KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    3,70,623              /             46,43,578            /             5,824     /             1,87,95,664        /             595.7

1             USA        35,450   /             6,77,988              /             251        /             93,03,506            /             2,034

2             UK          29,173   /             1,34,200              /             56           /             13,03,158            /             1,964

3             Iran        20,219   /             1,14,311              /             487        /             6,13,239              /             1,340

4             Russia    18,554   /             1,92,749              /             788        /             5,57,664              /             1,320

5             Turkey   21,352   /             59,886   /             243        /             4,51,703              /             701

6             Mexico  12,511   /             2,67,524              /             675        /             3,95,270              /             2,049

7             India      31,374   /             4,42,907              /             219        /             3,83,931              /             317

8             Brazil     10,615   /             5,86,882              /             292        /             3,62,426              /             2,738

9             France   7,679     /             1,15,517              /             29           /             2,80,265              /             1,765

10           Spain                    /             85,290   /                            /             2,79,619              /             1,823

11           Malaysia              19,198   /             20,711   /             292        /             2,37,277              /             630

12           Honduras                            /             9,319     /                            /             2,33,635              /             923

13           Vietnam               12,026   /             15,279   /             261        /             2,23,518              /             155

14           Philippines           21,441   /             35,145   /             168        /             1,81,951              /             316

15           Germany              6,963     /             93,128   /             10           /             1,70,481              /             1,107

16           Poland   476        /             75,425   /                            /             1,59,850              /             1,996

17           Japan     8,807     /             16,742   /             52           /             1,37,249              /             133

18           Thailand               14,029   /             14,353   /             180        /             1,35,966              /             205

19           Italy       4,664     /             1,29,919              /             34           /             1,27,334              /             2,153

20           Indonesia            3,779     /             1,38,889              /             188        /             1,09,869              /             501

24           Pakistan               3,153     /             26,720   /             58           /             91,015   /             118

67           Bangladesh         1,871     /             26,931   /             51           /             24,661   /             162

FBI BEGINS DECLASSIFYING DOCUMENTS INTO SAUDI 9/11 LINKS

The FBI has released a newly declassified document that looks into connections between Saudi citizens in the US and two of the 9/11 attackers.

Relatives of victims have long urged the release of the files, arguing Saudi officials had advance knowledge but did not try to stop the attacks.

But the document provides no evidence that the Saudi government was linked to the 9/11 plot.

Fifteen of the 19 plane hijackers were Saudi nationals.

Ahead of the declassification, the Saudi embassy in Washington welcomed the release and once again denied any link between the kingdom and the hijackers, describing such claims as "false and malicious".

The document was declassified on the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terror attacks on US soil - almost 3,000 people were killed after four planes were hijacked - and is the first of several expected to be released.

Some families of the victims had put pressure on President Joe Biden to declassify the documents, saying he should not attend Saturday's commemoration ceremonies in New York if he was not prepared to release them.

TALIBAN SAY GIRLS, WOMEN MAY STUDY IN NO-MEN CLASSROOMS

The higher education minister in the new Taliban government says women can study in universities, including at post-graduate levels, but that classrooms will be gender-segregated and that Islamic dress is compulsory.

The minister, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, laid out the new policies at a news conference on September 12, several days after Afghanistan’s new rulers formed an all-male, all-Taliban government.

Haqqani said female university students would be required to wear a hijab but did not elaborate on whether this only meant a compulsory headscarf or a mandatory face covering also.

AL QAEDA CHIEF RUMORED TO BE DEAD APPEARS IN VIDEO MARKING 9/11

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, who had been rumored to be dead months earlier, appeared in a video marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, The Associated Press reported.

The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors terrorist websites, shared on Saturday that the video featuring al-Zawahri was uploaded to networks on Saturday, AP reported.

In the video, al-Zawahri mentions an Al Qaeda’s attack on Russian troops in the Syrian city of  Raqqa on Jan. 1. He also said,  “Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.”

The AP notes Al-Zawahiri did not mention the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan upon the U.S. military withdrawal from the country, but SITE said it did not appear the recording was recent.

Rumors spread that al-Zawahiri died from a prolonged illness in late 2020, according to AP.

“However, Zawahiri doesn't mention Taliban's Afghanistan victory, and his talk of US 'making its exit from Afghanistan' could have been said early as Feb 2020 upon Doha Agreement,”  SITE’s director Rita Katz wrote in a tweet. “Thus, he could still be dead, though if so, would have been at some point in or after Jan 2021.”

QATAR FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS KABUL, HOLDS TALKS WITH TALIBAN LEADERS

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani arrived in Kabul on Sunday to meet with leaders of the Taliban, Sputnik reported.

Taliban's spokesperson Suhail Shaheen confirmed Al Thani's arrival to journalists in Kabul. "Yes, he met with PM," Sputnik reported quoting the Suhail Shaheen who was asked about Al Thani's arrival.

On Tuesday, the Taliban announced the caretaker government, naming Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as interim prime minister and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the group, as his deputy.

Mullah Yaqoob, one of the deputy leaders of the Taliban since 2016 and the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, will act as caretaker Defence Minister. Abdul Salam Hanafi has been made the second deputy to Prime Minister Akhund.

