Covid-19: Bolivia extends ban on flights from Europe as Brazil sees 1,242 deaths in 24 hours

LA PAZ/BRASILIA, Jan 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — BOLIVIA will extend a ban on flights from Europe until mid-February as a preventive measure against the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus disease, President Luis Arce announced. “To protect the health of the Bolivian population … we are extending the suspension…

Update: US Congress reconvenes hours after protesters breach Capitol with one fatality

Members of the D.C. National Guard are deployed outside of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday evening WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The U.S. Congress reconvened on Wednesday night for proceedings certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, hours after protesters supporting outgoing President Donald Trump breached the Capitol.…

UN rehabilitates three damaged schools in Libya

Students enjoy at their rehabilitated classroom TRIPOLI, Jan 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced rehabilitating three schools in the Libyan capital Tripoli that were damaged by the armed conflict between the eastern-based army and forces of the UN-backed government. “Through Libya stabilization (project), UNDP fully rehabilitated…

Covid-19 (Europe update): UK, Portugal and Slovenia report highest daily spike in coronavirus cases

BRUSSELS, Jan 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries. BRITAIN reported a further 1,041 coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, the highest since April, official figures showed Wednesday. This brought the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country to…

Covid-19: Thousands of learners fail to report back as Kenyan schools open

Ombaka Primary School pupils line up for temperature screening in Nyando, Kisumu NAIROBI, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of learners in Kenya failed to report back to school as directed by the government, raising fears of mass dropouts across the country.There have been concerns that many learners will drop out…

Nigeria: Soldiers kill 220 bandits, rescue 642 kidnap victims

73 AK 47 rifles, 194 dane guns and 53,200 ammunition were recovered ABUJA, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Nigerian Army has neutralised 220 bandits, rescued 642 kidnapped victims, foiled 167 banditry and 81 kidnapped attempts from June to December last year.This was stated by the Acting Director Defence, Media Operations,…

Sahel conflict: France rejects reports of airstrike on Mali wedding

NIAMEY, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Reports from Mali say more than 20 people, including children, were killed when an airstrike hit a wedding party in a remote village at the weekend. Residents of Bounti, in the central Mopti region, said a helicopter opened fire on the ceremony on Sunday. The French military, which has…

Covid-19: WHO team investigating virus origins denied entry to China

It was initially believed that Covid-19 originated at a market in Wuhan  GENEVA, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A World Health Organization (WHO) team due to investigate the origins of Covid-19 in the city of Wuhan has been denied entry to China. Two members had already set out on their journey…

New Venezuela parliament sworn in, US continue to back ‘out-of-job’ Guaido

CARACAS, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A new Venezuelan parliament was sworn in Tuesday with President Nicolas Maduro’s party in firm control and opposition leader Juan Guaido officially without a job, but with foreign backing to keep up a parallel legislature. The new assembly was denounced as “a fraudulently elected body”…

Covid-19: EU watchdog gives green light for second jab

THE HAGUE, Jan 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The EU’s medicines watchdog approved a coronavirus jab by US firm Moderna on Wednesday, giving a shot in the arm for Europe’s slow-moving vaccine roll-out. The vaccine is the second to be authorised by the European Medicines Agency for the 27-nation bloc after Pfizer-BioNTech’s…