DONALD TRUMP CAN BE DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL SOON,' SAYS HIS MEDICAL TEAM

US President Donald Trump has surprised supporters gathered outside the

hospital where he is being treated with Covid-19 by riding past in a

motorcade.

Wearing a mask, the president waved inside a car moments after tweeting that

he would pay a "surprise visit".

Mr Trump, who has been criticised for his handling of the pandemic, also

said he had learned a lot about the virus.

In a tweet, the president - dressed in a suit jacket and shirt with no tie -

said: "I learned a lot about Covid. I learned it by really going to school.

This is the real school. This isn't the let's read the books school. I get

it and I understand it. It's a very interesting thing, I'll be letting you

know about it."

Earlier, his doctors said Mr Trump continued to improve and might be

discharged as early as Monday.

Dr Sean Conley said the president's oxygen level dropped twice since his

diagnosis, and he was started on a steroid called dexamethasone.

The president was given extra oxygen at least once after testing positive,

said Dr Conley, who also sought to clarify earlier confusion caused by

conflicting statements about Mr Trump's condition.

If things continue to go well, he may be allowed to continue his treatment

back at the White House on Monday, his team said.

Meanwhile, more Trump aides and associates in his inner circle continued to

test positive for Covid-19 including his campaign manager Bill Stepien and

former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, both of whom helped him prepare

for the first Presidential debate. His personal assistant Nicholas Luna also

tested positive.

ARMENIA HIT SECOND CITY, CLAIMS AZERBAIJAN; THREATENS RETALIATION

Azerbaijan said on Sunday that Armenian forces had fired rockets at its

second city of Ganja, killing one civilian and wounding four, and threatened

to retaliate by destroying military targets inside Armenia.

The developments marked a sharp escalation of the war in the South Caucasus

that broke out one week ago.

Until now, the main fighting has been between Azerbaijan and

Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan, but it now

threatens to spill over into a direct war with Armenia itself. "Azerbaijan

will destroy military targets directly inside Armenia from which shelling of

its population centres is taking place," presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev

said.

He said there were also civilian casualties in another Azeri region,

Beylagan, which borders Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said on Twitter his forces had captured

the town of Jabrail and several villages in what, if confirmed, would be a

significant advance on the southern edge of Nagorno-Karabakh.

XI JINPING PITCHES FOR CLOSER TIES WITH BANGLADESH, SEEKS BRI PUSH

Chinese President Xi Jinping said he stands ready with Bangladesh leaders to

better align the two countries' strategies and jointly promote the

construction of his multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to

take the strategic partnership of the two countries to new heights.

Mr. Xi made the remarks on Sunday in an exchange of congratulatory messages

with his Bangladesh counterpart, Mohammad Abdul Hamid, on the 45th

anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic relationship.

In his message, Mr. Xi hailed the steady and long-term friendship, saying he

is ready to work with Mr. Hamid to better align development strategies with

Bangladesh, step up cooperation under the framework of the BRI and push

forward the China-Bangladesh strategic, cooperative partnership to a new

level, official media reported.

With over $26 billion Chinese investments and $38 billion dollars funding

commitments, Bangladesh is one of the largest recipients of China's massive

infrastructure project.

China has also offered zero-tariff treatment to 97% of Bangladesh's exports

by adding 5,161 more items to the existing list of 3,095 duty-free products.

The BRI seeks to build rail, maritime and road links from Asia to Europe and

Africa in a revival of ancient Silk Road trading routes.

The BRI is President Xi's top priority initiative, which aims firm up

China's global influence.

MAULANA FAZLUR REHMAN TO LEAD PAKISTAN'S ANTI-GOVT. FRONT

Pakistan's firebrand cleric-cum-politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been

unanimously appointed as the first president of the Opposition's

newly-formed anti-government alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a

media report said on Sunday.

The decision was taken on Saturday during a virtual meeting of the

Opposition parties attended by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo

and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)

chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal among other

senior politicians.

According to PDM's steering committee convener Ahsan Iqbal, deposed Prime

Minister Sharif proposed Rehman's name as the alliance president and it was

endorsed by PPP chairman Bilawal and others, the Dawn newspaper reported.

UK GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WILL REFORM 'BROKEN' ASYLUM SYSTEM

Britain's interior minister vowed Sunday to stop people entering the country

clandestinely and to fix what she called a "broken'' asylum system, echoing

commitments that have been made and broken by UK governments for years.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government would bring in new laws so it

could "stop those who come here illegally making endless legal claims to

remain'' and "expedite the removal of those who have no claim for

protection.''

Patel said in a speech to a virtual Conservative Party conference that the

changes would be "the biggest overhaul of our asylum system in decades.''

