World Health Organisation's top emergency expert Mike Ryan stressed the need for countries to have "consistent messaging" for the public in order to combat coronavirus pandemic effectively.&nbsp;

In an increasing sign of WHO's unease with the way coronavirus pandemic is being politicised in some countries, Ryan said that the pandemic should not be made into a "political football".

"It's understanding the confusion, it's understanding their (people's) concern, it's understanding their apprehension. And not laughing at it and not turning that into some kind of political football," said Dr Ryan

His comments came just a day after US President Donald Trump contradicted Robert Redfield, Director of Centre for Disease Control (CDC) over the possible availability of coronavirus vaccine.

Redfield had said that coronavirus vaccine will broadly be rolled out in mid-2021 and masks might be more effective.

“If you’re asking me when is it going to be generally available to the American public so we can begin to take advantage of vaccine to get back to our regular life, I think we’re probably looking at third ... late second quarter, third quarter 2021,” Redfield told US Senate.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-has-dragged-150-million-more-children-into-poverty-unicef-328144">Coronavirus has dragged 150 million more children into poverty: Unicef</a>

Trump, at a news conference, said he believed a vaccine will be rolled out much sooner. He said he called Redfield after his testimony to question him about it, and that Redfield appeared to have been "confused" by the question.

US Presidential Elections are due in November this year.

"It is important that we have consistent messaging from all levels, and it's not for one country or one entity; consistent messaging between science and between government," the WHO's Mike Ryan said in response to a question about the exchange.

This is not the first time USA and the WHO have exchanged words. In May this year, Trump even threatened to halt funding to the WHO.

(With inputs from Reuters)

World Health Organisation's top emergency expert Mike Ryan stressed the need for countries to have "consistent messaging" for the public in order to combat coronavirus pandemic effectively.

World Health Organisation's top emergency expert Mike Ryan stressed the need for countries to have "consistent messaging" for the public in order to combat coronavirus pandemic effectively. In an increasing sign of WHO's unease with the way coronavirus pandemic is being politicised in some countries, Ryan said that the pandemic should not be made into a "political football". "It's understanding the confusion, it's understanding their (people's) concern, it's understanding their apprehension. And not laughing at it and not turning that into some kind of political football," said Dr Ryan His comments came just a day after US President Donald Trump contradicted Robert Redfield, Director of Centre for Disease Control (CDC) over the possible availability of coronavirus vaccine. Redfield had said that coronavirus vaccine will broadly be rolled out in mid-2021 and masks might be more effective. “If you’re asking me when is it going to be generally available to the American public so we can begin to take advantage of vaccine to get back to our regular life, I think we’re probably looking at third ... late second quarter, third quarter 2021,” Redfield told US Senate. Also Read | Coronavirus has dragged 150 million more children into poverty: Unicef Trump, at a news conference, said he believed a vaccine will be rolled out much sooner. He said he called Redfield after his testimony to question him about it, and that Redfield appeared to have been "confused" by the question. US Presidential Elections are due in November this year. "It is important that we have consistent messaging from all levels, and it's not for one country or one entity; consistent messaging between science and between government," the WHO's Mike Ryan said in response to a question about the exchange. This is not the first time USA and the WHO have exchanged words. In May this year, Trump even threatened to halt funding to the WHO. (With inputs from Reuters)

Trump, CDC make contradictory claim over vaccine rollout timeline in US

China will need to approve ByteDance`s proposed deal with Oracle Corp for its TikTok app, the Chinese company said on Thursday, indicating how its bid to stave off a ban in the United States could be further complicated.

Oracle has submitted a proposal to the Trump administration that will allow it to become a technology partner in the TikTok app, as ByteDance hopes to head off a Trump order that it divest TikTok`s U.S. operations. The proposal envisages making TikTok Global a U.S.-headquartered company.

But U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday raised questions about ByteDance`s plans to keep a majority stake in TikTok`s U.S. operations and said he did not favor the idea of the Chinese firm retaining control, after six Republican lawmakers urged him to reject the proposal.

Trump has said he would ban TikTok in the United States as early as Sunday if ByteDance does not comply amid U.S. concerns that the company could pass user data to China`s Communist Party government.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-not-happy-with-oracle-having-minority-shares-in-tiktok-328040">Also read|&nbsp;Trump not happy with Oracle having minority shares in TikTok</a>

An outright sale of TikTok`s operations or technologies was not included in ByteDance`s proposal to the United States, Chinese state media reported on Thursday citing a separate statement from the company.

ByteDance declined to comment when asked about this by Reuters.

When asked about ByteDance`s comments regarding the need for China`s approval, the foreign ministry on Thursday urged the United States to respect the principles of the market economy and fair competition, and to stop politicising normal economic and trade cooperation.

China late last month updated its export control rules to give it a say over the transfer of technology such as TikTok’s user recommendation algorithm to foreign buyers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oracle-very-close-to-deal-on-tiktok-donald-trump-327804">Also read|&nbsp;Oracle ‘very close’ to deal on TikTok: Donald Trump</a>

Reuters has reported that the Oracle deal would not require ByteDance to apply to Chinese authorities for an export licence for TikTok`s algorithm.

ByteDance and its founder Zhang Yiming have faced public criticism in China for seeming to give in to U.S. pressure after it was reported it was contemplating a sale of TikTok`s U.S. operations to Microsoft Corp. Some netizens said they would stop using Douyin, ByteDance`s Chinese version of TikTok.

"ByteDance, as it works to find a solution to keep TikTok`s U.S. business alive, is walking a tightrope between the demands of the U.S. government on the one side and the expectations of both the Chinese government and public on the other," said Mark Natkin, managing director at Marbridge Consulting.

"It can`t afford to make any missteps along the way."

China will need to approve ByteDance`s proposed deal with Oracle Corp for its TikTok app, the Chinese company said on Thursday, indicating how its bid to stave off a ban in the United States could be further complicated.

China will need to approve ByteDance`s proposed deal with Oracle Corp for its TikTok app, the Chinese company said on Thursday, indicating how its bid to stave off a ban in the United States could be further complicated. Oracle has submitted a proposal to the Trump administration that will allow it to become a technology partner in the TikTok app, as ByteDance hopes to head off a Trump order that it divest TikTok`s U.S. operations. The proposal envisages making TikTok Global a U.S.-headquartered company. But U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday raised questions about ByteDance`s plans to keep a majority stake in TikTok`s U.S. operations and said he did not favor the idea of the Chinese firm retaining control, after six Republican lawmakers urged him to reject the proposal. Trump has said he would ban TikTok in the United States as early as Sunday if ByteDance does not comply amid U.S. concerns that the company could pass user data to China`s Communist Party government. Also read| Trump not happy with Oracle having minority shares in TikTok An outright sale of TikTok`s operations or technologies was not included in ByteDance`s proposal to the United States, Chinese state media reported on Thursday citing a separate statement from the company. ByteDance declined to comment when asked about this by Reuters. When asked about ByteDance`s comments regarding the need for China`s approval, the foreign ministry on Thursday urged the United States to respect the principles of the market economy and fair competition, and to stop politicising normal economic and trade cooperation. China late last month updated its export control rules to give it a say over the transfer of technology such as TikTok’s user recommendation algorithm to foreign buyers. Also read| Oracle ‘very close’ to deal on TikTok: Donald Trump Reuters has reported that the Oracle deal would not require ByteDance to apply to Chinese authorities for an export licence for TikTok`s algorithm. ByteDance and its founder Zhang Yiming have faced public criticism in China for seeming to give in to U.S. pressure after it was reported it was contemplating a sale of TikTok`s U.S. operations to Microsoft Corp. Some netizens said they would stop using Douyin, ByteDance`s Chinese version of TikTok. "ByteDance, as it works to find a solution to keep TikTok`s U.S. business alive, is walking a tightrope between the demands of the U.S. government on the one side and the expectations of both the Chinese government and public on the other," said Mark Natkin, managing director at Marbridge Consulting. "It can`t afford to make any missteps along the way."

ByteDance says China will have to approve its US TikTok deal

Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump in the national polls for the presidential election. But that doesn’t guarantee the Democratic candidate victory.

US Election 2020: Joe Biden holds lead over Trump among Indian-American voters

The United States goes to polls in just 47 days from now. Who will America elect as its next president? Donald Trump or Joe Biden?

Donald Trump has made a charge that Joe Biden is "taking something". According to Trump, Biden's stage performance during the primaries was a "disaster".

The US President is surprised by Biden's improved stage performance now and hence feels that Biden is taking something that gives him clarity. That's&nbsp;not all, Trump wants Biden to undergo drug test before their presidential debates which begin on September 29.

Joe Biden has rubbished Trump's allegations. Biden said that Trump was a "fool" and his comments were foolish.

Donald Trump's proximity to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is apparently helping him. A leading American think tank has&nbsp;said&nbsp;that Trump may bag more Indian-American votes compared to Joe Biden.

It shouldn't come as a surprise as Trump has repeatedly gone out of his way to woo Indian diaspora. During PM Modi's visit&nbsp;to Houston in 2019, Trump was at the stadium event for Modi.

In February this year when Trump had come to India, PM Modi had hosted him in his home state Gujarat. The Democrats on the other hand have rubbed India the wrong way with their stand on Kashmir.

The Democrats however, have an edge. When Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate there was "historic outpour&nbsp;of contribution' to the Democratic Party, according to a report. Around $48 million came on first two days of the announcement of Kamala Harris's candidature. In August alone, Democrats collected a record $364.5 million.

Women and Californians, who would otherwise avoid shelling out money for Joe Biden, donated generously. This week, Kamala Harris attended a fundraiser with Hillary Clinton that fetched $6 million from 100 thousand&nbsp;people.

Donald Trump is winning more bad press than donations. His old trip to France has come in focus now. Trump had gone to France in 2018 and cancelled a visit to cemetery. He apparently called dead US marines losers and suckers. Trump reportedly spent time admiring art at the house of US Ambassador to France. Trump liked some art pieces so much that he took some of them back home in the US. He reportedly picked art worth $750,000

However the art pieces were not original! They were replicas!&nbsp;One of the headlines read Trump 'has a habit of falling for fakes'

Old tales, new jokes. That just about sums up the US elections.

The United States goes to polls in just 47 days from now. Who will America elect as its next president? Donald Trump or Joe Biden? Donald Trump has made a charge that Joe Biden is "taking something".

The United States goes to polls in just 47 days from now. Who will America elect as its next president? Donald Trump or Joe Biden? Donald Trump has made a charge that Joe Biden is "taking something". According to Trump, Biden's stage performance during the primaries was a "disaster". The US President is surprised by Biden's improved stage performance now and hence feels that Biden is taking something that gives him clarity. That's not all, Trump wants Biden to undergo drug test before their presidential debates which begin on September 29. Joe Biden has rubbished Trump's allegations. Biden said that Trump was a "fool" and his comments were foolish. Donald Trump's proximity to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is apparently helping him. A leading American think tank has said that Trump may bag more Indian-American votes compared to Joe Biden. It shouldn't come as a surprise as Trump has repeatedly gone out of his way to woo Indian diaspora. During PM Modi's visit to Houston in 2019, Trump was at the stadium event for Modi. In February this year when Trump had come to India, PM Modi had hosted him in his home state Gujarat. The Democrats on the other hand have rubbed India the wrong way with their stand on Kashmir. The Democrats however, have an edge. When Biden picked Kamala Harris as his running mate there was "historic outpour of contribution' to the Democratic Party, according to a report. Around $48 million came on first two days of the announcement of Kamala Harris's candidature. In August alone, Democrats collected a record $364.5 million. Women and Californians, who would otherwise avoid shelling out money for Joe Biden, donated generously. This week, Kamala Harris attended a fundraiser with Hillary Clinton that fetched $6 million from 100 thousand people. Donald Trump is winning more bad press than donations. His old trip to France has come in focus now. Trump had gone to France in 2018 and cancelled a visit to cemetery. He apparently called dead US marines losers and suckers. Trump reportedly spent time admiring art at the house of US Ambassador to France. Trump liked some art pieces so much that he took some of them back home in the US. He reportedly picked art worth $750,000 However the art pieces were not original! They were replicas! One of the headlines read Trump 'has a habit of falling for fakes' Old tales, new jokes. That just about sums up the US elections.

US election tracker: From drugs to fake art, everything is making news

There is no doubt that the Abraham Accords is a win-win for all parties involved. But, it may not end the spiral of violence. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you what the agreement means for West Asia.

Gravitas: Can Trump's deal bring peace to West Asia?

Palestinian militants fired rockets from Gaza into Israel on Tuesday, the Israeli military said, at same time as Israel and two Gulf Arab states signed normalisation agreements at the White House in Washington.

Palestinians fire rockets into Israel during signing of normalisation agreements

US President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns over climate change on a visit to fire-ravaged California

President Trump dismisses concerns over climate change; Blames forest management for crisis

US President Donald Trump, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, the foreign minister of Bahrain, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed the Abraham Accord

A strategic realignment of West Asian countries | Historic Abraham accord signed

The Iranian government is weighing an assassination attempt against the American ambassador to South Africa. News of the plot comes as Iran continues to seek ways to retaliate for President Donald Trump’s decision to kill a powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani earlier this year.

Iran's plot to kill US envoy to South Africa: Avenge Qassem Soleimani's killing by US

WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay spoke to US Democratic Congressman Subramanian Raja Krishnamoorthi, who serves in the House Intelligence Committee and House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi spoke on Donald Trump's COVID-19 handling in the United States.

Exclusive: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi speaks on Trump's handling of COVID-19 pandemic

The US President Donald Trump said he wanted to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Watch this video to know more.

WION Dispatch: Donald Trump says he wanted to assassinate Bashar al-Assad

The US President Donald Trump has hit his rival Joe Biden under the belt in what most people are calling 'a new low' of election campaigning, weeks before the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections</a>.

A twitter handle —&nbsp;@ConservUSA38 — tweeted a video of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> from 2015 where he can be seen leaning in to whisper something in the ear of Stephanie Carter, former Defense Secretary Ash Carter's wife, during his swearing-in ceremony. His hands are seen resting on Carter's shoulders.

The video, created in form&nbsp;of a GIF, was posted with a caption reading "We can beat them at their game .. &nbsp;#PedoBiden".

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We can beat them at their game .. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PedoBiden?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PedoBiden</a> <a href="https://t.co/SjNsUTrdGA">pic.twitter.com/SjNsUTrdGA</a>
— 🇺🇸Conservative Girl🇺🇸 (@ConservUSA38) <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservUSA38/status/1305753295747678209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The tweet gained a lot of traction after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> retweeted it on Tuesday.

However, few hours after posting, the original poster added a tweet saying, "Except she’s an adult", but followed it with a collage of four pictures of Biden with four different women/girls with the caption "creep".

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Creep <a href="https://t.co/pWDv8LMXlF">pic.twitter.com/pWDv8LMXlF</a>
— 🇺🇸Conservative Girl🇺🇸 (@ConservUSA38) <a href="https://twitter.com/ConservUSA38/status/1305887408739803136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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However, Stephanie Carter has rubbished these accusations saying,&nbsp;"After the swearing in, as Ash was giving remarks, he leaned in to tell me 'thank you for letting him do this' and kept his hands on my shoulders as a means of offering his support. But a still shot taken from a video — misleadingly extracted from what was a longer moment between close friends — sent out in a snarky tweet — came to be the lasting image of that day."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-trump-accuses-biden-of-using-performance-enhancing-drugs-327148">Also read|&nbsp;US election 2020: Trump accuses Biden of using performance enhancing drugs</a>

The retweet has come a week after Trump, himself, was accused of passing inappropriate comments about a 15-year-old girl. Samantha Cohen recently revealed that back in 2012, when she was 15-years-old, Trump called her&nbsp;"piece of a--". When Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, informed him that she was his daughter, Trump responded saying,&nbsp;&nbsp;"That's your daughter?" ... "When did she get so hot?"

