Covid-19: US judge rules in favor of university’s vaccine mandate

 WASHINGTON, July 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A US federal judge upheld a university’s decision to require its students and employees to get vaccinated against Covid-19, the first ruling on an increasingly divisive issue ahead of the new school year.   The decision on Monday by Judge Damon Leichty of the South…

Monkeypox: More than 200 contacts tracked in US for rare disease

Human monkeypox cases are extremely rare  WASHINGTON, July 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 200 people in 27 US states are being tracked for possible rare monkeypox infections, health officials say. They fear people may have come into contact with a Texas man who brought the disease in from Nigeria earlier…

Russia: Gold toilet found in police bribery probe

Gilded toilet and bidet, allegedly belonging to the Stavropol crime gang  MOSCOW, July 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A gilded toilet and other luxuries were found in a mansion raided by Russian investigators, who say they busted a gang of corrupt police. The Investigative Committee (SK) website has a video showing extravagant…

Covid-19: More than half of European adults fully vaccinated

A doctor administers a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Leverkusen, Germany BRUSSELS, July 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The EU said 200 million Europeans had been fully vaccinated, more than half of the adult population but still short of a 70 percent target set for the…

Covid-19: Global deaths toll reach 4,128,543

PARIS, July 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The novel coronavirus has killed at least 4,128,543 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled on Thursday. At least 191,917,090 cases of coronavirus have been registered. The vast majority have recovered, though some have…

Tunisia PM sacked health minister over skyrocketing coronavirus cases

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 17,000 deaths in a population of about 12 million TUNIS, July 22 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Tunisia’s government stumbled deeper into crisis over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with premier Hichem Mechichi sacking the health minister amid skyrocketing cases in the North African country.Mechichi,…

Covid-19: Dominican Republic president gets third jab to counter new variants; ask citizens to follow suit

 SANTO DOMINGO, July 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Dominican Republic’s President Luis Abinader received a third Covid vaccine dose on Wednesday and urged the population of the tourism-reliant Caribbean nation to follow his example.   The 54-year-old, who had previously received two doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine from Sinopharm, this…

Eight killed in Ecuador prison riots

 QUITO, July 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Riots at two prisons in Ecuador on Wednesday left eight dead and about 20 injured, including police officers, authorities said.   Violence erupted at a prison in the southwest province of Guayas where eight inmates were killed and two police officers injured, and at another…

Madagascar prosecutors say foiled assassination bid on president

ANTANANARIVO, July 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The prosecutor general’s office in Madagascar has said it foiled an assassination attempt on President Andry Rajoelina, and arrested several “foreign and Malagasy” suspects. Two French people are among several arrested in the Indian Ocean island nation on Tuesday “as part of an investigation for…

Dozens arrested in fresh Colombia protests: Police

BOGOTA, July 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombian police said they had arrested 70 people following fresh anti-government protests that mobilised thousands countrywide and left dozens injured. As Colombians returned to the streets after a weeks-long hiatus, clashes with riot police left dozens of civilians and agents wounded in the cities of…