KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    5,64,435              /             51,54,234            /             7,031     /             1,98,23,226        /             661.2

1             USA        94,818   /             7,90,701              /             1,169     /             93,33,564            /             2,370

2             UK          44,242   /             1,43,716              /             157        /             16,11,152            /             2,102

3             Russia    37,156   /             2,61,589              /             1,254     /             10,39,225            /             1,791

4             Germany              59,266   /             99,399   /             230        /             6,05,488              /             1,181

5             Ukraine 20,050   /             80,231   /             725        /             4,97,306              /             1,850

6             Turkey   23,810   /             74,646   /             218        /             4,23,890              /             872

7             Poland   23,242   /             80,399   /             403        /             3,63,675              /             2,128

8             Mexico  3,915     /             2,91,929              /             356        /             3,46,014              /             2,232

9             Netherlands        21,026   /             18,900   /             37           /             3,40,278              /             1,100

10           Belgium               16,699   /             26,526   /             42           /             2,70,923              /             2,275

11           Honduras             67           /             10,386   /             13           /             2,47,866              /             1,026

12           France   21,220   /             1,18,423              /             50           /             2,11,946              /             1,809

13           Czechia 13,374   /             31,879   /             48           /             1,84,621              /             2,969

14           Iran        5,784     /             1,28,734              /             100        /             1,81,447              /             1,506

15           Brazil     13,355   /             6,12,370              /             193        /             1,76,124              /             2,853

16           Vietnam               9,625     /             23,578   /             102        /             1,67,952              /             239

17           Norway 1,074     /             999        /             3             /             1,48,862              /             182

18           Austria  15,809   /             11,951   /             48           /             1,38,841              /             1,317

19           Italy       10,544   /             1,33,082              /             48           /             1,37,130              /             2,206

20           Hungary               11,289   /             32,780   /             135        /             1,28,124              /             3,405

22           India      11,106   /             4,65,082              /             138        /             1,26,620              /             333

65           Pakistan               418        /             28,648   /             10           /             22,498   /             126

94           Bangladesh         253        /             27,946   /             7             /             7,949     /             167

PENG SHUAI: US 'DEEPLY CONCERNED' OVER CHINESE TENNIS STAR

The US says it is "deeply concerned" about Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who has not been heard from since making sexual assault allegations against a top Communist Party official.

The White House urged China to "provide independent, verifiable proof" of Ms Peng's whereabouts and safety.

The 35-year-old doubles Grand Slam winner accused China's ex-vice-premier of sexual assault two weeks ago.

The Women's Tennis Association has threatened to pull events out of China.

"We cannot stand by compromises. This is a right and wrong issue," he said.

The WTA has been told Ms Peng is safe, and in Beijing, by the Chinese Tennis Association, although Mr Simon said there has been no confirmation that is true.

In a separate development on Friday, three photos of Ms Peng were posted on a WeChat account under her name with the caption "Happy Weekend".

However, the authenticity of the post on the Chinese instant messaging service was questioned by BBC China media analyst Kerry Allen.

Former women's world number one and 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams said news of Ms Peng's disappearance had left her "devastated and shocked".

World number one male tennis player Novak Djokovic said he was shocked, while Naomi Osaka also voiced concerns about her whereabouts.

More tennis players and social media users have since posted under the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.

AUSTRIA IMPOSES FULL LOCKDOWN AND MANDATORY VACCINES AS COVID-19 CASES SURGE

Austria announced on Friday that it will impose a lockdown for all and make vaccinations mandatory, becoming the first EU country to take such stringent measures as coronavirus cases spiral.

Other European countries are also tightening restrictions as Covid-19 cases surge across the continent, but so far none have reimposed full lockdowns and only the Vatican has mandated vaccinations for all.

The lockdown will start on Monday, while vaccination against Covid-19 in the Alpine nation will become  mandatory from February 1 next year, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said.

The confinement will initially last 20 days with an evaluation after 10 days, he said.

