CORONAVIRUS: CHINA DEATHS RISE PAST 800, OVERTAKING SARS TOLLThe death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak soared to 803 in China onSunday, according to official figures, overtaking the global toll for SARS.With 81 more people dying in Hubei - the province at the centre of theoutbreak - the toll is now higher than the 774 killed worldwide by theSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002-2003, according to figuresreleased Sunday.The latest data came after the World Health Organisation said numbers were"stabilising" - but warned it was too early to make any predictions aboutwhether the virus might have peaked.Nearly 37,000 people have now been infected by the new coronavirus in China,believed to have emerged last year in a market that sold wild animals inHubei's capital Wuhan before spreading across China.The epidemic has prompted the government to lock down whole cities, as angermounts over its handling of the crisis, especially after a whistleblowingdoctor fell victim to the virus.A 60-year-old American diagnosed with the virus died on Thursday in Wuhan,according to the U.S. embassy, which gave no further details on the victim.China's foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP that the victim was aU.S. citizen of Chinese origin.THAILAND SHOOTING: SOLDIER WHO KILLED 20 IS SHOT DEADA soldier who killed 20 people in a gun rampage in the Thai city of NakhonRatchasima has been shot dead by the security forces, Thai police say.Jakraphanth Thomma on Saturday killed his commanding officer before stealingweapons from a military camp.The suspect continued his attack in a shopping centre in Nakhon Ratchasima,also known as Korat,He posted material to social media, but his motives for his actions remainunclear.Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul posted on his Facebook page onSunday morning, congratulating the security forces for their actions in thenortheastern Thai town."Thank you police and army for ending the situation. Shooter shot dead!!!"Officials said that the death toll stood at 20, with 42 wounded, revising anearlier total of 21 dead.However, it is still possible that the number of fatalities could rise.THREE-WAY TIE IN IRISH GENERAL ELECTION: EXIT POLLIreland's three biggest parties are tied neck-and-neck following Saturday'sgeneral election, according to an exit poll, leaving the battle to lead thenext government too close to call.Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's incumbent Fine Gael party, centre-right rivalsFianna Fail and left-wingers Sinn Fein all received 22% of first preferencevotes, according to the PSOS MRBI poll issued as the polling stations closedat 2200 GMT.The survey of around 5,000 voters leaving the polls - which has an estimatedmargin of error of 1.3% - put Fine Gael on 22.4%, Sinn Fein on 22.3% andFianna Fail on 22.2%.The Republic of Ireland uses a single transferable vote system to electmultiple deputies from each of the 39 constituencies, making it hard toextrapolate a likely seat forecast from the exit poll figures for firstpreference votes.The count gets under way at 0900 GMT on February 9."We've never seen a general election result like it," said Pat Leahy,political editor of The Irish Times newspaper."Basically a statistical tie between what are now the three big parties.Government formation is going to be a very difficult exercise indeed if theparties maintain their pre-election positions," he told RTE television.Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, which have traditionally held a duopoly onpower, pledged they would not form a coalition with Sinn Fein, the formerpolitical wing of the now-defunct Irish Republican Army paramilitary group.AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI SAYS IRAN SHOULD INCREASE MILITARY MIGHT TO PREVENT WARIran should increase its military might to prevent a war, Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering of air force commanders on Saturday,dismissing the US sanctions on the country as "criminal act"."We should be strong to prevent any war against the county. Being weak willencourage our enemies to attack Iran," Khamenei, Iran's top authority, saidaccording to state news agency IRNA.The Islamic Republic has vowed to increase its military strength despitemounting pressure from Western countries to curtail its militarycapabilities, including its ballistic missile programme."Since the revolution their aim was to stop us from having a strong militaryand a strong air force . but look at us now. We even build planes. We havetransformed their pressure to opportunity," Khamenei said, according tostate TV.MALAYSIAN HINDUS DEFY CORONAVIRUS FEARS TO MARK FESTIVALHindus gathered in temples across Malaysia on Saturday to celebrate theannual Thaipusam festival, despite concerns about the deadly coronavirusoutbreak.Massive crowds descended on the Batu Caves temple complex on the outskirtsof capital Kuala