*) India coronavirus cases pass 6 million

India now has over 6 million coronavirus cases, according to government data.

The country is now on course to pass the US with the highest number of infections in the world.

The Asian country has also recorded close to 100,000 deaths.

*) Azerbaijan and Armenia clash over disputed Karabakh region

The international community is calling for an end to fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Azerbaijan says Armenian forces opened fire on the frontlines of the occupied Karabakh region, but Armenia says it was Azerbaijan that attacked first.

The two former Soviet countries have long been in conflict over a border dispute, with clashes intensifying in recent months.

*) US Judge blocks Trump administration’s TikTok ban

A US federal judge has suspended the government's ban on TikTok.

The popular app had sought a preliminary injunction to allow it to remain available on US app stores.

The White House had called the app a national security threat over its alleged ties with the Chinese government.

*) New wildfire in California’s wine country

In the US, firefighters are battling a new wildfire that broke out in California's Napa County.

As fires continue to rage across the state, the new fire is spreading at a dangerous speed after already burning through more than 400 hectares.

Thousands of residents have been evacuated from the area.

And finally...

*) Trump could face tax trouble in New York

US President Trump has paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years, according to a report on his tax returns published by the New York Times.

The report says Trump paid just $750 in taxes in 2016, and again during his first year in office.

Trump denies the allegations as he fights a subpoena which will allow prosecutors full access to his tax records.

*) Fatah and Hamas agree to hold first Palestinian elections since 2006

Rival Palestinian groups Fatah and Hamas have agreed to hold the first parliamentary elections in nearly 15 years.

Leaders from the two sides have been meeting in Istanbul, and have agreed to hold a poll within six months.

The last Palestinian elections were held in 2006 when Hamas won by an unexpected landslide.

The fresh talks are seen as an attempt by Palestinians to present a united front as Arab states normalise relations with Israel.

*) Fighting leaves dozens of Taliban insurgents dead in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, security forces have killed at least 65 Taliban militants in an intense battle in the east of the country.

The Taliban stormed a military headquarters in Paktika province but were driven back and suffered heavy losses in a counterattack, according to police.

The violence comes as Taliban and Afghan government negotiators meet in Doha in an attempt to end 19 years of war.

*) Louisville arrests at least 24 at Breonna Taylor protests

At least 24 people have been arrested in Louisville, Kentucky in the second night of protests over the lack of criminal charges in the police killing of Breonna Taylor.

More than 1,000 people defied a curfew to protest, with some seeking refuge in a church.

Heavily armed police surrounded the church, with helicopters overhead, but the demonstrators were released around 11 pm.

*) Anti-Beijing activist Joshua Wong arrested in Hong Kong

A Hong Kong court has charged anti-Beijing activist Joshua Wong over taking part in an unauthorised gathering in October and violating a mask ban.

His arrest follows the implementation of China's national security law in the territory almost three months ago.

Wong is out on bail and is due back in court at the end of this month.

And finally...

*) Rio de Janeiro delays 2021 Carnival parade over coronavirus

Rio's world-famous carnival parade has been delayed for the first time in a century.

Officials say the spread of Covid-19 in Brazil has made it impossible to hold the event safely.

A decision about carnival street parties is yet to be announced. Brazil is the third worst-hit country in the world with more than 4.6 million coronavirus cases.

*) New EU migrant plan abandons refugee quotas for ‘mandatory solidarity’

The European Union's executive has proposed a contentious plan to provide a better welcome for refugees fleeing the Middle East and Africa.

The plan, slammed by refugee rights groups, asks EU states to volunteer to either take in refugees or provide logistical support to countries allowing them in.

Intended for 2023, the plan also aims to ease the load on Mediterranean shore countries that see the most migrant arrivals.

*) Louisville officers shot during Breonna Taylor protests

A grand jury has decided that police officers who shot into Breonna Taylor's apartment and killed her will not be prosecuted for her death.

Hours after the grand jury's decision, authorities said two Louisville officers were shot and wounded in protests expressing anger over the killings of Black people.

The 26-year-old Black woman has since become a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.

*) Petrol tanker explosion in Nigeria kills killing dozens

At least 28 people have been killed after a fuel tanker crashed in Nigeria’s central state of Kogi.

