Covid-19: Interpol expects ‘dramatic’ jump in crime over vaccine shipments

BERLIN, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) –– Interpol chief Juergen Stock predicted a sharp rise in crimes with robbers seeking to get their hands on precious vaccines aimed at stopping the coronavirus pandemic. “With vaccines rolling out, crime will increase dramatically,” Stock told business weekly WirtschaftsWoche. “We will see thefts and warehouse…

Covid-19: WHO urges stronger action to contain new virus strain

COPENHAGEN, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization is calling on its members in Europe to step up measures against coronavirus in the face of the new variant circulating in Britain. Outside Britain, nine cases of the new strain have been reported in Denmark, as well as one case…

Covid-19: US lawmakers reach deal on $900 bn stimulus package

WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US lawmakers reached a deal for a nearly $900 billion Covid-19 relief package for millions of Americans as the nation struggles against the world’s largest outbreak of the virus. The package is expected to include aid for vaccine distribution and logistics, extra jobless benefits of…

Dominican Republic: Police put down anti-racism protest

SANTO DOMINGO, Dec 20 (NNN-TELESUR) — Dominican Republic’s Santo Domingo conservative organizations and police confronted anti-racism activists who claimed justice for George Floyd in a demonstration. “Those nationalists came and threw themselves at us and the police, instead of taking the attitude of protecting us, what they did was to…

Covid-19: Chilean president fined US$ 3,500 after posing for a selfie without a face mask

SANTIAGO, Dec 20 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Chilean President Sebastian Piñera was slapped with a US$ 3,500 fine after posing for a selfie on the beach with a bystander without wearing a mask as required during the coronavirus pandemic, health authorities said. Chile has strict rules on mask wearing in all public…

Argentina asks Portugal to consider the Falklands a litigation issue and not a British Overseas Territory

BUENOS AIRES, Dec 20 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Argentine Foreign Minister Felipe Solá and his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos held a meeting ahead of the first half of next year when Argentina will be holding the pro tempore chair of Mercosur while Portugal will be presiding over the European Council. A release…

Covid-19: WHO in ‘close contact’ with UK over new variant

Photo Courtesy GENEVA, Dec 20 (NNN-AGENCIES(NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is in “close contact” with UK officials over the emergence of a new variant of Covid-19. The new variant is spreading more rapidly than the original version but is not believed to be more deadly.…

Deadly Fiji super cyclone sparks disease fears

SUVA, Dec 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Disease threatens to worsen an alreadydesperate situation in Fiji, an official warned Sunday, where thousands oflives have been devastated in the wake of the deadly super cyclone Yasa. Agencies rushed food and clean water to areas where the storm smashed into the northern islands of…

Covid-19: Russia’s deaths surpass 50,000

Grave diggers wearing protective suits carry the coffin of a COVID-19 victim in the section of a cemetery reserved for coronavirus victims in Kolpino, outside St.Petersburg, Russia MOSCOW, Dec 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of COVID-19 deaths in Russia surpassed 50,000 on Saturday as the country continues to fight stubbornly…

World court to intervene in Guyana-Venezuela border dispute

The Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice, or World Court, is seen in The Hague, Netherlands THE HAGUE, Dec 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations’ highest court ruled that it will intervene to settle a decades-old border dispute between South American neighbours Guyana and Venezuela. The decision…