Cow urine and eucalyptus necklaces suggested to fight Covid-19

Eucalyptus necklaces, cow urine and petrol are among the unorthodox measures being suggested to fight Covid-19. In India, Hindu nationalist Swami Chakrapani advises people to drink the urine of a cow. In Indonesia, the agriculture minister has proposed a eucalyptus-based “antivirus necklace,” while the Philippines says petrol can be used as a disinfectant. The measures are not supported by official health organisations.

Asteroid to near Earth on eve of White House election

An asteroid is heading towards Earth and is due to come close to the planet’s orbit in time for the White House election in November. However, its chances of disrupting the big day are slim: Nasa says the “very small” asteroid has just a 0.4% chance of hitting the planet.

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Mince pies hitting shelves as Xmas comes early

Mince pies and other festive snacks are arriving on supermarket shelves as stores go Christmassy even earlier than usual. Panettone and stollen will be in Sainsbury's stores from tomorrow, and mince pies will be available at Asda from Thursday. John Lewis’ Christmas products have been online for more than a week, having been launched 10 days earlier than last year.

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