While surgical masks have been highly sought after this year, Joe Biden rubber masks are also seeing some demand. Ogawa Studios, a Japanese manufacturer, began producing masks resembling the U.S. president-elect in the middle of October, ahead of last week's election.

Firm in Japan makes Joe Biden rubber masks

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he spoke to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday (November 10) about working together on tackling climate change and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

UK PM Johnson speaks to Biden, discusses COVID-19 and climate change

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday promised the world a "smooth transition" after US elections but refused to recognize President-elect Joe Biden's victory, saying Donald Trump will remain in power.

"There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration," Pompeo said in an at-times testy news conference when asked about contacts with the Biden team.

"The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today... with the president who is in the office on January 20 a minute afternoon will be successful," he said, referring to the date of the presidential inauguration.

World leaders including almost all US allies have congratulated Biden, who has achieved unassailable leads in key states as well as a commanding edge in the nationwide popular vote.

But Trump has refused to concede the November 3 election and has alleged massive fraud, calling for recounts and legal action.

Asked if the United States can still issue statements calling for free elections around the world, Pompeo said the question was "ridiculous."

"This department cares deeply to make sure that elections around the world are safe and secure and free and fair, and my officers risk their lives to ensure that that happens," he said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday promised the world a "smooth transition" after US elections but refused to recognize President-elect Joe Biden's victory, saying Donald Trump will remain in power.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday promised the world a "smooth transition" after US elections but refused to recognize President-elect Joe Biden's victory, saying Donald Trump will remain in power. "There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration," Pompeo said in an at-times testy news conference when asked about contacts with the Biden team. "The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today... with the president who is in the office on January 20 a minute afternoon will be successful," he said, referring to the date of the presidential inauguration. World leaders including almost all US allies have congratulated Biden, who has achieved unassailable leads in key states as well as a commanding edge in the nationwide popular vote. But Trump has refused to concede the November 3 election and has alleged massive fraud, calling for recounts and legal action. Asked if the United States can still issue statements calling for free elections around the world, Pompeo said the question was "ridiculous." "This department cares deeply to make sure that elections around the world are safe and secure and free and fair, and my officers risk their lives to ensure that that happens," he said.

'Smooth transition to a second Trump administration': Mike Pompeo

Georgia's top election official on Wednesday said the state will conduct a recount of all paper ballots cast in the Nov. 3 presidential election.

"Mathematically, you actually have to do a full hand-by-hand recount of all because the margin is so close," Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news conference. "We want to start this before the week is up."

(more details awaited)

Georgia's top election official on Wednesday said the state will conduct a recount of all paper ballots cast in the Nov. 3 presidential election. "Mathematically, you actually have to do a full hand-by-hand recount of all because the margin is so close," Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news conference.

Georgia's top election official on Wednesday said the state will conduct a recount of all paper ballots cast in the Nov. 3 presidential election. "Mathematically, you actually have to do a full hand-by-hand recount of all because the margin is so close," Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news conference. "We want to start this before the week is up." (more details awaited)

US election 2020: Georgia to conduct a full recount of election ballots

President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday that nothing would stop the transfer of power in the U.S. government, while President Donald Trump pursued lawsuits in several states in a long-shot bid to hold on to power.

Joe Biden says nothing will stop transition as Trump vows new legal action

According to a survey nearly 80% of Americans, including more than half of Republicans, recognize President-elect Joe Biden as the winner, ignoring Donald Trump's refusal to concede.

WION Fineprint: Survey: Nearly 80% of Americans say Biden won White House

Donald Trump is crying conspiracy over the Pfizer vaccine. His aides are blocking Biden's transition, and Americans are bombarding Trump's voter fraud hotlines with prank calls. WION's Palki Sharma tells you all that's happening in the U.S.

Gravitas: What's happening in the U.S.?

With his win in the US election, President-elect Joe Biden has told world leaders that America is “back in the game” as he received a series of congratulatory calls on Tuesday following his victory in the US election.&nbsp;

Speaking in Delaware, Mr Biden said: “I’m letting them know that America’s back. We’re going to be back in the game. It’s not going to be&nbsp;America alone.” 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-trumps-tariffs-and-insults-canada-is-relieved-at-bidens-win-342261">Also read: After Trump’s tariffs and insults, Canada is relieved at Biden’s win</a> 
 
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel all offered congratulations in calls to Biden, who a week earlier edged out Trump in the presidential election.

The transition team said Biden planned to work with the Europeans on fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as well as climate change -- one of many areas on which Trump sharply differed with the allies.

On the call with Merkel, who has been savaged by Trump over her welcome to migrants and Germany's modest defence expenditure, Biden in a statement "praised her leadership" and called for "revitalizing the trans-Atlantic relationship, including through NATO and the EU."

Johnson, who had a warm relationship with Trump, spoke for 20 minutes with Biden and wrote later on Twitter that he hoped to work with him on climate change, "promoting democracy and building back better from the pandemic," employing the slogan from the Democrat's campaign.

All fellow leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies have congratulated Biden as have some of Trump's closest allies, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

US media outlets concluded Saturday that Biden enjoyed unassailable leads in major states as well as a commanding edge in the nationwide popular vote.

But Trump has refused to concede and has vowed legal challenges, saying without evidence that there was massive electoral fraud.

Pompeo, Trump's secretary of state, made clear that Trump's stance was official government policy as he brushed aside a question on whether he was cooperating with the Biden transition team.

"There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration," Pompeo said in a sometimes testy news conference.

He said that "the world should have every confidence" in the functioning of the US government in the run-up and after the January 20 inauguration.

Asked if the United States can still be issuing statements seeking free elections around the world, Pompeo called the question "ridiculous" and said the United States was following standard procedures.

- Pompeo to visit allies -

Trump's failure to concede has no legal force in itself. But the General Services Administration, the usually low-key agency that manages the Washington bureaucracy, has refused to sign off on the transition, holding up funding and security briefings that would have let Biden get going on setting up the next administration.

A US commission that investigated the September 11, 2001 attacks had warned that presidential transitions pose security risks, after the shortened period for George W. Bush to prepare following a disputed election.

Pompeo was making his first public comment on the election outcome. One day earlier, Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper whom he had long seen as insufficiently loyal.

Pompeo's stance will be put to the test as he leaves Friday for a seven-nation tour of allies that have congratulated Biden.

He will head first to Paris and then Istanbul followed by the former Soviet republic of Georgia. He will then head to Jerusalem and three Gulf Arab allies -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday became the latest leader to congratulate Biden and urged closer ties despite the president-elect's vows to step up pressure on Erdogan, whom he has described as an "autocrat."

Russia, China, Mexico and Brazil are among the only nations that have not congratulated Biden.

Biden, an Irish-American long passionate about peace in Northern Ireland, also spoke Tuesday to Irish leader Michael Martin and a day earlier held telephone talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is expected to be a close ally of the incoming president.

With his win in the US election, President-elect Joe Biden has told world leaders that America is “back in the game” as he received a series of congratulatory calls on Tuesday following his victory in the US election.

With his win in the US election, President-elect Joe Biden has told world leaders that America is “back in the game” as he received a series of congratulatory calls on Tuesday following his victory in the US election. Speaking in Delaware, Mr Biden said: “I’m letting them know that America’s back. We’re going to be back in the game. It’s not going to be America alone.” Also read: After Trump’s tariffs and insults, Canada is relieved at Biden’s win British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel all offered congratulations in calls to Biden, who a week earlier edged out Trump in the presidential election. The transition team said Biden planned to work with the Europeans on fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as well as climate change -- one of many areas on which Trump sharply differed with the allies. On the call with Merkel, who has been savaged by Trump over her welcome to migrants and Germany's modest defence expenditure, Biden in a statement "praised her leadership" and called for "revitalizing the trans-Atlantic relationship, including through NATO and the EU." Johnson, who had a warm relationship with Trump, spoke for 20 minutes with Biden and wrote later on Twitter that he hoped to work with him on climate change, "promoting democracy and building back better from the pandemic," employing the slogan from the Democrat's campaign. All fellow leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies have congratulated Biden as have some of Trump's closest allies, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. US media outlets concluded Saturday that Biden enjoyed unassailable leads in major states as well as a commanding edge in the nationwide popular vote. But Trump has refused to concede and has vowed legal challenges, saying without evidence that there was massive electoral fraud. Pompeo, Trump's secretary of state, made clear that Trump's stance was official government policy as he brushed aside a question on whether he was cooperating with the Biden transition team. "There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration," Pompeo said in a sometimes testy news conference. He said that "the world should have every confidence" in the functioning of the US government in the run-up and after the January 20 inauguration. Asked if the United States can still be issuing statements seeking free elections around the world, Pompeo called the question "ridiculous" and said the United States was following standard procedures. - Pompeo to visit allies - Trump's failure to concede has no legal force in itself. But the General Services Administration, the usually low-key agency that manages the Washington bureaucracy, has refused to sign off on the transition, holding up funding and security briefings that would have let Biden get going on setting up the next administration. A US commission that investigated the September 11, 2001 attacks had warned that presidential transitions pose security risks, after the shortened period for George W. Bush to prepare following a disputed election. Pompeo was making his first public comment on the election outcome. One day earlier, Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper whom he had long seen as insufficiently loyal. Pompeo's stance will be put to the test as he leaves Friday for a seven-nation tour of allies that have congratulated Biden. He will head first to Paris and then Istanbul followed by the former Soviet republic of Georgia. He will then head to Jerusalem and three Gulf Arab allies -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday became the latest leader to congratulate Biden and urged closer ties despite the president-elect's vows to step up pressure on Erdogan, whom he has described as an "autocrat." Russia, China, Mexico and Brazil are among the only nations that have not congratulated Biden. Biden, an Irish-American long passionate about peace in Northern Ireland, also spoke Tuesday to Irish leader Michael Martin and a day earlier held telephone talks with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is expected to be a close ally of the incoming president.

United States of America is ‘back in the game’: Joe Biden tells world leaders

Despite Donald Trump’s repeated expressions of doubt on the US election's voting system, International observers from the Organisation of American States say they saw no instances of fraud or voting irregularities in the US presidential election. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-of-america-is-back-in-the-game-joe-biden-tells-world-leaders-342283">Also read | United States of America is ‘back in the game’: Joe Biden tells World leaders&nbsp;</a> 
 
Election experts say it would be nearly impossible for foreign actors to disrupt a US election.

