VOA NEWS - 210801

 

VOA NEWS

August 1, 2021

This is VOA News. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd. **** Government forces in Afghanistan battled a major assault Saturday by Taliban insurgents (叛乱分子) on Lashkar Gah, the capital of southern Helmand province as officials said clashes were ongoing inside parts of the city. Both sides reportedly suffered heavy casualties. The fierce fighting forced civilians to flee for safety amid allegations that Afghan air force planes had bombed and destroyed a city hospital. The provincial governor, Mohammad Ali Alizai, told reporters the arrival of reinforcements and airstrikes against insurgent positions had helped contain [控制; 容纳; 牵制(敌军)] Taliban advances. However, security officials confirmed to VOA that clashes were continuing in parts of the provincial capital. Heavy fighting was also reported in the adjoining city of Kandahar, the capital of the province of the same name, and outside the capital city of the western Herat province, next to the country's border with Iran. Security conditions have deteriorated across Afghanistan since May 1st, when the United States and NATO allies began withdrawing their last remaining troops from the country after 20 years. **** Tenants saddled (承受；使负担；跨上马鞍) with months of back rent are facing the end of a federal eviction moratorium (暂停，中止), which expires in a few hours, a move that could lead to millions being forced from their homes just as the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading. The Biden administration announced Thursday it would allow the ban to expire, saying it wanted to extend it due to rising infections but its hands were tied after the U.S. Supreme Court signaled in June that it wouldn't be extended beyond the end of July without congressional action (国会授权). House lawmakers on Friday attempted, but failed, to pass a bill to extend the moratorium (暂停，中止) even for a few months. This is VOA News. **** There are more protests in France this weekend over a new requirement that a special coronavirus pass be shown to enter restaurants and other public places. AP's Ben Thomas has details. "Liberty" was the slogan of the day at pass protests across France. The marches drew estimates of more than 200,000 people around the country, more than 14,000 in Paris, where tensions flared (向外展开) in front of the Moulin Rouge nightclub [红磨坊（巴黎著名歌舞厅)]. As someone in the crowd hurled objects, police fired tear gas and water cannon. ... say three officers were injured while at least one protester was seen bleeding from the head. With COVID-19 infection spiking in France and hospitalizations rising, lawmakers have passed a bill requiring a special pass in most places as of August 9th. The pass requires a vaccination or a quick negative test or proof of a recent recovery from COVID-19. Polls show a majority of French support the pass. I'm Ben Thomas. **** More than 400,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Britain arrived in Kenya on Saturday, the first of two consignments (托运) destined for Kenya as a bilateral donation from the United Kingdom. More will arrive through the international COVAX system. Josephine Gauld, Britain's deputy high commissioner (高级专员) in the country, said it was essential for everyone to get vaccinated if they are able to. "... so please, please, please, if you have the opportunity to get vaccinated, do, because you're not just protecting yourself but protecting your friends and families and those who are around you." Gauld said the delivery was part of Britain's pledge to donate 100 million vaccine doses worldwide, 30 million of them by the end of this year. **** The SOS Mediterranée humanitarian organization rescued almost 200 migrants off the Libyan coast on Saturday. The 196 migrants who mostly came from Syria, Eritrea [厄立特里亚国(东非国家)], Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana were picked up in four different operations. There were 28 women among the rescued, at least two of whom were pregnant, and 33 minors (未成年人) including two children under the age of five. The migrants are now all aboard the Ocean Viking waiting to find out where they'll be able to disembark. **** Police in Beijing have detained Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu on suspicion of rape following an accusation the former member of the Korean boy band EXO lured young women into sexual relationships. The pop star had previously denied the accusations. The news was trending (热门话题) as the number one most searched topic on Weibo on Saturday night. Some users online started commenting on Wu's social media account, telling him to "Get out of China!"

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