*)Nearly 400 cases confirmed in Italy, highest outside Asia

As new coronavirus cases multiply in Europe, there are growing concerns around northern Italy’s infection cluster.

Brazil, Norway and Pakistan have confirmed their first cases, which means Covid-2019 has spread to nearly 50 countries.

US President Trump is mulling an Italy travel ban, even as the latest case in the country is confirmed to be a local transmission.

*)Syrian opposition and rebels retake Saraqeb

Syrian opposition and rebels have retaken the key town of Saraqeb in Idlib and cut the highway linking the capital Damascus, with Aleppo.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s defence ministry said 114 Syrian regime targets were destroyed after two Turkish soldiers were killed in attacks in Idlib province.

The Russian-backed Syrian regime’s offensive in Idlib has displaced nearly 1 million people since December.

*)At least 32 dead in riots over citizenship law in New Delhi

Communal violence in New Delhi has killed at least 32 people and left more than 200 injured in three days of riots.

The religious violence, widely seen as anti-Muslim, started as clashes between supporters and opponents of India’s new citizenship law.

Critics say the Modi administration’s law discriminates against Muslims.

*)Gunman kills five at Milwaukee brewery complex - US police

An employee at one of the largest breweries in Milwaukee gunned down five fellow workers before taking his own life, US police said.

The assailant has been identified as a 51-year-old man who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Authorities offered no immediate motive for the attack and did not release details about how the shooting unfolded.

And finally,

*)Sharapova retires from tennis at age 32 with 5 Slam titles

The world of tennis is losing an Ace – former World Number One Maria Sharapova has announced she's retiring from the sport.

The 32-year-old has struggled with shoulder problems after attempting to return to top form following a suspension for using a banned substance.

During her career, Sharapova won five Grand Slam titles, starting with Wimbledon in 2004 at the age of 17.

*)Many dead in riots over citizenship law in New Delhi

Violent clashes between Hindu and minority Muslim groups over a new citizenship law evolved into communal riots in New Delhi.

At least 20 people were killed and another 189 wounded during riots in the capital.

A mob also vandalised a mosque in an attack that some social media users, officials and mainstream media attempted to cover up as fake news.

*)Virus hits more countries as health official warns world 'not ready'

Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world have surpassed 80,000 with new infections reported in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

The WHO has warned that the world is simply not ready to deal with a pandemic.

The virus has so far killed more than 2,700 people – most of them in China, the epicentre of the outbreak.

*)Egypt’s former dictator Mubarak dies

Egypt is holding a military funeral for long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak who died at the age of 91.

President Abdel Fattah el Sisi is speculated to attend the event, though his office is yet to confirm.

Egypt announced three days of mourning for Mubarak who symbolised autocracy in the Middle East and was ousted by popular protests.

*)UN Security Council approves resolution on Yemen sanctions

The UN Security Council has approved a resolution extending targeted sanctions for Yemen.

Britain, the US and other Western nations supported the inclusion of the experts' findings, but Russia and China objected.

The much-revised British draft removed all references to the Houthis and Iran, but Russia and China said their demands still were not fully met.

And finally,

*)Leonardo show smashes Louvre's all-time record

Nearly 1.1 million people flocked to see a blockbuster Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Louvre in Paris before it closed.

In 2018, some 540,000 lined up for a major retrospective of the 19th-century French painter Eugene Delacroix.

The Leonardo show drew twice the numbers of the previous biggest show at the world's most visited museum.

*)China and South Korea confirm more virus cases

Global concerns over coronavirus spread continue as clusters grow in the Middle East and Europe.

China has reported more than 500 new COVID-2019 cases and another 71 deaths while South Korea confirmed 60 new cases and another death.

Denying accusations of a cover-up, Iran says so far only 12 people have died amongst 61 cases.

*)Weinstein found guilty of sexual assault, third-degree rape

Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of rape and sexual assault against two women.

