BAGHDAD -- The death toll from a huge fire that broke out in a hospital treating coronavirus patients in Baghdad rose to 82 killed and some 110 wounded, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

"The fire of Ibn al-Khatib Hospital resulted in the killing of 82 patients and health workers and the wounding of 110 others," Khalid al-Mahana, spokesman of the ministry, told the official Iraqiya channel. (Iraq-Fire-Killings)

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TEHRAN -- The Iranian Health Ministry on Sunday reported 19,165 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total infections to 2,396,204.

The pandemic has so far claimed 69,574 lives in Iran, up by 454 in the past 24 hours, Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said during her daily briefing on the state of the pandemic in the country. (Iran-COVID19)

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AMMAN -- Jordan on Sunday decided to ban flights from India after the South Asian country witnessed a surge in COVID-19 cases and registered a "double mutant" variant of the virus.

The flight ban, announced by Transport Minister Wajih Azaizeh, will last 14 days starting Sunday. (Jordan-India-Flight)

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CAIRO -- Egypt's Minister of State for Information Osama Heikal submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly for personal reasons, said the Egyptian cabinet in a brief statement on Sunday.

Although the reason was not stated, Heikal's resignation came after a wave of criticism by the Egyptian parliament over what lawmakers of a parliamentary committee for media and culture described in previous sessions as poor performance and administrative and financial violations. (Egypt-Minister-Resignation) Enditem

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