Four railway police shot dead, two wounded on Yangon circular train
Six railway police were shot on a Yangon circular train at about 5.30pm on August 14 with four dead and two wounded, according to initial reports.
Shooting reportedly occurred near Kyimyindine Station as the circular train travelled from Yangon Railway Station to Insein Station.
Images of the shooting incident went on viral on social media showing one policeman lying on the bench of a railway carriage with some other police beside him seemingly wounded or killed by gunshots.
“Someone opened fire on them. We learnt that the police were no position to return fire. But we cannot confirm. As it was about 5.30pm, they were going to finish their duty when the train arrived at the destination. One policeman was lying and supposed to be ill. He was sent to a hospital. He did not die,” said an official from the ministry of transport and communications.
He added that someone was likely to open fire on the railway police with a pistol.
An official from Myanmar Railways said he did not know details about the incident but no passenger or crew member was hurt.
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Lance corporal Win Zaw Latt, and privates Ye Min Tun, Phyo Maung Maung and Htein Lin Aung totaling four were killed in the shooting. Corporals Myint Htay and Kyaw Zin were hospitalized, according to social media sources.
Pakistan closely following unfolding situation in Afghanistan: FO
As Taliban moved further into Kabul, Pakistan on Sunday said it was “closely following the unfolding situation” in Afghanistan, and would continue to support the efforts for a political settlement.
“We hope all Afghan sides will work together to resolve this internal political crisis,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
It said the Pakistan embassy in Kabul was “extending necessary assistance” to Pakistanis, Afghans and the diplomatic and international community for consular work and coordination of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights.
A special inter-ministerial cell has been established in the Ministry of Interior to facilitate visa/arrival matters for diplomatic personnel, UN agencies, international organisations, media and others, it added.
Speaking about the situation in Afghanistan at a press conference in Multan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan had repeatedly emphasised that Afghanistan’s problems “have no military solution”.
“The world and Pakistan are on the same page, that the Afghan issue be solved through talks and negotiation and a transitional setup emerges in a peaceful way which is inclusive and broad-based,” he said.
Terming the ongoing crisis “moments of trial” for the Afghan leadership, the minister said Pakistan hoped that Afghan citizens’ rights were protected and the problem was solved through talks.
Qureshi said Islamabad had played the role of a facilitator in the peace process, and its diplomatic outreach would continue. “After Ashura, I will contact different Afghan neighbours and exchange thoughts so we can go toward a peaceful solution,” he added.
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Afghan delegation reaches Pakistan to discuss ‘matters of mutual interest’
Meanwhile, an Afghan political delegation led by Wolesi Jirga Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani arrived in Pakistan on Sunday evening.
The delegation was received by Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, who said on Twitter that the visiting group included Salahuddin Rabbani, Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, Ustad Mohammad Karim Khalili, Ahmad Zia Massoud, Ahmad Wali Massoud, Abdul Latif Pedram, Ustad Mohammad Mohaqiq and Khalid Noor.
“Matters of mutual interest will be discussed during the Afghan political leadership’s visit,” Sadiq added.
Qureshi receives call from British counterpart, stresses need for ‘consistent engagement’ with Afghan leaders
Qureshi also received a phone call from Britain Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Dominic Raab, according to a press release by the Foreign Office.
During the call, Qureshi “reviewed the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan” with his British counterpart.
The foreign minister reiterated Pakistan’s “steadfast support for a peaceful settlement” and stated that the situation in Afghanistan required “international community’s consistent engagement with the Afghan leaders to ensure a peaceful and stable Afghanistan”.
Qureshi, as per the FO statement, “expressed hope that the Afghan leaders would take advantage of international convergence in support of peace and reconciliation process”.
He also apprised Secretary Raab of Pakistan’s “efforts to fully facilitate the evacuation of personnel and staff of diplomatic missions, international organizations, media and others, as requested”.
“The foreign minister reiterated the invitation to his counterpart for the next round of Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD) in Islamabad,” the FO press release added.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on August 13 released a selection of reassuring results of nearly a decade and a half of research on a hybrid rice variety found to be more resilient to climate change and produce significantly better yields than conventional cultivars.
