TOKYO -- Japan's government on Monday submitted to parliament a draft extra budget for fiscal 2021 worth a record 36.0 trillion yen (320 billion U.S. dollars) to partially finance its latest economic package, local media reported Monday.

The budget is expected to be approved by the Diet in an extraordinary parliamentary session, which will start Monday afternoon and run through Dec. 21. (Japan-Extra budget)

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WELLINGTON -- New Zealand has secured supplies of another medicine to treat COVID-19, Health Minister Andrew Little said on Monday.

In October, New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to make an advance purchase of a promising new antiviral drug, molnupiravir, Little said in a statement. (New Zealand-COVID-19 Medicine-Pfizer)

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NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally rose to 34,641,561 on Monday, as 8,306 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry's latest data.

Besides, as many as 211 deaths due to the pandemic since Sunday morning took the total death toll to 473,537. (India-COVID 19-Cases)

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CANBERRA -- The opposition Labor Party is the favourite among voters to win the next federal election in Australia, a poll has found.

The latest Newspoll, which was published on Sunday night, found that 47 percent of voters expect Labor to form a government following the election, which is due to be held by May 2022, compared to 37 percent who expect the governing Coalition to remain in power. (Australia-Canberra-newspoll) Enditem

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