KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    4,19,077              /             41,74,555            /             6,547     /             1,38,73,827        /             535.6

1             USA        13,427   /             6,26,762              /             49           /             50,60,403            /             1,882

2             UK          29,173   /             1,29,158              /             28           /             11,18,550            /             1,892

3             Brazil     18,129   /             5,49,999              /             499        /             7,89,228              /             2,568

4             Indonesia            38,679   /             83,279   /             1,266     /             5,73,908              /             301

5             Spain                    /             81,221   /                            /             5,15,751              /             1,736

6             Russia    24,072   /             1,53,874              /             779        /             4,82,033              /             1,054

7             India      38,153   /             4,20,996              /             411        /             4,17,244              /             302

8             Mexico  15,823   /             2,38,316              /             362        /             3,63,340              /             1,828

9             Iran        27,146   /             88,800   /             268        /             3,45,776              /             1,043

10           Argentina            7,506     /             1,03,721              /             137        /             2,48,910              /             2,273

11           France   15,242   /             1,11,622              /             6             /             2,06,932              /             1,706

12           Honduras                            /             7,594     /                            /             1,81,611              /             754

13           Netherlands        4,584     /             17,800   /             4             /             1,61,296              /             1,036

14           Malaysia              17,045   /             7,994     /             92           /             1,60,903              /             244

15           Thailand               15,335   /             4,059     /             129        /             1,58,550              /             58

16           Poland   82           /             75,242   /             1             /             1,53,625              /             1,990

17           South Africa       9,718     /             69,775   /             287        /             1,49,865              /             1,161

18           Bangladesh         11,291   /             19,274   /             228        /             1,46,438              /             116

19           Turkey   14,230   /             50,934   /             55           /             1,29,526              /             597

20           Iraq        9,147     /             18,287   /             55           /             1,23,332              /             444

29           Pakistan               2,819     /             23,016   /             45           /             55,720   /             102

30           Philippines           5,479     /             27,224   /             93           /             54,262   /             245

DELTA VARIANT IS CAUSING A SURGE IN COVID CASES GLOBALLY

The Delta variant of Covid-19 has now been detected in 124 territories worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

It is expected to become the dominant variant globally in the coming months, with the WHO predicting that there could be more than 200 million confirmed cases within a matter of weeks.

Infections are rising, particularly in Europe and the western Pacific region. Some Western countries have started to ease restrictions as death rates have dropped. But those without access to vaccines or with a slower vaccine rollout are facing a deadlier threat.

Indonesia on Sunday recorded 45,416 new cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to overtake Brazil, India and the US in terms of fresh infections, according to Worldometer data. There were 38,091 Covid-19 cases logged in Brazil, 39,742 in India and 37,245 in the United States during the same period. However, in terms of the total number of infections and deaths, Indonesia is still far behind the top countries with 3,166,505 cases and 83,279 fatalities.

Indonesia has become a new global virus epicentre after exceeding Brazil and India in terms of daily Covid-19 case and death counts earlier this month. Indonesia’s confirmed Covid-19 cases have jumped back to around 40,000 a day after declining from over 56,000 on July 15. Its death toll has also remained at near-record highs.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Thursday that new cases of Covid-19 in her country were rising "exponentially", driven by the Delta variant, as EU officials said more than half of all European adults had been fully vaccinated, short of a 70% target set for the summer.

Germany has seen an incidence rate of 12.2 new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days – more than double rates in early July.

Merkel’s top aide warned on Sunday that unvaccinated people will have fewer freedoms than those who have decided to get the coronavirus jab.

The United States is in an “unnecessary predicament” of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent delta variant, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said Sunday.

“We’re going in the wrong direction,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, describing himself as “very frustrated.”

He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is “under active consideration” by the government’s leading public health officials. Also, booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated, Fauci said.

U.S. GENERAL VOWS TO CONTINUE AIR STRIKES SUPPORTING AFGHAN TROOPS

The United States will continue air strikes in support of Afghan forces fighting the Taliban, a top U.S. general said on Sunday, as the insurgents press on with offensives across the country.

