KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    4,48,743              /             45,14,174            /             7,271     /             1,85,97,389               /             579.1

1             USA        36,561   /             6,54,689              /             284        /             81,83,647            /               1,965

2             UK          33,196   /             1,32,437              /             61           /             12,15,337            /               1,939

3             Iran        31,516   /             1,06,482              /             581        /             6,73,740              /               1,249

4             Russia    19,286   /             1,81,637              /             797        /             5,52,940              /               1,244

5             Brazil     13,210   /             5,79,308              /             256        /             4,98,759              /               2,703

6             Spain                    /             84,000   /                            /             4,89,616              /               1,796

7             Turkey   17,332   /             56,213   /             255        /             4,80,958              /             658

8             France   13,630   /             1,14,210              /             53           /             4,31,502              /               1,745

9             Mexico  17,546   /             2,57,906              /             756        /             4,15,561              /               1,976

10           India      43,381   /             4,38,387              /             527        /             3,83,213              /               314

11           Malaysia              20,579   /             16,087   /             285        /             2,67,997              /               490

12           Japan     22,748   /             15,896   /             45           /             2,45,362              /             126

13           Honduras                            /             8,832     /                            /             2,19,969              /               876

14           Indonesia            7,427     /             1,31,923              /             551        /             2,17,590               /             476

15           Vietnam               12,796   /             10,749   /             344        /             2,04,714              /               109

16           Argentina            2,073     /             1,11,383              /             59           /             1,99,864               /             2,439

17           Thailand               16,536   /             11,143   /             264        /             1,77,702              /               159

18           South Africa       7,740     /             81,595   /             134        /             1,57,137              /               1,356

19           Poland   204        /             75,340   /                            /             1,56,036              /               1,993

20           Philippines           18,528   /             33,109   /             101        /             1,43,221              /               298

25           Pakistan               3,909     /             25,604   /             69           /             93,504   /             113

40           Bangladesh         3,948     /             26,015   /             89           /             51,825   /             156

DRONE STRIKE THWARTS KABUL AIRPORT ATTACK, US SAYS

A US drone strike in the Afghan capital Kabul has prevented another deadly suicide attack at the airport, US military officials say.

The strike targeted a vehicle carrying at least one person associated with the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group, US Central Command said.

The US had warned of possible further attacks as evacuations wind down.

Despite this, it has said that it will keep evacuating Afghans from Kabul airport until "the last moment".

A deadline for the evacuation mission of 31 August was agreed between the US and the Taliban, who now control most of the country.

The US will be the last to complete its mission, with all other countries having already concluded theirs.

AFGHANISTAN: FINAL FLIGHTS ARRIVING AS UK'S CAMPAIGN ENDS

The final flights bringing British troops home from Afghanistan are arriving, as the UK's 20-year military campaign ends.

The last British flight has left Kabul, and the ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, arrived at RAF Brize Norton on Sunday morning.

Further flights are expected to arrive at the RAF base in Oxfordshire later.

More than 15,000 people, including about 2,200 children, have been evacuated by the UK since 14 August.

About 800 to 1,100 eligible Afghans, including those who worked for the UK government, and 100 to 150 British nationals were feared to be unable to make evacuation flights.

More than 1,000 UK service personnel were in Kabul at the height of the airlift operation. The final dedicated civilian evacuation flight left Kabul on Saturday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that if the Taliban regime wanted diplomatic recognition and aid funding, they would have to ensure "safe passage" for those who wanted to leave.

'FOREIGN NATIONALS AND AFGHAN CITIZENS WITH AUTHORISATION CAN TRAVEL OUTSIDE AFGHANISTAN'

All foreign nationals and Afghan citizens with travel authorisation from around 100 countries, including the United States, will be allowed to travel outside Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.

In a tweet, Blinken also assured that America will hold the Taliban to that commitment.

"Today, nearly 100 countries issued a joint statement on the assurances by the Taliban that all foreign nationals and any Afghan citizen with travel authorization from our countries will be allowed to safely travel outside Afghanistan. We will hold the Taliban to that commitment," he said.

