Afghanistan
The Taliban is threatening to take three major cities in Afghanistan after weeks of rapid advances. Fighting is ongoing around Herat, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar and aid groups fear a humanitarian crisis. The Taliban is estimated to have captured almost half of the country’s territory since it was announced that US and NATO troops would withdraw by September. Local reports say the group could enter Herat within days.
More from Al Jazeera here.
China
China is battling to contain a fast growing outbreak of COVID-19 that health officials have attributed to the Delta variant. The outbreak, reported to have spread to 26 cities, is the most widespread to hit China since the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan.
More from the South China Morning Post here.
Turkey
The death toll from a series of forest fires raging across southern Turkey has risen to six as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared parts of the region “disaster areas”. The fires have threatened villages and tourist areas, forcing mass evacuations.
More from TRT World here.