The incident took place on the Lokoja-Abuja highway after a loaded petrol tanker lost control and rammed into a number of vehicles.

Occupants of the 10 vehicles involved were killed including a family that was crushed to death when the tanker fell on their car.

*) UN and Britain to co-host climate summit on December 12

The UN and Britain will co-host a global climate summit on December 12, the fifth anniversary of the landmark Paris Agreement.

The announcement comes days after China said it would attempt to go carbon neutral by 2060.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for swift action, saying “the climate emergency” is here and there is “no time to waste.”

And finally...

*) 70 whales have been rescued from Australia’s worst mass beaching

Australian authorities have said that 70 pilot whales have been rescued so far from the country’s worst mass stranding.

The number of rescues had been estimated at 50 late Wednesday, but 20 more came to light on Thursday.

An estimated 470 whales were found stranded on the shore and sand bars along the remote west coast of Tasmania.

*) Turkey and Greece agree to resume eastern Mediterranean talks

Turkey and Greece have agreed to resume talks aimed at addressing their contested maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean.

A statement from Turkish President Erdogan's office said both countries were ready to restart talks after four years.

The Greek Foreign Ministry said the two NATO allies will resume “exploratory talks” at a brief meeting in Istanbul.

*) World powers clash, virus stirs anger at virtual UN meeting

World leaders have convened electronically for an unprecedented high-level UN meeting, where China and Iran clashed with the US and officials raged over the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Turkish President Erdogan criticised how “countries were left on their own” at the onset of the pandemic.

He also called for the restructuring of the UN Security Council.

The UN chief urged unity in tackling the towering problems of Covid-19, the “economic calamity” it unleashed and the risk of a new Cold War between the US and China.

*) Saudi Arabia to lift ban on Umrah pilgrimage next month

After a seven-month pause due to coronavirus concerns, Saudi Arabia will allow residents to undertake the Muslim Umrah pilgrimage beginning on October 4.

The kingdom will only allow 30 percent of the revised capacity to perform the pilgrimage.

But starting November 1st, the kingdom will allow visitors from countries deemed safe to perform Umrah at 100 percent of the revised capacity.

*) Pakistani court sentences two to death over 2012 factory arson

Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Court has sentenced two former political party activists to death for starting the country’s deadliest industrial fire in 2012.

The blaze at the Baldia garment factory killed more than 260 workers.

The court ruled that the two workers from Pakistan's MQM party started the fire because the factory owners didn't give in to their extortion demands.

And finally.

*) Tesla cheaper battery and cheaper three years away

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said his company aims to achieve a new Tesla model priced at $25,000 within the next three years.

This would be a dramatic markdown from Tesla's cheapest car, the Model 3, that usually ends up costing more than $40,000.

Investors slashed $50 billion from Tesla market value as Musk's announced shied away from "a done deal."

*) Global stocks wobble amid coronavirus fear

World equity markets have suffered heavy losses as investors reacted to mounting fears of a second coronavirus wave.

Crude oil prices plunged over expectations of less demand just as more supply from Libya became available.

The banking sector has also been rocked by a media probe that revealed massive sums of dirty money had flowed for years through some of the world's largest banks.

*) US slaps new sanctions on Iran amid EU defiance

The United States has renewed what it calls "previously terminated UN sanctions" on Iran's Defence Ministry and demanded that European powers follow suit.

The US has said the action was taken because Iran failed to uphold its nuclear deal commitments and the UN Security Council failed to extend an arms embargo on Iran.

However, the United Nations has said it is not up to Washington to make that decision.

Police release footage after officers shoot 13-year-old boy

Staying in the US, where police have released footage showing a 13-year-old boy with autism was shot by officers after his mother asked for help getting him to the hospital

The videos show Salt Lake City officers chasing the boy down an alley after they arrive at his home, then yelling at him to get on the ground.

The boy collapses after a series of shots ring out, moaning, “I don’t feel good. I don’t feel good.”

He survived but suffered broken bones and pierced organs.

*) EU fails to agree on Belarus sanctions

European Union foreign ministers have failed to impose sanctions on Belarus officials suspected of election fraud.