Named after the captivating aromatic pearly-white tropical flower of the hardy gardenia evergreen shrub – also known by its botanical name Gardenia jasminoides, the “Phka Mealadei” cultivar has been a roaring success in its 10 years of experimental trials on farmers’ fields across the Kingdom.
Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Cardi) director Lor Bunna told The Post that Phka Mealadei is a seasonal, medium-term hybrid rice strain derived from a cross of the fragrant Phka Romduol – serving as the female line – and the Cambodian Rice 3 (CAR3) as the male line. Both parent varieties take medium duration to maturity as well.
Phka Mealadei has been tested on varied agroecosystems for 14 years, and the promising results being achieved prompted Cardi to release the seed to farmers in early 2018 for commercial use, he said.
When asked what motivated this hybridisation project, Bunna noted that the institute was keen to invest huge amounts of time if it meant developing a new, sturdy cultivar of the Asian staple that has a relatively high tolerance of water shortages and other climate change-associated stresses.
The wide adoption of Phka Mealadei could lead to a marked improvement in rice yields nationwide to feed Cambodia’s burgeoning population, as well as improve rural livelihoods and quality of life.
This would dovetail with the government’s greater efforts to build a supportive financial and market infrastructure for domestic agricultural products, in its drive to unlock the potential of the sector and develop it into a sustainable growth engine, as a major linchpin of the Kingdom’s economy.
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Bunna added: “Broadly speaking, it’s for the market, owing to this type of rice’s hallmarks of magnificence, splendour, softness and delectability, and on top of that, its resilience to climate change shocks such as irregular rain patterns or regional water deficits – this variety is hardy.”
But large-scale hybrid rice seed production still requires refinement and a deeper understanding of market needs, and by and large remains priced out of reach for smallholder farmers.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon noted in a Facebook post that this push for the adoption of Phka Mealadei has led to the creation of 220 demonstration farms that use the cultivar, as well as 12 registered seed producers and 11 other venues that exhibit the seeds.
These are all in the six target provinces of Svay Rieng, Prey Veng, Kampong Thom, Oddar Meanchey, Battambang and Pursat, the minister said.
The Australian government has given a major impetus to the initiative, pitching in funds since end-2018 through its Cambodia-Australia Agricultural Value Chain Program to fast-track the diffusion of the hybrid rice strain, he said, indicating that a total of 40 tonnes of seed have been produced thenceforth.
“According to the results from the 220 demonstration farms, the Phka Mealadei rice variety grows well. It increased yields around 14-27 per cent higher than long-term dry season cultivars,” he said, adding that 231 farmers have become direct beneficiaries of the project, either by obtaining genetically-pure first-generation hybrid seeds or the method to produce them.
For reference, the latest dry season crop reached about 2.93 million tonnes on a total cultivated area of 646,530ha, or an average of over 4.5 tonnes per hectare, according to General Directorate of Agriculture chief Ngin Chhay.
The minister claimed that 284 additional people have embraced the cultivar and are eager to work towards advancing its cultivation, processing, promotion and marketing come next season. This includes growers – mostly neighbours of farmers already cultivating the hybrid variety – traders, rice mill owners and agricultural extension officers, Sakhon said.
Bunna called on growers nationwide to consider delving into Phka Mealadei and diffusing the crop to other farmers, and to seek guidance from specialist officials each step of the way.
A number of rice associations have purchased first-generation seeds at around $3.50 per kg with intent to export, he said, noting that offspring grains grown by farmers fetch far lower rates.
Trash collectors unsung heroes during COVID restrictions
HÀ NỘI — Refuse is still being collected despite Hà Nội announcing its decision to extend stringent citywide social distancing and citizens having to stay at home for 15 more days until August 23.
Streets in the capital that are normally crowded are now deserted. At night, things are even quieter.
When everyone is asleep, many sanitation workers begin their work, as it is essential for minimising germs arising from waste to ensure environmental sanitation and people’s health during lockdown.
Cleaning the street is not just hard work, but also requires many sacrifices. Sometimes, streets at night can be extremely dangerous for the such workers.
In the early hours of August 3, Lê Thị Trâm, 40, was collecting garbage off Đại Mỗ Street. Due to the heavy garbage trolleys, she had to ride her motorbike to pull the trolleys to the local collection point.
