1) Coronavirus live news: Hawaii governor wants to curb travel; Israel boosters ‘beating Delta’ theguardian.com/world/live/202…
2) The newly elected Iranian gov’t led by President Raisi is facing demands to broaden its sources of💉as Iran battles a
5th deadly covid wave. The supply of💉is said to be close to exhausted in Isfahan & Tabriz, as well as provinces including Gilan, Khuzestan and Mazandaran;
3) Australian Covid vaccine study shows social restrictions and cash would slash hesitancy; 4) Cuba will supply large quantities of its home-grown Covid-19 vaccine, Abdala, to Vietnam & also transfer the production technology to 🇻🇳 by end of 2021, Vietnamese Health Ministry said;
3) Leaders of the Group of Seven countries were set to discuss on Tuesday whether to seek an extension to a Aug. 31 deadline for the evacuation of thousands of people trying to flee Afghanistan and whether to recognize or sanction a Taliban government.
1) 🇦🇫 thread highlights Aug 23;
A) No extension to Aug 31 foreign troop withdrawal deadline;
B) Germany looking at evacs after Kabul airport closes;
C) Qatar an ‘impartial mediator’ amid Afghanistan evacuations: FM;
D) Taliban name Haji Mohammad Idris Acting Head of Central Bank;
E) Iran resumes fuel exports to Afghanistan after Taliban request;
F) UK not set on hard deadline for evacuation: PM’s spokesperson;
G) US military evacs 10.4K over 24 hours Sunday. Since Aug 14, US evacs 37K people out of Afghanistan, or helped with their evac;
H) French Mins to travel to UAE to discuss Afghanistan;
I) Putin says vital to prevent spillover of ‘radical Islam’ from Afghanistan;
J) Taliban forces recapture 3 districts in northern Afghanistan that fell to local militia groups last week, according to a Taliban spokesman;
1) Coronavirus live news: WHO chief criticises booster campaigns; China says it has zero new cases theguardian.com/world/live/202…
2) UK government has agreed to a contract for 35M more doses of Pfizer/BioNTech💉, delivery from 2nd half of next year. Vaccine stockpiling criticisms made, as other countries need first doses for their residents. UK gov’t acknowledged it was “future-proofing” w/its surplus;
3) US FDA poised to give full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech
💉 later today, in the hopes it will facilitate further 💉 mandates and an increase in take-up rates – despite an absence of long-term data of the jab’s efficacy and safety;
1) Afghanistan thread for Sunday ;
A) Pentagon says formally seeking airlift help from commercial airlines, to relocate 🇦🇫 evacuees once they’re out of 🇦🇫;
B) Def Sec Austin activated initial stage of Civil Reserve Air Fleet program Sunday;
C) Def Sec asking for 18 aircraft: 3 each from American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines and Omni Air; 2 from Hawaiian Airlines; and 4 from United Airlines;
D) Pentagon Press Sec Kirby said those aircraft won’t directly fly into HKIA in Kabul;
E) This comes as US Embassy has issued a new security warning, telling citizens not to travel to Kabul airport unless instructed by US gov’t rep & as President Joe Biden warned he could not predict the outcome of one of the “most difficult airlifts in history”;
1) Coronavirus live news: UK public to be offered antibody tests for first time; Iran reports record daily deaths theguardian.com/world/live/202…
2) Iran reported record daily covid deaths today, with 684 deaths recorded. Sunday’s total passes 655 deaths recorded Aug 16, taking the cumulative toll to 102,038, according to IRNA. 36,419 cases were also identified;
3) Greek gov’t reiterated pledge to avoid closing economy again this fall, saying it will deploy Covid passes for hospitality venues. Un-💉not allowed to sit indoors in venues including restaurants, cafes, bars, theaters/cinemas, while those💉required to show proof of💉;