Around 40 people linked to irregularities in the August 9 elections would be the subject of asset freezes and travel bans if the sanctions pass.

Several EU countries want Belarus President Lukashenko on the sanction list, but others prefer to gradually ramp up pressure on him by adding names.

And finally,

*) Rescuers continue bid to save stranded whales in Australia

A challenging operation has been launched in Australia to rescue hundreds of stranded whales off the island of Tasmania.

Up to 90 whales have died and another 180 more are still stranded.

About 60 people, including volunteers and local fish farm workers, are battling cold, wet conditions to save them.

*) HSBC's Hong Kong shares plummet after reported illicit activity

Global banks in Hong Kong, including HSBC and Standard Chartered, have been transferring trillions of dollars in illegal funds for nearly two decades.

Leaked reports by the US Treasury's Financial Crimes watchdog FinCen show bank staff moved funds to unknown owners registered in offshore havens.

Although HSBC denied the claims, their Hong Kong shares have dropped to their lowest since 1995, with Standard Chartered’s shares also falling.

*) Woman arrested over suspicion of sending ricin letter to Trump

A woman suspected of sending a letter with poison to the White House has been arrested and is expected to face federal charges.

The envelope containing ricin appeared to have originated in Canada and was intercepted before it reached the White House.

The unnamed suspect was taken into custody by US Customs and Border Protection officers at the New York-Canada border.

*) Democratic candidate Joe Biden calls for Justice vote delay

Joe Biden has lashed out at US President Trump for wanting to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court before presidential elections.

Biden has urged senators to delay a vote for a new Justice until after elections in November, and so far two Republican senators have agreed.

"A warrior for gender equality" in the US, Ginsburg was 87 when she died on Friday following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

*) Several killed in Mumbai building collapse

At least eight people have been killed in Mumbai in India after a three-storey residential building collapsed.

A disaster agency official said up to 25 people were believed to be trapped in the ruins since dawn on Monday.

The cause behind the collapse is still unknown but faulty building construction and unregulated urban planning are common in the region.

And finally,

*) History made at first virtual Emmy Awards ceremony

The 72nd Emmy Awards have taken place online due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The awards ceremony was hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel from a virtual studio in Los Angeles and nominees dialled in from their homes.

Twenty-four-year-old "Euphoria" star Zendaya made history, becoming the youngest woman to win Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

*) Dozens killed in Afghanistan clashes despite hope for ceasefire

Fierce fighting between government forces and the Taliban has left dozens killed in Afghanistan even as the two sides continue peace talks in Qatar.

Overnight clashes erupted in three districts of Nangarhar province when Taliban fighters attacked several checkpoints of Afghan forces.

The violence occurred hours after the Afghan government delegation to the peace talks in Doha said they hoped to reach a ceasefire.

*) East Med: Direct Erdogan, Mitsotakis talks a possibility ahead of EU summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again stressed the importance of talks with Greece over the dispute in the eastern Mediterranean.

Erdogan's remarks came after Turkish and Greek military delegations continued diplomatic talks to ease tensions at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

A Greek official has said that direct communication between the Turkish president and Greek prime minister would soon be possible.

*) India asks China to withdraw soldiers from disputed border region

India has urged China to completely disengage their forces from the border region of Ladakh.

India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh has said that China has amassed troops and weapons in Ladakh in violation of agreements reached in the 1990s.

He said that was not acceptable and that India is seeking a peaceful resolution through talks.
*) Hurricane Sally: Gulf Coast braces for second round of flooding

The southern United States is bracing for a second round of flooding in the wake of Hurricane Sally, which has left a trail of devastation in the Gulf Coast.

Officials say Orange Beach in Alabama will remain closed for 10 days as the area sustained significant damage and extensive power outages.

The hurricane is believed to have caused at least one death in Alabama.


And finally,
*) Former model Amy Dorris accuses Trump of sexual assault

A former model has accused US President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting and groping her at the US Open tennis tournament in 1997.

Amy Dorris told Britain's The Guardian that Trump sexually assaulted her in his VIP suite at the US Open tennis tournament in New York.

Trump, who has earlier faced more than a dozen allegations of sexual misconduct, denied the claims via his lawyers.