Hundreds missing after Afghanistan prison attack; Iran’s underreported coronavirus death toll; 90 minute COVID-19 test in Britain

The World
An Afghan security person is shown holding a large rifle pointed up and wear a helmut and other military-grade equipment.

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Afghan security forces said they have retaken control of a prison today after an hours-long battle a day after the facility was targeted by ISIS in an attack that killed 29 people and left dozens wounded. The hostilities at the prison, located in Jalalabad, about 70 miles east of Kabul, led to more than 1,000 prisoners trying to escape, with 300 still at large.

The attack comes as the US and NATO begin to withdraw troops after a peace deal with the Taliban and serve as a stark reminder of the security challenges in Afghanistan.

Also: A newborn survived an attack at a hospital in Afghanistan. Now the long road to recovery begins.

What The World is following

One person dies from the coronavirus in Iran every seven minutes, the country’s Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari said Monday. The grim figure comes as a BBC investigation has found the number of deaths from the coronavirus in Iran is nearly triple what Iran’s government claims.

And, the health minister in Britain announced plans to roll out millions of new coronavirus tests to hospitals and senior care homes that can detect the virus in 90 minutes.

From The World

Embattled Bolivian mayor refuses to step down amid political crisis: ‘Quitting would be a betrayal’

Demonstrators with makeshift shields protest against President Evo Morales' reelection, in La Paz, Boliva, Nov. 6, 2019.
Demonstrators with makeshift shields protest against President Evo Morales’ reelection, in La Paz, Boliva, Nov. 6, 2019.Juan Karita/AP

Patricia Arce, mayor of the Bolivian city of Vinto, has operated under a cloak of fear since November, when a mob attacked her in the street and demanded her resignation in the wake of postelection clashes. But she has held on to her role amid rising human rights abuses under the interim national government.

‘Portraits for NHS Heroes’ honors UK’s frontline health workers

Dr. Georgina Keogh, a doctor at St George’s Hospital in London, stands beside a portrait of her painted by artist Jane Clatworthy as part of an NHS portrait series project.
Dr. Georgina Keogh, a doctor at St George’s Hospital in London, stands beside a portrait of her painted by artist Jane Clatworthy as part of an NHS portrait series project.Courtesy of Dr. Georgina Keogh

A UK project is using the hashtag #PortraitsforNHSHeroes to pair health care workers with artists who are painting their portraits as a way to show appreciation for their work during the pandemic.

Bright spot

Caught red-handed … or rather, red-pawed?! A man in the Berlin borough of Zehlendorf finally got to the bottom of the disappearance of shoes in his neighborhood after snapping a photo of a fox carrying blue flip-flops in its mouth. It turns out the fox had quite a collection of shoes — also, an apparent fondness for Crocs.

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In case you missed it

Listen: Hong Kong delays highly anticipated election

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam is shown wearing a face mask with an image of the Hong Kong coastline in the background.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam arrives for a news conference in Hong Kong, Friday, July 31, 2020. Hong Kong leader Lam announced that the government will postpone highly anticipated legislative elections by one year.Kin Cheung/AP

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced Friday that the election planned for early September will be delayed for one year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Also, the pandemic has upended long-established strategies for protecting people and property from the dangers of hurricanes, raising widespread concerns for the Bahamas as Hurricane Isaias tracks through the Caribbean. Plus, sports teams, leagues and broadcasters around the world are taking different approaches to providing crowd noise for games taking place with no fans in attendance.

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