"Despite months of persuasion, we have not succeeded in convincing enough people to get vaccinated," Schallenberg told a press conference in the western Tyrol state, where he met regional government heads.

"Sustainably increasing the vaccination rate is the only way to get out of this vicious circle," he said.

He also blamed those refusing to be vaccinated for an "attack on the health system", and said vaccinations were the "exit ticket" out of the pandemic.

The lockdown means people are no longer allowed to leave their houses with few exceptions such going to work, shopping for essentials and exercising.

Schools will remain open though parents have been asked to keep their children at home if possible. Teleworking is also recommended.

KAMALA HARRIS: FIRST WOMAN TO GET US PRESIDENTIAL POWERS (BRIEFLY)

US Vice-President Kamala Harris became the first woman to - briefly - be given presidential powers while Joe Biden underwent a regular health check.

Ms Harris, 57, was in control for 85 minutes, while Mr Biden was placed under anaesthesia for a routine colonoscopy on Friday.

Mr Biden's doctor released a statement after the operation, saying he was healthy and able to execute his duties.

The medical examination came on the eve of the president's 79th birthday.

Ms Harris carried out her duties from her office in the West Wing of the White House, officials said.

She is the first woman - and the first black and South Asian American - to be elected US vice-president.

The president was seen smiling as he returned to the White House. "I feel great," he said.

"President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the president," said Kevin O'Connor, the president's physician.

Kevin O'Connor, the president's physician, said the colonoscopy found a "benign-appear polyp" that was easily removed.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE: US TEENAGER CLEARED OVER KENOSHA KILLINGS

A US teenager who shot dead two men during racial unrest has been cleared of homicide and all other charges after claiming self-defence.

Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, killed the men and wounded a third on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, on 25 August 2020.

During the high profile and politically divisive trial, his defence said he had feared for his life. Prosecutors argued he was looking for trouble that night.

National Guard troops have been sent to the city amid fears of unrest.

US President Joe Biden called on people to "express their views peacefully", saying that while the outcome of the case "will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken".

Mr Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and then wounded 27-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz. Mr Rittenhouse and the men he shot are all white.

He faced five charges, including intentional homicide, which carries a life sentence.

His fate was decided by a 12-person jury made up of seven women and five men, who had spent more than three days deliberating.

U.S. ALLOWS COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTERS TO ALL ADULTS

The U.S. government on Friday moved to open up COVID-19 booster shots to all adults, expanding efforts to get ahead of rising coronavirus cases that experts fear could snowball into a winter surge as millions of Americans travel for the holidays.

The Food and Drug Administration’s decision stands to simplify what has been a confusing list of who’s eligible for a booster: Now, anyone 18 or older can choose either a Pfizer or Moderna booster six months after their last dose, regardless of which vaccine they had first. The move came after about a dozen States had started offering boosters to all adults on their own.

“We heard loud and clear that people needed something simpler — and this, I think, is simple,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks told The Associated Press.

But there's one more step before that policy is final: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree. Its scientific advisers supported the move Friday afternoon after discussing the safety and usefulness of Pfizer and Moderna boosters in even healthy young adults.

The CDC's advisers said anyone 18 and older can choose a booster of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine but went an extra step and stressed that people 50 and older should get one. A final CDC decision was expected later Friday.

“It's a stronger recommendation,” said CDC adviser Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado. “I want to make sure we provide as much protection as we can.”

JAPAN UNVEILS RECORD STIMULUS TO BOOST PANDEMIC RECOVERY

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a record $490 billion stimulus for the world’s third-largest economy Friday as he looks to shore up the country’s patchy pandemic recovery.

The 56 trillion yen injection, the third since the Covid crisis struck last year, “is enough to deliver a sense of safety and hope to the Japanese people”, Mr. Kishida said. The vast spending plans are expected to be approved by the Cabinet later in the day and reportedly include cash and coupon handouts to families with children under 18 who meet an income cap, as well as pay rises for nurses and careworkers. It comes after Japan’s economy shrank far more than expected in the second quarter as leaders struggled to overcome virus surges by imposing containment measures in Tokyo and other cities.