It started months before Election Day with false claims on Facebook and Twitter that mail-in ballots cast for President Donald Trump had been chucked in dumpsters or rivers. 
 
Trump’s supporters have readily echoed the president’s cries of an unfair election on Facebook and Twitter.

Tweets and retweets with terms such as “steal,” “fraud,” “rigged” and “dead” referring to the election spiked more than 2,800% from Nov. 2 to Nov. 6, according to an analysis by VineSight, a tech company that tracks misinformation. The company found more than 1.6 million retweets containing some of those words on Nov. 6 alone.

The OAS says the Election Day was peaceful, although there were efforts to intimidate poll workers as the votes were counted, and says the country’s mail-in ballots were a secure system.

Meanwhile, a week after the final polls closed, falsehoods about dead people voting and ballots being thrown out by poll workers are still thriving on social media, reaching an audience of millions.&nbsp;

False or misleading claims of electoral fraud are going viral on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Yesterday, asked for his view on President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the result of the election, Joe Biden said: “I just think it’s an embarrassment, quite frankly. I think it will not help the president’s legacy.

“I think that the whole Republican Party has been put in a position – with a few notable exceptions – of being mildly intimidated by the sitting president.”

He continued: “I understand the sense of loss. I get that. But I think the majority of the people who voted for the president…I think they understand that we have to come together.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Despite Donald Trump’s repeated expressions of doubt on the US election's voting system, International observers from the Organisation of American States say they saw no instances of fraud or voting irregularities in the US presidential election.

Despite Donald Trump’s repeated expressions of doubt on the US election's voting system, International observers from the Organisation of American States say they saw no instances of fraud or voting irregularities in the US presidential election. Also read | United States of America is ‘back in the game’: Joe Biden tells World leaders Election experts say it would be nearly impossible for foreign actors to disrupt a US election. It started months before Election Day with false claims on Facebook and Twitter that mail-in ballots cast for President Donald Trump had been chucked in dumpsters or rivers. Trump’s supporters have readily echoed the president’s cries of an unfair election on Facebook and Twitter. Tweets and retweets with terms such as “steal,” “fraud,” “rigged” and “dead” referring to the election spiked more than 2,800% from Nov. 2 to Nov. 6, according to an analysis by VineSight, a tech company that tracks misinformation. The company found more than 1.6 million retweets containing some of those words on Nov. 6 alone. The OAS says the Election Day was peaceful, although there were efforts to intimidate poll workers as the votes were counted, and says the country’s mail-in ballots were a secure system. Meanwhile, a week after the final polls closed, falsehoods about dead people voting and ballots being thrown out by poll workers are still thriving on social media, reaching an audience of millions. False or misleading claims of electoral fraud are going viral on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Yesterday, asked for his view on President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the result of the election, Joe Biden said: “I just think it’s an embarrassment, quite frankly. I think it will not help the president’s legacy. “I think that the whole Republican Party has been put in a position – with a few notable exceptions – of being mildly intimidated by the sitting president.” He continued: “I understand the sense of loss. I get that. But I think the majority of the people who voted for the president…I think they understand that we have to come together.” (With inputs from agencies)

International observers see 'no fraud in 'historic' US vote

Donald Trump has refused to concede defeat but according to a survey 80% of Americans have accepted Joe Biden as next president. WION brings you a report.

Survey: 80% of Americans have accepted Joe Biden as their President

A Beijing restaurant owner congratulated her “old friend” and one-time customer Joe Biden on Monday after the US Democratic candidate emerged victorious in a tightly fought US presidential election, and invited him back to try some pork liver.

The publicity following Biden’s visit nine years ago boosted business for quite a while, with many customers coming in and asking for the “Biden set,” said owner Yao Yan, 66.

Biden had dined on noodles and steamed buns for lunch in August 2011 at the Yaoji Chaogan restaurant in the Chinese capital’s Drum Tower district, during an official visit to Beijing as US vice-president.

His victory in the 2020 election has given her restaurant another lift, with one of Monday’s patrons, 58-year-old lawyer Shi Longmin, admitting he decided to “tick this place off the list” after learning of Biden’s previous visit.

Yao, meanwhile, hoped Biden could promote “friendly” relations between the United States and China - currently at their lowest point in decades - during his time in office.

But she also wanted the US president-elect to return to her restaurant to sample some of the food he had missed out on first time around, such as its signature dish - stewed pork liver.

“There are lots of delicious flavours awaiting his arrival,” Yao said.

A Beijing restaurant owner congratulated her “old friend” and one-time customer Joe Biden on Monday after the US Democratic candidate emerged victorious in a tightly fought US presidential election, and invited him back to try some pork liver.

A Beijing restaurant owner congratulated her “old friend” and one-time customer Joe Biden on Monday after the US Democratic candidate emerged victorious in a tightly fought US presidential election, and invited him back to try some pork liver. The publicity following Biden’s visit nine years ago boosted business for quite a while, with many customers coming in and asking for the “Biden set,” said owner Yao Yan, 66. Biden had dined on noodles and steamed buns for lunch in August 2011 at the Yaoji Chaogan restaurant in the Chinese capital’s Drum Tower district, during an official visit to Beijing as US vice-president. His victory in the 2020 election has given her restaurant another lift, with one of Monday’s patrons, 58-year-old lawyer Shi Longmin, admitting he decided to “tick this place off the list” after learning of Biden’s previous visit. Yao, meanwhile, hoped Biden could promote “friendly” relations between the United States and China - currently at their lowest point in decades - during his time in office. But she also wanted the US president-elect to return to her restaurant to sample some of the food he had missed out on first time around, such as its signature dish - stewed pork liver. “There are lots of delicious flavours awaiting his arrival,” Yao said.

Beijing restaurant recalls visit from US President-elect Biden

With his defeat in the US presidential election, Donald Trump finds himself fighting against being tagged with a label he frequently applies to rivals but which runs completely counter to his own brand: "loser."

The Republican is pursuing legal action in several battleground states, though his lawyers have so far failed to substantiate claims of fraud and observers see the possibility of the courts overturning the result of the vote as vanishingly small.

Yet according to scholars and mental health professionals, the same authoritarian qualities that defined Trump's rise to power and his presidency make it almost impossible for him to digest a graceful concession to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden.

This, they warn, could make the post-election, pre-inauguration period a particularly unstable time for the country.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University, told AFP that Trump had tried to establish an "authoritarian model of the presidency" based on "arrogance, brutality, and the idea that he must be defended from his enemies."

"It's easier to claim the whole election was a fraud than admit that his policies turned his people against him in numbers sufficient to ensure his defeat" added the author of the forthcoming book: "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present."

Having claimed victimhood at the hands of ignoble forces that coalesced against him, "we can expect him to continue in this vein and delay the public humiliation of a concession speech," she said.

"We should be watchful of what he might do over the next months in a vindictive spirit," she argued.

That conclusion was shared by John Gartner, a Baltimore-based psychologist who is among a growing number of mental health professionals who have publicly warned that Trump is a "malignant narcissist."

People who have this personality type -- first coined by famed psychoanalyst Erich Fromm to explain "the quintessence of evil" -- exhibit narcissism, antisocial personality disorder, paranoia, and sadism.

Gartner said he was worried that Trump may attempt to pursue a "Nero decree" or "scorched Earth" strategy as a means to deal with his loss.

But he added he was hopeful that given the stinging loss, the president would start to lose his grip on some of his followers.

- 'Nobody to bail him out'&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;

For Mary Trump, the president's niece and one of his most strident critics, her uncle's decision to declare himself the winner of the election and accuse his rival of cheating spoke of his desperation at circumstances he wasn't accustomed to.&nbsp;

"Donald has never been in this place before where there's nobody to bail him out, there's nobody to buy him out," the clinical psychologist, who wrote a memoir on her uncle over the summer, told MSNBC.

In her book, she argued that the president is a product of his "sociopath" father Fred Trump, who created an abusive and traumatic home life.

Trump has built his public persona on the idea of being a winner -- first in the rough-and-tumble world of New York real estate, and later on the show "The Apprentice," where he pitched the mythology of his business acumen, despite his numerous corporate bankruptcies.

He's also sought to contrast his record as a big business boss with the life-choices of his rivals. In 2015, he famously dubbed the late senator John McCain a "loser" and said of the Vietnam veteran and prisoner-of-war, "I like people who weren't captured."

Just weeks before the election, meanwhile, Trump told supporters in Georgia that Biden was the "worst candidate in the history of presidential politics."&nbsp;

"Could you imagine if I lose?" he mused, before adding: "Maybe I'll have to leave the country?"

Lawrence Douglas, author of "Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Election Meltdown in 2020," argued there are prudential reasons why remaining in high office is beneficial.

In addition to being hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, he is facing defamation cases by women who have accused him of sexual misconduct and even potential criminal charges stemming from his business practices -- with his immunity ending when he is no longer president.

But beyond that, Trump's refusal to concede helps keep his connection alive with his base, said Douglas. "In defeat, his brand will remain irresistible to his supporters."

With his defeat in the US presidential election, Donald Trump finds himself fighting against being tagged with a label he frequently applies to rivals but which runs completely counter to his own brand: "loser.

