US President Donald Trump is likely to travel to New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly session in September, the only world leader to address this year's virtual high-level week in person, the US envoy to the UN said.

We're hoping that President Trump will actually be speaking in person in the General Assembly.

He will be the only world leader to be speaking in person,&nbsp;US Ambassador Kelly Craft said Thursday at a virtual briefing.

Craft added that with the UN commemorating its 75th anniversary this year, that makes it even more special that we really take the virtual and amplify it to be able to celebrate the 75th and obviously we're going to be focused on human rights issues, on transparency, accountability because anytime during COVID where the American taxpayers have really stepped up on a personal level, it's now.

For the first time in the UN's 75-year history, the annual General Assembly session will be held virtually and Heads of State and Government will not be physically attending the annual gathering due to the coronavirus pandemic.

World leaders will submit pre-recorded video statements for the high-level week, the 193-member organisation had decided last week.

US is the host country of the United Nations and there is a possibility that Trump could travel to New York to address the General Debate of the 75th session of the Assembly on September 22.

The US is traditionally the second speaker at the debate after Brazil.

This would be Trump's final address to the General Assembly of the first term of his presidency before the US heads into elections in November and Trump could use the UN platform to highlight his foreign policy achievements while also tout his campaign agenda.

In taking the decision for a virtual UNGA, the General Assembly had noted with concern&nbsp;the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic and the limitations recommended on meetings within the United Nations premises as precautionary measures aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19.

The new format will mean that it will be for the first time in the world organisation's 75-year history that Heads of State and Government and Ministers will not gather here for the high-level week that annually brings thousands of diplomats, government officials, civil society members and media persons from around the world to New York City.

Addressing a virtual press conference in June, General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande had said that world leaders cannot come to New York for the annual UN General Assembly session in September because of the COVID19 pandemic.

World leaders cannot come to New York because they cannot come as single individuals.

A president doesn't travel alone.

We don't expect therefore to have presidents here,&nbsp;Muhammad-Bande had said.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, responding to a question on Trump addressing the UNGA session in person, said that the UN Secretariat will be in touch, through the Office of the President of the General Assembly, with the member states on their representation.

When it comes to it, we have made clear what the conditions in the building are, what the need is for a scaled back ceremony.

the member states are aware that they have different options, including recorded messages, or in some cases, appearances.

We trust and expect that all member states will abide by the need to keep the numbers low, and we'll see what they do in terms of their preparations.

Haq added that the UN has made clear to all member states the need to keep the delegations' number low during the high-level week.There is an absolute upper limit of how many people we can safely accommodate, and all Member States have been made aware of that.

How they will adjust is a matter ultimately of discussion between the Member States and the United Nations.

Along with the General Debate and 75th anniversary commemoration, key high-level sessions will also be held virtually at the UN.

The Summit on Biodiversity will be held on September 30, high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women on October 1 and the high-level meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on October 2.

Member states will submit their pre-recorded video statements for these high-level meetings as well.

Each country would be encouraged to observe the time limit of 15 minutes in the General Debate that would include remarks in the Assembly Hall to introduce the pre-recorded video and the video itself.

Muhammad-Bande has told Member States that with a view to limit the footprint and the number of people into the UN building, physical access and presence will be limited to one or, if the situation allows, two delegates in the General Assembly hall.

Further, he said member states are encouraged to move all side events to virtual platforms to limit the footprint and number of people in the UN building.

US President Donald Trump is likely to travel to New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly session in September, the only world leader to address this year's virtual high-level week in person, the US envoy to the UN said.

US President Donald Trump is likely to travel to New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly session in September, the only world leader to address this year's virtual high-level week in person, the US envoy to the UN said. We're hoping that President Trump will actually be speaking in person in the General Assembly. He will be the only world leader to be speaking in person, US Ambassador Kelly Craft said Thursday at a virtual briefing. Craft added that with the UN commemorating its 75th anniversary this year, that makes it even more special that we really take the virtual and amplify it to be able to celebrate the 75th and obviously we're going to be focused on human rights issues, on transparency, accountability because anytime during COVID where the American taxpayers have really stepped up on a personal level, it's now. For the first time in the UN's 75-year history, the annual General Assembly session will be held virtually and Heads of State and Government will not be physically attending the annual gathering due to the coronavirus pandemic. World leaders will submit pre-recorded video statements for the high-level week, the 193-member organisation had decided last week. US is the host country of the United Nations and there is a possibility that Trump could travel to New York to address the General Debate of the 75th session of the Assembly on September 22. The US is traditionally the second speaker at the debate after Brazil. This would be Trump's final address to the General Assembly of the first term of his presidency before the US heads into elections in November and Trump could use the UN platform to highlight his foreign policy achievements while also tout his campaign agenda. In taking the decision for a virtual UNGA, the General Assembly had noted with concern the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic and the limitations recommended on meetings within the United Nations premises as precautionary measures aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19. The new format will mean that it will be for the first time in the world organisation's 75-year history that Heads of State and Government and Ministers will not gather here for the high-level week that annually brings thousands of diplomats, government officials, civil society members and media persons from around the world to New York City. Addressing a virtual press conference in June, General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande had said that world leaders cannot come to New York for the annual UN General Assembly session in September because of the COVID19 pandemic. World leaders cannot come to New York because they cannot come as single individuals. A president doesn't travel alone. We don't expect therefore to have presidents here, Muhammad-Bande had said. Farhan Haq, Deputy Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, responding to a question on Trump addressing the UNGA session in person, said that the UN Secretariat will be in touch, through the Office of the President of the General Assembly, with the member states on their representation. When it comes to it, we have made clear what the conditions in the building are, what the need is for a scaled back ceremony. the member states are aware that they have different options, including recorded messages, or in some cases, appearances. We trust and expect that all member states will abide by the need to keep the numbers low, and we'll see what they do in terms of their preparations. Haq added that the UN has made clear to all member states the need to keep the delegations' number low during the high-level week.There is an absolute upper limit of how many people we can safely accommodate, and all Member States have been made aware of that. How they will adjust is a matter ultimately of discussion between the Member States and the United Nations. Along with the General Debate and 75th anniversary commemoration, key high-level sessions will also be held virtually at the UN. The Summit on Biodiversity will be held on September 30, high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women on October 1 and the high-level meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on October 2. Member states will submit their pre-recorded video statements for these high-level meetings as well. Each country would be encouraged to observe the time limit of 15 minutes in the General Debate that would include remarks in the Assembly Hall to introduce the pre-recorded video and the video itself. Muhammad-Bande has told Member States that with a view to limit the footprint and the number of people into the UN building, physical access and presence will be limited to one or, if the situation allows, two delegates in the General Assembly hall. Further, he said member states are encouraged to move all side events to virtual platforms to limit the footprint and number of people in the UN building.

US President Trump likely to be only world leader to address UN General Assembly session in person

US President Donald Trump vowed to defeat the coronavirus by "unleashing American scientific genius" as he toured a COVID-19 vaccine facility in the swing state of North Carolina on Monday. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-nsa-robert-obrien-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-316315">ALSO READ | Trump's NSA Robert O'Brien tests positive for coronavirus</a>

Trump appears to have pinned his hopes on the swift emergence of a successful vaccine to both contain the country's still raging epidemic and revive his faltering re-election hopes.

"We will achieve a victory over the virus by unleashing American scientific genius," he told reporters at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies in Morrisville, hours after it was revealed national security advisor Robert O'Brien had tested positive.

The facility has been awarded a contract to mass produce an experimental vaccine developed by Novavax, as part of a multi-billion dollar government initiative dubbed Operation Warp Speed.

The plan involves investing heavily in leading pharmaceuticals to aid their development and manufacturing efforts, with the goal of delivering 300 million doses of vaccine by January 2021.

It's "never been done before, but we suspect it's going to work, and work very well," added Trump, who later donned a black mask and toured the lab.

The United States is by far the worst-hit country in the world, with more than 4.2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 150,000 deaths.

Though the number of new cases has leveled off over the past few days, the US has failed to push its curve down as other nations have done through lockdowns and physical distancing.

Trump's latest comments confirmed that the administration believes that, in America's case, only a vaccine can help.

"It's not masks. It's not shutting down the economy. Hopefully, it is American ingenuity that will allow for therapies and vaccines to ultimately conquer this," White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told ABC News on Sunday.

The virus has also repeatedly penetrated Trump's inner circle, with O'Brien the latest and most senior White House aide to test positive.

He "has been self-isolating and working from a secure location off site," the White House said in a statement Monday, adding that there was "no risk of exposure to the president or the vice president."

Others who have been previously infected include Vice President Mike Pence's spokeswoman Katie Miller, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for the Trump campaign and his elder son's girlfriend. 
Results by November?&nbsp;

The US has spent more than $6.3 billion since March to fund vaccine development efforts under Operation Warp Speed.

The program is unabashed in its aims to procure vaccines for the American people first -- unlike European leaders who have called for COVID-19 drugs to be a "global public good."

Pharmaceutical newcomer Moderna, which, alongside AstraZeneca and two Chinese firms is among those furthest in its development timeline, began the final stage of its clinical trial Monday.

The trial is being co-conducted by the National Institutes for Health (NIH) across the United States and is expected to enroll approximately 30,000 adult volunteers.

Participants will get two doses of the vaccine given 28 days apart.

The first volunteer, a Black woman identified as Robyn, participated in a video chat hosted by the NIH on Monday, telling viewers her friends and relatives had initially told her "it was a bad idea."

"And the reason for that was because in the African American community, we are all familiar with the Tuskegee experiments," she added, referring to a 40-year-study the US conducted on Black men to see the effects of untreated syphilis.

The men involved were kept in the dark about cures on purpose.

But, added Robyn, she was encouraged by laws that are now in place to prevent a repetition, and motivated by the desire to help others against a disease that disproportionately impacts communities of color.

An irony of the process is that, given the rampant nature of the US epidemic, results could come far sooner than the two years the trial is set to run.

Daily new cases have plateaued around the 66,000 mark for the past few days, making it more likely that trial participants will be exposed to the virus sooner rather than later.

"It's a really optimistic scenario. It could be November," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC on Monday.

US President Donald Trump vowed to defeat the coronavirus by "unleashing American scientific genius" as he toured a COVID-19 vaccine facility in the swing state of North Carolina on Monday.

US President Donald Trump vowed to defeat the coronavirus by "unleashing American scientific genius" as he toured a COVID-19 vaccine facility in the swing state of North Carolina on Monday. ALSO READ | Trump's NSA Robert O'Brien tests positive for coronavirus Trump appears to have pinned his hopes on the swift emergence of a successful vaccine to both contain the country's still raging epidemic and revive his faltering re-election hopes. "We will achieve a victory over the virus by unleashing American scientific genius," he told reporters at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies in Morrisville, hours after it was revealed national security advisor Robert O'Brien had tested positive. The facility has been awarded a contract to mass produce an experimental vaccine developed by Novavax, as part of a multi-billion dollar government initiative dubbed Operation Warp Speed. The plan involves investing heavily in leading pharmaceuticals to aid their development and manufacturing efforts, with the goal of delivering 300 million doses of vaccine by January 2021. It's "never been done before, but we suspect it's going to work, and work very well," added Trump, who later donned a black mask and toured the lab. The United States is by far the worst-hit country in the world, with more than 4.2 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 150,000 deaths. Though the number of new cases has leveled off over the past few days, the US has failed to push its curve down as other nations have done through lockdowns and physical distancing. Trump's latest comments confirmed that the administration believes that, in America's case, only a vaccine can help. "It's not masks. It's not shutting down the economy. Hopefully, it is American ingenuity that will allow for therapies and vaccines to ultimately conquer this," White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told ABC News on Sunday. The virus has also repeatedly penetrated Trump's inner circle, with O'Brien the latest and most senior White House aide to test positive. He "has been self-isolating and working from a secure location off site," the White House said in a statement Monday, adding that there was "no risk of exposure to the president or the vice president." Others who have been previously infected include Vice President Mike Pence's spokeswoman Katie Miller, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top fundraiser for the Trump campaign and his elder son's girlfriend. Results by November? The US has spent more than $6.3 billion since March to fund vaccine development efforts under Operation Warp Speed. The program is unabashed in its aims to procure vaccines for the American people first -- unlike European leaders who have called for COVID-19 drugs to be a "global public good." Pharmaceutical newcomer Moderna, which, alongside AstraZeneca and two Chinese firms is among those furthest in its development timeline, began the final stage of its clinical trial Monday. The trial is being co-conducted by the National Institutes for Health (NIH) across the United States and is expected to enroll approximately 30,000 adult volunteers. Participants will get two doses of the vaccine given 28 days apart. The first volunteer, a Black woman identified as Robyn, participated in a video chat hosted by the NIH on Monday, telling viewers her friends and relatives had initially told her "it was a bad idea." "And the reason for that was because in the African American community, we are all familiar with the Tuskegee experiments," she added, referring to a 40-year-study the US conducted on Black men to see the effects of untreated syphilis. The men involved were kept in the dark about cures on purpose. But, added Robyn, she was encouraged by laws that are now in place to prevent a repetition, and motivated by the desire to help others against a disease that disproportionately impacts communities of color. An irony of the process is that, given the rampant nature of the US epidemic, results could come far sooner than the two years the trial is set to run. Daily new cases have plateaued around the 66,000 mark for the past few days, making it more likely that trial participants will be exposed to the virus sooner rather than later. "It's a really optimistic scenario. It could be November," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told CNBC on Monday.

We will achieve a victory over the virus by unleashing America's scientific genius: Trump

US President Donald Trump has referred to Wisconsin demonstrators as "terrorists" and has promised "retribution" against protesters countrywide who tore down statues.&nbsp;

Donald Trump at the Fox News town hall in Wisconsin on Thursday night said that “Every night, we’re going to get tougher and tougher,” after the audience questioned about his plan to clamp down the protests.&nbsp;

“And at some point, there’s going to be retribution because there has to be. These people are vandals, but they’re agitators, but they're really — they’re terrorists, in a sense,” he added.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Trump tweeted regarding the prison time for protesters who vandalised the monuments. He promised 10 years in jail for “anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such federal property,” citing the 2003 Veterans’ Memorial Preservation Act.