The US President Donald Trump has hit his rival Joe Biden under the belt in what most people are calling 'a new low' of election campaigning, weeks before the upcoming US elections.

The US President Donald Trump has hit his rival Joe Biden under the belt in what most people are calling 'a new low' of election campaigning, weeks before the upcoming US elections. A twitter handle — @ConservUSA38 — tweeted a video of Joe Biden from 2015 where he can be seen leaning in to whisper something in the ear of Stephanie Carter, former Defense Secretary Ash Carter's wife, during his swearing-in ceremony. His hands are seen resting on Carter's shoulders. The video, created in form of a GIF, was posted with a caption reading "We can beat them at their game .. #PedoBiden". We can beat them at their game .. #PedoBiden pic.twitter.com/SjNsUTrdGA — 🇺🇸Conservative Girl🇺🇸 (@ConservUSA38) September 15, 2020 × The tweet gained a lot of traction after Donald Trump retweeted it on Tuesday. However, few hours after posting, the original poster added a tweet saying, "Except she’s an adult", but followed it with a collage of four pictures of Biden with four different women/girls with the caption "creep". Creep pic.twitter.com/pWDv8LMXlF — 🇺🇸Conservative Girl🇺🇸 (@ConservUSA38) September 15, 2020 × However, Stephanie Carter has rubbished these accusations saying, "After the swearing in, as Ash was giving remarks, he leaned in to tell me 'thank you for letting him do this' and kept his hands on my shoulders as a means of offering his support. But a still shot taken from a video — misleadingly extracted from what was a longer moment between close friends — sent out in a snarky tweet — came to be the lasting image of that day." Also read| US election 2020: Trump accuses Biden of using performance enhancing drugs The retweet has come a week after Trump, himself, was accused of passing inappropriate comments about a 15-year-old girl. Samantha Cohen recently revealed that back in 2012, when she was 15-years-old, Trump called her "piece of a--". When Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, informed him that she was his daughter, Trump responded saying, "That's your daughter?" ... "When did she get so hot?"

Ahead of US election, Trump retweets post calling Biden 'paedophile'

The President pointed out that these were the only two peace deals between Israel and the Arab States in more than a quarter of a century.

US President Donald Trump promises to protect Palestine

Climate change has taken center stage in the US Presidential race. Donald Trump says 'Science doesn't know about climate change'. Meanwhile, Joe Biden has called the US President a 'climate arsonist'. WION's Palki Sharma gets you the stories.

Gravitas: Donald Trump vs Science

In a big boost to the expectations regarding the covid-19 vaccine, US President Donald Trump has said that the vaccine for the deadly coronavirus may be available within a month. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-pushes-37-million-people-into-extreme-poverty-gates-foundation-327805">Also read | Coronavirus pushes 37 million people into extreme poverty: Gates Foundation</a> 
 
At a town hall event hosted by a news channel Donald Trump said that the shot could be ready within four weeks.

"We're very close to having a vaccine. We're within weeks of getting it you know -- could be three weeks, four weeks," he said. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worldwide-coronavirus-cases-surpass-292-million-mark-johns-hopkins-university-327675">Also read | Worldwide coronavirus cases surpass 29.2 million-mark: Johns Hopkins University</a>

“The previous administration would have taken perhaps years to have a vaccine, because of the FDA and all the approvals,” Trump said.

Only hours earlier, speaking to Fox News on Tuesday morning, Trump had said a vaccine could come in "four weeks, it could be eight weeks."

Democrats have expressed concern that Trump is putting political pressure on government health regulators and scientists to approve a rushed vaccine in time to help turn around his uphill bid for reelection against challenger Joe Biden on November 3.

Experts including top US government infectious diseases doctor Anthony Fauci say vaccine approval is more likely toward the end of the year.

At the ABC town hall Trump was asked why he'd downplayed the gravity of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now killed close to 200,000 people in the US.

Trump replied by saying: "I didn't downplay it. I actually, in many ways, I up-played it in terms of action."

(With inputs from agencies)

In a big boost to the expectations regarding the covid-19 vaccine, US President Donald Trump has said that the vaccine for the deadly coronavirus may be available within a month.

In a big boost to the expectations regarding the covid-19 vaccine, US President Donald Trump has said that the vaccine for the deadly coronavirus may be available within a month. Also read | Coronavirus pushes 37 million people into extreme poverty: Gates Foundation At a town hall event hosted by a news channel Donald Trump said that the shot could be ready within four weeks. "We're very close to having a vaccine. We're within weeks of getting it you know -- could be three weeks, four weeks," he said. Also read | Worldwide coronavirus cases surpass 29.2 million-mark: Johns Hopkins University “The previous administration would have taken perhaps years to have a vaccine, because of the FDA and all the approvals,” Trump said. Only hours earlier, speaking to Fox News on Tuesday morning, Trump had said a vaccine could come in "four weeks, it could be eight weeks." Democrats have expressed concern that Trump is putting political pressure on government health regulators and scientists to approve a rushed vaccine in time to help turn around his uphill bid for reelection against challenger Joe Biden on November 3. Experts including top US government infectious diseases doctor Anthony Fauci say vaccine approval is more likely toward the end of the year. At the ABC town hall Trump was asked why he'd downplayed the gravity of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now killed close to 200,000 people in the US. Trump replied by saying: "I didn't downplay it. I actually, in many ways, I up-played it in terms of action." (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus vaccine could be ready within 3-4 weeks: Donald Trump

Iran is reportedly considering a plot to kill the US envoy to South Africa

After almost 25 years, the 45th president of the united states has recreated history at the south lawn of the white house. UAE & Bahrain sign a historic peace deal with Israel.

Israel, UAE and Bahrain sign Abraham accord

US Presidents have been prone to embarrassing remarks in public in past. But current President Donald Trump is considered by many to be the one to have made more than many. Latest in the series is his assertion that coronavirus pandemic will go away due to 'herd mentality'

"...you'll develop, you'll develop herd like a herd mentality. It's going to be, it's going to be herd developed and that's going to happen. That will all happen," said Trump as he was being interviewed by George Stephanopolous.

Herd mentality refers to tendency of individuals to mindlessly follow a behaviour taken up by large number of people around them.

Does this sound like a strategy to effectively combat coronavirus pandemic? Certainly not.

The correct words Donald Trump appeared to not remember were Herd Immunity.

Herd Immunity refers to resistance to a contagious disease (like coronavirus) developed in population. If herd immunity against a particular disease is developed in a population, it is considered to be safe from the disease.

In his interview with George Stephanopoulos, Trump even said that the pandemic would "go away" without a vaccine.

He repeated his claim even as startled Stephanopolous asked,"It will go away without a vaccine?"

Trump then hastily added that coronavirus would go away "quickly" if a vaccine was made available.

Donald Trump has often given extremely conflicting statements about coronavirus pandemic.

President of the US, whose decisions have global ramifications, is expected to be well informed and measured before making public statements.

However, Trump's past statements on coronavirus pandemic in the US have been surprising

He statements include 'It's just a flu', 'It will go away on its own' and many more that were unscientific and even misleading. Trump has even laughed off wearing a mask.

The US has seen 195,000 deaths due to coronavirus so far.

US Presidents have been prone to embarrassing remarks in public in past. But current President Donald Trump is considered by many to be the one to have made more than many.

