Somali parties reach deal to return normalcy in Mogadishu

Lawmakers did not set a date for the elections MOGADISHU, May 6 (NNN-Xinhua) — Somali government and opposition leaders have resolved to reestablish peace and demilitarize the restive capital, Mogadishu, following days of anxiety over the delayed elections in the country. An 11-member technical committee that released a ten-point deal…

Covid-19: South Africa records 2,073 new cases

PRETORIA, May 6 (NNN-SANEWS) — The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases identified in South Africa now stands at 1,588,221, with 2,073 new cases reported on Wednesday. The number of tests conducted to date is 10,773,227. Of these, 33,414 tests were conducted since the last report. Forty-six COVID-19 related deaths have been reported as…

French police officer shot dead in Avignon during drug raid

A police officer was shot dead during an anti-narcotics operation in Avignon PARIS, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A French police officer has been shot dead in the city of Avignon during an anti-narcotics operation, Prime Minister Jean Castex said.Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said several officers had been shot at during…

Peru inks deal to purchase 12 million additional doses of Pfizer vaccine

LIMA, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peru President Francisco Sagasti announced a fresh deal with Pfizer Inc and BioNTech to purchase an additional 12 million doses of their vaccine against COVID-19 as a fierce second wave of the virus ravages the country. The president said on social media the additional shots…

Lord’s Resistance Army commander faces war crimes sentence

The defence is seeking a 10-year prison sentence against Ongwen THE HAGUE, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Criminal Court will on Thursday sentence a child soldier turned Lord’s Resistance Army commander for a litany of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Uganda.Dominic Ongwen, 45, was found guilty in…

Covid-19 deaths, hospitalizations soar among youth in Americas

WASHINGTON, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hospitalizations and deaths of younger people are surging as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates across Latin America and the Caribbean, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Carissa Etienne said. “Adults of all ages – including young people – are becoming seriously ill. Many of them are…

US watching Chinese rocket’s erratic re-entry: Pentagon

WASHINGTON, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Pentagon said it is following the trajectory of a Chinese rocket expected to make an uncontrolled entry into the atmosphere this weekend, with the risk of crashing down in an inhabited area. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is “aware and he knows the…

Pressure mounts on Colombia as protests begin second week

BOGOTA, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of demonstrators poured into Colombia’s streets Wednesday to protest the policies of President Ivan Duque, the eighth straight day of protests that have left at least 24 dead and hundreds wounded. Students, unions, indigenous people and other groups assembled Wednesday in the capital Bogota…

Mexico president hits back at critics over metro crash

MEXICO CITY, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday rejected any link between his austerity drive and a metro line disaster that left 25 dead, as devastated families began to bury the victims. The tragedy that struck on Monday night, when a section of elevated…

French lawmakers approve wide-ranging climate change legislation

The Citizens Convention for Climate was convened last year PARIS, May 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France’s National Assembly approved climate protection legislation that included input from a specially convened citizens’ panel but which activists argue does not go nearly far enough.The bill, which was passed in the lower house by 332…