Covid-19: South Korea’s capital Seoul seeks US$4 million in damages from church over new outbreak

South Korean police stand guard near the Sarang Jeil Church, which has become a new cluster of coronavirus disease infections, in Seoul SEOUL, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The metropolitan government in South Korea’s capital Seoul said it would seek 4.6 billion won (US$4 million) in damages against a church for…

COVID-19: UK heading for 2nd lockdown as hospital admissions doubling every 8 days

A new COVID-19 testing lab in Glasgow LONDON, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain’s health minister said that the novel coronavirus was accelerating across the country with hospital admissions doubling every eight days but refused to say whether or not another national lockdown would be imposed next month. Asked repeatedly by…

Covid-19: Canadian province cracks down on big parties to fight virus

OTTAWA, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Canada’s most populous province ofOntario on Thursday clamped down on big parties, unveiling steep fines forbreaches of strict limits on the number of people attending social gatherings to try to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 outbreaks. Organizers of private gatherings of more than 10…

US unrest: Family hopes for justice as policeman charged in black woman’s 2019 death

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The family of a black woman shot dead 16 months ago by a Texas police officer said justice was closer Thursday after the officer was charged in her death. Officer Juan Delacruz of Baytown, a Houston suburb, was indicted earlierthis week by a grand jury…

Kuwait offers $20mn in Yemen aid after UN dressing-down

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Kuwait announcedThursday it would donate $20 million towards humanitarian aid for war-ravaged Yemen, two days after UN officials called the country for not honoring its pledges, diplomats said. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah made theannouncement during a videoconference meeting behind closed doors.…

Covid-19: Cases top 30 million worldwide

PARIS, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of coronavirus cases registered worldwide topped 30 million on Thursday. The grim landmark came as the World Health Organization warned of “alarming rates of transmission” of Covid-19 across Europe. The tallies, using data from national authorities andinformation from the World Health Organization (WHO),…

US Pres Trump will not attend UN General Assembly in person

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump will not attend next week’s UN General Assembly gathering in person, his chief of staff told journalists aboard Air Force One Thursday, according to a poolreport. The decision marks an about-face for Trump, who last month said he wanted to deliver…

Greek police transfer homeless migrants to new Lesbos camp

Police blocked the road in the area where the operation to transfer the migrants began LESBOS (Greece), Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Police on the Greek island of Lesbos launched an operation to rehouse thousands of migrants who have been sleeping rough after their camp was destroyed by fire. At around 7am…

Latin American nations seek more time to join WHO vaccine plan

BRASILIA, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil and several other Latin American countries have informed the World Health Organization (WHO) they need more time to sign up for its global COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan known as COVAX, officials said. Countries have until midnight on Friday to formalise legally binding commitments to…

Covid-19: Australia looks set to ease border limits and allow more citizens home

People walk through the city centre as the state of New South Wales continues to report relatively low numbers for new daily cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) MELBOURNE, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Australian government is expected to announce on Friday an increase in the number of citizens able…