KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

Pos   /   Country   /   New Daily cases   /   Total Deaths   /        Daily Deaths /           Active Cases   /           Deaths/1M Pop

               World    5,23,397              /             34,03,702            /             10,306   /             1,66,83,820        /             436.7

1             USA        21,788   /             6,00,502              /             337        /             59,49,506            /             1,805

2             India      2,63,045              /             2,78,751              /             4,340     /             33,59,216            /             200

3             Brazil     33,631   /             4,36,862              /             1,039     /             10,71,811            /             2,043

4             France   3,350     /             1,07,812              /             196        /             6,20,759              /             1,649

5             Iran        14,319   /             77,222   /             286        /             4,46,240              /             909

6             Italy       3,455     /             1,24,296              /             140        /             3,22,891              /             2,058

7             Argentina            28,680   /             71,027   /             505        /             2,91,671              /             1,559

8             Russia    9,328     /             1,16,211              /             340        /             2,70,108              /             796

9             Mexico  1,233     /             2,20,433              /             53           /             2,60,168              /             1,694

10           Ukraine 2,136     /             48,184   /             109        /             2,43,223              /             1,108

11           Germany              5,353     /             86,870   /             139        /             2,20,722              /             1,034

12           Netherlands        2,829     /             17,456   /             7             /             2,05,658              /             1,017

13           Spain     3,621     /             79,432   /             31           /             2,02,841              /             1,698

14           Poland   1,109     /             71,675   /             11           /             1,77,812              /             1,896

15           Hungary               426        /             29,213   /             38           /             1,38,384              /             3,031

16           Honduras             755        /             5,960     /             6             /             1,38,157              /             594

17           Sweden                /             14,275   /                            /             1,30,591              /             1,406

18           Turkey   10,174   /             44,983   /             223        /             1,21,445              /             528

19           Colombia             12,984   /             81,809   /             509        /             1,18,321              /             1,593

20           Nepal    9,198     /             5,215     /             214        /             1,13,480              /             176

26           Pakistan               3,232     /             19,617   /             74           /             68,223   /             87

29           Philippines           5,979     /             19,262   /             72           /             54,235   /             174

36           Bangladesh         698        /             12,181   /             32           /             45,582   /             73

ISRAEL INTENSIFIES ATTACKS IN GAZA, KILL JIHAD COMMANDER IN AIR STRIKE

An Israeli air strike in Gaza has killed Hussam Abu Harbeed, an Islamic Jihad leader, the armed group said.

The killing, on Monday, was likely to draw a fierce response from the group that is fighting alongside Hamas, the movement that governs the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said in a statement that Harbeed had been “behind several anti-tank missile terror attacks against Israeli civilians”.

Soon after Harbeed’s killing, Islamic Jihad said it had fired rockets at the Israeli coastal city of Ashdod.

At least three Palestinians were also killed by an Israeli air strike on a car in Gaza City on Monday, medics said, after a night of heavy Israeli air raids.

Israel’s military said Gaza fighters had fired about 60 rockets towards Israeli cities overnight, down from 120 and 200 the two previous nights.

Hamas said its attacks were in retaliation for Israel’s “ongoing aggression against civilians” and called civilian casualties “pre-meditated killing”.

At least 200 Palestinians, including 58 children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the latest violence began a week ago.

More than 1,300 Palestinians were also wounded.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken urged all sides to protect civilians. Washington, Egypt and UN mediators stepped up diplomatic efforts, and the UN General Assembly will meet to discuss the violence on Thursday.

FREE AT LAST TO HUG AND PARTY: UK REOPENS FOR BUSINESS

Friends will hug, pints will be pulled and swathes of the British economy will reopen on Monday giving 65 million people a measure of freedom after the gloom of a four-month COVID-19 lockdown.

Most of the British will be free once again to hug, albeit cautiously, drink a pint in their pub, sit down to an indoor meal or visit the cinema after a series of lockdowns that imposed the strictest restrictions in peacetime history.

