KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    3,22,710              /             47,61,524            /             4,894     /             1,86,17,465        /             610.9

1             USA        24,343   /             7,06,317              /             259        /             98,58,405            /             2,119

2             UK          32,417   /             1,36,168              /             58           /             13,42,492            /             1,993

3             Russia    22,498   /             2,03,900              /             805        /             6,12,409              /             1,396

4             Turkey   25,861   /             63,166   /             228        /             4,79,059              /             739

5             Iran        13,792   /             1,19,360              /             288        /             4,70,073              /             1,399

6             Brazil     8,668     /             5,94,484              /             238        /             4,17,115              /             2,772

7             Mexico  9,697     /             2,75,299              /             596        /             3,75,213              /             2,108

8             India      27,022   /             4,47,225              /             277        /             3,06,598              /             320

9             Honduras                            /             9,679     /                            /             2,44,399              /             958

10           Vietnam               10,011   /             18,584   /             184        /             2,10,179              /             189

11           Malaysia              13,104   /             25,437   /             278        /             1,83,289              /             774

12           Poland   643        /             75,572   /             1             /             1,66,313              /             2,000

13           Philippines           20,755   /             37,405   /                            /             1,61,447              /             336

14           France   4,706     /             1,16,463              /             14           /             1,54,811              /             1,779

15           Germany              5,267     /             93,979   /             13           /             1,54,278              /             1,117

16           Spain                    /             86,229   /                            /             1,52,205              /             1,843

17           Thailand               12,353   /             16,268   /             125        /             1,22,463              /             232

18           Serbia    5,389     /             8,051     /             43           /             1,22,128              /             926

33           Pakistan               1,780     /             27,566   /             42           /             50,690   /             122

83           Bangladesh         980        /             27,414   /             21           /             12,458   /             164

GERMAN ELECTIONS: CENTRE LEFT TAKE NARROW LEAD IN TIGHT VOTE

Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are edging towards election victory, as projected results look increasingly bleak for the party of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Ms Merkel's successor, Armin Laschet, is still vowing to form a government, but his conservative CDU party has seen its worst performance in history.

The SPD currently leads by a small margin, but results are not yet final.

Their leader Olaf Scholz says his party has a clear mandate to rule.

Exit polls predicted a dead heat, but this election has been unpredictable from the start, and the result was never going to be the end of the story. For one thing, the outgoing chancellor is going nowhere until a coalition is formed - and that may have to wait until Christmas.

The successor's task is to lead Europe's foremost economy over the next four years, with climate change at the top of voters' agenda.

"Two maybe-chancellors and two kingmakers" was one of the headlines summing up Sunday night's rather scrappy result, but that is what it looked like.

Because it's not just the Social Democrat and conservative leaders fighting for power. The two kingmakers are the Greens and the liberal, pro-business FDP, and they are open to offers.

OUT-OF-CONTROL FOOT SOLDIERS RUN AMOK, EMBARRASS TALIBAN

Regardless of asserting a general amnesty after taking management of Afghanistan, the Taliban foot troopers have made life hell for the residents of Kabul and different cities with their acts of aggression towards their political opponents and officers of the earlier US-backed authorities.\

Their prime management had instantly introduced basic amnesty after they entered Kabul. However these incidents of vengeance by the Taliban foot troopers have grow to be a headache for the group’s prime management, who’ve been making an attempt to persuade the world that they’ve modified. Mullah Muhamad Yaqoob, the nation’s new defence minister and son of the group’s slain founder Mullah Omar, has been compelled to warn his fighters that their abuses wouldn’t be tolerated.

According to Afghan journalists, majority of the Taliban fighter haven’t taken significantly the amnesty problem. “They simply know the way to battle as a result of that is the one factor they’ve seen… They aren’t so organised and disciplined to comply with a decree,” Omari, who had lived within the nation in the course of the previous Taliban regime, informed TOI. He mentioned that any assertion or order by Mullah Omar, who had dominated the nation from Kandahar from 1996 to 2001, was taken in letter and spirit. “Nobody may dare go towards it. The present management lacks the command and management over the group that its founder had. That is the explanation that Mullah Yaqoob needed to launch a 3rd audio message for his forces to enhance their conduct,” Omari mentioned.

Majority of the Taliban fighters stationed in Kabul are from the nation’s rural Pashtun talking areas and had by no means seen Kabul and life in big cities.

CHINA'S XI WARNS OF 'GRIM' SITUATION WITH TAIWAN

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that relations between Beijing and Taipei were "grim" on Sunday, urging the island's main opposition party to help seek "unification of the country."

