KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    3,92,175              /             35,56,328            /             8,118     /             1,41,71,584               /             456.2

1             USA        7,692     /             6,09,544              /             124        /             55,92,582            /               1,832

2             India      1,53,485              /             3,29,127              /             3,129     /             20,33,301               /             236

3             Brazil     43,520   /             4,62,092              /             950        /             11,40,284            /               2,160

4             Iran        8,876     /             79,939   /             198        /             3,80,627              /             941

5             Argentina            21,346   /             77,456   /             348        /             3,57,085              /               1,700

6             Russia    9,694     /             1,21,162              /             355        /             2,64,410              /               830

7             Mexico  2,725     /             2,23,455              /             387        /             2,63,183              /               1,717

8             France   8,541     /             1,09,402              /             44           /             2,41,517              /               1,673

9             Italy       2,949     /             1,26,046              /             44           /             2,38,296              /               2,088

10           Spain                    /             79,905   /                            /             1,63,842              /               1,708

11           Peru                      /             69,202   /                            /             1,61,784              /               2,073

12           Poland   579        /             73,738   /             56           /             1,59,990              /               1,950

13           Netherlands        2,719     /             17,621   /             6             /             1,51,060              /               1,026

14           Honduras             501        /             6,296     /             12           /             1,46,267              /               627

15           Colombia             20,218   /             88,282   /             535        /             1,41,036              /               1,718

16           Germany              3,043     /             89,051   /             43           /             1,20,064              /               1,060

17           Ukraine 1,703     /             50,472   /             84           /             1,14,852              /               1,160

18           Nepal    3,702     /             7,272     /             109        /             1,08,897              /             246

19           Indonesia            6,115     /             50,404   /             142        /             1,01,639              /               183

20           Sweden                /             14,413   /                            /             94,995   /             1,419

29           Pakistan               2,697     /             20,736   /             56           /             58,878   /             92

32           Philippines           7,058     /             20,860   /             139        /             53,757   /             188

37           Bangladesh         1,444     /             12,583   /             34           /             47,442   /             76

LAB LEAK THEORY ‘FEASIBLE’, FEELS BRITISH INTEL

The controversy around the possible leak of the Sars-CoV-2 virus from the Chinese city of Wuhan has received another boost. According to a Sunday Times report, British intelligence officials believe it is “feasible” that the pandemic began after a virus leak from a Wuhan laboratory. The British spies are now investigating the theory of a possible leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, according to the report.

Quoting people familiar with the development, the British daily said that a recent reassessment of the possible source of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has prompted UK intelligence to investigate the lab leak theory. Sharing renewed concerns over virus origin, American diplomatic sources said that the world is “one wet market or bio lab away from the next spillover”, reported The Sunday Times.

According to a Daily Mail report, a study has found that the Sars-CoV-2 has no ‘credible natural ancestor’ and was created by Chinese scientists while working on ‘gain-of-function’ research. The study, which is set to be published in the Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery, claimed that the Chinese scientist also tried to cover their tracks by reverse-engineering the viruses to make it look like they naturally arose from bats, reported Daily Mail.

“I think it’s really important that the WHO is allowed to conduct its investigation unencumbered into the origins of this pandemic and that we should leave no stone unturned to understand why,” UK vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News on Sunday.

THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH DOCTORS IN JAPAN TO SUPPORT THE OLYMPICS

Japan’s medical establishment is becoming increasingly anxious about bringing together 78,000 people from 200 countries for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, even as the country struggles to keep coronavirus infections under control and speed up vaccinations.

Organizers had initially planned to have about 10,000 doctors, nurses and medical staff on standby for the games, scheduled to start in less than two months, but have had to cut that number down to about 7,000 because they’ll be needed to handle ongoing outbreaks.

Although Japan has seen one of the lowest infection rates among rich industrialized nations, it has been trying to bring under control a rise in infections since late last year. A third state of emergency was expanded and extended in Tokyo and other big cities, with limited results. Speculation over the possible cancellation of the games intensified last week after the U.S. warned Americans not to travel to Japan.

“We have strong reservations about hosting the Olympics at the expense of the lives and health of patients and nurses,” said Susumu Morita, secretary-general of the Japan Federation of Medical Worker’s Unions, which represents about 170,000 nurses and medical staff across the country.

Although foreign spectators were barred from the games in an effort to mitigate the risk of spreading infections, there hasn’t been a final decision yet on whether domestic fans will be banned or see their numbers cut. That lack of clarity is also making it difficult to gauge whether there will be enough medical staff to cope with any emergencies from July 23 to Aug. 8, when the games are scheduled to take place.

“It will be difficult to decide on the maximum spectator limit without monitoring the situation,” Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing committee, said at a briefing Friday.

U.S. SPIED ON ANGELA MERKEL, EUROPEAN ALLIES WITH DANISH HELP, SAYS MEDIA

The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has used a partnership with Denmark’s foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials of neighbouring countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, accordingto Danish state broadcaster DR.

The findings are the result of an internal investigation in the Danish Defence Intelligence Service from 2015 into NSA’s role in the partnership, DR said, citing nine unnamed sources with access to the investigation.

According to the investigation which covered 2012 and 2014, the NSA used Danish information cables to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany, including former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former German opposition leader Peer Steinbrück.

Asked for comment on the DR report, a spokesperson for the German chancellery said it only became aware of the allegations when asked about them by journalists, and declined to comment further.

Denmark, a close ally of the United States, hosts several key landing stations for sub-sea internet cables to and from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Holland and the U.K.

The internal investigation in the Danish Defence Intelligence Service was launched in 2014 following concerns about Edward Snowden’s leaks the previous year revealing how the NSA works, according to DR.

