US wildfires: Dixie Fire burns over 700,000 acres in California

Firefighters work in an area hit by the Dixie Fire near Greenville town in Northern California SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 21 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Dixie Fire has burned more than 700,000 acres as of Friday afternoon in remote Northern California of the United States. The fire, which started on July 14…

Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: US accuses Abiy’s government of blocking aid

USAID says food aid in Tigray is on the brink of running out  ADDIS ABABA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US international development agency has blamed the Ethiopian government for a shortage of humanitarian aid in the country’s conflict-torn Tigray region. USAID accused the government of “obstructing” access to Tigray,…

Covid-19: Chile receives more Sinovac vaccines

SANTIAGO, Aug 21 (NNN-XINHUA) — Chile received a new shipment of COVID-19 vaccine doses from the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac. The shipment, which was delivered at the Santiago international airport,  will allow more people to receive vaccination, said Deputy Health Minister Paula Daza. The Chinese vaccine was approved for emergency…

US uses helicopters to rescue Americans trapped at hotel to Kabul airport

 WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US military in Afghanistan sent helicopters to rescue over 150 Americans unable to reach the Kabul airport gates, an official said, in the first evidence that US forces werewilling and able to go beyond the US-secured compound to help people seeking evacuation.   The…

Morocco says keen to keep Algeria-Spain gas pipeline open

  RABAT, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Morocco wants to keep open a pipeline supplying Algerian gas via the kingdom to consumers in Europe, a senior official has said, despite a downturn in relations between the North Africanrivals.   The operating contract for the Moroccan section of the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline,…

Quake-hit Haiti’s PM vows elections ‘soon as possible’

   WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry pledged to organize elections as soon as possible despite the devastation of last week’s earthquake, in a nation still reeling from its president’s assassination.   Henry acknowledged that the international community views with concern the Caribbean country’s “chronic” political…

Covid-19: Cuba approves two more locally made Covid vaccines

  HAVANA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cuba approved two more domestic Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use, the island nation’s medication regulatory body said.    The authorization came after a “rigorous evaluation process of the Soberana 02 and Soberana Plus vaccines,” the body, CECMED, said in a statement.    The two…

Powerful storm Henri threatens US east coast

  NEW YORK, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A swath of the US east coast, including New York City, was under alert due to approaching storm Henri, which is expected to become the first hurricane to hit the New England area indecades.   Forecasters warned of violent winds, the risk of…

Mexico braces for second hit from Hurricane Grace

  VERACRUZ (Mexico0, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Grace strengthened to a Category Two hurricane as it barreled towards Mexico for a second time, triggering warnings of flooding and mudslides in mountains on the easternmainland.    The hurricane first struck Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday near the town of Tulum, famed…

UNHCR wants to keep working in Afghanistan

UNHCR says Afghanistan urgently needs support and humanitarian aid GENEVA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR wants to continue working in Afghanistan following the takeover by the Taliban militants.“We want to stay in the country because the people there need help now more than ever,” the…