US unrest: New York probes suffocation of black man hooded by police

NEW YORK, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Several hundred peaceful demonstrators marched Thursday in New York’s Times Square over the death of a black man that police hooded and forced face down on the road, according to video footage that prompted a probe from the state’s attorney general. The demonstrators gathered…

Covid-19: EU hopeful first vaccine doses will come by end of year

BRUSSELS, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union hopes it will get 30 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, the first batch in a deal struck with British drugmaker AstraZeneca, a European Commission official said. Assuming one dose per person, such a first…

France leads criticism of US ‘attack’ on ICC

France led criticism of US sanctions on the ICC chief prosecutor PARIS, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France led criticism of US sanctions on the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Thursday, saying Washington had launched a “serious attack” on the global body. The ICC, a special multilateral court set…

US will return to WHO if “independence from Chinese Communist Party”

WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US government officials said that the United States of America will continue to call for reforms to the World Health Organization (WHO) and independence from the Chinese Communist Party, but “when it is right” they may consider re-entering the structure. In a conference call for…

UN refuses amnesty to DRC groups as “reward for murderers”

KINSHASA, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) refused prior amnesty and integration into the regular army of armed groups as a way of establishing peace and stability in the country’s eastern region. “We don’t owe amnesty,” Leila Zerrougui told a press…

Covid-19: Spain races to finish new Madrid hospital for second wave

MADRID, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Near Madrid airport, an army of cranesworks round the clock to build a new pandemic hospital which is expected to open in November. But a second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak is already under way in Spain,straining the capital’s public health care system. Around 400…

Nile dam row: US ‘to cut $100m in aid’ to Ethiopia

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will be the largest hydro-electric plant in Africa WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US is reportedly cutting $100m in aid to Ethiopia over a controversial mega dam being built on a tributary of the River Nile. An Ethiopian government source said the move had been triggered by…

Covid-19: Struggling airlines lead US planned job cuts in August – Report

WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US employers announced another 115,762 job cuts in August, led by struggling airlines as the COVID-19 pandemic weighs on travel and financial assistance from the government lapses. Though the layoffs reported by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas on Thursday were 56 per cent…

Covid-19: Jamaica headed to the poll Thursday amid soaring coronavirus cases

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness has come in for criticism that he put politics over public health KINGSTON, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Jamaicans headed to the polls for a general election on Thursday (Sep 3) amid soaring coronavirus infections and rising criticism over the government’s handling of the pandemic. The ruling…

Covid-19: Brazil tops 4 million cases amid signs virus slowing

BRASILIA, Sept 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil topped four million COVID-19 cases on Thursday as health ministry officials said infections were beginning to slow in the world’s second worst-hit country. Since the first case came to light on Feb 26, the South American colossus has registered more than 4.04 million infections and over…