Covid-19: Moderna says vaccine effective against UK, South Africa variants

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US biotechnology firm Moderna said lab studies showed its Covid-19 vaccine remains effective against variants of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa. But the positive news was tempered by the finding that there was a sixfold reduction in the level…

Estonia gets first female prime minister

TALLINN, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Pro-business europhile Kaja Kallas is to be Estonia’s first female prime minister after parliament on Monday voted in her new coalition. Kallas, a 43-year-old former MEP and leader of the Reform Party, is the daughter of the Baltic state’s former prime minister Siim Kallas. She…

Covid-19: World lost equivalent of 255 mn jobs in 2020, says UN

GENEVA, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The coronavirus pandemic took a huge toll on global jobs last year, the United Nations said, with the equivalent of more than a quarter of a billion lost. In a fresh study, the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) found that a full 8.8 percent of…

Central African Republic says allied forces killed 44 rebels in counter-offensive

BANGUI, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Central African Republic troops killed 44 rebel fighters participating in a push to encircle the capital Bangui and overturn newly-reelected President Faustin Archange Touadera, the government said. Together with “allied forces”, the CAR army launched an offensive in the village of Boyali, around 90 kilometres…

US suspends sanctions on Yemen’s Houthis rebel dealings to boost aid

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Joe Biden’s administration froze US sanctions on dealing with Yemen’s Houthi rebels for one month as it reviews a terrorist designation that aid groups warn will aggravate a humanitarian crisis. The Treasury Department in a notice said that all transactions with the group will…

Covid-19: EU warns AstraZeneca over vaccine delivery delay

BRUSSELS, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union issued an angry warning to pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca over its unexpected delay in delivering millions of doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to the bloc. The British-Swedish company’s announcement “is not acceptable to the European Union,” EU Commissioner for health Stella Kyriakides said…

Covid-19: Rich and poor vaccine divide worsening, warns WHO

GENEVA, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Covid-19 vaccine divide between rich and poor nations is worsening by the day, the World Health Organization warned, insisting the failure to distribute doses fairly could cost the global economy trillions of dollars. The WHO said it needed $26 billion this year for its…

Brazil: 19 dead, dozens hurt in bus crash

BRASILIA, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A bus overturned in southern Brazil in the early hours of Monday, killing 19 people and injuring dozens, officials said. The bus was nearing the end of a 3,000-kilometer journey from Ananindeua in northern Brazil to Balneario Camboriu in the south with 53 passengers and…

Cyclone Eloise brings floods to Mozambique’s second city Beira

MAPUTO, Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Parts of central Mozambique have been flooded after Cyclone Eloise struck near the port city of Beira with wind speeds of up to 160km/h. Beira received 250mm (10 inches) of rain in 24 hours, according to Mozambique’s National Institute of Meteorology (INAM). Local officials and…

US incident: Police vehicle ploughs into crowd watching street racing, one injured

TACOMA (Washington, US), Jan 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A police officer is under investigation in the US after his vehicle ploughed into a group of people, running over at least one, in Tacoma, Washington. Nobody was killed in the incident, although one person was rushed to hospital with injuries. A video…