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While she was carrying out her duties, she was robbed by four young men riding two motorbikes without licence plates. The group grabbed her and took her motorbike despite her pleading.
“This motorbike was my family’s most valuable asset, without it I don’t know what to do,” Trâm said.
Luckily, she was not alone in this fight.
On August 3, when receiving information about the robbery, Nam Từ Liêm District Police officers donated part of their wages to buy a new motorbike for Trâm, and were later able to track down the robbers.
The next day, she even received three more new motorbikes from people in the community.
“I am really surprised and touched to receive four new motorbikes,” she said. “However, I’d like to donate two of the new motorbikes to my colleagues in difficult circumstances.”
“Previously, my husband and I shared a motorbike … so I would like to keep only two motorbikes, one for me and one for my husband. I would like to thank the community who have helped me. Also I want to say that I will stop accepting gifts.
“There are many more people who need help more than me, especially during this pandemic.”
Despite working alone at night, the trash collectors who devote their careers to the cleanliness of public streets will never be alone. — VNS
Technology was at the forefront of Chinas strong presence at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies played a significant role in helping Chinese athletes in training and improving their performance.
Pongbot, an AI-enabled table tennis robot, has become a popular “coach” at the national training base for table tennis players. It can make high-quality shots at will and it never gets tired.
The robot can also adjust the speed and spin of the ball according to a player’s level of aptitude. Through big data, it is able to gather and analyze the trajectory and movement of different athletes, and furthermore simulate competitors’ movements to help their training.
“The AI robot no doubt replaces some of the work for coaches, especially when we have to take care of several tables during training,” said Chen Bin, deputy dean of China Table Tennis College and the coach for retired table tennis world champion Ding Ning.
Codeveloped by China Table Tennis College and Siasun Robot& Automation Co, Pongbot is believed by many industry insiders to be the world’s first AI ball-pitching robot.
“More importantly, it can also imitate the course of different players that human training partners usually find hard, for instance that of Japanese table tennis player Ito Mima. With this, we could offer more targeted training to our athletes,” he said.
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At the Tokyo Olympics, China ranked second in the medal count with 38 gold, 32 silver and 18 bronze medals, just behind the United States. In sports including volleyball, running, swimming, rowing and weightlifting, a large number of the country’s athletes adopted high-tech training methods.
China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) highlighted the important role of technologies in driving the digitalization of key areas including sports. A guideline released by the State Council on the high-quality development of sports said that the nation will accelerate the application of smart manufacturing, big data and AI in the sports sector.
Quan Hongchan, the 14-year-old talented Chinese diver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said on her Weibo account that behind her gold medal was not only her own efforts, but also the three-dimensional AI training system of the national diving team.
The advanced system, developed by internet company Baidu Inc, restructures the three-dimensional body posture of divers upon standing at the springboard. This feedback will be sent back to coaches in real-time.
Fei Xiang, a senior engineer from Baidu, said that such high-tech equipment is important for sports events that have high precision requirements.
The China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology also helped six world swimming champions by using precision measurements during their preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.
Its waterproof measurement device only weighs 16 grams and is able to gather data within a second on a swimmer’s posture, breathing and stroke frequency, as well as turning times and other technical metrics.
Huang Haiyan, a professor of sports events and industries at Shanghai University of Sport, said: “Technology will have a multiform and in-depth impact on the country’s sports industry. Computer technology, virtual reality, somatosensory technologies, AI and big data will see explosive applications in the sports sector in the coming years.
“The use of technologies in the sports industry will help to enhance the nation’s overall competitiveness in sports,” Huang said.
Tokyo 2020+ In Review / Gen Z skateboarders take sport beyond competition
Misugu Okamoto sat in fourth place going into her third and last run as the last competitor in the final of the women’s park skateboarding event on Aug. 4. Bidding to move up and win a medal, the 15-year-old Japanese executed tricks one after another — until the last one, when she fell on the landing.
Sobbing as she left the course, Okamoto’s competitors came up to her one by one and embraced her in a hug, then gathered to hoist her onto their shoulders. That changed her tearful face into a smile.