China views self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and vows to retake it one day, by force if necessary.

Mr. Xi has become the most bellicose leader since Mao Zedong, describing the seizure of the island as "inevitable."

In a congratulatory letter to Eric Chu — the newly elected leader of the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party— Mr. Xi said the Chinese Communist Party and the KMT should collaborate under a "shared political basis."

"In the past our two parties insisted on '1992 consensus' and opposing 'Taiwan independence' ... to promote peaceful developments in cross- strait relations," Mr. Xi said in the letter released by the KMT.

"At present the situation in the Taiwan Strait is complex and grim," he said, urging the parties to jointly seek peace and "the unification of the country."

ICELAND ELECTS ITS FIRST FEMALE-MAJORITY PARLIAMENT

Iceland has elected a female-majority parliament, a landmark for gender equality in the North Atlantic island nation, in a vote that saw centrist parties make the biggest gains.

After all votes were counted Sunday, female candidates held 33 seats in Iceland’s 63-seat parliament, the Althing. The three parties in the outgoing coalition government led by Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir won a total of 37 seats in Saturday's vote, two more than in the last election, and appeared likely to continue in power.

The milestone for women comes despite a poor outcome for parties on the left, where female candidates are more often frontrunners.

Politics professor Silja Bara Omarsdottir said the gender quotas implemented by left-leaning parties for the past decade had managed to create a new norm across Iceland's political spectrum.

“It is no longer acceptable to ignore gender equality when selecting candidates,” she said.

Opinion polls had suggested a victory for left-leaning parties in the unpredictable election, which saw 10 parties competing for seats. But the center-right Independence Party took the largest share of votes, winning 16 seats, seven of them held by women. The centrist Progressive Party celebrated the biggest gain, winning 13 seats, five more than last time.

SWISS SEEN APPROVING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN REFERENDUM

Almost two-thirds of Swiss voters have backed same-sex marriage in a referendum.

Some 64% supported the measure, making it one of the last countries in western Europe to legalise same-sex marriage.

Campaigners have hailed the vote as a historic moment for LGBT rights in the country.

In the build up to the vote, church groups and conservative political parties opposed the idea, saying it would undermine the traditional family.

Switzerland has allowed same-sex couples to register partnerships since 2007, but some rights are restricted.

The measure will make it possible for same-sex couples to adopt unrelated children and for married lesbian couples to have children through sperm donation.

It makes Switzerland the 30th country in the world to adopt same-sex marriage.

"It is a historic day for Switzerland, a historic day when it comes to equality for same-sex couples, and it is also an important day for the whole LGBT community," Jan Muller, of the "yes" campaign committee, told AFP news agency.

TWO WOMEN, POLITICAL OPPOSITES, VYING IN RACE FOR NEXT JAPANESE PM

Two women are among candidates for Japan’s governing party leadership for the first time in 13 years in what seems like a big step in the country’s male-dominated politics. But their views are different. Seiko Noda supports gender equality and diversity while the ultra-conservative Sanae Takaichi advocates paternalistic nationalism and a stronger military. In Wednesday’s race to pick a successor of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, they are challenging two men — vaccinations minister Taro Kono and ex-Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, both top candidates. Japan ranked worst among advanced nations in a gender gap survey, and women comprise only about 10% of parliament. Takaichi is seen as a fast-rising star with the backing of former leader Shinzo Abe, her conservative ally.

FUEL SUPPLY: UK SUSPENDS COMPETITION LAW TO GET PETROL TO FORECOURTS

The government is to suspend competition law to allow oil firms to target fuel deliveries at petrol stations following recent panic buying.

Officials said the move would make it easier for companies to share information and prioritise parts of the country most at need.

It follows days of long queues at the pumps, after fears of disruption to the fuel supply sparked panic buying.

Ministers are also considering deploying the Army to deliver fuel.

The option is under discussion and could be examined at a possible cabinet meeting on Monday.

The Petrol Retailers Association has warned that as many as two-thirds of its membership of nearly 5,500 independent outlets are out of fuel, with the rest of them "partly dry and running out soon".

Announcing the measure to exempt the oil industry from the Competition Act 1998, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the government had "long-standing" contingency plans to maintain fuel supplies.

4 PAKISTAN SECURITY PERSONNEL KILLED IN BALOCHISTAN ATTACK CLAIMED BY BLA

At least four security personnel were killed, and two others injured in a blast targeting Pakistan’s paramilitary forces in the country’s restive Balochistan province, an official said on Sunday.

