Moldova election: Pro-EU candidate Sandu leads in preliminary results

Maia Sandu spoke to media after polling stations closed ‎CHISINAU, Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Opposition candidate Maia Sandu holds a narrow lead over current leader Igor Dodon in Sunday’s presidential run-off election in Moldova, preliminary results say. With more than 99% of the vote counted, Sandu is ahead with nearly…

British diplomat in China earns hero status after rescuing woman who fell into river

CHONGQING (China), Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A top British diplomat has become a hero in China after video of him rescuing a student from a swollen river racked up tens of millions of views on social media. Britain’s mission in Chongqing said Monday that Consul General Stephen Ellison leapt into…

Congress chooses centrist Francisco Sagasti new Peru president: official

LIMA, Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peru’s Congress on Monday chose a 76-year-old former World Bank official as the South American country’s new president, the third in a week. Francisco Sagasti was elected as lawmakers met to try to find a way out of a political crisis, sparked by the impeachment…

Covid-19: Number of cases across globe up by over 528,000 in past day – WHO

GENEVA, Nov 17 (NNN-TASS) — More than 528,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection were registered worldwide in the past day, with the overall number of such cases exceeding 54.3 million, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its daily bulletin. As of Nov 16, as many as 54,301,156…

IMF approves US$52.3 million loan to South Sudan

International Monetary Fund WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a disbursement of US$52.3 million to South Sudan under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF).This is the first time the IMF is giving the country financial assistance since it joined the Fund in…

Ethiopia says it has seized another Tigray town as conflict embroils Eritrea

ADDIS ABABA, Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government said it had captured another town in the northern Tigray region after nearly two weeks of fighting in a conflict already spilling into Eritrea and destabilizing the wider Horn of Africa.Hundreds have died, at least 20,000 refugees have…

Covid-19: ‘More people may die’ if Trump blocks cooperation on covid planning, says Pres-elect Biden

WILMINGTON (Delaware,US), Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President-elect Joe Biden expressed frustration Monday about Donald Trump’s refusal so far to cooperate on the White House transition process, saying “more people may die” without immediate coordination on fighting the coronavirus pandemic. “More people may die if we don’t coordinate” on issues…

Hurricane Iota, maximum category 5 strength, makes landfall in Nicaragua

BILWI (Nicaragua), Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Iota made landfall on Nicaragua’s northern Caribbean coast as a maximum Category 5 hurricane, accompanied by catastrophic winds, rain and storm surge, a top meteorological official said. “This powerful hurricane Iota is already on the front line, it’s already on land. At the moment,…

Ethiopia: 34 killed in armed attack on passenger bus – gov’t

ADDIS ABABA, Nov 17 (NNN-XINHUA) — The governmental Ethiopia Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said up to 34 people are believed to have been killed in a recent armed attack. In a press statement, EHRC said an armed attack in Ethiopia’s western Benishangul-Gumuz regional state on Saturday left 34 people dead.…

Libya talks end without appointing unity govt: UN

GAMMARTH (Tunisia), Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — UN-led talks aimed at appointing an interim administration in Libya to help bring an end to a decade of conflict concluded without naming the executive, the world body said. “We have agreed to reconvene in about a week in a virtual meeting (to) agree…