tedros said members of a WHO expert mission who recently visited China to investigate the possible source of the outbreak would publish a summary of their findings next week. Chinese scientists and the WHO's team of international researchers said this week that the coronavirus most likely first appeared in humans after jumping from an animal, and an alternate theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab was unlikely. The mission has said its main hypotheses are that the virus originated in a bat, although there are several possible scenarios for how it passed to humans, possibly first by infecting another species of animal. Peter Ben Embarek, the leader of the WHO mission, said Friday the labs in Wuhan that his team visited stated they had not been working with the virus that causes COVID-19 or had it in their collections before the outbreak. But he said it was possible the virus could still be present in samples that haven't yet been analysed. He said the team had gained a much better insight into the early stages of the outbreak and concluded there was no large cluster of the disease in Wuhan or elsewhere around the city in the months prior to the first cases in December 2019. The former administration of US President Donald Trump, which left office last month, said it believed the virus may have escaped from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan. China has strongly denied this and says the Wuhan Institute of Virology was not studying related viruses.

WHO chief warns of complacency as global virus cases drop

The European Union on Saturday called on China to reverse its ban on the BBC World News television channel imposed in apparent retaliation for Britain's pulling of the licence of state-owned Chinese broadcaster CGTN.

The EU said in a statement that Beijing's move ''further restricted freedom of expression and access to information inside its borders," and violated both the Chinese constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The statement also said that Hong Kong's announcement that its public broadcaster would also stop carrying BBC broadcasts added to the ''erosion of the rights and freedoms that is ongoing" in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory since the imposition last year of a sweeping new national security law.

''The EU remains strongly committed to safeguarding media freedom and pluralism, as well as protecting the right to freedom of expression online and offline, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information without interference of any kind," the statement said.

While Britain is no longer in the EU, it remains a member of the Council of Europe, which oversees a 1989 agreement linking broadcasting licenses. Britain, the US&nbsp;And foreign correspondents based in China have also expressed dismay over the BBC ban.

China's move Thursday was largely symbolic because BBC World was shown only on cable TV systems in hotels and apartment compounds for foreigners and some other businesses.

However, it comes against the backdrop of a growing conflict between Beijing and Western governments over a slew of issues ranging from human rights to trade and the COVID-19 pandemic in which Chinese criticisms over foreign media coverage have played a prominent role.

China's National Radio and Television Administration said BBC World News coverage of the country violated requirements that news reporting be true and impartial, reflecting complaints over BBC reports about the government's initial response to the virus outbreak in China.

Other complaints were over allegations of forced labour and sexual abuse in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang, home to Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. The EU statement specifically linked the ban to BBC reporting on those topics.

It wasn't clear whether BBC reporters in China would be affected. Last year, Beijing expelled foreign reporters for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times amid disputes with the Trump administration and complaints over media criticism of the ruling Communist Party.

Britain's communications watchdog, Ofcom, revoked the license for CGTN, China's English-language satellite news channel, on February&nbsp;4, citing links to the Communist Party, among other reasons.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Ofcom acted on ''political grounds based on ideological bias.''

Losing its British license was a major blow for CGTN, which is part of a global effort by the party to promote its views and challenge Western media narratives about China, into which it has poured enormous resources. CGTN has a European operations hub in London.

The European Union on Saturday called on China to reverse its ban on the BBC World News television channel imposed in apparent retaliation for Britain's pulling of the licence of state-owned Chinese broadcaster CGTN.

