US racism: Three white men killing African American Ahmaud Arbery found guilty of hate crimes

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (NNN-Xinhua) — The three white men convicted of murdering African American Ahmaud Arbery were found guilty of hate crimes by a federal jury in the southeastern U.S. state of Georgia. The jury on Tuesday found father and son Greg and Travis McMichael and their neighbor William “Roddie”…

Covid-19: Tunisia receives new batch of vaccines donated by China

Tunisian Health Minister Ali Mrabet (2nd R) and Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia Zhang Jianguo (3rd R) exchange documents of China’s donation of COVID-19 vaccines in Tunis TUNIS, Feb 23 (NNN-Xinhua) — Tunisia received a new batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China to boost its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.…

Brazil storm toll rises to 186 one week on

PETROPOLIS (Brazil), Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from flash floods and landslides that hit the Brazilian city of Petropolis has risen to 186, authorities said, one week after torrential rains lashed the tourist town.    Since the storm, rescue workers have searched for victims, digging through the mud…

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Pres Putin says Russia’s interests ‘non-negotiable’

   MOSCOW, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow was ready to look for “diplomatic solutions” amid raging tensions with the West over Ukraine but stressed that the country’sinterests were non-negotiable.    “Our country is always open for direct and honest dialogue, for the search…

World must brace for more extreme wildfires: UN

PARIS, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of major wildfires worldwide will rise sharply in coming decades due to global warming, and governments are ill-prepared for the death and destruction such mega-blazes trail in their wake, the UN warned Wednesday.      Even the most ambitious efforts to curb greenhouse gas…

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Canada imposes sanctions on Russia – PM Trudeau

MONTREAL, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced economic sanctions on Russia, saying Moscow’s actions against Ukraine were “a further invasion of a sovereign state, and it is completely unacceptable.”    “We will ban Canadians from engaging in purchases of Russian sovereign debt. And we will apply…

Russia-Ukraine crisis: Blinken cancels meeting with Lavrov

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had cancelled a planned meeting with Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov later this week, as Russia had started an invasion of Ukraine.   “Now that we see the invasion is beginning and Russia has made clear its…

Russia-Ukraine crisis: US sanctions cut Russia off from Western financing

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US sanctions against Russia announced Tuesday include steps to starve the country of financing, although they did not go as far as some observers had expected.    Washington’s announcement came after the European Union unveiled its own sanctions in a coordinated Western effort to pressure…

Netherlands: Hostage drama at Amsterdam Apple store ends, gunman overpowered

THE HAGUE, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A man with a firearm who held several people hostage in an Apple store in central Amsterdam late Tuesday was overpowered after a siege lasting several hours, police said, adding that thelast of the hostages had been freed.    Police had deployed several special…

US, France at UN denounce Russian mercenaries in Central African Republic

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France and the United States at the UN Security Council denounced paramilitaries from Russian private security firm Wagner accused of civilian killings in the Central African Republic, a charge Russia denies.    “In Aigbando, in mid-January, more than a dozen civilians were killed. The…