Belgian manhunt for heavily armed far-right soldier

Military search operation at the Hoge Kempen national park  BRUSSELS, May 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Special Belgian police units are searching for a heavily armed soldier with far-right views who they believe poses a serious threat. The suspect has been named as Jurgen Conings, a military shooting instructor who took weapons from a barracks.…

Colombia: Pres Duque picks Vice President Ramírez for the Foreign Ministry

BOGOTA, May 20 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — After Foreign Minister Claudia Blum handed in her resignation last week due to the social and political unrest Colombia is going through, President Iván Duque chose to appoint Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez as her successor. «I want to appoint our Vice President of the…

Covid-19: Astra-Zeneca vaccines produced jointly by Mexico and Argentina almost ready for delivery

MEXICO CITY, May 20 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — The first batch of Oxford-Astra Zeneca anticoronavirus vaccines produced jointly by Mexico and Argentina are almost ready to start shipping, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced. After touring the Liomont factory in the state of Queretaro with Argentine Ambassador Carlos Tomada on Wednesday, Ebrard…

Meet Africa’s female Chief Justices: Kenya’s Martha Koome joins list

L – R: CJ Nemat of Sudan, Martha of Kenya and Meaza of Ethiopia NAIROBI, May 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The latest woman to make history as a head of the judiciary in an African nation is Martha Karambu Koome of Kenya.Her appointment was affirmed by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday…

Brazil environment minister probed for timber trafficking

Environment Minister Ricardo Salles BRASILIA, May 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazilian Environment Minister Ricardo Salles is suspected of involvement in a trafficking ring that sold illegal timber on the black market, a Supreme Court ruling said as police raided various ministry offices Wednesday. The ruling suspended 10 high-ranking environmental officials in…

French police protest daily violence, some boo interior minister

French police officers from all over France gather in front of the National Assembly in Paris to protest against violence against themselves PARIS, May 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of French police officers protested near the National Assembly on Wednesday to demand the government get tough on violence against the security…

Colombians protest ahead of talks with government

BOGOTA, May 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombians took to the streets Wednesday, on the eve of talks with the government, in a third week of demonstrations that have been marked by police abuses and dozens of civilian deaths. The talks, due to resume Thursday, have stumbled over the government’s reticence to…

Russia’s Lavrov praises ‘constructive’ talks with Blinken

REYKJAVIK, May 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday praised his talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as “constructive” and “useful”, saying both sides understand the need to mend ties. “The conversation appeared constructive to me,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies…

US envoy visits Libya in show of support for interim government

oPrime Minister of Libya, Abdulhamid Dbeibah TRIPOLI, May 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Senior US State Department official Joey Hood held talks in Tripoli on Tuesday in a show of support for Libya’s transitional government, and urged the withdrawal of all foreign forces.“The US opposes all military escalation and all foreign military…

Covid-19: Algeria cancels plan to reopen land borders

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ALGIERS, May 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algeria has backed off a decision to reopen land borders closed because of the coronavirus pandemic but will go ahead with a plan to partially resume international flights from next month, the presidency said.The North African country said on Sunday it would…