Fears rise as COVID-19 cases, deaths hit new high
- Italian authorities announced that the number of people infected in the country had surged 40% to 1,576 in 24 hours, and five more people had died, bringing the death toll there to 34.
- More than 87,000 people worldwide have been infected, and nearly 3,000 have died.
- Cases in the U.S. climbed to at least 72, with the first death inside the country.
- China, where the outbreak began two months ago, on Sunday reported a slight uptick in new cases over the past 24 hours to 573.
- South Korea reported 210 additional cases and two more deaths from the virus, raising its total to 3,736 casesand 20 fatalities. South Korea has the second largest number of infections outside mainland China, with most of the cases in Daegu and nearby areas.
India is host to 457 migratory fauna, shows latest CMS list
- With new additions to the wildlife list put out by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), scientists say that the total number of migratory fauna from India comes to 457 species. Birds comprise 83% (380 species) of this figure.
- The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) had for the first time compiled the list of migratory species of India under the CMS before the Conference of Parties (COP 13) held in Gujarat recently. It had put the number at 451. Six species were added later.
- They are the Asian elephant, great Indian bustard, Bengal florican, oceanic whitetip shark, urial and smooth hammerhead shark.
Experts raise concerns for India over U.S.Taliban agreement
- The two agreements set out a course for the next 14 months, including the pullout of U.S. troops, the denial of space to foreign terrorist groups and any violence against the U.S. and allies, and intra-Afghan dialogue.
- Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is not recognised by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban, and the United States of America’, and the ‘Joint Declaration between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United states of America for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan’, diplomatic and security experts say the impact on India may be a cause for worry for the government.
- They say the proposed Afghanistan-Pakistan dialogue, facilitated by Washington, must not cut India out of the region’s security architecture