The joint statement said, “We note the public statements of the Taliban confirming this understanding,” it added. Taliban’s chief negotiator, Sher Mohammed Abas Stanekzai, had reportedly announced on Friday that the group would not stop people from leaving Afghanistan. It was not immediately clear why India is not signatory to the statement that included several US’ Nato allies and many developing countries. China, Russia, and Pakistan also did not sign on.

“No one here trusts the Taliban. No one here is counting on any words the Taliban offer. What we are focused on is actions,” US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN when asked about the evacuation. He however said US has “substantial leverage” to ensure American and others can leave after the August 31 deadline.

SUPPORT FOR PANJSHIRIS FROM AFGHAN MINORITIES IN TUSSLE WITH TALIBAN

The Taliban cut the Internet in Panjshir Valley, the sole flicker of resistance in Afghanistan, and was reportedly amassing its forces but Ahmad Massoud was joined by other leaders who said they were not averse to negotiations, their forces were also ready to fight.

Besides Massoud, his fellow Tajik, Khalid Noor, the son of former Balkh Province governor Atta Mohammad Noor, Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostum and several others sent similar signals.

These leaders also want to jointly hold talks with the Taliban on negotiations for the next government.

“We want to make the Taliban realise that the only way forward is through negotiation,” said Massoud, apparently before communications services were snapped.

Massoud’s forces in the Panjshir Valley have been bolstered by some Afghan Army commandos as well as remnants of fighters from the Dostum and Noor camps. But it remains to be seen whether they can withstand a determined Taliban assault on their stronghold. Both Dostum and Noor had their tenures in power tainted by allegations of brutality and corruption.

Averse to a bloody fight which can also set off ripples in neighbouring countries at a time when the Taliban is courting the international community, the group is focusing on intense psychological warfare.

FROM MUSIC TO WOMEN'S EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN: WHAT TALIBAN SAID SO FAR

In its latest announcement, the Taliban have said that women will be allowed to study at university but there will be no co-education, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the Taliban's acting minister for higher education said at a meeting with elders, known as a loya jirga, on Sunday. In schools too, there will be no co-education. Some reports said men will not be allowed to teach women which effectively will deprive women of higher education.

During the earlier rule of the Taliban, music was banned as the group claims that music is forbidden in Islam. A ban on music will be imposed this time too, as the group is looking to rule according to Sharia law, the Taliban said. Reports said the Taliban have banned female voices on television and radio channels only in Kandahar.

The Taliban have said that singers and filmmakers will have to switch their profession if it's assessed against the Shariah.

CHINA TO REQUIRE FOREIGN VESSELS TO REPORT IN ‘TERRITORIAL WATERS’

In a move that could have ramifications for the free passage of both military and commercial vessels in the South China Sea, Chinese authorities said on Sunday they will require a range of vessels “to report their information” when passing through what China sees as its “territorial waters”, starting from September 1.

Over $5 trillion trade passes through the South China Sea, and 55% of India’s trade pass through its waters and the Malacca Straits, according to estimates by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). China claims under a so-called “nine dash line” on its maps most of the South China Sea’s waters, which are disputed by several other countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

While it remains unclear how, whether, and where China plans to enforce this new regulation starting Wednesday, the Maritime Safety Administration said in a notice “operators of submersibles, nuclear vessels, ships carrying radioactive materials and ships carrying bulk oil, chemicals, liquefied gas and other toxic and harmful substances are required to report their detailed information upon their visits to Chinese territorial waters,” the Communist Party-run Global Times reported.

MACRON VISITS IRAQ’S MOSUL

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday visited Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, which suffered widespread destruction during the war to defeat the Islamic State (IS) group in 2017. Macron began his visit to Mosul by touring the Our Lady of the Hour Church, a Catholic church that was badly damaged during the rule of IS that lasted from 2014 until the extremists’ defeat three years later.

It was the same church where Pope Francis led a special prayer during a visit to Iraq in March.

SPACEX LAUNCHES ANTS, AVOCADOS, ROBOT TO SPACE STATION

Cape Canaveral: A SpaceX shipment of ants, avocados and a human-sized robotic arm rocketed toward the International Space Station on Sunday. The delivery — due to arrive Monday — is the firm’s 23rd for NASA in just under a decade. AP