UN chief calls for Security Council unity over virus pandemic and a three-man crew successfully docks at the International Space Station

*) UN chief calls for Security Council unity over pandemic

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Security Council to display unity as it met to discuss the global coronavirus pandemic.

Security Council members met through video conference after weeks of disagreements, especially between the US and China.

The virus has claimed more than 95,000 lives across the globe and infected more than 1.6 million people.

*)Spy chief named Iraq's third PM-designate this year

Iraqi President Barham Saleh has nominated spy chief Mustafa Kadhemi as the country's third prime minister-designate this year.

The move came moments after Kadhemi's predecessor, Adnan Zurfi, withdrew his candidacy due to "internal and external reasons".

Iraq is facing a budget crisis brought on by the collapse in world oil prices and the spread of Covid-19.

*)UN urges governments to tackle recession, scrap debt payment

More than 60 UN agencies and international organisations urged governments to tackle recession and scrap debt payment over the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Billions of people live in countries teetering on the brink of economic collapse", according to a UN task force.

In response to the crisis, global financial markets have witnessed heavy losses and intense volatility over the last month, it said.

More than one in 10, or close to 17 million US workers, have lost their jobs in just the past three weeks.

*)EU finance ministers agree on coronavirus rescue deal

EU finance ministers have agreed on a 550-billion dollar rescue deal for European countries hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic.

The bloc, meanwhile, put aside demands from Italy and France for pooled borrowing.

The breakthrough came after the Netherlands softened its position on demanding that any country in need deliver on governance targets.

And finally…

*)Three-man crew successfully docks at space station

Three astronauts flew to the International Space Station, leaving behind a planet overwhelmed by a virus pandemic.

There was little fanfare and no family members at the launch site to bid the Russian and American astronauts farewell.

But there was no social distancing as the astronauts floated into the space station one by one and embraced the three crew members already there.

*) Coronavirus pandemic continues its run

The US recorded its deadliest day yet from the novel coronavirus, with close to 2,000 deaths in a single day.

The virus has claimed more than 88,000 lives across the globe and infected more than 1.5 million people.

Some countries have started to contemplate an exit strategy and think about easing of restrictions imposed to curb the virus.

*) Saudi-led coalition declares coronavirus ceasefire in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced that its forces would begin a ceasefire starting today.

The move could pave the way for the first direct peace talks between the two sides that have been at war for more than five years.

The two-week ceasefire came in response to UN calls to halt hostilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

*) Taiwan protests WHO leader's accusations of racist campaign

Taiwan has protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization that it condoned racist personal attacks on him.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had accused Taiwan's foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him.

He added that since the emergence of Covid-19, he has been personally attacked, including receiving death threats and racist abuse.

*) Sanders drops US presidential bid, making Biden likely nominee

US Senator Bernie Sanders has suspended his presidential campaign.

The decision comes after the Democratic party’s establishment lined swiftly up behind rival Joe Biden.

The announcement clears the way for Biden to become the Democratic nominee to challenge incumbent Donald Trump in November.

And finally…

*) Elmo, Lin-Manuel Miranda team up for 'Sesame Street' special

"Sesame Street" is to air a special episode next week to reach out to young children who are confused about being stuck at home during the pandemic.

"Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and actors Anne Hathaway and Tracee Ellis Ross will be celebrity guests in the 30-minute episode.

In the show, the Muppets will find new ways to play and learn together through songs, games and silly dance breaks.

*)China lifts Wuhan travel ban

China’s Wuhan city, the first coronavirus epicentre, has ended a two-month lockdown after reporting only three cases in the past 21 days.

The rest of the world, however, is still scrambling to contain the virus, which has infected more than 1.42 million people and killed over 82,000.

With the exception of Germany, Europe is seeing somewhat of a downward trend in virus deaths. In the US, the death toll continues on an upward spike, with 12,500 deaths.

