Duty Editor: James Hossack Tel: +852 2829 6211 -- TOP STORIES -- + US to slash troop levels in Iraq, Afghanistan + Trump fires official who dismissed vote fraud + Hurricane Iota hits Nicaragua, destroys homes + UN warns of 'humanitarian crisis' in Ethiopia + Indian dog with no front legs goes to Britain US-politics-military-Afghanistan-Iraq,WRAP WASHINGTON The US will slash troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq to their lowest levels in nearly 20 years of war after President Donald Trump pledged to end conflicts abroad, the Pentagon says. 500 words moved by Paul Handley US-vote-security-politics,WRAP WASHINGTON Donald Trump fires the government's top election security official, who had rejected the president's unsubstantiated claims of "massive" fraud in the vote he lost to Joe Biden. 550 words 0130 GMT by Paul Handley Weather-hurricane-Centram,WRAP BILWI, Nicaragua Nicaraguans pick through the broken remains of their hurricane-ravaged homes as tropical storm Iota continues its advance across Central America with its sights set on Honduras -- just two weeks after Hurricane Eta devastated parts of the region. 750 words 0200 GMT by Julia Rios. Picture. Graphic. Video Ethiopia-unrest,WRAP ADDIS ABABA The UN says a full-blown humanitarian crisis is unfolding in northern Ethiopia, where thousands of people each day are fleeing the conflict in the Tigray region. 800 words moved by Robbie Corey-Boulet. Picture. Video. Graphic India-Britain-animal FARIDABAD, India An Indian street dog that lost its front legs after being run over by a train has found a new home in Britain after enduring a year of therapy and learning to walk again with prosthetic limbs. 350 words moved. Picture. Video -- CORONAVIRUS -- Health-virus,WRAP WASHINGTON Plans for vaccination programmes begin taking shape in Europe and the United States following recent breakthroughs, but surging coronavirus caseloads prompt gruelling new restrictions. 850 words moved by AFP bureaus. Picture. Video. Graphic Health-virus-Moderna,INTERVIEW WASHINGTON The head of the US biotech company Moderna warns Europeans that prolonging negotiations to buy doses of its Covid-19 vaccine could slow deliveries, with countries that signed up months ago getting priority. 600 words moved by Ivan Couronne. Video Health-virus-US-trial,FOCUS MIAMI A key facet of the mad scramble by Pfizer, Moderna and other pharma groups to develop a viable coronavirus vaccine is the recruitment of tens of thousands of volunteers for clinical trials. AFP's Leila Macor, who lost her father to Covid-19, is one of those test subjects. 800 words moved by Leila Macor. Picture Health-virus-Brazil,FOCUS RIO dE JANEIRO After struggling for months to get its spiraling Covid-19 death toll under control, Brazil is now threatened by the nightmare scenario that has already shaken the United States and Europe: a second wave. 650 words 0200 GMT by Louis Genot. Picture. Video -- AMERICAS -- Peru-politics,lead LIMA Peru's 76-year-old new president Francisco Sagasti is sworn at a special session of Congress, tasked with resolving the South American country's crippling political crisis. 400 words moved by Luis Jaime Cisneros. Picture. Video Also moved: Peru-politics-Sagasti,PROFILE US-vote-IT-politics,WRAP WASHINGTON Facebook and Twitter defend their handling of US election misinformation at a heated congressional hearing where one key senator assails the platforms for being the "ultimate editor" of political news. 800 words moved by Rob Lever. Picture. Video US-IT-lifestyle-Twitter,lead SAN FRANCISCO Twitter says it is rolling out tweets which disappear after 24 hours, joining rival social platforms in offering ephemeral messages. 550 words moved by Julie Jammot with Rob Lever in Washington US-Mideast-diplomacy-Obama WASHINGTON Former US president Barack Obama offers a bleak portrait of much of the Middle East's leadership in his new memoir, as he reveals how he still agonizes on where he applied pressure during the Arab Spring. 