KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    3,95,852              /             45,88,154            /             6,547     /             1,88,22,946        /             588.6

1             USA        39,406   /             6,66,559              /             236        /             88,63,719            /             2,000

2             UK          41,192   /             1,33,274              /             45           /             12,48,840            /             1,951

3             Iran        27,579   /             1,11,257              /             583        /             6,51,646              /             1,305

4             Russia    17,856   /             1,87,990              /             790        /             5,57,458              /             1,288

5             Turkey   20,962   /             58,377   /             271        /             5,00,647              /             683

6             Brazil     9,154     /             5,83,866              /             238        /             4,21,407              /             2,724

7             India      30,184   /             4,41,075              /             290        /             3,98,783              /             316

8             Mexico  7,504     /             2,63,140              /             272        /             3,96,298              /             2,016

9             France   3,042     /             1,15,007              /             102        /             3,34,414              /             1,757

10           Spain     3,213     /             84,928   /             45           /             3,20,823              /             1,816

11           Malaysia              17,352   /             18,491   /             272        /             2,52,668              /             563

12           Honduras                            /             9,023     /                            /             2,27,233              /             894

13           Vietnam               12,481   /             13,385   /             311        /             2,21,946              /             136

14           Japan     12,908   /             16,354   /             41           /             1,90,718              /             130

15           Argentina            3,893     /             1,12,673              /             162        /             1,89,179              /             2,466

16           Philippines           22,415   /             34,337   /             103        /             1,59,633              /             309

17           Poland   183        /             75,379   /                            /             1,57,542              /             1,994

18           Germany              6,765     /             92,902   /             39           /             1,52,171              /             1,105

19           Thailand               13,988   /             13,042   /             187        /             1,48,622              /             186

20           Indonesia            4,413     /             1,36,473              /             612        /             1,46,271              /             493

24           Pakistan               3,613     /             26,232   /             57           /             92,367   /             116

51           Bangladesh         2,710     /             26,628   /             65           /             35,351   /             160

AS TALIBAN CLAIM VICTORY IN PANJSHIR, IRAN SLAMS PAKISTAN MILITARY'S ROLE

Iran's Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has criticized Sunday evening’s aerial attacks on the Panjshir valley in northern Afghanistan allegedly carried out by Pakistan in support of the Taliban, who claimed Monday that they have captured the opposition stronghold.

"Last night's attacks are condemned in the strongest terms…and the foreign interference …. must be investigated,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh told journalists on Monday (6 September). “We are investigating it," Khatibzadeh added.

This comes at a time when the chief of Pakistan's notorious ISI, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed had landed in Kabul to oversee government formation and to iron out the power struggle between the Taliban and the Haqqani network over roles.

Without naming Pakistan, Khatibzadeh said Iran condemned "any foreign interference in Afghan affairs," called for intra-Afghan talks, and urged the Taliban to abide by their obligations under international law. He expressed concern about "starving the people of Panjshir, shutting their electricity and water and besieging them.”

Iran has not recognized the Taliban government as it continues to monitor developments. State media has been cautious in its reporting. Some pundits say Iran should accept Taliban rule if the Sunni Taliban agree not to harm Afghanistan's Shiites, and to make the most of the group’s anti-Americanism.

The Taliban regime on Monday said it won’t allow any country, including Pakistan, to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs even as it confirmed that ISI chief Faiz Hameed recently met the group’s de facto leader Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul.

Questions of interference were raised after Pakistan’s intelligence chief visited the Afghan capital on an unannounced visit last week.

Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said the group will not allow any government, including Islamabad, to meddle in internal affairs, the country’s Khaama news outlet reported.

TALIBAN ASSURE PEOPLE OF PANJSHIR OF NO REPRISALS; CALL SOLDIERS TO JOIN NEW FORCE

The Taliban assured the people of Panjshir, who are ethnically distinct from the Pashtun-dominated group, that there wold be no reprisals. “They are our brothers and would work together for a joint purpose and welfare of the country,” Mujahid said. The Taliban spokesman called for global recognition of Afghanistan, saying the country had the right to be recognised under a Taliban government. He urged the international community, on behalf of his group, to reopen their embassies in Kabul.