No non-Taliban figures were immediately announced- an indication that the outfit had not bowed down to domestic and international pressure to create an inclusive regime.

NORTH KOREA TESTS NEW LONG-RANGE CRUISE MISSILE

North Korea has tested a new long-range cruise missile capable of hitting much of Japan, state media said on Monday.

Tests staged over the weekend saw missiles travelling as far as 1,500km (930 miles) away, according to KCNA.

However, it does not violate UN Security Council resolutions - they have lead to tough sanctions on North Korea in the past.

But it suggests the country is still capable of developing weapons despite food shortages and an economic crisis.

The test of the cruise missile provides "strategic significance of possessing another effective deterrence means for more reliably guaranteeing the security of our state and strongly containing the military manoeuvres of the hostile forces," KCNA said.

The US military said the test showed North Korea's "continuing focus on developing its military programme and the threats that poses to its neighbours and the international community".

TEHRAN ALLOWS WATCHDOG TO FILM ITS NUCLEAR SITES

Iran agreed on Sunday to allow international inspectors to install new memory cards into surveillance cameras at its sensitive nuclear sites and to continue filming there, potentially averting a diplomatic showdown this week.

The announcement by Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran after a meeting he held with the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, in Tehran still leaves the watchdog in the same position it has faced since February, however.

Tehran holds all recordings at its sites as negotiations over the U.S. and Iran returning to the 2015 nuclear deal remain stalled in Vienna. Meanwhile, Iran is now enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow.

“I am glad to say that today were able to have a very constructive result, which has to do with the continuity of the operation of the agency’s equipment here,” Mr. Grossi said. It “is indispensable for us to provide the necessary guarantee and information to the IAEA and to the world that everything is in order.”

Mr. Eslami described the negotiations between Iran and the Vienna-based IAEA as “sheerly technical” without any room for politics. He said Mr. Grossi would return to Iran soon to talk with officials, without elaborating. Also left unsaid was whether Iran would hand over copies of the older recordings, which Tehran had threatened previously to destroy.

“The memory cards are sealed and kept in Iran according to the routine,” Mr. Eslami said. ”New memory cards will be installed in cameras. That is a routine and natural trend in the agency’s monitoring system.”

A joint statement released by the IAEA and Iran confirmed the understanding, saying only that “the way and the timing are agreed by the two sides.”

TALIBAN SPOKESMAN ZABIULLAH MUJAHID SAYS HE LIVED IN KABUL RIGHT UNDER NOSE OF HIS ADVERSARIES

Mujahid, who operated in the shadows for years, also admitted that he studied at the Haqqania seminary in Nowshera in northwest Pakistan, which has also been dubbed the Taliban University or the 'University of Jihad' internationally.

''They (US and Afghan National Forces) used to think I did not exist,'' Mujahid told The Express Tribune newspaper in an interview.

''I escaped so many times from their raids and attempts to capture me that they seriously considered that ‘Zabiullah’ was a made up figure, not a real man who exists,'' the 43-year-old spokesman said.

''And yet, I managed to move about Afghanistan freely. I think this perception helped with that,'' he explained. ''I lived in Kabul for a long time, right under everyone’s noses. I roamed the width and breadth of the country. I also managed to have first-hand access to the frontlines, where the Taliban carried out their actions, and up to date information. It was quite puzzling for our adversaries.” Due to his shadowy appearance for years, there was speculation as to whether the faceless spokesman might actually be more than one person.

''The US forces would often pay off locals to obtain some information about my whereabouts. Using that information, like I said, they must have launched dozens of intelligence-based operations hoping to find some trace of me,'' he said. ''But I never left or tried to – even think about try to leave Afghanistan.'' Mujahid, who was born in the Gardez district of Paktia province sometime in 1978, said that he specialised in Islamic jurisprudence from the Haqqania seminary in northwest Pakistan.

TALIBAN REJECT PAK MINISTER’S CLAIMS ON TRADE IN PAKISTANI RUPEE

The Taliban have rejected a claim by a Pakistani minister that trade between the two countries would be in rupees under a currency swap arrangement, local media reported on Sunday. Ahmadullah Wasiq, a member of the cultural commission, said the transactions between the neighbouring countries would be in Afghanis, Samaa TV reported citing Afghan news sources. This statement comes a day after multiple reports suggested that Pakistan would soon start trading with Afghanistan in rupees. Reacting to the reports, Wasiq said that there was no truth in the news that business would be done in Pakistani currency. He said that the Taliban would never make a decision detrimental to the interests of their country.

JAPAN SAYS SUSPECTED CHINESE SUBMARINE SEEN NEAR TERRITORIAL WATERS

Japan's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that a submarine believed to be from China was spotted near its southern islands, as maritime tensions persist in the Pacific.

Japan's navy on Friday morning identified a submerged vessel sailing northwest just outside territorial waters near Amami Oshima island, part of Kagoshima prefecture, the Ministry said in a statement. A Chinese destroyer was also spotted in the vicinity.