*)Boris Johnson spends second night in intensive care

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spent a second night in intensive care battling the coronavirus.

The prime minister's spokesman said his "condition is stable and he remains in intensive care for close monitoring".

The virus has infected more than 55,000 people across the UK and killed nearly 6,200 and health data experts say the worst is yet to come.

*)UN strikes back at Trump over WHO criticism

US President Donald Trump, who initially scoffed at the threat coronavirus posed, has accused the World Health Organization of getting it all wrong.

He said the WHO has been “very China-centric” and threatened to put a stop to US contributions to the body.

The UN rejected the criticism of the agency, saying the WHO has done “tremendous work” on Covid-19.

*)Taliban breaks off talks with Afghan government

The Taliban has pulled negotiators out of talks with the Afghan government over a prisoner swap.

The government has responded by accusing the Taliban of “making excuses” and sabotaging the peace process.

The two foes have been holding talks in Kabul since last week to try to finalise the prisoner exchange and pave way for "intra-Afghan" peace talks.

And finally…

*)Supermoon rises on a world battling Covid-19

The largest supermoon of 2020 rose in the night sky over countries and cities under lockdown over the deadly pandemic.

Stargazers still enjoyed the emergence of what is also referred to as a pink moon.

Supermoons occur when the moon reaches its closest point to Earth.
It just so happens that this was also the last full moon of the year.

*)UK PM in intensive care as virus deaths slow in Europe

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spent the night in intensive care after his Covid-19 symptoms intensified.

Johnson asked his Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to take charge where necessary.

Europe’s hardest-hit countries have reported declines in virus-related deaths and over in the US, deaths in New York appear to be stabilizing.

*)UN Security Council to hold first coronavirus talks

The UN Security Council will hold its first meeting on the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday.

It's not yet clear what form the meeting will take or what it could accomplish.

Last week, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution calling for international cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.

*)Australian court quashes cardinal's sexual abuse convictions

Australia's highest court has unanimously cleared ex-Vatican treasurer George Pell of child sex abuse crimes.

Pell has been serving a six-year sentence on convictions of sexually assaulting two boys in 1996 in Melbourne.

The court found there was reasonable doubt surrounding the testimony of the main witness.

*)Cyclone hits Vanuatu amid coronavirus shutdown

Tropical Cyclone Harold has made landfall on the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu amid a state of emergency over coronavirus.

The cyclone approached Sanma province as the country bunkered down for the Category 5 storm.

There have been no reports of injuries so far.

And finally…

*)JK Rowling recovers from coronavirus symptoms

"Harry Potter" author JK Rowling says she has recovered from a suspected case of coronavirus after two weeks of illness.

Rowling shared a video of a breathing technique recommended by doctors that she said had helped her manage her worst symptoms.

Rowling last week announced “Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone” would be free online throughout April to help children through the boredom of lockdowns.

US readies for Covid-19 pandemic’s 'Pearl Harbor' moment and a tiger tests positive for the disease

*)US braces for 'hardest' week

The novel coronavirus has infected virtually every corner of the planet, turning life upside down for the majority of humanity.

It has killed nearly 70,000 people with 1.275 million confirmed cases

The US with more than 335,000 cases has been hardest hit followed by Europe’s Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

*)Rwanda finds genocide grave

A mass grave which could contain about 30,000 bodies has been unearthed in Rwanda.

It is believed to be from the 1994 genocide in which 800,000 ethnic
Tutsi, and Hutus who tried to protect them, were killed.

The country on Tuesday will mark the 26th anniversary of the genocide, primarily carried out by Hutu militias.

*)Turkey to minimise troop movements in Syria

Turkey said it would minimise its troop movements in operation zones in neighbouring Syria in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Troops deployed in Syria can enter and exit the operation areas with the army chief’s permission only, the country’s defence ministry said.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on October 9 to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River.

*)Vanuatu braces for Cyclone Harold

Tropical Cyclone Harold, which claimed 27 lives as it swept through the Solomon Islands, is bearing down on the Pacific nation of Vanuatu.

