Despite peace talks, 57 Afghan soldiers died in skirmishes with the Taliban on Sunday night across several provinces. The Islamic insurgent group did not say whether it suffered any fatalities, but an Afghan military spokesman said 54 of the militants died, Reuters reported. Taliban attacks have killed nearly 100 civilians in the past two weeks, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian.
The remnants of the hurricane brought heavy rain and floods to parts of the South on Thursday. Sally picked up speed as it moved over eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, dumping several inches of rain on its way to the Atlantic. By Friday, forecasters turned their attention to the next major weather event, a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico expected to strengthen as it moves toward the Texas coast over the weekend.
The 53 countries that make up the World Health Organization’s European region have confirmed more than 300,000 new COVID-19 cases in the past week. More than half of the countries reported a 10 percent or greater jump in new infections in the past two weeks. Of those, seven saw a more than two-fold increase. Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO’s European director, called it “a wake-up call for all of us.”
Health | As cold weather approaches, consider these ways to minimize indoor coronavirus exposure