With his defeat in the US presidential election, Donald Trump finds himself fighting against being tagged with a label he frequently applies to rivals but which runs completely counter to his own brand: "loser." The Republican is pursuing legal action in several battleground states, though his lawyers have so far failed to substantiate claims of fraud and observers see the possibility of the courts overturning the result of the vote as vanishingly small. Yet according to scholars and mental health professionals, the same authoritarian qualities that defined Trump's rise to power and his presidency make it almost impossible for him to digest a graceful concession to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. This, they warn, could make the post-election, pre-inauguration period a particularly unstable time for the country. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University, told AFP that Trump had tried to establish an "authoritarian model of the presidency" based on "arrogance, brutality, and the idea that he must be defended from his enemies." "It's easier to claim the whole election was a fraud than admit that his policies turned his people against him in numbers sufficient to ensure his defeat" added the author of the forthcoming book: "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present." Having claimed victimhood at the hands of ignoble forces that coalesced against him, "we can expect him to continue in this vein and delay the public humiliation of a concession speech," she said. "We should be watchful of what he might do over the next months in a vindictive spirit," she argued. That conclusion was shared by John Gartner, a Baltimore-based psychologist who is among a growing number of mental health professionals who have publicly warned that Trump is a "malignant narcissist." People who have this personality type -- first coined by famed psychoanalyst Erich Fromm to explain "the quintessence of evil" -- exhibit narcissism, antisocial personality disorder, paranoia, and sadism. Gartner said he was worried that Trump may attempt to pursue a "Nero decree" or "scorched Earth" strategy as a means to deal with his loss. But he added he was hopeful that given the stinging loss, the president would start to lose his grip on some of his followers. - 'Nobody to bail him out' - For Mary Trump, the president's niece and one of his most strident critics, her uncle's decision to declare himself the winner of the election and accuse his rival of cheating spoke of his desperation at circumstances he wasn't accustomed to. "Donald has never been in this place before where there's nobody to bail him out, there's nobody to buy him out," the clinical psychologist, who wrote a memoir on her uncle over the summer, told MSNBC. In her book, she argued that the president is a product of his "sociopath" father Fred Trump, who created an abusive and traumatic home life. Trump has built his public persona on the idea of being a winner -- first in the rough-and-tumble world of New York real estate, and later on the show "The Apprentice," where he pitched the mythology of his business acumen, despite his numerous corporate bankruptcies. He's also sought to contrast his record as a big business boss with the life-choices of his rivals. In 2015, he famously dubbed the late senator John McCain a "loser" and said of the Vietnam veteran and prisoner-of-war, "I like people who weren't captured." Just weeks before the election, meanwhile, Trump told supporters in Georgia that Biden was the "worst candidate in the history of presidential politics." "Could you imagine if I lose?" he mused, before adding: "Maybe I'll have to leave the country?" Lawrence Douglas, author of "Will He Go? Trump and the Looming Election Meltdown in 2020," argued there are prudential reasons why remaining in high office is beneficial. In addition to being hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, he is facing defamation cases by women who have accused him of sexual misconduct and even potential criminal charges stemming from his business practices -- with his immunity ending when he is no longer president. But beyond that, Trump's refusal to concede helps keep his connection alive with his base, said Douglas. "In defeat, his brand will remain irresistible to his supporters."

Why can't Trump accept his defeat?

US President-elect Joe Biden's transition team is considering taking a legal route over a federal agency's delay in recognising the Democrat's victory over Donald Trump in November 3 vote.

The General Services Administration (GSA) normally recognises a presidential candidate when it becomes clear who has won an election so that a transition of power can begin. The delay is costing the Biden team access to millions of dollars in federal funding and the ability to meet with officials at intelligence agencies and other departments.

That has not yet happened despite US television and news networks declaring Biden the winner on Saturday after he secured enough electoral votes to secure the presidency.

Trump has notably refused to concede defeat. He has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that there was widespread voting fraud and has filed a raft of lawsuits to challenge the results.

The law does not clearly spell out when the GSA must act, but Biden transition officials say their victory is clear and a delay is not justified.

Election officials across the country say there has been no evidence of significant fraud, and legal experts say Trump's efforts are unlikely to succeed.

According to Reuters, a Biden transition official said it was time for the GSA's administration to grant what is known as an ascertainment recognising the president-elect, and said the transition team would consider legal action if it was not granted.

"Legal action is certainly a possibility, but there are other options as well that we're considering," said the official.

The transition team needs to be recognised to access funds for salaries, consultants and travel, as well as access to classified information. In addition, the team has no access to the State Department, which usually facilitates calls between foreign leaders and the president-elect.

US President-elect Joe Biden's transition team is considering taking a legal route over a federal agency's delay in recognising the Democrat's victory over Donald Trump in November 3 vote.

US President-elect Joe Biden's transition team is considering taking a legal route over a federal agency's delay in recognising the Democrat's victory over Donald Trump in November 3 vote. The General Services Administration (GSA) normally recognises a presidential candidate when it becomes clear who has won an election so that a transition of power can begin. The delay is costing the Biden team access to millions of dollars in federal funding and the ability to meet with officials at intelligence agencies and other departments. That has not yet happened despite US television and news networks declaring Biden the winner on Saturday after he secured enough electoral votes to secure the presidency. Trump has notably refused to concede defeat. He has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that there was widespread voting fraud and has filed a raft of lawsuits to challenge the results. The law does not clearly spell out when the GSA must act, but Biden transition officials say their victory is clear and a delay is not justified. Election officials across the country say there has been no evidence of significant fraud, and legal experts say Trump's efforts are unlikely to succeed. According to Reuters, a Biden transition official said it was time for the GSA's administration to grant what is known as an ascertainment recognising the president-elect, and said the transition team would consider legal action if it was not granted. "Legal action is certainly a possibility, but there are other options as well that we're considering," said the official. The transition team needs to be recognised to access funds for salaries, consultants and travel, as well as access to classified information. In addition, the team has no access to the State Department, which usually facilitates calls between foreign leaders and the president-elect.

Biden camp likely to take legal action over agency's delay in recognising transition

President-elect Joe Biden is mulling legal actions against the federal agencies delay in recognising the democrats victory in US presidential race.

Your Story: Joe Biden mulls over legal actions as transition might delay

Kamala Harris is the first woman, a politician of Indian American origin and a person of colour to be elected Vice President of the US. For the world, Harris broke through a glass ceiling. But for Harris, breaking barriers is a habit.

Gravitas: Kamala Harris bursts through a glass ceiling

Donald Trump is still technically the President of the United States. But numerically, Trump has lost his next term in office.

With 214 votes, he's far away from winning the majority of votes in the electoral college. With an empty official calendar, and no plans to concede, over the last two days, Trump has been busy playing golf, and denying the results. His deputy, Mike Pence is chairing a coronavirus task force meeting. Instead, the president's campaign is trying to see if it's possible for Trump to hold rallies, to bolster his claims that the election has been stolen.

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Here’s the story of Donald Trump in five questions and answers.

1. What are Trump's options?&nbsp;

Conceding is Trump’s most practical option, gracefully beginning the procedure of transfer of power. He can start by making the traditional call to the president-elect.

But Donald Trump says he's won the election, and that his second term has been stolen.

So Trump is challenging the result. He will go to court, and will file lawsuits. Over the weekend, Trump released a statement which read:&nbsp; “The simple fact is this election is far from over. Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated”.

Option number 1:&nbsp;Trump can ask for a recount.

The rules are different for each state. In Wisconsin, for example, a candidate can ask for recount if the margin is less than 1 percentage point.

In Georgia, the margin must be in less than 0.5% of the votes cast. In Pennsylvania, there is an automatic statewide recount if the margin between the candidates is less than 0.5%.

Are recounts normal? Between 2000 and 2019, there were 5,778 statewide elections. The number of recounts - 31. Only 3 of those recounts resulted in a reversal of results.

Option number 2: Trump's campaign&nbsp;can convince the judges that some ballots have been cast illegally.

For that they would need evidence. Trump's team has already filed several lawsuits in battleground states, and some of them have been rejected.

2. What are the lawsuits facing Trump?

There is an ongoing criminal investigation into Trump and the Trump organisation. Additionally, there is the allegation of tax evasion, whereby Trump could face a criminal prosecution by the US Department of Justice.

New York's Attorney General, Letita James,&nbsp; has an ongoing tax fraud investigation into Trump and the Trump organisation. Trump is also facing a defamation case, whereby he was sued by former Elle magazine writer - E Jean Carroll, who has also accused Trump of rape.

Trump is also facing a lawsuit by reality show contestant Summer Zervos, who has also also accused Trump of kissing her against her will.

As President, Trump was immune from prosecution for criminal offences, but this cloak of immunity will disappear on January 20.

3. What are the powers of a lame duck president. In other words, a president who is on his way out. What can he do?

Trump can use the next two months to create serious trouble for the Biden administration. He can declassify sensitive information, and he could order missile strikes or withdraw troops. He can also issue pre-emptive pardons for himself and his family. Bill Clinton issued scores of pardons on his last day in office. The list included his brother, and the husband of one of his fundraisers.

4. What are Trump's aides saying?

Reports say there is a clear divide in Trump's inner circle. One side is asking him to concede defeat, and the other is asking Trump to fight on.

The First Lady Melania Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner have reportedly advised the president to accept defeat. But his sons Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump want him to fight on.

Then there are also prominent Republicans like senator Lindsay Graham and house representative Kevin Mccarthy who want Trump to not give up.

5. What about the rumours of First Lady - Melania Trump seeking a divorce?

According to Daily Mail, Melania is “counting the minutes until divorce” Reports also say that Melania burst into tears when Trump won the race to the White House in 2016.

A recent book claimed that she waited 5 months before relocating to the White House. She apparently was negotiating a post-nuptial agreement to give her son Barron an equal share of the Trump fortune. Donald Trump and Melania have been married for 15 years.

Donald Trump is still technically the President of the United States. But numerically, Trump has lost his next term in office. With 214 votes, he's far away from winning the majority of votes in the electoral college.

