TRUMP INSISTS HE'S FREE OF COVID-19 VIRUS AND READY FOR CAMPAIGN TRAIL

President Donald Trump is no longer contagious, nine days after being

stopped in his tracks by COVID-19, his physician said in a statement

released late on Saturday.

"I am happy to report that in addition to the President meeting CDC criteria

for the safe discontinuation of isolation, this morning's COVID PCR sample

demonstrates, by currently recognised standards, he is no longer considered

a transmission risk to others," Sean Conley said in the statement

Tests showed there was "no longer evidence of actively replicating virus,"

and that Mr. Trump's viral load was "decreasing," Dr. Conley continued -

though he did not state that the President is now virus-free.

Dr. Conley said Mr. Trump is fever-free and symptoms have "improved," adding

that he would continue to monitor the President as he "returns to an active

schedule."

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump on Sunday declared himself immune from COVID-19 as he

prepares to return to the campaign trail in a fight to regain ground against

surging rival Joe Biden.

"It looks like I'm immune for, I don't know, maybe a long time and maybe a

short time, it could be a lifetime, nobody really knows, but I'm immune,"

Mr. Trump said in a Fox News interview.

"You have a President who is immune... so now you have a president who

doesn't have to hide in a basement like his opponent," he added - in a jab

at the Democrat Biden and his far more cautious approach to campaigning in a

pandemic.

During his phone interview on Fox News, Mr. Trump went on to suggest that

his White House rival could himself be sick.

"If you look at Joe, he was coughing yesterday horribly and grabbing his

mask, as he's coughing," Mr. Trump said. "And I don't know what that was all

about, and it didn't get much press."

COVID RULES: NEW LOCAL LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS IN ENGLAND TO BE UNVEILED

New local lockdown rules for England are due to be announced later.

The Liverpool City Region is expected to face the tightest restrictions

under a new "three tier" system, which will classify regions as being at a

"medium," "high" or "very high" level of alert.

But Steve Rotheram, the city region's mayor, said "no deal has been agreed".

Talks between local leaders elsewhere in England and the government in

Westminster continue.

Liverpool recorded 600 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending 6

October. The average for England was 74.

The Liverpool City Region includes the local authority districts of Halton,

Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, as well as Liverpool.

More clarity on restrictions is expected on Monday, with new curbs to be

reviewed after a month.

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said Monday's announcement would

mark "a distinct new phase in how the pandemic is managed in England".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the emergency Cobra

committee on Monday "to determine the final interventions".

He will then announce the changes in the Commons, before speaking at a

Downing Street press conference in the evening.

CHINA BACKS IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL, CALLS FOR NEW WEST ASIA FORUM

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for a new forum to defuse

tensions in the West Asia after a meeting with his Iranian counterpart where

he reiterated Beijing's support for Tehran.

Mr. Wang and Javad Zarif also reaffirmed their commitment to Iran's 2015

nuclear deal with world powers, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry,

an implicit rebuke of the U.S. for abandoning the accord during their

Saturday meeting in China's southwestern Tengchong city.

Iran has been locked in an acrimonious relationship with Saudi Arabia, the

other major West Asian power, over the war in Yemen, Iranian influence in

Iraq and Saudi support for Washington's sanctions on Tehran.

"China proposes to build a regional multilateral dialogue platform with

equal participation of all stakeholders," said the Chinese Foreign Ministry

statement.

The forum would "enhance mutual understanding through dialogue and explore

political and diplomatic solutions to security issues in the West Asia", the

statement added.

Mr. Wang added that support for the Iranian nuclear deal, negotiated by the

Obama administration but ultimately abandoned by Donald Trump, would be a

precondition of entry to the forum.

Mr. Zarif said on Twitter his "fruitful talks" with Mr. Wang amounted to a

rejection of "U.S. unilateralism" and had also focused on strategic ties and

collaboration on the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

CHINA'S INSISTENCE THAT TAIWAN ISN'T A COUNTRY STARTS BACKFIRING

The more China tells the world that Taiwan isn't a country, the more

Beijing's adversaries are starting to treat it like one.

