The long-awaited opening of Los Angeles’ Oscars museum was postponed again Friday due to the pandemic, with officials saying its scheduled April debut would be “irresponsible” as the city grapples with record coronavirus cases.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, dedicated to the magic of movies and set to host iconic Hollywood treasures from Judy Garland’s “Wizard of Oz” ruby slippers to Dracula’s cape, has been beset by delays.

It had been set to finally open April 30, the week after the Academy’s flagship event — the Oscars — but will now welcome visitors from September 30.

President Bill Kramer said in a statement that the museum was “ready and eager to welcome visitors in the spring,” but “with the current surge of Covid-19, it would be irresponsible to maintain an April opening.”

“We know a new day is coming for us all, and when it does, the Academy Museum will be ready to offer our visitors the remarkable experience we have all been wanting.”

California has emerged as the latest epicenter in the US Covid-19 outbreak, reporting more than 52,000 new cases Wednesday.

Even as vaccinations began this week, intensive care units have run out of beds at multiple hospitals across southern California.

Los Angeles health officials estimate about one in 80 county residents are currently infected.

All indoor Los Angeles museums are closed due to Covid restrictions, with a regional “stay-at-home” order in effect until at least December 28.

The Oscars themselves were postponed by eight weeks to April 25, after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered movie theaters and wreaked havoc on Hollywood’s release calendar.

The futuristic Academy museum contains a 1,000-seat theater inside a seemingly-suspended glass, steel and concrete orb designed by Renzo Piano, connected by sky bridges to a converted department store housing the main galleries — and the recently installed 25-foot (7.5-meter) shark model used in “Jaws.”

“Now it’s just a matter of patience, for all of us, as we look ahead to opening our doors on September 30,” said museum chair and Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos.

DNA

ISLAMABAD, DEC 20 – Pakistan has taken up the reprehensible attack by India on the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) Observers and their vehicle along the Line of Control (LoC) with the United Nations, urging it to initiate a transparent investigation into the incident.

In a letter addressed to the UN Secretary General (UNSG) and the President of the Security Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, stated that deliberate targeting of the UN Observers and their vehicle – which was clearly marked with UN logo and flying a blue flag of the UN – appears to be a new coercive and reckless ploy by India to hinder UNMOGIP’s work, and facilitate another Indian military misadventure against Pakistan.

The letter also informs the Secretary General and the UNSC that Pakistan had credible information that the RSS-BJP Government was planning to stage a ‘false flag’ attack to divert attention from its domestic difficulties, and create justification for another misadventure against Pakistan. If that were to happen, Pakistan will exercise its right to self-defence, the letter warns.

The letter from Pakistan’s Permanent Representative requests the UN to forcefully condemn the attack on the UNMOGIP Observers and call on India to observe the 2003 ceasefire understanding. The UN must respond positively and urgently to repeated calls by Pakistan to strengthen UNMOGIP and improve its ability to observe and report on ceasefire violations, the letter contends.

Pakistan has also reminded the UN that the illegal and inhuman military siege and communications lockdown in the occupied territory had now lasted for over 500 days. Highlighting the atrocities and crimes committed by Indian occupying forces against the innocent Kashmiris since August 2019, it has been forewarned that India’s ultimate plan is to change the demographic structure of IIOJK from a Muslim majority area into a Hindu majority territory.

While drawing attention to the deteriorating situation along the LoC, Pakistan’s communication recalls that India had committed over 3000 unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary this year alone, primarily targeting the civilian populated areas resulting in 276 casualties, including 92 women and 68 children, out of them 27 had embraced martyrdom.

KABUL, DEC 20  – A car bomb killed eight people and wounded more than 15 others in Kabul Sunday, officials said, the latest attack to rock the Afghan capital.

Kabul has been hit by a wave of deadly violence in recent months despite the Taliban and the government engaging in peace talks to end the country’s long conflict.

Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian blamed “terrorists” for the attack, and said casualties included women and children.

A security source said the car bomb detonated in the west of the capital, and a health ministry official also confirmed the blast.

“It was a powerful explosion that has caused a lot of damage to houses in the vicinity,” the source said.

Television footage showed at least two cars on fire, with plumes of thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

No group has so far claimed responsibility.

The jihadist Islamic State has claimed responsibility for some of the recent attacks in the capital.

Dozens of people, mostly students, were killed when IS jihadists attacked two education centres, including one at Kabul University that saw gunmen open fire on classrooms.

The group has also claimed a series of recent rocket attacks.

On Saturday five rockets were fired at Bagram Airfield, a major US airbase north of Kabul, but there were no casualties.

That attack was also claimed by IS.

Sunday’s car bomb comes just two days after 15 children were killed and many more wounded when a motorbike laden with explosives blew up near a religious gathering in a remote part of Ghazni, officials said, blaming the Taliban.

The children had gathered to recite Koranic verses, a regular activity on the Islamic holy day of Friday.

The Taliban denied involvement and said the blast occurred when “unexploded ordnance” detonated near the children.

Violence has surged across several provinces in Afghanistan this year.

Between January and September, more than 2,100 civilians were killed and more than 3,800 wounded, according to the UN mission in Afghanistan.

Peace talks — which opened in September in the Qatari capital of Doha — are currently on a break until early January.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has called for the next round of negotiations to be held at home.

Outgoing US President Donald Trump has pushed to end America’s longest war, with Washington signing a deal with the Taliban earlier this year committing to pulling all of its troops from the country by May 2021.