US Presidents have been prone to embarrassing remarks in public in past. But current President Donald Trump is considered by many to be the one to have made more than many. Latest in the series is his assertion that coronavirus pandemic will go away due to 'herd mentality' "...you'll develop, you'll develop herd like a herd mentality. It's going to be, it's going to be herd developed and that's going to happen. That will all happen," said Trump as he was being interviewed by George Stephanopolous. Herd mentality refers to tendency of individuals to mindlessly follow a behaviour taken up by large number of people around them. Does this sound like a strategy to effectively combat coronavirus pandemic? Certainly not. The correct words Donald Trump appeared to not remember were Herd Immunity. Herd Immunity refers to resistance to a contagious disease (like coronavirus) developed in population. If herd immunity against a particular disease is developed in a population, it is considered to be safe from the disease. In his interview with George Stephanopoulos, Trump even said that the pandemic would "go away" without a vaccine. He repeated his claim even as startled Stephanopolous asked,"It will go away without a vaccine?" Trump then hastily added that coronavirus would go away "quickly" if a vaccine was made available. Donald Trump has often given extremely conflicting statements about coronavirus pandemic. President of the US, whose decisions have global ramifications, is expected to be well informed and measured before making public statements. However, Trump's past statements on coronavirus pandemic in the US have been surprising He statements include 'It's just a flu', 'It will go away on its own' and many more that were unscientific and even misleading. Trump has even laughed off wearing a mask. The US has seen 195,000 deaths due to coronavirus so far.

COVID-19 will go away because of 'herd mentality', says Donald Trump

Silicon Valley tech giant Oracle is "very close" to sealing a deal to become the US partner to Chinese-owned video app TikTok to avert a ban in the United States, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.

Trump's comments came a day after US officials confirmed that Oracle was set to make a deal with TikTok parent ByteDance ahead of a deadline set by the US president, who has called the app a national security threat.

"I heard they're very close to a deal," Trump told reporters, adding that "we're going to make a decision pretty soon" on whether to approve the tie-up, which would make Oracle a "trusted technology provider" for TikTok.

Details of the deal remained unclear. But the Financial Times reported that ByteDance was to place TikTok's global business in a new US-headquartered company with Oracle investing as a minority shareholder along with other US investors.

CNBC reported the Trump administration could approve the deal as soon as Tuesday afternoon.

If the transaction happens, it would avoid an outright sale of TikTok while giving a stake in the popular app to Oracle, whose founder Larry Ellison is a prominent Trump supporter.

Trump told reporters Tuesday he had "high respect for Larry Ellison."

Silicon Valley tech giant Oracle is "very close" to sealing a deal to become the US partner to Chinese-owned video app TikTok to avert a ban in the United States, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.

Silicon Valley tech giant Oracle is "very close" to sealing a deal to become the US partner to Chinese-owned video app TikTok to avert a ban in the United States, President Donald Trump said Tuesday. Trump's comments came a day after US officials confirmed that Oracle was set to make a deal with TikTok parent ByteDance ahead of a deadline set by the US president, who has called the app a national security threat. "I heard they're very close to a deal," Trump told reporters, adding that "we're going to make a decision pretty soon" on whether to approve the tie-up, which would make Oracle a "trusted technology provider" for TikTok. Details of the deal remained unclear. But the Financial Times reported that ByteDance was to place TikTok's global business in a new US-headquartered company with Oracle investing as a minority shareholder along with other US investors. CNBC reported the Trump administration could approve the deal as soon as Tuesday afternoon. If the transaction happens, it would avoid an outright sale of TikTok while giving a stake in the popular app to Oracle, whose founder Larry Ellison is a prominent Trump supporter. Trump told reporters Tuesday he had "high respect for Larry Ellison."

Oracle ‘very close’ to deal on TikTok: Donald Trump

Controversies seem to be never-ending for the US President Donald Trump, especially with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections</a>&nbsp;few weeks away.

Last week, investigative journalist Bob Woodward released few excerpts from his new book, Rage, backed with audio clips as proof where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;can be heard telling Woodward that he 'downplayed' the novel coronavirus because he wanted to.

However, when an undecided voter asked Trump a question about this controversy in an interview, he responded back with a completely different answer saying,&nbsp;"Well I didn't downplay it. I actually, in many ways, I up-played it in terms of action."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/calm-no-panic-donald-trump-says-he-didnt-lie-about-coronavirus-after-bob-woodwards-book-reveal-326725">Also read|&nbsp;'Calm, no panic': Donald Trump says he didn't lie about coronavirus after Bob Woodward's book-reveal</a>

He further&nbsp;justified it by saying,&nbsp;"My action was very strong because what I did with China. I put a ban on. With Europe, I put a ban on. And we would have lost thousands of more people had I not put the ban on. So that was called action, not with the mouth but in actual fact. We did a very, very good job when we put that ban on, whether you call it talent or luck, it was very important so we saved a lot of lives when we did that."

Trump did not stop there. He also claimed that wearing masks was not necessary as masks are not always useful, justifying his move of not announcing a nation-wide mask ma ndate, like other countries.&nbsp;"They said at the Democrat(ic) National Convention they're going to do a national mandate. They never did it, because they've checked out and they didn't do it. And ... Like Joe Biden. They said, 'We're going to a national mandate on masks.' ... But he didn't do it. He never did it," Trump said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-journalist-defends-decision-for-halt-in-publishing-trumps-remarks-on-coronavirus-crisis-326841">Also read|&nbsp;US journalist defends decision for halt in publishing Trump's remarks on coronavirus crisis</a>

His statement of mask mandate has come out a few hours after his&nbsp;administration's top health advisers' urged people to wear face masks when stepping outside to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus which has affected the US in the worst way with the total number of cases above six million.

Justifying his thought process yet again, he cited an example of his day-to-day life, "They come over, they serve you and they have a mask. And I saw it the other day, where they were serving me and they're playing with the mask. I'm not blaming them ... they're playing with the mask ... they're touching it and then they're touching the plate. That can't be good," Trump said.

Controversies seem to be never-ending for the US President Donald Trump, especially with the US elections few weeks away. Last week, investigative journalist Bob Woodward released few excerpts from his new book, Rage, backed with audio clips as proof where Donald Trump can be heard telling Woodward that he 'downplayed' the novel coronavirus because he wanted to.

Controversies seem to be never-ending for the US President Donald Trump, especially with the US elections few weeks away. Last week, investigative journalist Bob Woodward released few excerpts from his new book, Rage, backed with audio clips as proof where Donald Trump can be heard telling Woodward that he 'downplayed' the novel coronavirus because he wanted to. However, when an undecided voter asked Trump a question about this controversy in an interview, he responded back with a completely different answer saying, "Well I didn't downplay it. I actually, in many ways, I up-played it in terms of action." Also read| 'Calm, no panic': Donald Trump says he didn't lie about coronavirus after Bob Woodward's book-reveal He further justified it by saying, "My action was very strong because what I did with China. I put a ban on. With Europe, I put a ban on. And we would have lost thousands of more people had I not put the ban on. So that was called action, not with the mouth but in actual fact. We did a very, very good job when we put that ban on, whether you call it talent or luck, it was very important so we saved a lot of lives when we did that." Trump did not stop there. He also claimed that wearing masks was not necessary as masks are not always useful, justifying his move of not announcing a nation-wide mask ma ndate, like other countries. "They said at the Democrat(ic) National Convention they're going to do a national mandate. They never did it, because they've checked out and they didn't do it. And ... Like Joe Biden. They said, 'We're going to a national mandate on masks.' ... But he didn't do it. He never did it," Trump said. Also read| US journalist defends decision for halt in publishing Trump's remarks on coronavirus crisis His statement of mask mandate has come out a few hours after his administration's top health advisers' urged people to wear face masks when stepping outside to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus which has affected the US in the worst way with the total number of cases above six million. Justifying his thought process yet again, he cited an example of his day-to-day life, "They come over, they serve you and they have a mask. And I saw it the other day, where they were serving me and they're playing with the mask. I'm not blaming them ... they're playing with the mask ... they're touching it and then they're touching the plate. That can't be good," Trump said.

'I up-played coronavirus': Trump answers question of a voter before US elections

This was the first indication that the US trial will remain on hold until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a safety panel investigate the case.