Donald Trump is still technically the President of the United States. But numerically, Trump has lost his next term in office. With 214 votes, he's far away from winning the majority of votes in the electoral college. With an empty official calendar, and no plans to concede, over the last two days, Trump has been busy playing golf, and denying the results. His deputy, Mike Pence is chairing a coronavirus task force meeting. Instead, the president's campaign is trying to see if it's possible for Trump to hold rallies, to bolster his claims that the election has been stolen. Here’s the story of Donald Trump in five questions and answers. 1. What are Trump's options? Conceding is Trump’s most practical option, gracefully beginning the procedure of transfer of power. He can start by making the traditional call to the president-elect. But Donald Trump says he's won the election, and that his second term has been stolen. So Trump is challenging the result. He will go to court, and will file lawsuits. Over the weekend, Trump released a statement which read: “The simple fact is this election is far from over. Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated”. Option number 1: Trump can ask for a recount. The rules are different for each state. In Wisconsin, for example, a candidate can ask for recount if the margin is less than 1 percentage point. In Georgia, the margin must be in less than 0.5% of the votes cast. In Pennsylvania, there is an automatic statewide recount if the margin between the candidates is less than 0.5%. Are recounts normal? Between 2000 and 2019, there were 5,778 statewide elections. The number of recounts - 31. Only 3 of those recounts resulted in a reversal of results. Option number 2: Trump's campaign can convince the judges that some ballots have been cast illegally. For that they would need evidence. Trump's team has already filed several lawsuits in battleground states, and some of them have been rejected. 2. What are the lawsuits facing Trump? There is an ongoing criminal investigation into Trump and the Trump organisation. Additionally, there is the allegation of tax evasion, whereby Trump could face a criminal prosecution by the US Department of Justice. New York's Attorney General, Letita James, has an ongoing tax fraud investigation into Trump and the Trump organisation. Trump is also facing a defamation case, whereby he was sued by former Elle magazine writer - E Jean Carroll, who has also accused Trump of rape. Trump is also facing a lawsuit by reality show contestant Summer Zervos, who has also also accused Trump of kissing her against her will. As President, Trump was immune from prosecution for criminal offences, but this cloak of immunity will disappear on January 20. 3. What are the powers of a lame duck president. In other words, a president who is on his way out. What can he do? Trump can use the next two months to create serious trouble for the Biden administration. He can declassify sensitive information, and he could order missile strikes or withdraw troops. He can also issue pre-emptive pardons for himself and his family. Bill Clinton issued scores of pardons on his last day in office. The list included his brother, and the husband of one of his fundraisers. 4. What are Trump's aides saying? Reports say there is a clear divide in Trump's inner circle. One side is asking him to concede defeat, and the other is asking Trump to fight on. The First Lady Melania Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner have reportedly advised the president to accept defeat. But his sons Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump want him to fight on. Then there are also prominent Republicans like senator Lindsay Graham and house representative Kevin Mccarthy who want Trump to not give up. 5. What about the rumours of First Lady - Melania Trump seeking a divorce? According to Daily Mail, Melania is “counting the minutes until divorce” Reports also say that Melania burst into tears when Trump won the race to the White House in 2016. A recent book claimed that she waited 5 months before relocating to the White House. She apparently was negotiating a post-nuptial agreement to give her son Barron an equal share of the Trump fortune. Donald Trump and Melania have been married for 15 years.

What's next for Donald Trump? Here's his story in five Q&As

US Attorney General Bill Barr has given federal prosecutors blanket authorisation to open a probe into voting irregularities, as President Donald Trump claimed that he lost the presidential election due to fraud.

The order came as Trump battles to reverse Democratic rival Joe Biden's narrow wins in several key states -- Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona &nbsp;-- that give the latter enough electoral votes to win the overall presidential election.

Barr has long been a close defender of Trump. He stressed his letter to US attorneys around the country was not an indication that the Justice Department had evidence yet of genuine cases.

"Given that voting in our current elections has now concluded, I authorise you to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections in your jurisdictions in certain cases," Barr said in the letter to the attorneys.

He added, "Such inquiries and reviews may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual state."

Voting fraud investigations are normally the purview of individual states, which establish and police their own election rules. Justice Department policy has been to hold back any federal involvement until vote tallies are certified, recounts completed and races concluded.

Barr, however, told the attorneys that "practice has never been a hard and fast rule," and stressed that, if they see anything that could reverse the results of last Tuesday's election, they should pursue it.

The Trump campaign and the Republican party have filed or threatened legal actions in several of the states hoping to change the outcome with ballot disqualifications and recounts. But so far their actions have gone nowhere, and state officials have challenged them to provide proof of allegations.&nbsp;

Trump had&nbsp;reportedly pressured Barr to get involved on his behalf even weeks before the election.

US Attorney General Bill Barr has given federal prosecutors blanket authorisation to open a probe into voting irregularities, as President Donald Trump claimed that he lost the presidential election due to fraud.

US Attorney General Bill Barr has given federal prosecutors blanket authorisation to open a probe into voting irregularities, as President Donald Trump claimed that he lost the presidential election due to fraud. The order came as Trump battles to reverse Democratic rival Joe Biden's narrow wins in several key states -- Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona -- that give the latter enough electoral votes to win the overall presidential election. Barr has long been a close defender of Trump. He stressed his letter to US attorneys around the country was not an indication that the Justice Department had evidence yet of genuine cases. "Given that voting in our current elections has now concluded, I authorise you to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections in your jurisdictions in certain cases," Barr said in the letter to the attorneys. He added, "Such inquiries and reviews may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual state." Voting fraud investigations are normally the purview of individual states, which establish and police their own election rules. Justice Department policy has been to hold back any federal involvement until vote tallies are certified, recounts completed and races concluded. Barr, however, told the attorneys that "practice has never been a hard and fast rule," and stressed that, if they see anything that could reverse the results of last Tuesday's election, they should pursue it. The Trump campaign and the Republican party have filed or threatened legal actions in several of the states hoping to change the outcome with ballot disqualifications and recounts. But so far their actions have gone nowhere, and state officials have challenged them to provide proof of allegations. Trump had reportedly pressured Barr to get involved on his behalf even weeks before the election.

US justice chief authorises investigation into voting irregularities

A French opera singer belted out the American national anthem on Monday (November 9) night to celebrate U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Tenor Stephane Senechal entertained his neighbours with nightly concerts when the country first went into coronavirus lockdown in the spring and people across the country were forced to stay home for all but essential trips.

French opera singer belts out American anthem to celebrate US election

US President-elect Joe Biden has elected a new task force in order to fight COVID-19. During an address he said that, fighting COVID-19 is his top priority. He also appealed to Americans to wear a mask.

Joe Biden forms new COVID-19 task force, urges Americans to wear a mask

NASHVILLE — For at least a week before Election Day, I was too anxious to focus. Donald Trump was running a re-election campaign founded in lies, and I had no faith that my fellow Americans would throw him out. The polls were reassuring, but I wasn’t reassured. Polls were reassuring in 2016, too, and this country still ended up in an abusive relationship with the most corrupt and dangerous president of my lifetime.

I had no faith, but I held out hope. The ubiquity of the anti-Trump ads created by The Lincoln Project, a group of Republican operatives endorsing Joe Biden, gave me hope. A change of heart in so many of my conservative friends — disgusted by Mr. Trump’s greed and deception and boorish behavior, disgusted by his inexplicable subservience to foreign despots, his encouragement of outrageous conspiracy theories, his loyalty to his own interests and no one else’s — gave me hope. Above all, the massive registration and get-out-the-vote effort in Black communities across the country gave me hope. Change was in the air — I could feel it. An uprising was upon us. A great repudiation was at hand.

A plan for containing the pandemic was finally coming. A serious reckoning with climate change, a fair approach to immigration, criminal justice reform, a strong health care safety net, a renewed emphasis on voting rights — all suddenly possible.

On election night I was quadruple-screening the coverage — The Times on my laptop, PBS on our television, Twitter on my iPad, half a dozen text threads going with friends on my phone — and the news kept getting grimmer and grimmer. “This is exactly the way I felt four years ago,” my brother texted as early results came in.

But it wasn’t the way I felt four years ago. This time I felt far, far worse.

People have had four years now to find out just how truly terrible Mr. Trump is. How indifferent he is to the norms of civil discourse and to the responsibilities of democracy itself. How transparently racist he is, how divisive, how selfish. We know he’s a chronic liar who, when caught out, simply doubles down on the lie. We know that he is using the levers of government to enrich himself. We know he delights in and urges on the most violent impulses of his most dangerous followers. We know he has let 237,000 Americans die on his watch and still has no plan for saving the rest of us.

The numbers as of Sunday revealed that more than 71 million people voted for him anyway — eight million more than voted for him in 2016.

Yes, there’s immense relief in knowing that Mr. Biden has won the presidency and that reclaiming the Senate is still possible. And, yes, there are hopeful signs of change, even here in the American South. In Georgia the count continues, but voters there appear to have flipped their red state to blue. And last week, Alabama voters approved an amendment that would begin the process of removing racist language from the state Constitution. Mississippi voters approved a new state flag, one that no longer features the Confederate battle emblem. And for the first time ever, lawmakers from the L.G.B.T.Q. community — one Democrat and one Republican — will serve in the Tennessee General Assembly.

I don’t discount for one instant the progress such news represents, and I celebrated as joyfully as anyone when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won. I celebrated their win, and I celebrated the resilience of our democracy. I celebrated the chance to right so many of the wrongs that have been done during the last four years. Mr. Biden can do an enormous amount of good, even if he ends up having to do it without the Senate.

But the 71 million people who voted for Donald Trump despite his incompetence, despite his lying, his bullying, his cheating, his racism, despite all the moral failings he proudly flaunts as virtues? Those people aren’t going anywhere, the poison-spewing right-wing media that created them isn’t going anywhere, and Donald Trump himself isn’t going anywhere. And it’s not remotely clear what the rest of us can do about any of that.

In a speech on Saturday night, Mr. Biden did what Mr. Trump refused to do in 2016: He acknowledged the people who did not vote for him: “To those who voted for President Trump, I understand your disappointment tonight,” he told them. “I’ve lost a couple of elections myself. But now, let’s give each other a chance.”

It was the right thing to say, the only possible thing to say at the end of a brutal fight won by the barest of margins. But it’s hard to imagine people wearing shirts that say, “Make Liberals Cry Again” giving the new president-elect even half a chance. Mr. Biden had a front-row seat to the obstructionist agenda of Republicans in Congress during Barack Obama’s presidency, and it’s hard to believe things will be any different for him. This is just what we are now: a country divided by a schism more stalwart and enduring than any border wall.

On Tuesday night, when I thought all was lost, the grief of the past four years was right there, spilling out in hot tears. I feel that same grief now, side by side with the joy I feel at the end of Donald Trump’s presidency. It is a great gift to see a future full of possibility again. But the fact that 71 million people voted for Donald Trump should be, for everyone who voted for Mr. Biden, a cause for profound and pervasive grief. I don’t know if this country can ever be healed, but I do know that people whose hearts are full of grief have no room left for hatred. And that might be a place to start.

NASHVILLE — For at least a week before Election Day, I was too anxious to focus. Donald Trump was running a re-election campaign founded in lies, and I had no faith that my fellow Americans would throw him out.

