Pres Biden hopes to end Afghan airlift on time as Taliban blame US for chaos

 WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden said he still hopes to finalize the dramatic evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan by Aug 31, as the Islamists blamed Washington for harrowing scenes of chaos and despair at the airport in Kabul. One week after…

US floods: At least 16 dead in flooding in state of Tennessee

 WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Devastating floods in the southern US state of Tennessee have left at least 16 people dead and dozens missing, local officials said in what they warned was a preliminary toll. Tennessee was hit Saturday by what meteorologists called historic storms and flooding, dumping 15 inches…

Russian rocket launches 34 new UK satellites

  MOSCOW, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Russian Soyuz rocket has blasted into space carrying 34 new satellites from British operator Oneweb, which aims to provide broadband internet everywhere in the world.   The rocket operated by Europe’s Arianespace took off successfully at 2213 GMT Saturday from the Baikonur cosmodrome…

Afghanistan crisis: Seven people die in chaos near Kabul airport, says UK defence ministry

A demonstrator holds a banner as he takes part in a ‘Save Afghanistan’ protest in Parliament Square, in London, Britain    LONDON, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Seven Afghan civilians have died in the chaos near Kabul airport, the British defence ministry said Sunday.    “Our sincere thoughts are with the…

German train drivers’ union calls further strike action

Passengers waiting at a train station BERLIN, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Germany’s rail passengers will have to face a further round of strikes by train drivers from Monday to Wednesday next week.The German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) called on its members to walk out for the second time in the…

Haiti faces anger and despair a week after quake, fanning security fears

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tensions in Haiti were rising over a lack of aid to remote areas hardest hit by last week’s devastating earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people in the impoverished Caribbean country. Many Haitians whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed by the magnitude 7.2 quake that struck on…

Covid-19: Anti-vaccine demos in France for sixth weekend

Around 200 different demonstrations were called across the country PARIS, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of France again on Saturday against the government’s COVID-19 vaccination policies. Saturday’s marches were called for the sixth weekend in a row to denounce a “health pass”…

EU neighbours jointly rebuke Belarus for illegal migrant surge

WARSAW, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The leaders of Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia came together on Saturday to condemn Belarus for allowing migrants to illegally cross its borders into the European Union. “All European Union member states have a duty to protect borders and to stop illegal entries,” read a Polish…

Former Bolivian President Anez attempted suicide while in jail: police

LA PAZ, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Former Bolivian President Jeanine Anez harmed herself by cutting her lower arms while in jail on Saturday, her lawyer Norka Cuellar told local media after police reported what they categorised as attempted suicide. “This is a cry for help from the former president. She…

US administers 361.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines: CDC

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States has administered 361,684,564 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Saturday morning and distributed 428,506,065 doses, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 360,634,287 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms…