Venezuelan President thanks Russia for coronavirus vaccine supply

90 CARACAS, Oct 3 (NNN-TASS) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro thanked President Vladimir Putin and Russian citizens for the delivery of the first batch of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to the republic. “Sputnik V is already here! We are the first country in the Western Hemisphere to begin phase…

Covid-19: White House National Security Council tells staff members wear masks in common areas and avoid West Wing

WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The White House National Security Council ordered all staff to begin wearing masks in White House common areas and to “avoid unnecessary visits” to the West Wing, according to an internal email. The directive was issued after President Donald Trump, who has played down the…

Covid-19: Face masks become mandatory in Rome as cases rise

People wear face masks as local authorities in the Italian capital Rome order face coverings to be worn at all times out of doors ROME, Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Face masks will have to be worn at all times out of doors in the Italian capital Rome and the surrounding…

Thousands without power as storms lash France

Waves hit the shore near the Promenade des Anglais in Nice as storm Alex reaches the French riviera’s coasts NICE (France), Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Fierce winds drove heavy rain across large swathes of France on Friday, knocking out electricity for tens of thousands of homes along the western Atlantic…

Covid-19: Denmark to cull up to 1 million mink due to risk of contagion

COPENHAGEN, Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Denmark will cull around 1 million mink after finding further coronavirus infections among the animals at farms that breed them for their fur, authorities said. The Nordic country is the world’s largest producer of mink and had previously culled animals on farms hit by infections,…

Covid-19: EU regulator probes possible kidney damage from US-made coronavirus drug

THE HAGUE, Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The EU’s medicines regulator said it is investigating reports of possible “acute” kidney damage in patients taking the coronavirus drug remdesivir, made by US pharma giant Gilead. The European Medicines Agency recommended the use of the anti-viral drug, sold under the brand name Veklury,…

UN: Sudan flooding ‘hits third of farmland’

KHARTOUM, Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says the record floods in Sudan have affected nearly one third of cultivated land, and close to 600,000 households. Over a million tonnes of grain have been destroyed, particularly sorghum, which is a staple crop, and many families are…

US urges third parties to stay out of Karabakh conflict

DUBROVNIK (Croatia), Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged third parties to stay out of the conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region and said he hoped reports of Syrian fighters arriving in Azerbaijan via Turkey were not accurate. Pompeo was speaking on board a plane returning…

US presidential election: Biden, once mocked by Trump, now the only man on campaign trail

WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — For months, Republican US Pres Donald Trump mocked his Democratic rival, Joe Biden for his cautious approach to the coronavirus. But with the president in quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19, his challenger has the campaign stage to himself a month before Election Day. It…

Covid-19: Pelosi urges US airlines to stop layoffs, backs aid

Major carriers have announced more than 30,000 job cuts this week WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Airline workers at risk of layoffs were given hope of a reprieve on Friday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi backed another round of aid for the beleaguered sector. Pelosi called on US carriers to…