*)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.

*) Virus death toll surges as China changes way it counts cases

China has adopted a new methodology for clinically diagnosing the novel coronavirus.

The communist party has removed both the top leaders of Hubei province and Wuhan city.

The move came after Hubei reported 242 coronavirus deaths in one day – the biggest one-day tally since the outbreak.

The total death toll from the virus now stands at more than 1,362 with nearly 60,000 cases.

*) Will target Syrian forces anywhere if Turkish troops hurt – Erdogan

Turkey’s President Erdogan has said Syrian regime forces will not be safe if Turkish troops are killed or injured.

Erdogan added Turkey is determined to push back Syrian regime forces from observation posts in Idlib by end-February.

The Turkish president also discussed the latest developments in Idlib with his Russian counterpart.

*) UN list targets firms linked to Israeli settlements

The United Nations Human Rights Office has identified businesses that are complicit in violating Palestinian human rights.

The report lists more than 100 companies operating in Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank

The list includes firms like Airbnb, Expedia, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Opodo, Motorola and General Mills.

*)UN Security Council calls for lasting ceasefire in Libya

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution calling for a "lasting ceasefire" in war-torn Libya.

The text, drafted by Britain, was approved by 14 votes out of 15, with Russia abstaining.

The resolution also expressed "concern over the growing involvement of mercenaries in Libya."
And finally,
*)Artist scraps plans for Thunberg mural after boycott threats

A North Dakota artist says he has scrapped plans for a mural honouring Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Shane Balkowitsch had planned to install a 2.1-metre tall mural of Thunberg on the brick exterior wall of a bakery.

But he backed down after threats of boycotts and possible vandalism against the host business.

*)China's novel virus cases fall again

The number of new cases of the novel coronavirus has dropped as the death toll continues to climb.
On Wednesday, China reported 97 more deaths, bringing the total death toll to 1,113.
The World Health Organization has renamed the disease “COVID-19”.

*)US Syria envoy in Ankara for talks over escalating violence

US envoy for Syria James Jeffrey has arrived in Ankara to discuss the recent flare-up of violence between the regime and Turkey.
The escalation is threatening to pull Turkey into an all-out confrontation with Syria.
Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who is attending a NATO meeting, has called on the alliance and Europe to help stop the regime's attacks.
The violence has displaced more than 700,000 people, with many of them making their way toward the Turkish border in bitter cold.

*)Palestinians echo rejection of Trump's proposal at the UN

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected US President Trump's Middle East peace plan at the United Nations.
Abbas compared Trump’s map for Palestinians to “Swiss cheese.”
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, who was also at the UN, said the US Middle East plan was "a start".

*)Sanders wins New Hampshire primary

US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has won the New Hampshire state primary, closely followed by Pete Buttigieg.
Sanders bagged 26 percent of the votes.
The senator from Vermont described his win as “the beginning of the end for Donald Trump".
And finally,

*)Weinstein defence rests case in rape trial

Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein will not testify in his own defence at his rape trial and his lawyers have rested their case.
This has paved the way for closing arguments and what is expected to be a complex jury deliberation.
Since testimony began in January, six women have taken the stand in New York to say they were sexually assaulted by Weinstein.

*)Deaths in China reach new single-day high of 108

The novel coronavirus death toll has risen to over 1,000 in mainland China, with more than 42,600 people infected across the country.
On Monday, China reached a new single-day high of 108 deaths.
The two most senior health officials in Hubei, the outbreak epicentre, have been fired, state media said on Tuesday, as pressure mounts over the handling of the crisis.

*)Suicide blast kills five in Afghan capital Kabul

A suicide bomber has killed five people near a military academy in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack near the entrance to the government-run defence university.
The academy has been the scene of several attacks in the past, including a DAESH-claimed assault last May.

*)Five Turkish soldiers killed in attack in northwest Syria

In Syria, Turkish forces retaliated against the Assad regime after it killed five Turkish soldiers in an attack in Idlib province.
Idlib is supposed to be a de-escalation zone as agreed by Russia and Turkey in 2018.
It is also the last area held by anti-Assad groups and has been the focus of a major regime offensive since December.

*)Militants kill at least 30 in Nigeria's troubled Borno

At least 30 people have been killed and a dozen others wounded in a suspected Boko Haram attack in Nigeria's Borno State.
Locals said the attack occurred along the Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway in Auno town late Sunday.
The militants stormed the area on trucks mounted with heavy weapons, killing, burning and looting before kidnapping women and children.

And finally,

*)Ratings for Sunday's Oscars fall to all-time low

US TV audience numbers for Sunday’s Academy Awards fell to an all-time low, reflecting an industry-wide trend of declining broadcast viewership.
ABC said the Oscars audience dropped 20 percent from a year ago to an average of 23.6 million total viewers.
The ceremony was broadcast on Sunday featuring performances by Janelle Monae and, unexplainably, by Eminem.

*)China stutters back to work as virus deaths rise

Millions of people in China return to work after an extended holiday to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The epidemic, which is believed to have emerged from China's Wuhan city, has killed more than 900 people.
At least 40,000 others have been infected by the virus that has spread to at least two dozen other countries.

*)Thailand mourns victims of mass shooting

Thousands of people attended a vigil in northeastern Thailand for the victims of the country's deadliest mass shooting.
A rogue soldier went on a shooting spree on Saturday, killing at least 29 people and wounding 57 others before being shot dead.
Authorities say the attacker held a grudge over a land deal that led to his hours-long rampage.

*)Air strikes kill 17 Syrians in Idlib as Turkey sends reinforcements

The Russian-backed Bashar al Assad regime has continued its intensified onslaught in northwestern Syria.
At least 17 civilians were killed in latest air strikes on the Idlib de-escalation zone, according to a civil defence group.
Meanwhile, Turkey continues to send reinforcements to the de-escalation zone.

*Azerbaijan's governing party leads in snap parliamentary vote

Azerbaijan's election commission announced that President Ilham Aliyev's governing party was leading in a snap parliamentary election.
Officials say the vote was called nine months before it was due "to support the president's policy on reforms and personnel changes."
But the country's opposition denounced the polling process, calling it “mass electoral fraud.”

And finally,

*)‘Parasite’ wins big at Oscars

“Parasite” takes best picture, the first non-English language film to win in the Academy Awards' 92-year history.
The South Korean satire won this year's largest Oscars haul, bagging awards for best original screenplay, international feature film and director.
Other big winners of the night include Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger for best actors, Brad Pitt and Laura Dern.