Mujahid also called upon military personnel who had served under the previous regime to join the new force.

CHINA MUM ON TALIBAN’S ‘INVITE’

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday did not respond to a media report claiming that the Taliban has invited China, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, Iran and Qatar to attend the new government formation ceremony in Afghanistan.

China is already coordinating its evolving policy on Afghanistan with its “all-weather ally” Pakistan and Russia which also share borders with Afghanistan.

Beijing, which has kept its Embassy open in Kabul along with Pakistan and Russia, is awaiting the formation of a government by the Taliban to decide on recognising it amidst firm indications by the US, the UK and other western countries that they will not be in a hurry to endorse the new government in Kabul.

Asked about a media report that the Taliban has invited China and five other countries — Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, Iran and Qatar — to participate in the new government formation ceremony in Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: “I have no information to offer at this moment”.

IN WORLD FIRST, CUBA STARTS COVID-19 VACCINE FOR TODDLERS

Cuba on Monday became the first country in the world to vaccinate children from the age of two against Covid-19, using home-grown jabs not recognized by the World Health Organization.

The communist island of 11.2 million people aims to inoculate all its children before reopening schools that have been closed for the most part since March 2020.

The new school year started on Monday, but from home via television programs, as most Cuban homes do not have internet access.

Having completed clinical trials on minors with its Abdala and Soberana vaccines, Cuba kicked off its inoculation campaign for children on Friday, starting with those 12 and older.

On Monday, it started distributing jabs in the 2-11 age group in the central province of Cienfuegos.

Several other countries in the world are vaccinating children from the age of 12, and some are conducting trials in younger kids.

CANADA AND ISRAEL TO REOPEN GATES FOR FOREIGNERS AMID SPIKE IN COVID-19 CASES

Israel says it will soon reopen its gates to foreign tour groups - even as it battles one of the world’s highest rates of coronavirus infections.

The country’s Tourism Ministry on Sunday said it will begin allowing organised tour groups into the country beginning from September 19.

Tourists will have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, present a negative PCR test before their flight and undergo both PCR and serological testing upon arrival. Visitors would have to quarantine in their hotels until the test results come back – a process expected to take no more than 24 hours.

Tourists from a handful of “red” countries with high infection rates – including Turkey and Brazil – will not be permitted to visit for the time being.

Meanwhile, Canada will reopen its borders for fully vaccinated people and allow them to travel from Tuesday. The decision is based on the latest available data, scientific evidence and epidemiological situation both in Canada and internationally, according to the country's Border Services Agency.

Most international travellers have been barred from entering the country since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Greater Toronto Airport Authority said in a statement on Monday that international travellers should prepare for a long immigration process, which will take up to three hours or more due to Covid-19 screening measures.

UAE UNVEILS NEW ‘GREEN VISAS’ TO ATTRACT FOREIGNERS

The United Arab Emirates on Sunday announced a new class of visas called ‘Green Visas’ which will allow expats to apply for work without being sponsored by an employer, according to a report by news agency Bloomberg.

The move comes in a bid to target investors and highly skilled workers as well as students and graduates. The Green Visa holders can sponsor their parents and children up to the age of 25 on their permits. The steps are being taken to attract talent and boost growth.

The UAE government will allow people who lost their jobs to remain in the UAE for up to 6 months which is an incentive as most visas are tied to employment contacts. It has allowed hiring of temporary workers above the age of 15 in a bid to loosen the job market.

The gulf-economies started preparing for a post-fossil fuel world following the 2014 oil-price slump by enticing wealthy people to stay. This trend was reinforced during the Covid-19 pandemic as the government took steps to ensure people who lost their jobs could remain. Along with the UAE government, the governments in Saudi Arabia and Qatar took steps to allow some expatriates permanent residency.