What's the status of Oxford-AstraZeneca trials in US; Detailed report

The odds are that Saudi Arabia is not about to formalize relations with Israel. But the kingdom, its image tarnished by multiple missteps, is seeking to ensure that it is not perceived as the odd man out as smaller Gulf States establish diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

Bahrain’s announcement that it would follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates was as much a Bahraini move as it was a Saudi signal that it is not opposed to normalization with Israel.

Largely dependent on the kingdom since Saudi troops helped squash mass anti-government protests in 2011, Bahrain, a majority Shia Muslim nation, would not have agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel without Saudi consent.

The Bahraini move followed several other Saudi gestures intended to signal the kingdom’s endorsement of Arab normalization of Israel even if it was not going to lead the pack.

The gestures included the opening of Saudi air space to Israeli commercial flights, and publication of a Saudi think tank report praising Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s stewardship in modernizing the kingdom’s religious education system and encouraging the religious establishment to replace“extremist narratives” in school textbooks with “a moderate interpretation of Islamic rhetoric.”

They also involved a sermon by Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca – the world’s largest mosque that surrounds the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site that highlighted Prophet Mohammed’s friendly relations with Jews.

Mr. al-Sudais noted that the prophet had “performed ablution from a polytheistic water bottle and died while his shield was mortgaged to a Jew,” forged a peace agreement with Jewish inhabitants of the Khaybar region, and dealt so well with a Jewish neighbor that he eventually converted to Islam.&nbsp;

The imam’s comments, a day before US President Donald J. Trump was believed to have failed to persuade King Salman to follow the UAE’s example, were widely seen as part of an effort to prepare Saudi public opinion for eventual recognition of Israel.

Criticism on social media of the comments constituted one indication that public opinion in Gulf states is divided.

Expression of Emirati dissent was restricted to Emirati exiles given that the UAE does not tolerate expression of dissenting views.

However, small scale protests erupted in Bahrain, another country that curtails freedom of expression and assembly. Bahraini political and civil society associations, including the Bahrain Bar Association, issued a statement rejecting the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel.

“What results from normalization will not enjoy popular backing, in line with what generations of Bahrainis have been brought up on in terms of adherence to the Palestinian cause,” the statement said.

Bahrain has long been home to a Jewish community and was the first and, so far, only Arab state to appoint a Jew as its ambassador to the United States.

The criticism echoes recent polls in various Gulf States that suggest that Palestine remains a major public foreign policy concern.

Polling by David Pollock of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy found that Palestine ranked second to Iran.

Earlier polls by James Zogby, a Washington-based pollster with a track record that goes back more than a decade, showed Palestine ranking in 2018 as the foremost foreign policy issue followed by Iran in Emirati and Saudi public opinion.

The same year’s Arab Opinion Index suggested that 80 percent of Saudis see Palestine as an Arab rather than a purely Palestinian issue.

Mr. Pollock said in an interview that with regard to Palestine, Saudi officials “believe that they have to be a little cautious. They want to move bit by bit in the direction of normalizing at least the existence of Israel or the discussion of Israel, the possibility of peace, but they don’t think that the public is ready for the full embrace or anything like that.”

Gulf scholar Giorgio Cafiero noted in a tweet that “Israel formalizing relations (with) unelected Arab (governments) is not the same as Israel making ‘peace’ (with) Arab people. Look at, for example, what Egypt’s citizenry thinks of Israel. Iran and Turkey will capitalize on this reality as more US-friendly Arab [governments] sign accords [with] Israel.”

This year’s Arab Opinion Index suggest that in Kuwait, the one country that has not engaged with Israel publicly, Turkey—the Muslim country that has taken a lead in supporting the Palestinians—ranked highest in public esteem compared to China, Russia, and Iran.

A rift in a UAE-backed Muslim group created to counter Qatari support of political Islam and promote a state-controlled version of Islam that preaches absolute obedience to the ruler serves as a further indication that Palestine remains an emotive public issue.

In Mr. Al-Sudais’ case, analysts suggest that the criticism is as much about Palestine as it is a signal that religious leaders who become subservient to the whims of government may be losing credibility.

Mr. Al-Sudais’ sermon contrasted starkly with past talks in which he described Jews as “killers of prophets and the scum of the earth” as well as “monkeys and pigs” and defended Saudi Arabia’s conflict with Iran as a war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

The criticism coupled with indications earlier this year that Saudi Arabia’s religious establishment was not happy with Prince Mohammed’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic may be one reason why Saudi Arabia is gesturing rather than formalizing already existing relations with Israel.

Authorities reportedly arrested in March Sheikh Abdullah al-Saad, an Islamic scholar, after he posted online an audio clip criticizing the government for banning Friday prayers. Mr. al-Saad argued that worshippers should be able to ask God for mercy.

An imam in Mecca was fired shortly after he expressed concern about the spread of the coronavirus in Saudi prisons.

Scholars Genevieve Abdo and Nourhan Elnahla reported that the kingdom’s Council of Senior Clerics had initially drafted a fatwa, or religious opinion, describing the closing of mosques as a violation of Islamic principles. They said that government pressure had persuaded the council not to issue the opinion.

Concern among the kingdom’s ultra-conservative religious scholars that the ruling Al-Saud family may break the power-sharing agreement with the clergy, concluded at the birth of the kingdom, predates the rise of King Salman and Prince Mohammed.

Indeed, the clerics’ concern stretches back to the reign of King Abdullah and has focused on attitudes expressed both by senior members of the ruling family who have since been sidelined or detained by Prince Mohammed and princes that continue to wield influence.

The scholars feared that the ruling family contemplated separating state and religion. This is a concern that has likely been reinforced since Prince Mohammed whipped the kingdom’s religious establishment into submission and downplayed religion by emphasizing nationalism.

Ultra-conservative Saudi religious scholars are also certain to have taken note of post-revolt Sudan’s recent decision to legally remove religion from the realm of the state.

Ultra-conservative sentiment does not pose an imminent threat to Prince Mohammed’s iron grip rule of a country in which many welcomed social reforms that have lifted some of the debilitating restrictions on women, liberalized gender segregation, and the as yet unfulfilled promise of greater opportunity for a majority youthful population.

It does however suggest one reason why Prince Mohammed, who is believed to favor formal relations with Israel, may want to tread carefully on an issue that potentially continues to evoke passions. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The odds are that Saudi Arabia is not about to formalize relations with Israel. But the kingdom, its image tarnished by multiple missteps, is seeking to ensure that it is not perceived as the odd man out as smaller Gulf States establish diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