Vanuatu's meteorology service said the cyclone was packing winds of up to 235 kilometres per hour, prompting red alerts in some provinces.

Officials warned residents to expect flash flooding and said ships should stay in port or risk facing huge swells on the high seas.

And finally...

*)Bronx zoo tiger tests positive for coronavirus

A tiger at New York's Bronx Zoo has tested positive for Covid-19 after developing a dry cough.

Nadia, a four-year-old Malayan tiger, is believed to have contracted the virus from a caretaker who was asymptomatic at the time.

There have been a handful of reports that animals couldn’t pass the virus to human beings but could test positive if exposed by humans.

*) Global Covid-19 cases cross one million mark

The coronavirus has infected more than one million people globally, with the death toll increasing at an alarming speed in Spain, Italy and the US.

The US reported the world’s highest virus death toll in a single day after 1,169 people died yesterday, taking the total number of fatalities to more than 6,000.

The outbreak has also put millions of people out of work, including 10 million in the US.

*) Twitter removes thousands of accounts over misinformation

Twitter has taken down thousands of accounts with links to Egypt, Honduras, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Serbia.

It said the accounts were removed because they violated its policies and were a targeted attempt to undermine public dialogue.

Some of the accounts were being used to amplify messages critical of Iran, Qatar, and Turkey.

*) Myanmar camps face 'catastrophe' from virus

Human Rights Watch has warned hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Myanmar face a “health catastrophe” amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The warning comes amid growing calls from the international community for an end to fighting in the southeastern nation.

Myanmar has confirmed only 16 cases of infection and one death, but experts say the true figure could be far higher in the impoverished country.

*) World Games postponed to 2022

The 2021 World Games have been delayed by a year to avoid clashing with the newly rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

The World Games, held every four years, were scheduled to take place in Alabama in the US in 2021, but are now postponed to July 2022.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics organisers decided last month to reschedule the event over the coronavirus outbreak.

And finally...

*) China's Shenzhen bans consumption of cats, dogs

China’s city of Shenzhen has banned the consumption of dogs and cats from next month.

The city says dogs and cats have developed a close connection with humans over the centuries and there is no need for their consumption.

The decision comes after scientists said the novel coronavirus was passed to humans from animals.

*)Global Covid-19 cases near one million

At least 884 people have died of Covid-19 in the US in a single day, a new record for the country as its death toll crosses the 5,000 mark.
More than 215,000 people are now infected in the US, as global cases near one million.
The UK has come under criticism for its lack of testing as countries across the world escalate their fight to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

*)Trump warns Iran against possible ‘sneak attack’ on US in Iraq

President Donald Trump has said Iran or its proxies planned a sneak attack on US targets in Iraq.
He warned Iran would “pay a very heavy price” without elaborating on the details.
The tension between the two countries heightened after a US drone strike killed Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in January.

*)COP26 climate summit postponed over coronavirus

The UN climate change summit, which was due to take place in November, has been postponed as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.
Some 30,000 people, including 200 world leaders, were due to attend the 10-day conference on how to halt rising global temperatures.
The UK, which is hosting COP26, says the dates for 2021 will be announced later.

*)Turkey delivers medical aid to Spain and Italy

Turkey’s military has delivered medical aid to Spain and Italy as they face the worst of Europe’s Covid-19 crisis.
Spain and Italy’s delegations to NATO took to Twitter to thank Turkey.
The virus has killed at least 13,155 people in Italy, the highest death toll for a single country to date. Spain has reported 9,387 coronavirus deaths.
And finally...

*)Harry Potter to rescue bored children stuck in lockdowns

British author JK Rowling is hoping her Harry Potter series will work its magic on children stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone e-books and audiobooks will be available for free throughout April.
A new online hub, Harry Potter At Home, will be aimed at younger children and launched on WizardingWorld.com, and will offer activities and quizzes.