Afghanistan burial
Afghanistan is once again the scene of a mass burial ceremony as it lays to rest the victims of a second attack on a mosque in a week. Bereaved Afghans said their last farewells to those killed in bomb blasts targeting a Shia mosque in the southern city of Kandahar Friday. Over 40 worshippers were killed while holding Friday prayers. That happened exactly a week after another 80 lost their lives in a similar attack in the northern city of Kunduz. Both attacks were claimed by the Daesh terrorist group. Afghanistan’s new rulers, the Taliban, are now under pressure over the security situation there. They have vowed to take stronger action to protect religious sites. Mosques across Afghanistan have so far been guarded by local volunteer forces authorized to carry weapons.
Russia Covid-19 toll
The number of daily coronavirus deaths in Russia has topped one thousand, for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The new daily figure pushes the overall death toll to more than 222,000, which is the highest in Europe. The country has also reported more than 33,200 new infections in the last 24 hours. Russia has been witnessing a steep rise in Covid cases and related deaths for the past couple of weeks. Officials blame the surge on the more contagious delta variant and the people’s reluctance to get vaccinated. Only 31 percent of Russians have been fully vaccinated, so far. The government has also avoided imposing major restrictions despite the surge. However, some regions have re-introduced QR codes for access to public places.
France protest
Yellow vest protesters have staged demonstrations across France to reject their government’s economic policies. Protests were held in at least 300 French cities and towns, including the capital Paris. The protesters, among other things, are angry at high diesel prices. They say the prices have continued to increase since late 2018. That’s when the yellow vest demonstrations first began in France, posing a big challenge to the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Since taking office, Macron has been pushing for reforms he says are necessary for economic progress. But, ordinary people say his policies have put pressure on them. The yellow vests have returned to the streets, after their protests died down in the past months due to covid-19.