KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    30,65,159            /             57,30,459            /             11,310   /             7,48,30,502               /             735.2

1             USA        2,55,994              /             9,20,829              /             2,376     /             2,89,15,847               /             2,756

2             France   2,74,352              /             1,31,852              /             264        /             65,77,402               /             2,013

3             Spain     74,368   /             94,040   /             183        /             36,25,212            /               2,010

4             Brazil     2,86,050              /             6,30,001              /             923        /             28,67,228               /             2,931

5             UK          88,171   /             1,57,730              /             321        /             26,18,661            /               2,304

6             Germany              2,40,218              /             1,19,069              /             186        /               25,55,049            /             1,414

7             Italy       1,12,691              /             1,47,734              /             414        /             23,28,230               /             2,449

8             Russia    1,55,768              /             3,33,357              /             667        /             15,60,475               /             2,283

9             Netherlands        82,871   /             21,310   /             7             /             14,89,277            /               1,239

10           India      1,49,394              /             5,00,055              /             631        /             14,35,567               /             357

11           Belgium               45,428   /             29,132   /             49           /             11,04,625            /               2,496

12           Switzerland         19,348   /             12,881   /             14           /             9,16,059              /               1,471

13           Sweden                /             16,063   /                            /             8,84,328              /               1,575

14           Poland   54,475   /             1,06,060              /             307        /             8,30,723              /               2,807

15           Norway 21,804   /             1,467     /                            /             7,58,970              /             267

16           Japan     93,388   /             18,949   /             78           /             6,90,006              /             151

17           Turkey   1,07,530              /             88,064   /             233        /             6,79,225              /               1,027

18           Portugal               50,447   /             20,077   /             53           /             6,42,113              /               1,978

19           Denmark              41,712   /             3,811     /             21           /             5,77,424              /               654

20           Mexico  42,181   /             3,07,493              /             573        /             5,55,107              /               2,346

38           Bangladesh         11,596   /             28,494   /             33           /             2,26,190              /               170

45           Philippines           8,702     /             54,168   /             71           /             1,53,335              /               484

57           Pakistan               5,850     /             29,372   /             42           /             1,00,072              /               129

100        Sri Lanka              1,181     /             15,515   /             23           /             19,364   /             720

ISLAMIC STATE LEADER KILLED IN SYRIA: BIDEN

US President Joe Biden said Thursday that a "terrorist threat to the world" was removed when the head of the Islamic State blew himself up, as US special forces swooped on his Syrian hideout in an "incredibly challenging" nighttime helicopter raid.

Biden said he had ordered an assault by troops rather than an air strike in order to minimize civilian casualties, even though this meant "much greater risk to our own people." There were no US casualties.

The death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi is the biggest setback to the IS jihadist group since his predecessor, the better-known Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in a US commando raid in the same Syrian region of Idlib in 2019.

"Last night's operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield and sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: we will come after you and find you," Biden said in a brief, somber address from the White House's Roosevelt Room.

Biden said the house targeted overnight in the town of Atme contained "families, including children."

"As our troops approached to capture the terrorist, in a final act of desperate cowardice, with no regard to the lives of his own family or others in the building, he chose to blow himself up," Biden said.

Qurashi detonated the entire top floor, Biden said, "taking several members of his family with him."

General Kenneth McKenzie, head of US Central Command, said later that Qurashi "did not fight" the US soldiers, but set off the explosive "as we attempted to call for his surrender."

The three-level building of raw cinder blocks bore the scars of an intense battle, with torn window frames, charred ceilings and a partly collapsed roof, AFP correspondents said. Inside, they saw a simple room with little more than foam mattresses, blankets, colorful clothes and children's toys.

The US government had offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Qurashi, who was an Iraqi also known as Amir Mohammed Said Abd al-Rahman al-Mawla.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, said seven civilians were among at least 13 people killed in the operation, four of them children. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at least three civilians died -- Qurashi's wife and their two children. Qurashi was later identified "through fingerprints and DNA analysis", said Kirby.

