KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    2,74,504              /             38,88,306            /             5,772     /             1,14,85,337               /             498.8

1             USA        8,647     /             6,17,443              /             196        /             50,36,518            /               1,855

2             Brazil     41,878   /             5,02,817              /             899        /             12,46,751            /               2,349

3             India      39,096   /             3,89,268              /             846        /             6,70,998              /               279

4             Russia    17,378   /             1,29,801              /             440        /             3,26,070              /               889

5             Argentina            8,606     /             89,490   /             447        /             2,77,070              /               1,963

6             Mexico  1,578     /             2,31,187              /             36           /             2,74,626              /               1,775

7             Iran        10,485   /             83,101   /             136        /             2,62,290              /             977

8             UK          10,633   /             1,27,981              /             5             /             2,08,530              /               1,876

9             Colombia             23,239   /             1,00,582              /             648        /             1,81,876               /             1,957

10           Honduras             747        /             6,766     /             7             /             1,55,381              /               673

11           Poland   73           /             74,829   /             1             /             1,53,363              /               1,979

12           Indonesia            14,536   /             54,956   /             294        /             1,47,728              /               199

13           Spain     2,360     /             80,689   /             13           /             1,23,928              /               1,725

14           South Africa       9,160     /             58,795   /             93           /             1,17,004              /               979

15           Turkey   5,294     /             49,236   /             51           /             88,626   /             578

16           France   487        /             1,10,778              /             40           /             80,586   /               1,693

17           Italy       495        /             1,27,291              /             21           /             76,853   /               2,108

18           Costa Rica           797        /             4,530     /             24           /             71,340   /             881

19           Iraq        5,235     /             16,910   /             25           /             70,911   /             411

20           Bolivia   1,086     /             16,132   /             44           /             66,811   /             1,364

22           Bangladesh         4,636     /             13,626   /             78           /             57,196   /             82

24           Philippines           5,249     /             23,749   /             128        /             55,847   /             214

40           Pakistan               907        /             22,007   /             30           /             34,020   /             98

NO NEED FOR NUKES ONCE KASHMIR ISSUE IS RESOLVED: PAKISTAN'S PM IMRAN KHAN

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is "merely a deterrent" to protect the country, and will be rendered obsolete once the Kashmir issue is resolved. He said, if the Americans have the resolve and the will, the issue can be sorted out.

Pakistan has 165 nuclear warheads as of January this year and it appears to be expanding its nuclear arsenals, a study by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said last week. Pakistan had 160 nuclear warheads as of January last year, it said.

Khan said that he was "not sure" whether it was growing. "As far as I know, it's not an offensive thing. Any country which has a neighbour seven times its size would be worried.

He was responding to a question by the interviewer who asked, "Intelligence analysts say Pakistan has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal anywhere in the world. Why?"

Khan went on to say that he was "completely against nuclear arms". "The moment there is a settlement on Kashmir, the two neighbours would live as civilised people. We will not need to have nuclear deterrents," the cricketer-turned-politician said.

To another question, Khan said that the US had a big responsibility when it came to Kashmir. "If the Americans have the resolve and the will, [the Kashmir issue] can be sorted out," he said.

India has repeatedly ruled out any role for a third party, asserting that any issue between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally under the provisions of Simla agreement and the Lahore declaration.

Asked why he was so outspoken about Islamophobia in the West but silent about the alleged genocide of Uighur Muslims in China's Xinjiang, Khan said that all issues were discussed with China "behind closed doors". "China has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times. When we were really struggling, China came to our rescue. We respect the way they are and whatever issues we have, we speak behind closed doors.

INDIA IN ‘CLOSE TOUCH’ WITH SRI LANKA AMID CONCERNS OVER NEW COLOMBO-BEIJING BONHOMIE

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena Monday amid India’s growing concerns over the proposed Colombo Port City project, which has Chinese funding.

In a Twitter post, Jaishankar said the two countries will “continue to remain in close touch”.

The interaction comes days after the Ministry of External Affairs asked Sri Lanka to be “mindful” of the bilateral ties between New Delhi and Colombo, as it weighed in on the proposed Colombo Port City project, which is part of a $1.4 billion deal funded by China.

The relationship between Sri Lanka and China appears to be strengthening despite certain concerns within the island nation about the prospect of greater Chinese control over the country.

Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday wrote a letter to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa wishing him on his birthday. “In face of major challenges in the world, #China and #SriLanka have been looking out for each other and working closely with each other,” Xi wrote. “I attach great importance to the development of #China-#SriLanka relations, and would like to continue to work with you to promote our strategic partnership for more fruitful outcomes, and bring more benefits to our two countries and peoples.”

Last week, as many as 12 leading Sinhalese political parties participated in an event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. Speaking at the event, Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa lauded China as a friend of the country.

