Top foreign stories at 1700 hrs

    
     FGN30 VIRUS-INDIA-FAUCI-LD INTERVIEW
     US expert Fauci advises India to marshal all resources, including Army, to fight COVID surge, says situation ‘very desperate’
     Washington: Terming the situation in India “very desperate”, America's top public health expert Dr Anthony Fauci has suggested the government marshal all its resources, including the armed forces, to immediately build makeshift field hospitals, and urged other countries to help with not only materials but also personnel. By Lalit K Jha
    
     FGN5 UK-INDIA-TRADE
     Modi-Boris virtual summit brings GBP 1 bn worth of deals, Enhanced Trade Partnership
     London: The British government has finalised GBP 1 billion worth of trade and investment with India, creating over 6,500 jobs in Britain, ahead of the virtual summit between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday. By Aditi Khanna         
    
     FGN25 US-BILL-MELINDA-2NDLD DIVORCE
     Billionaire philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates divorcing after 27 years of marriage
     New York: Billionaire philanthropists Bill and Melinda French Gates have announced they are divorcing after 27 years of marriage, saying they no longer believe "we can grow together as a couple", but will continue to work together at their foundation that has an endowment of about USD 50 billion. By Yoshita Singh
    
     FGN28 VIRUS-INDIA-SAFRICA-LD TRIPS
     Diplomats from India, S Africa work together in US on TRIPS waiver to COVID-19 vaccines
     Washington: Senior diplomats from India and South Africa are working together to convince influential American lawmakers and policymakers on the need to support their proposal before the WTO to temporary waive some of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) during the COVID-19 emergency. By Lalit K Jha
    
     FGN19 UK-JAISHANKAR-2NDLD BLINKEN
     Jaishankar holds talks with US counterpart Blinken in UK; discusses COVID-19, Indo-Pacific
     London/Washington: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in their first in-person meeting, discussed ways to deal with the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic, situation in the strategic Indo-Pacific region and cooperation in multilateral forums. By Aditi Khanna & Lalit K Jha
    
     FGN27 VIRUS-US-INDIA-AID
     USAID Administrator reviews COVID-19 aid to India; holds talks with Indian envoy on day 1 at job
     Washington: USAID Administrator Samantha Power, soon after being sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, reviewed the ongoing COVID-19 assistance to India and held a virtual meeting with the country’s Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, reaffirming that America will work tirelessly to support the people of India in its fight against the deadly contagion. By Lalit K Jha
    
     FGN40 UK-INDIA-SERUM-LD INVESTMENT
     Serum Institute of India leads cross-sector Indian investments into UK
     London: The Serum Institute of India will invest 240 million pounds in the UK to expand its vaccine business and set up a new sales office creating a large number of jobs, Downing Street announced as part of plans for a 1-billion pound India-UK Enhanced Trade Partnership creating around 6,500 jobs in Britain. By Aditi Khanna
    
     FGN34 VIRUS-SAFRICA-INDIAN
     No Indian COVID-19 variant found in S Africa yet: NICD after traveller tests positive
     Johannesburg: South Africa has so far not detected the Indian variant of the COVID-19 virus that is wreaking havoc in India, the country's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said after a traveller from India tested positive. By Fakir Hassen
    
     FGN22 US-INDIAN-ATTACK
     Sikh man attacked with hammer by hate-fuelled Black assailant in US
     New York: A Sikh man was attacked with a hammer by a Black assailant who shouted at him "I don't like you" and "You’re not the same skin" at a hotel in Brooklyn here, prompting a prominent New-York based advocacy group to call on investigators to examine if the assault was a hate crime incident. By Yoshita Singh
    
     FGN32 PAK-ACCIDENT
     15 killed, 35 injured as bus falls into ravine in Pakistan
     Islamabad: At least 15 people were killed and more than 35 others injured when a speeding passenger bus fell into a ravine in Pakistan’s Punjab province, the police said on Tuesday. By Sajjad Hussain
    
     FGN36 MEXICO-METRO-3RDLD COLLAPSE
     Mexico City metro overpass collapses onto road; 23 dead
     Mexico City: An elevated section of the Mexico City metro collapsed and sent a subway car plunging toward a busy boulevard late Monday, killing at least 23 people and injuring about 70, city officials said. Rescuers searched a car left dangling from the overpass for hours for anyone who might be trapped. (AP) IND

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)