Many statues of Confederate generals, slaveholders and colonial figures were toppled in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests. There was an attempt to tear down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson on Monday, however, the law enforcement managed to clear the crowd.&nbsp;

“I can understand certain things being taken down, but they ought to go through a process legally,” Trump said Thursday.

US President Donald Trump has referred to Wisconsin demonstrators as "terrorists" and has promised "retribution" against protesters countrywide who tore down statues.

US President Donald Trump has referred to Wisconsin demonstrators as "terrorists" and has promised "retribution" against protesters countrywide who tore down statues. Donald Trump at the Fox News town hall in Wisconsin on Thursday night said that “Every night, we’re going to get tougher and tougher,” after the audience questioned about his plan to clamp down the protests. “And at some point, there’s going to be retribution because there has to be. These people are vandals, but they’re agitators, but they're really — they’re terrorists, in a sense,” he added. On Tuesday, Trump tweeted regarding the prison time for protesters who vandalised the monuments. He promised 10 years in jail for “anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such federal property,” citing the 2003 Veterans’ Memorial Preservation Act. Many statues of Confederate generals, slaveholders and colonial figures were toppled in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests. There was an attempt to tear down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson on Monday, however, the law enforcement managed to clear the crowd. “I can understand certain things being taken down, but they ought to go through a process legally,” Trump said Thursday.

Trump calls demonstrators 'terrorists' and promises 'retribution' against them

The Trump administration moved Friday to ease controls on exports of armed drones, saying that allies need US technology and that other countries outside of a non-proliferation pact were taking over the market.

The White House announced that President Donald Trump had approved a move to diverge partly from the 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime, in which 35 countries agreed to restrict the sales of unmanned weapons delivery systems.&nbsp;

The MTCR was aimed at controlling the spread of missiles that could deliver large payload like nuclear weapons.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/caught-in-a-lie-heres-why-donald-trump-was-forced-to-cancel-florida-convention-315800" hreflang="en">Caught in a lie: Here's why Donald Trump cancelled Florida convention</a>

But it also covered armed drones, at the time not a major component of armed conflict as they are now.

The change ordered by Trump will reclassify armed drones from technology whose export is severely restricted to a category that can be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The drones in the category must have a maximum airspeed of less than 800 kilometers per hour, which will allow sales of the Reaper and Predator drones used by the US military, as well as others made by US defense manufacturers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tiktok-tries-to-lure-us-send-india-a-message-but-who-really-got-hurt-baffled-315824" hreflang="en">TikTok tries to lure US, send India a message: But who really got 'hurt'?</a>

"The Trump administration has once again weakened international export controls on the export of lethal drones," said Senator Bob Menendez in a statement.

"This reckless decision makes it more likely that we will export some of our most deadly weaponry to human rights abusers across the world," he said.

"The MTCR's standards are more than three decades old," the White House said in a statement.

"Not only do these outdated standards give an unfair advantage to countries outside of the MTCR and hurt United States industry, they also hinder our deterrence capability abroad by handicapping our partners and allies with subpar technology."

The White House statement said two years of talks had failed to reform the MTCR.

The move has worried arms control advocates who say the US sale of advanced drones to more countries could fuel the global arms race.

The Trump administration moved Friday to ease controls on exports of armed drones, saying that allies need US technology and that other countries outside of a non-proliferation pact were taking over the market.

The Trump administration moved Friday to ease controls on exports of armed drones, saying that allies need US technology and that other countries outside of a non-proliferation pact were taking over the market. The White House announced that President Donald Trump had approved a move to diverge partly from the 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime, in which 35 countries agreed to restrict the sales of unmanned weapons delivery systems. The MTCR was aimed at controlling the spread of missiles that could deliver large payload like nuclear weapons. Also read: Caught in a lie: Here's why Donald Trump cancelled Florida convention But it also covered armed drones, at the time not a major component of armed conflict as they are now. The change ordered by Trump will reclassify armed drones from technology whose export is severely restricted to a category that can be considered on a case-by-case basis. The drones in the category must have a maximum airspeed of less than 800 kilometers per hour, which will allow sales of the Reaper and Predator drones used by the US military, as well as others made by US defense manufacturers. Also read: TikTok tries to lure US, send India a message: But who really got 'hurt'? "The Trump administration has once again weakened international export controls on the export of lethal drones," said Senator Bob Menendez in a statement. "This reckless decision makes it more likely that we will export some of our most deadly weaponry to human rights abusers across the world," he said. "The MTCR's standards are more than three decades old," the White House said in a statement. "Not only do these outdated standards give an unfair advantage to countries outside of the MTCR and hurt United States industry, they also hinder our deterrence capability abroad by handicapping our partners and allies with subpar technology." The White House statement said two years of talks had failed to reform the MTCR. The move has worried arms control advocates who say the US sale of advanced drones to more countries could fuel the global arms race.

Trump allows defense contractors to sell more armed drones to foreign military

In the ongoing debate of whether or not American kids should return to schools and colleges, the US President Donald Trump has been a concrete supporter of reopening the schools.&nbsp;

In a recent interview, Trump has assured the nation that he would be comfortable sending his 14-year old son Barron and his 10 grandchildren&nbsp;to school this fall, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-touts-five-word-memory-test-as-showing-he-is-cognitively-there-315334">Also read:&nbsp;Trump touts five-word memory test as showing he is 'cognitively there'</a>

“I am comfortable with that, and we do have a national strategy, but, as you know, ultimately, it’s up to the governors of the states,” Trump said.

Trump has said that he want to see all schools reopened for the fall session, or he would consider rolling back some of the school funding.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/trump-sees-china-as-a-threat-and-ties-between-us-india-strengthened-says-nikki-haley-315274">Also read: Trump sees China as a threat and ties between US-India strengthened, says Nikki Haley</a>

However, some health experts and parents are not on the same page as Trump as they believe that it would be dangerous to send children back to school, amid surge in number of positive coronavirus cases in the country.

Trump, however, claims that his administration would reopen the schools safely and carefully. “I would like to see the schools open 100 percent. And we’ll do it safely. We’ll do it carefully,” he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-calls-trump-first-racist-president-of-the-united-states-315267">Also read:&nbsp;Joe Biden calls Trump 'first' racist president of the United States</a>

He also claimed that his administration is looking at researches to determine whether or not children transmit the deadly coronavirus as easily as adults, and how vulnerable children are to the deadly virus.

Now, they don't catch it easily. They don't bring it home easily, and if they do catch it, they get better fast. We're looking at that fact. That is a factor, and we're looking at it strongly," Trump told reporters in a press conference.

In the ongoing debate of whether or not American kids should return to schools and colleges, the US President Donald Trump has been a concrete supporter of reopening the schools.

In the ongoing debate of whether or not American kids should return to schools and colleges, the US President Donald Trump has been a concrete supporter of reopening the schools. In a recent interview, Trump has assured the nation that he would be comfortable sending his 14-year old son Barron and his 10 grandchildren to school this fall, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Trump touts five-word memory test as showing he is 'cognitively there' “I am comfortable with that, and we do have a national strategy, but, as you know, ultimately, it’s up to the governors of the states,” Trump said. Trump has said that he want to see all schools reopened for the fall session, or he would consider rolling back some of the school funding. Also read: Trump sees China as a threat and ties between US-India strengthened, says Nikki Haley However, some health experts and parents are not on the same page as Trump as they believe that it would be dangerous to send children back to school, amid surge in number of positive coronavirus cases in the country. Trump, however, claims that his administration would reopen the schools safely and carefully. “I would like to see the schools open 100 percent. And we’ll do it safely. We’ll do it carefully,” he said. Also read: Joe Biden calls Trump 'first' racist president of the United States He also claimed that his administration is looking at researches to determine whether or not children transmit the deadly coronavirus as easily as adults, and how vulnerable children are to the deadly virus. Now, they don't catch it easily. They don't bring it home easily, and if they do catch it, they get better fast. We're looking at that fact. That is a factor, and we're looking at it strongly," Trump told reporters in a press conference.

I will be comfortable sending my son to school: Trump backs reopening schools

&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said on Tuesday that he wished alleged sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell well, noting that he had met her multiple times in the past, but he had little else to say on the case involving the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump, speaking at his first coronavirus briefing in weeks, was asked if he thinks Maxwell will "turn in powerful men" following her arrest, given that she was the longtime associate of Epstein and was his alleged co-conspirator.

"I don't know, I haven't really been following it too much,"&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said of the case.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-ghislaine-maxwell-deserves-no-special-treatment-urges-detention-313081">US says Ghislaine Maxwell deserves no 'special treatment,' urges detention</a>

Maxwell was arrested early this month in New Hampshire, where authorities said she had been hiding at a sprawling property she bought while shielding her identity.

"I just wish her well, frankly,"&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said. "I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach, but I wish her well, whatever it is."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ghislaine-maxwell-denied-bail-in-epstein-sex-abuse-case-313478/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Maxwell, 58, has denied charges she lured underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse and has pleaded not guilty. A US&nbsp;District Court judge in Manhattan denied bail at her hearing last week, saying the wealthy socialite posed a flight risk.

Prosecutors have accused Maxwell, 58, of helping Epstein recruit and eventually abuse girls as young as 14 from 1994 to 1997 and lying about her role in depositions in 2016. Her trial is set to start on July 12, 2021.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he wished alleged sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell well, noting that he had met her multiple times in the past, but he had little else to say on the case involving the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he wished alleged sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell well, noting that he had met her multiple times in the past, but he had little else to say on the case involving the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Trump, speaking at his first coronavirus briefing in weeks, was asked if he thinks Maxwell will "turn in powerful men" following her arrest, given that she was the longtime associate of Epstein and was his alleged co-conspirator. "I don't know, I haven't really been following it too much," Trump said of the case. Also read: US says Ghislaine Maxwell deserves no 'special treatment,' urges detention Maxwell was arrested early this month in New Hampshire, where authorities said she had been hiding at a sprawling property she bought while shielding her identity. "I just wish her well, frankly," Trump said. "I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach, but I wish her well, whatever it is." Maxwell, 58, has denied charges she lured underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse and has pleaded not guilty. A US District Court judge in Manhattan denied bail at her hearing last week, saying the wealthy socialite posed a flight risk. Prosecutors have accused Maxwell, 58, of helping Epstein recruit and eventually abuse girls as young as 14 from 1994 to 1997 and lying about her role in depositions in 2016. Her trial is set to start on July 12, 2021.

'I wish her well': Trump comments on arrest of Epstein aide, alleged sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell

The United States is leading the world in terms of COVID-19 testing and India is at second position, President Donald Trump said while giving an update on his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

So far more than 140,000 Americans have died due to coronavirus and 3.8 million have tested positive. While the US economy is slowly coming back to normal, the pandemic is now spreading in the Sun Belt of the country.

"As one family, we mourn every precious life that's been lost. I pledge in their honour that we will develop a vaccine and we will defeat the virus. We're doing very well with vaccine development and therapeutic development," Trump said at a White House news conference on Tuesday, his first on coronavirus after several weeks.

Trump also said his administration will stop at nothing to save lives and shield the vulnerable.

"We've learned so much about this disease. And we know who the vulnerable are, and we are going to indeed shield them," he said.

Trump assured that the vaccines against the novel coronavirus will be coming a lot sooner than expected.

Replying to a question, Trump said the US is "leading the world" in terms of COVID-19 testing.

"We're going to be over 50 million tests," he said, adding that "second country is India with 12 million (tests). Then you have seven million, six million, and four million. I think that we are doing a tremendous amount of testing."

The "China virus", Trump said, is a vicious and dangerous illness.

"It's a nasty, horrible disease that should''ve never been allowed to escape China, but it did. It infected the world, and the world is suffering. But we''re going to get it taken care of, and we''re helping lots of other countries," the US president said.

On tackling the virus, Trump said his administration is developing a powerful strategy.

"We've learned a great deal about it (COVID-19) and who it targets. We are in the process of developing a strategy that''s going to be very, very powerful," he said.

"Some areas of our country are doing very well; others are doing less well. It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better," Trump said.

He said the median age of those who succumb to COVID-19 infection is 78 years, adding that roughly half of all deaths have been individuals in nursing homes or in long-term care.

"Young adults may often have mild or even no symptoms. They won't even know they're sick. They won't have any idea that they have a virus. They won''t have any idea at all," he said, adding that youth will act responsibly.

Trump said the data shows children have the lowest fatality risk as 99.96 per cent of all virus fatalities are adults.

"By understanding these risk profiles and learning how to treat the disease, we've been able to greatly reduce mortality in the United States," Trump said.

Several treatments are already available in the US that can significantly reduce the severity and duration of the disease, including remdesivir, he said.

"We've learned best practices for treatment of the virus at every stage and have shared these findings with medical providers, and we've shared them all over the world. The relationship with other countries has been very strong. We''re all working together," Trump said.