On Taiwan's National Day, Beijing's embassy in New Delhi was reported to

have issued a letter telling India's media not to refer to it as a country

or to Tsai Ing-wen as its president. Indians responded by helping the

hashtag #TaiwanNationalDay go viral while banners with the Taiwanese flag

were hung outside the Chinese embassy.

"Hats off to friends from around the world this year, #India in particular,

for celebrating #TaiwanNationalDay," Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu

wrote in a Twitter post.

Instead of marking Taiwan's independence, a red line that Beijing has warned

could trigger an invasion, the day commemorates a 1911 uprising in the

central Chinese city of Wuhan against China's last imperial dynasty. That

led to the creation of the Republic of China, which leader Chiang Kai-shek

then brought to Taiwan seven decades ago when he fled Beijing as the

Communist Party took power.

For many in Taiwan today, the Republic of China seems like a historical

relic with diminishing relevance for the democracy of 24 million people.

Taiwan has long abandoned Chiang's goal of reconquering what he knew as the

mainland, and polls show that more and more Taiwanese don't want any

unification with China.

But celebrating the Republic of China is strategically useful for Tsai's

government. It allows her to sidestep the question of formal independence,

avoiding a potentially devastating conflict with China while providing cover

to create a distinct political and cultural identity for Taiwan - ultimately

undermining President Xi Jinping's goal of subsuming it under Communist

Party rule.

FAUCI SAYS HIS REMARKS WERE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT IN TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN

Top US infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci said on Sunday he had not

agreed to be featured in an ad by President Donald Trump's re-election

campaign and that his comments were taken out of context.

The ad, released last week, discusses Trump's effort to recover from the

coronavirus personally, as well as his administration's work to address the

pandemic. The 30-second spot uses older remarks from Fauci in a way that

suggests he was praising the president.

"I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more," the ad shows Fauci

saying.

But those remarks are from a March interview, where Fauci, who has been

director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

(NIAID) since 1984, was discussing the broader effort, including by the

White House coronavirus task force.

"In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed

any political candidate," Fauci said in a statement.

"The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad

were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the

efforts of federal public health officials," his statement added.

Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh defended the ad in a statement on

Sunday, saying the words from Fauci "are accurate, and directly from Dr

Fauci's mouth.

"As Dr Fauci recently testified in the Senate, President Trump took the

virus seriously from the beginning, acted quickly, and saved lives,"

Murtaugh's statement added.

Trump himself echoed that sentiment in a tweet on Sunday, saying: "They are

indeed Dr Fauci's own words. We have done a 'phenomenal' job, according to

certain governors."

COVID VIRUS 'SURVIVES FOR 28 DAYS' IN LAB CONDITIONS

The virus responsible for Covid-19 can remain infectious on surfaces such as

banknotes, phone screens and stainless steel for 28 days, researchers say.

The findings from Australia's national science agency suggest SARS-Cov-2 can

survive for far longer than thought.

However, the experiment was conducted in the dark. UV light has already been

shown to kill the virus.

Some experts have also thrown doubt on the actual threat posed by surface

transmission in real life.

The coronavirus is mostly transmitted when people cough, sneeze or talk.

But there is also evidence that it can also be spread by particles hanging

in the air. It is also possible someone could get Covid-19 by touching

infected surfaces such as metal or plastic, according to the US Centers for

Disease Control. This is believed to be much less common, however.

Previous laboratory tests have found that SARS-Cov-2 can survive for two to

three days on bank notes and glass, and up to six days on plastic and

stainless steel, although results vary.

However, the research from Australian agency CSIRO found the virus was

"extremely robust," surviving for 28 days on smooth surfaces such as glass

found on mobile phone screens and both plastic and paper banknotes, when

kept at 20C (68F), which is about room temperature, and in the dark.

In comparison, the flu virus can survive in the same circumstances for 17

days.