The charges which carry up to 29 years in prison.

The disgraced Hollywood mogul’s conviction by a New York jury was hailed as a historic victory by the #MeToo movement.

Weinstein was acquitted on the most serious charges, two counts of predatory sexual assault, each carrying up to life in prison.

*)Seven killed in New Delhi ahead of President Trump’s visit

A policeman was among at least seven people killed in New Delhi on Monday during violent clashes over a contentious citizenship law.

Protesters set several buildings on fire just hours before US President Donald Trump arrived in the Indian capital for an official visit.

The rival groups hurled rocks at each other and set some houses, shops, vehicles and a fuel station on fire.

*)Malaysian PM resigns but asked to stay as interim leader

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been asked to stay as interim leader of the country.

Mahathir had earlier submitted his resignation amid rumours he was planning to form a coalition without Anwar Ibrahim.

The pair had formed an alliance to win the 2018 election based on a promise that Anwar would succeed Mahathir as prime minister.

And finally,

*)Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna honoured in Los Angeles

Thousands of people paid tribute to the late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and his daughter in Los Angeles.

The public memorial was held at the Staples Center – also known as the “House” that Kobe built.

Meanwhile, Bryant’s widow is suing the helicopter operator over the fatal crash.

*)WHO warns of global coronavirus pandemic

The World Health Organization warns that the world is on the brink of a coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, more countries are closing their borders not just to people travelling from China, but from countries where the virus has begun spreading rapidly.

Globally, the number of deaths exceeds 2,600 while infections are over 79,000.

*)Nine dead in Turkey as 5.9 quake strikes northern Iran

Turkey is rushing to complete temporary shelters for hundreds of people who lost their homes after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the eastern border region.

The epicentre was in the Iranian city of Khoy, but tremors extended into Turkey's Van province.

At least nine people were killed and dozens others injured by tremors in Turkey.

*)Thousands march to protest rising anti-Muslim threat in Germany

People in the German town of Hanau marched in solidarity for the victims of last week's far-right terror attack and against rising anti-Muslim sentiments in the country.

It comes after a man shot and killed nine people last Wednesday.
Some Germans are demanding the government do more against the rising far-right threat.

*)Israeli Army targets Islamic Jihad in Gaza

Israel has struck sites in Gaza linked to a Palestinian faction that fired several rockets into Israeli territory.

Iranian-backed militant group Islamic Jihad says one man was killed and four others wounded in the strikes.

The exchange came after a Palestinian news agency posted graphic footage of an Israeli Army bulldozer dragging the body of a Palestinian man who was killed near the separation fence east of Khan Younis.

And finally,

*)Indian construction worker beats Usain Bolt’s 100m sprint time

An Indian construction worker who has beaten Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt's 100-metre sprint time says he isn't looking to compete professionally.

Srinivas Gowda finished a buffalo race in 13.42 seconds, covering the first 100 metres in 9.55 seconds.

That's faster than Bolt's 100-metre world record of 9.58 seconds.

*)Air strikes kill two Turkish soldiers in Syria’s Idlib

At least two Turkish soldiers were killed and five others were wounded in air strikes in Syria's Idlib.

Retaliatory Turkish military action killed at least 50 regime fighters, the defence ministry said.

The Turkish Directorate of Communications said the Syrian regime was behind the attack.

*)China reports 889 new coronavirus cases in mainland

Mainland China has 889 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Thursday, the National Health Commission said on Friday, up from 394 cases a day earlier.

That brings the total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 75,465.

The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China reached 2,236 as of the end of Thursday, up by 118 from the previous day.

Voting under way in Iran parliamentary election

Iranians have begun voting in a parliamentary election that conservatives are expected to dominate.

State television showed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casting the first ballot in Tehran.

Khamenei called on all Iranians to take part in the election "as soon as possible", saying that doing so would "guarantee the country's national interests".

