Denmark to build world’s ‘first energy island’ in North Sea

An impression of the island, surrounded by offshore wind turbines, 260m in height COPENHAGEN, Feb 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) —A project to build a giant island providing enough energy for three million households has been given the green light by Denmark’s politicians. The world’s first energy island will be as big as 18 football pitches…

Covid-19: US in tug-of-war with teachers over reopening schools

LOS ANGELES, Feb 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — From lawsuits in San Francisco tothreats of a remote learning “lockout” in Chicago, US officials are rampingup the pressure on teachers and their unions to reopen schools that have been closed for almost a year due to Covid. Education professionals are fighting back, insisting…

Germany welcomes US troop withdrawal freeze

US soldiers in Wiesbaden, Germany BERLIN, Feb 5 (NNN-Xinhua) — Germany welcomed the US decision to stop the military withdrawal from Germany planned by former President Donald Trump, federal government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said Friday. “We have always been convinced that the stationing of American troops here in Germany serves…

South Korean trade minister Yoo withdraws from WTO chief race, leaves Nigerian to lead the global body

Former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the only remaining candidate for the WTO director-general’s post SEOUL, Feb 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Korea’s trade minister Yoo Myung-hee has withdrawn from the race to lead the World Trade Organization (WTO), clearing the way for members to appoint the first African and…

Covid-19: Chile launches vaccination campaign and inoculates 140,000 on the first day

SANTIAGO, Feb 5 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Chile on Wednesday launched its mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19, inoculating people over 90 years old at over 1,400 vaccination centers across the country. “After 11 months of hard, painful and difficult times of pandemic, today we are initiating a mass vaccination process throughout our…

Russia offered Argentina fighter aircraft and training jets, defense website reports

BUENOS AIRES, Feb 5 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Russia has again approached the Argentine government to offer defense equipment, including military planes for the air force. The information was released by the InfoDefensa website, which cited a recent meeting between the Russian ambassador to Argentina, Dmitry V. Feoktistov, and the commander of…

Brazil: Mining giant Vale signs US$7bn settlement deal over Brumadinho disaster that killed more than 270 people

BRASILIA, Feb 5 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazilian mining giant Vale signed a settlement deal to pay 37.7 billion reais (US$ 7 billion) to the state of Minas Gerais, following the collapse of a dam two years ago that devastated the city of Brumadinho and killed more than 270 people. The rupture…

Covid-19: With China’s help, Serbia overtakes EU in vaccine rollout

Serbia has inoculated more than 450,000 of its population of seven million in almost two weeks BELGRADE, Feb 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Inside the dome of Belgrade’s concrete fair hall, dozens of nurses in hazmat suits inject COVID-19 shots into young and old alike, working with an efficiency that has turned Serbia…

Covid-19: WHO urges collaboration to speed up Europe vaccinations

COPENHAGEN, Feb 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Europe and pharma groups must work together to speed up Covid-19 vaccinations, the head of the European branch of the World Health Organization said, expressing concern about the effectiveness of vaccines on virus variants. “We need to join up to speed up vaccinations,” WHO Europe…

Lavrov, Blinken discuss normalization of Russian-US relations during first phone call

MOSCOW, Feb 5 (NNN-TASS) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov andUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken have discussed the normalization ofrelations between Moscow and Washington during their phone call on Thursday, along with issues of strategic stability, the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Syrian regulation and the Alexey Navalny case,…