Afghan government releases 80 of final 400 Taliban prisoners

The prisoners after President Ashraf Ghani ordered their release KABUL, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Afghan government has begun releasing the last Taliban prisoners from a final batch of 400 who the militants want freed before they agree to start peace negotiations, a security agency spokesman said. The government agreed…

Covid-19: UK adds France, Netherlands to travel quarantine list

LONDON, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain said it will reimposequarantine for travellers from France and the Netherlands, prompting Paris to quickly announce a “reciprocal measure”. The UK government declared the change, which will likely spark a massexodus among the estimated half a million British holidaymakers currently in France, after a…

Update: New Zealand virus outbreak spreads beyond Auckland

AUCKLAND, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — New Zealand’s resurgent coronavirus outbreak has spread beyond Auckland, health officials said Friday, in a major blow to efforts to contain the disease. Health Minister Chris Hipkins said there were 12 more cases of communitytransmission, and one probable, following the shock re-emergence of the virus…

Mexico, Peru each top half a million virus cases

LIMA, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Countries in coronavirus epicenter LatinAmerica reported troubling new statistics on Thursday, with Mexico and Peru both surpassing half a million confirmed infections. Mexico has 505,293 cases overall after registering 7,371 new infections in24 hours, the Ministry of Health said. There have been 55,293 deaths, making…

Covid-19: Virus-hit Mexico City reopens museums, cinemas

MEXICO CITY, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexico is reopening museums and cinemas in the capital after months of lockdown, but face masks and social distancing are the new normal for culture vultures in a city still battling the coronavirus. At the iconic Soumaya Museum, security guards wearing face shields and…

COVID-19 vaccine will be free for Americans: officials

WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — If a COVID-19 vaccine is proveneffective, the US will ensure it’s distributed for free to all Americans,officials said, underscoring there will be no shortcuts on safety. “We are not at all reducing the regulatory rigor with which we willevaluate and hopefully approve vaccines,” Paul Mango,…

Covid-19: WHO urges countries to gamble on shared vaccine search

GENEVA, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The WHO on Thursday urged countries to invest billions of dollars in searching for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments — calling it a snip compared to the vast economic cost of the coronavirus crisis. The World Health Organization insisted it was a smarter bet than the…

Update: Tens of thousands rally in Belarus against post-vote crackdown

MINSK, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of thousands of Belarusians staged a wave of peaceful protests against President AlexanderLukashenko’s disputed re-election and an ensuing brutal police crackdown. In apparent concessions, Belarus announced the release of more than 1,000detained protesters and the interior minister apologised to injuredbystanders. European countries condemned the…

33 dead in Niger floods

NIAMEY, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Thirty-three people in Niger have died and more than 80,000 have been affected by floods caused by heavy rains, the country’s emergency services said on Thursday. The worst-hit regions are Maradi in south-central Niger, Tahoua and Tillaberi in the west, and Dosso in the southwest.…

UN chief hopes Israel-UAE deal can help two-state solution

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — United NationsSecretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday he hoped the Israel-UAE deal can help realize a two-state solution with the Palestinians for peace in the Middle East. Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize ties in a landmark deal, only thethird such accord the Jewish…