The European Union on Saturday called on China to reverse its ban on the BBC World News television channel imposed in apparent retaliation for Britain's pulling of the licence of state-owned Chinese broadcaster CGTN. The EU said in a statement that Beijing's move ''further restricted freedom of expression and access to information inside its borders," and violated both the Chinese constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The statement also said that Hong Kong's announcement that its public broadcaster would also stop carrying BBC broadcasts added to the ''erosion of the rights and freedoms that is ongoing" in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory since the imposition last year of a sweeping new national security law. ''The EU remains strongly committed to safeguarding media freedom and pluralism, as well as protecting the right to freedom of expression online and offline, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information without interference of any kind," the statement said. While Britain is no longer in the EU, it remains a member of the Council of Europe, which oversees a 1989 agreement linking broadcasting licenses. Britain, the US And foreign correspondents based in China have also expressed dismay over the BBC ban. China's move Thursday was largely symbolic because BBC World was shown only on cable TV systems in hotels and apartment compounds for foreigners and some other businesses. However, it comes against the backdrop of a growing conflict between Beijing and Western governments over a slew of issues ranging from human rights to trade and the COVID-19 pandemic in which Chinese criticisms over foreign media coverage have played a prominent role. China's National Radio and Television Administration said BBC World News coverage of the country violated requirements that news reporting be true and impartial, reflecting complaints over BBC reports about the government's initial response to the virus outbreak in China. Other complaints were over allegations of forced labour and sexual abuse in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang, home to Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. The EU statement specifically linked the ban to BBC reporting on those topics. It wasn't clear whether BBC reporters in China would be affected. Last year, Beijing expelled foreign reporters for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times amid disputes with the Trump administration and complaints over media criticism of the ruling Communist Party. Britain's communications watchdog, Ofcom, revoked the license for CGTN, China's English-language satellite news channel, on February 4, citing links to the Communist Party, among other reasons. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Ofcom acted on ''political grounds based on ideological bias.'' Losing its British license was a major blow for CGTN, which is part of a global effort by the party to promote its views and challenge Western media narratives about China, into which it has poured enormous resources. CGTN has a European operations hub in London.

EU calls on China to reverse ban on BBC World News channel

US&nbsp;audio app Clubhouse said on Saturday that&nbsp;it is reviewing its data protection practices after a report by the Stanford Internet Observatory said it contained security flaws that left users' data vulnerable to access by the Chinese government.

Clubhouse, the invitation-only audio chat app, exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic when people could not get together in person,&nbsp;but now the once niche platform has far higher goals.

Launched less than a year ago,&nbsp;Clubhouse, which recently encountered a censorship hiccup in China,&nbsp;is looking to establish itself as the standard-bearer for digital audio.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/chinese-users-flocking-to-us-chat-app-clubhouse-to-evade-censors-361942">Chinese users flocking to US chat app Clubhouse to evade censors</a>

Alongside casual conversations about travel and health, users frankly discussed Uighur concentration camps in Xinjiang, the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and personal experiences of being interrogated by police.&nbsp;But their access to the app was blocked last week, triggering frustration and fears of government surveillance.

The app said in a response to the study, published by the research group at Stanford University, that while it had opted not to make the app available in China, some people had found a workaround to download the app which meant the conversations they were a part of could be transmitted via Chinese servers.

"With the help of researchers at the Stanford Internet Observatory, we have identified a few areas where we can further strengthen our data protection," the company said in a statement published&nbsp;by the research group on Friday.

"Over the next 72 hours, we are rolling out changes to add additional encryption and blocks to prevent Clubhouse clients from ever transmitting pings to Chinese servers. We also plan to engage an external data security firm to review and validate these changes."

Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/clubhouse-the-invite-only-chat-app-that-elon-musk-uses-361479">Clubhouse: The invite-only chat app that Elon Musk uses</a>

Launched in early 2020, the app saw global user numbers soar earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform.

The Stanford Internet Observatory said that it had confirmed that Chinese tech firm Agora Inc supplied back-end infrastructure to Clubhouse, and that Agora would likely have access to users' raw audio, potentially providing access to the Chinese government.

It also said it observed room metadata relayed to servers it believed were hosted in China and audio to servers managed by Chinese entities. It added, however, that it believed the Chinese government would not be able to access the data if the audio was stored in the United States.

US audio app Clubhouse said on Saturday that it is reviewing its data protection practices after a report by the Stanford Internet Observatory said it contained security flaws that left users' data vulnerable to access by the Chinese government.

