Update: At least 39 killed as Karabakh fighting enters second day

YEREVAN/BAKU, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Armenian separatists in the breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh said Monday 15 more of its fighters have been killed in a flare-up of a territorial dispute, bringing the total death toll to 39 as the fighting entered a second day. World leaders have urged a…

Nigeria labour unions ‘suspend strike’: Labour Minister

ABUJA, Sept 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Labour Unions in Nigeria have suspended their planned nationwide strike that was to begin on Monday, Labour Minister Festus Keyamo has said on Twitter. The suspension follows overnight talks between the government and the unions. The strike was to protest against the recent doubling of…

UN envoy calls for peaceful Ivory Coast elections

There has been tension in the country ahead of the Oct 31 polls ABIDJAN, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The special UN envoy for West Africa has urged peaceful elections in Ivory Coast at the end of a week-long visit. Mohamed Ibn Chambas met President Alassane Ouattara who is running for…

Covid-19: Brazil sees daily increase of over 14,000 cases as heatwaves cause crowded beaches

BRASILIA, Sept 28 (NNN-Xinhua) — Brazil reported 335 more deaths from the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 141,741. According to the health ministry, tests in the same period detected 14,318 new cases of infection, taking the total caseload to 4,732,309. Authorities in the…

13 Boko Haram militants, family surrender to Nigerian troops

ABUJA, Sept 28 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Nigerian military confirmed that 13 suspected Boko Haram militants surrendered to troops during an operation aimed at smoking out remnants of the terror group in the country’s northeast region. The terrorists surrendered as troops on Saturday “sustained aerial bombardment and aggressive intensive clearance operation”…

US judge blocks Pres Trump administration TikTok app store ban

 The restrictions would have made TikTok impossible to use in the US WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A US judge in Washington temporarily blocked a Trump administration order that was set to bar Apple and Google from offering Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok for download at 11.59pm on Sunday local time.…

Covid-19: First death in Greek migrant camp

A man wearing a protective suit and a face mask exits the Malakasa migrant camp ATHENS, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Greek officials announced the first coronavirus death in a migrant camp near Athens, as refugee groups stepped up criticism of the containment policy of the Greek government and Europe. The…

US wildfires: Swiftly spreading wildfire erupts in California’s Napa Valley wine country

ST HELENA (California, US), Sept 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A wind-driven wildfire erupted on Sunday in the heart of northern California’s Napa Valley wine country and spread across more than 1,000 acres (404 hectares), forcing the evacuation of several hundreds homes and a hospital, authorities said. The blaze, dubbed the Glass Fire, broke…

Update: UN chief calls for immediate end to fighting over Nagorny Karabakh

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “extremely concerned over the fresh resumption of hostilities” between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh. “The Secretary-General strongly calls on the sides to immediately stop fighting, de-escalate tensions and return to meaningful…

Mali: Former foreign minister Moctar Ouane named transitional premier

BAMAKO, Sept 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Former Malian foreign minister Moctar Ouane has been named prime minister by the country’s interim president Bah Ndaw, state television announced. Ouane, 64, served as foreign minister between 2004 and 2011 during Amadou Toumani Toure’s presidency. The members of the new PM’s government will be…