She said Britain would continue to "provide safe haven to those fleeing

persecution, oppression or tyranny.''

Patel's hardline rhetoric was designed to appeal to voters concerned at a

surge in the number of people crossing the English Channel from France in

small boats. Thousands have made the journey this year, most over the

summer.

Opposition Labour Party immigration spokesman Nick Thomas-Symonds said the

Conservatives were "devoid of compassion and competence'' on immigration.

Migrants have long used northern France as a launching point to reach

Britain by stowing away in trucks or on ferries. Many appear to have turned

to small boats organized by smugglers during the coronavirus pandemic

because virus restrictions have reduced vehicle traffic between France and

Britain.

The government dismissed some of the more far-fetched claims, but Patel said

she would "explore all practical measures and options to deter illegal

migration.''

NEW CALEDONIA REJECTS FULL INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE AGAIN

The South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia voted against independence

from France on Sunday for the second time in as many years, a provisional

final count showed.

A surprise "yes" vote would have deprived Paris of a foothold in a region

where China is expanding its influence, and dented the pride of a colonial

power whose reach once spanned large parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, the

Caribbean and the Pacific.

The "no" vote won 53.26% of votes cast votes, a narrower margin of victory

than in the 2018 poll.

The result will bring relief to President Emmanuel Macron's government,

whose attention had been focused on the coronavirus pandemic in the run-up

to the referendum.

"Voters have had their say. They confirmed their wish to keep New Caledonia

a part of France. As head of state, I salute this show of confidence in the

Republic with a profound feeling of gratitude," Mr Macron said in a

televised statement.

New Caledonia became a French colony in 1853. Tensions have long run deep

between pro-independence indigenous Kanaks and descendants of colonial

settlers who remain loyal to Paris.

Sunday's referendum was the second of up to three permitted under the terms

of the 1998 Noumea Accord, an agreement enshrined in France's constitution

and which set out a 20-year path towards decolonisation.

France stood ready to organise a further vote within two years if that was

the wish of New Caledonians, at which point both sides would have to accept

the result, Mr Macron said.

"We have two years to look to the future," the president continued.

WILDFIRES RAZE DOZENS OF HOMES IN NEW ZEALAND

Wildfires have destroyed dozens of homes in New Zealand, authorities

announced Monday, saying it was a miracle no one was hurt when "a wall of

orange" descended on a remote South Island village.

The blaze began in a mountain forest early Sunday morning and, fanned by

strong winds, swept through the village of Lake Ohau, forcing residents to

flee for their lives.

"The high winds meant the fire could not yet be contained and the situation

may change rapidly with any shift in the wind," Fire and Emergency New

Zealand said.

It said up to 50 structures were destroyed and conditions remained

"challenging" on Monday, with 11 helicopters and nine fire crews attempting

to contain the flames.

Waitaki District mayor Gary Kircher said the tiny Lake Ohau community had

been devastated.

"Of the 60 or 70 houses, we believe that the majority have gone," he told

Radio New Zealand.

"The reality is that it's a minor miracle no one has been harmed. If it had

been anther 15-20 minutes it would have been a very different story."

AFGHAN WOMAN LEADER MAKES IT TO NOBEL FRONTRUNNER LIST

Afghanistan's first women Deputy Speaker in Parliament and member of the

team of negotiators engaging the Taliban in talks in Doha, Fawzia Koofi has

been named one of the "favourites" among nominees for this year's Nobel

Peace Prize, due to be announced on October 9. Ms. Koofi, who has survived

at least two assassination attempts, including one just two months ago

before talks began, said the nomination itself was a "recognition" for the

peace process, and would "empower" the role of Afghan women at Doha in

particular.

"I think this is a recognition of all of the efforts that Afghan women have

undergone in order to be included in the [reconciliation] process, to be

heard, and I think that the [Nobel nomination] gives me personally, much

more power, along with my other three sisters (other women negotiators in

the team) who are in this process of negotiation because we do have to try

harder," she said.

Her bid to stand for President was thwarted after new age rules disqualified

her, but she has been a strong votary for women's rights, piloting a Bill on

the eradication of violence against women, and has campaigned for the

inclusion of women in the reconciliation process.

She has been targeted by militants a number of times.

The announcement of the winner will be made in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel

Committee on Friday. According to the committee's rules, the names of

nominees are not disclosed for 50 years, and the frontrunner list is not

"official". However, last week, the Norwegian Peace Council, an umbrella NGO

of 20 Norwegian Peace organisations in Oslo released its list of five

frontrunners for the Nobel Peace Prize, choosing Ms. Koofi as the top

favourite, out of a total number of 318 candidates. The list of favourites

included media freedom groups Reporters Without Borders & Committee to

Protect Journalists, New Zealand PM Jacinda Arden.