Duty Editor: Alex Nicoll Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + India tops four million virus cases + Trump demands Fox reporter be fired + Facebook blocks livestream of death + Mali junta starts talks on handover + Hope dims in Beirut survivor search Health-virus,WRAP NEW DELHI India becomes the third country to pass four million coronavirus infections, setting a new record daily surge in cases as the pandemic shows no sign of peaking. 650 words moved by AFP bureaus. Picture. Video US-politics-military-veterans-media,lead WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump demands that Fox News fire its national security correspondent after she confirmed claims that the Republican leader had disparaged the military -- a bombshell that has dogged him for two days. 400 words moved France-death-rights,WRAP DIJON, France Facebook says it will block the livestream of a Frenchman suffering from an incurable condition who wants to broadcast his death on the social media platform. 550 words moved by Loïc Vennin. File picture. File video Mali-unrest-coup-army-politics,WRAP BAMAKO Mali's military junta begins talks with opposition groups on its promise to hand power back to civilians, after mounting pressure from neighbouring countries in the weeks since it overthrew the nation's leader. 600 words moved. Picture. Video Lebanon-blast,2ndlead BEIRUT Rescue workers say there is no longer any sign of life in a collapsed Beirut building, dashing hopes raised by sensor readings showing a pulse beneath the rubble from last month's blast. 450 words moved. Picture. Video -- AMERICAS -- US-politics-Trump-boats HOUSTON A Texas boat parade in support of President Donald Trump's re-election campaign runs into trouble as multiple vessels take on water or sink, authorities say. 250 words moved US-politics-vote-gambling,FOCUS NEW YORK For the time being, all the polls seem to be going Joe Biden's way ahead of the November 3 presidential election. But gamblers see a different reality and are putting their money on Donald Trump. 700 words 0130 GMT by Thomas Urbain. Picture Health-virus-Dominican-gender-prostitution,FOCUS SANTO DOMINGO Since the novel coronavirus first hit the shores of the Dominican Republic in March, Luna Veras, a transgender sex worker, has struggled to put bread on the table. Between fear of Covid-19 and a nightly curfew, her business has dropped by 80 percent. 500 words 0130 GMT by Erika Santelices. Picture Entertainment-US-music-philharmonic-health-virus,SCENE NEW YORK Its fall season has been cancelled and its concert hall closed indefinitely, so New York's Philharmonic is taking it to the streets. 600 words 0130 GMT by Maggy Donaldson. Picture. Video -- MIDEAST -- Lebanon-blast-recycling-glass TRIPOLI, Lebanon Standing in a pile of broken glass in northern Lebanon, a man shovels shards retrieved from Beirut after a massive explosion at its port into a red-hot furnace. 650 words 0300 GMT by Susannah Walden. Picture. Video Iraq-history-Jews-heritage,FEATURE ARBIL, Iraq Growing up in Iraq, Omar Farhadi would heat up dinner for his Jewish neighbours when they rested on the Sabbath. Few are left, and their heritage risks fading away too. 800 words 0330 GMT by Qassim Khidir. Picture. Video -- EUROPE -- Health-virus-Italy-politics-Berlusconi ROME Italy's flamboyant former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is "stable" after being hospitalised with coronavirus, his doctor says. 400 words moved Russia-economy-development-social-Svobodny,FOCUS SVOBODNY, Russia The remote Russian town of Svobodny has languished in misery for decades but the launch of mega projects with sights on China is expected to give it a new lease of life. 650 words 0330 GMT by Andrea Palasciano. Picture. -- AFRICA -- SAfrica-culture-social-crime KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE, South Africa Coronavirus lockdown rules force Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini to host a scaled down version of the annual reed dance celebration. 400 words moved. Video Mali-unrest-coup-army,FOCUS BAMAKO Mali's army, which staged last month's coup in the war-torn nation, is taking on a role in politics despite being hamstrung by a crippling lack of resources. 700 words 0300 GMT by Amaury Hauchard. Picture -- ASIA -- Japan-Philippines-weather-shipping KAGOSHIMA, Japan A powerful typhoon churns towards southern Japan, bringing violent winds and heavy rain as officials warn hundreds of thousands of people to seek safety in shelters. 350 words 0130 GMT China-virus-diplomacy-Wuhan,FOCUS WUHAN China recasts Wuhan as heroic virus victim while throwing fresh doubt on the pandemic's origin story as it moves to seize back the coronavirus narrative at a time of growing global distrust of Beijing. 700 words 0230 GMT by Dan Martin. Picture. Video Gambling-China-health-treatment,FOCUS SHANGHAI Gambling was outlawed in mainland China along with other vices by the Communist Party when it took over in 1949, but is making a comeback via websites and apps aimed at Chinese customers and based offshore. 550 words 0330 GMT by Lianchao Lan. Picture. Video HongKong-China-US-politics-economy,FOCUS HONG KONG At the Koon Chun Sauce Factory workers are scrambling to cover hundreds of thousands of bottles with new "Made in China" labels as the popular Hong Kong brand falls victim to spiralling diplomatic tensions. 700 words 0330 GMT by Su Xinqi. Picture. Video -- CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT -- Entertainment-Italy-Britain-Hungary-film-VanessaKirby VENICE, Italy "The Crown" star Vanessa Kirby says her latest role as a woman who loses her child after a home birth goes wrong is her scariest yet. 550 words moved by Fiachra Gibbons and Alexandria Sage. Picture. Video Also moved: Entertainment-Italy-Britain-film-Venice-TheDuke -- SPORT -- Tennis-Open-USA,WRAP NEW YORK Serena Williams battles into the US Open last 16 as the tournament endures fresh controversy after New York health officials ordered the women's top doubles pairing be withdrawn over coronavirus fears. 700 words 0400 GMT by Peter Hutchison. Picture. Graphic Fbl-ESP-Liga-Barcelona-Messi-Bartomeu,PROFILE MADRID An unexpected winner in 2015 and Barcelona's bad guy in 2020, the club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu might feel some satisfaction after winning his showdown with Lionel Messi. 700 words 0200 GMT by Patxi Vrignon-Etxezaharreta Already moved: Fbl-ESP-Liga-Barcelona-Messi,WRAP Auto-Prix-ITA,WRAP MONZA, Italy Lewis Hamilton claims pole position with a new lap record at Monza for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix with Valtteri Bottas taking second place in qualifying for another Mercedes front row lock-out. 600 words moved. Picture Racing-USA-Derby,2ndlead LOUISVILLE, Kentucky Authentic holds off heavily favored Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law to capture the 146th Kentucky Derby, giving trainer Bob Baffert a record-equalling sixth victory in the Run for the Roses. 550 words moved. Picture afp