Russia calls on US to release Afghan reserves

Russia yesterday called on the United States to release Afghan central bank reserves that Washington blocked after the Taliban's takeover of Kabul earlier this month. "If our Western colleagues are actually worried about the fate of the Afghan people, then we must not create additional problems for them by freezing gold and foreign exchange reserves," said the Kremlin's envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov. The United States must urgently unfreeze these assets, he said on the state-run Rossiya 24 network, "to bolster the rate of the collapsing national currency".

Malaysian PM in quarantine

Malaysia's new prime minister missed the inauguration of his own cabinet yesterday after coming into contact with someone infected with the coronavirus and being forced to self-isolate, his office said. Ismail Sabri Yaakob's ministers headed to the national palace for a swearing-in ceremony before the king, two weeks after the previous government collapsed during infighting. But Ismail Sabri -- himself inaugurated earlier this month -- had to skip the occasion after the virus contact, his office said in a statement, without giving further details. He will also have to virtually join celebrations today to mark Malaysia's National Day.
 

Russia sees possible increase in West Nile virus cases

Russia yesterday warned of a possible increase in West Nile virus infections this autumn as mild temperatures and heavy precipitation create favourable conditions for the mosquitos that carry it. Originally from Africa, the virus has spread in Europe, Asia and North America. It is mainly transmitted through mosquito bites and can lead to a fatal neurological disease in humans, although most people infected never develop any symptoms. Scientists have said that milder temperatures attributed to climate change could cause diseases such as the West Nile virus.