Covid-19: ‘Cautious’ Tanzania has no plans for vaccines – Health Minister

President John Magufuli says the country is virus-free DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At a time some African countries have started coronavirus vaccinations and others are awaiting the delivery of vaccine consignments, Tanzania says it had no plans of importing vaccines.Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima said the government, for…

Gabon’s ruling party wins majority seats in Senatorial election

Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba LIBREVILLE, Feb 3 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — The party of Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba has won an overwhelming majority in the first round of Saturday’s senatorial elections, taking 45 of the 52 seats at stake, said the official body in charge of the poll.Five opposition or…

Uganda: Nurses call off strike after govt offers Shs70b for lunch allowance

Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union has called off their planned strike KAMPALA, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU) has called off their planned strike after government promised to give them Shs70 billion for lunch allowance.The strike had been scheduled to start Monday but in a…

Covid-19: More than 100 million vaccinated globally

PARIS, Feb 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 100 million Covid-19 vaccines have been given around the world, mostly among the richest nations. But none of the world’s 29 poorest countries has formally started mass vaccination drives, while the richest nations have given more than two-thirds of jabs administered. Israel leads…

US racism: Data points to Covid-19 vaccine shortfall for Black Americans

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A study suggested Black Americans had not gotten the coronavirus vaccine at a rate proportionate to their population in the nation. Between Dec 14 and Jan 14, nearly 13 million people received at least one injection of the two vaccines authorized in the United States,…

Myanmar military takeover threatens country’s development: World Bank

Soldiers stand guard at a Myanmar’s military checkpoint on the way to the congress compound in Naypyitaw WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Bank said it was gravely concerned about the current situation in Myanmar and a military takeover of power, warning the events risked a major setback to the country’s…

COVID-19: WHO team in Wuhan hold “good discussions” with Chinese counterparts

GENEVA/WUHAN, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A World Health Organization-led team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday visited the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China’s central region of Hubei, where the outbreak emerged in late 2019. The group of independent experts spent about 4-1/2 hours on…

Covid-19: US new cases fall for third straight week, hospitalisations down

NEW YORK, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — New cases of COVID-19 in the United States fell for a third week in a row, the first time the country has seen such an extended decline since last September, though more than a million people are still being infected every week. New cases…

UN fears for Myanmar Rohingya after coup, Security Council due to meet Tuesday

People stock up rice in Yangon, Myanmar, on Feb 1 UNITED NATIONS, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations fears the coup in Myanmar will worsen the plight of some 600,000 Rohingya Muslims still in the country, a UN spokesman said as the Security Council planned to meet on the latest developments…

US Pres Biden demands Myanmar military cede power, orders sanctions review

US Pres Joe Biden called on Myanmar’s military to relinquish power immediately WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden called on Myanmar’s military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider re-imposing sanctions lifted due to the nation’s transition to democracy. “The international community should come together…