South Africa: Former president Zuma buys time as Constitutional court accepts to examine appeal on July 12

South Africa President, Jacob Zuma PRETORIA, July 5 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court, former South African president Jacob Zuma is not expected to be arrested until at least 12 July. The Constitutional Court will now examine his appeal.Jacob Zuma had argued that at…

Vatican embezzlement trial: Cardinal Angelo Becciu among 10 charged

Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu had been a close adviser to Pope Francis VATICAN CITY, July 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Vatican judge has ordered 10 people, including an Italian cardinal, to stand trial for alleged financial crimes. Cardinal Angelo Becciu has become the highest-ranked cleric in the Vatican to be indicted over…

US celebrates Independence Day, its 245th birthday

WASHINGTON, July 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States celebrated its Independence Day on Sunday July 4, the 245th anniversary of its founding and this year a symbolic renewal of many family and public celebrations that had been curtailed for more than a year by coronavirus pandemic restrictions. U.S. President Joe…

Update: Four dead in Cyprus’ worst forest fire in decades

Residents of villages watch a fire in the Larnaca mountain region VAVATSINIA (Cyprus), July 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) –: A huge forest blaze in Cyprus has killed four people, destroyed homes and forced evacuations of villages, police said on Sunday, as Greece, Israel and other countries deployed fire-fighting aircraft to the Mediterranean…

Covid-19: Peru extends flight restriction for Brazil, India, South Africa

LIMA, July 4 (NNN-TELESUR) — The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) of Peru extended the suspension of flights from India, Brazil and South Africa to limit the chances of spreading in its nation territory the new variants of COVID-19 originating in these countries. The Ministerial Resolution 636-2021-MTC/01, published on…

South Africa’s Zuma marches with supporters opposed to his jailing

NKANDLA (South Africa), July 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of supporters of Jacob Zuma marched alongside the former South African president in his hometown of Nkandla on Saturday, a show of force against a court decision to jail him for 15 months for failing to appear at a corruption inquiry. The…

Chile: Work starts on first post-dictatorship constitution

 SANTIAGO, July 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Chile officially starts writing a new constitution Sunday to replace the one it inherited from the era of dictator Augusto Pinochet and is widely blamed for deep social inequalities that gave rise to deadly protests in 2019. The country’s biggest protests in 30 years of…

Update: Tropical storm Elsa churns past Haiti, headed for Cuba

 PORT-AU-PRINCE, July 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tropical Storm Elsa churned late Saturday off the southwestern coast of Haiti, headed toward Jamaica and eastern Cuba as forecasters warned of heavy rains, flash flooding and mudslides. The weather system brought maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour and was moving northwest at…

Tunisia hopes Libya stability could bring economic relief

BEN GUERDANE (Tunisia), July 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — After years of war in Libya, Tunisian traders celebrated the reopening of the border with their oil-rich North African neighbour as a positive sign they hoped would stimulate economic growth. In the hardscrabble Tunisian coastal town of Ben Guerdane, some 30 kilometres from…

Covid-19: Italy breaks up fake EU pass schemes

MILAN, July 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italian police said they had broken up a number of online schemes offering to sell fake European Union digital COVID-19 status certificates or purported coronavirus vaccines. The investigation, coordinated by the cybercrime prosecutor’s office in Milan, showed that thousands of people were ready to pay…