KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    3,34,768              /             38,36,821            /             8,020     /             1,17,36,351        /             492.2

1             USA        10,722   /             6,15,679              /             317        /             51,58,020            /             1,850

2             Brazil     88,992   /             4,91,164              /             2,760     /             11,08,043            /             2,295

3             India      62,226   /             3,79,601              /             1,470     /             8,72,026              /             273

4             Argentina            27,260   /             86,615   /             586        /             3,14,159              /             1,900

5             Russia    14,185   /             1,27,180              /             379        /             2,91,169              /             871

6             Iran        10,216   /             82,351   /             134        /             2,84,087              /             969

7             Mexico  1,175     /             2,30,185              /             37           /             2,68,590              /             1,768

8             Colombia                            /             96,366   /                            /             1,70,525              /             1,875

9             UK          7,673     /             1,27,917              /             10           /             1,60,907              /             1,875

10           Poland   215        /             74,626   /             52           /             1,54,113              /             1,974

11           Honduras             387        /             6,653     /             22           /             1,52,138              /             662

12           Spain     3,432     /             80,579   /             62           /             1,31,416              /             1,723

13           France   3,235     /             1,10,530              /             76           /             1,22,817              /             1,690

14           Indonesia            8,161     /             53,280   /             164        /             1,16,787              /             193

15           Italy       1,255     /             1,27,101              /             63           /             1,05,886              /             2,105

16           South Africa       8,436     /             58,087   /             208        /             86,574   /             968

17           Turkey   5,955     /             48,879   /             84           /             82,127   /             574

18           Netherlands        1,032     /             17,715   /             1             /             76,463   /             1,032

19           Costa Rica           1,708     /             4,407     /             19           /             75,650   /             858

20           Malaysia              5,419     /             4,069     /             101        /             70,112   /             124

24           Philippines           5,389     /             22,963   /             118        /             58,063   /             207

29           Bangladesh         3,319     /             13,222   /             50           /             48,996   /             80

36           Pakistan               838        /             21,782   /             59           /             40,929   /             97

TAIWAN REPORTS ‘LARGEST’ INCURSION BY CHINESE FORCES

As many as 28 Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, the island’s government said. It is the largest reported incursion to date.

While there was no immediate comment from Beijing, the news comes after the Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement on Sunday scolding China and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the self-ruled island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands.

The latest Chinese mission involved 14 J-16 and six J-11 fighters, as well as four H-6 bombers, which can carry nuclear weapons, and anti-submarine, electronic warfare and early warning aircraft, said Taiwan’s Defence Ministry. It was the largest daily incursion since the Ministry began regularly reporting Chinese Air Force activities in Taiwan’s ADIZ last year.

The Ministry said Taiwanese combat aircraft were dispatched to intercept the Chinese aircraft and missile systems were also deployed to monitor them.

Biden administration unveils strategy to tackle domestic terrorism in US

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday directed his national security team to lead a 100-day comprehensive review of government efforts to address domestic terrorism and released the first-ever 'National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism' to address this challenge.

According to the White House, the Biden Administration consulted extensively with a wide array of experts across the US government as well as with leaders in Congress, state and local governments, academia, civil society, religious communities, and foreign governments to develop a government-wide strategy to counter domestic terrorists.

"Throughout the process, we embraced the protection of civil rights and civil liberties as a national security imperative. The strategy we are releasing today is carefully tailored to address violence and reduce the factors that lead to violence, threaten public safety, and infringe on the free expression of ideas," said the White House in a statement.

Detailing the steps to tackle the threat, the White House said that the US government will enhance domestic terrorism analysis and improve information sharing throughout law enforcement at the federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial levels, and, where appropriate, private sector partners.

The Department of State will continue to assess whether additional foreign entities linked to domestic terrorism can be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations or Specially Designated Global Terrorists under relevant statutory criteria.

ISRAEL STRIKES IN GAZA AFTER ARSON BALLOONS LAUNCHED

Israel says it has launched air strikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for incendiary balloons fired from the territory.

Explosions were heard in Gaza City in the early hours of Wednesday.

Several balloons were sent from Gaza into Israel earlier on Tuesday causing multiple fires, according to the Israeli fire service.

It is the first major flare-up since 11 days of fighting between the two sides ended in a ceasefire on 21 May.

It followed a march by Jewish nationalists in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday, which had drawn threats from Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its fighter jets had hit military compounds operated by Hamas in Khan Yunis and Gaza City.

It said "terrorist activity" took place in the compound, and that the IDF was "prepared for all scenarios, including the resumption of hostilities, in the face of continued terror acts from the Gaza Strip".

It is not immediately clear if the air strikes have caused any injuries.

CHINA URGES NATO TO STOP EXAGGERATING 'CHINA THREAT THEORY'

China’s mission to the European Union urged NATO on Tuesday to stop exaggerating the “China threat theory” after the group’s leaders warned that the country presented “systemic challenges”.

NATO leaders on Monday had taken a forceful stance towards Beijing in a communique at United States President Joe Biden’s first summit with the alliance.

"China's stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security," NATO leaders had said.

The new U.S. president has urged his fellow NATO leaders to stand up to China's authoritarianism and growing military might, a change of focus for an alliance created to defend Europe from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The NATO statement "slandered" China's peaceful development, misjudged the international situation, and indicated a "Cold War mentality," China said in a response posted on the mission's website.

China is always committed to peaceful development, it added.

"We will not pose a 'systemic challenge' to anyone, but if anyone wants to pose a 'systemic challenge' to us, we will not remain indifferent."

In Beijing, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, said the United States and Europe had "different interests," and that some European countries "will not tie themselves to the anti-China war chariot of the United States".

IRAN APPROVES FIRST HOMEGROWN COVID-19 VACCINE

Iran’s state TV is reporting that the country has approved an emergency use of its first domestically developed coronavirus vaccine that could bring the hardest-hit country in the Middle East closer to inoculating its citizens against COVID-19.

The emergency authorisation was approved after the country faced with problems from importing enough vaccines.

The TV quotes the health minister, Saeed Namaki as saying, “Permission to use the Iranian vaccine COVIran Barekat was issued yesterday.” Iranian pharmaceutical company Shifafarmed made the vaccine based on deactivated virus, and the first study of the safety and effectiveness began in late December.

Iran has also said it is working on a vaccine with cooperation from a foreign country. Mr. Namaki said that another vaccine, produced jointly by Iran and Cuba, will join the country’s vaccine package in the next week.

Iran’s local vaccine research has gained urgency as officials allege that heavy American sanctions will hamper the Islamic Republic’s mass inoculation efforts.

HUNGARY: LAWMAKERS PASS LAW BARRING LGBT CONTENT IN SCHOOLS

Hungarian lawmakers passed legislation Tuesday that prohibits sharing with minors any content that portrays or promotes homosexuality or sex reassignment to anyone under 18.

The National Assembly passed the bill on a 157-1 vote. The ruling Fidesz party has a parliamentary majority, and lawmakers from the right-wing Jobbik party also endorsed the measure.

All other opposition parties boycotted the voting session to protest discrimination against LGBT people. The legislation, presented last week by Fidesz, is primarily aimed at fighting pedophilia but also includes amendments that ban the representation of any sexual orientation besides heterosexual and sex reassignment information in school sex education programs, as well as in films and advertisements aimed at anyone under 18.

LGBT activists in Hungary and international organisations sharply criticised the bill and compared it to a 2013 Russian law banning so-called gay “propaganda”. LGBT and human rights activists held protests to try to pressure lawmakers into defeating the bill.