The odds are that Saudi Arabia is not about to formalize relations with Israel. But the kingdom, its image tarnished by multiple missteps, is seeking to ensure that it is not perceived as the odd man out as smaller Gulf States establish diplomatic relations with the Jewish state. Bahrain’s announcement that it would follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates was as much a Bahraini move as it was a Saudi signal that it is not opposed to normalization with Israel. Largely dependent on the kingdom since Saudi troops helped squash mass anti-government protests in 2011, Bahrain, a majority Shia Muslim nation, would not have agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel without Saudi consent. The Bahraini move followed several other Saudi gestures intended to signal the kingdom’s endorsement of Arab normalization of Israel even if it was not going to lead the pack. The gestures included the opening of Saudi air space to Israeli commercial flights, and publication of a Saudi think tank report praising Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s stewardship in modernizing the kingdom’s religious education system and encouraging the religious establishment to replace“extremist narratives” in school textbooks with “a moderate interpretation of Islamic rhetoric.” They also involved a sermon by Abdulrahman al-Sudais, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca – the world’s largest mosque that surrounds the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site that highlighted Prophet Mohammed’s friendly relations with Jews. Mr. al-Sudais noted that the prophet had “performed ablution from a polytheistic water bottle and died while his shield was mortgaged to a Jew,” forged a peace agreement with Jewish inhabitants of the Khaybar region, and dealt so well with a Jewish neighbor that he eventually converted to Islam. The imam’s comments, a day before US President Donald J. Trump was believed to have failed to persuade King Salman to follow the UAE’s example, were widely seen as part of an effort to prepare Saudi public opinion for eventual recognition of Israel. Criticism on social media of the comments constituted one indication that public opinion in Gulf states is divided. Expression of Emirati dissent was restricted to Emirati exiles given that the UAE does not tolerate expression of dissenting views. However, small scale protests erupted in Bahrain, another country that curtails freedom of expression and assembly. Bahraini political and civil society associations, including the Bahrain Bar Association, issued a statement rejecting the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel. “What results from normalization will not enjoy popular backing, in line with what generations of Bahrainis have been brought up on in terms of adherence to the Palestinian cause,” the statement said. Bahrain has long been home to a Jewish community and was the first and, so far, only Arab state to appoint a Jew as its ambassador to the United States. The criticism echoes recent polls in various Gulf States that suggest that Palestine remains a major public foreign policy concern. Polling by David Pollock of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy found that Palestine ranked second to Iran. Earlier polls by James Zogby, a Washington-based pollster with a track record that goes back more than a decade, showed Palestine ranking in 2018 as the foremost foreign policy issue followed by Iran in Emirati and Saudi public opinion. The same year’s Arab Opinion Index suggested that 80 percent of Saudis see Palestine as an Arab rather than a purely Palestinian issue. Mr. Pollock said in an interview that with regard to Palestine, Saudi officials “believe that they have to be a little cautious. They want to move bit by bit in the direction of normalizing at least the existence of Israel or the discussion of Israel, the possibility of peace, but they don’t think that the public is ready for the full embrace or anything like that.” Gulf scholar Giorgio Cafiero noted in a tweet that “Israel formalizing relations (with) unelected Arab (governments) is not the same as Israel making ‘peace’ (with) Arab people. Look at, for example, what Egypt’s citizenry thinks of Israel. Iran and Turkey will capitalize on this reality as more US-friendly Arab [governments] sign accords [with] Israel.” This year’s Arab Opinion Index suggest that in Kuwait, the one country that has not engaged with Israel publicly, Turkey—the Muslim country that has taken a lead in supporting the Palestinians—ranked highest in public esteem compared to China, Russia, and Iran. A rift in a UAE-backed Muslim group created to counter Qatari support of political Islam and promote a state-controlled version of Islam that preaches absolute obedience to the ruler serves as a further indication that Palestine remains an emotive public issue. In Mr. Al-Sudais’ case, analysts suggest that the criticism is as much about Palestine as it is a signal that religious leaders who become subservient to the whims of government may be losing credibility. Mr. Al-Sudais’ sermon contrasted starkly with past talks in which he described Jews as “killers of prophets and the scum of the earth” as well as “monkeys and pigs” and defended Saudi Arabia’s conflict with Iran as a war between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. The criticism coupled with indications earlier this year that Saudi Arabia’s religious establishment was not happy with Prince Mohammed’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic may be one reason why Saudi Arabia is gesturing rather than formalizing already existing relations with Israel. Authorities reportedly arrested in March Sheikh Abdullah al-Saad, an Islamic scholar, after he posted online an audio clip criticizing the government for banning Friday prayers. Mr. al-Saad argued that worshippers should be able to ask God for mercy. An imam in Mecca was fired shortly after he expressed concern about the spread of the coronavirus in Saudi prisons. Scholars Genevieve Abdo and Nourhan Elnahla reported that the kingdom’s Council of Senior Clerics had initially drafted a fatwa, or religious opinion, describing the closing of mosques as a violation of Islamic principles. They said that government pressure had persuaded the council not to issue the opinion. Concern among the kingdom’s ultra-conservative religious scholars that the ruling Al-Saud family may break the power-sharing agreement with the clergy, concluded at the birth of the kingdom, predates the rise of King Salman and Prince Mohammed. Indeed, the clerics’ concern stretches back to the reign of King Abdullah and has focused on attitudes expressed both by senior members of the ruling family who have since been sidelined or detained by Prince Mohammed and princes that continue to wield influence. The scholars feared that the ruling family contemplated separating state and religion. This is a concern that has likely been reinforced since Prince Mohammed whipped the kingdom’s religious establishment into submission and downplayed religion by emphasizing nationalism. Ultra-conservative Saudi religious scholars are also certain to have taken note of post-revolt Sudan’s recent decision to legally remove religion from the realm of the state. Ultra-conservative sentiment does not pose an imminent threat to Prince Mohammed’s iron grip rule of a country in which many welcomed social reforms that have lifted some of the debilitating restrictions on women, liberalized gender segregation, and the as yet unfulfilled promise of greater opportunity for a majority youthful population. It does however suggest one reason why Prince Mohammed, who is believed to favor formal relations with Israel, may want to tread carefully on an issue that potentially continues to evoke passions. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Will they or won’t they? Saudi recognition of Israel is the $64,000 question

The World Trade Organisation's ruling on Tuesday in favour of China in the tariff case has&nbsp;sparked outrage in Washington.

The organisation&nbsp;upheld a complaint by China over additional US duties on some $250 billion of Chinese goods. It agreed that the United States&nbsp;breached global trading rules by imposing multibillion-dollar tariffs on China.

Shortly after the verdict, US President Donald Trump commented on it and said ''US will do something about the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;because they've let China get away with murder." He has previously&nbsp;described the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;as "horrible" and biased towards China, often threatening to quit.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-bans-on-xinjiang-imports-to-sabotage-global-supply-chains-says-china-327688" hreflang="en">US bans on Xinjiang imports to sabotage global supply chains, says China</a>

The Trump administration says its tariffs imposed two years ago on more than $200 billion in Chinese goods were justified because China was stealing intellectual property and forcing US&nbsp;companies to transfer technology for access to China's markets.

But the&nbsp;WTO's three-member panel said the US&nbsp;duties broke trading rules because they applied only to China and were above maximum rates agreed to by the United States. Washington had not then adequately explained why its measures were a justified exception, the panel concluded.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-puts-block-on-chinese-products-from-uighur-forced-labour-327588">US puts block on Chinese products from Uighur ‘forced labour’</a>

US&nbsp;Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said&nbsp;"this panel report confirms what the Trump administration has been saying for four years: the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;is completely inadequate to stop China's harmful technology practices."&nbsp;

China's Commerce Ministry said Beijing supported the multilateral trading system and respected&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;rules and rulings, and hoped Washington would do the same.

The decision will have little immediate effect on the US&nbsp;tariffs and is just the start of a legal process that could take years to play out, ultimately leading to the&nbsp;WTO&nbsp;approving retaliatory measures if it is upheld, moves that China has already taken on its own.

The United States is likely to appeal Tuesday's ruling. That would put the case into a legal void, however, because Washington has already blocked the appointment of judges to the&nbsp;WTO's appellate body, preventing it from convening the minimum number required to hear cases.

During a two-year trade war with Beijing, Trump threatened tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports,&nbsp;more than $500 billion,&nbsp;before the two countries signed a "Phase 1" trade deal in January. Extra tariffs are still in place on some $370 billion worth of Chinese goods, and $62.16 billion in duties have been collected since July 2018.

The World Trade Organisation's ruling on Tuesday in favour of China in the tariff case has sparked outrage in Washington. The organisation upheld a complaint by China over additional US duties on some $250 billion of Chinese goods.

