Romanian truckers, hit by taxes at home, tempted by British jobs

Romanian truckers protest pay cuts in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest BUCHAREST, Sept 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — For 32-year-old Romanian international trucker Nicolae, Britain’s driver crisis could be just what he needs to keep his small business afloat. Britain’s shortage of about 100,000 truck drivers, the result of workers…

WHO horrified over sexual exploitation by aid workers in DR Congo

Dozens of women accused WHO and other aid agency staff of sexual abuse and exploitation  KINSHASA, Sept 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — World Health Organization (WHO) staff were among 83 aid workers who sexually abused women and girls while tackling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a report finds.…

Post-Brexit: UK risks French anger over fishing permits

PARIS, Sept 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Fresh tensions have surfaced between Britain and France over post-Brexit fishing rights. In the latest round of applications, the UK granted just 12 licences from 47 bids for smaller vessels to fish in its territorial waters. French sea minister Annick Girardin reportedly said: “French fishing…

Spain: Canaries volcano lava reaches sea, raising toxic gas fears

  MADRID, Sept 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Lava from an erupting volcano in the Canary Islands has reached the ocean, volcanologists said, raising fear of toxic gases being released as the lava hits the sea water.    The regional government of the Spanish archipelago had already declared an exclusion zone of…

Spain declares volcano hit La Palma as disaster zone

MADRID, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spain’s government classified the island of La Palma, which has been struck by a volcanic eruption, as a disaster zone on Tuesday, a move that will trigger emergency subsidies and other support measures. The government announced a first package of €10.5 million (US$12.30 million), which…

Covid-19: South Africa administers close to 17 million vaccines to date

PRETORIA, Sept 28 (NNN-SANEWS) — South Africa has administered 16,999,722 doses of COVID-19 jabs as of Monday evening, the Department of Health said. The tally includes the two-dose Pfizer vaccine as well as the single shot of the Johnson & Johnson jab. According to the latest data, 159,732 vaccines were…

France’s Sanofi halts work on mRNA COVID-19 vaccine

PARIS, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said it was stopping work on an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 despite positive test results as it lags behind rivals on producing a coronavirus shot. The company said it would focus instead on another type of jab it is developing with British…

Blast rocks residential area in Sweden’s Gothenburg, four badly hurt

GOTHENBURG, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four people were seriously hurt in an explosion and fire in a central residential area of the Swedish city of Gothenburg early on Tuesday. The immediate cause of the blast and blaze was unclear. At least 16 people were taken to hospital after fire fighters…

US: Murders rose 30 percent in 2020 – FBI

The number of murders in the United States rose by around 30 percent in 2020 over the previous year, to some 21,500 WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of murders in the United States rose by around 30 percent in 2020 over the previous year, to some 21,500, the…

South Sudan dismisses UN report on corruption

Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Martin Elia Lomuro JUBA, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Sudan’s government has dismissed a UN report accusing the country’s governing elite of looting tens of millions of dollars from public coffers, saying it is the victim of an “international campaign”. Last week, the UN’s Commission on Human Rights…