“It’s magic because I have a medal on my neck, but also because I was able to write history alongside my friends,” Brazil’s Pedro Barros, 26, who won a silver medal in the men’s park skateboarding, was quoted as saying. “It’s all about making the sport a better place and a better world, sharing love and respect.
“Skateboarding is a community and lifestyle that goes way beyond just a sport.”
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In the Olympics, athletes and their supporters alike have a strong tendency to expect medals and settle for nothing less. This leads to “medal supremacists” for whom results are everything.
However, the world of skateboarding draws a line with traditional sports. Videos of spectacular tricks posted on social media quickly get “likes” from around the world, which some skaters value higher than good results in competitions.
Others replay the video over and over, aiming to imitate the tricks. Their smartphone becomes their coach. By making the spectacular tricks public, it allows every skater to get better.
Skater fashion also attracts attention. At the root is likely the underlying desire to have fun in the sport.
The women’s park final consisted of eight skateboarders including Okamoto. The oldest was 23, and the average age was 17. They are members of Gen Z, a generation of digital natives in their mid-teens to mid-20s who have been exposed to the Internet from the day they were born.
They want not just to compete, but to have fun and spend time with their friends. A fresh wind is blowing through the Olympics, started by a new generation in a new sport.
SL can avert 18,000 deaths by Jan. 2022 if lockdowns are imposed: WHO experts
The 5th Independent Expert Group Meeting, convened by WHO Sri Lanka, has said Sri Lanka will be able to avert about 18,000 deaths by Jan 2022 only if the level of stringency is immediately increased similar to May 2021, for four weeks.
The experts have said that lockdowns will give authorities time to accelerate vaccination and achieve the level of protection following the second dose of vaccines, and enable the health system to recover from the overwhelming case load.
“Immediate actions are crucial and critical because it takes a few weeks before measures show a positive impact on the number of infections and hospital admissions. Any delay in implementation will lead to an increase in deaths and will require even more stringent measures with longer duration to regain control,” they said in their report handed over to the Health Ministry on Thursday.
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They also recommended the government to; 1. Strictly enforce movement restrictions, including inter-district travel except for essential services. The effective implementation of these measures may require the enforcement of a curfew for a short period, in large geographic areas or nationally.
2. Restrict /cancel all public events for 3 weeks.
3. Provide care and protect the health workers and augment staffing in hospitals to minimize disruption of essential health services.
4. Develop and implement an effective communication plan to engage the public and to update them on the control measures.
5. Accurate reporting of both cases and deaths to get a better picture of the ground situation. May also use proxy indicators such as observed Test Positivity Rate (TPR), trends measured using weekly moving averages and time series analysis, mobility data, etc.
6. Prioritize vaccinating all those over 60 years old and those with comorbidities, preferably with Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca because even a single dose of these vaccines provides some degree of protection until the second dose is given.
Below are excerpts of the recommendations of the Expert Group: “The Experts noted with great concern the current surge in COVID-19, nearly overwhelming the capacity of the health systems to provide the required adequate care for the people. The trends given below indicate that Sri Lanka could soon face a health crisis of unprecedented proportions.
“Sri Lanka is showing a rapid increase in daily reported number of cases and deaths (111 deaths reported on 09 August 2021 representing a doubling of deaths in a short space of time).
” Bed occupancy rates at all levels of care facilities (over 85%) and ICU’s (over 90%) have increased progressively and is now in full capacity. Patients dependent on oxygen have significantly increased from 528 last week to 646 patients yesterday. If this trend continues, there is an inevitability of a serious shortage of oxygen supply and interruption of care.
“Many areas of the country show a high PCR test positivity rate of over 20%.
“As of 31 July 2021, more than 60% of sequenced samples are Delta variant, which is highly transmissible with a shorter incubation period. It is now the dominant variant in Western Province and will soon spread to other areas. Delta variant spreads rapidly as has been shown in several countries. The crisis will be magnified once Delta variant has spread countrywide because most of the other provinces are not as well vaccinated as the Western province.
” For the vaccine that is used most widely, community vaccination will take 2-3 weeks after the second dose to provide adequate protection from severe disease and death. As of 09 August, less than 15% of the population is fully vaccinated. The newly vaccinated, single-dose vaccinated or unvaccinated groups are at very high risk of severe illness and it is very likely that there will be further increase of cases and deaths, particularly in densely populated areas.
