A fuel truck explodes in Akkar District, Lebanon, killing at least 28 people and injuring 79 others. (Reuters)
Eleven people are killed by the waves in the sea area off Zhangzhou, Fujian, China. (China Daily)
Ivory Coast reports its first case of the Ebola hemorrhagic virus since 1994 in an isolated case of an 18-year-old girl who travelled from Guinea and is currently hospitalized in Abidjan. (Reuters)
New South Wales enters a statewide lockdown which also applies to all regional parts of the state that are currently under a stay-at-home order. All non-essential retail premises must close and all hospitality venues will revert to takeaway services after a record 466 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the past 24 hours. (SBS World News)
Vietnam reports a record 9,716 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 265,464. (CNA)
A passenger bus overturns on the M7 motorway, west of Budapest, Hungary, killing eight people and injuring dozens of other passengers. (Reuters)
Heavy rain in Japan causes a landslide in Okaya, Nagano. Three people are dead after the landslide damaged their house. (The Japan Times)
Iran reports a record 620 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 97,828. (France 24)
Laos surpasses 10,000 cases of COVID-19. (Xinhua News Agency)
Spain records the highest temperature ever of 47.4°C (117.3°F) in Montoro, province of Córdoba amid an historic heat wave. (Big News Network)
The Philippines reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant in a 35-year-old female who is asymptomatic and recovered after isolating for 10 days. (Rappler)
Bangladesh reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant in the sample of a 49-year-old woman in Dhaka. (Dhaka Tribune)
Greater Darwin and Katherine enter a three-day lockdown after new community transmissions of COVID-19 were reported. Meanwhile, lockdown restrictions in Melbourne are extended and tightened for an additional two weeks, with a controversial nighttime curfew reinstated. (The Australian) (ABC News Australia)
Iran reports a record 655 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 98,483. (Reuters)
North Macedonia restricts the access of cafés, restaurants and public events to only those who have been vaccinated with at least one dose or who have recovered from COVID-19 within the past 45 days and also limits the capacity of restaurants to 30 people with only outdoor parts of restaurants to be open in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases. (U.S. News & World Report)
Saudi Arabia calls on the Taliban and "all Afghan parties" to "preserve lives and property" and also states that "Saudi Arabia stands with the decision of the Afghan people without interference". (Reuters)
The German Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends that all children between the ages of 12 and 17 receive a COVID-19 vaccine due to increased risks posed by the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. (The Tribune)
The number of people over the age of 50 who have received a booster COVID-19 vaccine dose in Israel reaches one million. (The Times of Israel)
A boat capsizes off the coast of Mauritania with 47 people on board presumed dead. The Mauritanian Coast Guard rescues several people from the sea. The boat had departed from Western Sahara and was travelling to the Canary Islands, Spain. (Reuters)
Iran reports a record 50,228 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4,517,243. (Mehr News Agency)
Israel reports 8,716 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases since February 1. (The Jerusalem Post)
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announces that the state will reimplement its mask mandate and require vaccinations for high-risk settings. (The Santa Fe New Mexican)
New Zealand reports its first community transmission case of COVID-19 in six months in an unvaccinated 58-year-old man from Devonport who tested positive after visiting a GP surgery and travelling to the Coromandel Peninsula during the past weekend. (Stuff)
Russian intelligence sources reported that Panjshir resistance forces loyal to Amrullah Saleh had managed to re-capture Charikar and the surrounding areas of Parwan Province from the Taliban. (RIA Novosti)
Thailand reports a record 239 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 7,973. (Bangkok Post)
The Cook Islands suspends its travel bubble with New Zealand and moves to Alert Level 2 following the confirmation of the first community case of COVID-19 in six months in New Zealand. (Newshub)
The number of fully vaccinated people in Switzerland surpasses 50%. (The Local Switzerland)
COVID-19 vaccination in Mexico The Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk issues an emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (El Financiero)
Formula One announces that this year's Japanese Grand Prix scheduled for October 8–10 has been cancelled due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Japan. (BBC Sport)
Israel begins to require people over the age of 3 to show their vaccination certificate, a negative test result, or proof that they have recovered from COVID-19 in order to enter indoor places other than shopping malls and department stores. Additionally, there will be crowd size restrictions at large events and malls and stores will be required to limit their capacity to no more than one person per 7 square metres (75 sq ft). (Haaretz)
Japan reports a record 23,917 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with new records also being reported in 27 prefectures. (The Japan Times)
Malaysia reports a record 22,242 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.46 million. (Free Malaysia Today)
Mexico reports a record 28,953 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,152,205. (Bloomberg)
New South Wales reports a record 633 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
Thailand reports a record for the second consecutive day of 312 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,285. (Inquirer)
The Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that 15 more citizens of Kyrgyzstan have evacuated out of Afghanistan. (Kabar)
The Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk issues an emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (El Financiero)
Tunisia eases its nightly curfew from midnight to 5:00 a.m. and allows restaurants to remain open until 10 p.m. as the number of COVID-19 cases decreases. (Reuters)