The United States is leading the world in terms of COVID-19 testing and India is at second position, President Donald Trump said while giving an update on his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States is leading the world in terms of COVID-19 testing and India is at second position, President Donald Trump said while giving an update on his administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic. So far more than 140,000 Americans have died due to coronavirus and 3.8 million have tested positive. While the US economy is slowly coming back to normal, the pandemic is now spreading in the Sun Belt of the country. "As one family, we mourn every precious life that's been lost. I pledge in their honour that we will develop a vaccine and we will defeat the virus. We're doing very well with vaccine development and therapeutic development," Trump said at a White House news conference on Tuesday, his first on coronavirus after several weeks. Trump also said his administration will stop at nothing to save lives and shield the vulnerable. "We've learned so much about this disease. And we know who the vulnerable are, and we are going to indeed shield them," he said. Trump assured that the vaccines against the novel coronavirus will be coming a lot sooner than expected. Replying to a question, Trump said the US is "leading the world" in terms of COVID-19 testing. "We're going to be over 50 million tests," he said, adding that "second country is India with 12 million (tests). Then you have seven million, six million, and four million. I think that we are doing a tremendous amount of testing." The "China virus", Trump said, is a vicious and dangerous illness. "It's a nasty, horrible disease that should''ve never been allowed to escape China, but it did. It infected the world, and the world is suffering. But we''re going to get it taken care of, and we''re helping lots of other countries," the US president said. On tackling the virus, Trump said his administration is developing a powerful strategy. "We've learned a great deal about it (COVID-19) and who it targets. We are in the process of developing a strategy that''s going to be very, very powerful," he said. "Some areas of our country are doing very well; others are doing less well. It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better," Trump said. He said the median age of those who succumb to COVID-19 infection is 78 years, adding that roughly half of all deaths have been individuals in nursing homes or in long-term care. "Young adults may often have mild or even no symptoms. They won't even know they're sick. They won't have any idea that they have a virus. They won''t have any idea at all," he said, adding that youth will act responsibly. Trump said the data shows children have the lowest fatality risk as 99.96 per cent of all virus fatalities are adults. "By understanding these risk profiles and learning how to treat the disease, we've been able to greatly reduce mortality in the United States," Trump said. Several treatments are already available in the US that can significantly reduce the severity and duration of the disease, including remdesivir, he said. "We've learned best practices for treatment of the virus at every stage and have shared these findings with medical providers, and we've shared them all over the world. The relationship with other countries has been very strong. We''re all working together," Trump said.

India second in world with most coronavirus tests after US, says Donald Trump

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is running&nbsp;Facebook ads&nbsp;claiming that the Chinese-owned short video app TikTok is spying on users.

The ads link to a survey asking whether TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based tech giant ByteDance, should be banned in the United States. They also ask for respondents' names and contact details.

"TikTok is spying on you,” claimed one ad. “TikTok has been caught red handed by monitoring what is on your phone’s clipboard,” it said.

TikTok&nbsp;is estimated to have close to a billion users worldwide, and has long battled allegations that it is a spying tool for Beijing, pointing out it has an American CEO and consistently denying allegations that it shares user data.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States was “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok. India banned TikTok and other Chinese apps in June.

Trump blames China for the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to ravage the US, threatening the American economy and the president's reelection.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-could-have-stopped-the-virus-but-didnt-trump-lashes-out-at-china-again-314740">They could have stopped the virus but didn't: Trump lashes out at China again</a>

But he also fell victim to&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;users, who along with legions of K-pop fans, claimed to have sabotaged Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma last month by reserving blocks of tickets for the event they had no intention of attending. Trump's campaign boasted it had receive a million ticket requests, but only 6,200 people attended.

TikTok has said that it has never provided user data to China and that it would not do so if asked, and a spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday the company has "no higher priority than promoting a safe app experience that protects our users' privacy.”

Last month, when Apple released to developers a test version of its iOS operating system with new privacy features, developers showed images of TikTok's app triggering notifications that it was copying data from users' clipboards, where data is temporarily stored while copying and pasting from one app to another.

TikTok said the notifications were caused by an anti-spam feature but it ended the practice June 27.

TikTok also hit out at Facebook for running the ads. "Facebook is taking money for a political ad that attacks a competitor just as it's preparing to launch a TikTok copycat,” the spokeswoman said in an email to Reuters.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s photo-sharing app Instagram will soon be expanding its test of a short video format called Reels to the United States, according to media reports.

US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is running Facebook ads claiming that the Chinese-owned short video app TikTok is spying on users. The ads link to a survey asking whether TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based tech giant ByteDance, should be banned in the United States.

US President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign is running Facebook ads claiming that the Chinese-owned short video app TikTok is spying on users. The ads link to a survey asking whether TikTok, which is owned by Beijing-based tech giant ByteDance, should be banned in the United States. They also ask for respondents' names and contact details. "TikTok is spying on you,” claimed one ad. “TikTok has been caught red handed by monitoring what is on your phone’s clipboard,” it said. TikTok is estimated to have close to a billion users worldwide, and has long battled allegations that it is a spying tool for Beijing, pointing out it has an American CEO and consistently denying allegations that it shares user data. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States was “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok. India banned TikTok and other Chinese apps in June. Trump blames China for the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to ravage the US, threatening the American economy and the president's reelection. Also read: They could have stopped the virus but didn't: Trump lashes out at China again But he also fell victim to TikTok users, who along with legions of K-pop fans, claimed to have sabotaged Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma last month by reserving blocks of tickets for the event they had no intention of attending. Trump's campaign boasted it had receive a million ticket requests, but only 6,200 people attended. TikTok has said that it has never provided user data to China and that it would not do so if asked, and a spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday the company has "no higher priority than promoting a safe app experience that protects our users' privacy.” Last month, when Apple released to developers a test version of its iOS operating system with new privacy features, developers showed images of TikTok's app triggering notifications that it was copying data from users' clipboards, where data is temporarily stored while copying and pasting from one app to another. TikTok said the notifications were caused by an anti-spam feature but it ended the practice June 27. TikTok also hit out at Facebook for running the ads. "Facebook is taking money for a political ad that attacks a competitor just as it's preparing to launch a TikTok copycat,” the spokeswoman said in an email to Reuters. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company’s photo-sharing app Instagram will soon be expanding its test of a short video format called Reels to the United States, according to media reports.

Trump campaign runs Facebook advertisements asking if he should ban TikTok

President Donald Trump on Monday offered his strongest endorsement for wearing face masks in public, tweeting that it is a “Patriotic” action to take during the coronavirus pandemic.

For months Trump has been refusing to encourage mask wearing as a way to combat the coronavirus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-could-have-stopped-the-virus-but-didnt-trump-lashes-out-at-china-again-314740">Also read: They could have stopped the virus but didn't — Trump lashes out at China again</a> 
 
“There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!” Trump tweeted.

"We are united in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance," Trump wrote.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! <a href="https://t.co/iQOd1whktN">pic.twitter.com/iQOd1whktN</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1285299379746811915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The tweet from the president appearing to endorse the use of face coverings in public follows months of mixed messages on whether he believed they were an essential tool to help prevent transmission of the disease.

The stylish photo and exhortation for Americans to unite around masks was a far cry from Trump's longtime mocking of masks as symbols of weakness during a pandemic that he has repeatedly suggested is overblown.

However, his tweet stopped well short of endorsing calls from some for a nationwide mandate to wear masks in public.

The nation's top medical authorities -- backed by several leading Republican figures -- say that mask wearing is crucial to halting the disease.

Amid a fierce resurgence of the virus in southern and western states -- including some that are Republican strongholds -- Trump has come under new pressure to change his tune.

He only wore a mask in public for the first time on July 11.By contrast, his Democratic challenger in the November presidential election, Joe Biden, has worn a mask in public for months. 
 
(With inputs from AFP)

President Donald Trump on Monday offered his strongest endorsement for wearing face masks in public, tweeting that it is a “Patriotic” action to take during the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump on Monday offered his strongest endorsement for wearing face masks in public, tweeting that it is a “Patriotic” action to take during the coronavirus pandemic. For months Trump has been refusing to encourage mask wearing as a way to combat the coronavirus. Also read: They could have stopped the virus but didn't — Trump lashes out at China again “There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!” Trump tweeted. "We are united in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance," Trump wrote. We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! pic.twitter.com/iQOd1whktN — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2020 × The tweet from the president appearing to endorse the use of face coverings in public follows months of mixed messages on whether he believed they were an essential tool to help prevent transmission of the disease. The stylish photo and exhortation for Americans to unite around masks was a far cry from Trump's longtime mocking of masks as symbols of weakness during a pandemic that he has repeatedly suggested is overblown. However, his tweet stopped well short of endorsing calls from some for a nationwide mandate to wear masks in public. The nation's top medical authorities -- backed by several leading Republican figures -- say that mask wearing is crucial to halting the disease. Amid a fierce resurgence of the virus in southern and western states -- including some that are Republican strongholds -- Trump has come under new pressure to change his tune. He only wore a mask in public for the first time on July 11.By contrast, his Democratic challenger in the November presidential election, Joe Biden, has worn a mask in public for months. (With inputs from AFP)

After months of resisting wearing one, Trump says wearing mask 'patriotic' in tweet

US federal law enforcement officers are swooping down on protesters in Portland, Oregon, under the Trump administration’s new executive order to protect monuments in the country.

Several videos posted online show camouflage-clad officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to transport arrested protesters.

A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokeswoman said on Friday agents had been deployed to Portland to support a newly launched US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unit, tasked with enforcing last month’s executive order from Republican President Donald Trump to protect federal monuments and buildings.

The agents had been trained for operations “in chaotic environments.”

In addition to Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are helping DHS’s Federal Protective Service, which provides security for federal buildings, ICE said.

Media reports said federal agents had arrested 13 people, but there was no immediate confirmation from the authorities.

Demonstrators protesting against racism and police brutality gathered around the federal courthouse daily in Portland since the killing of African American George Floyd during a May 25 arrest in Minneapolis, with crowds at times exceeding 10,000. Portland police used tear gas on the protesters, some of whom sprayed graffiti on buildings, until Governor Brown in early July banned its use except in the case of riots.

One video posted online shows an officer bundling a protester into a dark minivan. The CBP spokeswoman said the agency had information that person was suspected of assaults against federal agents or destruction of federal property and “a large and violent mob” moved toward the agents once they approached the suspect.

Another video shows an officer shoving away medics trying to aid someone. And still another showed a protester bleeding profusely from his head after federal troops allegedly shot him with a weapon firing non-lethal munition.

To this end, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the US Marshals Service “will be conducting a full investigation” into the shooting.

US federal law enforcement officers are swooping down on protesters in Portland, Oregon, under the Trump administration’s new executive order to protect monuments in the country.

US federal law enforcement officers are swooping down on protesters in Portland, Oregon, under the Trump administration’s new executive order to protect monuments in the country. Several videos posted online show camouflage-clad officers without clear identification badges using force and unmarked vehicles to transport arrested protesters. A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokeswoman said on Friday agents had been deployed to Portland to support a newly launched US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unit, tasked with enforcing last month’s executive order from Republican President Donald Trump to protect federal monuments and buildings. The agents had been trained for operations “in chaotic environments.” In addition to Border Patrol agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are helping DHS’s Federal Protective Service, which provides security for federal buildings, ICE said. Media reports said federal agents had arrested 13 people, but there was no immediate confirmation from the authorities. Demonstrators protesting against racism and police brutality gathered around the federal courthouse daily in Portland since the killing of African American George Floyd during a May 25 arrest in Minneapolis, with crowds at times exceeding 10,000. Portland police used tear gas on the protesters, some of whom sprayed graffiti on buildings, until Governor Brown in early July banned its use except in the case of riots. One video posted online shows an officer bundling a protester into a dark minivan. The CBP spokeswoman said the agency had information that person was suspected of assaults against federal agents or destruction of federal property and “a large and violent mob” moved toward the agents once they approached the suspect. Another video shows an officer shoving away medics trying to aid someone. And still another showed a protester bleeding profusely from his head after federal troops allegedly shot him with a weapon firing non-lethal munition. To this end, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the US Marshals Service “will be conducting a full investigation” into the shooting.

US cracks down on Portland protesters after Trump order to protect monuments

United States President Donald Trump has said he wants to do everything possible to keep peace for the people of India and China, according to the White House spokesperson.

Trump administration has often, over the past several weeks, come out in support of India against China.

"He (Trump) said he loves the people of India and he love the people of China and he want to do everything possible to keep the peace for the people," White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.

She was responding to a question on Trump's message to India, which recently had a stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control.

Earlier in the day, White House Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow described India as a great ally, saying President Trump is a great friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that India has been a great partner of the US.

"India has been a great partner. They are an important partner of ours. I have a great relationship with my foreign minister counterpart. We talked frequently about a broad range of issues. We talked about the conflict they had along the border with China. We've talked about the risk that emanates from the Chinese telecommunication infrastructure there," Pompeo told reporters in response to a question.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-suffers-as-trumps-tough-line-allows-iran-to-embrace-china-313821">Also read |&nbsp;India suffers as Trump's tough line allows Iran to embrace China</a>

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien told reporters that China has been very aggressive with India.

O'Brien said that India is a democracy and is a great friend of the United States. Prime Minister Modi and President Trump have a super relationship, he said.

"In fact, it was the last foreign trip that I took with the president before the COVID-19 crisis hit, was to India, and we had a great reception of the Indian people there. We have a lot in common with them, we speak English, we're democracies. We've got a growing, very strong relationship with India," O'Brien said.

Welcoming the White House statement, Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, said that unlike his predecessor, President Trump has come out openly in support of India.

"Most of the Indian-Americans have observed that every earlier president - be it a Democrat or Republican, like Clinton or Bush Senior or Bush Jr or Obama have been very scared to side with India openly, for fear of hurting China. Only President Trump has had the courage to say that 'I love India, America respects India -- US stands with India -- and that also, to over one billion Indians in India at the Namaste Trump rally held in India and that too near India's neighbour China," Mason said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/174-indians-in-us-file-lawsuit-against-trumps-proclamation-on-h-1b-visa-313614">Also read |&nbsp;174 Indians in US file lawsuit against Trump's proclamation on H-1B visa</a>

"And he is consistent in his love for India and Indian-Americans," he added.&nbsp;

United States President Donald Trump has said he wants to do everything possible to keep peace for the people of India and China, according to the White House spokesperson.

