Prince Fumihito, the younger brother of Japan’s Emporer Naurhito has been officially declared the heir to the throne during a ceremony in Tokyo. The ceremony was postponed seven months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The current Emperor has no sons, and his only daughter is barred from inheriting the throne under Japanese law, despite calls for reforms when the Emporer took the throne.

Tropical Storm Eta has brought strong winds and torrential rain to Cuba over the weekend, cutting a destructive path though Central America and Mexico. Guatemala authorities raised the death toll to 27, and said more than 100 people were missing as a result of a landslide. The storm is now headed for the US, where Florida officials have closed beaches, ports and public transportation.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said Joe Biden’s election to the United States presidency will not change Australia’s climate policies, refusing to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050. The Prime Minister’s reluctance on climate change policy has garnered criticism from Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, who says Australia has the capacity to be a ‘renewable energy superpower’.

New South Wales recorded seven new cases of COVID-19; all reported in returned travelers in hotel quarantine. Victoria has recorded its tenth day in a row with no new infections or deaths.

With five months until April, plans are already underway for ANZAC Day, with Queensland considering a scaled-back coronavirus-safe parade at the Ekka Showgrounds. The invite-only event would mean many veterans would miss out. Returned Services League Queensland’s Tony Ferris noted the importance of having a COVID-safe event as many veterans fall in the age demographic most susceptible to the virus.

The Queensland Maritime Museum will close permanently at the end of the year if it does not receive urgent funding. The museum, which sits on the Brisbane River, reopened in mid-September under a COVID-safe plan, but with seventy percent of visitors hailing from overseas and interstate, the museum has seen a major reduction in revenue. The museum’s board chair Captain Kasper Kuiper said they need a big donation from either private funding or the government to stay open.

The number of global coronavirus cases has passed 50 million, with October being the worst month of the pandemic so far. Over 1.25 million deaths have been recorded globally since December, with Europe again becoming the epicenter of the pandemic amidst a second wave. There is concern that official data may only reflect a fraction of the number of infections, as many countries are only testing symptomatic and serious cases.

World leaders have congratulated Democratic nominee Joe Biden on his election victory as he prepares to become the 46th President of the United States of America. Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama congratulated Biden on Twitter urging the USA to return to the Paris Agreement on climate change. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on becoming the first person of Indian heritage to hold the office.