The World Trade Organisation's ruling on Tuesday in favour of China in the tariff case has sparked outrage in Washington. The organisation upheld a complaint by China over additional US duties on some $250 billion of Chinese goods. It agreed that the United States breached global trading rules by imposing multibillion-dollar tariffs on China. Shortly after the verdict, US President Donald Trump commented on it and said ''US will do something about the WTO because they've let China get away with murder." He has previously described the WTO as "horrible" and biased towards China, often threatening to quit. Also read: US bans on Xinjiang imports to sabotage global supply chains, says China The Trump administration says its tariffs imposed two years ago on more than $200 billion in Chinese goods were justified because China was stealing intellectual property and forcing US companies to transfer technology for access to China's markets. But the WTO's three-member panel said the US duties broke trading rules because they applied only to China and were above maximum rates agreed to by the United States. Washington had not then adequately explained why its measures were a justified exception, the panel concluded. Also read: US puts block on Chinese products from Uighur ‘forced labour’ US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said "this panel report confirms what the Trump administration has been saying for four years: the WTO is completely inadequate to stop China's harmful technology practices." China's Commerce Ministry said Beijing supported the multilateral trading system and respected WTO rules and rulings, and hoped Washington would do the same. The decision will have little immediate effect on the US tariffs and is just the start of a legal process that could take years to play out, ultimately leading to the WTO approving retaliatory measures if it is upheld, moves that China has already taken on its own. The United States is likely to appeal Tuesday's ruling. That would put the case into a legal void, however, because Washington has already blocked the appointment of judges to the WTO's appellate body, preventing it from convening the minimum number required to hear cases. During a two-year trade war with Beijing, Trump threatened tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports, more than $500 billion, before the two countries signed a "Phase 1" trade deal in January. Extra tariffs are still in place on some $370 billion worth of Chinese goods, and $62.16 billion in duties have been collected since July 2018.

US angered as WTO rules in China's favour in tariffs case

As the wildfires are raging across the West, climate change took center stage in the race for the White House on Monday as former Vice President Joe Biden called President Trump a “climate arsonist” while the president said that “I don’t think science knows” what is actually happening.

Donald Trump rejects Science again: Biden calls Trump a 'climate arsonist'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli delegation landed in the United States on September 15, ahead of a ceremony to sign agreements normalizing ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Fineprint: Netanyahu lands in Washington DC for UAE, Bahrain Deals

The items include cotton, garments, hair products and electronics from five specific manufacturers in Xinjiang as well as adjacent Anhui.

US restricts imports from China's Xinjiang region for 'forced labour'

The Constitution's 22nd Amendment, which was ratified in 1951, established that a President may not serve more than two terms.

US Election 2020: Trump claims he is entitled to a '3rd term' if he wins

As wildfires sweeping the west coast states assumed center stage on Monday (September 14) in the US&nbsp;election campaign, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden stressed the role of climate change in stoking the fires, saying President Donald Trump, who has blamed the fires on poor forest management, has not done enough.

"Donald Trump's climate denial may not have caused these fires and record floods and record hurricanes, but if he gets a second term, these hellish events will continue to become more common, more devastating and more deadly," he said.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/oregon-wildfires-nearly-500000-evacuated-amid-climate-change-warning-326996">Oregon wildfires: Nearly 500,000 evacuated amid climate change warning</a>

The blitz of wildfires across Oregon, California and Washington state has destroyed thousands of homes and a half dozen small towns since August, scorching more than 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares) and killing more than two dozen people.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/california-wildfires-us-prez-trump-blames-poor-forest-management-for-the-deadly-fire-327594/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Biden has blamed human-caused higher average temperatures in US&nbsp;West coast states for the wildfires and included climate change in his list of major crises facing the United States, along with the coronavirus pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-dismisses-climate-concerns-blames-poor-forest-management-for-western-wildfires-327587">Trump dismisses climate concern, blames 'poor' forest management for wildfires</a>

Calling Trump a "climate arsonist," Biden said, "If we have four more years of Trump's climate denial, how many suburbs will be burned by wildfires? How many suburban neighborhoods will have been flooded out," he said.

Democrats have blasted Trump for remaining mostly silent about the largest wildfires in state history, except for his efforts to blame the blazes on failures by the state government.

Trump, who pulled the United States out of the Paris accord that laid out an international approach to combat climate change, has authorised federal disaster aid for both California and Oregon and is due to meet with firefighters and emergency officials in Northern California.

As wildfires sweeping the west coast states assumed center stage on Monday (September 14) in the US election campaign, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden stressed the role of climate change in stoking the fires, saying President Donald Trump, who has blamed the fires on poor forest management, has not done enough.

As wildfires sweeping the west coast states assumed center stage on Monday (September 14) in the US election campaign, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden stressed the role of climate change in stoking the fires, saying President Donald Trump, who has blamed the fires on poor forest management, has not done enough. "Donald Trump's climate denial may not have caused these fires and record floods and record hurricanes, but if he gets a second term, these hellish events will continue to become more common, more devastating and more deadly," he said. Also see: Oregon wildfires: Nearly 500,000 evacuated amid climate change warning The blitz of wildfires across Oregon, California and Washington state has destroyed thousands of homes and a half dozen small towns since August, scorching more than 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares) and killing more than two dozen people. Biden has blamed human-caused higher average temperatures in US West coast states for the wildfires and included climate change in his list of major crises facing the United States, along with the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Trump dismisses climate concern, blames 'poor' forest management for wildfires Calling Trump a "climate arsonist," Biden said, "If we have four more years of Trump's climate denial, how many suburbs will be burned by wildfires? How many suburban neighborhoods will have been flooded out," he said. Democrats have blasted Trump for remaining mostly silent about the largest wildfires in state history, except for his efforts to blame the blazes on failures by the state government. Trump, who pulled the United States out of the Paris accord that laid out an international approach to combat climate change, has authorised federal disaster aid for both California and Oregon and is due to meet with firefighters and emergency officials in Northern California.

US election 2020: Biden calls Trump a 'climate arsonist,' vows to create environmental jobs

At his election rallies, Donald Trump has been claiming that he received the non-existent 'Bay of Pigs' award. Meanwhile the gaffe-prone Joe Biden is struggling to make his point at rallies.

Gravitas: Trump claims he received 'Bay of Pigs' award

US presidential elections are inching closer, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump are headed for a fierce competition.&nbsp;

Social media and technology play a huge role in any modern elections, and the same holds true for the upcoming US elections.&nbsp;

"Vote Joe"

However, technology has its own set of loopholes. For instance, The Democratic Party’s prime candidate Joe Biden runs an official campaigning smartphone application.&nbsp;Much to everyone’s dismay, the application reportedly gave access to sensitive voter information on millions of Americans, a security researcher recently found. “Vote Joe”, the official name of the app, gives a platform to Biden supporters to garner more support for him among friends and family, and to encourage others to vote in the upcoming elections.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-election-2020-biden-calls-trump-a-climate-arsonist-vows-to-create-environmental-jobs-327592" hreflang="en">US election 2020: Biden calls Trump a 'climate arsonist,' vows to create environmental jobs</a>

As part of this process, users are required to upload the details of contacts on their phone to check whether they are registered to vote. Based on data from the user’s phone, the application cross-checks voter data to ascertain whether one is set to vote this year.

Related video:&nbsp;US Election 2020 -&nbsp;Biden gets $100 MN boost from Bloomberg

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/us-election-2020-biden-gets-100-mn-boost-from-bloomberg-327316/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The data is supplied by TargetSmart, a political marketing firm which has files on over 191 million Americans. Once matched, the app displays details of the voter, including name, age, and birthday. It also informs the user of which election the searched party last voted in.

According to the app, this helps “users find people you know and encourage them to get involved”. Even though a lot of this data is publicly accessible, the bug in the application enabled anyone to easily access voter information.

Personal details divulged

This was discovered by The App Analyst, a mobile expert who divulged the details of his findings on his blog.

The expert found that the app can be easily manipulated by creating a contact on one’s phone with any voter’s name. Following this, one could access all the details available on the person.

