KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    4,96,283              /             35,36,897            /             11,712   /             1,44,81,495               /             453.8

1             USA        22,274   /             6,08,946              /             611        /             56,47,452            /               1,830

2             India      1,71,726              /             3,22,384              /             3,563     /             22,26,095               /             232

3             Brazil     50,495   /             4,59,171              /             2,418     /             11,22,220            /               2,146

4             Iran        10,253   /             79,568   /             184        /             3,96,291              /             936

5             Argentina            39,207   /             76,693   /             558        /             3,72,886              /               1,683

6             Russia    9,252     /             1,20,406              /             404        /             2,62,819              /               825

7             Mexico  3,000     /             2,22,657              /             425        /             2,61,555              /               1,711

8             Italy       3,738     /             1,25,919              /             126        /             2,46,270              /               2,085

9             France   11,268   /             1,09,290              /             107        /             2,33,893              /               1,671

10           Spain     5,482     /             79,905   /             17           /             1,63,842              /               1,708

11           Poland   946        /             73,557   /             117        /             1,62,327              /               1,945

12           Netherlands        3,852     /             17,607   /             15           /             1,59,980              /               1,025

13           Peru                      /             68,816   /                            /             1,52,573              /               2,061

14           Honduras             676        /             6,259     /             19           /             1,45,117              /               623

15           Colombia             23,374   /             87,207   /             514        /             1,33,472              /               1,698

16           Germany              6,190     /             88,884   /             195        /             1,29,575              /               1,058

17           Ukraine 3,306     /             50,232   /             156        /             1,26,225              /               1,155

18           Nepal    6,855     /             7,047     /             96           /             1,13,394              /             238

19           Sweden                /             14,413   /                            /             1,00,927              /               1,419

20           Indonesia            5,862     /             50,100   /             193        /             98,704   /             181

30           Pakistan               2,482     /             20,607   /             67           /             58,611   /             92

32           Philippines           8,748     /             20,566   /             187        /             53,770   /             185

35           Bangladesh         1,358     /             12,511   /             31           /             47,611   /             75

EUROPEAN REGULATOR OKAYS PFIZER VACCINE FOR TEENS

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday recommended that the use of the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech be expanded to children ages 12 to 15, a decision that offers younger and less at-risk populations across the continent access to a Covid-19 shot for the first time.

The vaccine was the first one granted authorisation across the European Union when it was licensed for use in anyone 16 and over in December. So far, about 173 million doses of the shot have been administered in the 27-nation bloc. “Extending the protection of a safe and effective vaccine in this younger population is an important step,” said Marco Cavaleri, who heads the EMA body that reviewed the vaccine.

U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S $6 TRILLION BUDGET: SOCIAL SPENDING, TAXES ON BUSINESS

President Joe Biden on Saturday unveiled a $6 trillion budget for next year that’s piled high with new safety net programs for the poor and middle class, but his generosity depends on taxing corporations and the wealthy to keep the nation’s spiking debt from spiralling totally out of control.

Mr. Biden inherited record pandemic-stoked spending and won a major victory on COVID-19 relief earlier this year. Saturday’s rollout adds his recently announced infrastructure and social spending initiatives and fleshes out his earlier plans to sharply increase spending for annual Cabinet budgets.

This year’s projected deficit would set a new record of $3.7 trillion that would drop to $1.8 trillion next year — still almost double pre-pandemic levels. The national debt will soon breach $30 trillion after more than $5 trillion in already approved COVID-19 relief. As a result, the government must borrow roughly 50 cents of every dollar it spends this year and next.

“Our prosperity comes from the people who get up every day, work hard, raise their family, pay their taxes, serve their Nation, and volunteer in their communities.” The budget incorporates the administration’s eight-year, $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal and its $1.8 trillion American Families Plan and adds details on his $1.5 trillion request for annual operating expenditures for the Pentagon and domestic agencies.

AS INDIA WATCHES KEENLY, SRI LANKA SEEKS FDI IN PORT CITY

Sri Lanka on Friday invited international investment into the Colombo Port City that it described as a “fully Sri Lankan project”, while official sources in New Delhi said they were “keeping a close eye” on the project and its “security implications”.

