Covid-19: Over 10 million virus cases reported in Europe

PARIS, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 10 million cases of the new coronavirus have been reported in Europe since it first hit the continent at the beginning of the year. The region, with 52 countries, is now the third most affected in the world after Latin America and the…

Canada: Free speech has limits, should not hurt other communities, Prime Minister Trudeau says

OTTAWA, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended free speech on Friday, but added that it was “not without limits” and should not “arbitrarily and needlessly hurt” certain communities. “We will always defend freedom of expression,” Trudeau said in response to a question about the right to…

Covid-19: Pandemic drives Brazil jobless rate to record 14.4%

BRASILIA, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s jobless rate hit a record 14.4 percent in the June to August period as the coronavirus pandemic pounded Latin America’s largest economy, the government reported. This is the highest level of unemployment recorded in Brazil since the government started measuring joblessness by three-month periods…

Covid-19: Latin America, Caribbean surpass 400,000 deaths

A worker produces hand sanitizer in Brazilo MONTEVIDEO, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Latin America and the Caribbean, the region with the most cases of Covid-19, surpassed 400,000 deaths from the virus on Friday, according to official figures. Shortly before 0200 GMT, the region had reported 400,524 deaths from the virus…

El Salvador: Nine dead, 35 missing in mudslide

SAN SALVADOR, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nine people were killed and 35 were missing after heavy rain in El Salvador triggered a devastating mudslide near the capital San Salvador, officials said. “It is a tragedy,” said Interior Minister Mario Duran, adding that nine bodies had been recovered from the path…

No fresh ceasefire commitment from Karabakh warring sides

GENEVA, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Armenia and Azerbaijan failed to reach agreement on a fresh ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during talks in Geneva Friday, but did agree to measures to defuse tensions, including vowing not to target civilians, mediators said. Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart…

Tanzania’s John Magufuli wins election with 84 percent: polls body

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tanzanian President John Magufuli won a resounding election victory Friday with 84 percent of votes, according to figures from the national election commission, while his main rival Tundu Lissu scored only 13 percent. “The commission declares John Magufuli of CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi)…

Deadly earthquake rocks western Turkey, Greece

Locals look at a damaged building after a strong earthquake struck the Aegean Sea on Friday and was felt in both Greece and Turkey, where some buildings collapsed in the coastal province of Izmir, Turkey ANKARA/ATHENS, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rescuers continue to dug through heavy blocks of concrete with…

Covid-19: More than 5,000 UN cases recorded amid new outbreak at HQ

The world is still fighting for a vaccine forCOVID-19 UNITED NATIONS, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — There have been more than 5,000 coronavirus cases at the United Nations since the start of the pandemic, the world body announced, amid an outbreak at its headquarters in New York.At least 5,325 infections and…

Nigeria to push back on US rejection of WTO candidate

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance ABUJA, Oct 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria will lobby for its candidate to head the World Trade Organization, the country’s foreign ministry said in reaction to her last-minute rejection by Washington that threw the regulator’s leadership selection process into confusion. The United States…