In conversation with TechCrunch, the expert claimed that the application also pulls in a lot more data than it claims to. The application reportedly saves voter’s home address, gender, date of birth, political party affiliation, and ethnicity.&nbsp;

The bug, though, has been fixed and an update was released on Friday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-election-2020-joe-biden-or-donald-trump-whose-chances-are-looking-better-right-now-327545" hreflang="en">US Election 2020: Joe Biden or Donald Trump, whose chances are looking better right now?</a>

“We were made aware about how our third-party app developer was providing additional fields of information from commercially available data that was not needed,” Biden campaign’s spokesperson Matt Hill told TechCrunch.&nbsp;

“We worked with our vendor quickly to fix the issue and remove the information. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our staff, volunteers and supporters will always work with our vendors to do so”, he added.

Hill also disputed the claim that the app was giving out private information.&nbsp;

TargetSmart, the firm behind data management of voters claimed that only a “limited amount of publicly or commercially available data” could have been accessed by voters.

US presidential elections are inching closer, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump are headed for a fierce competition. Social media and technology play a huge role in any modern elections, and the same holds true for the upcoming US elections.

US presidential elections are inching closer, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump are headed for a fierce competition. Social media and technology play a huge role in any modern elections, and the same holds true for the upcoming US elections. "Vote Joe" However, technology has its own set of loopholes. For instance, The Democratic Party’s prime candidate Joe Biden runs an official campaigning smartphone application. Much to everyone’s dismay, the application reportedly gave access to sensitive voter information on millions of Americans, a security researcher recently found. “Vote Joe”, the official name of the app, gives a platform to Biden supporters to garner more support for him among friends and family, and to encourage others to vote in the upcoming elections. Also read: US election 2020: Biden calls Trump a 'climate arsonist,' vows to create environmental jobs As part of this process, users are required to upload the details of contacts on their phone to check whether they are registered to vote. Based on data from the user’s phone, the application cross-checks voter data to ascertain whether one is set to vote this year. Related video: US Election 2020 - Biden gets $100 MN boost from Bloomberg The data is supplied by TargetSmart, a political marketing firm which has files on over 191 million Americans. Once matched, the app displays details of the voter, including name, age, and birthday. It also informs the user of which election the searched party last voted in. According to the app, this helps “users find people you know and encourage them to get involved”. Even though a lot of this data is publicly accessible, the bug in the application enabled anyone to easily access voter information. Personal details divulged This was discovered by The App Analyst, a mobile expert who divulged the details of his findings on his blog. The expert found that the app can be easily manipulated by creating a contact on one’s phone with any voter’s name. Following this, one could access all the details available on the person. In conversation with TechCrunch, the expert claimed that the application also pulls in a lot more data than it claims to. The application reportedly saves voter’s home address, gender, date of birth, political party affiliation, and ethnicity. The bug, though, has been fixed and an update was released on Friday. Also read: US Election 2020: Joe Biden or Donald Trump, whose chances are looking better right now? “We were made aware about how our third-party app developer was providing additional fields of information from commercially available data that was not needed,” Biden campaign’s spokesperson Matt Hill told TechCrunch. “We worked with our vendor quickly to fix the issue and remove the information. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our staff, volunteers and supporters will always work with our vendors to do so”, he added. Hill also disputed the claim that the app was giving out private information. TargetSmart, the firm behind data management of voters claimed that only a “limited amount of publicly or commercially available data” could have been accessed by voters.

Joe Biden's campaign app reportedly gave users access to personal details of millions

Voting in the upcoming US presidential elections begins in 50 days. On November 3, 2020, the US will choose its next president

Will it be the Democratic party’s Joe Biden or the incumbent Republican Donald Trump?

Going by recent controversies and the developments, all bets seem to be off! Democrat Joe Biden has been leading the opinion polls ever since we can recall. He still continues to hold a clear advantage over Trump in key states.

On the one hand, Biden

The first presidential debate is just 16 days away but Biden is still garbling his words and fluffing his lines.

For instance, at a recent election rally, Biden lost his notes and then he lost his train of thought. The 17 seconds that followed were rather confusing. Biden struggled to find his notes, and to recollect what he was talking about.

The Biden gaffe-machine could undermine the Democrats campaign. Regardless of how much money Michael Bloomberg showers on their party (he recently committed $100 million to Biden’s campaign), it could hurt the campaign.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/billionaire-michael-bloomberg-to-spend-100-million-to-help-joe-biden-report-says-327252" hreflang="en">Billionaire Michael Bloomberg to spend $100 million to help Joe Biden, report says</a>

The media executive and former Mayor of New York City has vowed to use his large personal fortune to help Biden beat Donald Trump.

On Sunday, he committed a grand sum of 100 million dollars to Biden's presidential bid in Florida, a pivotal battleground state in this election.

This investment could be a potential-game changer in Florida - a swing state with expensive media markets.

Trump, on the other hand

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is running out of cash, but it has enough awards.

Last week, Donald Trump went to town bragging how he had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

This week, Trump is boasting about getting the “Bay of Pigs award”, an award apparently conferred upon him by Cuban Americans.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-election-2020-donald-trump-claims-receiving-bay-of-pigs-award-which-doesnt-exist-327324" hreflang="en">Donald Trump claims receiving an award that doesn't exist</a>

“Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to hispanics. Now, he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out... That won't work!! Remember, Miami Cubans gave me the highly honored bay of pigs award for all I have done for our great Cuban population”, the US president tweeted.

Trump repeated the claim at a recent press conference.

“’Im very honored. But we're here to discuss my administration's unwavering devotion to our nation's incredible latino and hispanic American communities. And as you know, a little while ago, I received the bay of pigs award from the cuban Americans in Miami and that's a big honor, and they don't give it out easily”, he said.

However, the Bay of Pigs award does not exist.

This “highly honored award”is just an endorsement that Trump got in 2016 from the Bay of Pigs veteran association. There was no award.

Voting in the upcoming US presidential elections begins in 50 days. On November 3, 2020, the US will choose its next president Will it be the Democratic party’s Joe Biden or the incumbent Republican Donald Trump?

Voting in the upcoming US presidential elections begins in 50 days. On November 3, 2020, the US will choose its next president Will it be the Democratic party’s Joe Biden or the incumbent Republican Donald Trump? Going by recent controversies and the developments, all bets seem to be off! Democrat Joe Biden has been leading the opinion polls ever since we can recall. He still continues to hold a clear advantage over Trump in key states. On the one hand, Biden The first presidential debate is just 16 days away but Biden is still garbling his words and fluffing his lines. For instance, at a recent election rally, Biden lost his notes and then he lost his train of thought. The 17 seconds that followed were rather confusing. Biden struggled to find his notes, and to recollect what he was talking about. The Biden gaffe-machine could undermine the Democrats campaign. Regardless of how much money Michael Bloomberg showers on their party (he recently committed $100 million to Biden’s campaign), it could hurt the campaign. Also read: Billionaire Michael Bloomberg to spend $100 million to help Joe Biden, report says The media executive and former Mayor of New York City has vowed to use his large personal fortune to help Biden beat Donald Trump. On Sunday, he committed a grand sum of 100 million dollars to Biden's presidential bid in Florida, a pivotal battleground state in this election. This investment could be a potential-game changer in Florida - a swing state with expensive media markets. Trump, on the other hand Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is running out of cash, but it has enough awards. Last week, Donald Trump went to town bragging how he had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. This week, Trump is boasting about getting the “Bay of Pigs award”, an award apparently conferred upon him by Cuban Americans. Also read: Donald Trump claims receiving an award that doesn't exist “Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to hispanics. Now, he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out... That won't work!! Remember, Miami Cubans gave me the highly honored bay of pigs award for all I have done for our great Cuban population”, the US president tweeted. Trump repeated the claim at a recent press conference. “’Im very honored. But we're here to discuss my administration's unwavering devotion to our nation's incredible latino and hispanic American communities. And as you know, a little while ago, I received the bay of pigs award from the cuban Americans in Miami and that's a big honor, and they don't give it out easily”, he said. However, the Bay of Pigs award does not exist. This “highly honored award”is just an endorsement that Trump got in 2016 from the Bay of Pigs veteran association. There was no award.

US Election 2020: Joe Biden or Donald Trump, whose chances are looking better right now?

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