Public health experts say the uptick in rural vaccinations is important because health care systems in villages are fragile. The deadly surge of infections that overwhelmed hospitals earlier this year ripped through rural India and thousands died. So far, nearly 90 percent of the vaccines administered were the AstraZeneca shots made by the Serum Institute of India. India expects 100 million Sputnik V shots and 50 million shots of Indian drugmaker Zydus Cadila’s recently greenlit COVID-19 vaccine later this year. ___AP journalists Rishi Lekhi in New Delhi, Biswajeet Banerjee in Lucknow, India, and Indrajit Singh in Patna, India, contributed to this report.

Aug 31 (Reuters) - Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has joined Spanish side Real Betis on loan until the end of the season, the English Premier League club said on Tuesday. Spaniard Bellerin, whose deal at The Emirates ends in 2023, joined Arsenal from boyhood club Barcelona in 2011 aged 16. The full back has made 183 Premier League appearances for the Gunners over the past decade, but had not featured in any of their three league games so far this season. The 26-year-old won three FA Cups with the club and was included in Spain's Euro 2016 squad.

AMMAN, Aug 31 (Reuters) – Syrian elite forces aided by pro-Iranian militias stepped up an offensive on Tuesday against a rebel enclave in a southwestern pocket bordering Jordan and Israel, according to residents, military and opposition sources. Witnesses and military sources said dozens of improvised missiles were fired into Deraa al-Balaad by the Syrian military’s pro-Iranian Fourth Division, which is backed by Iranian-financed local militias. A halt to fighting was announced after Russian generals offered a new plan that appeared to meet some of the rebel demands to involve the Russian military police in patrolling the enclave while allowing for the first time a Syrian army security presence in the stronghold. The Syrian army said at least four soldiers were killed in ambushes on troops in the towns of Sanameen and Nawa, and that rebel shelling had caused several casualties in residential areas. Pro-Assad forces have prevented food, medical and fuel supplies from reaching Deraa al-Balaad but have opened a corridor for civilians to leave, according to local officials and residents.

LEIPZIG, Aug 31 (Reuters) - RB Leipzig have signed Barcelona midfielder Ilaix Moriba on a five-year deal, the Bundesliga club said on Tuesday. Barca said the deal was worth 16 million euros ($25.97 million) and could rise to 22 million ($25.98 million), with the Catalans reserving the right to 10% of any future sale. Moriba, 18, broke into the Barcelona first team towards the end of last season, making 14 LaLiga appearances for Ronald Koeman's side. "FC Barcelona would like to publicly thank Ilaix Moriba for his commitment and dedication and wishes him all the best for the future," the LaLiga club said in a statement. A graduate of the club's famed La Masia academy, there were high hopes for Moriba in Catalonia.

CAIRO - 31 August 2020: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi praised on Tuesday modern and integrated infrastructure in Egypt, which he said provides a strong basis for boosting development cooperation with international partners. Egypt also looks forward to activating the comprehensive cooperative partnership with South Korea in a way that helps benefit from the huge capabilities of the two countries, Sisi added. Suh, for his part, praised the great national projects being established in Egypt under the leadership of President Sisi. He also valued the role played by Egypt to contain tensions between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. According to the spokesman, the meeting also reviewed military and security cooperation between the two countries, especially in the industrial and technological domains.

AOI is keen to open new horizons of cooperation with various Arab countries and train human cadres, Tarras was speaking during his meeting with Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO) Mohamed Ould Amar and his accompanying delegation. Both discussed ways of benefiting from the organization's potentials in various industrial fields, including digital transformation, smart e-services, medical industries, and railway industries. Meanwhile, Amar lauded AOI's industrial capabilities and its history in the Arab region.

These initiatives will aim to push forward the mechanisms of regional cooperation with a view to enhancing joint action and transfer the Egyptian expertise in the development financing as well as to exchange experiences, knowledge and visions on exerted efforts to achieve the sustainable development, the ministry added. In a statement, International Cooperation Minister Rania Al-Mashat said six specialized workshops will be held as part of the forum to tackle activating mechanisms of regional cooperation in light of Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and sharing Egypt’s novel approach of economic diplomacy that includes as one of its principles a country-led Official Development Assistance (ODA) -SDG mapping framework among others. A final statement will be issued at the conclusion of the forum in addition to recommendations to be raised by the participating states, international organizations and the UN on the importance of the ODA financing and multilateral cooperation in supporting efforts exerted by the states to achieve development, mainly in the Middle East region and Africa, she added.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday met with the South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook, in the presence of the Egyptian Minister of Defense and Military Production Mohamed Zaki, South Korean Minister of Defense Acquisition Program Administration Kang Eun-ho, and Hong Jin-wook, South Korean Ambassador to Cairo. The Egyptian presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady said that Sisi expressed Egypt’s pride in its close ties with South Korea. Egypt now enjoys a modern and integrated infrastructure system of facilities and services that provides a strong basis for establishing any development cooperation partnership, Sisi said. The South Korean Defense Minister on his end expressed his country’s appreciation for the recent development and prosperity of Egyptian-Korean relations. technology transfer and localization to support Egypt’s responsibility to achieve stability, security and combat terrorism, Rady said.