600 words moved Also moved: US-diplomacy-Obama,QUOTES US-vote-politics-Biden-cabinet,FOCUS WASHINGTON President-elect Joe Biden has promised a cabinet that reflects America's diversity when he takes office. Here are some of the politicians, diplomats, businesswomen, activists and defense experts jockeying for spots in his inner circle. 750 words moved by Michael Mathes. Picture US-vote-television,FOCUS WASHINGTON Tens of thousands of Donald Trump supporters, disbelieving of the presidential election results and increasingly frustrated by the conservative Fox News, are turning -- often at the president's urging -- to smaller, right-wing channels OAN and Newsmax, which still refuse to call the race for Joe Biden. 700 words 0200 GMT by Thomas Urbain -- ASIA -- APEC-summit,ADVANCER KUALA LUMPUR China will get another chance to reshape Asia-Pacific trade at a regional summit starting Thursday, days after securing a huge trade pact victory and with the US playing protectionist defence. 550 words 0300 GMT by Sam Reeves with Martin Abbugao in Singapore -- EUROPE -- Health-virus-environment-masks,FOCUS PARIS Health authorities say the most widespread anti-Covid weapon -- surgical masks -- must be thrown away after a single use, but environmental concerns are pushing some scientists to question this recommendation. 650 words 0230 GMT by Amelie Bottollier-Depois Britain-politics-environment LONDON Britain will ban petrol and diesel vehicle sales from 2030 as part of a 10-point plan for a "green industrial revolution" to be unveiled Wednesday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 550 words 0230 GMT moved by Joe Jackson Croatia-tradition-offbeat-tourism,VIDEOESSAY LICKO PETROVA SELO, Croatia Once used to warm men's private parts during harsh winters in rural Croatia, the woollen codpiece or 'nakurnjak' is making a comeback as a popular souvenir, thanks to a handful of women preserving traditional handicrafts from oblivion. 600 words 0230 GMT by Lajla Veselica. Picture. Video Rocketry-aerospace-satellite-space,FOCUS PARIS The boom in demand for placing small satellites into orbit has boosted interest in small rockets, but industry players do not think the niche will become a business segment of its own. 650 words by Mathieu Rabechault -- MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA -- Mideast-music,FOCUS DUBAI The Arab music industry -- plagued by rampant piracy, free YouTube clips and dated channels -- is the new target for global streaming giants intent on bringing the outmoded business into the digital era. 650 words 0300 GMT by Aziz El Massassi. Picture. G20-summit-Saudi-diplomacy-economy,ADVANCER RIYADH Saudi Arabia hosts the G20 summit Saturday in a first for an Arab nation, but the scaled-down virtual format could limit debate on a resurgent coronavirus pandemic and crippling economic crisis. 750 words 0300 GMT by Anuj Chopra Israel-Palestinians-conflict-diplomacy,WRAP RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories The Palestinian Authority of president Mahmud Abbas says it will restore coordination with Israel, after severing cooperation in May this year over Israel's plans to annex parts of the West Bank. 500 words moved by Hossam Ezzedine -- AFRICA -- Burkina-vote-unrest,FOCUS DORI, Burkina Faso Two days before Burkina Faso's president held a campaign rally in the northern town of Dori, the body of a driver for a regional MP was found not far away. 700 words 0300 GMT by Amaury Hauchard. File Picture Ethiopia-conflict-Sudan-refugee,FOCUS UM RAQUBA REFUGEE CAMP, Sudan For Ethiopians who escaped intense fighting in their northern homeland of Tigray by fleeing into Sudan, they are now safe, but the terrifying nightmare of what they witnessed haunts them. 800 words moved by Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali. Picture. Video Burkina-vote-unrest,ADVANCER OUAGADOUGOU Burkina Faso's worsening jihadist insurgency has dominated campaigning for Sunday's elections, with some candidates arguing that the time has come to explore the idea of dialogue with armed groups. 550 words moved by Amaury Hauchard. Graphic. File picture afp