Fires in Greece under control, but danger of fire remains high

A burnt forest in Agia Anna village on Evia island, north of Athens ATHENS, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) –The fire brigade counted 53 new forest fires in Greece from Saturday to Sunday. However, no fires were reported to be completely out of control by Sunday noon, meaning the situation has eased…

Flames continue to spread in forest fire disaster in Russia

MOSCOW, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The forest fire catastrophe in Russia is spreading ominously: On Sunday, the Federal Agency for the Protection of the Forests reported almost 252 fires on a total area of 4.4 million hectares.This is again more than the day before. According to the report, more than…

At least 59 killed in floods in Turkey

Damaged buildings lined the river banks in Bozkurt, Turkey ISTANBUL, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll in floods in northern Turkey has risen to 59 and many people were still missing, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in Kastamonu.Heavy rains in recent days have led to the worst flooding in…

Syrian government forces, rebels reach truce in flashpoint area

DAMASCUS, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Syrian government forces and rebels have agreed on a two-week ceasefire in a volatile area in the south of the war-torn country, a local official said.The agreement was reached after talks with the Russian army, a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the spokesman…

Lebanon’s leaders at loggerheads as fuel crisis worsens

Cars stuck in a traffic jam near a gas station in Jiyeh, Lebanon BEIRUT, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Lebanese President Michel Aoun called an emergency meeting to discuss a worsening fuel crisis but was rebuffed by the prime minister as political paralysis obstructed efforts to find a solution, even as…

Covid-19: Tanzania has vaccinated over 200,000 in three weeks

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa got vaccinated in Dar es Salaam DAR ES SALAAM, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Three weeks after the vaccination exercise kicked off, government has said that 207,391 of the targeted groups have been vaccinated against COVID-19.With these numbers it means there are more than 800,000 jabs still available.The…

Covid-19: India takes pride in world’s largest vaccination programme, says PM Modi

NEW DELHI, Aug 16 (NNN-PTI) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India takes pride in having the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination programme and more than 54 crore people have already taken the vaccine doses.   In his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the prime…

UK announces £16.2m to tackle climate change, protect ocean

DHAKA, Aug 16 (NNN-BSS) – The United Kingdom (UK) has announced £16.2m for five programmes to tackle climate change, restore ocean health and reduce poverty in developing countries under its £500 million Blue Planet Fund. In Bangladesh, the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP), one of the five programmes, will support…

Toll in massive Haiti quake jumps to 724 people dead: govt

  PORT-AU-PRINCE, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 724 people were killed in the powerful earthquake that rocked Haiti, authorities said, updating the toll on the disaster-hit nation.    An additional 2,800 people were injured in the 7.2-magnitude tremor that struck early Saturday, the country’s civil protection agency said. The…

European powers scramble to evacuate from Afghanistan

BRUSSELS/KABUL, Aug 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — European nations and the EU scrambled to evacuate their citizens and local staff from Kabul on Sunday, as NATO said it was trying to keep the airport open with the Taliban closing in on power. The hardline Islamists were on the brink of total victory…