Former Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga and Shinzo Abe poured 40 trillion yen and 38 trillion yen respectively into the economy in 2020, although some analysts have raised doubts over how effective that stimulus has been. “We have been able to build economic measures that will lead to a new society after the pandemic,” Mr. Kishida said.

UK SET TO BAN HAMAS AS TERROR ORGANISATION

Britain will proscribe Palestinian militant group Hamas as a terrorist organisation, its interior ministry said on Friday, a move that would bring its position on Gaza's rulers in line with the United States and EU.

The organisation would be banned under the Terrorism Act and that anyone expressing support for Hamas, flying its flag or arranging meetings for the organisation would be in breach of the law, according to a report in a newspaper, which the ministry said was accurate. Another newspaper said Interior Minister Priti Patel would announce the move in Washington and present it to Parliament next week.

A Hamas official said it would wait for an official announcement from Britain before responding. Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded in 1987, it is opposed to the existence of Israel, and opposes peace talks. It instead advocates “armed resistance” against Israel's occupation of Palestine.

‘CHINA, RUSSIA JETS ENTERED S KOREA AIR BUFFER ZONE’

South Korea’s military said on Friday it scrambled fighter jets after two Chinese and seven Russian warplanes intruded into its air defence identification zone during what Beijing called regular training. The Chinese and Russian aircraft entered the northeastern part of the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone for a unspecified period before exiting, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that they did not violate its airspace. The JCS dispatched fighter jets and air refuelling tankers as an usual step to brace for a potential contingency. The Chinese military said its planes were carrying out routine drills, the JCS said. “We assess the situation as joint Chinese and Russian military exercises but additional analysis is needed,” it said. Chinese and Russian warplanes have often entered the zone in recent years amid conflicting claims over various Air Defence Identification Zones . Unlike airspace, an ADIZ is usually an area where nations may unilaterally demand that foreign aircraft take special steps to identify themselves, with no international laws governing ADIZs.

PAKISTAN AGAIN LIFTS BAN, FOURTH SO FAR, ON CHINA'S TIKTOK

Pakistan’s media regulating authority on Friday again lifted a ban on TikTok, this time after four months, following assurances from the popular Chinese video-sharing service that it would control the spread of indecent content.

It was the fourth time in the past 15 months that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority imposed and lifted such a ban.

Pakistan first blocked TikTok, which is very popular among Pakistani teens and young adults, in October 2020 over what it described as widespread complaints about allegedly “immoral, obscene and vulgar” content on the app.

The regulatory agency said in a statement on Twitter that TikTok had assured Pakistan it would also block users who upload “unlawful content.” The app, owned by China’s ByteDance, has been downloaded almost 39 million times in Pakistan.

Pakistan, which has close relations with China, has been urging TikTok to develop an effective mechanism to control unlawful content.

Over the years, Pakistan has also forwarded hundreds of complaints to Facebook and Twitter about content, alleging it is offensive and potentially insulting to Islam, which goes against Pakistani law.

PAK DOES U-TURN ON CHEMICAL CASTRATION FOR HABITUAL RAPISTS

Pakistan has removed a clause from the criminal law bill providing for “chemical castration” as punishment for habitual rapists, reports Omer Farooq Khan. On Wednesday, PM Imran Khanled government had hurriedly passed nearly three dozen laws in a joint session of the parliament, including the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020 and the Criminal Law (amendment) Ordinance, from which the penalty of chemical castration was omitted. Local media incorrectly reported that the castration clause was approved. Parliamentary secretary for law and justice, Maleeha Bokhari, said on Friday that the clause was removed due to objections raised by the Council of Islamic Ideology. “We cannot pass any law that goes against (Islamic) values,” she said.