KEY COVID NOS. WORLDWIDE

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

               World    24,21,072            /             58,07,534            /             10,862   /             7,43,62,784               /             745.1

1             USA        1,79,237              /             9,39,427              /             2,465     /             2,86,77,716               /             2,812

2             France   1,53,025              /             1,34,207              /             310        /             53,70,470               /             2,049

3             Germany              2,47,128              /             1,20,196              /             224        /               32,89,706            /             1,427

4             Spain     53,055   /             95,606   /             393        /             31,94,967            /               2,044

5             Brazil     1,65,359              /             6,36,111              /             922        /             30,42,552               /             2,959

6             Russia    1,97,076              /             3,38,091              /             701        /             22,80,357               /             2,315

7             UK                         /             1,58,953              /                            /             22,44,425            /               2,322

8             Netherlands        86,779   /             21,358   /             15           /             21,23,263            /               1,242

9             Italy       75,861   /             1,50,221              /             325        /             18,13,274            /               2,490

10           Belgium               22,333   /             29,497   /             68           /             11,17,533            /               2,527

11           Switzerland         15,823   /             13,039   /             9             /             9,16,563              /               1,489

12           Norway 24,448   /             1,513     /             1             /             8,96,390              /             276

13           Sweden                /             16,360   /                            /             8,78,538              /               1,604

14           Japan     97,946   /             19,742   /             155        /             8,71,577              /             157

15           Turkey   98,602   /             89,741   /             264        /             8,07,618              /               1,046

16           Poland   42,095   /             1,07,466              /             262        /             7,54,242              /               2,845

17           India      58,077   /             5,07,117              /             504        /             6,97,802              /               362

18           Chile      36,635   /             40,273   /             162        /             6,66,616              /               2,078

19           Portugal               27,651   /             20,401   /             47           /             6,16,785              /               2,010

20           Ukraine 41,694   /             1,02,167              /             280        /             5,89,598              /               2,359

40           Bangladesh         7,264     /             28,744   /             41           /             2,21,163              /               172

60           Philippines           4,575     /             54,783   /             1             /             93,307   /             489

61           Pakistan               3,914     /             29,648   /             47           /             84,670   /             130

106        Sri Lanka              1,297     /             15,723   /             31           /             14,847   /             729

WEST ISSUES STERN WARNINGS AS RUSSIAN MILITARY DRILLS STOKE TENSIONS

Russia and Belarus have started 10 days of joint military drills amid ongoing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

France called the drills - believed to be Russia's biggest deployment to Belarus since the Cold War - a "violent gesture". Ukraine says they amount to "psychological pressure".

US and other Western countries have warned that an attack could come at any time.

There are fears that if Russia tries to invade Ukraine, the exercises put Russian troops close to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, making an attack on the city easier.

Russia insists that it has the right to move its troops freely across its own territory and that of its allies with their agreement. It says the troops in Belarus will return to their bases after the exercises.

But Ukraine and its Western allies have expressed concern over the drills.

"The accumulation of forces at the border is psychological pressure from our neighbours," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Inter radio that it was a "very violent gesture", and the US has called the exercises an "escalatory" move.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson travelled to Brussels and Warsaw on Thursday in support of Nato allies.

After meeting Nato's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg he said he didn't think a decision about a Russian invasion of Ukraine had been made yet, but warned that "this is probably the most dangerous moment... in what is the biggest security crisis that Europe has faced for decades".

Meanwhile the UK's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday. She said Russia should move its troops away from the Ukrainian border if it was serious about using diplomacy to defuse the crisis.

Mr Lavrov said he was disappointed with the talks, accusing Ms Truss of not listening to Russia's concerns.

FREEDOM CONVOY: PARIS PROTEST BANNED BY POLICE AHEAD OF ARRIVAL

Paris has banned so-called Freedom Convoy protests planned for Friday, as car and lorry drivers head to the city.

Canada's capital city Ottawa has been paralysed for days by truckers objecting to Covid-19 measures there.

Convoys from towns and cities around France have started making their way to Paris to copy that protest.

On Monday, some plan to join a major demonstration in Brussels - where the mayor has also banned the incoming protests for not having a permit.

In France, protesters are opposed to the vaccination pass required to enter restaurants, bars and public spaces, rather than any border issues.

Convoys are organising online and appear to come from various political and ideological backgrounds, making it difficult to estimate how many vehicles might arrive in Paris on Friday.

But one of the largest online groups has more than 350,000 members, and French media report that several convoys have already left cities such as Nice, Bayonne and Perpignan.

Police in Paris are citing the risk of disturbances to public order as one reason for banning the protests. Authorities also reminded people that interfering with the roads can carry a two-year prison sentence or a €4,500 (£3,800) fine.

Motorways leading into Paris will have extra police patrolling them. Drivers blocking the free flow of traffic could also have their driving licence suspended or penalty points added to their licence.

In Brussels, meanwhile, Mayor Philippe Close said that he and Belgian ministers had decided to ban the protest because no application for an event was lodged.

UK TO REMOVE TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR FULLY VACCINATED TRAVELLERS FROM TODAY

n a boost to its tourism sector, the United Kingdom (UK) from Friday will remove testing requirements for travellers who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). According to a government statement issued on January 24, only a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) will be required for all such travellers.

"Arrivals who are not recognised as fully vaccinated will only need to take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on or before day 2 after they arrive in the UK," the statement added.