ISRAELI OPPOSITION CLOSING IN ON DEAL TO UNSEAT NETANYAHU

A key Israeli opposition party has backed a unity government that would bring to an end to Benjamin Netanyahu's time as the country's longest serving prime minister.

The ultra-nationalist leader Naftali Bennett said his party would join talks to form a governing coalition with centrist party leader Yair Lapid.

Mr Lapid has until Wednesday to announce the result of his efforts.

Mr Netanyahu, meanwhile, said the proposed deal would "weaken Israel".

The prime minister, who is on trial for fraud, fell short of a decisive majority at a general election in March. It was the country's fourth inconclusive vote in two years - and again Mr Netanyahu failed to secure coalition allies.

Mr Bennett, 49, who leads the Yamina party, made his announcement in a televised address.

"Mr Netanyahu is no longer trying to form a right-wing government because he knows full well that there isn't one. He is seeking to take the whole national camp, and the whole country, with him on his personal last stand," he said.

"I will do everything to form a national unity government with my friend Yair Lapid."

Before the announcement, Israeli media reported that under the proposed terms of the deal, Mr Bennett would replace Mr Netanyahu, 71, as prime minister and later give way to Mr Lapid, 57, in a rotation agreement. The arrangement has not been officially confirmed.

The proposed coalition would bring together factions from the right, the left and the centre of Israeli politics. While the parties have little in common politically, they are united in their desire to see Mr Netanyahu's time in office come to an end.

SRI LANKA TO SUE SINGAPORE VESSEL OWNERS OVER POLLUTION

Sri Lankan authorities on Sunday said they will sue the owners of a Singapore-registered cargo carrier, which has burned for 11 straight days off the island’s west coast and caused some of its worst-ever marine pollution.

Police said a criminal investigation was also launched into the blaze aboard the MV X-Press Pearl, which was carrying 25 tonnes of nitric acid and plastic raw materials. The fire, still burning, has destroyed much of the cargo, some of which also fell into the Indian Ocean.

Tonnes of microplastic granules have inundated the beaches, forcing a fishing ban and sparking fears of ecological devastation.

Authorities are planning legal action against the owners of the vessel, its crew, as well as insurers.

ISRAEL, EGYPT HOLD TALKS OVER A 'PERMANENT CEASEFIRE' IN GAZA

Israeli and Egyptian officials held talks in both countries Sunday aimed at bolstering the Cairo-brokered ceasefire that ended the latest deadly flare-up of violence between the Jewish state and Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Jerusalem to discuss "strengthening cooperation" between their countries, Netanyahu's office said.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi tasked Kamel and his delegation, who also visited the occupied Palestinian Territories, with hammering out a permanent ceasefire deal, senior Egyptian security officials told AFP.

On the same day, Israel's Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi made the first official visit by an Israeli top diplomat to neighbouring Egypt in 13 years, for talks with his counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

Ashkenazi tweeted that they would "discuss establishing a permanent ceasefire with Hamas, a mechanism for providing humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza with a pivotal role played by the international community".

He later called for efforts "to prevent strengthening extremist elements that threaten regional stability, and to ensure the return home of the missing persons and prisoners held by Hamas."

The Egyptian foreign ministry tweeted that the ministers' talks were "part of Egypt's relentless and continued efforts to revive the peace track and to build on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip".

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was also expected in Cairo for talks, senior Egyptian security officials said, without providing further details.

WORLD LEADERS CALL FOR CLEANER, GREENER PLANET

World leaders on Sunday called for more action and inclusion of all countries in the global drive towards a cleaner and greener planet at a climate summit hosted virtually by South Korea.

South Korea, which recently announced plans to cut finance for international coal projects, is seeking a bigger role in the global initiative to go green.

“South Korea will play a responsible role as a bridging nation between developing and advanced nations,” said President Moon Jae-in as he opened the 2021 Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030, or P4G, summit.

The two-day summit is the second of its kind following the inaugural meeting held in Copenhagen in 2018, and is focused on public-private partnerships, especially in developing countries.

Advanced nations have laid out ambitious emissions-cutting goals in recent months, as well as plans to ultimately go carbon neutral by 2050.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the countries to phase out their dependence on fossil fuels, warning that the climate crisis is threatening people’s lives and the economy as much as the Covid-19 pandemic.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said countries must now deliver on their green pledges. “It’s a great start, but let’s not pat ourselves on the back just yet because our planet and our people need more,” he said.

PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CRISIS INTENSIFIES AS CHINA REFUSES TO PROVIDE DEBT RELIEF

Bankrupt Pakistan's debt problems seem to be escalating as it is all weather-ally China has declined to restructure $3 billion in liabilities.

Islamabad has requested Beijing to forgive debt liabilities owed to China-funded energy projects established under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The debt load, owed largely for the building of independent power producers (IPPs) on take-or-pay power generation contracts, is substantially more than the $19 billion in total invested in the plants, Asia Times reported citing reports and industry analysts.

Media reports suggest that China has refused to budge on Islamabad's request to renegotiate the power purchase agreements, saying that any debt relief would require Chinese banks to amend the terms and conditions under which the credits were extended.

The banks, including China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China, were not prepared to revise any of the clauses of the agreement reached earlier with the government, Beijing said in response to the request to renegotiate terms.

Pakistan has already entered a sovereign debt "danger zone" with total liabilities and debts of $294 billion representing 109 per cent as a percentage of GDP as of 30 December 2020.

The news outlet reported that according to official data of the Economic Affairs Division (EAD), during July-February of the fiscal year 2020-21, the Imran Khan government has received $7.208 billion total external inflows from multiple financing sources, which are 59 per cent of annual budget estimates of $12.233 billion for the entire fiscal year 2020-21.