* Indonesia reported 2,306 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, taking its total number of cases to 160,165, data published on the country's health ministry website showed. The data also showed 86 more deaths related to the novel coronavirus, taking the total to 6,944.
* The Philippines' health ministry on Wednesday reported 5,277 additional novel coronavirus infections, the highest daily increase in 12 days, and 99 more deaths. In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases had risen to 202,361, more than 60% of which were reported in the past month, while deaths had increased to 3,137. The Philippines has the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia.
* China reported 15 new COVID-19 cases in the mainland as of Aug. 25, compared with 14 cases reported a day earlier, the country's health authority reported on Wednesday. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 84,996, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.
* The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday (August 25) said the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus had risen by 394 to 176,617 and reported 5,715,567 cases, an increase of 33,076 cases from its previous count.
* Brazil registered an additional 1,271 COVID-19 deaths and 47,134 new cases over the last 24 hours, the nation's health ministry said on Tuesday. The country has now registered 116,580 total deaths and 3,669,995 total confirmed cases.
* Russia reported 4,676 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, pushing its confirmed national tally up to 970,865. Authorities said 115 people had died of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, raising the official death toll to 16,683.
* A second wave of the coronavirus pandemic could hit France in November, a government advisor told local media on Wednesday, as the city of Marseille tightened restrictions to fight the outbreak. Authorities in Marseille said late on Tuesday that bars and restaurants would have shorter opening times, and they also broadened mandatory mask-wearing in the southern port city between Aug. 26 and Sept. 30. The number of deaths in France from COVID-19 stands at 30,544 deaths, including 16 in the past 24 hours.
* Mexico's health ministry on Tuesday reported 4,916 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 650 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 568,621 cases and 61,450 deaths. The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
* The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,576 to 236,429, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by three to 9,280, the tally showed.
* France will join military exercises with Italy, Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean from Aug. 26 to Aug. 28, the French Armed Forces Ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry also said that three French Rafale jets and one frigate equipped with a helicopter will form part of the joint military exercises.
* German coalition parties agreed on Tuesday to extend measures to cushion the effects of the coronavirus crisis on Europe's biggest economy at a cost of up to EUR10 billion, including prolonging a short-time work scheme and freezing insolvency rules. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has also brought in a massive stimulus package, worth more than EUR130 billion, that it hopes will help the economy return to growth.
* An Israeli delegation and top aides to US President Donald Trump will fly together to the United Arab Emirates on Monday for talks on cementing the two Middle East countries' deal to normalise relations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The high-level meeting would be the first between the three parties since Trump announced the US-brokered accord on Aug. 13. The deal still awaits negotiations on details such as opening embassies, trade and travel links before it is officially signed.
* The French arts and culture sectors, which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, will get EUR2 billion (US$2.4 billion) in aid as part of the government's economic recovery package, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday. The government's EUR100 billion economic recovery programme will be unveiled on Sept. 3.
* Dozens of migrants have been rescued from a boat off the Greek island of Halki, the coast guard said on Wednesday, in one of the biggest operations of its kind in the country in months. At least 96 people had been rescued since the incident was first reported on Tuesday evening. The operation, 21 miles west of the small Aegean island of Halki, close to Turkey, was still in progress as witnesses reported that there were more people on board.
* Turkey's new coronavirus cases jumped on Tuesday to their highest level since mid-June at 1,502, according to Health Ministry data, prompting the government to impose measures to combat the spread of the pandemic. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter that 24 more people died from COVID-19, bringing the country's death toll to 6,163. Daily cases were last this high on June 15 - two weeks after Turkey lifted a partial lockdown - when the country logged 1,592 cases.
* An excavation in the western Japanese city of Osaka has unearthed more than 1,500 human bones at what is thought to be a burial site dating back some 160 years, city officials have said. The site, dubbed the "Umeda Tomb", is believed to be one of seven historical grave sites from the late Edo and early Meiji periods around the 1850s to 1860s.
* Israeli aircraft struck posts belonging to the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah early on Wednesday after shots were fired from Lebanon towards its troops, Israel's military said in a statement. No Israeli troops were injured in the incident, the military said.