U.S. SHARES PLAN TO ALLOCATE 55 MILLION VACCINES FROM ITS STOCKPILE

The Biden administration, on June 21, announced how it would allocate 55 million of the 80 million doses from its vaccine supply to other countries. It is unclear how many doses India will receive in this second allocation.

The administration already outlined its plans to share the first 25 million doses of its stockpile both bilaterally and via COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX — an international coalition to distribute vaccines globally. Three quarters of the 80 million is being shared via COVAX and one quarter is being directly. Of the 80 million, 60 million are AstraZeneca vaccines, not yet approved for use in the U.S.

Of the 55 million doses, 41 million will be shared via COVAX. Of this, approximately 14 million will go to Asian countries, including India, some 10 million for Africa (coordinated by the African Union) and approximately 16 million for Latin American countries. Another 14 million doses will be shared “with regional priorities and other recipients”, the White House statement said. This includes African, Asian, Eastern European and South American countries as well as three South Asian countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The specific number of vaccines will be determined and shared as the administration works through logistical and regulatory specifics for each region, the White House said.

BITCOIN SINKS TO TWO-WEEK LOW AS CHINA INTENSIFIES CRYPTO MINING CRACKDOWN

Bitcoin sank to a two-week low Monday on reports that China has intensified its crackdown on cryptocurrency mining.

The world’s largest digital currency fell as low as $31,760 Monday morning, dropping below $32,000 for the first time since June 8, according to data from Coin Metrics. It was trading at $32,472 at 4:00 p.m. ET, down 8% on the day. Smaller rivals like ether and XRP also fell 12%.

Many bitcoin mines in Sichuan were shuttered Sunday after authorities in the southwestern Chinese province ordered a halt to crypto mining, according to a report from the Communist Party-backed newspaper Global Times. More than 90% of China’s bitcoin mining capacity is estimated to be shut down, the paper said.

Bloomberg and Reuters also reported on the move from Sichuan authorities. It follows similar developments in China’s Inner Mongolia and Yunnan regions, as well as calls from Beijing to stamp out crypto mining amid worries over its massive energy consumption.

U.S. CHAMBERS SEEKS TO DOUBLE H-1B QUOTA

The demand to increase the H-1B quota, which currently is at 65,000 and another 20,000 for those who have higher studies from the US, is part of the America Works campaign launched by the US Chambers of Commerce early this month.

“As we stand on the cusp of what could be a great American resurgence, a worker shortage is holding back job creators across the country,” US Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Suzanne Clark said.

Through the America Works Agenda, the US Chamber is calling for doubling the cap on employment-based visas, doubling the quota on H-1B and H-2B visas and implementing other reforms to the legal immigration system to help employers meet the demand for high-demand jobs in labour-strapped sectors. It is also calling for growing federal investments in employer-led job education and training programmes and expanding access to childcare for working parents.

“We must arm workers with the skills they need, we must remove barriers that are keeping too many Americans on the sidelines, and we must recruit the very best from around the world to help fill high-demand jobs,” Clark said.

The Chamber called for changes to be made on the issuance of employment-based immigrant visas including doubling the cap on employment-based immigrant visas from 140,000/year to 280,000/year.

EU, UK SLAP NEW SANCTIONS ON ENTITIES, INDIVIDUALS RELATED TO MYANMAR MILITARY COUP

The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom on Monday slapped fresh sanctions on Myanmar state-owned entities and individuals related to the February 1 coup and the subsequent violent repression of peaceful protesters.

According to an EU press release, the 27-member European bloc imposed sanctions on 8 individuals, 3 economic entities and the War Veterans Organisation in relation to the military coup staged in Myanmar/Burma on February 1.

The individuals targeted by sanctions include ministers and deputy ministers, as well as the attorney general, who are responsible for undermining democracy and the rule of law and for serious human rights violations in the country.

"By targeting the gems and timber sectors, these measures are aimed at restricting the junta's ability to profit from Myanmar's natural resources, while being crafted so as to avoid undue harm to the people of Myanmar," said the EU in the release.

The EU's restrictive measures, which now apply to a total of 43 individuals and 6 entities in Myanmar, include an asset freeze and a prohibition from making funds available to the listed individuals and entities. A travel ban is also in effect for listed persons that prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territory.

IRAN'S EBRAHIM RAISI BACKS NUCLEAR TALKS, RULES OUT MEETING JOE BIDEN

Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi on Monday backed talks between Iran and six world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal but flatly rejected meeting US President Joe Biden, even if Washington removed all sanctions.

In his first news conference since winning Friday's presidential election, the hardline judge said his foreign policy priority would be improving ties with Iran's Gulf Arab neighbours, while calling on Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia to immediately halt its intervention in Yemen.