US audio app Clubhouse said on Saturday that it is reviewing its data protection practices after a report by the Stanford Internet Observatory said it contained security flaws that left users' data vulnerable to access by the Chinese government. Clubhouse, the invitation-only audio chat app, exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic when people could not get together in person, but now the once niche platform has far higher goals. Launched less than a year ago, Clubhouse, which recently encountered a censorship hiccup in China, is looking to establish itself as the standard-bearer for digital audio. Also read: Chinese users flocking to US chat app Clubhouse to evade censors Alongside casual conversations about travel and health, users frankly discussed Uighur concentration camps in Xinjiang, the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and personal experiences of being interrogated by police. But their access to the app was blocked last week, triggering frustration and fears of government surveillance. The app said in a response to the study, published by the research group at Stanford University, that while it had opted not to make the app available in China, some people had found a workaround to download the app which meant the conversations they were a part of could be transmitted via Chinese servers. "With the help of researchers at the Stanford Internet Observatory, we have identified a few areas where we can further strengthen our data protection," the company said in a statement published by the research group on Friday. "Over the next 72 hours, we are rolling out changes to add additional encryption and blocks to prevent Clubhouse clients from ever transmitting pings to Chinese servers. We also plan to engage an external data security firm to review and validate these changes." Also read| Clubhouse: The invite-only chat app that Elon Musk uses Launched in early 2020, the app saw global user numbers soar earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform. The Stanford Internet Observatory said that it had confirmed that Chinese tech firm Agora Inc supplied back-end infrastructure to Clubhouse, and that Agora would likely have access to users' raw audio, potentially providing access to the Chinese government. It also said it observed room metadata relayed to servers it believed were hosted in China and audio to servers managed by Chinese entities. It added, however, that it believed the Chinese government would not be able to access the data if the audio was stored in the United States.

Clubhouse is reviewing data protection practices after concerns over security flaws

China's ByteDance is said to be exploring the sale of the India operations of TikTok to rival unicorn Glance, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday.

The discussions, initiated by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp, are private, early and complex, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Glance's parent, mobile advertising technology firm InMobi, also owns short-video app Roposo that has gained in popularity after TikTok was banned by the Indian government in July last year.

SoftBank is a backer of InMobi Pte as well as TikTok's Chinese parent, ByteDance, the report added.

Softbank, ByteDance and InMobi, did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

Last month, ByteDance reduced its 2,000-plus India team and said in a company memo that it's unsure of resuming operations in India.

The move came after India decided to retain its ban on TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps following responses from the companies on issues such as compliance and privacy.

According to the report, the Indian government will insist that user data and technology of TikTok stay within its borders if the talks progress.

China's ByteDance is said to be exploring the sale of the India operations of TikTok to rival unicorn Glance, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday. The discussions, initiated by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp, are private, early and complex, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

China's ByteDance is said to be exploring the sale of the India operations of TikTok to rival unicorn Glance, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday. The discussions, initiated by Japan's SoftBank Group Corp, are private, early and complex, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Glance's parent, mobile advertising technology firm InMobi, also owns short-video app Roposo that has gained in popularity after TikTok was banned by the Indian government in July last year. SoftBank is a backer of InMobi Pte as well as TikTok's Chinese parent, ByteDance, the report added. Softbank, ByteDance and InMobi, did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Last month, ByteDance reduced its 2,000-plus India team and said in a company memo that it's unsure of resuming operations in India. The move came after India decided to retain its ban on TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps following responses from the companies on issues such as compliance and privacy. According to the report, the Indian government will insist that user data and technology of TikTok stay within its borders if the talks progress.

ByteDance explores sale of Indian TikTok assets to rival firm Glance

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned Saturday of a Covid-19 "fourth wave" as cases rise in certain areas of the Middle Eastern country hardest hit by the pandemic.

Speaking in Saturday’s session of the National Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters,&nbsp;Rouhani said: "This is a warning for all of us."

He said some cities in the southwestern province of Khuzestan were now "red", the highest on Iran's colour-coded risk level, after weeks of low alert levels across the country.

"This means the beginning of moving towards the fourth wave. We all have to be vigilant to prevent this," Rouhani added.

The country of more than 80 million people has lost close to 59,000 lives out of more than 1.5 million cases of Covid infection.

Iran has officially registered less than 7,000 daily infections since late December, but the number has crossed this level since early February.

Daily deaths have been below 100 as of early January, the lowest level since June.

Rouhani's remarks come a day after Iran received 100,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V jab "ahead of schedule" on Friday, according to health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour.

Iran started its vaccination campaign on Tuesday, with the first shipment arriving on February 4.

Earlier, Rouhani had said he was ready to take the COVID-19 vaccine himself to reassure people it was safe, speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, as&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;launched a vaccination drive.

The Islamic republic has purchased a total of two million doses of the Russian vaccine, according to Jahanpour.

