News in Brief--

UN to end travel ban exemptions for Taliban officials
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 20: The United Nations is set to end travel ban exemptions for 13 Taliban officials Friday, pending any deal by Security Council members on a possible extension, diplomats told the news agency. Under a 2011 UN Security Council resolution, 135 Taliban officials are subject to sanctions that include asset freezes and travel bans. But 13 of them were granted exemptions from the travel ban to allow them to meet officials from other countries abroad. — AFP
UK’s Gove says leadership hopeful Truss taking 'holiday from reality'
LONDON, Aug 20: Senior UK Conservative lawmaker Michael Gove on Saturday accused party leadership contender Liz Truss of taking a "holiday from reality" with her plans to cut taxes amid a cost-of-living crisis. Gove, who has held a raft of cabinet roles and previously stood to be Tory leader, instead endorsed Rishi Sunak for the top job, as the summer-long contest to become the next prime minister nears its final fortnight. Foreign Secretary Truss is the overwhelming favourite in polls to beat ex-finance minister Sunak and replace outgoing leader Boris Johnson when the result is announced on September 5. The victor, set to formally take power the next day, faces a daunting challenge with Britain experiencing decades-high inflation and the prospect of a recession later this year. — AFP
Thai nightclub fire death toll reaches 20
BANGKOK, Aug 20: The death toll from a Thai nightclub inferno has risen to 20, health officials said, as victims continue to receive medical treatment. The blaze broke out August 5 at Mountain B Club in Chonburi province-roughly 150 kilometres (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok. Authorities found 13 charred bodies inside the venue. Seven others have since died from their injuries, with the latest fatality a 50-year-old man, Chonburi provincial public health office said. There are 25 injured who are still receiving medical treatment in hospitals, with nine on ventilators, the local health authority said. — AP
Indonesia confirms first monkeypox case
JAKARTA, Aug 20: Indonesia has confirmed its first monkeypox infection, detected in a person who had returned from an unidentified country with documented cases, a health ministry spokesman said on Saturday. The 27-year-old male tested positive in the capital Jakarta late on Friday, Mohammad Syahril told a news conference. The Indonesian national, who is doing "well" and showing only mild symptoms, is self isolating at home, said Syahril, who did not say where the patient had come from. — Reuters