US first lady to help reunite migrant kids with parents

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US first lady Jill Biden willparticipate in efforts by her husband’s administration to reunite familiessplit apart by former president Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies, the White House said. In line with his campaign promises, President Joe Biden plans to announceon Tuesday “his launch of a…

Covid-19: Mexico leader hopeful worst of his illness over

MEXICO CITY, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mexican President Andres ManuelLopez Obrador said he was hopeful that he was through the worst of hiscoronavirus infection as he reappeared in a video message to the nation. “I still have Covid but the doctors already tell me that the critical phaseis passing,” said…

Five dead in helicopter accident in Cuba: official

HAVANA, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Five people died in Cuba on Friday when their helicopter crashed on its way from the province of Holguin toGuantanamo in the east of the island, the armed forces ministry announced. The helicopter “crashed against a hill” and “the five people on boarddied,” the ministry…

Covid-19: France to close borders to non-EU countries, steps back from new lockdown

French Prime Minister Jean Castex  PARIS, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the country would close its borders to non-European Union countries for all except essential travel, while stepping back from a widely anticipated third lockdown. The travel ban will come into force from Sunday to…

US military slams Chinese flights over South China Sea but says they posed no threat

USS Theodore Roosevelt WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US military said that Chinese military flights in the past week in the South China Sea “at no time” posed any threat to a US Navy aircraft carrier strike group in the region but fit a pattern of destabilising and aggressive behaviour by…

UAE says will cooperate with UN, US on Libya conflict

N, US on Libya conflict UAE Ambassador to UN Lana Nusseibeh UNITED NATIONS, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Arab Emirates, accused this week by the United States of military intervention in Libya’s protracted civil war, stated its readiness to work “closely” with the new US administration for a peaceful…

Covid-19: Vaccines delayed in Europe and elsewhere, adding to shortfalls

PARIS, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Shortfalls in COVID-19 vaccine deliveries from US drugmaker Moderna have spread across Europe, as Italy joined France and Switzerland in announcing the company’s shipments for February would miss expectations. Moderna said it had revised short-term delivery guidance for Europe and elsewhere outside the United States based…

Pres Putin signs extension of last Russia-US nuclear arms treaty

MOSCOW, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a bill extending the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States a week before the pact was due to expire. Both houses of the Russian parliament voted unanimously Wednesday to extend the New…

Covid-19: Kenya aims to vaccinate 16 million people by June 2022

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Nairobi NAIROBI, Jan 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Kenya said it was seeking an extra 11 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, on top of 24 million already ordered, and hopes to have 16 million people inoculated by June next year. The extra doses are to be…

Five Covid-19 patients die in Romania hospital fire

BUCHAREST, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A fire broke out early on Friday in Romania’s main hospital for COVID-19 patients, killing five of them in the second such incident in three months. Emergency responders found three dead patients at the Matei Bals hospital in the capital Bucharest, and could not resuscitate…