Afghan President, NATO’s Civilian Envoy Discuss Peace Process

KABUL, Aug 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Afghanistan’s President, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, yesterday met with NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, Stefano Pontecorvo, and discussed issues including the peace process in Afghanistan, the Presidential Palace said. In the meeting, attended by National Security Adviser, Hamdullah Mohib, the two sides exchanged views on…

Over 8.3 Million People Affected By Floods In India’s Bihar State

NEW DELHI, Aug 23 (NNN-UNI) – Floods in India’s eastern state of Bihar affected over 8.3 million people, officials said yesterday. According to Bihar Disaster Management Department (BDMD), the ongoing floods have inundated 16 districts across the state, affecting a population of 8,362,451. According to officials, the floods have so…

Ethiopia’s Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Surpass 39,000

ADDIS ABABA, Aug 23 (NNN-ENA) – Ethiopia’s confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 39,033, after 1,368 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed yesterday, the country’s Ministry of Health said. The ministry said, 25 more patients succumbed to illnesses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the total number of deaths to 662.…

Latest Flood On China’s Yangtze River Passes Three Gorges Dam

WUHAN, Aug 23 (NNN-XINHUA) – Yangtze River’s fifth flood of this year, smoothly passed the Three Gorges Dam, after pushing the reservoir’s water level to a record high. The water level at the Three Gorges reservoir started to recede after reaching 167.65 metres at 8.00 a.m. yesterday, the highest since…

IAEA Chief To Visit Tehran Tomorrow

VIENNA, Aug 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, will travel to Tehran tomorrow, to meet with high-level Iranian authorities, IAEA said. The visit will be the director general’s first to Iran, since he took office last Dec, the statement said. During…

Global COVID-19 Deaths Surpass 800,000: Johns Hopkins University

NEW YORK, Aug 23 (NNN-XINHUA) – Global COVID-19 deaths surpassed 800,000 yesterday, according to the Centre for Systems Science and Engineering, at Johns Hopkins University. As of 1356 GMT yesterday, 22,984,824 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported globally, according to the tally. The United States and Brazil remain the top…

Iran Ready To Pay Compensations In Crashed Ukrainian Plane Case

TEHRAN, Aug 23 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran is ready to pay compensations pertaining to the case in the Ukrainian passenger plane that crashed in Iran’s airspace in Jan, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation said. Touraj Dehqani Zangeneh made the remarks, ahead of a new round of talks between the two…

Japan Reports 984 New Cases Of COVID-19, 62,046 In Total

TOKYO, Aug 23 (NNN-NHK) – The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 984, to reach 62,046 as of last night, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities. The figure excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama.…

Feature: Syrian Beauty Salon Makes Fashionable Face Masks

By Hummam Sheikh Ali DAMASCUS, Aug 23 (NNN-XINHUA) – Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some Syrians are turning to tailor-made face masks, to add a touch of style and personality to their protective wear. At a beauty salon in Damascus, Zeina Halal, the manager, came up with the idea, at…

Turkey Imposes Stricter Safety Controls As COVID-19 Cases Surge

ANKARA, Aug 23 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey recorded a surging number of COVID-19 cases in the past few days, including the highest daily cases in over 45 days, prompting authorities to introduce stricter safety controls. Public negligence of strict COVID-19 measures, including mandatory mask-wearing and self-isolation for positive patients, is largely…