Lumpur to participate in the event, where Hindus showcasetheir devotion to the deity Lord Murugan.Worshippers walked barefoot up 272 steps to reach the temple - an importantreligious site for Tamil Hindus - armed with gifts including milk pots whichare eventually smashed as offerings.Many displayed their fervour by carrying heavy ornate metal structurescalled "kavadis", affixed to their bodies with sharp metal spikes that arehammered into the skin.Some devotees appeared to be in a state of trance as they carried thekavadis, which can weigh as much as 100 kilogrammes (220 pounds).Others pierced their faces with tridents or hung multiple hooks and chainsfrom their bodies in an act of penance.The crowd at the Batu Caves looked as big as in previous years despiteworries about the new virus, and only a handful were wearing protectivemasks.PAK COURT DEFERS VERDICT AGAINST MUMBAI ATTACK MASTERMIND HAFIZ SAEEDA Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Saturday deferred its verdict againstMumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed in two terror financing cases on his"request" and adjourned the hearing till Tuesday.Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta had last weekreserved the verdict against the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief in the twoterror financing cases for Saturday."The ATC judge on Saturday took up the application of Hafiz Saeed requestingthe court to club all terror financing cases against him and announce theverdict after the trial is completed," a court official told PTI after thehearing on Saturday.The official said the deputy prosecutor opposed to Saeed's plea, arguingthat the trial in the two cases against him has already been completed andthe court may announce the verdict under the law.The ATC, however, adjourned the hearing till February 11, issuing notices toboth prosecution and defence lawyers for arguments on Saeed's plea.SWITZERLAND VOTES ON LGBT DISCRIMINATION PROPOSALVoters in Switzerland go to the polls on Sunday to decide on a proposal tomake discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual identitypunishable by law.Discrimination because of race or religion is already illegal in thecountry.Now members of Switzerland's LGBT community hope they too will get legalprotection.But opponents of the new law argue it could restrict free speech."Many Swiss people tend to overrate how modern our country is," explainsAnna Rosenwasser of the Swiss Lesbian Organisation.She points out that on the Rainbow Map of 49 countries' respect for LGBTrights, Switzerland ranks just 23rd. "It might be rich, but it's really notmodern yet. We have no laws concerning public discrimination based on sexualorientation."To support her argument that the lack of legal protection causes harm to thegay community, Ms Rosenwasser cites suicide rates: "Amongst queer people inSwitzerland, it is five times higher compared to heterosexual people. That'squite something, it shows how we are not feeling safe yet.""We don't even know if jokes about gays will be allowed," Benjamin Fischerof the right-wing Swiss People's Party told Swiss television."Some say yes, some say no they will be punishable. We live in a countrywith freedom of expression, people should be allowed to think and say whatthey like, even if it's a bit stupid or tasteless."There is opposition too from some religious groups. Although Switzerland'sreformed church has backed the new law, the Swiss Evangelical Alliance,which has significant support in rural areas, is sceptical.KAZAKHSTAN: OVERNIGHT BRAWL LEAVES 8 DEAD, SCORES WOUNDEDA brawl and a series of clashes in several villages in Kazakhstan's southernZhambyl province have left eight people dead and scores wounded, InteriorMinister Yerlan Turgumbayev said on Saturday.Some 70 people were involved in the initial brawl on the outskirts of theMasanchi village, close to the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, he told a briefing,after which 300 more people arrived from the nearby villages.The crowd clashed with police, wounding two officers with gunshots, andtorched dozens of buildings and cars. Police have detained 47 people andconfiscated two hunting shotguns, Turgumbayev said.Police and the National Guard now have the situation under control,President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a statement, ordering the governmentto take steps to maintain calm in the villages.The area where the clashes took place is home to many members of the Dunganminority group, Muslims of Chinese ethnic origin.Tokayev urged a thorough investigation and instructed security agencies toprosecute those spreading ethnic hate speech, "provocative rumours anddisinformation".Dauren Abayev, Minister of Information and Public Accord told a briefing theauthorities have temporarily closed a large outdoor merchandise market inAlmaty, the largest city in the nation of 19 million, after "calls forviolence" there.