KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    3,05,741              /             39,38,556            /             5,785     /             1,15,48,441               /             505.3

1             USA        4,638     /             6,19,434              /             92           /             49,47,806            /               1,861

2             Brazil     33,704   /             5,13,544              /             725        /             12,93,062            /               2,399

3             India      46,643   /             3,96,761              /             981        /             5,79,942              /               285

4             Russia    20,538   /             1,33,282              /             599        /             3,61,295              /               913

5             UK          14,876   /             1,28,100              /             11           /             2,87,820              /               1,877

6             Argentina            12,105   /             92,568   /             251        /             2,85,169              /               2,030

7             Mexico  5,051     /             2,32,521              /             175        /             2,82,791              /               1,785

8             Iran        9,758     /             83,845   /             134        /             2,48,263              /             986

9             Indonesia            21,342   /             57,138   /             409        /             2,07,685              /               207

10           Colombia             32,376   /             1,04,678              /             664        /             1,99,581               /             2,036

11           Honduras             1,279     /             6,916     /             14           /             1,60,403              /               688

12           South Africa       15,036   /             59,900   /             122        /             1,58,998              /               998

13           Poland   71           /             74,979   /             5             /             1,53,137              /               1,983

14           Spain                    /             80,779   /                            /             1,25,801              /               1,727

15           Turkey   4,883     /             49,576   /             52           /             84,220   /             582

16           Iraq        4,468     /             17,091   /             30           /             77,384   /             416

17           Bangladesh         5,268     /             14,172   /             119        /             70,131   /             85

18           Costa Rica                          /             4,602     /                            /             69,155   /             895

19           Bolivia   1,653     /             16,551   /             55           /             63,430   /             1,399

20           Malaysia              5,586     /             4,944     /             60           /             61,395   /             151

26           Philippines           6,096     /             24,372   /             128        /             52,570   /             220

38           Pakistan               901        /             22,211   /             23           /             32,241   /             99

PAKISTAN MINISTER DEFENDS PM IMRAN KHAN, SAYS REMARK ON OSAMA BIN LADEN A 'SLIP OF TONGUE'

Pakistan Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry came in defense of Imran Khan when he said that the PM’s statement on former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, calling him a martyr was nothing but a ‘slip of the tongue’.

Speaking to a Pakistan New channel, Chaudhry further emphasized that Pakistan considers Osama Bin Laden a terrorist and al-Qaeda as a terrorist outfit.

This statement came in the backdrop of a statement made by Prime Minister Imran Khan while addressing the National Assembly. During the address, the Prime Minister had recalled how the Americans had conducted an operation in Abbottabad and “killed Osama Bin Laden, martyred him".

Following the statement, a viral video clip was also circulated where Imran Khan was seen lashing out at the United States for how Laden had been killed in Abbottabad. Khan said, “shaheed kar diya".

While the PM received flak from people across the world, many of his state minister stood by him defending his words. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, most recently, in an interview with TOLO News, claimed that Khan’s remarks were taken “out of context".

“He was quoted out of context. And, uh, you know, a particular section of the media played it up," he added. “I will let that pass," said Qureshi when he was asked whether he disagreed that bin Laden was a martyr.

DELTA VARIANT PROMPTS SOME COUNTRIES TO RETURN TO LOCKDOWN

Moscow on Sunday recorded its worst daily coronavirus death toll and Indonesia saw more than 21,000 infections in a day, also a record, as countries across the Asia-Pacific region extended or reimposed restrictions to tackle fresh waves of cases. The pandemic has now killed close to four million people across the world. The Delta strain of the virus remains a concern and is now in 85 countries.

The Delta variant is also feeding fresh outbreaks in Southeast Asia and Australia where authorities have brought back or extended restrictions. More than five million Sydney residents endured their first full day of a two-week lockdown on Sunday. Restaurants, bars and cafes were shuttered and stay-at-home orders were issued, leaving the city centre virtually deserted. More than 110 Covid-19 cases have been reported in Sydney since a driver for an international flight crew tested positive in mid-June for the Delta variant. Australia's northern city of Darwin also entered a separate snap 48-hour lockdown on Sunday after a handful of cases were linked to a coronavirus outbreak on a remote gold mine. New Zealand extended restrictions in the Wellington region for two days despite finding no evidence yet that an Australian tourist with Covid-19 spread the virus while visiting the city last weekend. Gathering limits and social distancing requirements will remain in place until at least midnight on June 29.