NASHVILLE — For at least a week before Election Day, I was too anxious to focus. Donald Trump was running a re-election campaign founded in lies, and I had no faith that my fellow Americans would throw him out. The polls were reassuring, but I wasn’t reassured. Polls were reassuring in 2016, too, and this country still ended up in an abusive relationship with the most corrupt and dangerous president of my lifetime. I had no faith, but I held out hope. The ubiquity of the anti-Trump ads created by The Lincoln Project, a group of Republican operatives endorsing Joe Biden, gave me hope. A change of heart in so many of my conservative friends — disgusted by Mr. Trump’s greed and deception and boorish behavior, disgusted by his inexplicable subservience to foreign despots, his encouragement of outrageous conspiracy theories, his loyalty to his own interests and no one else’s — gave me hope. Above all, the massive registration and get-out-the-vote effort in Black communities across the country gave me hope. Change was in the air — I could feel it. An uprising was upon us. A great repudiation was at hand. A plan for containing the pandemic was finally coming. A serious reckoning with climate change, a fair approach to immigration, criminal justice reform, a strong health care safety net, a renewed emphasis on voting rights — all suddenly possible. On election night I was quadruple-screening the coverage — The Times on my laptop, PBS on our television, Twitter on my iPad, half a dozen text threads going with friends on my phone — and the news kept getting grimmer and grimmer. “This is exactly the way I felt four years ago,” my brother texted as early results came in. But it wasn’t the way I felt four years ago. This time I felt far, far worse. People have had four years now to find out just how truly terrible Mr. Trump is. How indifferent he is to the norms of civil discourse and to the responsibilities of democracy itself. How transparently racist he is, how divisive, how selfish. We know he’s a chronic liar who, when caught out, simply doubles down on the lie. We know that he is using the levers of government to enrich himself. We know he delights in and urges on the most violent impulses of his most dangerous followers. We know he has let 237,000 Americans die on his watch and still has no plan for saving the rest of us. The numbers as of Sunday revealed that more than 71 million people voted for him anyway — eight million more than voted for him in 2016. Yes, there’s immense relief in knowing that Mr. Biden has won the presidency and that reclaiming the Senate is still possible. And, yes, there are hopeful signs of change, even here in the American South. In Georgia the count continues, but voters there appear to have flipped their red state to blue. And last week, Alabama voters approved an amendment that would begin the process of removing racist language from the state Constitution. Mississippi voters approved a new state flag, one that no longer features the Confederate battle emblem. And for the first time ever, lawmakers from the L.G.B.T.Q. community — one Democrat and one Republican — will serve in the Tennessee General Assembly. I don’t discount for one instant the progress such news represents, and I celebrated as joyfully as anyone when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won. I celebrated their win, and I celebrated the resilience of our democracy. I celebrated the chance to right so many of the wrongs that have been done during the last four years. Mr. Biden can do an enormous amount of good, even if he ends up having to do it without the Senate. But the 71 million people who voted for Donald Trump despite his incompetence, despite his lying, his bullying, his cheating, his racism, despite all the moral failings he proudly flaunts as virtues? Those people aren’t going anywhere, the poison-spewing right-wing media that created them isn’t going anywhere, and Donald Trump himself isn’t going anywhere. And it’s not remotely clear what the rest of us can do about any of that. In a speech on Saturday night, Mr. Biden did what Mr. Trump refused to do in 2016: He acknowledged the people who did not vote for him: “To those who voted for President Trump, I understand your disappointment tonight,” he told them. “I’ve lost a couple of elections myself. But now, let’s give each other a chance.” It was the right thing to say, the only possible thing to say at the end of a brutal fight won by the barest of margins. But it’s hard to imagine people wearing shirts that say, “Make Liberals Cry Again” giving the new president-elect even half a chance. Mr. Biden had a front-row seat to the obstructionist agenda of Republicans in Congress during Barack Obama’s presidency, and it’s hard to believe things will be any different for him. This is just what we are now: a country divided by a schism more stalwart and enduring than any border wall. On Tuesday night, when I thought all was lost, the grief of the past four years was right there, spilling out in hot tears. I feel that same grief now, side by side with the joy I feel at the end of Donald Trump’s presidency. It is a great gift to see a future full of possibility again. But the fact that 71 million people voted for Donald Trump should be, for everyone who voted for Mr. Biden, a cause for profound and pervasive grief. I don’t know if this country can ever be healed, but I do know that people whose hearts are full of grief have no room left for hatred. And that might be a place to start.

71 million people voted for Trump. They’re not going anywhere

The Trump campaign, on Monday (November 9) pressed ahead to challenge the results of the election won by Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. During a news conference at Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and Trump campaign counsel Matthew Morgan urged transparency and suggested that there outstanding legal votes that had yet to be counted.

Trump campaign files lawsuit in a Pennsylvania Federal Court

Stocks, oil and high-yielding currencies rallied Monday after Joe Biden was declared winner of the US election at the weekend, lifting a major source of uncertainty, while traders are hoping lawmakers will now focus on passing a new stimulus for the world's biggest economy.

While Donald Trump has yet to concede and has launched several legal challenges, it is widely accepted that the Democrat will become the 46th president, removing a crucial hurdle for equity traders this year.

Observers said the focus will now be on Biden's economic and foreign policy approach, with optimism for a less tumultuous leadership following four years of the bombastic real estate tycoon.

Markets were already surging last week as it became apparent the former vice president was on course for victory and that Republicans would likely hold the Senate, allowing them to rein in any big regulatory or tax policies.

On Monday Tokyo led the gains, surging two percent, while Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Wellington and Taipei were all up more than one percent.

Wall Street futures also rallied, with the Dow, S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq all seen opening more than one percent up.

Traders are now looking to Capitol Hill hoping for a fresh rescue package for the economy after lawmakers failed to hammer out anything despite months of haggling, though any new plan will not likely be as big as what would be expected from a Democrat-led Congress.

"More fiscal support is likely forthcoming," said Invesco strategists including Brian Levitt. "While it may not be the outsize fiscal package that the Democrats had envisioned, it will likely be large enough to provide an additional boost to the economic recovery.

"Paradoxically, a more modest fiscal bill may serve to extend the market and business cycles, as it would be unlikely to bring forward the inflationary pressures that presage Fed tightening and the end of cycles."

- Focus on stimulus -

However, observers said better-than-expected US jobs data on Friday could complicate moves to push a bigger spending bill through Congress, with Republicans already suggesting they would rather pass a more targeted package.

The economy added 638,000 jobs last month, far more than analysts estimated, and the unemployment rate fell one percentage point.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said of a new stimulus: "Something smaller, rather than throwing another $3 trillion at this issue, is more appropriate."

Of the jobs numbers he said: "That, I think, clearly ought to affect what size of any rescue package we additionally do."

And Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow added: "We’re not interested in, you know, two or three trillion.

"It would still be a targeted package to specific areas" that the White House wants, he said.

Oil prices rallied more than two percent on hopes that new economic help will give a boost to demand for the commodity, though the imposition of virus lockdowns in several countries in Europe is keeping a lid on gains.

And on currency markets, the dollar dropped against high-yielding units including the South Korean won, Australian dollar and Indonesian rupiah on expectations for a big spending bill and US rates being kept at record lows for the foreseeable future.

The Chinese yuan was sitting at its highest level since June 2018 on easing concerns about relations between Beijing and Washington.

Analysts said a new stimulus was crucial for helping the economy as coronavirus spreads rapidly through the United States, with almost 10 million people having contracted it.

"Covid has replaced election uncertainty as the major source of investor worries about equity markets," said Dennis DeBusschere at Evercore ISI. "Further positive vaccine development news would help offset some of the increase in hospitalisations and deaths."

- Key figures around 0230 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 2.0 percent to 24,799.22 (break)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.4 percent, or to 26,060.66

Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.2 percent to 3,351.56

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1892 from $1.1872 at 2215 GMT

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 103.30 yen from 103.33 yen

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3185 from $1.3156

Euro/pound: DOWN at 90.19 pence from 90.22 pence

West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.6 percent at $38.09 per barrel

Brent North Sea crude: UP 2.5 percent at $40.44 per barrel

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2&nbsp;percent at 28,323.40 (close)

London - FTSE 100: FLAT at 5,910.02 (close)

&nbsp;

Stocks, oil and high-yielding currencies rallied Monday after Joe Biden was declared winner of the US election at the weekend, lifting a major source of uncertainty, while traders are hoping lawmakers will now focus on passing a new stimulus for the world's biggest economy.

Stocks, oil and high-yielding currencies rallied Monday after Joe Biden was declared winner of the US election at the weekend, lifting a major source of uncertainty, while traders are hoping lawmakers will now focus on passing a new stimulus for the world's biggest economy. While Donald Trump has yet to concede and has launched several legal challenges, it is widely accepted that the Democrat will become the 46th president, removing a crucial hurdle for equity traders this year. Observers said the focus will now be on Biden's economic and foreign policy approach, with optimism for a less tumultuous leadership following four years of the bombastic real estate tycoon. Markets were already surging last week as it became apparent the former vice president was on course for victory and that Republicans would likely hold the Senate, allowing them to rein in any big regulatory or tax policies. On Monday Tokyo led the gains, surging two percent, while Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Wellington and Taipei were all up more than one percent. Wall Street futures also rallied, with the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all seen opening more than one percent up. Traders are now looking to Capitol Hill hoping for a fresh rescue package for the economy after lawmakers failed to hammer out anything despite months of haggling, though any new plan will not likely be as big as what would be expected from a Democrat-led Congress. "More fiscal support is likely forthcoming," said Invesco strategists including Brian Levitt. "While it may not be the outsize fiscal package that the Democrats had envisioned, it will likely be large enough to provide an additional boost to the economic recovery. "Paradoxically, a more modest fiscal bill may serve to extend the market and business cycles, as it would be unlikely to bring forward the inflationary pressures that presage Fed tightening and the end of cycles." - Focus on stimulus - However, observers said better-than-expected US jobs data on Friday could complicate moves to push a bigger spending bill through Congress, with Republicans already suggesting they would rather pass a more targeted package. The economy added 638,000 jobs last month, far more than analysts estimated, and the unemployment rate fell one percentage point. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said of a new stimulus: "Something smaller, rather than throwing another $3 trillion at this issue, is more appropriate." Of the jobs numbers he said: "That, I think, clearly ought to affect what size of any rescue package we additionally do." And Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow added: "We’re not interested in, you know, two or three trillion. "It would still be a targeted package to specific areas" that the White House wants, he said. Oil prices rallied more than two percent on hopes that new economic help will give a boost to demand for the commodity, though the imposition of virus lockdowns in several countries in Europe is keeping a lid on gains. And on currency markets, the dollar dropped against high-yielding units including the South Korean won, Australian dollar and Indonesian rupiah on expectations for a big spending bill and US rates being kept at record lows for the foreseeable future. The Chinese yuan was sitting at its highest level since June 2018 on easing concerns about relations between Beijing and Washington. Analysts said a new stimulus was crucial for helping the economy as coronavirus spreads rapidly through the United States, with almost 10 million people having contracted it. "Covid has replaced election uncertainty as the major source of investor worries about equity markets," said Dennis DeBusschere at Evercore ISI. "Further positive vaccine development news would help offset some of the increase in hospitalisations and deaths." - Key figures around 0230 GMT - Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 2.0 percent to 24,799.22 (break) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.4 percent, or to 26,060.66 Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.2 percent to 3,351.56 Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1892 from $1.1872 at 2215 GMT Dollar/yen: DOWN at 103.30 yen from 103.33 yen Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3185 from $1.3156 Euro/pound: DOWN at 90.19 pence from 90.22 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 2.6 percent at $38.09 per barrel Brent North Sea crude: UP 2.5 percent at $40.44 per barrel New York - Dow: DOWN 0.2 percent at 28,323.40 (close) London - FTSE 100: FLAT at 5,910.02 (close)