Health Minister Saeed Namaki has said Iran would also receive 4.2 million doses of the vaccine developed by Anglo-Swedish firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University, purchased via the international vaccine mechanism Covax.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned Saturday of a Covid-19 "fourth wave" as cases rise in certain areas of the Middle Eastern country hardest hit by the pandemic.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned Saturday of a Covid-19 "fourth wave" as cases rise in certain areas of the Middle Eastern country hardest hit by the pandemic. Speaking in Saturday’s session of the National Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters, Rouhani said: "This is a warning for all of us." He said some cities in the southwestern province of Khuzestan were now "red", the highest on Iran's colour-coded risk level, after weeks of low alert levels across the country. "This means the beginning of moving towards the fourth wave. We all have to be vigilant to prevent this," Rouhani added. The country of more than 80 million people has lost close to 59,000 lives out of more than 1.5 million cases of Covid infection. Iran has officially registered less than 7,000 daily infections since late December, but the number has crossed this level since early February. Daily deaths have been below 100 as of early January, the lowest level since June. Rouhani's remarks come a day after Iran received 100,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V jab "ahead of schedule" on Friday, according to health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour. Iran started its vaccination campaign on Tuesday, with the first shipment arriving on February 4. Earlier, Rouhani had said he was ready to take the COVID-19 vaccine himself to reassure people it was safe, speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, as Iran launched a vaccination drive. The Islamic republic has purchased a total of two million doses of the Russian vaccine, according to Jahanpour. Health Minister Saeed Namaki has said Iran would also receive 4.2 million doses of the vaccine developed by Anglo-Swedish firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University, purchased via the international vaccine mechanism Covax.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warns of coronavirus 'fourth wave'

AstraZeneca, the British maker of a Covid vaccine with&nbsp;Oxford&nbsp;University announced on Saturday that&nbsp;has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the jab&nbsp;in children for the first time.

The new mid-stage trial will determine whether the vaccine is effective on people between the ages of 6 and 17, according to an emailed statement from the university.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Around 300 volunteers will be enrolled and first inoculations are expected this month, Oxford said.</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-perfect-but-saves-lives-astrazeneca-says-of-covid-vaccine-362913">Not perfect, but saves lives, AstraZeneca says of Covid vaccine</a></div>

The two-dose Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been hailed as a 'vaccine for the world' because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals.

AstraZeneca has a target to produce 3 billion doses this year and aims to produce over 200 million doses per month by April.

The production of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has not been perfect but the shot will have a big impact on the pandemic, its chief executive said on Thursday, as the drugmaker pledged to double output by April and the African Union gave its backing for the shot.

The two-dose inoculation, developed with&nbsp;Oxford&nbsp;University, has been hailed as a "vaccine for the world" because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals.

But its rapid approval in Europe and elsewhere has been clouded by doubts over its most effective dosage and the interval between doses.

Data at the weekend also showed it was less effective against a fast-spreading variant of the virus in South Africa, prompting the country to pause the rollout of the shot. The company has also been embroiled in a row with the European Union oversupply delays but Soriot said AstraZeneca was working to ramp up output as fast as possible.

AstraZeneca, the British maker of a Covid vaccine with Oxford University announced on Saturday that has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the jab in children for the first time.

AstraZeneca, the British maker of a Covid vaccine with Oxford University announced on Saturday that has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the jab in children for the first time. The new mid-stage trial will determine whether the vaccine is effective on people between the ages of 6 and 17, according to an emailed statement from the university. Around 300 volunteers will be enrolled and first inoculations are expected this month, Oxford said. Also read: Not perfect, but saves lives, AstraZeneca says of Covid vaccine The two-dose Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been hailed as a 'vaccine for the world' because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals. AstraZeneca has a target to produce 3 billion doses this year and aims to produce over 200 million doses per month by April. The production of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine has not been perfect but the shot will have a big impact on the pandemic, its chief executive said on Thursday, as the drugmaker pledged to double output by April and the African Union gave its backing for the shot. The two-dose inoculation, developed with Oxford University, has been hailed as a "vaccine for the world" because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals. But its rapid approval in Europe and elsewhere has been clouded by doubts over its most effective dosage and the interval between doses. Data at the weekend also showed it was less effective against a fast-spreading variant of the virus in South Africa, prompting the country to pause the rollout of the shot. The company has also been embroiled in a row with the European Union oversupply delays but Soriot said AstraZeneca was working to ramp up output as fast as possible.

In a first, Oxford University to test COVID-19 vaccine response among children

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