KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    3,96,332              /             38,66,597            /             8,465     /             1,16,15,813               /             496

1             USA        11,895   /             6,16,894              /             374        /             51,00,044            /               1,853

2             Brazil     98,135   /             4,98,621              /             2,449     /             11,66,587            /               2,330

3             India      60,800   /             3,85,167              /             1,269     /             7,66,718              /               276

4             Argentina            20,363   /             88,247   /             458        /             3,10,187              /               1,935

5             Russia    17,262   /             1,28,445              /             453        /             3,02,205              /               880

6             Iran        10,100   /             82,746   /             127        /             2,75,168              /             973

7             Mexico  4,253     /             2,30,792              /             168        /             2,72,551              /               1,772

8             UK          10,476   /             1,27,956              /             11           /             1,85,180              /               1,875

9             Colombia             28,790   /             98,746   /             590        /             1,73,188              /               1,921

10           Poland   190        /             74,782   /             48           /             1,53,805              /               1,978

11           Honduras             1,218     /             6,719     /             28           /             1,53,241              /               668

12           Spain     4,214     /             80,652   /             18           /             1,32,585              /               1,724

13           Indonesia            12,990   /             54,043   /             290        /             1,30,096              /               196

14           South Africa       10,510   /             58,441   /             118        /             1,05,966              /               974

15           France   3,181     /             1,10,702              /             56           /             95,244   /               1,692

16           Italy       1,147     /             1,27,225              /             35           /             92,072   /               2,107

17           Turkey   5,575     /             49,071   /             59           /             86,433   /             576

18           Costa Rica           1,604     /             4,473     /             14           /             74,029   /             870

19           Iraq        5,068     /             16,834   /             23           /             70,578   /             410

20           Bolivia   2,682     /             15,924   /             98           /             68,609   /             1,347

23           Philippines           6,833     /             23,385   /             110        /             61,776   /             211

28           Bangladesh         3,883     /             13,399   /             54           /             53,150   /             81

37           Pakistan               1,043     /             21,913   /             39           /             35,809   /             97

UNGA RESOLUTION ON MYANMAR: INDIA ABSTAINS FROM VOTING

India has abstained on a UN General Assembly resolution on Myanmar, saying its views have not been reflected in the draft resolution and a “consultative and constructive” approach involving Myanmar’s neighbouring countries is important as the international community strives for the peaceful resolution of the issue.

In its explanation, India said, “We find that our views have not been reflected in the draft being considered for adoption today. We would like to reiterate that a consultative and constructive approach involving the neighbouring countries and the region, remains important as the international community strives for the peaceful resolution of the issue”.

“The fact that there is lack of support from all neighbouring countries, as well as several countries in the region itself, should, hopefully, serve as an eye-opener to those who choose to pursue a hasty course of action,” India said.

It added that it does not believe that the tabling of this resolution for adoption at this juncture, is “conducive to aiding our joint efforts towards strengthening the democratic process in Myanmar”.

“We are therefore constrained to abstain,” India said.

DELTA COVID-19 VARIANT BECOMING GLOBALLY DOMINANT, SAYS WHO OFFICIAL

The Delta variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, is becoming the globally dominant variant, the World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist said on Friday (Jun 18).

Soumya Swaminathan also voiced disappointment in the failure of CureVac's COVID-19 vaccine candidate in a trial to meet the WHO's efficacy standard, in particular as highly transmissible variants boost the need for new, effective shots.

Britain has reported a steep rise in infections with the Delta variant, while Germany's top public health official predicted it would rapidly become the dominant variant there despite rising vaccination rates.

The Kremlin blamed a surge in COVID-19 cases on reluctance to have vaccinations and "nihilism" after record new infections in Moscow, mostly with the new Delta variant, fanned fears of a third wave.

"The Delta variant is well on its way to becoming the dominant variant globally because of its increased transmissibility," Swaminathan told a news conference.

Coronavirus variants were cited by CureVac when the German company this week reported that its vaccine proved only 47 per cent effective at preventing disease, shy of the WHO's 50 per cent benchmark.

