Mali PM Choguel Maiga placed on ‘forced rest’ by doctor after working for 14 months without break

Choguel Maiga was named transitional prime minister after a coup in August 2020 BAMAKO, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mali Prime Minister Choguel Maiga has been placed on forced rest by his doctor on Saturday after months of intense exertion, his office has said. “After 14 months of working without a…

Update: Salman Rushdie off ventilator and talking a day after stabbing

Salman Rushdie NEW YORK, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Salman Rushdie has been taken off a ventilator and is now able to talk, a friend and his agent said, a day after the acclaimed novelist was stabbed as he prepared to give a lecture in New York. Rushdie, 75, remained hospitalised with serious…

Tourists, locals irate over Machu Picchu snafu

AGUAS CALIENTES (Peeru), Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The suspension of ticket sales to Machu Picchu sparked protests among angry tourists and merchants from the town closest to the Inca citadel. Authorities had recently begun limiting the number of visitors to the jewel of Peruvian tourism to reduce wear and tear…

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Two more ships with grain depart from Ukraine – Turkiye defence ministry

ANKARA, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two more ships carrying grain left from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports on Saturday, Turkiye’s defence ministry said, bringing the total number of vessels to depart the country under a UN-brokered deal to 16. The Barbados-flagged Fulmar S left Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port, carrying 12,000 tonnes of…

Zimbabwe hails gold coin success and wants to issue more

HARARE,  Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Gold coins used as currency in Zimbabwe will soon be available in smaller denominations, the central bank says. Sky-rocketing inflation saw people rushing to cash in their Zimbabwean dollars for US dollars, to stop their savings losing value. This led to a shortage of US…

‘Now Hiring’: US employers struggle to find enough workers

WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — “Help Wanted” ads are proliferating across the United States, as companies struggle to deal with a worker shortage caused by the pandemic, a rash of early retirements and restrictive immigration laws. More than 10 million openings went unfilled in June, according to government data, while…

Kenya parliamentary elections: Odinga slightly ahead in presidential race – early official results

NAIROBI, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Kenya’s one-time opposition leader Raila Odinga is slightly ahead in the presidential race, partial official results showed Saturday, as the country remains on tenterhooks for the final election outcome. Odinga has 52.54 percent of the vote against 46.76 percent for Deputy President William Ruto, according…

Firefighters battle blazes in southeast France

HOSTENS (France), Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French firefighters tackled wildfires raging in the country’s southeast Saturday as officials kept a wary eye on a huge blaze that appeared to be contained further west. France has been buffeted this summer by a historic drought that has forced water use restrictions nationwide,…

Sudan floods kill 52 people; 5,300 houses destroyed: state media

KHARTOUM, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Flooding caused by torrential rains in Sudan have killed at least 52 people and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes, state media reported. Heavy rains usually fall in Sudan between May and October, and the country faces severe flooding every year, wrecking properties, infrastructure, and…

Tigray rebels deny ‘direct engagements’ with Ethiopia govt

International aid convoys to Tigray resumed in April ADDIS ABABA, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tigrayan rebels denied they have had “direct engagements” with the Ethiopian government, following a statement by the African Union which has been leading a push to end the 21-month conflict. Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray…