Putin-Biden ‘accept in principle’ to hold a Ukraine summit: Elysee

PARIS, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have accepted in principle to hold a summit, which can only happen if Moscow does not invade Ukraine, the French presidency announced on Monday. The US is “committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion…

Mali: France’s troop withdrawal a set-back to terrorism fight — ECOWAS chair

President Akufo-Addo with French President Emmanuel Macron ACCRA, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ghana President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says “new arrangements” have to be made in the regional fight against terrorism following the withdrawal of French troops from Mali.He noted that France had played a critical role in the fight…

Covid-19: Cuba reports 628 new cases

HAVANA, Feb 21 (NNN-Xinhua) — Cuba reported 628 new COVID-19 cases and one more death in the last 24 hours, bringing the total caseload to 1,065,385 and the national death toll to 8,487, the Ministry of Public Health reported. There are currently 3,144 active cases, one of the lowest figures…

Covid-19: Russia registers 170,699 daily cases

MOSCOW, Feb 21 (NNN-Xinhua) — Russia has confirmed 170,699 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 15,370,419, the official monitoring and response center said. The nationwide death toll has increased by 745 to 345,500, while the number of recoveries increased by 147,296 to 12,365,238.…

Presidents Macron, Putin hold phone call over Ukraine, stress need for diplomatic solution

Russian President Vladimir Putin and France’s President Emmanuel Macron PARIS, Feb 21 (NNN-Xinhua) — French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin pledged to “avoid an escalation, reduce risks and preserve peace” in eastern Ukraine during a phone call on Sunday, the French presidential office said in a…

DR Congo, Turkey sign multiple cooperation agreements

Türkiye pledged 1 million doses of Sinovac and 100,000 doses of the Turkovac vaccine KINSHASA, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkey has delivered 100,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), pledging to donate 1.1 million more jabs. “I brought along…

One dead, one injured after police helicopter crashes in U.S. state California

Officer Nicholas Vella NEWPORT BEACH (California, US), Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Authorities were investigating Sunday the cause of a police helicopter crash along the Southern California coast that killed one officer and sent another to the hospital with critical injuries. The Huntington Beach officers were responding to a disturbance in the neighboring…

One dead, 10 missing after fire on Italian-flagged Corfu ferry

Coast Guard vessels rescue people who evacuated from the ferry in a lifeboat off Corfu island in Greece ATHENS, Feb 21 (NNN-Xinhua) — The charred body of a man was recovered on Sunday in a truck on a ferry off the Greek island of Corfu, the local fire brigade announced.…

Nigerian governor distributes 2,700 smart phones to youths as Valentine’s gifts

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, addressing the audience OWERRI (Imo, Nigeria), Feb 21 (NNN-NAN) — Nigeria’s Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has distributed 2,700 smartphones and two cars to the youth as part of activities to mark the Valentine’s Day season.Uzodinma, who distributed the gifts during the ‘Hope for Imo’…

Burkina Faso loses US$160m in US aid because of coup

Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba leader of the Jan 24 coup WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US has officially determined that the events leading to the overthrow of the Burkinabe President Christian Roch Marc Kabore constituted a military coup.The State Department subsequently announced that it is freezing nearly $160m…