KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    4,67,189              /             34,77,723            /             9,401     /             1,54,46,913               /             446.2

1             USA        13,286   /             6,04,082              /             223        /             57,90,343            /               1,816

2             India      2,22,835              /             3,03,751              /             4,455     /             27,27,011               /             218

3             Brazil     36,134   /             4,49,185              /             894        /             11,42,221            /               2,100

4             Iran        8,631     /             78,597   /             216        /             4,20,132              /             925

5             Argentina            24,801   /             74,063   /             375        /             3,58,472              /               1,625

6             France   9,704     /             1,08,596              /             70           /             2,95,760              /               1,660

7             Italy       3,995     /             1,25,225              /             72           /             2,81,092              /               2,074

8             Russia    8,951     /             1,18,482              /             357        /             2,65,261              /               812

9             Mexico  2,586     /             2,21,597              /             341        /             2,61,043              /               1,703

10           Spain                    /             79,620   /                            /             2,00,561              /               1,702

11           Ukraine 2,533     /             49,368   /             89           /             1,82,591              /               1,135

12           Netherlands        3,422     /             17,544   /             8             /             1,81,160              /               1,022

13           Germany              1,182     /             87,973   /             13           /             1,69,128              /               1,047

14           Poland   1,075     /             72,928   /             46           /             1,67,970              /               1,929

15           Honduras             581        /             6,143     /             10           /             1,42,373              /               612

16           Peru                      /             67,807   /                            /             1,32,379              /               2,031

17           Colombia             21,669   /             84,724   /             496        /             1,21,455              /               1,649

18           Turkey   7,839     /             46,268   /             197        /             1,15,906              /             543

19           Nepal    7,598     /             6,346     /             193        /             1,15,547              /             214

20           Sweden                /             14,366   /                            /             1,14,603              /               1,415

21           Hungary               416        /             29,519   /             44           /             1,03,749              /               3,063

22           Indonesia            5,280     /             49,328   /             123        /             92,847   /             179

23           Belgium               2,516     /             24,823   /             14           /             86,945   /               2,134

24           Iraq        3,791     /             16,190   /             32           /             69,907   /             395

25           Japan     5,041     /             12,236   /             84           /             67,935   /             97

26           Costa Rica                          /             3,765     /                            /             66,865   /             733

27           Pakistan               3,084     /             20,251   /             74           /             62,620   /             90

28           Malaysia              6,976     /             2,248     /             49           /             57,022   /             69

29           Canada 3,415     /             25,231   /             28           /             53,794   /             663

30           Bolivia   2,117     /             13,910   /             53           /             53,408   /             1,177

31           Egypt                    /             14,670   /                            /             51,797   /             141

32           Kenya    324        /             3,059     /             10           /             50,836   /             56

33           Philippines           3,083     /             19,951   /             38           /             50,635   /             180

34           Paraguay                            /             8,235     /                            /             49,501   /               1,142

35           Bangladesh         1,354     /             12,376   /             28           /             46,007   /             74

RESEARCHERS FROM WUHAN LAB SOUGHT HOSPITAL CARE BEFORE COVID-19 OUTBREAK DISCLOSED

Three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) sought hospital care in November 2019, months before China disclosed the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing a previously undisclosed US intelligence report.

The newspaper said the report - which provides fresh details on the number of researchers affected, the timing of their illnesses, and their hospital visits - may add weight to calls for a broader probe of whether the COVID-19 virus could have escaped from the laboratory.

The report came on the eve of a meeting of the World Health Organization's decision-making body, which is expected to discuss the next phase of an investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

A National Security Council spokeswoman had no comment on the Journal's report but said the Biden administration continued to have "serious questions about the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, including its origins within the Peoples Republic of China."

BELARUS 'DIVERTS RYANAIR FLIGHT TO ARREST JOURNALIST', OPPOSITION SAYS

A Ryanair plane from Greece to Lithuania was diverted to Belarus for several hours on Sunday, with activists saying it was done to arrest a dissident journalist on board.

European nations reacted with outrage, accusing Belarus of "state terrorism".

The ex-editor of the Nexta group, Roman Protasevich, was detained before the plane was allowed to resume its flight.

Belarus media said a MiG-29 escorted the jet to Minsk because of a bomb scare but no explosives were found.

The plane finally landed in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, its original destination, at 21:25 local time (18:25 GMT), more than seven hours after its scheduled arrival.

Arriving passengers said they had been given no information about the reason for the abrupt diversion to Minsk.

There have already been calls for the EU and Nato to intervene.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warned the "outlandish action" would have "serious implications".

Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was beaten by Alexander Lukashenko in presidential polls last year widely denounced as rigged, was among those demanding Mr Protasevich's release.

UAE SAYS IT IS READY TO FACILITATE ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN PEACE EFFORTS

The United Arab Emirates stands ready to facilitate peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians, the UAE state news agency reported on Sunday, citing Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nayhan.

Sheikh Mohamed's comments came in a telephone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, expressing support for Egypt's efforts to bolster a ceasefire agreed by Israel and the Palestinians after 11 days of fighting.

The UAE, which last year signed an agreement to normalise relations with Israel, "is ready to work with all parties to preserve the ceasefire and find new ways to reduce escalation and achieve peace", the news agency quoted Sheikh Mohammed as saying.

UK HOME SECRETARY PRITI PATEL TO UNVEIL US-STYLE DIGITAL VISAS TO 'COUNT' MIGRANTS

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel is set to unveil a new US-style digital visa regime at the country’s borders in order to measure immigration levels in and out of the country, according to UK media reports on Sunday.

The senior Indian-origin Cabinet minister is to confirm the so-called "sweeping changes" to the UK's immigration policy to "streamline" the way in which people come into the country on Monday.

The post-Brexit changes will include the border being managed digitally, which the government says will be easier to navigate for businesses and allow for the first time to accurately count people in and out of the UK.

“Our new fully digital border will provide the ability to count people in and out of the country, giving us control over who comes to the UK,” Patel was quoted as saying in the ‘Observer’.

"Our new approach will make it easier to identify potential threats before they reach the border. The British people will have confidence that the strongest controls are in place to keep them safe," she said.

The UK Home Office hopes to make entry to the UK fully digital by the end of 2025.

It means people wanting to come into the UK without a visa or immigration status will have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), similar to the US system, with 30 million applications expected to be processed every year.

As well as launching her latest immigration plans, Patel will also focus on failings in the asylum system and the need to crack down on people smugglers. Earlier in the week, she was filmed accompanying police as they arrested suspected ringleaders of a people smuggling gang that used minicab and lorry drivers to move migrants in and out of the UK.

The British government has said that in the past 10 days, more than 140 foreign criminals have been removed from the UK, totalling more than 700 so far this year.

NEPAL'S EC TELLS PM OLI TO CONDUCT NOVEMBER SNAP POLLS IN SINGLE PHASE

Nepal's Election Commission has advised the government led by embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to conduct the mid-term elections slated for November 12 and 19 in a single phase to prevent the further spread of coronavirus infections during electioneering.

After a meeting with Prime Minister K P Oli on Saturday, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said it is Election Commission's constitutional duty to successfully conduct polls once the date has been announced.

"We have abundant time for preparation and have suggested to the government to conduct the election in a single phase,” Thapaliya was quoted as saying in a report in My Republica.

In the meeting, the representatives of the Election Commission also suggested to the government to create a favorable political environment for elections, maintain peace and security, and prevent the spread of Covid-19 infections among others, it said.