Update: Italy firefighters battle 500 blazes after record heat

Italian firefighters battled hundreds of fires throughout the country’s south that have killed four people ROME, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italian firefighters battled hundreds of fires throughout the country’s south that have killed four people, fuelled by unrelenting temperatures enveloping southern Europe. Firefighters said there were over 500 blazes reported overnight…

Update: Algeria leader calls wildfires ‘disaster’, says 22 arsonists arrested

Men attempt to put out a fire in Iboudraren village, in the mountainous Kabylie region of Tizi Ouzou, east of Algiers ALGIERS, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algeria has arrested 22 people suspected of being behind the most devastating wildfires in the country’s history that killed 65 people, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune…

Significant progress has been made in Somalia’s political situation: UN envoy

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia James Swan UNITED NATIONS, Aug 13 (NNN-Xinhua) — The top UN envoy in Somalia, James Swan, told the Security Council that significant progress has been made in the political situation in the Horn of Africa country. “I am pleased to report that…

Covid: Germany fears thousands got saline, not vaccine from nurse

Many of those given the harmless salt solution were in their 70s  BERLIN, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Authorities in north Germany have asked more than 8,000 people to get repeat Covid vaccinations because a nurse is suspected of having injected saline instead of vaccine in many cases. Police are investigating…

Covid-19: US authorizes boosters for those with weakened immune systems

  WASHINGTON, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States authorized an extra dose of Covid vaccine for people with weakened immune systems, as the country struggles to thwart the Delta variant.   Emergency use authorization for a third injection of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines was granted by the US…

US, UK to launch evacuation flights as Taliban advance across Afghanistan

   WASHINGTON/LONDON/KABUL, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and Britain ordered Friday the deployment of thousands of troops to Afghanistan to evacuate their nationals, as the Taliban overran more key regional cities in an offensive that has left the capital dangerously exposed.   The Western forces’ announcements of rushed…

UK shooting: Six dead including suspected gunman

  LONDON, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Six people, including the suspected gunman, died following a “serious firearms incident” in the southwestern English city of Plymouth, police said, with reports one victim was a child aged under 10.   Devon and Cornwall Police declared a “critical incident” in the Keyham area…

Covid-19: French Pres Macron urges better protection for vaccination centres after vandalism

A man holds a sign saying “our liberties pass away” during a protest against vaccines and health passes in Paris PARIS, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The French government urged better protection of vaccination centres after some two dozen acts of vandalism were recorded against COVID-19 related facilities over the last month alone.The…

Firefighters, volunteers and residents fight wall of flames in Greece

The wildfires have been blazing for eight consecutive nights ATHENS, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Firefighters, volunteers, and residents on the Greek island of Euboea joined together to battle wildfires that have been blazing for eight consecutive nights.Residents of the village of Kamatriades joined emergency crews to form a human chain…

Russia imposes sanctions on British citizens in a tit-for-tat response

Russia’s Foreign Ministry MOSCOW, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia announced entry bans on several British citizens, in response to sanctions imposed by Britain earlier this year and in 2020.Moscow decided to “impose personal sanctions on an appropriate number of British representatives closely involved in anti-Russian activities,” according to a Russian…