Covid-19: White House press secretary tests positive; self-quarantine for 10 days

 WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said she has tested positive for Covid-19, after deciding not to travel to Europe with US President Joe Biden when members of her family contracted the virus.   Psaki said in a statement that though she had tested negative several times…

Last seven years on track to be hottest on record: UN

   GLASGOW, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The years from 2015 to 2021 are on track to be the seven hottest on record, the World Meteorological Organization said, warning that the planet was heading into “uncharted territory”.   The preliminary WMO state of the climate report, launched as the UN COP26…

Brazil: Nine firefighters killed in cave collapse during training exercise

The accident occurred as 26 firefighters were on a training exercise in the Duas Bocas cave SAO PAULO, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nine firefighters have died near Brazil’s Altinopolis city after the roof collapsed in a cave while they were training inside, according to Brazilian authorities. “There were nine dead and…

Covid-19: President tells vaccine-sceptic Ukrainians to ‘turn on your brain’, get jabs

   KIEV, Oct 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with his compatriots to “turn on your brain” and get vaccinated as the country struggles to contain a surge in coronavirus infections.    Ukraine reported 26,870 new Covid cases in 24 hours on Friday — a record for the…

Illegal Iraqi migrant found dead after crossing German-Polish border

 BERLIN, Oct 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — German police said Friday they had found a dead Iraqi man among around 30 people apparently smuggled across the Polish border in a van.   The 32-year-old had been dead for “several hours” when police found the group near the van outside the town of…

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sole candidate for WHO chief

GENEVA, Oct 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the sole candidate for the WHO leadership when his current term expires, the WHO announced Friday.    The 56-year-old Ethiopian former health and foreign minister has been at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic…

Covid-19: Seven LatAm countries to be removed from UK’s travel red list

LONDON, Oct 29 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — The United Kingdom’s Departments for Transport and of Health and Social Care issued a joint press release announcing that the seven countries still on the travel red list, all of them from Latin America, would be removed from it shortly. Effective Nov 1, Colombia, the…

Covid-19: Over 53% of Brazilians fully vaccinated, report says

BRASILIA, Oct 29 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazil’s much-criticized anti-COVID-19 vaccination drive has already reached 53% of the population with full treatment, while 72% of patients have at least taken the initial dose, according to a health report. All doses combined, a total of 274,767,554 injections have been applied so far, the…

Update: Opposition to Sudan military coup grows

Sudanese youths confront security forces amidst tear gas fired by them to disperse protesters in the capital Khartoum KHARTOUM, Oct 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The decision by Sudan’s Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to dissolve the country’s government this week sparked angry street protests but he is also facing mounting opposition on multiple…

Panama Canal breaks freight record despite pandemic crisis

The Panama Canal had a record fiscal year 2021 with more tonnage transported through the waterway than ever before, despite a crisis in global port congestion, authorities said PANAMA CITY, Oct 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Panama Canal had a record fiscal year 2021 with more tonnage transported through the waterway…