DHAKA -- Starting Friday morning, Bangladesh entered its most severe nationwide lockdown to curb the rampant spread of COVID-19.

Authorities decided to impose the strict lockdown from July 23 to Aug. 5 after relaxing restrictions for a week on the occasion of Eid al-Adha festival which was celebrated here Wednesday.(Bangladesh-Lockdown)

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SINGAPORE -- Singapore needs a "whole-of-nation" effort to achieve the Singapore Green Plan 2030, said Low Yen Ling, minister of state for the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, on Friday.

"To achieve the kind of transformation we envision for Singapore's energy reset and the Singapore Green Plan, we need a 'whole of nation' effort involving all stakeholders, from the industry's big boys, SMEs and start-ups, to researchers, the community at large, and our youths," the minister said when delivering an opening address at the Energy Innovation 2021.(Singapore-Green Plan)

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HANOI -- Vietnam reported another record high of 7,307 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, surging from the previous record of 6,194 cases registered on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Health.

The new infections included 7,295 locally transmitted and 12 imported, bringing the total tally to 81,678 with 370 deaths, the ministry said.(Vietnam-COVID-19)

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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Friday decided to bring forward a COVID-19 vaccination drive for adolescents aged from 12 to 17 to Aug. 1.

The prime minister first set Aug. 6 for the campaign, but changed his decision a few hours later in order to enable the adolescent group to get the jabs sooner, according to a Fresh News report.(Cambodia-PM-Vaccination)

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KABUL -- The escalating fighting and the ambiguity over the future of Afghanistan's peace talks have triggered concerns among Afghans as both the government forces and the Taliban outfit have been fighting to gain more grounds with three districts having changed hands over the past 24 hours.

Taliban militants, according to media reports, seized Garmsir and Marja districts of southern Helmand province on Thursday, while an army statement claimed that the government troops recaptured Karukh district in western Herat province on Friday.(Afghanistan-Fighting) Enditem

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