The biggest public health crisis in a century was accompanied by a drastic extension of state power; during England’s lockdowns police broke up parties and protests alike, shut down religious services and handed out fines of up to 10,000 pounds ($14,000) to youngsters for partying. As freedom beckons once more, there is excitement.

Beside the euphoria, though, there is also anxiety. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who before he imposed three national lockdowns had railed against the “nanny” tendencies of the British state, advised people to cuddle cautiously and served notice that the spread of the coronavirus variant first identified in India meant that the final UK reopening in June could be delayed.

“Together we have reached another milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but we must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution,” Johnson said in a statement.

Broadly, from Monday in England gatherings of up to 30 people will be allowed outdoors, two families will be allowed to meet indoors; cafes, bars and restaurants will reopen for indoor service; care home residents will be allowed to have five visitors; and face coverings will no longer be compulsory in schools.

Though the rules are slightly different in the United Kingdom’s four constituent parts, restrictions are being eased in England, Scotlandand Wales from Monday while they will be eased slightly later in Northern Ireland.

JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCES EXTRA 20 MILLION U.S. VACCINE DOSES FOR OTHER COUNTRIES

The U.S. will send at least an additional 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, in addition to the 60 million AstraZeneca vaccines it has already committed, to other countries, President Joe Biden said on Monday.

The additional doses will include not just AstraZeneca but also Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines.

"Rampant disease and death in other countries can destabilize them – those countries – and pose a risk to us as well,” Mr Biden said during remarks at the White House.  "New variants could arise overseas that could put us at greater risk and we need to help fight the disease around the world to keep us safe here at home, and to do the right thing of helping other people.

"It’s the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. It’s the strong thing to do,” he added.

While the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are being used in the U.S., the AstraZeneca vaccine has not been approved. A stockpile of 60 million doses is awaiting safety clearance by the Food & Drug Authority (FDA). If received, it will be shipped abroad in its entirety.

Although the Biden administration has not released a plan on how it will apportion the vaccines across countries, India is expected to receive a significant share of these.

PAKISTAN TERMS AFGHAN PRESIDENT'S CLAIMS BASELESS, IRRESPONSIBLE

Pakistan conveyed its serious concerns on Monday to Afghanistan over the recent statements made by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani regarding Islamabad’s strong relationship with the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said his country had made "a strong demarche with the ambassador of Afghanistan in Islamabad on the recent irresponsible statements and baseless allegations made by the Afghan leadership".

Chaudhry said Pakistan has emphasised that groundless accusations erode trust and vitiate the environment and disregard the constructive role being played by Pakistan in facilitating the Afghan peace process.

The Afghan side, he maintained, has been urged to effectively utilise available forums, like the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity, to address all bilateral issues.

In a recent interview with a German publication, President Ghani had claimed that Pakistan operated an organised system of support for the Taliban. According to Ghani, the Taliban receive logistics in Pakistan, their finances are there and recruitment happens there.

"The names of the various decision-making bodies of the Taliban are Quetta Shura, Miramshah Shura and Peshawar Shura — named after the Pakistani cities where they are located. There is a deep relationship with the state," Ghani had said.

Asked whether he still believed in a peace process, the Afghan president said: "Peace will primarily be decided upon regionally, and I believe we are at a crucial moment of rethinking. It is first and foremost a matter of getting Pakistan on board. The US now plays only a minor role. The question of peace or hostility is now in Pakistani hands."

39 MILLION U.S. FAMILIES TO GET CHILD PAYMENTS

The U.S. Treasury Department said on Monday that 39 million families are set to receive monthly child payments beginning on July 15. The payments are part of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

Nearly 88% of children in the country are covered under the programme without their parents needing to take any additional action.

Qualified families will receive a payment of up to $300 per month for each child under 6 and up to $250 per month for children between the ages of 6 and 17. The child tax credit was previously capped at $2,000 and only paid out to families with income tax obligations after they filed with the IRS.

But for this year, couples earning $1,50,000 or less can receive the full payments on the 15th of each month, in most cases by direct deposit. The benefits total $3,600 annually for children under 6 and $3,000 for those who are older. The IRS will determine eligibility based on the 2019 and 2020 tax years, but people will also be able to update their status.