Raisi, 60, a strident critic of the West, will take over from pragmatist Hassan Rouhani on Aug. 3 as Iran seeks to salvage the tattered nuclear deal and be rid of punishing US sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.

"We support the negotiations that guarantee our national interests. ... America should immediately return to the deal and fulfil its obligations under the deal," said Raisi, who is himself under US sanctions.

10K REFUGEES FLED TO INDIA, THAILAND FROM MYANMAR: UN SPECIAL ENVOY

As many as 10,000 refugees have fled from Myanmar to India and Thailand as nationwide clashes in the country led to "acute" new displacements of hundreds of thousands of civilians, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Myanmar has said, warning that the regional threat of the crisis is real.

“In my daily contacts with stakeholders in Myanmar, I hear first-hand accounts about the dire situation. People suffer from deprivation, have no hope and live in fear,” Christine Schraner Burgener, Special Envoy of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Myanmar, told the UN General Assembly.

In the absence of international action, civilians are forming people's defence forces, she said. They use self-made weapons and receive military training from ethnic armed organisations in their resistance grounded on democratic solidarity. Multiple regions of the country which have not seen armed clashes in decades become zones of significant unrest. “Nationwide clashes, including in central Myanmar and regions bordering China, India and Thailand, have led to acute new displacements of around 1,75,000 civilians, and some 10,000 refugees have fled to India and Thailand,” she said, adding that “we must continue to call for maximum restraint”.

PAKISTAN PM IMRAN KHAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE CHINA’S REPRESSION OF UIGHURS

Pakistan PM Imran Khan has defended his silence on reports about “genocide” of Uighur Muslims in China by claiming that Islamabad discussed such matters with Beijing “behind closed doors”. He asked why the world was fixated on Xinjiang while “ignoring what India was doing in Kashmir”. “It is much more relevant,” he claimed in an interview with Axios HBO.

The interviewer specifically asked why Khan was so vocal about Islamophobia in the West while remaining silent on the status of Muslims in China’s Xinjiang. “China has been one of our greatest friends in most difficult times. When we were really struggling, our economy was struggling, China came to our rescue. We respect the way they are and whatever issues we have, we speak behind closed doors,” Khan said.

He branded the West’s dismissal of Kashmiris and their taking up the cause of Uighurs as “hypocrisy”. “China had informed us that the abuse of Uighurs being reported in the media was exaggerated,” Khan added.

His comments on China, Xinjiang, the treatment of Uighur Muslims, J&K and India has sparked a debate on Indian and Pakistani social media, with many netizens criticising his remarks. Some called the comments “total moral cowardice”.

EU SLAPS NEW SANCTIONS ON BELARUS, TARGETS ITS ECONOMY

European Union foreign ministers agreed Monday to impose sanctions on scores of officials and several organizations in Belarus, and prepared a series of economic measures aimed at hitting President Alexander Lukashenko and his allies.

The EU has gradually ratcheted up sanctions since Mr Lukashenko – dubbed the last dictator in Europe – won a sixth term last August in elections it says were fraudulent. The measures have targeted people accused of electoral misconduct and responsibility for the police crackdown that followed.

But the EU has taken a harder approach since Belarus' authorities forced a Ryanair plane to land in Minsk last month, and over the country's alleged use of migrants to pressure neighboring Lithuania, which has provided a safe-haven to Belarusian opposition figures and is one of Lukashenko's most vocal critics.

The ministers imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 78 Belarus officials and froze the assets of 8 “entities,” which are usually companies, banks, or associations. It means that a total of 166 people and 15 entities are now under EU restrictive measures.

“This decision was made in view of the escalation of serious human rights violations in Belarus and the violent repression of civil society, democratic opposition and journalists,” a statement said.

NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE BRINGS DOWN SWEDEN’S GOVT

Sweden’s government was toppled on Monday after Stefan Lofven became the country’s first prime minister to lose a no-confidence vote. He can now either resign or trigger a snap election.

The motion of no confidence was filed on Thursday by the far-right Sweden Democrats, after the Left Party, which has been propping up the government, said it was planning such a motion itself in protest against a government plan to ease rent controls. The conservative Moderate Party and the Christian Democrats were quick to back the motion, which was passed by 181 MPs in the 349-seat parliament.

Critics have described the constellation as an “unholy alliance” of parties at opposite ends of the political spectrum.

After 11 unsuccessful no-confidence votes in modern Swedish political history, Lofven, who has previously distinguished himself by his ability to survive political crises, becomes the first head of government to be ousted in this way.

Lofven, leader of the Social Democrats and PM since 2014, has a week to either announce a snap election or resign, leaving it up to the speaker of parliament, Andreas Norlen, to open negotiations with the parties to find a new prime minister.