Covid-19: Cuba’s Soberana-2 vaccine starts phase 3 trials

The Cuban government has announced that Soberana-2 will commence Phase III trials on 44,000 participants in March HAVANA, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cuba on Thursday started phase 3 clinical trials of its Soberana-2 COVID-19 vaccine, Vicente Verez, director general of Cuba’s Finlay Institute of Vaccines, told a press conference. “We…

Germany faces tough questions as nuclear exit nears

GUNDREMMINGEN (Germany), March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Bavarian village of Gundremmingen is so proud of its nuclear power station that its coat of arms is graced with a giant golden atom. But change is coming to the village, with the plant facing imminent closureunder Germany’s energy transition policy. Former village…

Two suspected Syrian war criminals on trial in Germany for execution of government soldier

Two Syrian war criminals on trial in Germany DUSSELDORF (Germany), March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two Syrian men went on trial in the German city of Dusseldorf on Thursday for an alleged war crime.The defendants, aged 35 and 43, allegedly took part in the execution of a lieutenant colonel of Syrian…

Sudan receives COVAX doses, set to start vaccine rollout next week

KHARTOUM, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sudan will begin vaccinating health care workers followed by people aged 45 or older with chronic conditions for free next week after becoming the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to benefit from COVAX facility vaccines.Sudan received 828,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-produced…

Number of Africans in extreme poverty could rise to 514 million in 2021 – UN

COVID-19 will push an additional 5 to 29 million below the extreme poverty line ADDIS ABABA, March 5 (NNN-GNA) — The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has warned the COVID-19 pandemic could further exacerbate Africa’s extreme poverty as a total of 514 million Africans are projected to fall…

Covid-19: Virus kills fewer African women than men – WHO study

ADDIS ABABA, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Women in Africa are less likely to die from Covid-19 than men, but more likely to succumb to maternal complications due to limited access to reproductive services since the pandemic started, the UN said citing reports. A study of 28 African countries including Guinea,…

US hopes Iran will ‘engage’ after Europeans drop nuclear censure plan

State Department spokesman Ned Price WASHINGTON, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States said it hoped Iran would “engage” in diplomacy after European allies dropped a plan to censure Tehran at the UN nuclear watchdog. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States was “pleased” that the Europeans withdrew…

Peru issues tsunami alert after NZ quake

LIMA, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peru issued a tsunami warning for its coast but no evacuation order Thursday, after a cluster of powerful South Pacific earthquakes. The country’s National Emergency Operations Center reported “a tsunamialert on the Peruvian coast,” with the arrival of a wave train “estimatedduring the early morning…

Greece rocked by new quake near city of Larissa

ATHENS, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A new earthquake hit central Greece near the city of Larissa on Thursday, the same region where an even stronger tremor left 11 people injured the day before, the Athens seismological observatory said. The quake, which the US Geological Survey said was of 5.6 magnitude,…

US, at UN, accuses Russia of blocking ‘accountability’ on Syria chem weapons

UNITED NATIONS, March 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The new US envoy to the United Nations accused Russia of seeking to stymie efforts to hold the government of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad accountable for its use of chemical weapons during its long civil war. “We all know the Assad regime has repeatedly…