US: Pres Biden announces new actions as gun violence surges across the country

U.S. President Joe Biden WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (NNN-Xinhua) — US President Joe Biden announced a new set of actions aimed at reducing gun violence across the country. The Biden administration will crack down on illegal flow of guns, help prosecutors bring cases against those using “ghost guns” — unserialized and…

Italy’s President Mattarella sworn in for 2nd term

Sergio Mattarella delivers his speech at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome ROME, Feb 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italian President Sergio Mattarella has been sworn into office to serve a second seven-year term. The 80-year-old agreed to remain as head of state after Italian political parties failed to agree on a…

DR Congo: Power cable collapse at Kinshasa market kills 26

A high-voltage cable snapped and topple onto houses and people shopping  KINSHASA, Feb 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 26 people have died after they were electrocuted by a falling power cable at a market in the Democratic Republic of Congo, police say. The high-voltage cable snapped and fell onto houses…

Covid-19: Gofundme pauses donations to Canada truckers protesting vaccine mandate

OTTAWA, Feb 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — GoFundMe has paused donations to truck drivers protesting against vaccine mandates in Canada. Donations to the page “Freedom Convoy 2022” had reached C$10m, by Wednesday afternoon with about C$1m released so far to organisers. A number of officials have suggested legal action against the platform…

Ukraine tensions: Russia condemns destructive US troop increase in Europe

 MOSCOW, Feb 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia has condemned a US decision to send extra troops to Europe to support its Nato allies amid continuing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow said it was a “destructive” step which heightened tension and reduced the scope for a political solution. The…

Extreme weather kills 140,000 Europeans in 40 years: report

COPENHAGEN, Feb 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Extreme weather events such as heatwaves and floods have cost Europe almost 510 billion euros and around 142,000 lives over the past 40 years, according to a new report publishedThursday.    In its study, the European Environment Agency (EEA) called for continued adaptation measures at…

Dramatic footage as giant oil vessel explodes, sinks off Nigerian coast

ABUJA, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A huge oil vessel with capacity for two million barrels of oil has exploded off the coast of Nigeria. Dramatic footage shows fire engulfing the Trinity Spirit and thick plumes of smoke bellowing from the sinking vessel at Ukpokiti oil field close to the River…

Covid-19: Europe in a Covid ‘ceasefire’ that could see end of pandemic – WHO

  COPENHAGEN, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two years after the outbreak of Covid-19, Europe could soon enter a “long period of tranquility” due to high vaccination rates, the milder Omicron variant and the end of winter, the WHO said on Thursday.    “This context, that we have not experienced so far…

Covid-19: Sweden to lift pandemic restrictions next week as Czech plans to end passes, easing measures for unvaccinated

People queue for a drop-in COVID-19 vaccination STOCKHOLM, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sweden will lift pandemic restrictions next week despite record levels of infections as it banks on booster shots and high rates of past COVID-19 infections to keep hospitalisation rates manageable. Current restrictions, which include bars and restaurants having to…

World’s first malaria vaccine making inroads in western Kenya

 SIAYA (Kenya), Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Lucy Akinyi’s three children were infected with malaria so often she would be at their local health clinic in western Kenya every other week getting them treated. When offered the chance to protect her children with the world’s first vaccine against the deadly parasitic…