Meanwhile, from February 3, children between the ages of 12-15 in the UK, can prove their vaccination status or proof of prior infection via a digital NHS Covid Pass for outbound travel. This will make it simple for children and their families to travel to those countries that require proof of vaccination status and prior infection for entry, avoiding isolation and accessing venues or services, the government statement also said.

INDO-PACIFIC REGION WILL SHAPE THE CENTURY: BLINKEN

The United States remains focussed long-term on the Indo-Pacific region despite concerns over Russian aggression toward Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

Mr. Blinken is in the Australian city of Melbourne for a meeting on Friday with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan. The four nations form the“Quad,” a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was created to counter China’s influence.

“There are a few other things going on in the world right now, some of you may have noticed. We have a bit of a challenge with Ukraine and Russian aggression. We’re working 24/7 on that,” Mr. Blinken said in his first public address since arriving in Australia on Wednesday.

“But we know, the President knows and each of you knows this better than anyone else, that so much of this century is going to be shaped by what happens here in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.

INDONESIA TO BUY 42 RAFALE FIGHTER JETS

Indonesia will order 42 Rafale fighter jets, French Defence Minister Florence Parly, who is currently on a trip to the Asian country, confirmed on Thursday.

“It’s official: Indonesia orders 42 Rafales,” she said in a tweet.

Dassault Aviation, which produces the aircraft, said the deal marked the start of a long-term partnership and would allow it to rapidly step up its presence in Indonesia. The deal comes as Paris seeks to expand its geopolitical ties in the Indo-Pacific to react to the creation of a new strategic alliance between the U.S., Britain and Australia.

“Indonesia also commits to cooperation with our industry in the sector of submarines,” added Ms. Parly, referring to an area deemed as particularly sensitive after Australia last year cancelled a submarine deal with Paris, causing a major diplomatic rift.

12 INJURED IN FOILED DRONE ATTACK ON SAUDI AIRPORT

Twelve people were injured by falling debris on Thursday when the Saudi military blew up a Yemeni rebel drone targeting an airport close to the border, officials said.

Fragments fell to the ground after the interception of the drone over Abha International Airport, which has previously been targeted in similar assaults by the Houthi rebels.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack in a tweet, saying they had targeted an airport “used for military action against Yemen” and warning citizens to “stay away” from such sites.

“Saudi defence forces destroyed a drone launched towards Abha International Airport,” the official Saudi Press Agency said in a tweet. “We will take firm operational action to respond to the threat to civilian airports and travellers,” it added.

The SPA said “12 civilians of various nationalities” were hurt when the drone was intercepted and destroyed. They included citizens of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, the Philippines and Sri Lanka as well as two Saudis.

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said Abha was a “civilian airport that is protected under international humanitarian law” and accused the rebels of a “war crime”.

U.K. POLICE WIDEN NET AFTER NEW ‘PARTYGATE’ PHOTO OF PM

The U.K. police have widened their probe into Downing Street lockdown events after a new photo emerged of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and are set to question more than 50 individuals.

The “partygate” scandal has placed Mr. Johnson in political jeopardy, with several MPs from his Conservative party publicly calling for his resignation, although he denies any wrongdoing.

A Christmas “quiz night” held at Mr. Johnson’s Number 10 offices was not previously part of the Metropolitan Police’s investiga- tion, which could potentially see him and staff fined for breaking COVID-19 curbs.

But the police said they were now looking at the December 2020 event, after the Daily Mirror printed the photo of Mr. Johnson and two colleagues — one draped in tinsel — near an open bottle of sparkling wine.

The Met also confirmed that, by Friday, it would be sending “formal questionnaires to more than 50 people” to ask about their activities on the dates of at least 12 gatherings in Downing Street over 2020 and 2021.

The document “has formal legal status and must be answered truthfully” within seven days, the police noted.

IRAN TALKS ENTERING FINAL PHASE: GERMAN MINISTER

Germany’s Foreign Minister said on Thursday that nuclear talks with Iran were entering a “final phase” and that, despite Israeli reservations, a return to a nuclear agreement would make the region safer.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke at a joint press conference in Tel Aviv with her Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, during an official visit to Israel.

Her remarks come as negotiations between Iran and world powers reconvened this week in an effort to revive a 2015 nuclear accord. Israel has vocally objected to U.S.-led efforts to revive the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Ms. Baerbock said that she was “convinced that a full restoration of the JCPOA would make the region more secure, including Israel”. She said the talks, of which Germany is a party, have reached a “very critical point” and that it was important for Iran to come back to the table “with a willingness to compromise and without maximum demands”.

40 OF 49 SPACEX SATELLITES DESTROYED BY SOLAR STORM

Cape Canaveral: SpaceX’s newest fleet of satellites is tumbling out of orbit after being struck by a solar storm. Up to 40 of the 49 small satellites launched last week have either reentered the atmosphere and burned up, or are on the verge of doing so, the company said in an online update on Tuesday. SpaceX said a geomagnetic storm last Friday made the atmosphere denser, which increased the drag on the Starlink satellites, effectively dooming them. Ground controllers tried to save the compact, flat-panel satellites by putting them into a type of hibernation and flying them in a way to minimise drag. But the atmospheric pull was too great, and the satellites failed to climb to a more stable orbit, the company said.

SpaceX still has close to 2,000 Starlink satellites orbiting Earth — 500km up — and providing internet service to remote corners of the world. SpaceX launches them into this unusually low orbit so that any duds can quickly reenter the atmosphere and pose no threat to other spacecraft. There is no danger from these falling satellites, the company said.