France designates Algeria and Morocco as "high-risk" countries, which means that beginning from August 21, unvaccinated travellers will have to prove that their trip is essential, requiring a proof of negative COVID-19 test, and must accept a 10-day self-quarantine. (Radio France Internationale)
Hong Kong and Singapore abandon plans to resume a "travel bubble" for quarantine-free travel between the two cities due to differing COVID-19 policies. (The Straits Times)
Indonesia receives their first shipment of 1.56 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. (Kabar24)
Japan reports a record for the second consecutive day of 25,156 new cases of COVID-19. (Jiji Press)
Jihadists ambush a convoy in Mopti, killing 11 soldiers and wounding 10 others. A roadside bomb hit the convoy, and gunmen then opened fire. (Republic World)
Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons Board grants emergency use authorization for the Moderna and Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV vaccines. (Bloomberg)
Metro Manila and the provinces of Bataan and Laguna will have their restrictions eased under the slightly restrictive Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine beginning on August 21 for Metro Manila and Laguna and August 23 for Bataan. (Rappler)
Operation Allies Refuge The Pentagon announces that 7,000 civilians have been evacuated since August 14. (Axios)
The Pentagon announces that 7,000 civilians have been evacuated since August 14. (Axios)
The Taliban declares the formation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. (Forbes)
Thirty-two people are killed in Far North, Cameroon, in clashes between fishermen and herders since the beginning of the month. Nineteen villages have been burned. (Reuters)
Vietnam reports a record 10,654 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 312,611. (Viet Nam News)
2021 Taliban offensive An assessment by the United Nations reports that the Taliban is conducting "targeted door-to-door visits" searching for opponents and their families, deepening concerns that the group will seek revenge. (Al Jazeera) The Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov says that the Panjshir resistance led by Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud is "doomed". Zhirnov also praises the Taliban and says that the situation in Kabul is better than it was when Ashraf Ghani was governing the country. (Reuters)
An assessment by the United Nations reports that the Taliban is conducting "targeted door-to-door visits" searching for opponents and their families, deepening concerns that the group will seek revenge. (Al Jazeera)
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Cuba grants the emergency use approval for its second homegrown Soberana 2 vaccine. (Reuters)
Gunmen open fire against civilians who were praying at a mosque in the village of Theim, in southwestern Niger, killing 16 people. (Reuters)
Japan reports a record for the third consecutive day of 25,876 new cases of COVID-19. (Jiji Press)
Los Angeles County begins mandating face masks for all people who attend outdoor "mega-events" of more than 10,000 people such as open-air concert and sporting events regardless of their vaccination status. (Spectrum News 1)
Malaysia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 23,564 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.51 million. (The Star)
South Africa expands the country's vaccine age eligibility to all adults over the age of 18 in order to increase the vaccination rate as the country deals with an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant. (AP)
Taliban insurgency 2021 Taliban offensive An assessment by the United Nations reports that the Taliban is conducting "targeted door-to-door visits" searching for opponents and their families, deepening concerns that the group will seek revenge. (Al Jazeera) The Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov says that the Panjshir resistance led by Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud is "doomed". Zhirnov also praises the Taliban and says that the situation in Kabul is better than it was when Ashraf Ghani was governing the country. (Reuters)
Thailand surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (The Straits Times)
The number of adults who received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Croatia surpasses 50%. (International The News)
The Philippines reports a record 17,231 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.8 million. (ABS-CBN News)
The Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov says that the Panjshir resistance led by Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud is "doomed". Zhirnov also praises the Taliban and says that the situation in Kabul is better than it was when Ashraf Ghani was governing the country. (Reuters)
Bangladesh receives a shipment of 781,440 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by Japan. (Dhaka Tribune)
Brunei extends its nationwide partial lockdown for two weeks until September 4 amid an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. (The Straits Times)
New Zealand reports 21 new community transmitted cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total since April 2020. (The Guardian)
Palau reports their first cases of COVID-19 in two people who travelled from Guam and were placed in quarantine with their known contacts. (France 24)
Regional Victoria re-enters a lockdown as COVID-19 infections spread from an ongoing cluster in Melbourne. (The Age)
Seven people are killed during a stampede at the airport in Kabul. (Reuters)
The world's highest elevation expressway, between Lhasa and Nagqu in Tibet, China, opens. The average elevation of the 295 kilometres (183 mi) expressway is more than 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) above sea level. (China Daily)
Vietnam reports a record for the third consecutive day of 11,321 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 336,707. (The Star)
Argentina receives a shipment of 400,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by Spain. (Perfil)
Brunei reports a record 314 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,769. (Borneo Bulletin)
Hundreds of people, including Afghans, hold a demonstration against the Taliban in Stockholm, Sweden. (Central Asia Times)