“Significant number of health workers are getting infected with a consequent pressure for curtailment and closure of services. All indications are that the “Amidst this situation, there is sustained high level of mobility and social mixing among population despite the nationwide restrictions (Oxford ‘Stringency Index’ was 85% (i.e. very effective restrictions in movement) in May, 49% in July and 29% by this week (i.e. dangerously low levels of movement restrictions).
The figure given in the Appendix and linked pdf shows a very clear inverse relationship between Sri Lanka’s stringency index value (black line) and the number of cases and deaths brown areas.”
Chinese researchers develop new material in glassy state capable of scratching diamond
Researchers have synthesized a new material in a glassy state that can cause scratches on diamond, said a national key laboratory in Yanshan University, north Chinas Hebei Province.
The newly developed tough material named AM-III was obtained under high temperature and pressure using C60 fullerene, as hard as diamond as it has a 113 GPa hardness in the Vickers hardness test. It is hitherto the world’s strongest and hardest amorphous material, said the researchers in their paper published in the journal National Science Review.
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The material is approximately 10 times as hard as steel and should be quite a bit better at stopping bullets than most vest technology, according to the paper.
It is also an optically transparent semiconductor material and is expected to be applied in photovoltaic technologies and innovations.
Timeline: Recent situation changes in Afghanistan since irresponsible U.S. troop withdrawal
Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday night, while the Taliban forces entered the capital of Kabul and took control of the presidential palace.
Here is a timeline of the recent situation changes in Afghanistan:
Aug. 15:
— Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has left the country, head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council Abdullah Abdullah confirmed on Sunday evening.
— The Taliban ordered its forces to enter Kabul city after encircling it for hours. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that Taliban got inside the city to provide security for the countrymen and ensure law and order.
— A curfew was imposed in Kabul starting 21:00 local time on Sunday to prevent violence.
— Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told media he could confirm there were talks with the presidential palace about a peaceful takeover of power.
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Aug. 13:
— Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on social media that the Taliban had seized Kandahar, capital of the southern province of Kandahar; Herat, capital of western Herat province; Qala-e-Naw, capital of western Badghis province; Qalat, capital of southern Zabul province; Lashkar Gah, capital of southern Helmand province; Pul-e-Alam, capital of eastern Logar province; Tirin Kot, capital of the southern province of Uruzgan; and Firoz Koah, capital of the western province of Ghor. By then, the group had reportedly taken 18 provincial capitals of the country’s 34 provinces.
— British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace said the U.S. decision to pull its troops out of Afghanistan was a “mistake,” adding that the U.S. withdrawal “causes a lot of problems and as an international community, it’s very difficult for what we’re seeing today.”
— The Pentagon said that Afghan Taliban militants were trying to isolate the capital city Kabul and the situation on the ground is “deeply concerning.”
Taliban militants are seen in Mehtarlam, capital of Laghman province, eastern Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021.
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Aug. 12:
— Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, confirmed that Taliban militants had overrun Ghazni, the capital city of the east Afghan province of Ghazni, 150 km from the national capital Kabul.
— The White House announced that the United States was withdrawing personnel from its embassy in Kabul amid the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, and would deploy 3,000 troops to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport to facilitate the drawdown.
— Representatives of countries taking part in the Doha international meeting on Afghanistan called on the Afghan warring parties to expedite the peace process, and reach a political settlement and comprehensive ceasefire as quickly as possible.
Aug. 11:
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— Taliban militants overran Pul-e-Khumri city, capital of northern Baghlan province and Faizabad city, capital of neighboring Badakhshan province, local media reported.
— President Ghani travelled to Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of northern Balkh province. A security meeting was underway in the city.
— Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan told local media that Islamabad was not taking sides in Afghanistan, and that Pakistan had “made it very clear” that it does not want any American military bases in Pakistan after U.S. forces exit Afghanistan.
Aug. 10:
— U.S. President Joe Biden said that Afghan troops must fight for themselves as multiple cities have fallen to the Taliban. The United States will continue to provide Afghan forces with close air support, food, equipment, and salaries, he said.