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

A vehicle of the Frontier Corps (FC) was attacked in the Khosat area of Harnai district on Saturday, according to the Dawn newspaper.

The FC soldiers were patrolling when their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), resulting in the death of four soldiers and injuries to two officers.

Security forces rushed the injured to nearby hospitals.

Balochistan has been witnessing a spate of low-level violence for years. On Friday, two security personnel were killed and five others injured in an attack in Awaran district of the province.

The local Baloch nationalists, the BLA and the Taliban militants are involved in these attacks.

In 2019, the United States designated the BLA, which is fighting the Pakistani rule in Balochistan province, as a terrorist organisation.

TALIBAN ASK AIRLINES TO RESUME INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TO AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban government in Afghanistan appealed on Sunday for international flights to be resumed, promising full cooperation with airlines and saying that problems at Kabul airport had been resolved.

The statement from the foreign affairs ministry comes as the new administration has stepped up efforts to open up the country and gain international acceptance following the collapse of the Western-backed government last month.

A limited number of aid and passenger flights have been operating from the airport. But normal commercial services have yet to resume since it was closed in the wake of the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of foreigners and vulnerable Afghans that followed the Taliban's seizure of the capital.

The airport, which was damaged during the evacuation, has since been reopened with the assistance of technical teams from Qatar and Turkey.

While some airlines including Pakistan International Airlines have been offering limited services and some people have been able to get places on flights, prices have been reported to be many times higher than normal.

Foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the suspension of international flights had left many Afghans stranded abroad and also prevented people from travelling for work or study.

ISRAELI TROOPS KILL 5 PALESTINIANS IN WEST BANK CLASHES

Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded.

It was the deadliest violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the West Bank in several weeks. The region has seen an increase in fighting in recent months, with tensions fueled by Israeli settlement construction, heightened militant activity in the northern West Bank and the aftermath of a bloody war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last May.

Israeli officials said they had been tracking the Hamas militants for several weeks and that the raids were launched in response to immediate threats.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the militants were about to carry out attacks “in real time.” He praised the Israeli forces, saying they acted “as expected. They engaged the enemy and we back them completely.”

Lt. Col. Amnon Shefler, an Israeli army spokesperson, said Israeli forces came under fire while carrying out the arrest raids. He said at least four Hamas operatives were killed and several others were arrested in the overnight operation.

CORONAVIRUS | CANADA LIFTS BAN ON DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM INDIA

Canada will allow direct flights from India from Monday, lifting the ban on them after a gap of more than five months. Announcing the decision, Transport Canada on Saturday in a tweet said: "Beginning at 00:01 EDT on September 27, direct flights from India can land in Canada with additional public health measures in place."

"Travellers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test from the approved Genestrings Laboratory at the Delhi airport taken within 18 hours of the scheduled departure of their direct flight to Canada," it added.

In April, Canada banned all direct flights to and from India when the second COVID-19 wave hit India. The date of reopening has been postponed many times.

Welcoming the decision, India’s high commissioner to Canada Ajay Bisaria described it as a "decisive step towards normalising air mobility" between the two nations.

"@airindiain and @AirCanada are now set to run daily flights between Delhi and Toronto/Vancouver from 27 September. Working with Canadian partners to further ease travel," he tweeted.

GUNMEN RELEASE 10 MORE NIGERIAN STUDENTS AFTER FRESH RANSOM

Gunmen in Nigeria on Sunday freed 10 students abducted in the northwest Kaduna state after collecting a ransom, a school official told The Associated Press.

The Rev. John Hayab said the students were released on Sunday afternoon, nearly three months after they were seized by the gunmen in Kaduna. Their release comes about a week after 10 of their other schoolmates were also released.

Eleven of the 121 students of the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna are still being held, Hayab said, expressing frustration at the refusal of the gunmen to release all the students at once.

“If we have the power, we would have brought them,” he told AP when asked why the gunmen held back 11 students. “The bandits are the ones in control, we now have to play along softly and get our children back." He was referring to the gunmen who have abducted at least 1,400 schoolchildren in Nigeria in the last year, according to the U.N. children's agency.

“Our anger is not with the bandits as it is with the government, because we can't have a government that is supposed to protect us and the bandits are having a field day. There is no day they have ever released one child for free,” the official added.

In the wake of increasing school attacks in the northwest and central parts of Nigeria, some governors have temporarily shut down schools and imposed phone blackouts in their states as they struggle to contain security challenges in Africa's most populous state.