Belgian court says Congo’s independence hero Lumumba’s tooth should be returned to his family

Patrice Lumumba was murdered in 1961 BRUSSELS, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A court in Belgium has ruled that a tooth taken from the corpse of Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba should be returned to his family. Lumumba, who became Congo’s first prime minister after it gained independence from Belgium in…

Covid-19: Angola to reopen schools in October

Pedestrians walk past an Angola police armoured personnel carrier seen blocking a street in Luanda LUANDA, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Angolan authorities have agreed to reopen schools from October, after learning institutions in the country were closed to control the spread of COVID-19. Learning activities were cancelled in March after the…

Libya: Call to investigate lethal force used on protesters

Protests were held at the end of August TRIPOLI, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling for an investigation into the lethal force used by armed groups in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, against protesters, and the subsequent apparent disappearance of some of them. Libyans took…

Covid-19: Death toll passes 900,000 worldwide

PARIS, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The global toll from the coronavirus pandemic has topped 900,000 deaths since it first appeared in China late last year. A total of 900,052 Covid-19 deaths have been registered worldwide, from 27,711,866 declared cases of the virus. Latin American and the Caribbean are the worst-hit…

Covid-19: Vaccine still possible this year, despite trial pause – AstraZeneca

LONDON, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Drugs giant AstraZeneca on Thursday said a Covid-19 vaccine could still be available by as early as the end of this year, despite a randomised clinical trial in the UK being paused. “We could still have a vaccine by the end of this year, early…

Bangladesh signs $50m loan agreement with ADB

DHAKA, Sept 11 (NNN-BSS) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) andthe government of Bangladesh signed agreements for $50 millionin loan to promote, fund, and implement public-private partnership(PPP) infrastructure projects in the country. Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Fatima Yasmin and ADBCountry Director Manmohan Parkash virtually signed the loan agreementon behalf…

Journalist found decapitated in eastern Mexico

A motorcycle is seen at the site where the body of journalist Julio Valdivia was found in Tezonapa, Veracruz COATZACOALCOS (Mexico), Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A journalist was found decapitated in a violence-plagued area of eastern Mexico, police said, the latest in a string of killings in one of the…

Niger: 65 killed, 330,000 left homeless in floods

NIAMEY, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Three months of pounding rain in Niger have left 65 people dead and affected nearly 330,000, while several areas of the capital Niamey remain under water, the government said. The ministry of humanitarian action and disaster management said that as of Sept 7, 51 people…

France hosts Med leaders for summit on Turkey tensions

PARIS, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday hosts leaders from Mediterranean states for a summit set to be dominated by growing tensions between Turkey and EU states in the east of the sea. The EuroMed 7 is an informal group of seven EU Mediterranean states, sometimes…

US wildfires: Towns destroyed as firefighters battle wildfires under orange skies

CLOVER (South Carolina, US), Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Entire communities have been razed by wildfires raging in the western United States, with officials warning of potential mass deaths under apocalyptic orange skies. At least six people were confirmed dead by late Wednesday, with officials warning that more deaths would likely…