Majority of US senators urge Pres Biden to press Turkey on rights

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A bipartisan majority of the US Senate urged President Joe Biden’s administration to push Turkey to do more to protect human rights.Fifty-four of the 100 senators signed the letter, which accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of marginalizing domestic opposition, silencing critical media, jailing journalists…

Covid-19: Equatorial Guinea veep to be first vaccinee as China donates vaccines

Equatorial Guinea VP, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue MALABO, Feb 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Equatorial Guinea vice-president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, has announced that he will be the first citizen to receive the coronavirus vaccine.He made the disclosure when he on Thursday received a consignment of 100,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccines.…

Namibia’s national carrier folds up over losses, debts

Air Namibia WINDHOEK, Feb 12 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Namibia’s national carrier announced it was ending operations after the Southern African country’s government approved the loss-making airline’s liquidation.“Effective Thursday, 11 February 2021, all flight operations will be canceled with all aircraft returning to base”, read a notice from the company.Customers with outstanding…

WTO to meet to decide on next director-general on Feb 15

Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is widely expected to be chosen to fill the position GENEVA, Feb 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Trade Organization said that its top decision-making body, the General Council, will meet on Feb 15 to decide on the next director-general.Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is widely expected to be chosen…

Covid-19: EU’s Von Der Leyen admits vaccine rollout failures

 BRUSSELS, Feb 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) —The EU was late to authorise Covid-19 vaccines and “still not where we want to be”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. She also acknowledged the EU had been overconfident about production targets being met amid delays at factories. The Commission chief has come…

Covid-19: Latest global developments

PARIS, Feb 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Here are some of the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: . The virus has killed at least 2,355,410 people since the outbreak emergedin China in December 2019. The US is the worst-affected country with 471,575 deaths followed byBrazil with 234,850, Mexico with 169,760, India…

Covid-19: Argentina’s cases top 2 mln

BUENOS AIRES, Feb 11 (NNN-Xinhua) — Argentina registered 7,739 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the national tally to 2,001,034, the health ministry said. The ministry also reported 109 more deaths from the disease, bringing the nationwide death toll to 49,674. A total of 1,798,120 patients have recovered so far,…

UN to assess the impact of US sanctions on Venezuela

CARACAS, Feb 11 (NNN-TELESUR) — United Nations representative Alena Douhan visits Venezuela to assess the impact of US economic sanctions imposed on the Bolivarian nation since 2015.  The visit announcement came shortly after the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) acknowledged that its country’s sanctions on Venezuela have killed tens of thousands…

DR Congo confirms second Ebola case in resurgence of major outbreak

A second person has contracted Ebola and died this week in Democratic Republic of Congo KINSHASA, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A second person has contracted Ebola and died this week in Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province, the World Health Organization and the health ministry said in a statement.…

US Pres Biden presses Chinese counterpart Xi on HK, Xinjiang in first phone call

Then-Vice President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping toast each other in 2015 WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Pres Joe Biden pressed Chinese leader Xi Jinping over human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang late Wednesday in their first call since the new US president took office on…