World breaking news today (December 14): Donald Trump will be offered COVID-19 vaccine soon
	World breaking news today (December 13): Israel and Bhutan establish diplomatic relations
	World breaking news today (December 11): Joe Biden and Kamala Harris named Time's Person of the Year

​​President-elect Joe Biden (Photo: The Sun)

Joe Biden says he has a ‘bit of a cold’ after coughing during speech

​​President-elect Joe Biden blamed his raspy voice and bouts of coughing during his post-electoral vote speech on a “bit of a cold” — after it sparked concern among viewers, NY Post reported.

The former vice president addressed the nation after electors in the 50 states and the District of Columbia confirmed that he had won 306 electoral votes to President Trump’s 232 — but his voice sounded hoarse at times and he repeatedly paused to cough or clear his throat.

“Biden keeps coughing and clearing his throat. Is he ok?,” one viewer asked on Twitter, echoing the concern of many.

Others were worried the president-elect might need another COVID-19 test.

In a call afterward with supporters, Biden admitted he was ailing a little, although it was nothing to be worried about.

“Thank you, I have a little bit of a cold, I’m sorry, but look, you know, you did it, you did it, not a joke,” Biden said during the livestream, according to Fox News.

“This campaign for president was more like the first time I ran as a 29-year-old for the Senate. I believed that ordinary folks and extraordinary folks would get together and make this work. You didn’t let us down. You didn’t let the country down. I really mean it, think about it,” he continued.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have been routinely tested for coronavirus and the results have been negative.

Brazil's Bolsonaro recognizes Biden victory

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday congratulated U.S. President-elect Joe Biden for his Nov. 3 election victory, finally accepting the loss of Donald Trump, a political idol with whom he had sought to forge closer bilateral ties, Reuters reported.

Biden’s victory and Bolsonaro’s reluctance to recognize it have cast a dark cloud over U.S.-Brazilian relations, which had warmed to the point of discussing a free trade deal last year.

Biden is likely to take a tougher line on Brasilia in areas such as the environment, human rights and trade, leaving the far-right Bolsonaro even more isolated on the global stage.

“Greetings to the President Joe Biden, with my best wishes and the hope that the USA will remain ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave,’” Bolsonaro said in a statement published by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry.

“I will be ready to work with you and continue to build a Brazil-USA alliance, in defense of sovereignty, democracy and freedom around the world, as well as in trade integration.”

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (Photo: US and World Reports)

Bolsonaro, a former army captain, was one of the last global leaders to acknowledge Biden’s victory, doing so only after it was confirmed by the U.S. Electoral College on Monday.

Echoing Trump, Bolsonaro previously voiced concerns about alleged widespread U.S. fraud in the November vote, without citing evidence. Trump has continued to make unfounded claims about fraud and refused to concede.

Biden’s victory leaves Bolsonaro without a key diplomatic ally and further undermines his approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, whose gravity, like Trump, he has often sought to play down.

COVID-19 complications lead to leg amputation for White House security director

A White House official has spent about three months in the hospital recovering from severe complications following a COVID-19 diagnosis, including the amputation of his right foot and lower leg, according to multiple sources.

Crede Bailey is the director of the White House security office and contracted COVID-19 in September. He was reportedly hospitalized shortly before the Sept. 26 event at the White House officially nominating Justice Amy Coney Barrett, according to The Hill.

A friend told Bloomberg Bailey’s family asked the White House not to publicize his condition, and President Donald Trump has not acknowledged Bailey’s illness.

Bailey’s friends have set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for the White House official’s and his family’s “medical and healing expenses necessary as a result of Crede's COVID-19 illness and the life-altering results.”

Crede Bailey has spent about three months in the hospital recovering from severe complications following a COVID-19 diagnosis, including the amputation of his right foot and lower leg (Photo: Denver 7)

In an update posted on Dec. 7, the fundraiser’s organizer, Dawn McCrobie posted a big update on Bailey’s condition.

“Crede has recently been released from the ICU and is now at a full-time rehabilitation center where he is focused on gaining strength and learning to live a new normal. Crede beat COVID-19 but it came at a significant cost: his big toe on his left foot as well as his right foot and lower leg had to be amputated,” the update reads.

McCrobie said Bailey will be fitted for a prosthetic leg in the next few months, The Denver Channel reported.

Georgia family jumps to safety from third-floor window during fire

More than a half-dozen apartment residents jumped to safety as flames engulfed their three-story building near Atlanta and left them no other escape path, authorities said Tuesday.

The blaze broke out at 2310 Fairington Village Drive in Stonecrest at about 2:50 p.m. on Friday, injuring 18 people and leaving all residents of the building's 12 units homeless, DeKalb County Fire Capt. Dion Bentley said.

"Thankfully no one was killed," Bentley told NBC News. "The main thing that happened was that it was during daytime hours. People are alert. At night people are sleeping and that's when you have a much more tragic result."

With the hallway filled with smoke, Moss, five cousins, his mom and 78-year-old grandmother all ended up in a bedroom with only one possible way to safety: their third-floor window. He took cell phone video of some of the frantic moments, shouting "go, go go" at family members, as reported by NBC News.

"She was so afraid that she started shaking and she passed out as I was holding her. That’s when I had to go to the window carrying her, while trying to get the fire off my leg and everything," Moss said of his grandmother Agnes.

(Photo: Youtube)

“Trying to get her out of the window when she’s unconscious and it’s three stories was very hard for me to do, but I knew I had to get her out of the house even if I had to stay in the house."

With flames fast approaching, Moss said he had no other option but to drop his prone grandmother out the window.

"The fire was already on my back," he recounted. "The roof was on fire, the window, the top of the window sill was on fire at that point and we were the last two in the house. So, when I dropped her, when I let her go."

Moss said he fractured his back and suffered burns to his hands and legs. His grandmother broke her back and tested positive for Covid-19 in the hospital, according to Moss.

It took more than 30 firefighters nearly an hour to control the blaze, Bentley said.

Firefighters thanked building resident William Cox "for his heroic efforts."

Gold price forecast: gold markets continue to show signs of support

Gold markets rallied a bit during the trading session on Tuesday as traders await the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.

Gold markets rallied a bit during the trading session on Tuesday to break above the $1850 level. It is thought that gold is being somewhat supportive due to the fact that the Federal Reserve comes out with an announcement on Wednesday, if people are expecting to see some type of tweaking of monetary policy, perhaps putting a little bit of negative pressure on the US dollar. Furthermore, we also have talk going back and forth when it comes to stimulus hopes in the United States, so with that in mind I would anticipate that gold eventually gets a lift from some type of deal.

(Photo: Economic Times)

Looking at the size of the candlestick for the trading session on Tuesday, it does show that there is a certain amount of conviction, but the 50 day EMA above will of course cause a certain amount of resistance as well.

If we can break above there, then the market is likely to go looking towards the $1900 level, which is a large, round, psychologically significant figure. I believe that we continue to see dips as being bought going forward, but not necessarily quite ready to take off to the upside.

To the downside, if we were to break down below the hammer from a couple of weeks ago then we could see more continued downward pressure. At this point, it is very likely that we are trying to trade based upon stimulus more than anything else. If we get enough, that should send this market higher but if the US dollar starts to strengthen, that will continue to hurt this market, FX Empire said.

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