United States President Donald Trump has said he wants to do everything possible to keep peace for the people of India and China, according to the White House spokesperson. Trump administration has often, over the past several weeks, come out in support of India against China. "He (Trump) said he loves the people of India and he love the people of China and he want to do everything possible to keep the peace for the people," White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. She was responding to a question on Trump's message to India, which recently had a stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control. Earlier in the day, White House Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow described India as a great ally, saying President Trump is a great friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that India has been a great partner of the US. "India has been a great partner. They are an important partner of ours. I have a great relationship with my foreign minister counterpart. We talked frequently about a broad range of issues. We talked about the conflict they had along the border with China. We've talked about the risk that emanates from the Chinese telecommunication infrastructure there," Pompeo told reporters in response to a question. Also read | India suffers as Trump's tough line allows Iran to embrace China US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien told reporters that China has been very aggressive with India. O'Brien said that India is a democracy and is a great friend of the United States. Prime Minister Modi and President Trump have a super relationship, he said. "In fact, it was the last foreign trip that I took with the president before the COVID-19 crisis hit, was to India, and we had a great reception of the Indian people there. We have a lot in common with them, we speak English, we're democracies. We've got a growing, very strong relationship with India," O'Brien said. Welcoming the White House statement, Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, said that unlike his predecessor, President Trump has come out openly in support of India. "Most of the Indian-Americans have observed that every earlier president - be it a Democrat or Republican, like Clinton or Bush Senior or Bush Jr or Obama have been very scared to side with India openly, for fear of hurting China. Only President Trump has had the courage to say that 'I love India, America respects India -- US stands with India -- and that also, to over one billion Indians in India at the Namaste Trump rally held in India and that too near India's neighbour China," Mason said in a statement. Also read | 174 Indians in US file lawsuit against Trump's proclamation on H-1B visa "And he is consistent in his love for India and Indian-Americans," he added.

Trump 'wants to do everything possible to keep peace for people of India, China'

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday&nbsp;said he hopes Republican US&nbsp;President Donald Trump will be re-elected in November.

However,&nbsp; he said the commercial relationship between the two countries is promising even if a Democrat wins.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-coronavirus-surges-trump-escalates-conflict-with-fauci-313876">As coronavirus surges, Trump escalates conflict with Fauci</a>

Bolsonaro has often lauded Trump, calling him a political role model and drawing parallels between their conservative agendas.

The Brazilian right-wing leader has been critical of left-leaning leaders in Latin America and further afield. On Thursday, he criticised&nbsp;Argentina's turn to the left by saying that the country opted for a "lie" in an election that pitted former conservative president Mauricio Macri against leftist victor President Alberto Fernandez.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-president-says-death-was-everyones-destiny-as-country-registers-1349-deaths-305715">Brazil president says death was 'everyone's destiny' as country registers 1,349 deaths</a>

In his address, Bolsonaro also hit out at critics that the country's Amazon rainforest is under threat.

Coronavirus&nbsp;positive Bolsonaro slammed&nbsp;lockdown policies by saying that they kill&nbsp;"more than the virus". His statment comes Brazil as&nbsp;topped two million coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to official data that put the number of deaths at more than 76,000.

Over the last two months,&nbsp;Brazil&nbsp;has recorded more than 30,000 new cases in 24 hours 26 times, and on 11 of those occasions there were more than 40,000 infections.

Brazil&nbsp;is the second worst affected country in the world by the coronavirus after the United States.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday said he hopes Republican US President Donald Trump will be re-elected in November. However, he said the commercial relationship between the two countries is promising even if a Democrat wins.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday said he hopes Republican US President Donald Trump will be re-elected in November. However, he said the commercial relationship between the two countries is promising even if a Democrat wins. Also read: As coronavirus surges, Trump escalates conflict with Fauci Bolsonaro has often lauded Trump, calling him a political role model and drawing parallels between their conservative agendas. The Brazilian right-wing leader has been critical of left-leaning leaders in Latin America and further afield. On Thursday, he criticised Argentina's turn to the left by saying that the country opted for a "lie" in an election that pitted former conservative president Mauricio Macri against leftist victor President Alberto Fernandez. Also read: Brazil president says death was 'everyone's destiny' as country registers 1,349 deaths In his address, Bolsonaro also hit out at critics that the country's Amazon rainforest is under threat. Coronavirus positive Bolsonaro slammed lockdown policies by saying that they kill "more than the virus". His statment comes Brazil as topped two million coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to official data that put the number of deaths at more than 76,000. Over the last two months, Brazil has recorded more than 30,000 new cases in 24 hours 26 times, and on 11 of those occasions there were more than 40,000 infections. Brazil is the second worst affected country in the world by the coronavirus after the United States.

Hope US President Trump is re-elected, says Brazil President Bolsonaro

A group of 174 Indian nationals, including seven minors, has filed a lawsuit against the recent presidential proclamation on H-1B that would prevent them from entering the United States or a visa would not be issued to them. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-says-he-will-revoke-h-1b-visa-suspension-if-elected-us-president-310285">Also read: Joe Biden says he will revoke H-1B visa suspension, if elected US president</a> 
 
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at the US District Court in the District of Columbia issued summonses on Wednesday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F Wolf, along with Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/how-will-h1-b-visa-suspension-impact-indian-companies-307963">Also read: How will H1-B visa suspension impact Indian companies?</a> 
 
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court on Tuesday.

"The proclamation 10052's H-1B/H-4 visa ban hurts the United States' economy, separates families and defies the Congress. While the two former points render it unseemly, the latter point renders it unlawful," said the lawsuit filed by lawyer Wasden Banias on behalf of the 174 Indian nationals.

The lawsuit seeks an order declaring the presidential proclamation on issuing new H-1B or H4 visas or admitting new H-1B or H-4 visa holders as unlawful. It also urges the court to compel the Department of State to issue decisions on pending requests for H-1B and H-4 visas.

In his presidential proclamation on June 22, Trump temporarily suspended issuing of H-1B work visas till the end of the year.

&nbsp;"In the administration of our nation's immigration system, we must remain mindful of the impact of foreign workers on the United States labor market, particularly in the current extraordinary environment of high domestic unemployment and depressed demand for labour," said the proclamation issued by Trump.

In his proclamation, Trump said the overall unemployment rate in the United States nearly quadrupled between February and May of 2020 -- producing some of the most extreme unemployment ever recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While the May rate of 13.3 per cent reflects a marked decline from April, millions of Americans remain out of work.

The proclamation also extends till year-end his previous executive order that had banned issuance of new green cards of lawful permanent residency. Green Card holders, once admitted pursuant to immigrant visas, are granted "open-market" employment authorisation documents, allowing them immediate eligibility to compete for almost any job in any sector of the economy, Trump said.

A group of 174 Indian nationals, including seven minors, has filed a lawsuit against the recent presidential proclamation on H-1B that would prevent them from entering the United States or a visa would not be issued to them.

A group of 174 Indian nationals, including seven minors, has filed a lawsuit against the recent presidential proclamation on H-1B that would prevent them from entering the United States or a visa would not be issued to them. Also read: Joe Biden says he will revoke H-1B visa suspension, if elected US president Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at the US District Court in the District of Columbia issued summonses on Wednesday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F Wolf, along with Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia. Also read: How will H1-B visa suspension impact Indian companies? The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court on Tuesday. "The proclamation 10052's H-1B/H-4 visa ban hurts the United States' economy, separates families and defies the Congress. While the two former points render it unseemly, the latter point renders it unlawful," said the lawsuit filed by lawyer Wasden Banias on behalf of the 174 Indian nationals. The lawsuit seeks an order declaring the presidential proclamation on issuing new H-1B or H4 visas or admitting new H-1B or H-4 visa holders as unlawful. It also urges the court to compel the Department of State to issue decisions on pending requests for H-1B and H-4 visas. In his presidential proclamation on June 22, Trump temporarily suspended issuing of H-1B work visas till the end of the year. "In the administration of our nation's immigration system, we must remain mindful of the impact of foreign workers on the United States labor market, particularly in the current extraordinary environment of high domestic unemployment and depressed demand for labour," said the proclamation issued by Trump. In his proclamation, Trump said the overall unemployment rate in the United States nearly quadrupled between February and May of 2020 -- producing some of the most extreme unemployment ever recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the May rate of 13.3 per cent reflects a marked decline from April, millions of Americans remain out of work. The proclamation also extends till year-end his previous executive order that had banned issuance of new green cards of lawful permanent residency. Green Card holders, once admitted pursuant to immigrant visas, are granted "open-market" employment authorisation documents, allowing them immediate eligibility to compete for almost any job in any sector of the economy, Trump said.

174 Indians in US file lawsuit against Trump's proclamation on H-1B visa

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

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

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

Dissecting Trump and his behaviour as President of United States

The United States confronted "untrustworthy" Chinese technology and has convinced many countries not to use Huawei-produced equipment because of its big security risk, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

"We confronted untrustworthy Chinese technology and telecom providers. We convinced many countries not to use Huawei because it's a big security risk. Just today, the UK announced that they are not going to be using it," Trump said while addressing reporters.

The United States had designated Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE Corp as national security threats, saying they have close ties with the Chinese Communist Party and China''s military apparatus.

The UK on Tuesday announced its decision to ban British companies from buying Huawei-produced equipment for 5G networks from the end of the year.

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the UK joins democracies such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Sweden in banning Huawei from future 5G network.

He said that countries need to be able to trust that 5G equipment and software will not threaten national security, economic security, privacy, intellectual property, or human rights.

The United States confronted "untrustworthy" Chinese technology and has convinced many countries not to use Huawei-produced equipment because of its big security risk, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

The United States confronted "untrustworthy" Chinese technology and has convinced many countries not to use Huawei-produced equipment because of its big security risk, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. "We confronted untrustworthy Chinese technology and telecom providers. We convinced many countries not to use Huawei because it's a big security risk. Just today, the UK announced that they are not going to be using it," Trump said while addressing reporters. The United States had designated Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE Corp as national security threats, saying they have close ties with the Chinese Communist Party and China''s military apparatus. The UK on Tuesday announced its decision to ban British companies from buying Huawei-produced equipment for 5G networks from the end of the year. Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the UK joins democracies such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Sweden in banning Huawei from future 5G network. He said that countries need to be able to trust that 5G equipment and software will not threaten national security, economic security, privacy, intellectual property, or human rights.

US convinced many countries not to use Huawei, it's a big security risk: Trump

The United States has the biggest COVID-19 testing programme in the world, better than big countries like Russia, China, India and Brazil, President Donald Trump said on Monday, asserting that America has "just about the lowest mortality rate" due to the disease in the world.

"We have one of the lowest mortality rates anywhere," Trump said at a White House roundtable. More than 34 lakh Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 so far and over 1,37,000 have died due to the disease, both of which are the largest numbers among all the countries.

The huge number of positive cases, the president said, is due to the massive testing efforts undertaken by his administration, more extensive than any other country.

"We test more than anybody by far. And when you test, you create cases. So we have created cases. I can tell you that some countries, they test when somebody walks into a hospital sick or walks into maybe a doctor's office, but usually a hospital. That is the testing they do, so they do not have cases, whereas we have all these cases. So, it is a double-edged sword," he said.

At the same time, the United States has the lowest mortality rate or just about the lowest mortality rate due to the disease in the world, Trump added. "We are doing a great job. We are doing very well with vaccines and we are doing very, very well with therapeutics. I think we are going to have some very good information coming out soon," he said in response to a question.

"But we have the best and certainly, by far, the biggest testing programme anywhere in the world. If you tested China or Russia or any of the larger countries, if you just tested India, as an example, the way we test, you would see numbers that would be very surprising. Brazil too. You know, Brazil is going through a big problem, but they do not do testing as we do," Trump said.

"So we do the testing and by doing the testing, we have tremendous numbers of cases. As an example, we have done 45 million tests. If we did half that number, you would have half the cases probably -- around that number. If we did another half of that, you would have half the numbers. Everyone would be saying, ''Oh, we are doing so well on cases," he added.

Responding to a question, Trump said what China did to the world should not be forgotten.

"I think what China has done to the world with what took place -- the China plague -- you can call it the China virus, you can call it whatever you want to call it. It has about 20 different names. What they did to the world should not be forgotten," he said.

The trade deal with China that was signed early this year remains intact, the president said. "It is intact, they (China) are buying. Whether they buy or not, that is up to them. They are buying," he said.

The United States has the biggest COVID-19 testing programme in the world, better than big countries like Russia, China, India and Brazil, President Donald Trump said on Monday, asserting that America has "just about the lowest mortality rate" due to the disease in the world.

The United States has the biggest COVID-19 testing programme in the world, better than big countries like Russia, China, India and Brazil, President Donald Trump said on Monday, asserting that America has "just about the lowest mortality rate" due to the disease in the world. "We have one of the lowest mortality rates anywhere," Trump said at a White House roundtable. More than 34 lakh Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 so far and over 1,37,000 have died due to the disease, both of which are the largest numbers among all the countries. The huge number of positive cases, the president said, is due to the massive testing efforts undertaken by his administration, more extensive than any other country. "We test more than anybody by far. And when you test, you create cases. So we have created cases. I can tell you that some countries, they test when somebody walks into a hospital sick or walks into maybe a doctor's office, but usually a hospital. That is the testing they do, so they do not have cases, whereas we have all these cases. So, it is a double-edged sword," he said. At the same time, the United States has the lowest mortality rate or just about the lowest mortality rate due to the disease in the world, Trump added. "We are doing a great job. We are doing very well with vaccines and we are doing very, very well with therapeutics. I think we are going to have some very good information coming out soon," he said in response to a question. "But we have the best and certainly, by far, the biggest testing programme anywhere in the world. If you tested China or Russia or any of the larger countries, if you just tested India, as an example, the way we test, you would see numbers that would be very surprising. Brazil too. You know, Brazil is going through a big problem, but they do not do testing as we do," Trump said. "So we do the testing and by doing the testing, we have tremendous numbers of cases. As an example, we have done 45 million tests. If we did half that number, you would have half the cases probably -- around that number. If we did another half of that, you would have half the numbers. Everyone would be saying, ''Oh, we are doing so well on cases," he added. Responding to a question, Trump said what China did to the world should not be forgotten. "I think what China has done to the world with what took place -- the China plague -- you can call it the China virus, you can call it whatever you want to call it. It has about 20 different names. What they did to the world should not be forgotten," he said. The trade deal with China that was signed early this year remains intact, the president said. "It is intact, they (China) are buying. Whether they buy or not, that is up to them. They are buying," he said.