Since early May, violence has surged after the insurgents launched a sweeping assault just days after the US-led foreign forces began their final withdrawal.

The Taliban’s deadly assault has seen the insurgents capture scores of districts, border crossings and encircle several provincial capitals.

“The United States has increased air strikes in the support of Afghan forces over the last several days, and we are prepared to continue this heightened level of support in the coming weeks if the Taliban continue their attacks,” General Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US Army Central Command, told reporters in Kabul.

McKenzie acknowledged that there were tough days ahead for the Afghan government, but insisted that the Taliban were nowhere close to victory.

“The Taliban are attempting to create a sense of inevitability about their campaign. They are wrong,” he said.

“Taliban victory is not inevitable.”

Meanwhile, the Afghan government imposed a month-long curfew across almost all of the country on Saturday in a bid to stop the Taliban from invading cities.

The militant group is thought to have captured up to half of all territory.

PUTIN WARNS OF ‘UNPREVENTABLE’ STRIKES BY RUSSIAN NAVY

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday warned that its navy is ready to carry out an “unpreventable strike” on enemy targets if it was in the country’s “national interests.”

Putin was speaking in Saint Petersburg during a parade of warships, just a few weeks after the UK angered Russia by sending a British warship close to the annexed Crimea peninsula.

“The Russian navy today has everything it needs to guarantee the protection of our country and our national interests,” he said.

“We are capable of detecting any underwater, above-water, airborne enemy and, if required, carry out an unpreventable strike against it.”

His remarks follow an incident in the Black Sea in June when Russia said it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship to chase it out of Crimea waters.

The British government dismissed Russia’s account of the incident.

The country’s Defense Ministry said any shots fired were a pre-announced Russian “gunnery exercise,” and that no bombs had been dropped.

RAWALPINDI FACES ACUTE WATER SHORTAGE AMID SCORCHING HEAT: REPORT

Pakistan’s Rawalpindi is facing a water shortage as the city’s groundwater level continues to deplete amid sweltering heat. The crisis also increased due to water shortage in the Rawal and Khanpur dams as they touched the dead level causing water shortage in one of major cities of Pakistan, according to a report by Express Tribune.

The citizens of Rawalpindi continue to face difficulties as the gap grows between water supply and demand. This has also led to a thriving water tanker business in the city with one tanker selling at PKR 3,000 to PKR 4,000. Out of the 460 tubewells which are functioning under the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), three of them have halted extracting water from 350 feet underground. The pressure of water which was being supplied from the 600 feet deep tubewells has also declined.

The report also highlights that the population of 1.6 million people continue to face difficulties as civic bodies are currently supplying 46 million gallons of water daily against the requirement of 59 million due to depleting water level in Rawal and Khanpur Dam. At least 150 tubewells of Rawalpindi Cantonment and Chaklala have started drying up due to depleting groundwater levels. Incessant load shedding has also added to woes as it has stopped tubewells from working to their full capacity.

Experts warned the Pakistan government earlier that famine-like situations may arise in Pakistan due to water scarcity across the country if the issues remain unresolved.

ISRAELI AIRLINES LAUNCH FIRST DIRECT FLIGHTS TO MOROCCO

Two Israeli airlines launched their first commercial flights between Israel and Morocco on Sunday, less than a year after the countries officially normalised relations.

Israir's flight departed Tel Aviv for Marrakech with around 100 Israeli tourists, the company said, hours before Israeli national carrier El Al dispatched its first direct flight to the same destination.

Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said the new direct flights would “help advance fruitful tourism, trade and economic cooperation and diplomatic agreements between the two countries.”

Israel and Morocco agreed to normalise relations in late 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered “Abraham Accords.”

El Al said in a statement before the departure of its first flight that the company plans to operate five flights per week between Israel and Morocco.

“We hope that now many can know Morocco better, to experience and be excited by this special country that is deeply rooted in Israeli heritage, culture and experience,” said El Al CEO Avigal Sorek.