Morning news brief: Russia’s rocket launches Iranian satellite, Covid in China & more

Russia’s Soyuz rocket launched an Iranian satellite called Khayyam from Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan. In other news, leading candidates for Britain’s prime minister, Foreign Minister Liz Truss, and former finance minister Rishi Sunak have said they would both be willing to serve on the other’s cabinet in the case of a loss. In another news, China recorded 1,094 Covid cases on August 9, amongst which 444 were symptomatic and 650 are asymptomatic. Finally, a year after the US withdrew from Afghanistan, allowing the Taliban to seize power and causing a destabilising refugee crisis, a bipartisan bill has been introduced in both houses of the US Congress for.

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Russia's Soyuz rocket blasts off with Iranian satellite from Kazakhstan

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Hailing the satellite launch as ''an important milestone in Russian-Iranian bilateral cooperation'', Russian space chief Yury Borisov said ''it will open the way to the implementation of new and even larger projects.''

Both Truss, Sunak willing to serve on the other’s cabinet in case of loss

Both Truss and Sunak highlighted they would put aside their differences and work under each other's leadership.

Truss and Sunak are the leading candidates to replace Boris Johnson as Britain's prime minister and the decision regarding the final choice will be made on September 5.

China reports 1,094 new Covid cases on August 9, increase from 939 cases day earlier

According to the National Health Commission's announcement on Wednesday, China reported 1,094 new cases of coronavirus for August 9, of which 444 were symptomatic and 650 were asymptomatic. The country's death toll remained at 5,226 due to no additional deaths. There were 232,109 confirmed cases with symptoms in mainland China as of August 9.

A year after it abandoned Afghanistan, US introduces bill to give thousands of Afghans path to citizenship

bipartisan bill has been submitted in both houses of the US Congress, a year after the US withdrew from Afghanistan, allowing the Taliban to seize power and sparking a catastrophic refugee crisis. With the passage of this Act, thousands of Afghan evacuees who were previously granted temporary immigration status will now have a clear road to citizenship.

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