Saturday's announcement said Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force identified the vessels in a contiguous zone, which is outside territorial waters where vessels are required to identify themselves. Still, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi instructed his staff to "gather information and maintain vigilant surveillance with a sense of urgency," the statement said.

The submarine continued underwater westward in the ocean near Yokoate Island, the Ministry said.

CHINA GIFTS NEW $150M STADIUM TO CAMBODIA

China handed over to Cambodia a $150 million stadium in Phnom Penh, with officials saying on Sunday it is the result of Beijing’s biggest ever infrastructure grant to the country. The 60,000-capacity venue is the latest project under China’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative, a plan to fund infrastructure projects and increase its sway overseas. The arena, intended as the main venue when Cambodia hosts the Southeast Asian Games in 2023, was made by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi during a visit. Cambodia’s tourism minister said the stadium represented China’s largest grant for an infrastructure project.

PM Hun Sen has in recent years faced criticism over his reliance on Beijing but he defended their ties on Sunday, saying China was a “trusted friend”. Cambodia and China also signed new deals in which Beijing promised $250 million for the country’s development projects, Hun Sen said.

TORRENTIAL RAIN KILL 17, DESTROY HOMES IN NORTHERN PAKISTAN

Torrential monsoon rains and mudslides hit areas in northwestern Pakistan early on Sunday, destroying homes and killing at least 17 people, police said.

Officer Mohammad Nawaz Said eleven bodies were recovered from the debris of mud and brick houses in the Tor Ghar district, and rescuers were searching for the remaining victims, which included women and children.

Nawaz said three adjacent homes were completely swept away in remote village of the district, while other houses were less affected. Authorities in the city of Abbottabad said a mudslide in the suburbs also killed a couple and their child, and injured three others.

The country's disaster management authorities said they were dispatching relief aid to the affected area but mudslides in mountainous areas were delaying delivery. Efforts were underway to clear the roads.

JAPAN AND VIETNAM SIGN DEFENCE DEAL

Japan can now give defence equipment and technology to Vietnam under a deal signed on Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China’s growing military influence. Japan’s defence minister Nobuo Kishi said the deal elevates their partnership “to a new level”. Kishi’s meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi coincided with a visit to the city by Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi. Yi said China plans to donate 3 million doses of its Covid vaccine to Vietnam.

50% OF JAPAN’S POPULATION VACCINATED

The Japan Government has said more than 50 per cent of the country’s population has been fully vaccinated.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Sunday that about 60 per cent of the population was expected to be fully vaccinated by the end of September, on par with current levels in Europe.

The government is planning to ease Covid restrictions by November.

PAKISTAN HOLDS ELECTION IN 39 CANTONMENT BOARDS

Pakistan on Sunday held elections in the 39 cantonment boards across the country, a grand electoral contest at the local level ahead of the 2023 general polls.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the polling began at 8 am. A total of 1,513 candidates are vying for 206 general member seats.

There are 219 wards in 42 cantonment boards in the country, but polling was not being held in any of the nine wards of Kamra, Cherat and Murree Gallies cantonments because either the candidates were elected unopposed or the polling was postponed.

Elections are not being organised in four other wards of various boards where candidates won unopposed. All leading political parties including the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as well as various nationalist and religious parties are contesting the key elections.

It is the third major electoral contest since the 2018 general elections.

Since all parties are contesting individually, the outcome will help them prepare for the next general elections scheduled to be held in 2023.

POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR 'OPENNESS' AFTER MEETING HUNGARY'S VIKTOR ORBAN

Pope Francis met Hungary's anti-migration Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday before calling on pilgrims to be "open" and "considerate" at an open-air Mass in Budapest.

The head of 1.3 billion Catholics has often urged help for the marginalised and those of all religions fleeing war and poverty, in contrast to Mr. Orban who styles himself as a defender of "Christian Europe" from immigrants.

The Pope told tens of thousands thronging the vast Heroes' Square in Budapest that he wanted them to be "grounded and open, rooted and considerate".

Thousands more crowded a nearby main boulevard, along which screens and loudspeakers had been set up, while others watched from nearby balconies and other buildings.

"I think the Pope never says anything without reason. His words are well chosen and carry a subtle message," Zsuzsanna Pusztai, a 75-year-old retiree, told AFP.

BANGLADESH SCHOOLS OPEN, MOST STAFF VACCINATED

Bangladesh has reopened schools and other educational institutions after 543 days of closure as its virus situation eases and more people are vaccinated.

Schools were closed on March 17, 2020, after the virus arrived in the nation of over 160 million people. Authorities decided to reopen after almost 97% of the country’s teachers and staff have been vaccinated, the government says.

Wearing masks, students arrived Sunday morning at schools that were decorated with balloons and ribbons. Many schools in the capital, Dhaka, and elsewhere gifted candies and chocolates to children.

Education Minister Dipu Moni on Sunday warned against any lax enforcement of safety measures. Initially, every class will attend once a week, authorities say.

Daily counts of deaths and positive cases have eased in recent weeks. Over last week, on average 55 people have died while daily deaths were around 250 in late July. Bangladesh has recorded 26,880 deaths and more than 1.5 million cases. The government says most Bangladeshi adults will be vaccinated by the end of this year.