Indonesia set a new daily infection record of more than 21,000 cases. Hospitals are flooded with patients in the capital Jakarta and other Covid-19 hotspots. Indonesia has moved to temporarily beef up restrictions on movement, but it has so far held off imposing strict lockdowns. Thailand will from Monday reimpose restrictions on restaurants, construction sites and gatherings in the capital Bangkok. In neighbouring Malaysia, the PM announced that a nationwide lockdown in place for about a month will continue, and he gave no date for the lifting of restrictions. Bangladesh said it would impose a new national lockdown from Monday, with offices shut for a week and only medical-related transport allowed.

AT LEAST 7 DEAD IN BANGLADESH BLAST

At least seven persons died and dozens were injured in an explosion Sunday in Bangladesh's capital.

But authorities could not determine the nature of the explosion that damaged vehicles and surrounding buildings, the police and fire department said.

The explosion took place in the evening at a building in Dhaka's Moghbazar area, and rescuers reached the scene, said Faisalur Rahman, a fire control room official.

At least seven buildings were damaged because of the force of the explosion, Mr. Rahman said.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Shafiqul Islam told reporters at least seven persons died. The injured were taken to hospitals, he said.

“Certainly, this is a big explosion. Fire service and bomb disposal unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Unit have arrived at the scene. Their experts are working together. They are investigating the origin of the blast and the subsequent damages," said Sajjad Hossain , a deputy police commissioner in Dhaka.

PAKISTAN WILL SHUT BORDER IF TALIBAN TAKE OVER AFGHANISTAN

Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the country will shut its border in “national interest” with neighbouring Afghanistan if the Taliban takes over the country after the withdrawal of US troops from the region concludes.

“We will have to shut our border, we have to safeguard our national interest,” the Associated Press said, quoting Qureshi.

Qureshi claimed that Pakistan has sheltered 3.5 million Afghan refugees over the years as the Taliban ravaged Afghanistan but “we can’t take more”.

President Joe Biden announced in April that the US will be withdrawing its troops stationed in Afghanistan by September 11. US forces had invaded the country following the September 11 twin tower attack, and Pakistan had joined the “war on terror” providing assistance in exchange of American support.

The foreign minister’s admission comes a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan told reporters that Pakistan will be sealing its border, the Durand Line, with Afghanistan if the Taliban attempts to take over the country with their military might.

COVISHIELD EXCLUDED FROM NEW EU COVID 'GREEN PASS' ELIGIBILITY LIST EVEN AFTER WHO APPROVAL

Travellers vaccinated with Covishield may not be eligible for the European Union’s ‘Green Pass’ that will be available for use from July 1. Many EU member states have started issuing the digital “vaccine passport” that will enable Europeans to move freely for work or tourism. The immunity passport will serve as proof that a person has been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), or recently tested negative for the virus, or has the natural immunity built up from earlier infection.

While the European Union had earlier said that member states should issue the certificates regardless of the type of Covid-19 vaccine, the technical specifications of the ‘Green Pass’ indicate that obligation would be limited to “vaccines that have received EU-wide marketing authorization.”

At present, four vaccines have been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that can be used in the EU member states: Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech), Moderna, Vaxzervria (AstraZeneca), Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).

Covishield, a version of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), has not been approved by the EMA for the European market. The EU green pass will only recognise the Vaxzervria version of the AstraZeneca vaccine that is manufactured in the UK or other sites around Europe.

WON'T GIVE N-SITE PICS TO UN WATCHDOG: IRAN

The speaker of Iran's parliament said on Sunday that Tehran will never hand over images from inside of some Iranian nuclear sites to the UN nuclear watchdog as a monitoring deal with the agency had expired, state media reported. The announcement could complicate talks between Iran and world powers on reviving 2015 nuclear deal.