Equities rally after Biden is declared winner of US vote

Joe Biden is returning to the White House to lead the United States in the midst of an economic crisis after beating President Donald Trump in Tuesday’s election, but a turn of events likely to conjure an eerie sense of deja vu for the Democratic former vice president.

World Business Watch: New US President to battle economic crisis

After son-in-law Jared Kushner, a report has suggested that Melania has also suggested <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump </a>to concede defeat to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.&nbsp;

In a private conversation, Melania told Trump to accept the results of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">2020 presidential election </a>and recognise Biden as the winner, a source familiar with the conversation told CNN.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-cubans-prefer-any-us-president-other-than-donald-trump-341800">Why Cubans prefer any US president other than Donald Trump</a>

Earlier CNN reported that Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law also advised him the same.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/son-in-law-jared-kushner-urges-donald-trump-to-concede-the-election-report-says-341734">Son-in-law Jared Kushner urges Donald Trump to concede the election, report says</a>

However, Melania from the official Twitter account of the First Lady of The United States (FLOTUS) claimed that every "legal- not illegal" vote sould be counted, in a reference to Trump's claim that several illegal votes were cast to favour Biden.&nbsp;

"The American people deserve fair elections. Every legal - not illegal - vote should be counted. We must protect our democracy with complete transparency," Melania said in a Twitter post.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Trump's two sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, continued to push the narrative of election fraud, pushing Republicans and other supporters to reject the results despite not providing any evidence to back their claims.&nbsp;

Trump was seen playing golf when it became clear that Biden will be the next president of the US on Saturday and the next day described the mainstream media as "lamestream", doubting their credentials to report on the winner of the election.&nbsp;

"Since when does the Lamestream Media call who our next president will be?" Trump in a tweet said on Sunday.

 
&nbsp;

After son-in-law Jared Kushner, a report has suggested that Melania has also suggested Donald Trump to concede defeat to Joe Biden. In a private conversation, Melania told Trump to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election and recognise Biden as the winner, a source familiar with the conversation told CNN.

After son-in-law Jared Kushner, a report has suggested that Melania has also suggested Donald Trump to concede defeat to Joe Biden. In a private conversation, Melania told Trump to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election and recognise Biden as the winner, a source familiar with the conversation told CNN. Also read | Why Cubans prefer any US president other than Donald Trump Earlier CNN reported that Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law also advised him the same. Also read | Son-in-law Jared Kushner urges Donald Trump to concede the election, report says However, Melania from the official Twitter account of the First Lady of The United States (FLOTUS) claimed that every "legal- not illegal" vote sould be counted, in a reference to Trump's claim that several illegal votes were cast to favour Biden. "The American people deserve fair elections. Every legal - not illegal - vote should be counted. We must protect our democracy with complete transparency," Melania said in a Twitter post. Meanwhile, Trump's two sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, continued to push the narrative of election fraud, pushing Republicans and other supporters to reject the results despite not providing any evidence to back their claims. Trump was seen playing golf when it became clear that Biden will be the next president of the US on Saturday and the next day described the mainstream media as "lamestream", doubting their credentials to report on the winner of the election. "Since when does the Lamestream Media call who our next president will be?" Trump in a tweet said on Sunday.

After Jared, Melania advises Donald Trump to accept US election 2020 results

HONG KONG — The Chinese state news media reacted with cautious optimism to former Vice President Joe Biden’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, expressing hope that he would stabilize the fast-deteriorating relations between the two countries.

But many outlets also continued to warn of future tensions between the superpowers, and to suggest that American democracy was in decline.

Under President Donald Trump, trust and cooperation between the United States and China ebbed to their lowest levels in recent history as a trade war raged and officials on both sides hurled recriminations about espionage, protest movements and the coronavirus pandemic. China’s state-controlled news outlets had criticized Trump and the United States with increasing stridence in recent months.

But the immediate reaction to Biden’s victory Sunday was measured, indicating that China was willing to attempt, and indeed was eager for, a thaw.

“The outcome could usher in a ‘buffering period’ for already-tense China-U.S. relations, and offer an opportunity for breakthroughs in resuming high-level communication and rebuilding mutual strategic trust,” Global Times, a fiercely nationalistic tabloid, wrote in an article, citing Chinese experts.

The article suggested that the two countries could work together on combating climate change, containing the coronavirus and developing vaccines, saying that Biden would be “more moderate and mature” than Trump on foreign affairs.

Those that did venture optimism warned against excessive expectations. Although Trump had made demonizing China a central plank of his campaign rhetoric — especially as he tried to deflect blame for his disastrous response to the coronavirus outbreak — public opinion toward China in both parties has increasingly soured.

And geopolitical tensions between the two countries will most likely continue to simmer. The Global Times article pointed to unresolved disputes over the democracy movement in Hong Kong, the trade war and Taiwan.

Southern Daily, an official newspaper for the southern province of Guangdong, wrote on Weibo that while Biden would most likely treat Russia, not China, as the biggest foreign threat to the United States, “we don’t have to have illusions.”

“One thing is for sure, things will never return to the way they were before,” the post continued. “The world is not the world it was before.”

HONG KONG — The Chinese state news media reacted with cautious optimism to former Vice President Joe Biden’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, expressing hope that he would stabilize the fast-deteriorating relations between the two countries.

HONG KONG — The Chinese state news media reacted with cautious optimism to former Vice President Joe Biden’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, expressing hope that he would stabilize the fast-deteriorating relations between the two countries. But many outlets also continued to warn of future tensions between the superpowers, and to suggest that American democracy was in decline. Under President Donald Trump, trust and cooperation between the United States and China ebbed to their lowest levels in recent history as a trade war raged and officials on both sides hurled recriminations about espionage, protest movements and the coronavirus pandemic. China’s state-controlled news outlets had criticized Trump and the United States with increasing stridence in recent months. But the immediate reaction to Biden’s victory Sunday was measured, indicating that China was willing to attempt, and indeed was eager for, a thaw. “The outcome could usher in a ‘buffering period’ for already-tense China-U.S. relations, and offer an opportunity for breakthroughs in resuming high-level communication and rebuilding mutual strategic trust,” Global Times, a fiercely nationalistic tabloid, wrote in an article, citing Chinese experts. The article suggested that the two countries could work together on combating climate change, containing the coronavirus and developing vaccines, saying that Biden would be “more moderate and mature” than Trump on foreign affairs. Those that did venture optimism warned against excessive expectations. Although Trump had made demonizing China a central plank of his campaign rhetoric — especially as he tried to deflect blame for his disastrous response to the coronavirus outbreak — public opinion toward China in both parties has increasingly soured. And geopolitical tensions between the two countries will most likely continue to simmer. The Global Times article pointed to unresolved disputes over the democracy movement in Hong Kong, the trade war and Taiwan. Southern Daily, an official newspaper for the southern province of Guangdong, wrote on Weibo that while Biden would most likely treat Russia, not China, as the biggest foreign threat to the United States, “we don’t have to have illusions.” “One thing is for sure, things will never return to the way they were before,” the post continued. “The world is not the world it was before.”

Chinese state media reacts to Biden victory with cautious optimism

In the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US election 2020</a>, one of the wins for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump </a>was from the state of Florida, where many conservative Cuban Americans backed his denunciation of leftist governments in Latin America.&nbsp;

However, people living in Cuba have preferred president-elect <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden </a>and a major reason is Trump's accusation that the Democrat favours leftist policies.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-continues-to-say-that-us-election-2020-was-stolen-341737">Donald Trump continues to say that US Election 2020 was 'stolen'</a>

For the unversed, Cuba is under Communist leadership for six decades.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-vows-to-unite-america-in-first-address-as-us-president-elect-341540">Biden vows to unite America in first address as US president-elect</a>

"I'm not the type to trust an American president, but given the situation, I prefer the other one over Trump," said Pablo Zalvidar, a 57-year-old parking attendant, as quoted by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

In the administration of Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, historic rapprochement took place with Cuba in 2014, which opened the path of cordial relations between two nemeses.&nbsp;

However, the path was not followed when Trump came to power and in his four years, 130 measures were enacted on Cuba to reinforce embargo, a move that affected several people and nation's budding private sector.&nbsp;

Among the harsh measures, US cruises and many direct flights to Cuba were suspended and the US consulate in Havana was also shut down.&nbsp;

Political expert Jorge Gomez Barata said Trump's reelection would have been "a disaster or an apocalyptic threat" for Cuba.&nbsp;

"Trump, I can't stand the sight of him!" said Aidelvis Blanco, an employee at The Mandarin restaurant, hoping that Biden as a president will "make us feel better."

Biden's win has been a "really good news for the entrepreneur community in Cuba. The private sector was one of the hardest hit by the Trump administration's Cuban policy," said &nbsp;Oniel Diaz, head of the Auge consulting firm.&nbsp;

The president-elect is also generating a lot of hopes as he as the vice-president also encouraged collaboration between both the American countries in a host of sectors and played a key role in the reunification of people from Cuba and the Cuban diaspora.&nbsp;

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Sunday while congratulating Biden for the election win praised "the new direction" taken by the Americans and added that he believes in "the possibility of having a constructive bilateral relationship while respecting our differences." 
&nbsp;

In the US election 2020, one of the wins for Donald Trump was from the state of Florida, where many conservative Cuban Americans backed his denunciation of leftist governments in Latin America.

