More airlines suspend flights in Belarus airspace

PARIS, May 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Air France, Finnair and Singapore Airlines became the latest carriers to suspend flights over Belarus on Tuesday after Minsk forced a jet to land to arrest a dissident. The announcements came a day after European Union leaders urged EU-based airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace and…

Presidents Biden, Putin likely to hold summit in Geneva: reports

WASHINGTON, May 26 (NNN-XINHUA) — US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely hold a summit in Geneva in June, US media reported. Citing sources familiar with the matter, several media outlets said that the Swiss city of Geneva is expected to be the venue for Biden’s…

Italy cable car accident kills nine: emergency services

ROME, May 23, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Nine people were killed and two children seriously injured Sunday after a cable car plunged into the side of a mountain in northern Italy, emergency services said. The accident occurred in the resort town of Stresa on the shores of Lake Maggiore in the…

Libya, Tunisia agree to promote mutual trade, movement of travelers

TRIPOLI, May 23 (NNN-Xinhua) — Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah met with his Tunisian counterpart, Hichem Mechichi, in Libya’s capital Tripoli, where they signed an agreement on mutual trade and movement of travelers. The agreement also includes technical cooperation on land, sea and air transportation, as well as activating…

‘Ecological disaster’ feared as Greece battles forest fire

ATHENS, May 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of firefighters battled Greece’s first major forest fire of the summer on Saturday, as experts warned of a “huge ecological disaster” in the nature conservation area near Athens. The fire, which broke out late Wednesday in the Geraneia mountains some 90 kilometres west of…

Nigeria buries army chief after air crash

ABUJA, May 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s top-ranking army commander Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru was laid to rest in the capital Abuja on Saturday, a day after he and 10 other officers died when their plane crashed in bad weather. It was the third military air disaster this year and the…

Haitians facing US deportation receive temporary protected status

WASHINGTON, May 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States said it would allow tens of thousands of Haitian immigrants to reapply for temporary protected status to remain in the country for 18 months, citing the island nation’s political crisis and rampant crime. “After careful consideration, we determined that we must do…

Covid-19: Portugal shows off its beaches as tourists return for summer

CARCAVELOS (Portugal), May 23 (NNN-EFE) — Portugal has brought the summer season forward and opened its borders, and beaches, to foreign tourists. The train service between the capital Lisbon and the nearby seaside town of Cascais is packed during the week with students, who head down to the beach as…

Movies and vaccines: Uruguay’s main airport reinvents itself during pandemic

MONTEVIDEO, May 23 (NNN-EFE) — Several vehicles roll onto the parking lot of the Carrasco International Airport outside Uruguay’s capital, although none of their occupants have a flight to catch. Instead, one of the passengers of an SUV and another riding in a small car have arrived at the country’s…

Colombians denounce forced disappearances in Cali

CALI (Colombia), May 23 (NNN-TELESUR) — Colombia’s Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ) denounced the forced disappearance of Cali citizens by the Mobile Anti-riot Squadron (ESMAD) agents. On Thursday, the victims were detained in a supermarket in the city without the presence of local authorities. According to INDEPAZ, this…