In a rare gesture of solidarity amid soaring East-West tensions, Russia's foreign ministry said "we support" the US anti-terrorism stance.

WHO: EUROPE MAY BE ENTERING LONG PERIOD OF TRANQUILITY

The WHO on Thursday offered Europe hope of a “long period of tranquility” and even “enduring peace” in the war on coronavirus, with a growing list of nations lifting almost all Covid curbs. WHO Europe director Hans Kluge spoke of “a ceasefire that could bring us enduring peace”, with high vaccination rates, the milder Omicron variant and the end of winter in sight.

“This context leaves us with the possibility for a long period of tranquility,” he told reporters. This was “not to say that (the pandemic) is now all over”, but “there is a singular opportunity to take control of the transmission”, he added. “Even with a more virulent variant (than Omicron) it is possible to respond to new variants that will inevitably emerge — without re-installing the kind of disruptive measures we needed before,” Kluge said. He cautioned that the optimistic scenario required countries to pursue vaccination campaigns and surveillance to detect new variants.

Sweden joined the move towards scrapping most coronavirus restrictions, setting February 9 as the date with the pandemic entering a “whole new phase”. Stockholm will end 11. 00pm closing for bars and restaurants, and limits on crowd numbers. Vaccine passes for indoor events will go and face masks will no longer be recommended on crowded public transport. “The pandemic is not over, but we are entering a whole new phase,” Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson announced.

After Britain and Ireland, Copenhagen on Tuesday lif- ted most domestic Covid-19 restrictions, followed later in the day by Norway. France on Wednesday loosened several restrictions imposed to curb the latest Covid-19 surge.

But Germany is still grappling with record infection numbers fuelled by Omicron and now recommending a fourth vaccine for at-risk groups. Israel last month became the first country to roll out fourth Covid-19 shots, initially to the elderly and health care workers, and since to all vulnerable people over 18. Denmark, Hungary and Spain are also offering fourth jabs to high-risk groups, as are others including Chile and Brazil.

UKRAINE TENSIONS: US ALLEGES RUSSIAN PLOT TO FAKE INVASION PRETEXT

Russia is planning to fabricate a pretext for an invasion of Ukraine, by falsely blaming Ukrainian military for an attack on Russian-backed separatists or Russia itself, US officials say.

One option Russia is said to be considering is to stage and film a fake attack, with graphic images of an explosion showing numerous casualties.

In response, Russia said it was not planning any false flag operations.

The US and Nato are concerned at the massing of Russian forces near Ukraine. They currently number about 100,000.

Senior US administration officials said the alleged operation, planned by Russian security services, would show images of civilian casualties in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in order to generate outrage against the Ukrainian authorities.

This could then be used to justify an attack on Ukraine, the officials said.

The plan could involve staging and filming a faked attack, they said.

It would show corpses and destroyed locations, faked Ukrainian military equipment, Turkish-made drones and actors playing Russian-speaking mourners, they said.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the US intelligence "is clear and shocking evidence of Russia's unprovoked aggression and underhand activity to destabilise Ukraine".

‘RUSSIA DEPLOYS MORE TROOPS IN BELARUS’

NATO said Russia had stepped up deployments to Ukraine’s northern neighbour Belarus in recent days and was expected to have 30,000 troops there for joint exercises this month.

The Russia-Belarus exercises, running until February 20, have provided Moscow with cover to further increase forces near Ukraine at a time when the United States and Britain have warned that Moscow may be gearing up for war.

Ukraine’s Defence Minister said Russia had currently massed a total of 1,15,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders.

Russia denies planning to invade Ukraine and has described the Allied Resolve exercises with Belarus as a rehearsal in repelling external aggression. It has not disclosed the size of its forces there but says they will withdraw after the drills.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: “Over the last days, we have seen a significant movement of Russian military forces into Belarus. “This is the biggest Russian deployment there since the Cold War, with an expected 30,000 combat troops” as well as Spetsnaz special operations forces, SU-35 fighter jets, S-400 air defence systems and nuclear-capable Iskander missiles, he said.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in Belarus on Thursday to inspect Russian and Belarusian troops and was due to meet Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Interfax news agency said.