In the US election 2020, one of the wins for Donald Trump was from the state of Florida, where many conservative Cuban Americans backed his denunciation of leftist governments in Latin America. However, people living in Cuba have preferred president-elect Joe Biden and a major reason is Trump's accusation that the Democrat favours leftist policies. Also read | Donald Trump continues to say that US Election 2020 was 'stolen' For the unversed, Cuba is under Communist leadership for six decades. Also read | Biden vows to unite America in first address as US president-elect "I'm not the type to trust an American president, but given the situation, I prefer the other one over Trump," said Pablo Zalvidar, a 57-year-old parking attendant, as quoted by news agency AFP. In the administration of Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, historic rapprochement took place with Cuba in 2014, which opened the path of cordial relations between two nemeses. However, the path was not followed when Trump came to power and in his four years, 130 measures were enacted on Cuba to reinforce embargo, a move that affected several people and nation's budding private sector. Among the harsh measures, US cruises and many direct flights to Cuba were suspended and the US consulate in Havana was also shut down. Political expert Jorge Gomez Barata said Trump's reelection would have been "a disaster or an apocalyptic threat" for Cuba. "Trump, I can't stand the sight of him!" said Aidelvis Blanco, an employee at The Mandarin restaurant, hoping that Biden as a president will "make us feel better." Biden's win has been a "really good news for the entrepreneur community in Cuba. The private sector was one of the hardest hit by the Trump administration's Cuban policy," said Oniel Diaz, head of the Auge consulting firm. The president-elect is also generating a lot of hopes as he as the vice-president also encouraged collaboration between both the American countries in a host of sectors and played a key role in the reunification of people from Cuba and the Cuban diaspora. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Sunday while congratulating Biden for the election win praised "the new direction" taken by the Americans and added that he believes in "the possibility of having a constructive bilateral relationship while respecting our differences."

Why Cubans prefer any US president other than Donald Trump

Former president Bush agreed that Trump had "the right to request recounts and pursue legal challenges."

George Bush congratulates Democrat Biden for winning US presidential elections | US Election 2020

A new conspiracy theory is in town, and this one involves the United States Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris recently defeated Donald Trump and Mike Pence as President and Vice President respectively.

Numerous videos made rounds on Twitter whereby people who asked Siri who the US president was, got Kamala Harris as the answer.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-vice-president-elect-kamala-harris-gets-her-own-version-of-powerpuff-girls-341891" hreflang="en">US vice president-elect Kamala Harris gets her own version of 'Powerpuff Girls'</a>

This has fooled many people into believing that there is a bigger conspiracy at play to hand over the White House to Harris, the first female American Vice President-elect.

When asked by many users - “How old is the president?”, the Apple assistant responded with “Kamala Harris was born 56 years ago, on Tuesday, October, 1964”, as can be heard in a clip shared by Malachi O'Brien, a senior pastor of The Church at Pleasant Ridge in Harrisonville, Missouri.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH THIS VIDEO NOW 
 
Hey Siri...how old is the President? 
 
Siri- <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a> is 56 yrs old 
 
What!!!!!!!!!! <a href="https://t.co/LMpYldE7rW">pic.twitter.com/LMpYldE7rW</a>
— Malachi (@malachiobrien) <a href="https://twitter.com/malachiobrien/status/1325637540993523713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

In response to O'Brien, many users shared similar experiences faced by them.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here’s mine. It’s real <a href="https://t.co/cOZCsY0xC6">pic.twitter.com/cOZCsY0xC6</a>
— C-low (@CharlieFCastle) <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlieFCastle/status/1325644377620934656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Another user shared a similar experience.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
More proof, with this very thread in the background. <a href="https://t.co/YSoSPb5ttO">pic.twitter.com/YSoSPb5ttO</a>
— Scott (@scottonjesus) <a href="https://twitter.com/scottonjesus/status/1325642657398476801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Even though most such tweets emerged from accounts that lean towards the right, a journalist also shared his similar experience. Take a look:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ask Siri, “How old is the president?” And she answers, “Kamala is 56.” How’d that happen?! <a href="https://t.co/b6fvWyUp4s">pic.twitter.com/b6fvWyUp4s</a>
— Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) <a href="https://twitter.com/dannoyes/status/1325652936442089472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris had earlier declared that her victory was just a beginning for women as she was elected to be the top-ranking female leader in US history.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/very-happy-and-thrilled-that-she-has-scripted-history-kamala-harris-aunt-tells-wion-341664" hreflang="en">'Very happy and thrilled that she has scripted history': Kamala Harris' aunt tells WION</a>

Harris said voters had brought a "new day for America" as she opened a victory speech on Saturday with President-elect Joe Biden.

A new conspiracy theory is in town, and this one involves the United States Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris recently defeated Donald Trump and Mike Pence as President and Vice President respectively.

A new conspiracy theory is in town, and this one involves the United States Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris recently defeated Donald Trump and Mike Pence as President and Vice President respectively. Numerous videos made rounds on Twitter whereby people who asked Siri who the US president was, got Kamala Harris as the answer. Also read: US vice president-elect Kamala Harris gets her own version of 'Powerpuff Girls' This has fooled many people into believing that there is a bigger conspiracy at play to hand over the White House to Harris, the first female American Vice President-elect. When asked by many users - “How old is the president?”, the Apple assistant responded with “Kamala Harris was born 56 years ago, on Tuesday, October, 1964”, as can be heard in a clip shared by Malachi O'Brien, a senior pastor of The Church at Pleasant Ridge in Harrisonville, Missouri. WATCH THIS VIDEO NOW Hey Siri...how old is the President? Siri- @KamalaHarris is 56 yrs old What!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/LMpYldE7rW — Malachi (@malachiobrien) November 9, 2020 × In response to O'Brien, many users shared similar experiences faced by them. Here’s mine. It’s real pic.twitter.com/cOZCsY0xC6 — C-low (@CharlieFCastle) November 9, 2020 × Another user shared a similar experience. More proof, with this very thread in the background. pic.twitter.com/YSoSPb5ttO — Scott (@scottonjesus) November 9, 2020 × Even though most such tweets emerged from accounts that lean towards the right, a journalist also shared his similar experience. Take a look: Ask Siri, “How old is the president?” And she answers, “Kamala is 56.” How’d that happen?! pic.twitter.com/b6fvWyUp4s — Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) November 9, 2020 × US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris had earlier declared that her victory was just a beginning for women as she was elected to be the top-ranking female leader in US history. Also read: 'Very happy and thrilled that she has scripted history': Kamala Harris' aunt tells WION Harris said voters had brought a "new day for America" as she opened a victory speech on Saturday with President-elect Joe Biden.

Siri refers to Kamala Harris as the US President, setting off a new conspiracy theory

Joe Biden's ancestral village in Ireland on Sunday held a parade to celebrate his victory in the US presidential election. Residents of Carlingford, County Louth, waved American and Irish flags while a local pipe band played a special new anthem called 'Our Local Joe'.

Irish village linked to Biden celebrates his win

Hours after President-elect Joe Biden declared the coronavirus a top priority, the magnitude of his task became starkly clear Sunday as the nation surpassed 10 million cases and sank deeper into the grip of what could become the worst chapter of the pandemic yet.

The rate of new cases is soaring and for the first time is averaging more than 100,000 a day in the United States, which has reported more COVID-19 cases than any other country. An astonishing number — 1 in 441 Americans — have tested positive for the virus just in the last week.

With 29 states setting weekly case records, the virus is surging at a worrisome level in more than half the country. Nationwide, hospitalizations have nearly doubled since mid-September, and deaths are slowly increasing again, with few new interventions in place to stop the spiraling outbreak.

“We are in a terrifying place,” said Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an assistant professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina who studies pandemic response. “All I see is cases continuing to go up, unless we do something.”

The nation’s worsening COVID-19 outlook comes at an extremely difficult juncture: President Donald Trump, who remains in control of the nation’s outbreak for the next 73 days, is openly at odds with his own coronavirus advisers, and the country is heading into a cold winter, when infections are only expected to spread faster as people spend more time indoors.

In a victory speech Saturday night, Biden said he was quickly focusing his attention on the pandemic, including plans Monday to announce a new task force of coronavirus advisers. But he faces a nation divided over mask rules and business shutdowns, even as experts say the situation may further deteriorate before the new administration takes over in late January.

At the White House, Trump has largely shuttered the coronavirus task force, insisted without evidence that the nation is “rounding the corner” in the fight against the virus and suggested that he might fire the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. In the days before and after Election Day, six White House aides and a top campaign adviser tested positive for the virus.

All of it comes as colder weather in much of the nation will force people indoors, where the virus is known to spread more readily; as college semesters end and students return home; and as gatherings for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays threaten to sow new outbreaks.

“I see this as a very precarious moment,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, who said that the Trump administration had “basically thrown in the towel” on trying to control the pandemic, while Biden and his team have nothing to wield but “moral power and social power” until Jan. 20.

“Without significant action,” he said, “the idea that we have another 100,000 deaths by Inauguration Day would be a conservative estimate.”

Experts pointed to a number of steps a yet-to-be-sworn-in Biden could take to help control the pandemic. The options range from making a behind-the-scenes push for governors to issue mask orders and for Congress to supply more money for coronavirus testing, all the way up to a national lockdown if cases are still spiraling after Biden takes office.

Biden has said he wants to “shut down the virus, not the country.” But as he also vows to do “whatever it takes” to control the pandemic, the millions of Americans who turned out to vote in record numbers last week remain deeply split on how best to go about it.

“I’m anticipating the next shutdown,” said Voizene Stewart, 53, of Detroit, who said he voted for Biden after losing both his mother and his 34-year-old son to the coronavirus.

Even though he has gone months without spending significant time with his remaining children and grandchildren, he said he hopes that the president-elect will once again restrict businesses and urge people to stay home. “We need to get back to that,” he said. “They opened too early.” He noted with concern that the grocery store across the street from his home, which used to be quiet, was once again bustling with people.

Many other voters, including those who viewed Trump as a champion of the economy, remain far from persuaded.

