Hurricane Sally: Deadly US storm leaves 550,000 without power

PENSACOLA (Florida, US), Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Tropical Storm Sally has left more than half a million Americans without power as its torrential rains and storm surges lashed the US Gulf coast. Sally weakened after it made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday, but the slow-moving storm continues to batter Florida and…

Covid-19: South Africa eases strict lockdown as cases drop

South Africa went into a national lockdown on March 27  PRETORIA, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa, which had one of the world’s earliest and strictest lockdowns, has announced a further easing of anti-coronavirus measures. From Sept 20 an overnight curfew will be reduced, gatherings will be allowed at 50%…

Covid-19 pushes New Zealand into worst recession in years

 WELLINGTON, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) —New Zealand is in its deepest recession in decades, following strict measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic which were widely praised. The country’s GDP shrank by 12.2% between April and June as the lockdown and border closures hit. It is New Zealand’s first recession since…

Palestine: Gaza violence flares after Israel signs deals with Gulf states

One rocket hit a shopfront in the Israeli coastal city of Ashdod, wounding two men GAZA, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — There has been a fresh round of violence between Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel, after a ceremony in Washington at which Israel and two Gulf Arab states normalised their…

No Middle East peace without solving ‘Palestinian problem’: Russia

MOSCOW, Sept 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia said it would be a “mistake” to think lasting peace in the Middle East could be secured without resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The foreign ministry statement came after Israel normalised relations with long-time foes Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates at the White House…

Afghanistan: 23 soldiers, 31 militants killed in clashes amid peace talks

KABUL, Sept 18 (NNN-XINHUA) — At least 23 Afghan soldiers and 31 militants were killed and several fighters wounded in separate clashes in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar and western Badghis provinces during Wednesday night, as peace efforts being made, provincial officials said. In Nangarhar province, 20 soldiers and 29 militants were…

Bangladesh expresses frustration over UN failure in Rohingya repatriation

DHAKA, Sept 18 (NNN-BSS) — Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen expressed Bangladesh’s frustration at the UN’s failure to ensure repatriation of the displaced Rohingya people to Myanmar. “We’re deeply frustrated that the UN system could not ensure the repatriation of the Rohingya people,” he said at a webinar discussion… adding…

Sudan seizes explosives ‘large enough’ to blow up capital Khartoum

Sudan says it seized explosives that would have caused a massive explosion similar to the one that exploded in Beirut last month KHARTOUM, Sept 17 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) –Sudan has arrested 41 people and seized a large amount of explosives big enough to blow up the capital Khartoum, authorities said. The materials…

Update: Mali military junta moves to appoint interim president

BAMAKO, Sept 17 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) –Mali’s ruling military junta said that it is making moves to appoint interim president. This comes after West African leaders imposed economic sanctions after the coup, but they appear to have had a limited effect so far. ECOWAS leaders had given one week for a civilian…

Bolivia’s interim gov’t declares national emergency over forest fires

Bolivia’s forest fires LA PAZ, Sept 17 (NNN-Xinhua) — Bolivia’s Interim President Jeanine Anez declared a national emergency after more than half a million hectares of forest have been burnt in Santa Cruz in eastern Bolivia. Meanwhile, a decree permitting controlled burning for agricultural and livestock activities was annulled. “Today,…