The company said it documented at least 13 variants circulating within its study population.

Given that similar mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna posted efficacy rates topping 90 per cent, Swaminathan said that the world had been expecting more from CureVac's candidate.

"Just because it's another mRNA vaccine, we cannot presume all mRNA vaccines are the same, because each one has a slightly different technology," Swaminathan said, adding that the surprise failure underscored the value of robust clinical trials to test new products.

ASTRAZENECA CLAIMS VICTORY IN TUSSLE WITH EU OVER DELIVERIES

AstraZeneca is claiming victory in a court tussle with the European Union over allegations that the coronavirus vaccine-maker was not producing shots fast enough.

AstraZeneca said in a statement on Friday that the EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, had requested that the drug-maker deliver 120 million vaccine doses in total by the end of June 2021, but that a judge in Brussels ordered delivery of 80.2 million doses by 27 September 2021.

AstraZeneca was seen as a key pillar of the 27-member EU’s vaccine rollout. Its contract with the Commission foresaw an initial 300 million doses being distributed, with an option for another 100 million.

“The judgement also acknowledged that the difficulties experienced by AstraZeneca in this unprecedented situation had a substantial impact on the delay,” the company said.

“AstraZeneca now looks forward to renewed collaboration with the European Commission to help combat the pandemic in Europe.”

UK PM JOHNSON FACES EMBARRASSING DEFEAT AS PARTY LOSES OUT AT ELECTION

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered an embarrassing defeat in a election on the outskirts of London on Friday, when his governing Conservative Party lost a previously safe parliamentary seat to the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservatives had comfortably held the leafy, affluent Chesham and Amersham constituency in southern England since its creation in 1974, capturing more than 50% of the vote on every occasion. At the last poll in 2019, Conservative Cheryl Gillan, who died this year, won by a majority of 16,223 votes.

Since a divisive referendum in 2016, Brexit has helped reshape Britain's political landscape, with people switching party loyalties in a way not seen for generations. Support for the Conservatives has surged in northern England.

On Wednesday, Sarah Green, the candidate for the Liberal Democrats - a centrist, pro-European Union party - won a majority of 8,028 votes over the Conservative candidate. The main opposition Labour Party came fourth, with 1.6% of the vote, its worst showing in decades.

Johnson said it was a "disappointing result", suggesting there were "particular circumstances" in the area and "it was a bit bizarre" to suggest his party were on the back foot.

"We are a great one-nation party and we will continue with our mission to unite and level up because that is the best way to deliver jobs, prosperity across the whole country," he told reporters.

ANTONIO GUTERRES RE-ELECTED AS UN SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR SECOND FIVE-YEAR TERM

UN General Assembly on Friday appointed Antonio Guterres as the UN Secretary-General for a second term beginning January 1, 2022, days after the powerful Security Council had unanimously recommended his name to the 193-member body for re-election.

President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir announced that Mr. Guterres “has been appointed by acclamation Secretary-General of the United Nations for the second term of office beginning on January 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2026.” Mr. Bozkir then administered the oath of office to 72-year-old Guterres at the podium of the UN General Assembly hall.

On June 8, the 15-nation Council had held a closed meeting where it adopted by acclamation the resolution that recommended Mr. Guterres’ name to the General Assembly for a second five-year term as Secretary General from January 1, 2022-December 31, 2026.

India had expressed its support for re-election of Mr. Guterres as UN Chief and welcomed the adoption of the resolution recommending his name.

DECLARATION OF JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY SPARKS SCRAMBLE IN STATES

Congress and President Joe Biden acted with unusual swiftness this week in approving Juneteenth as a national holiday. That shifted the battle to the states, where the holiday faces a far less enthusiastic response.

Nearly all states recognize Juneteenth in some fashion, at least on paper. But most have been slow to move beyond proclamations issued by governors or resolutions passed by lawmakers.

So far, at least nine states have designated it in law as an official paid state holiday.

The effort recalls the drawn-out battles over recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the 1980s. That was the last time the federal government designated a new holiday.

AMERICANS CAN PACK BAGS FOR EUROPE, AS EU LIFTS TRAVEL CURBS

The European Union lifted travel restrictions for U.S. residents, in the latest step toward a return to normal flying despite concerns over the spread of potentially dangerous coronavirus variants.

Albania, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Taiwan were also added to a so-called “white list” of countries from which non-essential travel is allowed. The new rules will take effect within days, as soon as they are published in the Official Journal of the EU.

Some EU member states already allow vaccinated Americans to visit. Inclusion in the white list means restrictions on fully inoculated U.S. residents will now be lifted across the bloc. Countries also have leeway to grant entry to unvaccinated visitors from those places without requiring a quarantine.

The move will provide a boost for major carriers such as Air France-KLM and Deutsche Lufthansa AG that ply the profitable transatlantic corridors along with their American counterparts. Long-distance travel has been hit hard by restrictions brought on by the pandemic.

Still, traffic across the Atlantic hasn’t been fully restored, with U.S. presidential proclamations banning Europeans from visiting still in place.

PALESTINIANS CALL OFF MILLION-DOSE VACCINE EXCHANGE WITH ISRAEL

The Palestinian Authority is calling off an agreement whereby Israel would transfer 1 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to it in exchange for a similar number later this year.

The PA says the doses, which Israel began shipping to the occupied West Bank on Friday, are too close to expiring.

Palestinian officials had come under heavy criticism on social media after the agreement was announced earlier Friday, with Palestinians accusing them of accepting subpar vaccines and suggesting they might not be effective.

In announcing the agreement, Israel said the vaccines “will expire soon” without specifying the date.

Israel has completely reopened after carrying out a highly successful vaccination campaign but has faced criticism for not sharing its supplies with the 4.5 million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

'LOWER DRUG COSTS': PFIZER CEO ASKS JOE BIDEN TO FORM COALITION

Pfizer Inc. Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla on Friday urged US President Joe Biden to form a bipartisan coalition in Washington to address high drug costs.

There’s a great opportunity for Biden to take the initiative to “reduce significantly the cost of medicines for the patients, which is the thing that is now problematic,” Bourla said in an interview Friday with David Westin on Bloomberg Television’s “Balance of Power” show.

The out-of-pocket drug costs now paid by patients “is something that needs to be fixed, and it needs to be fixed urgently,” Bourla said. Pharmaceutical industry executives would be willing to help cover the cost of such reform, but they want to ensure their contributions would go directly toward lowering patient costs, he added.

“What we don’t want to do is to give money that will go to the black hole of the federal budget,” Bourla said. “We want everything that we contribute to go to lower the out-of-pocket costs of the patients.”

In the interview, Bourla didn’t discuss specifics on what reforms he might want to see from the government.

U.S. SAYS BIDEN, ERDOGAN AGREED ON AFGHANISTAN BUT S-400 ISSUE IS UNRESOLVED

President Joe Biden and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed in a meeting this week that Turkey would take a lead role in securing Kabul airport as the United States withdraws troops from Afghanistan, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Thursday.

However, the two leaders were not able to resolve the long-standing issue of Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 defense systems, Mr. Sullivan said, a bitter dispute that strained ties between the NATO allies. He added that dialogue on the issue would

Mr. Sullivan told reporters that Mr. Biden and Mr. Erdogan, in their meeting on Monday at the NATO summit, discussed the Afghanistanissue. Mr. Erdogan sought certain forms of U.S. support to secure the airport and Mr. Biden committed to providing that support, Mr. Sullivan said.

"The clear commitment from the leaders was established that Turkey would play a lead role in securing Hamid Karzai International Airport and we are now working through how to execute to get to that," Mr. Sullivan said, giving the first details from the U.S. side of the meeting which the Turkish presidency has not provided details of.

The two leaders sounded upbeat after their meeting although they did not announce what concrete progress they made. One potential area of cooperation has been Afghanistan, where Ankarahas offered to guard and operate Kabul airport after U.S. and NATO forces withdraw in coming weeks.