US has 'biggest covid-19 testing programme' anywhere in the world, says Trump

The US President Donald Trump has been playing a game of hide and seek with the media when it comes to wearing a face mask when he steps outdoors. Trump has rarely been spotted with a face mask in public. However, proving to be unpredictable again, he was spotted with a face mask on Saturday.

Trump visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a military medical facility outside Washington. The purpose of the visit was to&nbsp;meet with wounded soldiers and frontline health-care workers.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-expects-to-wear-a-mask-when-he-visits-military-hospital-312144">Also read:&nbsp;Trump 'expects' to wear a mask when he visits military hospital</a>

This was the first time he was spotted wearing a mask in the public, especially infront of the media. Trump has earlier claimed that during one of the visits to a factory he did wear a face mask where it was necessary but he did not want to give the media the satisfaction of seeing him donning a face mask, and therefore removed it moments before appearing infront of the cameras.

This time, however, things were different. Trump, now, feels that there is a right time and place to do everything and an army medical facility was the right place to wear a mask, so he did.

“I think when you are in a hospital, especially in that particular setting when you are talking to a lot of soldiers, people that in some cases just got off the operating table, I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask,” Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for his visit.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-trump-says-will-wear-mask-if-in-tight-situation-with-people-310065">Also read:&nbsp;Now, Trump says will wear mask 'if in tight situation with people'</a>

While some locals are thanking the 'superior power' for finally putting the right thought in Trump's mind, some are calling it a trial for redemption&nbsp;to gather few more votes in the upcoming general elections.

Trump did not talk much to the media at the army facility, and just said 'thank you' as he passed the cameras wearing a navy blue coloured face mask with a&nbsp;presidential seal embossed in gold.

Coronavirus cases have been on a constant rise in the country. World Health Organization (WHO) reported&nbsp;132,683 new positive cases in the US in the past 24 hours. Health experts are urging lawmakers to not reopen the economy, and they are also requesting locals to wear face masks and maintain social distance while out in public.

The US President Donald Trump has been playing a game of hide and seek with the media when it comes to wearing a face mask when he steps outdoors. Trump has rarely been spotted with a face mask in public.

The US President Donald Trump has been playing a game of hide and seek with the media when it comes to wearing a face mask when he steps outdoors. Trump has rarely been spotted with a face mask in public. However, proving to be unpredictable again, he was spotted with a face mask on Saturday. Trump visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a military medical facility outside Washington. The purpose of the visit was to meet with wounded soldiers and frontline health-care workers. Also read: Trump 'expects' to wear a mask when he visits military hospital This was the first time he was spotted wearing a mask in the public, especially infront of the media. Trump has earlier claimed that during one of the visits to a factory he did wear a face mask where it was necessary but he did not want to give the media the satisfaction of seeing him donning a face mask, and therefore removed it moments before appearing infront of the cameras. This time, however, things were different. Trump, now, feels that there is a right time and place to do everything and an army medical facility was the right place to wear a mask, so he did. “I think when you are in a hospital, especially in that particular setting when you are talking to a lot of soldiers, people that in some cases just got off the operating table, I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask,” Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for his visit. Also read: Now, Trump says will wear mask 'if in tight situation with people' While some locals are thanking the 'superior power' for finally putting the right thought in Trump's mind, some are calling it a trial for redemption to gather few more votes in the upcoming general elections. Trump did not talk much to the media at the army facility, and just said 'thank you' as he passed the cameras wearing a navy blue coloured face mask with a presidential seal embossed in gold. Coronavirus cases have been on a constant rise in the country. World Health Organization (WHO) reported 132,683 new positive cases in the US in the past 24 hours. Health experts are urging lawmakers to not reopen the economy, and they are also requesting locals to wear face masks and maintain social distance while out in public.

Donald Trump spotted wearing a mask for the first time in public

Goya Foods Inc is a popular&nbsp;Hispanic-owned food company in Latino Americans. However, the company is now in news not because of its great food, but because of a boycott campaign.

Bob Unanue, the CEO of Goya Foods, was invited to the White House&nbsp;for the signing of an executive order creating an advisory panel aimed at spurring Hispanic prosperity.

<a href="Trump signs order for better educational and economical opportunities for Hispanic Americans">Also&nbsp;read:&nbsp;Trump signs order for better educational and economical opportunities for Hispanic Americans</a>

In that meeting, Unanue said,&nbsp;"We`re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder, and that`s what my grandfather did," said Unanue, the third generation of his family to run the business. "We pray for our leadership, our president, and we pray for our country that we will continue to prosper and to grow."

The CEO was not expecting the backlash that came his way after that.

Donald Trump, who is re-running for President this year, has often been labelled as a racist. This move, therefore, was seen as a move to attract the voters of a key constituency who have often felt alienated by his policies and political rhetoric.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-hes-working-on-new-merit-based-us-immigration-system-312449">Also read:&nbsp;Trump says he's working on new merit-based US immigration system</a>

Therefore, the CEO praising Trump did not do well with the Hispanic community. Locals took to Twitter to protest against this statement, and #Goyaway and #BoycottGoya started trending on Twitter.

Trump supporters, on the other hand, supported the company by urging people to buy more products of Goya Foods. To lend support to his new friend, Trump tweeted, "I LOVE @GoyaFoods!"

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I LOVE <a href="https://twitter.com/GoyaFoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoyaFoods</a>!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1281731565278515202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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While people are divided on whether or not the boycott call is justified,&nbsp;Unanue in an interview with Fox channel made it clear that he will not apologize for his statement.

"I`m not apologizing," he told Fox News. "When you`re called by the president of the United States, you`re going to say, `No, I`m sorry, I`m busy, no thank you?` I didn`t say that to the Obamas and I didn`t say that to President Trump."

Lending support to Goya Foods,&nbsp;White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said, "It`s just a shame that people make everything so politicized, including food."

Goya Foods Inc is a popular Hispanic-owned food company in Latino Americans. However, the company is now in news not because of its great food, but because of a boycott campaign.

Goya Foods Inc is a popular Hispanic-owned food company in Latino Americans. However, the company is now in news not because of its great food, but because of a boycott campaign. Bob Unanue, the CEO of Goya Foods, was invited to the White House for the signing of an executive order creating an advisory panel aimed at spurring Hispanic prosperity. Also read: Trump signs order for better educational and economical opportunities for Hispanic Americans In that meeting, Unanue said, "We`re all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder, and that`s what my grandfather did," said Unanue, the third generation of his family to run the business. "We pray for our leadership, our president, and we pray for our country that we will continue to prosper and to grow." The CEO was not expecting the backlash that came his way after that. Donald Trump, who is re-running for President this year, has often been labelled as a racist. This move, therefore, was seen as a move to attract the voters of a key constituency who have often felt alienated by his policies and political rhetoric. Also read: Trump says he's working on new merit-based US immigration system Therefore, the CEO praising Trump did not do well with the Hispanic community. Locals took to Twitter to protest against this statement, and #Goyaway and #BoycottGoya started trending on Twitter. Trump supporters, on the other hand, supported the company by urging people to buy more products of Goya Foods. To lend support to his new friend, Trump tweeted, "I LOVE @GoyaFoods!" I LOVE @GoyaFoods! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2020 × While people are divided on whether or not the boycott call is justified, Unanue in an interview with Fox channel made it clear that he will not apologize for his statement. "I`m not apologizing," he told Fox News. "When you`re called by the president of the United States, you`re going to say, `No, I`m sorry, I`m busy, no thank you?` I didn`t say that to the Obamas and I didn`t say that to President Trump." Lending support to Goya Foods, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said, "It`s just a shame that people make everything so politicized, including food."

Goya Foods faces backlash with #BoycottGoya trending; Trump lends support

US President Donald Trump is working on an executive order to establish a merit-based immigration system, the White House has said.

"I'm going to do a big executive order. I have the power to do it as president and I'm going to make DACA a part of it," Trump said in an interview with Telemundo Noticias.

DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

It began in 2012 under then-president Barack Obama and has allowed some 700,000 people brought without papers to the United States as children to live, work and study without danger of being deported. Most of them are Latin American.

In 2017, Trump tried to cancel the programme but the Supreme Court ruled last week that the administration had acted with weak legal justification and it let DACA stand for now.

The ruling suggested there are legal administrative methods Trump could use to cancel DACA, putting the onus back on the administration if it wants to pursue the issue.&nbsp;

Trump said in the interview that in the wake of the court ruling, he would issue an order addressing migration issues that include DACA.

"We're going to have a road to citizenship," he said.

Trump is facing an uphill battle to reelection in November and has made cutting immigration -- both legal and illegal -- a cornerstone of a platform aimed at his white, working-class base.

Hours after Trump spoke, the White House put out a statement that seemed to walk back his remarks on creating a path to citizenship for DACA beneficiaries. &nbsp;

"As the President announced today, he is working on an executive order to establish a merit-based immigration system to further protect US workers," White House spokesman Judd Deere said.

"Furthermore, the President has long said he is willing to work with Congress on a negotiated legislative solution to DACA, one that could include citizenship, along with strong border security and permanent merit-based reforms," he added.

"This does not include amnesty. Unfortunately, Democrats have continually refused these offers as they are opposed to anything other than totally open borders," said the White House in a statement.

During the interview, Donald Trump alleged the Opposition broke the deal with him on the DACA.

"I had a deal with the Democrats and they broke the deal. The DACA could have been taken care of two years ago, but the Democrats broke the deal. All of a sudden they just broke it for no reason. Actually, they had a court case that slightly went their way, and they said, 'Oh, let's not talk about the deal anymore,'" he said.

(with inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump is working on an executive order to establish a merit-based immigration system, the White House has said. "I'm going to do a big executive order.

US President Donald Trump is working on an executive order to establish a merit-based immigration system, the White House has said. "I'm going to do a big executive order. I have the power to do it as president and I'm going to make DACA a part of it," Trump said in an interview with Telemundo Noticias. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It began in 2012 under then-president Barack Obama and has allowed some 700,000 people brought without papers to the United States as children to live, work and study without danger of being deported. Most of them are Latin American. In 2017, Trump tried to cancel the programme but the Supreme Court ruled last week that the administration had acted with weak legal justification and it let DACA stand for now. The ruling suggested there are legal administrative methods Trump could use to cancel DACA, putting the onus back on the administration if it wants to pursue the issue. Trump said in the interview that in the wake of the court ruling, he would issue an order addressing migration issues that include DACA. "We're going to have a road to citizenship," he said. Trump is facing an uphill battle to reelection in November and has made cutting immigration -- both legal and illegal -- a cornerstone of a platform aimed at his white, working-class base. Hours after Trump spoke, the White House put out a statement that seemed to walk back his remarks on creating a path to citizenship for DACA beneficiaries. "As the President announced today, he is working on an executive order to establish a merit-based immigration system to further protect US workers," White House spokesman Judd Deere said. "Furthermore, the President has long said he is willing to work with Congress on a negotiated legislative solution to DACA, one that could include citizenship, along with strong border security and permanent merit-based reforms," he added. "This does not include amnesty. Unfortunately, Democrats have continually refused these offers as they are opposed to anything other than totally open borders," said the White House in a statement. During the interview, Donald Trump alleged the Opposition broke the deal with him on the DACA. "I had a deal with the Democrats and they broke the deal. The DACA could have been taken care of two years ago, but the Democrats broke the deal. All of a sudden they just broke it for no reason. Actually, they had a court case that slightly went their way, and they said, 'Oh, let's not talk about the deal anymore,'" he said. (with inputs from agencies)

Trump says he's working on new merit-based US immigration system

New York City prosecutors are very likely to obtain President Donald Trump`s tax returns after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling, but it may not happen before the Nov. 3 election if he argues in lower courts as expected that their request was too broad and made in bad faith, legal experts said.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance is seeking eight years of Trump`s business and personal tax returns and other financial documents as part of a criminal investigation involving a grand jury into the Republican president and the Trump Organization, his family`s real estate business.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-supreme-court-rules-on-donald-trumps-tax-records-312115">Also watch:&nbsp;US Supreme Court rules on Donald Trump's tax records</a>

"I believe the district attorney and the grand jury will get the requested documents, but not right away," said Jessica Roth, a professor at Cardozo School of Law in New York and a former federal prosecutor. "We have many weeks and months of further litigation ahead."

The Republican president, a wealthy real estate developer who refused to give up his holdings in the family business after taking office, has fought hard to keep details of his finances secret.The Republican president, a wealthy real estate developer who refused to give up his holdings in the family business after taking office, has fought hard to keep details of his finances secret. Trump has refused to release his tax returns as other presidents have done and sued to try to block enforcement of subpoenas by Democratic lawmakers and prosecutors for his financial records.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against Trump`s bid to block Vance`s subpoena to Trump`s accounting firm Mazars USA for the financial records, rejecting the president`s claim of absolute presidential immunity from criminal proceedings.

But the justices sent the matter back to lower courts for further litigation, giving Trump the opportunity to object to the subpoena on other grounds.

The ruling, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, said Trump "can challenge the subpoena as an attempt to influence the performance of his official duties. And he can argue that compliance with a particular subpoena would impede his constitutional duties."

"We`re evaluating the appropriate next course of action," Jay Sekulow, Trump`s personal lawyer, said on Friday.

Trump could argue that the subpoena is too burdensome or was issued in bad faith because of political motivations, said George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, who testified last year as a Republican witness in House of Representatives Trump impeachment hearings.

'Really hard argument'

Trump is unlikely to convince a court that the subpoena is too burdensome because it seeks information from Mazars, a third party, and not the president himself, said Harry Sandick, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan. 
"Burden is a really hard argument to make," Sandick said.

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, who is presiding over the case, said last October he had seen little evidence of political bias in Vance`s pursuit of the financial records.