TALIBAN ENDORSE DONALD TRUMP IN US PRESIDENTIAL RACE: REPORT

US President Donald Trump on Friday received an unusual endorsement from the

Taliban for his reelection bid, CBS News reported.

"We hope he will win the election and wind up the US military presence in

Afghanistan," Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Islamist group,

told the US network in a telephone interview.

The Taliban also expressed concern over the US president's recent

coronavirus infection.

"When we heard about Trump being COVID-19 positive, we got worried for his

health, but seems he is getting better," another Taliban senior leader told

CBS News.

The Trump campaign responded on Saturday by rejecting the group's support.

"The Taliban should know that the president will always protect American

interests by any means necessary," Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign

spokesman, told CBS News.

The Islamist group's vote of support comes a day after it welcomed Trump's

Wednesday announcement that the US would withdraw all troops from

Afghanistan by Christmas.

The Taliban welcomed "the agreement and considers it a positive step in the

implementation of the agreement between the Taliban and the USA," a

spokesman for the group said.

SOUTH KOREA WORRIES ABOUT MISSILE SHOWN IN NORTH KOREA MILITARY PARADE

South Korea on Sunday urged North Korea to commit to its past disarmament

pledges while expressing concerns over the North's unveiling of a suspected

new long-range missile during a military parade.

During celebrations marking the 75th birthday of its ruling party in

Pyongyang on Saturday, North Korea paraded a variety of weapons systems,

including two missiles that were disclosed for the first time to a foreign

audience.

One is what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile that is

larger than any of the North's known ICBMs, and the other would likely be an

upgraded version of a missile that can be fired from submarines.

While some experts say they could be mock-ups of missiles under development,

their disclosures suggest North Korea has been continuously pushing to boost

its weapons capability amid a stalemate in nuclear diplomacy with the United

States.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said Sunday it was expressing concerns about

the fact that "North Korea unveiled weapons including what was suspected to

be a new long-range ballistic missile."

A ministry statement demanded North Korea abide by 2018 inter-Korean deals

aimed at lowering animosities.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement urging North

Korea to return to talks to produce progress in its past commitment to

achieving denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

After an emergency National Security Council meeting, council members in

South Korea said they'll continue to analyze the strategic significance of

the North Korean weapons systems disclosed Saturday and review South Korea's

defense capabilities.

DONALD TRUMP ACCUSES JOE BIDEN OF SHIPPING JOBS TO CHINA

US President Donald Trump has alleged that Democratic presidential candidate

Joe Biden in his previous capacities as Senator and Vice President was busy

shipping jobs to China, prompting the latter to hit back. Biden said Trump

will be the first President in the modern American history to "leave office

with fewer jobs than when it began".

Making his first public address from Blue Room Balcony of the White House

after being discharged from hospital where he was treated for Covid

infection, Trump charged Biden and his campaign of taking the country on the

path of socialism, which he vowed would not let him do. "The Democrats' is a

socialist program and platform. It really is more than socialist. It's not

just socialist; it's beyond socialism," he said.

As one member from the audience screamed "communist", Trump said,

"Communist. That's about right."

Biden, who was campaigning in Erie city in the battleground state of

Pennsylvania, on the other hand alleged that Trump was only protecting the

interests of the rich and billionaires. "Trump is leaving us a 'K-shaped'

recession, where those at the top keep going up, while everyone in the

middle and below are seeing things get worse," Biden said. "It means that

while the top 100 billionaires in America have done pretty well, they're up

more than USD 300 billion this year - you get the bottom half of that

K-shape. The downward slide. Because the fact is, President Trump can only

see the world from Park Avenue. I see the world from Scranton. From Erie.

And that's who my Build Back Better agenda is for," he said.

US SUPREME COURT NOMINEE BARRETT PLEDGES TO FOLLOW LAW, NOT PERSONAL VIEWS

US President Donald Trump's pick for a Supreme Court vacancy will tell

senators that she will judge legal cases impartially "whatever my own

preferences might be".

Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative jurist, faces a four-day confirmation

hearing in the Senate next week.

If approved, Judge Barrett will replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,

who died recently at 87.

Barrett said in the statement that it will be an "honor of a lifetime" to

serve alongside the current eight justices and explained how she approaches

cases.

"When I write an opinion resolving a case, I read every word from the

perspective of the losing party. I ask myself how would I view the decision

if one of my children was the party I was ruling against," she wrote.

Barrett, 48, who has seven children, would be the fifth woman to serve on

the court. Before Trump appointed her to the Chicago-based 7th US Circuit

Court of Appeals, Barrett was a professor at Notre Dame Law School in

Indiana.

MEXICAN PRESIDENT ASKS POPE FRANCIS FOR CONQUEST APOLOGY

Mexico's president published an open letter to Pope Francis calling on the

Roman Catholic Church to apologise for abuses of Indigenous peoples during

the conquest of Mexico in the 1500s.

In the letter published on Saturday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

also asks the Pope to lend Mexico ancient pre-Hispanic Mexican or

colonial-era documents.

"The Catholic Church, the Spanish monarchy and the Mexican government should

make a public apology for the offensive atrocities that Indigenous people

suffered," the letter states.

Mr. Lopez Obrador asked the Pope to make a statement in favour of Miguel

Hidalgo, Mexico's 19th-century independence leader who was once believed to

have been excommunicated by the church for his involvement in the uprising.

However, researchers later said it appeared that Hidalgo had confessed his

sins before he was executed and thus was not excommunicated.

Mr. Lopez Obrador said: "I think it would be an act of humility and at the

same time greatness for the church to reconcile posthumously with Hidalgo."

The letter comes as Mexico struggles with how to mark the 500th anniversary

of the 1519-1521 conquest, which resulted in the death of a large part of

the country's pre-Hispanic population.

PROMINENT PAK CLERIC SHOT DEAD

A prominent Pakistani Sunni Muslim cleric was shot dead along with his

driver by unidentified assailants in Karachi, police said on Sunday.

Maulana Dr Adil Khan, head of Karachi's Jamia Farooqia seminary, was

attacked in a market on Saturday evening, they said.

According to a police official, as the car carrying Khan stopped near a

shopping centre in Shah Faisal Colony to purchase sweets, armed pillion

riders opened indiscriminate fire on the car and fled. He was the son of

late prominent scholar Maulana Saleemullah Khan, who founded the Jamia

Farooqia. PM Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi condemned the assassination.

Hindu temple vandalised

A Hindu temple has been vandalised by a person in Pakistan's southeast Sindh

province, according to the police. One person has been arrested and a case

registered in connection with the incident which took place on Saturday, The

Express Tribune reported.

TAJIK 'LEADER OF NATION' SEEKS TO EXTEND 28-YEAR RULE

ajikistan's president Emomali Rakhmon, who is running for re-election

Sunday, led his country out of civil war in the 1990s and is tipped to

become the longest-ruling head of a former Soviet state.

Largely mountainous, Rakhmon's poor and mostly agrarian country became a

partner for Washington after the US invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan in

2001.

But the 68-year-old former collective farm boss has looked to Moscow --- and

more recently to China -- to bolster a regime that watchdogs say is defined

by corruption and rights abuses.

While describing himself as a Muslim believer, Rakhmon is seen as an

opponent of rising Islamic observance in the secular republic, backing

forced beard shavings, bans on hijabs and a drive to exclude "non-Tajik

names" during his 28-year rule.

Born on October 5, 1952 in the southern Khatlon province, Rakhmon became an

MP in 1990 after running a collective farm for more than a decade.

These beginnings have drawn comparisons with Belarusian leader Alexander

Lukashenko, who is two years younger than Rakhmon and took a near-identical

route to leadership.

Among the leaders of ex-Soviet states, only Kazakhstan's Nursultan

Nazarbayev, who retired as president last year after 29 years in power, has

ruled longer than Rakhmon.