World News Briefs -- September 9, 2020 (Evening Edition)

Daily Mail: Donald Trump ADMITS he downplayed coronavirus after bombshell Bob Woodward tapes reveal he KNEW it was deadly saying he didn't want to 'cause panic' - and claims he was trying to 'show strength in the nation'

* President Donald Trump admitted he downplayed the threat of the coronavirus in order not to cause panic
* 'I'm a cheerleader for this country. I love this country. I don't want people to be frightened. I don't want to create panic,' he said
* Trump called the coronavirus 'deadly stuff' in interview with Washington Post's Bob Woodward conducted in February
* He called the virus 'more deadly than even your strenuous flu'
* Trump told the nation Jan. 30: 'We think we have it very well under control
* On day he spoke to Woodward Trump said China's president 'will be successful, especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone'
* Excerpts are from Woodward's new book, 'Rage'

President Donald Trump admitted on Wednesday he downplayed the threat of the coronavirus in order not to cause panic after excerpts from a forthcoming book gave the bombshell revelation that he knew how deadly the pandemic could be.

'I'm a cheerleader for this country. I love this country. I don't want people to be frightened. I don't want to create panic,' he told reporters at the White House.

'Certainly I'm not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence. We want to show strength, we want to show strength as a nation. That's what I've done,' he added

'Leadership is about confidence. Confidence is confidence in our country,' he noted.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

Palestinians fail to persuade Arab ministers to condemn UAE-Israel deal.

Israel, UAE to sign deal at White House on September 15: Reports.


US to withdraw 2,200 troops from Iraq by end of September.

Iran to compensate families of downed Ukraine airliner victims.

UN: Houthi rebels in Yemen recruited teenage girls.

Crisis-hit Lebanon launches central bank audit.

Experts: Lebanon blast brings foreign insistence on reform.

United States: End of Qatar blockade possibly 'in weeks'.

Saudi Arabia squeezes Aramco as low oil prices roil state budget.

Israel's Netanyahu demands probe of investigators in his corruption trial.

ASIA

Piracy, other high seas crimes rise in Asia: report.

Myanmar army deserters say officers ordered Rohingya massacres, rapes.

Prisoner release issue continues to impede intra-Afghan talks.

Enigmatic Afghan Vice-President Saleh vows to keep fighting.

Afghan VP escapes deadly roadside bomb attack in Kabul.

India and China accuse each other of making military moves, firing warning shots along disputed border.

China accuses India of ‘serious military provocation’ at disputed border.

China plans sanctions against US officials who visit Taiwan, says Global Times editor Hu Xijin.

China accuses Australia of ‘barbaric’ searches of journalists’ homes over foreign interference laws.

Eyeing China, Taiwan urges alliance against 'aggressive actions'.

Australia revokes Chinese scholar visas and targets media officials, prompting furious China response.

China slams Australian Federal Government for 'blatant irrational behaviour' over foreign interference investigation.

Kim Jong Un calls for 'emergency measures' to repair typhoon damage.

Report: Seoul preps for joint Olympic bid with North Korea.

AFRICA

Morocco extends health emergency as virus cases spike.

12 candidates vie with Conde for Guinea's presidency.

Africa leaders: Mali military gov't must name president by Sep 15.

Ethiopia's Tigray region defies PM Abiy with 'illegal' election. Ethiopia's Tigray region holds vote, defying Abiy's federal gov't.

Somaliland opens representative office in Taiwan.

UN urged to intervene in case of detained Hotel Rwanda dissident.

'We lost everything': Thousands homeless as Sudan battles floods.

Zimbabwe bans coal mining in Hwange and other game parks.

Fears for Congolese Nobel laureate after UN protection 'withdrawn’.

EUROPE

North Macedonia opposition protests over power bill hike.

Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trial put on hold after participant falls ill.

Government must make 'tough decisions' as Covid-19 cases surge, French science council says.

Coronavirus: ‘rule of six’ to apply in England from Monday.

Thousands flee fire at Greece's largest migrant camp. Thousands flee as fires devastate Greece's largest migrant camp.

Belarus opposition politician 'is being held in Minsk prison' after avoiding deportation to Ukraine - as ANOTHER anti-Lukashenko figure is snatched by masked men amid ruthless crackdown.

Belarus: High-profile opposition figures arrested in 'security' probe. Belarus opposition figure Maxim Znak taken from office by masked men.

Russia hits out at 'hysteria' over Navalny poisoning.

G7 condemns 'confirmed poisoning' of Alexei Navalny.

AMERICAS

U.S. revokes more than 1,000 visas of Chinese nationals, citing military links.

Biden says Trump 'knowingly and willingly lied' to the American public for 'months' about deadly risk of COVID, after bombshell Woodward tapes capture President saying 'I always play it down'.

US coronavirus deaths approach 190,000. Daily COVID-19 infections in US drop below 40,000 for the first time since June and deaths drop to 700 a day - as 25 states see cases decline in the last week.

Biden leads Trump by 12 points nationally among likely voters: Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Donald Trump raised just $210 million in August - $150 million LESS than Joe Biden, his campaign admits amid mounting cash crisis.

White House says reducing record debt will be 'big second-term priority' for Trump.

Raging wildfires almost destroy towns in California, Oregon and Washington. Nearly 100 wildfires burn across US west with major fires out of control in California.

Daily cases reach record high in Argentina.

Venezuelan opposition leader urges military to back election boycott.

Bolivia's ex-leader Evo Morales barred from senate run.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Conflicts since start of US 'war on terror' have displaced 37m people – report.

U.S. blacklists ex-Lebanese ministers for supporting Hezbollah.

Charlie Hebdo trial: Artist recalls being forced to let gunmen into offices.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Stocks bounce back on Wall Street as tech bloodletting halts.

What slowdown? Amazon seeks to hire 33,000 people.

Tesla shares lead bounce-back in tech stocks just a day after Elon Musk lost record $16.3 billion when his electric car maker plunged 21% in one session.

Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook won't remove anti-vaccine posts despite Covid concerns.

Pressure cooker: Washington puts heat on US executives at Chinese firms, with TikTok latest example.