Roth said evidence that has been public, including congressional testimony by Trump`s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, provides a "reasonable basis" for Vance`s investigation. Cohen told lawmakers that Trump had inflated and deflated certain assets on financial statements between 2011 and 2013 in part to reduce his real estate taxes.

A loss for Trump before Marrero could still be appealed to the Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, likely delaying production of the documents until after the presidential election in which Trump is seeking a second four-year term in office against Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

Sandick said he expects that prosecutors will obtain the tax returns from Mazars in late 2020 or early 2021. 
Roth said prosecutors could get hold of the documents by November if Marrero rules quickly, which he has shown a tendency to do so far, and his ruling is quickly upheld on appeal.

Even if the financial records are turned over before the election, they likely would not be made public quickly barring an illegal leak to media, Sandick said. Under U.S. law, grand jury materials must be kept secret, though they could eventually end up in publicly available court filings if a criminal case is brought in the investigation against Trump or someone else.

"This process is going to be frustrating for many members of the public," Sandick said. "But it is just the price we pay for having a legal system that lets people make arguments."

Vance`s investigation was launched after disclosures of hush payments to two women who said they had past sexual relationships with Trump, pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal - relationships he has denied.

New York City prosecutors are very likely to obtain President Donald Trump`s tax returns after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling, but it may not happen before the Nov.

New York City prosecutors are very likely to obtain President Donald Trump`s tax returns after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling, but it may not happen before the Nov. 3 election if he argues in lower courts as expected that their request was too broad and made in bad faith, legal experts said. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance is seeking eight years of Trump`s business and personal tax returns and other financial documents as part of a criminal investigation involving a grand jury into the Republican president and the Trump Organization, his family`s real estate business. Also watch: US Supreme Court rules on Donald Trump's tax records "I believe the district attorney and the grand jury will get the requested documents, but not right away," said Jessica Roth, a professor at Cardozo School of Law in New York and a former federal prosecutor. "We have many weeks and months of further litigation ahead." The Republican president, a wealthy real estate developer who refused to give up his holdings in the family business after taking office, has fought hard to keep details of his finances secret.The Republican president, a wealthy real estate developer who refused to give up his holdings in the family business after taking office, has fought hard to keep details of his finances secret. Trump has refused to release his tax returns as other presidents have done and sued to try to block enforcement of subpoenas by Democratic lawmakers and prosecutors for his financial records. The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against Trump`s bid to block Vance`s subpoena to Trump`s accounting firm Mazars USA for the financial records, rejecting the president`s claim of absolute presidential immunity from criminal proceedings. But the justices sent the matter back to lower courts for further litigation, giving Trump the opportunity to object to the subpoena on other grounds. The ruling, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, said Trump "can challenge the subpoena as an attempt to influence the performance of his official duties. And he can argue that compliance with a particular subpoena would impede his constitutional duties." "We`re evaluating the appropriate next course of action," Jay Sekulow, Trump`s personal lawyer, said on Friday. Trump could argue that the subpoena is too burdensome or was issued in bad faith because of political motivations, said George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, who testified last year as a Republican witness in House of Representatives Trump impeachment hearings. 'Really hard argument' Trump is unlikely to convince a court that the subpoena is too burdensome because it seeks information from Mazars, a third party, and not the president himself, said Harry Sandick, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan. "Burden is a really hard argument to make," Sandick said. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, who is presiding over the case, said last October he had seen little evidence of political bias in Vance`s pursuit of the financial records. Roth said evidence that has been public, including congressional testimony by Trump`s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, provides a "reasonable basis" for Vance`s investigation. Cohen told lawmakers that Trump had inflated and deflated certain assets on financial statements between 2011 and 2013 in part to reduce his real estate taxes. A loss for Trump before Marrero could still be appealed to the Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, likely delaying production of the documents until after the presidential election in which Trump is seeking a second four-year term in office against Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Sandick said he expects that prosecutors will obtain the tax returns from Mazars in late 2020 or early 2021. Roth said prosecutors could get hold of the documents by November if Marrero rules quickly, which he has shown a tendency to do so far, and his ruling is quickly upheld on appeal. Even if the financial records are turned over before the election, they likely would not be made public quickly barring an illegal leak to media, Sandick said. Under U.S. law, grand jury materials must be kept secret, though they could eventually end up in publicly available court filings if a criminal case is brought in the investigation against Trump or someone else. "This process is going to be frustrating for many members of the public," Sandick said. "But it is just the price we pay for having a legal system that lets people make arguments." Vance`s investigation was launched after disclosures of hush payments to two women who said they had past sexual relationships with Trump, pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal - relationships he has denied.

Prosecutors may not get Trump tax records until after election, experts say

With a surge in number of positive coronavirus cases in the US and upcoming elections,&nbsp;the Trump administration is getting quite desperate to make all arrangements of not only finding a cure/vaccine, but also getting it to the citizens.

In such a move, the Trump administration has agreed to invest more than half a billion in tax dollars in ApiJect Systems America, a new company whose&nbsp;injector is not approved by federal health authorities and the company hasn't yet set up a factory to manufacture the devices.

“The fact of this matter is, it would be crazy for people to just rely on us. I would be the first to say it,” said ApiJect CEO Jay Walker. “We should be America's backup at this point, but probably not its primary.”

ApiJect, which has only developed 1,000 prototypes so far, is not clear whether those devices can deliver the vaccines that are currently in development.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-going-to-be-bullied-or-threatened-by-the-president-experts-react-to-trumps-threats-of-reopening-us-schools-312427">Also read|&nbsp;Not going to be bullied or threatened by the President: Experts react to Trump's threats of reopening US schools</a>

The Founder of the company, Marc Koska, has been working on creating an ultra low-cost prefilled syringe that would reduce the need to reuse needles in the developing world. With no intentions of delivering a vaccine to the entire nation, the US government has now, in very surprising turns of events, become his biggest customer. The move was strange as the company received a no-bid contract from&nbsp;Defence Department under an exception for “unusual and compelling urgency."

The government promised ApiJect $138 million to produce 100 million of its devices by the end of the year, which will require the company to retrofit new manufacturing lines in existing factories.

In addition to this, the company has been offered another $456 million as part of a public-private partnership contract to bring online several new factories to make another 500 million devices to “contain the pandemic spread to minimize the loss of life and impact to the United States economy,” said the document.

The product was spotted by Admiral Brett P. Giroir, HHS's assistant secretary for health, at the World Health Organization's Global Conference on Primary Health Care in Astana, Kazakhstan. Walker had presented the prototype to Giroir just to explain the work that his company was trying to achieve, and Giroir was adamant on having this product in the US.

Koska said Giroir was “blown away” by their technology and told them that if a pandemic hit, the strategic national stockpile was going to need a very fast way to get injections filled with vaccines or therapeutics and ready to deliver.

So few weeks later when the pandemic hit and a call for a possible shortage of needles was made,&nbsp;ApiJect, unexpectedly, found a no-bid contract from the US government.

(With inputs from agencies)

With a surge in number of positive coronavirus cases in the US and upcoming elections, the Trump administration is getting quite desperate to make all arrangements of not only finding a cure/vaccine, but also getting it to the citizens.

With a surge in number of positive coronavirus cases in the US and upcoming elections, the Trump administration is getting quite desperate to make all arrangements of not only finding a cure/vaccine, but also getting it to the citizens. In such a move, the Trump administration has agreed to invest more than half a billion in tax dollars in ApiJect Systems America, a new company whose injector is not approved by federal health authorities and the company hasn't yet set up a factory to manufacture the devices. “The fact of this matter is, it would be crazy for people to just rely on us. I would be the first to say it,” said ApiJect CEO Jay Walker. “We should be America's backup at this point, but probably not its primary.” ApiJect, which has only developed 1,000 prototypes so far, is not clear whether those devices can deliver the vaccines that are currently in development. Also read| Not going to be bullied or threatened by the President: Experts react to Trump's threats of reopening US schools The Founder of the company, Marc Koska, has been working on creating an ultra low-cost prefilled syringe that would reduce the need to reuse needles in the developing world. With no intentions of delivering a vaccine to the entire nation, the US government has now, in very surprising turns of events, become his biggest customer. The move was strange as the company received a no-bid contract from Defence Department under an exception for “unusual and compelling urgency." The government promised ApiJect $138 million to produce 100 million of its devices by the end of the year, which will require the company to retrofit new manufacturing lines in existing factories. In addition to this, the company has been offered another $456 million as part of a public-private partnership contract to bring online several new factories to make another 500 million devices to “contain the pandemic spread to minimize the loss of life and impact to the United States economy,” said the document. The product was spotted by Admiral Brett P. Giroir, HHS's assistant secretary for health, at the World Health Organization's Global Conference on Primary Health Care in Astana, Kazakhstan. Walker had presented the prototype to Giroir just to explain the work that his company was trying to achieve, and Giroir was adamant on having this product in the US. Koska said Giroir was “blown away” by their technology and told them that if a pandemic hit, the strategic national stockpile was going to need a very fast way to get injections filled with vaccines or therapeutics and ready to deliver. So few weeks later when the pandemic hit and a call for a possible shortage of needles was made, ApiJect, unexpectedly, found a no-bid contract from the US government. (With inputs from agencies)

US invests heavily in a company, without a factory, to deliver COVID-19 vaccine

Former lawyer of the US President Donald Trump has been put behind bars after he refused to adhere to a gag order&nbsp; as a condition of serving his criminal sentence under home confinement.

Michael Cohen, 53, was taken to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, according to his lawyer, Jeffrey Levine. Cohen has now been jailed for the second time, after he was earlier released in May from New York federal prison over concerns of possible exposure to coronavirus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-coronavirus-cases-rise-by-record-60565-in-a-single-day-312106">Also read:&nbsp;US coronavirus cases rise by record 60,565 in a single day</a>

Cohen had earlier been proven guilty in cases of hush money, various financial crimes and lying to Congress over construction plans of Trump Tower in Moscow. He had served one out of three year sentence, and was originally eligible for a release in November 2021. But he was given a discount due to the pandemic.

On Thursday, he was ordered to a federal courthouse in Manhattan to convert his furlough to home confinement, Levine said outside of the courthouse. He was asked to not contact the media in any form, whether it was the news media or social media. However, objection from his side led to him being put behind bars again as the&nbsp;US&nbsp;Marshals Service&nbsp;came with "shackles" and ordered Cohen remanded to the jail in Brooklyn.

"I've never seen any language like this in my life," Levine said.

The order for arrest came after Cohen was spotted outside a restaurant, which he says did not violate the terms of his home confinment.&nbsp;He said Levine told him that, when Cohen objected to giving up his book and other First Amendment rights, the authorities said they would try to work it out. But instead, 90 minutes later, the U.S. marshals showed up with shackles and an order to arrest Cohen.

Trump has maintained a distance from Cohen, whom he has publically called a "rat", and Cohen, in return, has termed Trump as a "racist," a "con man" and "a cheat."

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...anticipated release date will be late September.
— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelCohen212/status/1278648268285792258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Cohen is also writing a book about Donald Trump about which he has said "there is so much I want to say and intend to say. But now is not the right time. Soon."

Levine said he would try to get Cohen`s arrest order vacated.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Former lawyer of the US President Donald Trump has been put behind bars after he refused to adhere to a gag order as a condition of serving his criminal sentence under home confinement.

Former lawyer of the US President Donald Trump has been put behind bars after he refused to adhere to a gag order as a condition of serving his criminal sentence under home confinement. Michael Cohen, 53, was taken to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, according to his lawyer, Jeffrey Levine. Cohen has now been jailed for the second time, after he was earlier released in May from New York federal prison over concerns of possible exposure to coronavirus. Also read: US coronavirus cases rise by record 60,565 in a single day Cohen had earlier been proven guilty in cases of hush money, various financial crimes and lying to Congress over construction plans of Trump Tower in Moscow. He had served one out of three year sentence, and was originally eligible for a release in November 2021. But he was given a discount due to the pandemic. On Thursday, he was ordered to a federal courthouse in Manhattan to convert his furlough to home confinement, Levine said outside of the courthouse. He was asked to not contact the media in any form, whether it was the news media or social media. However, objection from his side led to him being put behind bars again as the US Marshals Service came with "shackles" and ordered Cohen remanded to the jail in Brooklyn. "I've never seen any language like this in my life," Levine said. The order for arrest came after Cohen was spotted outside a restaurant, which he says did not violate the terms of his home confinment. He said Levine told him that, when Cohen objected to giving up his book and other First Amendment rights, the authorities said they would try to work it out. But instead, 90 minutes later, the U.S. marshals showed up with shackles and an order to arrest Cohen. Trump has maintained a distance from Cohen, whom he has publically called a "rat", and Cohen, in return, has termed Trump as a "racist," a "con man" and "a cheat." ...anticipated release date will be late September. — Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) July 2, 2020 × Cohen is also writing a book about Donald Trump about which he has said "there is so much I want to say and intend to say. But now is not the right time. Soon." Levine said he would try to get Cohen`s arrest order vacated. (With inputs from Reuters)

Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, back in jail after home confinement fails

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order with the aim of providing better access and quality of education and economic opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

"The executive order I will sign in a few moments will expand our efforts across all of federal government to deliver educational and economic opportunity for Hispanic Americans," Trump said at the White House.

This order will help improve the access to educational, training and economic opportunities for Hispanic American students. Under this program, the Hispanic American students will be provided with better school choice, personalized learning, family engagement, civics education, and pathways to in-demand jobs.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/challenging-trump-on-economy-biden-unveils-700-bn-recovery-plan-312141">Also read:&nbsp;Challenging Trump on economy, Biden unveils $700 bn recovery plan</a>

The executive order also establishes the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative and Interagency Working Group. It also creates the President`s Advisory Commission on Hispanic Prosperity.

The signing of order, so close to elections, is being seen as a move to get more votes from the community, as a poll conducted by&nbsp;&nbsp;Quinnipiac University last month had revealed that almost&nbsp;57 per cent of Hispanic voters in the United States support former Vice President Joe Biden, while only 31 per cent support Trump.

