*) Mics to be muted in US presidential debate to stop interruptions

The US Commission on Presidential Debates has changed the rules for Thursday's final debate.

Both candidates, President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden, will have their microphones muted while their opponent answers questions.

Trump's campaign has challenged the format of their upcoming debate.

*) Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of violating the new ceasefire

Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of attacking a cotton factory with artillery, but Armenia denies Azerbaijan's accusations.

UN Security Council members called on both to respect a new ceasefire during a meeting on Monday.

The council held closed-door discussions on the fighting, at the UN headquarters in New York.

*) US charges Russians in cyberattacks on Ukraine, French elections, and Olympics

US federal prosecutors have charged six Russian intelligence officers, accusing them of widespread, global cyberattacks.

The cyberattacks targeted a French presidential election, the Winter Olympics in South Korea and American businesses.

The indictment said all defendants are current and former officers in the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU.

*) US to remove Sudan from state sponsors of terrorism list

US President Donald Trump says his administration is close to an agreement with Sudan to remove the country from Washington's list of states that support terrorism.

The announcement comes after the new Sudanese government agreed to pay more than $330 million in compensation to American victims.

The deal could also help Sudan establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

And finally...

*) New “Sesame Street” podcast aims to help children’s education

“Sesame Street” is launching a podcast to help educate kids.

“The Sesame Street Podcast with Foley & Friends” is an offering on Audible that gives some screen-free educational entertainment to kids.

The podcast is led by 6-year-old exuberant Foley, “the sound-maker monster.”

*) Azerbaijan retakes 13 more villages under Armenian occupation

Azerbaijan says it has freed 13 more villages in the Jabrayil region from Armenian occupation.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned attacks from both Azerbaijan and Armenia on populated areas.

Guterres wants both sides to abide by a new humanitarian truce and resume negotiations without delay.

*) Rallies held across France in tribute to beheaded teacher

Thousands of people gathered in cities across France to pay their respects to a history teacher, who was stabbed and decapitated on Friday.

Police say the teacher had received threats after showing his secularism class cartoons of Prophet Muhammed.

The attacker, an 18-year-old Chechen refugee, was shot and killed by police. Eleven others have also been arrested.

*) TRNC PM wins presidential election

Ersin Tatar has won the presidential run-off in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Tatar got 52 percent of votes, defeating his rival Mustafa Akinci.

The main issue during the election campaign has been the long-stalled reunification talks with the Greek Cypriots.

While Tatar favours a two-state solution, Akinci insists on reunification.

*) Chile anniversary rallies turn violent

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Chile's capital Santiago to mark the first anniversary of mass protests.

Demonstrators banged on pots, calling for a "yes" vote in next week's referendum over whether to scrap the country's dictatorship-era constitution.

But Sunday's peaceful rallies devolved by nightfall into riots and looting, with police firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse the crowds.

And finally...

*) New Zealand's next parliament to be its most diverse ever

New Zealand’s next parliament is set to be the most inclusive ever.

It includes female candidates, indigenous Maoris, and MPs of African and Sri Lankan descent.

Forty-year-old PM Jacinda Ardern is feted globally as a progressive leader, who is a champion for women’s rights, equality and inclusivity.

*) Trump, Biden replace debate with rival Town Hall meetings

US President Trump and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden held rival town halls on competing TV networks as a replacement for their second debate.

Trump was grilled by NBC News in Miami, and on ABC News, Joe Biden answered questions in Philadelphia.

Even though the candidates didn't appear together, there were still the same issues, insults, and revelation.

And with less than three weeks to go until the election, there are still some voters who haven't made up their minds.

*) Azerbaijan says eight more villages have been liberated from Armenian forces

Azerbaijan has retaken control of 51 villages in the disputed occupied Karabakh region.

President Ilham Aliyev says he believes the conflict can be solved with dialogue.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied the Karabakh region, an internationally-recognised territory of Azerbaijan.
*) Protesters demand release of leaders in Bangkok

Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters in Thailand gathered in Bangkok in defiance of a government order.

They are calling for the release of at least 20 activists who were arrested in a sweeping crackdown by police.

Demonstrators are demanding the ouster of the prime minister and a reform of the extensive powers of the monarchy.

*) Mexico says ex-defence minister arrested in US

Former Mexican Defence Minister Salvador Cienfuegos has been arrested in the US on undisclosed charges.

Cienfuegos headed the defence ministry of former President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Under his watch, the Mexican army was accused of frequent human rights abuses.

And finally...

*) Twitter service restored following global platform outage

Twitter has been restored after an internal technical problem caused a global outage.

According to downdetector.com, users on every continent reported being unable to use the platform for at least two hours.

The company said there was no evidence of a security breach or hack.

*) Turkey favours permanent solution to Karabakh row

Turkey's President Erdogan has told his Russian counterpart Putin that Ankara is in favour of a permanent solution to the conflict over occupied Karabakh.

The two leaders discussed the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict in a phone call on Wednesday.

The conflict continues despite an agreed ceasefire days ago. Baku claims Armenia is sending additional troops and firepower towards the border.

*) More than 20 protesters arrested in Thailand

Thai police have arrested more than 20 people under sweeping new emergency measures after Wednesday's protests demanding constitutional reform.

Activists say a handful of high-profile leaders were among those detained.

Protesters in Thailand have pledged to defy a government ban on mass demonstrations, with more protests expected on Thursday.

*) Trump, Biden to compete over air time with simultaneous town halls

US President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Biden will participate in duelling town halls tonight instead of clashing face-to-face in their second debate.

This follows Trump's refusal to participate in a virtual debate instead of the in-person event after he contracted Covid-19.

Both candidates visited battleground states this week, with Trump holding rallies in Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa and Biden travelling to Ohio and Florida.