*)Saudi intercepts Yemen rebel missiles targeting cities

Yemeni rebel missiles targeting cities in Saudi Arabia have been intercepted, the region's Riyadh-led military coalition said.

The missiles were fired by the Iran-aligned Houthi militant group, the coalition said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Arabia has repeatedly accused Iran of supplying sophisticated weapons to the Houthis, a charge Tehran denies.

And finally,

*)Trump blasts best-picture Oscar for South Korean film "Parasite"

President Donald Trump ridiculed the best-picture Oscar win for South Korean film "Parasite" during a campaign rally in Colorado.

Imitating an Academy Awards presenter, Trump said: "And the winner is … a movie from South Korea".

Trump said he wished for the return of Hollywood classics like 1939's "Gone with the Wind".

*)German shooting treated as suspected ‘xenophobic terror attack’

A suspected gunman shot dead at least 9 people in two shisha bars in Germany’s Hanau.

The interior minister of Hesse state said there was a xenophobic motive and will be investigating it as a suspected terror attack.

The suspected perpetrator and his mother were later found dead with shot wounds at his home.

*)UN says possible war crimes taking place in Syria

The UN told its security council there are possible war crimes taking place in Syria.

The statement is in response to Russian-backed regime bombardments in Idlib and Aleppo that have destroyed schools and medical facilities.

The UN says an increasingly dire humanitarian situation is taking place, as almost a million people have been displaced.

*)Iran reports its first coronavirus deaths

Health officials in Iran have reported their first two coronavirus-related deaths in the city of Qom.

It comes as China reported just 394 new cases on Wednesday, its lowest daily number since January 23.

Globally, the number of infections has risen to almost 76,000, while the death toll has exceeded 2,000.

*)Bloomberg’s fortune targeted in Democratic debate

Democratic presidential hopefuls wrapped up their ninth debate of the primary season.

Although Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders leads in the polls, the main target was billionaire Michael Bloomberg.

The former New York City mayor faced criticism from candidates for bringing an unethical advantage to the race with his $60 billion fortune.

And finally,

*)Netflix CEO's new book to shed light on streaming giant's work culture

Ever wondered what it's like to work for Netflix?

Well, CEO Reed Hastings has written a book that sheds light on the streaming giant’s unconventional work environment and radical management culture.

The book is expected to hit shelves on May 12 and details Hastings’ management principles, as well as stories from his own career.

*)Moscow bans Chinese travellers due to coronavirus

Moscow is temporarily banning Chinese citizens from entering Russia due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The global death toll has now risen to over 2,000.

The World Health Organization says while Chinese data appears to show a drop in new cases, any apparent trend must be "interpreted very cautiously.”

*)Libyan peace talks suspended

Libya's internationally-recognised government suspends ceasefire talks hosted by the UN in Geneva.

The move comes hours after warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces attacked a port in Tripoli, killing at least three people and injuring five.

The offensive by Haftar's illegitimate militia to take Tripoli began in April last year.

*)Talks on Syria ends with no agreement

Turkey says talks with Russia in Moscow over Syria will continue, after two days of meetings concluded without any agreement.

Talks were aimed at finding a solution to the escalating violence.

Ongoing air strikes by the Russian-backed regime have displaced almost a million people in Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

*)Police file case against Kashmiri VPN users

Police in India-administered Kashmir has filed a case against hundreds of people for using proxy networks to get around a social media ban.

Tight internet restrictions came into force on August 5 after New Delhi announced it would revoke Jammu and Kashmir's semi-autonomous status.

The case has been denounced by privacy activists and human rights groups.

And finally,

*)Fighters ready for world heavyweight boxing title rematch

Heavyweight world champions Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will go toe-to-toe on Saturday in Las Vegas for the world title.

In 2018, Wilder and Fury fought in Los Angeles and produced a thrilling encounter, which ended in a controversial draw.

Fury is predicting a second-round knockout, but Wilder says he has no chance.