Austria gets new Chansellor after Kurz quits amid corruption claims

Alexander Schallenberg (L) was sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen (R) at a ceremony on Monday  VIENNA, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Alexander Schallenberg has taken over as the chancellor of Austria, with the government seeking to move on from a corruption scandal. The foreign minister was sworn in on…

IMF reaffirms ‘full confidence’ in head Georgieva

Embattled IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The IMF Executive Board reaffirmed its “full confidence” in the Washington-based crisis lender’s chief, Kristalina Georgieva, keeping her on as managing director after she was hit with allegations of data tampering. “Having looked at all the evidence presented, the…

Germany unveils first self-driving train

 FRANKFURT, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and industrial group Siemens on Monday unveiled the world’s first automated, driverless train in the city of Hamburg, billing it as more punctual and energy efficient than traditional trains. Four such trains will join the northern city’s S-Bahn rapid urban…

Covid-19: How Serbia became the world’s latest hotspot

BELGRADE, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Packed bars, few masks and almost no restrictions — in Serbia it seems the pandemic is over. But it’s a cruel illusion, as the Balkan country currently tops the global charts for infection rates. Despite having a variety of jabs available, the country’s vaccination drive…

Two soldiers killed by bomb in Burkina Faso’s southeast

 OUAGADOUGOU, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two soldiers were killed when their motorcycles ran over a homemade bomb in southeast Burkina Faso on Monday, the latest attack in a region previously spared the jihadist violence of thenorth.   The West African country has faced increasingly frequent and deadly attacks by jihadists…

Fifteen kidnapped Nigerians escape jihadist captors

 KANO (Nigeria), Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Six women and nine children kidnapped by jihadists from Christian communities in Nigeria’s northeast have escaped their captors, walking for six days through the bush to freedom, anofficial said Monday.   The 15 hostages were seized separately from the farming villages of Takulashi in…

Top UN court to rule on bitter Kenya-Somalia border spat

 THE HAGUE, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN’s top court will rule in a bitter border dispute between Somalia and Kenya on Tuesday, delivering a verdict with potentially far-reaching consequences for bilateral ties and energy extraction in the region. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), is to give its final…

US: Two dead as small plane hits houses in California

LOS ANGELES, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A small plane crashed into a residential area of a California city on Monday, killing at least two people as a blaze devoured two houses and several vehicles.   Aerial footage showed firefighters hosing down the charred remains of the residences in Santee, a…

Thousands of US hospital workers vote to strike

With strikes authorised, elected union leaders can tell workers to walk out at any time SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of health care workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in US states Oregon and California gave a green light Monday to call a strike should contract talks fail. Sticking…

New Tunisian PM announces lineup of gov’t

Najla Bouden Romdhane speaks during a ceremony at the Carthage Palace in Tunis TUNIS, Oct 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — New Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden Romdhane announced on Monday the lineup of her government, said the Tunisian Presidency. Bouden and members of her cabinet took the oath in front of President…