“We’ve already suffered almost irreparable damage from closing things down,” said Dennis Rohr, a city commissioner in Mandan, North Dakota, who said he voted for Trump. Although case counts remain extremely high in Mandan and across North Dakota, Rohr, 77, feared that any type of shutdown would bring a new, even more dangerous slew of problems, including job losses and loneliness.

Nine months into the pandemic, the country is fading from exhaustion and impatience, but the virus is spreading more than ever before.

Unlike in the spring, when the virus devastated New York City and other places on the East and West coasts, it is now spreading nearly everywhere, with infections rising in 46 states.

In Pennsylvania, the state that gave Biden the electoral votes he needed to clinch the presidency, more people are testing positive for the coronavirus than at any other time in the pandemic. In Wisconsin, another pivotal state, hospitalizations for the virus have skyrocketed 500% in the past two months.

Surges have hit communities of all types, with remote counties and urban centers alike seeing major spikes. In rural Norton County, Kansas, which has lately had one of the country’s highest infection rates, every resident of a local nursing home has tested positive, as have hundreds of people in prison. In Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, more than 4,600 cases were announced Saturday.

Although the country is conducting far more tests now than it was in the spring, the soaring case numbers now reflect accelerating spread of the virus, not simply wider testing.

Hospitalizations, which give a clear picture of how many people are seriously ill with the virus at any given time, grew by 63% over the past month, according to data collected by the COVID Tracking Project. More than 55,000 people are now hospitalized with the virus, approaching earlier peaks of more than 59,000 in April and July.

Treatment has vastly improved since the height of the spring outbreak, when more than 2,200 people were dying per day. Even so, deaths, which tend to lag a few weeks behind new infections, are now trending upward. The country has averaged about 900 deaths a day over the last week, compared with about 700 a month ago.

Biden is in line to inherit one of the most serious and complicated national crises that any incoming president in more than a half-century has faced.

While other presidents have entered office during an economic slowdown, including President Barack Obama and Biden as vice president in 2009, not since Harry Truman in the final months of World War II has a new president faced a situation as “complex and multiheaded” as the pandemic, said Bruce Schulman, a political historian at Boston University.

Biden has said controlling the pandemic is the necessary first step to bringing back jobs and has said that on his first day in office, he would move rapidly to appoint a “national supply chain commander” and establish a “pandemic testing board,” similar to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wartime production panel.

On Sunday, Biden’s campaign released a first glimpse of his plan for the pandemic, including a commitment to “listen to science.” Public health experts offered initial praise for his coronavirus task force, which is expected to include Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general; Dr. David Kessler, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration; and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, a Yale University professor.

But Biden has also promised to unify the country and govern as an “American president,” and millions of Americans, including many who supported Trump, voted with priority on the economy.

Hours after President-elect Joe Biden declared the coronavirus a top priority, the magnitude of his task became starkly clear Sunday as the nation surpassed 10 million cases and sank deeper into the grip of what could become the worst chapter of the pandemic yet.

Hours after President-elect Joe Biden declared the coronavirus a top priority, the magnitude of his task became starkly clear Sunday as the nation surpassed 10 million cases and sank deeper into the grip of what could become the worst chapter of the pandemic yet. The rate of new cases is soaring and for the first time is averaging more than 100,000 a day in the United States, which has reported more COVID-19 cases than any other country. An astonishing number — 1 in 441 Americans — have tested positive for the virus just in the last week. With 29 states setting weekly case records, the virus is surging at a worrisome level in more than half the country. Nationwide, hospitalizations have nearly doubled since mid-September, and deaths are slowly increasing again, with few new interventions in place to stop the spiraling outbreak. “We are in a terrifying place,” said Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an assistant professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina who studies pandemic response. “All I see is cases continuing to go up, unless we do something.” The nation’s worsening COVID-19 outlook comes at an extremely difficult juncture: President Donald Trump, who remains in control of the nation’s outbreak for the next 73 days, is openly at odds with his own coronavirus advisers, and the country is heading into a cold winter, when infections are only expected to spread faster as people spend more time indoors. In a victory speech Saturday night, Biden said he was quickly focusing his attention on the pandemic, including plans Monday to announce a new task force of coronavirus advisers. But he faces a nation divided over mask rules and business shutdowns, even as experts say the situation may further deteriorate before the new administration takes over in late January. At the White House, Trump has largely shuttered the coronavirus task force, insisted without evidence that the nation is “rounding the corner” in the fight against the virus and suggested that he might fire the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. In the days before and after Election Day, six White House aides and a top campaign adviser tested positive for the virus. All of it comes as colder weather in much of the nation will force people indoors, where the virus is known to spread more readily; as college semesters end and students return home; and as gatherings for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holidays threaten to sow new outbreaks. “I see this as a very precarious moment,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, who said that the Trump administration had “basically thrown in the towel” on trying to control the pandemic, while Biden and his team have nothing to wield but “moral power and social power” until Jan. 20. “Without significant action,” he said, “the idea that we have another 100,000 deaths by Inauguration Day would be a conservative estimate.” Experts pointed to a number of steps a yet-to-be-sworn-in Biden could take to help control the pandemic. The options range from making a behind-the-scenes push for governors to issue mask orders and for Congress to supply more money for coronavirus testing, all the way up to a national lockdown if cases are still spiraling after Biden takes office. Biden has said he wants to “shut down the virus, not the country.” But as he also vows to do “whatever it takes” to control the pandemic, the millions of Americans who turned out to vote in record numbers last week remain deeply split on how best to go about it. “I’m anticipating the next shutdown,” said Voizene Stewart, 53, of Detroit, who said he voted for Biden after losing both his mother and his 34-year-old son to the coronavirus. Even though he has gone months without spending significant time with his remaining children and grandchildren, he said he hopes that the president-elect will once again restrict businesses and urge people to stay home. “We need to get back to that,” he said. “They opened too early.” He noted with concern that the grocery store across the street from his home, which used to be quiet, was once again bustling with people. Many other voters, including those who viewed Trump as a champion of the economy, remain far from persuaded. “We’ve already suffered almost irreparable damage from closing things down,” said Dennis Rohr, a city commissioner in Mandan, North Dakota, who said he voted for Trump. Although case counts remain extremely high in Mandan and across North Dakota, Rohr, 77, feared that any type of shutdown would bring a new, even more dangerous slew of problems, including job losses and loneliness. Nine months into the pandemic, the country is fading from exhaustion and impatience, but the virus is spreading more than ever before. Unlike in the spring, when the virus devastated New York City and other places on the East and West coasts, it is now spreading nearly everywhere, with infections rising in 46 states. In Pennsylvania, the state that gave Biden the electoral votes he needed to clinch the presidency, more people are testing positive for the coronavirus than at any other time in the pandemic. In Wisconsin, another pivotal state, hospitalizations for the virus have skyrocketed 500% in the past two months. Surges have hit communities of all types, with remote counties and urban centers alike seeing major spikes. In rural Norton County, Kansas, which has lately had one of the country’s highest infection rates, every resident of a local nursing home has tested positive, as have hundreds of people in prison. In Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, more than 4,600 cases were announced Saturday. Although the country is conducting far more tests now than it was in the spring, the soaring case numbers now reflect accelerating spread of the virus, not simply wider testing. Hospitalizations, which give a clear picture of how many people are seriously ill with the virus at any given time, grew by 63% over the past month, according to data collected by the COVID Tracking Project. More than 55,000 people are now hospitalized with the virus, approaching earlier peaks of more than 59,000 in April and July. Treatment has vastly improved since the height of the spring outbreak, when more than 2,200 people were dying per day. Even so, deaths, which tend to lag a few weeks behind new infections, are now trending upward. The country has averaged about 900 deaths a day over the last week, compared with about 700 a month ago. Biden is in line to inherit one of the most serious and complicated national crises that any incoming president in more than a half-century has faced. While other presidents have entered office during an economic slowdown, including President Barack Obama and Biden as vice president in 2009, not since Harry Truman in the final months of World War II has a new president faced a situation as “complex and multiheaded” as the pandemic, said Bruce Schulman, a political historian at Boston University. Biden has said controlling the pandemic is the necessary first step to bringing back jobs and has said that on his first day in office, he would move rapidly to appoint a “national supply chain commander” and establish a “pandemic testing board,” similar to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wartime production panel. On Sunday, Biden’s campaign released a first glimpse of his plan for the pandemic, including a commitment to “listen to science.” Public health experts offered initial praise for his coronavirus task force, which is expected to include Dr. Vivek Murthy, a former surgeon general; Dr. David Kessler, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration; and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, a Yale University professor. But Biden has also promised to unify the country and govern as an “American president,” and millions of Americans, including many who supported Trump, voted with priority on the economy.

A ‘terrifying’ COVID surge will land in Biden’s lap

joe-biden

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Firm in Japan makes Joe Biden rubber masks

UK PM Johnson speaks to Biden, discusses COVID-19 and climate change

Firm in Japan makes Joe Biden rubber masks

'Smooth transition to a second Trump administration': Mike Pompeo

US election 2020: Georgia to conduct a full recount of election ballots

Joe Biden says nothing will stop transition as Trump vows new legal action

WION Fineprint: Survey: Nearly 80% of Americans say Biden won White House

Gravitas: What's happening in the U.S.?

United States of America is ‘back in the game’: Joe Biden tells world leaders

International observers see 'no fraud in 'historic' US vote

Survey: 80% of Americans have accepted Joe Biden as their President

Beijing restaurant recalls visit from US President-elect Biden

Why can't Trump accept his defeat?

Biden camp likely to take legal action over agency's delay in recognising transition

Your Story: Joe Biden mulls over legal actions as transition might delay

Gravitas: Kamala Harris bursts through a glass ceiling

What's next for Donald Trump? Here's his story in five Q&As

US justice chief authorises investigation into voting irregularities

French opera singer belts out American anthem to celebrate US election

Joe Biden forms new COVID-19 task force, urges Americans to wear a mask

71 million people voted for Trump. They’re not going anywhere

Trump campaign files lawsuit in a Pennsylvania Federal Court

Equities rally after Biden is declared winner of US vote

World Business Watch: New US President to battle economic crisis

After Jared, Melania advises Donald Trump to accept US election 2020 results

Chinese state media reacts to Biden victory with cautious optimism