*) FDA approves Regeneron's drug for Ebola virus treatment

FDA has approved Regeneron Pharmaceuticals' triple antibody cocktail as the first Ebola virus treatment, raising hopes for similar drugs being developed for Covid-19.

Regeneron's Inmazeb, an intravenous drug, was approved for adults and children.

The drugmaker is in talks with the FDA about an emergency use authorisation for its experimental dual antibody cocktail for Covid-19.

And finally...

*) Facebook shuts NZ party page before polls

Facebook has shut down the page of conspiracy-embracing political party Advance New Zealand just two days away from a general election.

The newly formed Advance NZ Party's page was taken off because of "repeated violations" of Facebook's policy on misinformation about the virus.

Facebook's action against a registered political party during an election campaign is unprecedented in New Zealand.

Facebook has also limited the distribution of a New York Post article critical of US presidential nominee Biden.

*) Baku accuses Armenia of 'war crimes' for ceasefire violation

Hundreds of people have been killed as the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia escalates yet again.

The two countries are battling over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is under Armenian occupation.

The deadly clashes have now spilt over into surrounding areas despite calls for the two nations to honour a Russian-brokered ceasefire.

*) Kyrgyzstan parliament approves new week-long state of emergency

Kyrgyzstan's parliament has approved a week-long state of emergency in the country's capital, Bishkek.

It includes a curfew, a ban on rallies and travel restrictions. The decree also enables troops to be sent to the capital to enforce the measure.

It comes amid continued protests over a disputed parliamentary election.

*) Amy Coney Barrett dodges questions on healthcare, abortions

US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee has evaded questions about her views on several key issues.

On day two of her Senate confirmation hearing, Amy Coney Barrett refused to be drawn into a debate about abortion and healthcare.

If she passes the committee hearing, the full Senate will vote on whether to confirm her appointment.

Democrats fear Barrett would favour Republicans in any politically sensitive cases that come up before her.

*) Trump, Biden hold presidential campaigns in swing states

President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden are taking their election campaigns to two swing states as the race to the White House heats up.

Trump's second campaign rally since his bout with Covid-19 is taking place in Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, Biden is in Florida. Political analysts believe a win there would more or less ensure him the presidency.

And finally...

*) Apple unveils new iPhones for faster 5G wireless networks

Apple has launched its next-generation iPhone 12, with faster 5G connectivity. But the network speed it promised may not be available to Americans.

The issue lies with America's mobile carriers. Most of them aren't totally up to speed on their 5G nationwide rollouts.

The giant is already running behind rivals Samsung and Huawei, who are already onto their second 5G models with faster networks in South Korea and China.

*) Trump back on campaign trail

US President Donald Trump's doctors confirmed he has tested negative for Covid-19.

The announcement comes as Trump returns to the campaign trail in Florida with just three weeks to go until the presidential election.

Trump told the rally that he feels powerful and that he's no longer infectious.

*) Russia pushes Armenia and Azerbaijan to stick to ceasefire

Azerbaijan and Armenia are accusing each other of violating a Russian-brokered ceasefire amid fresh outbreaks of fighting.

Russia's Foreign Minister has been holding talks with his Armenian counterpart, and says Moscow is pushing both countries to comply with the agreement.

The fighting has also spread to civilian areas outside occupied Karabakh.

*) Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim ready to become PM

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has met with the king, to prove he has enough support to replace the current prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin.

Ibrahim says he has secured the needed majority, but it will be up to the king to appoint him.

This follows months of political uncertainty and the collapse of the governing coalition.

*) Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine trial paused

Johnson & Johnson has temporarily paused its Covid vaccine trial after a volunteer became sick with an unexplained illness.

The patient's health is being assessed by both the company's physicians and an independent board.

The company said pauses are normal in big trials like this, which has over 60,000 patients.

And finally...

*) Peru's Machu Picchu reopens for just one tourist

The majestic Machu Picchu has reopened, but for just a single visitor.

26-year-old Jesse Katayama became the only person in the world to visit the ancient site.

He had been stranded in the country and appealed to the local tourism authority, which agreed to give him special permission to visit the Incan city.

*) Trump claims his now immune to coronavirus

US President Donald Trump has told his Twitter followers that he's now immune to the coronavirus.

Trump tweeted that he'd been given a clean bill of health after his diagnosis more than a week ago.

But Twitter flagged the tweet saying it had violated rules against spreading misinformation about Covid-19.

*) Armenian attack on Azerbaijani city leaves several dead

Azerbaijan's president has accused Armenia of committing war crimes.

The accusation comes after the city of Ganja in Azerbaijan was hit by an Armenian missile strike.

The attack killed at least nine civilians and violated a humanitarian ceasefire between the two countries.

*) Study shows coronavirus can survive on items up to 28 days

Australian scientists say the novel coronavirus can survive on everyday items for up to 28 days if left in a cool and dark place.

During a longevity test, scientists found that virus survival rates decreased as conditions became hotter.

The virus seems to survive longer on glass, steel and plastic, and for shorter periods on porous surfaces such as cotton.

*) Bangladesh considers introducing death penalty for rapists

The government in Bangladesh will hold a special meeting today to consider introducing the death penalty for rapists.

It comes after eight days of protests around the country against a surge in sexual violence against women.

The demonstrations were sparked by a video of a group of men stripping and sexually assaulting a woman for almost 30 minutes in the southeastern district of Noakhali.

And finally...

*) LA Lakers win 17th NBA title

The Los Angeles Lakers have won their 17th NBA Championship title after beating Miami Heat 106 to 93 in game six of the Playoffs.

LeBron James was named MVP after adding 28 points to Sunday's game.

The team dedicated the win to former player Kobe Bryant and his daughter, who both died in a helicopter crash earlier this year.