However, Biden has now lost 9 per cent points compared to a previous poll conducted by the organisation while Trump gained 3 per cent points.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order with the aim of providing better access and quality of education and economic opportunities for Hispanic Americans.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order with the aim of providing better access and quality of education and economic opportunities for Hispanic Americans. "The executive order I will sign in a few moments will expand our efforts across all of federal government to deliver educational and economic opportunity for Hispanic Americans," Trump said at the White House. This order will help improve the access to educational, training and economic opportunities for Hispanic American students. Under this program, the Hispanic American students will be provided with better school choice, personalized learning, family engagement, civics education, and pathways to in-demand jobs. Also read: Challenging Trump on economy, Biden unveils $700 bn recovery plan The executive order also establishes the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative and Interagency Working Group. It also creates the President`s Advisory Commission on Hispanic Prosperity. The signing of order, so close to elections, is being seen as a move to get more votes from the community, as a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University last month had revealed that almost 57 per cent of Hispanic voters in the United States support former Vice President Joe Biden, while only 31 per cent support Trump. However, Biden has now lost 9 per cent points compared to a previous poll conducted by the organisation while Trump gained 3 per cent points.

Trump signs order for better educational and economical opportunities for Hispanic Americans

US President Donald Trump once paid a proxy to take a standardised college entrance exam for him when he was a high school student, his niece has claimed in a tell-all book scheduled to be published next week.

According to a report by The New York Times, Mary Trump -- in the book "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man" -- writes that the president paid someone to take the SAT, an entrance exam used by most US universities, in his place.

“The high score the proxy earned for him helped the young Mr Trump to later gain admittance as an undergraduate to the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton business school,” a manuscript of the book read.

White House senior advisor Kellyanne Conway, when asked about the book on Tuesday, told reporters at the White House that it was a family matter.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Tuesday: “It’s a book of falsehoods and that’s about it.”

US President Donald Trump once paid a proxy to take a standardised college entrance exam for him when he was a high school student, his niece has claimed in a tell-all book scheduled to be published next week.

US President Donald Trump once paid a proxy to take a standardised college entrance exam for him when he was a high school student, his niece has claimed in a tell-all book scheduled to be published next week. According to a report by The New York Times, Mary Trump -- in the book "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man" -- writes that the president paid someone to take the SAT, an entrance exam used by most US universities, in his place. “The high score the proxy earned for him helped the young Mr Trump to later gain admittance as an undergraduate to the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton business school,” a manuscript of the book read. White House senior advisor Kellyanne Conway, when asked about the book on Tuesday, told reporters at the White House that it was a family matter. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Tuesday: “It’s a book of falsehoods and that’s about it.”

Trump paid proxy to take college entrance exam for him, claims niece's new book

US President Donald Trump claimed&nbsp;"tremendous victory" was at hand against the pandemic on the Fourth of July national holiday, despite a surge in coronavirus cases across the United States. A date before the national holiday, the country witnessed over 50,000 cases with Florida and Texas reporting most of the cases.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-decides-to-go-big-for-july-4-amid-rising-coronavirus-cases-310726">Trump decides to 'go big' for July 4 amid rising coronavirus cases</a>

“It’s going to happen and it’s going to happen big,” the president said in a message to the nation. “Our country will be greater than ever before.”

The United States is the worst-hit country in terms of coronavirus pandemic with over 2.8 million cases and 130,000 deaths.&nbsp;

However, Trump claimed: “We were doing better than any country had done in history ... and then we got hit with this terrible plague from China and now we’re getting closer to fighting our way out of it.”

“Our country is coming back, our jobs numbers are spectacular, a lot of things are happening that people don’t quite see yet. We’re on our way to a tremendous victory. It’s going to happen and it’s going to happen big. Our country will be greater than ever before,” he added.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-blasts-left-wing-cultural-revolution-rails-against-removal-of-statues-at-mount-rushmore-310621">Trump blasts 'left wing cultural revolution'; rails against removal of statues at Mount Rushmore</a>

The Federal jobs did show an increase in numbers, however, experts say that these figures were drawn out from the beginning of economic reopening, before a consequent surge in cases.

Trump took to social media platform Twitter to reassert his claim and wrote: “if we didn’t test so much and so successfully, we would have very few cases”, and said: “In the meantime, deaths and the all important mortality rate goes down.”

According to the health experts, the US mortality rate has fallen due to testing, treatment and the age and health profile of those now being infected. Any increase in mortality would be expected to lag behind a rise in diagnoses.

US President Donald Trump claimed "tremendous victory" was at hand against the pandemic on the Fourth of July national holiday, despite a surge in coronavirus cases across the United States.

US President Donald Trump claimed "tremendous victory" was at hand against the pandemic on the Fourth of July national holiday, despite a surge in coronavirus cases across the United States. A date before the national holiday, the country witnessed over 50,000 cases with Florida and Texas reporting most of the cases. Also read: Trump decides to 'go big' for July 4 amid rising coronavirus cases “It’s going to happen and it’s going to happen big,” the president said in a message to the nation. “Our country will be greater than ever before.” The United States is the worst-hit country in terms of coronavirus pandemic with over 2.8 million cases and 130,000 deaths. However, Trump claimed: “We were doing better than any country had done in history ... and then we got hit with this terrible plague from China and now we’re getting closer to fighting our way out of it.” “Our country is coming back, our jobs numbers are spectacular, a lot of things are happening that people don’t quite see yet. We’re on our way to a tremendous victory. It’s going to happen and it’s going to happen big. Our country will be greater than ever before,” he added. Also read: Trump blasts 'left wing cultural revolution'; rails against removal of statues at Mount Rushmore The Federal jobs did show an increase in numbers, however, experts say that these figures were drawn out from the beginning of economic reopening, before a consequent surge in cases. Trump took to social media platform Twitter to reassert his claim and wrote: “if we didn’t test so much and so successfully, we would have very few cases”, and said: “In the meantime, deaths and the all important mortality rate goes down.” According to the health experts, the US mortality rate has fallen due to testing, treatment and the age and health profile of those now being infected. Any increase in mortality would be expected to lag behind a rise in diagnoses.

Despite surge in COVID-19 cases, US president Donald Trump says 'tremendous victory' nearby in fight against pandemic

Donald Trump does not like toppling of the statues of racists and he has made it clear in the past too, in his speeches and tweets.

This time, the President of the United States has gone to the limit of creating a 'wanted' poster for the people who even attempted to topple the statues.

On Friday, Donald Trump tweeted calling for arrest of protestors involved in this week's attempt to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson from a park directly in front of the White House.

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MANY people in custody, with many others being sought for Vandalization of Federal Property in Lafayette Park. 10 year prison sentences! <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIWFO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBIWFO</a> <a href="https://t.co/mrLyxbWNvq">pic.twitter.com/mrLyxbWNvq</a>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1276564734465249280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The President also announced that he has cancelled his plans of spending the weekend at his New Jersey home to make sure that law and order is maintained.

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I was going to go to Bedminster, New Jersey, this weekend, but wanted to stay in Washington, D.C. to make sure LAW &amp; ORDER is enforced. The arsonists, anarchists, looters, and agitators have been largely stopped...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1276625240341307398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"I am doing what is necessary to keep our communities safe — and these people will be brought to Justice!," he further tweeted.

The tweet came out after last week a group of people tried to remove the statue from&nbsp;Lafayette Park, a park which lies opposite to the White House, and was opened to the public after a series of Black Lives Matter protests.

This incident happened after the crowd pulled down Albert Pike's statue on June 19, aka Juneteenth, which greatly upset the President, who called it a "disgrace to the country".

"I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such Federal property in the U.S. With up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran's Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent.....," he had tweeted on Tuesday.

Donald Trump does not like toppling of the statues of racists and he has made it clear in the past too, in his speeches and tweets. This time, the President of the United States has gone to the limit of creating a 'wanted' poster for the people who even attempted to topple the statues.

Donald Trump does not like toppling of the statues of racists and he has made it clear in the past too, in his speeches and tweets. This time, the President of the United States has gone to the limit of creating a 'wanted' poster for the people who even attempted to topple the statues. On Friday, Donald Trump tweeted calling for arrest of protestors involved in this week's attempt to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson from a park directly in front of the White House. MANY people in custody, with many others being sought for Vandalization of Federal Property in Lafayette Park. 10 year prison sentences! @FBIWFO pic.twitter.com/mrLyxbWNvq — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2020 × The President also announced that he has cancelled his plans of spending the weekend at his New Jersey home to make sure that law and order is maintained. I was going to go to Bedminster, New Jersey, this weekend, but wanted to stay in Washington, D.C. to make sure LAW & ORDER is enforced. The arsonists, anarchists, looters, and agitators have been largely stopped... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2020 × "I am doing what is necessary to keep our communities safe — and these people will be brought to Justice!," he further tweeted. The tweet came out after last week a group of people tried to remove the statue from Lafayette Park, a park which lies opposite to the White House, and was opened to the public after a series of Black Lives Matter protests. This incident happened after the crowd pulled down Albert Pike's statue on June 19, aka Juneteenth, which greatly upset the President, who called it a "disgrace to the country". "I have authorized the Federal Government to arrest anyone who vandalizes or destroys any monument, statue or other such Federal property in the U.S. With up to 10 years in prison, per the Veteran's Memorial Preservation Act, or such other laws that may be pertinent.....," he had tweeted on Tuesday.

Trump issues 'wanted' poster for people who vandalized statues

After reports of a possible Russian military intelligence unit secretly offering bounties to kill the American troops in Afghanistan broke out, White House clarified that the US President Donald Trump and the Vicep President Mike Pence had not been briefed on the matter.

"The United States receives thousands of intelligence reports a day and they are subject to strict scrutiny," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/baseless-russia-denies-accusation-of-giving-bounties-to-taliban-to-attack-us-forces-308996">Also read|&nbsp;'Baseless': Russia denies accusation of giving bounties to Taliban to attack US forces</a>

The statement had to be issued after one of the leading national newspapers published an article claiming that an unnamed source from the White House had revealed that the President was informed about the intelligence report in a closed-doors meeting, but the President had failed to act on it.

However, the McEnany, on Saturday, clarified against this claim and said that&nbsp;"the CIA Director, National Security Advisor, and the Chief of Staff can all confirm that neither the President nor the Vice President was briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence."

She also added that she issued the statement to highlight the inaccuracy of the newspaper that published that article with the claims made by the unnamed source.

There has been no comment from Donald Trump and Mike Pence on this matter yet.

Russia, meanwhile, has denied the accusation of offering bounties to attack the US forces.

After reports of a possible Russian military intelligence unit secretly offering bounties to kill the American troops in Afghanistan broke out, White House clarified that the US President Donald Trump and the Vicep President Mike Pence had not been briefed on the matter.

After reports of a possible Russian military intelligence unit secretly offering bounties to kill the American troops in Afghanistan broke out, White House clarified that the US President Donald Trump and the Vicep President Mike Pence had not been briefed on the matter. "The United States receives thousands of intelligence reports a day and they are subject to strict scrutiny," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. Also read| 'Baseless': Russia denies accusation of giving bounties to Taliban to attack US forces The statement had to be issued after one of the leading national newspapers published an article claiming that an unnamed source from the White House had revealed that the President was informed about the intelligence report in a closed-doors meeting, but the President had failed to act on it. However, the McEnany, on Saturday, clarified against this claim and said that "the CIA Director, National Security Advisor, and the Chief of Staff can all confirm that neither the President nor the Vice President was briefed on the alleged Russian bounty intelligence." She also added that she issued the statement to highlight the inaccuracy of the newspaper that published that article with the claims made by the unnamed source. There has been no comment from Donald Trump and Mike Pence on this matter yet. Russia, meanwhile, has denied the accusation of offering bounties to attack the US forces.

Inaccurate: White House rubbishes reports of Trump's failed actions on Russian bounties' case

After Trump's Tulsa rally, a video emerged on the local news channels that apparently captured the US President Donald Trump's volunteers&nbsp;removing the social distancing stickers from his rally's venue.

The video reportedly showed the volunteers tearing off the labels placed on the seats by the organizers that read,&nbsp;“Do Not Sit Here, Please!".

The labels were placed under the guidelines issued by several health experts who have advised everyone to maintain a social distance to avoid the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/k-pop-fans-and-tiktok-users-played-trump-hundreds-of-seats-remain-empty-in-tulsa-rally-307532">Also read:&nbsp;K-Pop fans and TikTok users played Trump; hundreds of seats remain empty in Tulsa rally</a>

The rally was held at&nbsp;BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

It has been reported that the decision to remove the labels came directly from the main man, Donald Trump, himself, who has started campaigning in the hope of winning a second term at the White House.

The story, which was officially released by the Billboard magazine, and the video was published by the Washington Post, has added fuel to the fire of the existing criticism of the poor handling of the pandemic by the President.

It has also been reported by that the campaign staff, who were present in Tulsa, have been emailed with the order that they have to obtain a negative COVID-19 test this weekend. Meanwhile, eight staff members from Trump's administration have tested positive since the Tulsa rally.

The video is unavailable now.

After Trump's Tulsa rally, a video emerged on the local news channels that apparently captured the US President Donald Trump's volunteers removing the social distancing stickers from his rally's venue.

After Trump's Tulsa rally, a video emerged on the local news channels that apparently captured the US President Donald Trump's volunteers removing the social distancing stickers from his rally's venue. The video reportedly showed the volunteers tearing off the labels placed on the seats by the organizers that read, “Do Not Sit Here, Please!". The labels were placed under the guidelines issued by several health experts who have advised everyone to maintain a social distance to avoid the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus. Also read: K-Pop fans and TikTok users played Trump; hundreds of seats remain empty in Tulsa rally The rally was held at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has been reported that the decision to remove the labels came directly from the main man, Donald Trump, himself, who has started campaigning in the hope of winning a second term at the White House. The story, which was officially released by the Billboard magazine, and the video was published by the Washington Post, has added fuel to the fire of the existing criticism of the poor handling of the pandemic by the President. It has also been reported by that the campaign staff, who were present in Tulsa, have been emailed with the order that they have to obtain a negative COVID-19 test this weekend. Meanwhile, eight staff members from Trump's administration have tested positive since the Tulsa rally. The video is unavailable now.