IN A BLOW TO UK PM, HIS POLICY ADVISER QUITS

London: British PM Boris Johnson’s policy chief Munira Mirza resigned on Thursday over his false claim that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute serial sex offender Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions. The PM made allegations on Monday, sparking anger from MPs — including in his own party.

Mirza resigned from her well-paid role after Johnson declined to apologise for his comments. In her resignation letter, as published by Spectator magazine, Mirza wrote: “Ibelieve it was wrong for you to imply that Keir Starmer was personally responsible for allowing Jimmy Savile to escape justice. There was no fair. . . basis for that assertion. This was not the usual cut and thrust of politics; it was an inappropriate. . . reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse. Mirza’s de parture comes as a fresh blow to the embattled PM as he seeks to shore up his position in 10 Downing Street amid the partygate scandal.

BALOCH SEPARATISTS KILL 7 PAK ARMYMEN IN TWIN ATTACKS

Armed separatists killed at least seven soldiers in separate attacks on two camps of Pakistani security forces along the country’s border with Afghanistan and Iran in the restive Balochistan province in the south-west in the last 24 hours. The first attack took place late on Wednesday when the Baloch separatists targeted a camp of paramilitary force in Panjgur on the border with Iran, about 450 km south of Quetta, the provincial capital. The second attack occurred in Naushki town, about 320 km north of Panjgur. While the army confirmed seven deaths, Balochistan home minister Zia Langove told reporters that the toll could touch 12.

Wednesday’s attack came a week after an assault on a checkpost of Pakistani security forces in Kech, a town near the port city of Gwadar and about 144 km south of Panjgur, where at least 10 soldiers were killed. This was the heaviest toll for the military in Balochistan in several years. The military had confirmed the death of 10 soldiers two days after the attack.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan army’s media wing, said the terrorist attacks in Panjgur and Naushki were repulsed and claimed that the security forces had killed 13 terrorists in the counter-offensive. “After successfully repulsing terrorist attacks at Panjgur and Naushki Tuesday night, security forces launched clearance operation to search out terrorists hiding within the area,” the statement said, adding that seven soldiers, including an army officer, lost their lives in the operation. “As per initial investigation, intelligence agencies have intercepted communications between terrorists and their handlers in Afghanistan and India,” the ISPR statement said. In Naushki, shops were shut on Thursday and the streets deserted.

IPHONE FLAW EXPLOITED BY 2ND ISRAELI SPY FIRM: REPORT

A flaw in Apple’s software exploited by Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group to break into iPhones in 2021 was simultaneously abused by a competing company, according to five people familiar with the matter. QuaDream, the sources said, is a smaller and lower profile Israeli firm that also develops smartphone hacking tools intended for government clients.

The two rival businesses gained the same ability last year to remotely break into iPhones, according to the five sources, meaning that both firms could compromise Apple phones without an owner needing to open a malicious link. That two firms employed the same sophisticated hacking technique — known as a “zero-click”. Experts analysing intrusions engineered by NSO Group and QuaDream since last year believe the two companies used very similar software exploits, known as ForcedEntry to hijack iPhones. An exploit is computer code designed to leverage a set of specific software vulnerabilities, giving a hacker unauthorised access to data. The analysts believed NSO and QuaDream’s exploits were similar because they leveraged many of the same vulnerabilities hidden deep inside Apple’s instant messaging platform and used a comparable approach to plant malicious software on targeted devices, according to three of the sources. Reuters made repeated attempts to reach QuaDream for comment. An Apple spokesman declined to com- ment on QuaDream.

ForcedEntry is viewed as “one of the most technically sophisticated exploits” ever captured by security researchers. So similar were the two versions of ForcedEntry that when Apple fixed the underlying flaws in September 2021 it rendered both NSO and QuaDream’s spy software ineffective, according to sources. In a written statement, an NSO spokeswoman said the company “did not cooperate” with QuaDream.