“If it is only a commercial venture then that is their [Sri Lanka’s] choice… We will continue to engage Sri Lanka, while watching our national interest,” said a government source in New Delhi, awaiting the final version of the Bill whose blueprint the Sri Lankan Parliament’s Speaker signed on Thursday. The ‘Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act’ is yet to be made public.

Addressing concerns around the recently passed legislation on laws governing the Colombo Port City, which critics fear might be a “Chinese enclave” in the Sri Lankan capital, a team of government Ministers said the China-backed $1.4 billion-Port City, pitted as a financial hub, had the potential to create 83,000 jobs and bring in up to $15 billion in investments.

Constitutional experts and opposition legislators argue that the 269-acre “financial hub”, coming up on reclaimed land adjoining Colombo’s seafront, would enjoy, besides a tax-free status, immunity from Sri Lankan law. Sections within Sri Lanka, including from the political opposition, trade unions and the influential Buddhist clergy, see it as a “threat” to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.

IRAN CLEARS WAY FOR HARD-LINE JUDICIARY CHIEF TO BECOME PRESIDENT

Candidates in the Iranian presidential election have always been rigorously screened, and those who were deemed insufficiently loyal to the Islamic revolution have been disqualified. Within those boundaries, contenders had different views on easing domestic restrictions or dealing with the West, and sometimes the winner was a surprise.

Now even minor differences that give voters the appearance of being elected appear to have been eliminated.

The candidates for the June 18 elections either hold deeply conservative positions consistent with those of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or they are little known, with no voter base and no chance of winning.

And one candidate in particular leads: Ebrahim Raisi, the current head of justice, appointed by Mr Khamenei, who has long been involved in human rights abuses and lost to a surprise victory for outgoing President Hassan Rouhani in 2013.

With no credible challenger, Mr Raisi is expected to win this time around. Any serious competition was won from the race. Even some members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, known for their strong hostility to political differences, called the election anti-democratic.

The Guardian Council, a 12-person body responsible for approving candidates, has disqualified anyone who could postpone the vote against Mr Raisi, who served as a prosecutor and judge overseeing the executions of minors and dissidents.

On Thursday, Mr Khamenei publicly endorsed the Guardian Council’s final decision. He said the councilors had done their duty and urged the public not to “listen to anyone who says it’s useless, don’t go to the polls, we’re not going”.

US SAYS GOODBYE TO OPEN SKIES ACCORD WITH RUSSIA

US announced on Friday it has decided not to return to the Open Skies Treaty saying Russia has violated the accord.

The post-Cold War treaty was meant to build trust by allowing the two powers and their allies to monitor one another’s airspace. Trump left the accord in November citing Russian violations of it.

Russia said US decision not to rejoin the pact is a “political mistake” to bolster security in Europe, ahead of a summit between the two countries’ presidents.

TAKSIM SQUARE: ERDOGAN INAUGURATES CONTROVERSIAL MOSQUE IN ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has inaugurated a mosque in Taksim Square, Istanbul - the plans for which sparked a wave of protests in 2013.

Thousands attended the ceremony, with some praying in the square itself because the mosque was full.

The mosque features prominently next to a public space traditionally seen as a symbol of the secular Turkish republic.

It also dwarfs a monument to the republic, and its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

"Taksim Mosque now occupies a prominent place among the symbols of Istanbul," Mr Erdogan said after saying Friday prayers at the site. "God willing, it will stay until the end of time."

He also told crowds that the mosque's construction was a victory over protesters who had objected to Taksim Square having any sort of religious tone, adding that "nothing can stop this initiative now".

MALI CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECLARES COLONEL GOITA TRANSITIONAL PRESIDENT

Mali’s constitutional court on Friday named Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of the post-coup junta, as the country’s transitional president.

The judgement stipulated that Colonel Goita would “exercise the functions of transitional president to lead the transition process to its conclusion”, following his seizure of power this week.

The constitutional court said it had made the decision due to the “vacancy in the presidency” following the resignation of caretaker president Bah Ndaw.

Soldiers detained Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane on Monday, before releasing them Thursday after they resigned.