Aug. 8:
— Taliban militants took control over Taluqan city, capital of Afghanistan’s northern Takhar province, according to a Taliban spokesman.
— Earlier in the day, the militant group seized Sari Pul city, capital of northern Sari Pul province while it also gained ground in Kunduz city, capital of Kunduz province, in the west of Takhar.
Aug. 6:
— Taliban militants captured Zaranj city, capital of Afghanistan’s western Nimroz province, said a Taliban spokesman.
— Zaranj, the smallest Afghan provincial capital, was the first Afghan city seized by Taliban militants since the U.S. withdrawal from the country started on May 1.
— Afghanistan is at a historic conjuncture of war and peace, Dai Bing, charge d’affaires of China’s permanent mission to the United Nations, told the Security Council.
The international community should work, following the principle of Afghan leadership and Afghan ownership, to strengthen coordination and contribute positive energy to the Afghan peace and reconciliation process, he said. Taliban militants are seen inside the Ghazni city, eastern Afghanistan, Aug. 12, 2021.
Aug. 5:
— The European Union released a statement, condemning the significant escalation of violence across Afghanistan, and calling for “an urgent, comprehensive and permanent ceasefire.”
“This senseless violence is inflicting immense suffering upon Afghan citizens … The Taliban’s military offensive is in direct contradiction to their stated commitment to a negotiated settlement of the conflict,” it said.
An Afghan special force member attends a military operation against Taliban fighters in Kandak Anayat village of Kunduz city, Afghanistan, July 23, 2021.
Aug. 2:
— Ghani blamed the withdrawal of U.S. troops for the worsening situation, and revealed a six-month security plan to change the security situation in the conflict-battered country.
July 8:
— An intra-Afghan dialogue held between high-ranking delegates of the Afghan government and the Taliban group concluded in Iran’s capital Tehran.
— The Afghan government and the Taliban group agreed that war is not a solution to Afghanistan’s political conflicts, and that they should endeavor to reach a political and peaceful solution to the differences among the parties concerned, said the statement released at the end of the meeting.
— Biden said that U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31.
— Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “The United States is not just withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan: by doing that, it is admitting the failure of its mission.”
Photo taken on July 2, 2021 shows the Bagram Airfield after all U.S. and NATO forces evacuated in Parwan province, eastern Afghanistan.
July 6:
— The U.S. Central Command said that the U.S. military had completed over 90 percent of the withdrawal.
July 2:
— A spokesperson of the Afghan Defense Ministry confirmed that all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan have evacuated the Bagram Airfield near the Afghan capital Kabul and handed over the largest coalition base to the Afghan government troops.
May 1:
— U.S. and NATO troops began to pull out from Afghanistan.
Photo taken on July 8, 2021 shows the Bagram Airfield base after all U.S. and NATO forces evacuated in Parwan province, eastern Afghanistan.
Spain reports record-breaking temperature in southern town
The heatwave coincides with rising prices for electricity, which peaked at 117.29 euros (138 U.S. dollars) per megawatt hour (MWh) on Friday.
The town of Montoro in southern Spain registered the highest-ever temperature recorded in Spain on Saturday, according to the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).
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The temperature, 47.2 degrees Celsius, beat the previous record of 46.9 degrees Celsius, which was set in the city of Cordoba on July 13, 2017.
A large portion of Spain remains under red or orange alert for high temperatures and the risk of wildfires on Sunday, although temperatures are expected to drop from Monday.
The heatwave coincides with rising prices for electricity, which peaked at 117.29 euros (138 U.S. dollars) per megawatt hour (MWh) on Friday.
Taliban militants are seen in Mehtarlam, capital of Laghman province, eastern Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021.
Taliban militants are seen inside the Ghazni city, eastern Afghanistan, Aug. 12, 2021.
An Afghan special force member attends a military operation against Taliban fighters in Kandak Anayat village of Kunduz city, Afghanistan, July 23, 2021.
Photo taken on July 2, 2021 shows the Bagram Airfield after all U.S. and NATO forces evacuated in Parwan province, eastern Afghanistan.
Photo taken on July 8, 2021 shows the Bagram Airfield base after all U.S. and NATO forces evacuated in Parwan province, eastern Afghanistan.
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