KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    5,42,061              /             46,71,948            /             9,811     /             1,86,64,957        /             599.4

1             USA        1,51,581              /             6,84,835              /             2,135     /             95,22,058            /             2,054

2             UK          30,597   /             1,34,647              /             201        /             12,99,147            /             1,971

3             Iran        19,731   /             1,15,619              /             452        /             5,90,210              /             1,356

4             Russia    18,841   /             1,95,041              /             792        /             5,64,813              /             1,336

5             Turkey   28,224   /             60,641   /             248        /             4,47,808              /             710

6             Mexico  12,929   /             2,69,015              /             1,046     /             3,83,818              /             2,060

7             India      30,361   /             4,43,960              /             432        /             3,48,923              /             318

8             Brazil     14,780   /             5,88,597              /             750        /             3,37,596              /             2,746

9             Honduras             1,329     /             9,400     /             30           /             2,37,345              /             931

10           France   9,144     /             1,15,829              /             79           /             2,33,506              /             1,770

11           Malaysia              19,495   /             22,009   /             422        /             2,25,590              /             670

12           Spain     3,723     /             85,638   /             90           /             2,20,044              /             1,831

13           Vietnam               10,585   /             16,186   /             250        /             2,16,804              /             165

14           Germany              13,047   /             93,397   /             78           /             1,70,966              /             1,110

15           Philippines           16,989   /             35,742   /             214        /             1,70,446              /             321

16           Poland   767        /             75,454   /             21           /             1,61,257              /             1,996

17           Thailand               13,798   /             14,765   /             144        /             1,28,546              /             211

18           Italy       4,830     /             1,30,100              /             45           /             1,18,487              /             2,156

19           Japan     6,277     /             16,894   /             48           /             1,07,416              /             134

20           Iraq        3,895     /             21,631   /             35           /             1,01,238              /             524

30           Pakistan               2,727     /             26,938   /             73           /             77,532   /             119

73           Bangladesh         1,901     /             27,058   /             51           /             18,742   /             162

UK, US AND AUSTRALIA LAUNCH PACT TO COUNTER CHINA

The UK, US and Australia have announced a special security pact to share advanced defence technologies, in an effort to counter China.

The partnership will enable Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines for the first time.

The pact, to be known as Aukus, will also cover artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and cyber.

The three countries are worried about China's growing power and military presence in the Indo-Pacific.

As a result of the pact, Australia has scrapped a deal to build French-designed submarines.

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison issued a joint statement on the launch of the new security partnership, labelled Aukus.

"As the first initiative under Aukus... we commit to a shared ambition to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy," the statement said.

"This capability will promote stability in the Indo-Pacific and will be deployed in support of our shared values and interests," it said.

KIM JONG UN'S SISTER WARNS OF 'DESTRUCTION' OF SOUTH KOREAN TIES FOLLOWING MISSILE TESTS

The sister of North Korea's leader warned South Korea Wednesday that ties between the two countries could be destroyed following missile tests by both countries.

Kim Yo Jong criticized South Korean President Moon Jae-in for comments he made while observing his country’s missile tests. Jae-in reportedly said during the tests that South Korea's growing missile capabilities will serve as a “sure deterrence” against North Korean provocations, according to the Associated Press.

“If the president joins in the slander and detraction (against us), this will be followed by counter actions, and the North-South relations will be pushed toward a complete destruction,” she said in a translation provided by the outlet. “We do not want that.”

South Korea's tests came hours after South Korea and Japan reported that North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea. Kim claimed North Korea is developing its military capabilities for self-defense and is not targeting a specific country with their development.

IMRAN KHAN SAYS WORLD SHOULD GIVE TALIBAN MORE TIME, US MISUNDERSTOOD HAQQANIS

Instead of sitting and thinking that "we can control them", the world should come forward to incentivise Afghanistan and provide some more time to the Taliban, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said in an interview to CNN. 'We' in Imran Khan's comment meant the United States and not Pakistan as Imran Khan said Afghanistan has a tradition of rejecting puppet government. "No puppet government in Afghanistan is supported by the people. It gets discredit among the people.

Pakistan had intelligence inputs that the Taliban would not be able to take over all of Afghanistan and there will be bloodbaths after the US forces left. Now, the world should give more time to the Taliban to form a legitimate government and make good on their promises Imran Khan said.

On being asked about women's rights under the Taliban rule, Imran Khan said it is a mistake to think that someone from outside will be able to give Afghan women rights. "Afghan women are string. Give them time. They will get their rights," Khan said.

BARADAR FLED TO KANDAHAR AFTER BRAWL WITH KHALIL HAQQANI

A major row broke out between leaders of the Taliban over the make-up of the group’s new government in Afghanistan last week, BBC reported.

The argument between the group’s co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and a Cabinet member happened at the presidential palace, the report said.

There have been unconfirmed reports of disagreements within the Taliban’s leadership since Baradar disappeared from public view in recent days.

One Taliban source told BBC Pashto that Baradar and Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani—the minister for refugees and a prominent figure within the militant Haqqani network—had exchanged strong words, as their followers brawled with each other nearby.

The Taliban sources told the BBC that Baradar had left Kabul and travelled to the city of Kandahar following the row.

A senior Taliban member based in Qatar and a person connected to those involved also confirmed that an argument had taken place late last week, the report said.

The sources said the argument had broken out because Baradar, the new deputy prime minister, was unhappy about the structure of their interim government.

AL QAEDA REGROUPING IN AFGHANISTAN, SAYS CIA

United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Wednesday (local time) said that they are noticing early signs that Al Qaeda may be regrouping in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

According to the Deputy Director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency David Cohen said that current intelligence reports indicate "some potential motion of Al Qaeda [returning] to Afghanistan," reported Intelnews.org.

However, the CIA, in particular, is already working to develop "methods to work within the horizon", he said.

Cohen said that American intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the situation. Speaking at the Intelligence and National Security Summit in Washington, DC, Cohen acknowledged that the shuttering of the United States embassy in Kabul, as well as the closure of a network of CIA stations across Afghanistan, had "diminished" the ability of American intelligence agencies to assess conditions on the ground, reported Intelnews.org.

Cohen added that much of the intelligence that has been collected in recent weeks comes from "over-the-horizon platforms", meaning that the collection is taking place from countries that border Afghanistan.

At the moment, the United States intelligence community estimates that it could take Al Qaeda between one and two years to amass its former strike capability, so as to directly threaten American interests, reported Intelnews.org.

PM MODI, MAMATA AND ADAR POONAWALLA AMONG TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 ‘MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF 2021’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla have been named among the 100 most influential people of 2021 by Time magazine.

Time on Wednesday unveiled its annual list of ‘The 100 Most Influential People of 2021’, a global list of leaders that includes US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan, and former US President Donald Trump.

Co-founder of the Taliban Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is also on the list.

AFGHAN DIPLOMATS URGE WORLD TO DENY TALIBAN RECOGNITION

A group of Afghan diplomats from the deposed government in Kabul has issued a first-of-its-kind joint statement calling on world leaders to deny the Taliban formal recognition. The statement was signed by two dozen officials operating in a kind of diplomatic twilight, with no government to represent but still working from missions in the US, Britain, France, Turkey and elsewhere. The diplomats who signed the letter were all below the rank of ambassador. “We are disheartened that after twenty years of engagement, our allies are abandoning Afghanistan and leaving our people at the mercy of a terrorist group,” the diplomats wrote. The letter also asked world leaders to halt Taliban violence against women, activists and journalists. “Taliban’s success in capturing power through illegal and violent means ... emboldens terrorist and violent extremist groups around the world,” they wrote.

