Boko Haram gets new leader following death of Abubakar Shekau

Boko Haram new commander Bakura Modu ABUJA, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s Boko Haram jihadist group has installed a new commander following the death of its leader, Abubakar Shekau.In a short video in Arabic, Boko Haram presented its new commander Bakura Modu known as Sahaba.In the video, Modu read a…

World Bank rejects El Salvador request for help in adopting bitcoin

WASHINGTON, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Bank rejected a request from El Salvador for assistance in its bid to adopt bitcoin as a currency, a spokesperson for the Washington-based development lender said. El Salvador uses the US dollar as its official currency, but its legislature approved a measure on…

Argentina hopes to resume beef exports next week

BUENOS AIRES, June 18 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Argentina’s Minister of Productive Development, Matías Kulfas, Thursday said meat exports are to resume next week after details to ensure proper supply to local consumers are fine-tuned. Kulfas spoke of “a virtuous solution” being sought to give producers alternatives with “a new scheme of…

Brazilians flock into Portugal for the fourth straight year

LISBON, June 18 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — The arrival of Brazilian migrants into Portugal has reached new levels for the fourth consecutive year even despite the coronavirus pandemic restrictions. Portugal’s Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) is expected to make these figures official on June 23 with the release of its annual statistical…

Trudeau nominates Ontario judge Mahmud Jamal to Supreme Court of Canada

Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Mahmud Jamal OTTAWA, June 17 (Xinhua) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated Mahmud Jamal as the next member of the Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday. “I know that Justice Jamal, with his exceptional legal and academic experience and dedication to serving others, will…

Angola registers over 5,500 deaths from malaria in first five months

LUANDA, June 18 (NNN-Xinhua) — At least 5,573 deaths from malaria have been registered in Angola in the first five months of 2021, Health Minister Silvia Lutucuta said. Speaking at a press conference, the minister said that Angola is facing a “critical and challenging” situation in relation to malaria. The…

Covid-19: Oxygen failure kills 30 patients at Ugandan hospital

KAMPALA, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 30 Covid-19 patients are reported to have died at Uganda’s Mulago National Referral Hospital on Tuesday night after the facility’s oxygen supply malfunctioned, highly-placed sources said.Officials were reluctant to discuss the matter which, if true, presents the biggest single-day Covid-19 death reported at…

Covid-19: Global death toll exceeds 4 million

Global LONDON, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Coronavirus-related deaths worldwide passed a grim milestone of 4 million on Thursday as many countries struggle to procure enough vaccines to inoculate their populations. While the number of new cases and deaths have abated in countries like the United States and Britain, several nations…

White House considering talks between Biden and China’s Xi

Biden and Xi are both expected to attend the G20 meeting in October hosted by Italy WASHINGTON, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The White House will consider arranging talks between President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as the two countries spar over issues including human rights, a top US official said.…

Global displacement from war, crises doubles in a decade: UN

An intensifying Islamist insurgency has forced many to flee their homes in Mozambique GENEVA, June 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people fleeing war and persecution continued rising last year, with global displacement climbing to over 82 million — double the figure a decade ago, the…