Trump asked volunteers to remove social distancing labels in Tulsa rally: reports

Donald Trump's brother has asked another court to halt publication of a tell-all book by the president's niece, after his first bid was rejected by a New York City judge.

Robert Trump's lawyers say the niece, Mary Trump, signed a legal settlement with several Trump family members nearly two decades ago that included a confidentiality clause barring her from publishing the book.

They said the deal included a "substantial financial settlement" for Mary Trump.

Surrogates Court Judge Peter Kelly in New York City dismissed Robert Trump's request for an injunction Thursday, saying the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case. Robert Trump's lawyers filed another injunction request Friday in Supreme Court in Dutchess County, New York, where Robert Trump lives.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/book-trouble-trumps-niece-ready-to-release-tell-all-book-about-trump-family-308659">Also read|&nbsp;Book trouble: Trump's niece ready to release tell-all book about Trump family</a>

"Mary Trump reaped the rewards of the agreement for 20 years, and now seeks to breach the agreement by cashing in on a 'tell-all' book," Charles Harder, lead attorney for Robert Trump, said in a statement Saturday.

"The enforcement of voluntary contracts is a pillar of our legal system. This private dispute has nothing to do with the First Amendment." The settlement agreement related to the will of Donald Trump's father, New York real estate developer Fred Trump.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolton-says-donald-trump-had-turned-a-blind-eye-to-coronavirus-pandemic-308499">Also read|&nbsp;Bolton says Donald Trump had turned 'a blind eye' to coronavirus pandemic</a>

Mary Trump is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., the president's elder brother, who died in 1981. An online description of her book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," says it reveals "a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse."

Her lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, said in a statement that the new legal filing "is yet another baseless attempt by the Trump family to obtain an unconstitutional prior restraint to block core political speech relating to the President."

Published accounts of the book's contents say it contains an "insider's perspective" of "countless holiday meals" and family interactions and family events, along with personal observations by Mary Trump, a psychologist, about her "supposedly toxic family," according to court papers.

In court papers, lawyers for Robert Trump said the book also has been promoted as containing insight into the "inner workings" of the Trump family and allegations that the late Fred Trump and the president neglected Mary Trump's father, "supposedly contributing to his early death."

Donald Trump's brother has asked another court to halt publication of a tell-all book by the president's niece, after his first bid was rejected by a New York City judge.

Donald Trump's brother has asked another court to halt publication of a tell-all book by the president's niece, after his first bid was rejected by a New York City judge. Robert Trump's lawyers say the niece, Mary Trump, signed a legal settlement with several Trump family members nearly two decades ago that included a confidentiality clause barring her from publishing the book. They said the deal included a "substantial financial settlement" for Mary Trump. Surrogates Court Judge Peter Kelly in New York City dismissed Robert Trump's request for an injunction Thursday, saying the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case. Robert Trump's lawyers filed another injunction request Friday in Supreme Court in Dutchess County, New York, where Robert Trump lives. Also read| Book trouble: Trump's niece ready to release tell-all book about Trump family "Mary Trump reaped the rewards of the agreement for 20 years, and now seeks to breach the agreement by cashing in on a 'tell-all' book," Charles Harder, lead attorney for Robert Trump, said in a statement Saturday. "The enforcement of voluntary contracts is a pillar of our legal system. This private dispute has nothing to do with the First Amendment." The settlement agreement related to the will of Donald Trump's father, New York real estate developer Fred Trump. Also read| Bolton says Donald Trump had turned 'a blind eye' to coronavirus pandemic Mary Trump is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., the president's elder brother, who died in 1981. An online description of her book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," says it reveals "a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse." Her lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, said in a statement that the new legal filing "is yet another baseless attempt by the Trump family to obtain an unconstitutional prior restraint to block core political speech relating to the President." Published accounts of the book's contents say it contains an "insider's perspective" of "countless holiday meals" and family interactions and family events, along with personal observations by Mary Trump, a psychologist, about her "supposedly toxic family," according to court papers. In court papers, lawyers for Robert Trump said the book also has been promoted as containing insight into the "inner workings" of the Trump family and allegations that the late Fred Trump and the president neglected Mary Trump's father, "supposedly contributing to his early death."

Trump's brother asks another court to halt niece's book

US House lawmakers made history Friday by voting for Washington to become the nation's 51st state, but the move, a push for equal voting rights for the capital's residents, is doomed in the Senate.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/baseless-russia-denies-accusation-of-giving-bounties-to-taliban-to-attack-us-forces-308996" hreflang="en">Russia denies accusation of giving bounties to Taliban to attack US forces</a>

A small chorus of cheers went up as the measure passed along party lines, with all but one Democrat in support and every voting Republican opposed.

"For more than two&nbsp;centuries, the residents of&nbsp;Washington, DC have been&nbsp;denied their full right to fully&nbsp;participate in our democracy" despite paying taxes, serving in the military and operating businesses, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the vote.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pentagon-to-give-trump-options-to-reduce-troops-in-germany-309059" hreflang="en">Pentagon to give Trump options to reduce troops in Germany</a>

"Today, we will bring&nbsp;our nation closer to the&nbsp;founding ideals that all are&nbsp;created equal and all deserve a&nbsp;say in our democracy."

More than 705,000 Americans live in the District of Columbia, a Democratic stronghold with a population greater than two states, Wyoming and Vermont, and comparable to two others.

Democratic lawmakers frame the DC statehood bill as an overdue remedy to disenfranchisement perpetuated since Congress made Washington the nation's permanent capital in 1790, and a longstanding civil rights issue for a city that's nearly 50 percent black.

The statehood vote is the first in Congress since 1993. Never has such a bill -- appropriately titled HR-51 -- cleared the House or Senate.

"Congress has two choices: it can continue to exercise undemocratic autocratic authority over" Washington, "or Congress can live up to this nation's promise and ideals and pass HR51," said Washington's House delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who does not have floor vote privileges and therefore was unable to cast a vote for DC statehood.

Under the Democratic proposal, Norton said, a small federal district would remain, encompassing government buildings, Congress, monuments, the National Mall area and the White House.

Republicans who oppose the effort say it runs counter to the intent of the framers of the US Constitution who sought to create a unique federal district not influenced by any state.

"Washington DC was set apart as a seat of government, not as a part of the federation of states that the constitution grants us," Republican Jody Hice said.

Washington officials have long bristled at Congress's role in the capital's affairs, as the US Constitution grants Congress the right to exercise control over the city's business "in all cases whatsoever."&nbsp;

Maryland and Virginia ceded land in the 1780s for the creation of a federal capital along the Potomac River.&nbsp;

But unlike other American citizens, Washington residents have never had voting representatives in Congress, leading the city to print the famous, colonial-era battle cry, "Taxation without representation," on its vehicle license plates.

In an example of unwelcome federal intervention, the president this month sent federal forces to clear out protesters near the White House without coordinating with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.

The new state would be known as Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, taking the names of the nation's first president George Washington and prominent black abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

The movement has some high-profile backers. "DC should be a state. Pass it on," tweeted Democrat Joe Biden, who is challenging Donald Trump in November's presidential election.

But House Republican Mo Brooks likened the statehood effort to a power grab by Democrats seeking "two more guaranteed leftwing senators."

Republicans float a concept known as "retrocession," in which Washington would return its residential land to Maryland, which would allow city residents to vote for senators and have a voice in Congress.

Statehood is highly unlikely to succeed for now. Trump is opposed, and Republicans who control the Senate have said they have no intention to bring it to a vote.

The last time the nation expanded was 1959, when Alaska was admitted as the 49th state on January 3 and Hawaii became the 50th state seven months later.

US House lawmakers made history Friday by voting for Washington to become the nation's 51st state, but the move, a push for equal voting rights for the capital's residents, is doomed in the Senate.

US House lawmakers made history Friday by voting for Washington to become the nation's 51st state, but the move, a push for equal voting rights for the capital's residents, is doomed in the Senate. Also read: Russia denies accusation of giving bounties to Taliban to attack US forces A small chorus of cheers went up as the measure passed along party lines, with all but one Democrat in support and every voting Republican opposed. "For more than two centuries, the residents of Washington, DC have been denied their full right to fully participate in our democracy" despite paying taxes, serving in the military and operating businesses, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the vote. Also read: Pentagon to give Trump options to reduce troops in Germany "Today, we will bring our nation closer to the founding ideals that all are created equal and all deserve a say in our democracy." More than 705,000 Americans live in the District of Columbia, a Democratic stronghold with a population greater than two states, Wyoming and Vermont, and comparable to two others. Democratic lawmakers frame the DC statehood bill as an overdue remedy to disenfranchisement perpetuated since Congress made Washington the nation's permanent capital in 1790, and a longstanding civil rights issue for a city that's nearly 50 percent black. The statehood vote is the first in Congress since 1993. Never has such a bill -- appropriately titled HR-51 -- cleared the House or Senate. "Congress has two choices: it can continue to exercise undemocratic autocratic authority over" Washington, "or Congress can live up to this nation's promise and ideals and pass HR51," said Washington's House delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who does not have floor vote privileges and therefore was unable to cast a vote for DC statehood. Under the Democratic proposal, Norton said, a small federal district would remain, encompassing government buildings, Congress, monuments, the National Mall area and the White House. Republicans who oppose the effort say it runs counter to the intent of the framers of the US Constitution who sought to create a unique federal district not influenced by any state. "Washington DC was set apart as a seat of government, not as a part of the federation of states that the constitution grants us," Republican Jody Hice said. Washington officials have long bristled at Congress's role in the capital's affairs, as the US Constitution grants Congress the right to exercise control over the city's business "in all cases whatsoever." Maryland and Virginia ceded land in the 1780s for the creation of a federal capital along the Potomac River. But unlike other American citizens, Washington residents have never had voting representatives in Congress, leading the city to print the famous, colonial-era battle cry, "Taxation without representation," on its vehicle license plates. In an example of unwelcome federal intervention, the president this month sent federal forces to clear out protesters near the White House without coordinating with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. The new state would be known as Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, taking the names of the nation's first president George Washington and prominent black abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The movement has some high-profile backers. "DC should be a state. Pass it on," tweeted Democrat Joe Biden, who is challenging Donald Trump in November's presidential election. But House Republican Mo Brooks likened the statehood effort to a power grab by Democrats seeking "two more guaranteed leftwing senators." Republicans float a concept known as "retrocession," in which Washington would return its residential land to Maryland, which would allow city residents to vote for senators and have a voice in Congress. Statehood is highly unlikely to succeed for now. Trump is opposed, and Republicans who control the Senate have said they have no intention to bring it to a vote. The last time the nation expanded was 1959, when Alaska was admitted as the 49th state on January 3 and Hawaii became the 50th state seven months later.

US House passes Washington DC statehood measure in historic vote

The US President Donald Trump claims to have signed a "very strong" executive order to protect the statues and monuments from vandalism.

"I just had the privilege of signing a very strong executive order protecting American monuments, memorials and statues -- and combatting recent criminal violence. Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our great country!" Trump tweeted.

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I just had the privilege of signing a very strong Executive Order protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues - and combatting recent Criminal Violence. Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our Great Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1276633518433538049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The tweet came after Trump tweeted a 'wanted' poster claiming he will be punishing the protestors who tried to vandalise the statue of former US President Andrew Jackson, which is housed in the park opposite the White House.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-issues-wanted-poster-for-people-who-vandalized-statues-308903">Also read|&nbsp;Trump issues 'wanted' poster for people who vandalized statues</a>

The Veterans' Memorial Preservation Act passed in 2003 already empowers authorities to impose fines and a jail term of up to 10 years for "attempts to injure or destroy, any structure, plaque, statue or other monument on public property commemorating the service of any person or persons in the armed forces of the US."

The President has, even in the past, expressed his displeasure over toppling of statues of the 'racist' leaders.

While the President has made it Twitter-official that he has signed an executive order, the White House has not yet announced any details about the order.

Trump has expressed his opposing thoughts regarding the 'Black Lives Matter' protest several times in the recent past, after protests broke out in the US due to the killing of an unarmed African-American man, George Floyd, by a White policeman.

(With inputs from agencies)

The US President Donald Trump claims to have signed a "very strong" executive order to protect the statues and monuments from vandalism. "I just had the privilege of signing a very strong executive order protecting American monuments, memorials and statues -- and combatting recent criminal violence.

The US President Donald Trump claims to have signed a "very strong" executive order to protect the statues and monuments from vandalism. "I just had the privilege of signing a very strong executive order protecting American monuments, memorials and statues -- and combatting recent criminal violence. Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our great country!" Trump tweeted. I just had the privilege of signing a very strong Executive Order protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues - and combatting recent Criminal Violence. Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our Great Country! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 26, 2020 × The tweet came after Trump tweeted a 'wanted' poster claiming he will be punishing the protestors who tried to vandalise the statue of former US President Andrew Jackson, which is housed in the park opposite the White House. Also read| Trump issues 'wanted' poster for people who vandalized statues The Veterans' Memorial Preservation Act passed in 2003 already empowers authorities to impose fines and a jail term of up to 10 years for "attempts to injure or destroy, any structure, plaque, statue or other monument on public property commemorating the service of any person or persons in the armed forces of the US." The President has, even in the past, expressed his displeasure over toppling of statues of the 'racist' leaders. While the President has made it Twitter-official that he has signed an executive order, the White House has not yet announced any details about the order. Trump has expressed his opposing thoughts regarding the 'Black Lives Matter' protest several times in the recent past, after protests broke out in the US due to the killing of an unarmed African-American man, George Floyd, by a White policeman. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump signs executive order to protect statues; makes it Twitter-official

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