Jawad Raha, first secretary at the embassy in Washington, said his outpost was still operating, with diplomats there focusing on providing services for Afghans living in the US and drawing attention to the situation in Afghanistan. He said the embassy had taken down Ashraf Ghani’s photo. “We were all upset (over) the way he left the country,” Raha said.

CAN PARDON TTP FIGURES IF THEY GIVE UP TERROR: PAK

The Pakistan government would be “open to giving” a pardon to members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan if they promise not to indulge in terrorist activities and submit to the country’s constitution, foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said. He made the remarks during an interview with the UK’s ‘Independent’, Dawn reported. Qureshi said if the new Afghan setup could use its influence and talk to the TTP, and “if (the TTP) are willing to mend fences and not take the law into their hands and not get involved in terrorist activities... we are even open to giving them a pardon.” Qureshi termed as “positive” the Afghan Taliban administration’s vow that they would not allow any terror group to use their soil against any country, including Pakistan.

AF WOMEN SOCCER PLAYERS ENTER PAK

Members of Afghanistan’s women soccer team and their families arrived in Pakistan after fleeing their country in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover, local media said on Wednesday. It was unclear how many Afghan women players and their family members were allowed to enter in Pakistan. According to Pakistan’s information minister Fawad Chaudhry, the Afghan women soccer players entered in Pakistan though the Torkham border crossing holding valid travel documents. “We welcome Afghanistan women football team,” Chaudhry tweeted, providing no details. However, Dawn newspaper reported that they were issued emergency humanitarian visas.

SPACEX: AMATEUR ASTRONAUTS LAUNCH ON INSPIRATION4 MISSION

Four amateur astronauts have blasted off from Florida on their private mission to orbit.

The Inspiration4 crew, comprising one billionaire and three "ordinary citizens", rode out of the Kennedy Space Center in a Dragon capsule provided by the SpaceX rocket company.

The quartet will spend the next three days circling the Earth.

It's another milestone in the space tourism market, which is experiencing a resurgence after a decade's hiatus.

Earlier this summer, billionaire businessmen Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos went above Earth's atmosphere in their own space vehicles.

And following this latest mission, there'll be two privateer visits to the International Space Station (ISS) - one in October, carrying a Russian movie director and an actress, and a second early in the New Year.

The Inspiration4 crew of Jared Issacman, Hayley Arceneaux, Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski have had six months of intensive training with SpaceX. However, onboard computer systems will be in control of their Dragon capsule, overseen by SpaceX teams on the ground.

The Dragon is not going anywhere near the ISS. It's on a "free flight" to a target altitude of 575km (360 miles). That's about 150km above the orbiting laboratory, and roughly the height from where the Hubble Space Telescope views the cosmos.

LATEST ‘THREAT’ TO HONG KONG: CHOCOLATES IN JAIL

As Hong Kong’s crackdown on dissent has intensified over the past year, the authorities have singled out myriad acts and items that they say could threaten national security. Mass protests. Informal elections. Chanting slogans. Add to that list: chocolate. The city’s top security official, Chris Tang, said last week that some people in Hong Kong prisons were accumulating chocolates and hair clips — items allowed in limited numbers — to “build power” and “solicit followers,” with the possible goal of undermining the government. “Many people may find it strange — they just have a few more hair clips, one more piece of chocolate, what’s the problem?” he told reporters. Then he continued, “They make other people in jail feel their influence, and from there feel even more hate for the Hong Kong and central governments, and from there endanger national security.”

His comments prompted incredulity from rights advocates, one of whom called them “incomprehensible.” But his remarks came amid a push by officials to cut off Hong Kong’s growing numbers of imprisoned pro-democracy activists from the groundswell of public support they have inspired. Since Beijing imposed a wide-ranging national security law in July 2020, over 120 people have been arrested, many denied bail before trial. Thousands more have been arrested in connection to 2019 mass protests. The pressure on the jailed protesters is emblematic of a broader, rapidly spreading chill on Hong Kong’s civil society.