*)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.

*)Decline in coronavirus infections

Chinese authorities report an 8 percent decline in the number of new coronavirus infections since Monday.

But they still confirmed more almost 2,000 new cases on Tuesday.

Worldwide, the death toll stands at more than 1,800, with over 73,000 people infected.

*)UN says 40,000 Syrians displaced in past four days

Ongoing bombardment by Russian-backed regime forces in Syria has displaced over 40,000 people in the past four days.

The latest figures from the UN come amid reports that regime forces have seized several villages in Aleppo province, meaning most rebel-held regions have now been recaptured.

While the second round of peace talks in Moscow between Turkey and Russia is set to get underway later on Tuesday, regime and Russian forces are still targeting civilian areas.

*)EU agree to new operation for arms embargo in Libya

EU foreign ministers agreed to launch a new operation to enforce a UN arms embargo on Libya.

The new mission would include a naval element, which has been a sticking point for some countries.

The aim this time around is to shift the focus further west, away from the usual waters used by people leaving Libya in search of better lives in Europe.

*)Iraqi security use birdshot to disperse protesters

Iraqi security forces are using pellet guns to shoot at protesters in Baghdad.

Gunshots were heard as riot police fired birdshot pellets and tear gas to disperse demonstrators.

Hundreds of people have died since anti-government demonstrations began last year against high unemployment and government corruption.

And finally,

*)Motorist captures meteor on dashcam

A Malaysian motorist captured a meteor on his dashboard camera.

The flashing fireball fell from the sky last week in Johor Bahru, near the border with Singapore.

The space rock is one of hundreds that make it into the Earth's atmosphere each year, but this one likely didn't reach the ground.

Scientists say celestial objects like this are rocky remnants left over from the formation of our solar system.

*)Rise in coronavirus deaths

Chinese health officials report a rise in deaths from the coronavirus.

Over 1,700 people have now died from the virus and over 70,000 are affected, with almost all cases in mainland China.

Five deaths have been reported in the Philippines, France, Japan and Taiwan.

*)US thanks Turkey for preventing humanitarian catastrophe in Syria

US President Donald Trump thanked Turkey for its efforts to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Syria.

In a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump said Russia should end its support for the Assad regime's atrocities against the Syrian people.

A Turkish delegation will visit Russia on Monday to discuss ongoing violence in Idlib's de-escalation zone.

*)Video of New Delhi students being beaten goes viral

A video allegedly showing Indian police beating students in India's capital has gone viral.

Activists at Jamia Millia University released the security camera footage, saying it proves police have used violence against students in the campus.

The video was recorded on December 15 during mass student protests against the government's controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.

*)UN says armed men kill several in Cameroon’s English-speaking region

The UN says at least 22 people, including 14 children, were killed in Cameroon's English-speaking northwest region.

It follows clashes, less than a week ago, between Cameroon's army and separatists fighting to break away from the French-speaking nation.

Over 3,000 people were killed and 700,000 fled their homes in the three-year conflict.

And finally,

*)Star-studded concert raises millions for Australia’s bushfire recovery efforts

More than $6.3 million has been raised at a concert to support recovery efforts following Australia's bushfire crisis.

Queen and Olivia Newton-John were among the artists who performed in Sydney.

Since September, hundreds of wildfires across the country have killed at least 33 people and around a billion animals.

*)New virus has infected more than 64,000 people globally

The coronavirus outbreak is on the rise in China, with more than 5,000 new cases and 121 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.

The total number of deaths from the virus now near 1,400, with the total number of recorded cases crossing the 64,000 mark globally.

Japan also confirmed its first death in Kanagawa near Tokyo.

It's the third death outside mainland China after two others in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

*)President Trump says US peace deal with Taliban is likely

President Donald Trump says there is a good chance the US will reach a peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan by the end of the month.

The move could pave the way for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper earlier said the two sides had negotiated a plan to reduce violence over the next week.

*)Erdogan addresses joint session of Pakistan’s parliament

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed a joint session of Pakistan's parliament for a record fourth time.

Erdogan, who is on a two-day official visit, will also meet the Pakistani business community and later hold talks with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Both countries are expected to announce a joint declaration and sign several agreements on enhancing bilateral relations.

*)Shelling wounds at least 19 children in Myanmar’s Rakhine – authorities

At least 19 children were wounded when a primary school was hit by shelling in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Artillery fire hit the school in Khamwe Chaung village in Buthidaung township.

A military spokesman blamed the Arakan Army for the attack but the insurgent group denied responsibility.
And finally,
*)Fires in Australia’s NSW contained for the 1st time in nearly 6 months

Fires across Australia's most populous state have now been contained for the first time in nearly six months.

Australia has been battling hundreds of blazes since September.

Blazes across the country have razed nearly 12 million hectares of bushland, killing 33 people and an estimated 1 billion animals.