(OFH) recorded consolidated profits of LE 36.66 million during the financial period from the company's establishment to June 30, 2021. The company achieved LE 17.27 million in profits during the three months ending in June 2021, while it achieved LE 40.49 million in revenues. Orascom Financial Holding Company was established as a result of the demerger of Orascom Investment Holding Company. Orascom Financial Holding announced during the financial period from December 10, 2020 to March 31, 2021, that it achieved profits of LE 19.38 million. OFH, which is a technology-driven financial services investment company, has a portfolio of a minority stake in Sarwa Capital, Egypt’s leading consumer and structured financial services provider, and a majority stake in Beltone Financial Holding, a regional investment bank and financial services institution.

“It feels like old times again, I'm very happy to be here,” he told a news conference before the Dutch team left for Oslo for the Group G tie. It was hard to watch during the European Championship.”Knee surgery kept Van Dijk sidelined for most of last season plus this year's Euros, where the Dutch were eliminated in the last-16 by the Czech Republic. Van Dijk, who last played for his country in October, could feature in three matches in six days, with a home clash against Montenegro on Saturday and Turkey next Tuesday to follow the trip to Norway. Coach Louis van Gaal, who begins his third stint in charge of the national team, confirmed Van Dijk would again captain the side. “Van Gaal brings something extra with him,” said Van Dijk.

Meteorologists predict hot and humid weather on Wednesday during the day over Greater Cairo and the Delta, with very hot weather on South Sinai and Upper Egypt, and moderately hot along the north coast. The weather will be moderate and humid at night over most parts of the country. Maximum temperatures:Alexandria: 31CCairo: 35CHurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh: 39CQena: 41CLuxor and Aswan: 43CActive winds are expected on Greater Cairo, Upper Egypt, northwestern coasts, South Sinai, and Upper Egypt, reducing humidity at night. Mists expected in the morning on some roads leading to Greater Cairo, Lower Egypt and the northern coasts. Waves in the Mediterranean Sea will be moderate, ranging between 1.5 and two meters in height with northwestern surface winds, while waves in the Red Sea will be rough, ranging between three and four meters in height with northwestern surface winds.

Cairo Metro Authority issued warnings on Monday for commuters to take precautionary measures against COVID-19, as Egypt enters a fourth wave. The company warned its passengers that those who fail to wear a face mask while accessing the metro will be subject to an immediate fine of LE50. The total number of passengers on the metro’s three lines each day ranges from 2.6 to three million. On Monday, Egypt reported 263 new coronavirus cases, six deaths, and 331 recoveries. A total of 288,162 cases have been disclosed in Egypt, alongside 16,727 deaths and 238,580 recoveries.

Meteorologists predict hot and humid weather on Thursday during the day over Greater Cairo and the Delta, with very hot weather in South Sinai and Upper Egypt, and cooler temperatures along the North Coast. The weather will cool but remain humid overnight in most parts of the country. High temperatures:Alexandria: 32CCairo: 35CSharm el-Sheikh: 38CHurghada: 39CQena: 41CLuxor and Aswan: 43CActive winds are expected in Greater Cairo, northern Upper Egypt, the northwest coast, and South Sinai, and light fog will be present in the mornings near Cairo, the Delta, and the North Coast. Waves in the Mediterranean Sea will be moderate to rough, ranging between 1.5 and 2.5 meters in height with northwestern surface winds, while waves in the Red Sea will be moderate to rough, ranging between two and 2.5 meters in height with northwestern surface winds.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian prosecutors opened criminal cases against six guards at the country’s notorious Evin prison, the judiciary reported on Tuesday, after footage showing the widespread abuse of detainees at the facility leaked out last week. The judiciary’s three-day investigation into mistreatment and grim conditions at Tehran’s Evin prison had landed “some” prison guards in detention, said judiciary spokesman Zabihollah Khodaeian. Authorities also summoned two guards and punished others, Khodaeian said, without elaborating on the penalties or identifying the suspects. Prisoners — and even guards — beat each other in scenes captured by surveillance cameras. ___IMAGE: In this undated frame grab taken from video shared with The Associated Press by a self-identified hacker group called “The Justice of Ali,” a guard beats a prisoner, at Evin prison in Tehran, Iran.

The Director General of the General Department for Planning and Follow-up of Illegal Immigration at the Ministry of Immigration and Egyptians Abroad Affairs Wael Farraj warned that only three percent of people that illegally immigrate through the sea survive the trip. Farraj warned that illegal immigration brokers deceive young people, and fail to show them the dark side of the journey. Egypt has been working with the EU on battling illegal immigration. In 2017, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs, and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos to work on ways to enhance cooperation between them in battling illegal immigration. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in 2020 that the rate of illegal immigration from Egypt to Europe has decreased to almost zero, thanks to effective measures taken by the Egyptian government.