The agency on Thursday cleared giving a third dose of a messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE or from Moderna Inc. to immunocompromised people who had received a solid organ transplant or individuals who have been diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.

Israel, Widely Vaccinated, Suffers Another Covid-19 Surge

TEL AVIV-After becoming one of the first countries to open up thanks to a widespread Covid-19 vaccination campaign, Israel is again on guard, this time against the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

Mask mandates are back, including requirements to mask up for large outdoor gatherings. Many venues require people to show proof of vaccination, a negative Covid-19 test or proof of recovery from the virus. People returning from most countries have to quarantine for at least a week, even if they are fully vaccinated. Over-60s are being offered a third, booster shot of Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine, and the government is planning to offer it to younger recipients with the hopes it can suppress the rise of cases of severe illness.

Greece Clamps Down on Aid Groups That Help Migrants

Greece has become the latest European country to raise pressure on aid groups that help asylum seekers, accusing them of involvement in trafficking, as part of its efforts to stem the flow of migrants and refugees who continue to make dangerous journeys to Europe.

The country has launched criminal investigations into several organizations in the past year, while also imposing new requirements on registering with the government.

Taliban Seize Kandahar, Prepare to March on Kabul

KABUL-The Taliban completed the seizure of Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city and the Islamist movement's birthplace, and took into custody a warlord who organized the failed defenses of the western city of Herat.

Combined with other advances, including the capture of the provincial capital of Helmand, the fall of these two major cities has given the Taliban full control of southern and western Afghanistan, allowing the insurgent movement to pool its forces for a final march on Kabul.

Olam Plans U.K. Listing of Food Ingredients Unit

Singapore based commodities company Olam International Ltd. is planning an initial public offering of its food ingredients business in the U.K.

Olam Food Ingredients is planning to list on the London Stock Exchange in the first half of next year and will also seek a concurrent listing on the Singapore bourse, Olam said Friday.

GLOBAL NEWS

Hong Kong Raises 2021 Economic Forecast After Second-Quarter Data Confirms Growth

Hong Kong raised its economic growth forecast for 2021 after revised data confirmed second-quarter expansion and a solid first-half performance as both consumption and exports improved.

Gross domestic product in the second quarter grew 7.6% in real terms from a year earlier, data from Hong Kong's Census and Statistics Department showed Friday. The result was in line with advanced GDP data showing a 7.5% expansion.

Home Prices Jumped Across the U.S. in Second Quarter

Home prices surged in almost every corner of the U.S. in the second quarter as robust demand continued to overwhelm the supply of homes for sale.

While the homebuying frenzy has shown signs of a slowdown in recent months, home-price growth has yet to cool.

Global ETF Assets Hit $9 Trillion

Investors poured $705 billion into exchange-traded funds through the first seven months of the year, pushing 2021's world-wide tally to a record $9.1 trillion, according to data from Morningstar Inc.

Net flows so far this year have nearly eclipsed the $736.5 billion investors had moved into ETFs globally in all of 2020. Most of the cash has gone into cheap, index-tracking funds, with large-cap and short-term bond ETFs, as well as products offering inflation protection, attracting significant investor interest, according to the data.

Head of WHO Team Investigating Origins of Covid-19 Calls For Closer Look at China Lab

The Danish head of a World Health Organization-led team that traveled to China earlier this year to probe the origins of Covid-19 called for closer scrutiny of a laboratory near the site of the first known cluster of cases at a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

In comments broadcast by Denmark's state-owned TV 2 and confirmed to The Wall Street Journal, Peter Ben Embarek, a food-safety specialist, said investigators should seek more information about the lab, a research facility run by the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. Troops to Evacuate Personnel From Afghanistan Embassy, Leaving Only Core Staff

WASHINGTON-The U.S. is temporarily deploying thousands of troops to the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan to evacuate personnel from the embassy in Kabul, cutting the size of the diplomatic presence as the Taliban advance toward the Afghan capital, officials said Thursday.

The evacuation will be undertaken by as many as 8,000 fresh troops in the region, who will augment the 1,000 already on the ground in Afghanistan. It comes in response to the rapidly deteriorating security situation, and the recognition that the Taliban's sweep of a number of provincial capitals is at present irreversible and threatens the seat of the internationally recognized Afghan government.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

08-13-21 0621ET