Briefly

INDIA

Virus death toll sees record jump of 2,000

India's official coronavirus death toll leapt by more than 2,000 to reach 11,903 on Wednesday as Germany advised its nationals to consider leaving the country because of growing health risks. Mumbai revised its toll up by 862 to 3,165 because of unspecified accounting "discrepancies" while New Delhi saw a record jump of more than 400 deaths, taking its total to more than 1,800. It was not immediately clear how many of the deaths had occurred in latest 24-hour period and how many were from adjustments over a longer period. India, the fourth-worst-hit country in the world by cases, has now recorded 354,065 cases, according to official figures. Experts say the real figure is much higher and have called for more widespread testing.

UNITED STATES

White House sues to block Bolton's book

US President Donald Trump's administration filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to prevent publication of former national security adviser John Bolton's book, which is expected to provide a damning insider portrait of the White House. The Department of Justice alleged in its suit, filed in federal court in Washington, that publication of the book risks "compromising national security" through revelation of classified information that Bolton had access to during his turbulent 17-month stint in the White House. The book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, is due to hit the shelves next week. Trump fired Bolton in September after roughly 17 months as his senior aide. Since then the two have become openly hostile.

IRAQ

Turkey deploys special forces against Kurds

Turkey said on Wednesday it had deployed special forces in northern Iraq in an operation against Kurdish rebels, backed by air and artillery support. "Operation Claw-Tiger has begun. Our special forces heroes are in Haftanin," the Turkish Defense Ministry tweeted. The move is likely to increase friction between Ankara and Baghdad, which on Tuesday summoned the Turkish ambassador to protest against Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq this week. The Turkish military, which regularly carries out operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party in southeast Turkey and its rear bases across the border, on Sunday night launched raids against the northern Iraqi territories of Kandil, Sinjar and Hakurk.

Xinhua - Agencies