Brazil military plane flew illegal Amazon miners to meet minister: prosecutors

BRASILIA, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazilian prosecutors alleged that a military airplane was inappropriately used to fly a group of illegal miners operating in the Amazon rainforest to meet with Environment Minister Ricardo Salles in Brasilia. The allegation is the latest controversy for President Jair Bolsonaro’s environment minister, whom activists…

13 of 15-member UN Security Council oppose US push for Iran sanctions

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States was further isolated over its bid to reimpose international sanctions on Iran with 13 countries on the 15-member UN Security Council expressing their opposition, arguing that Washington’s move is void given it is using a process agreed under a nuclear deal…

Covid-19: Russia approves trial of AstraZeneca vaccine – registry filing

MOSCOW, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain’s AstraZeneca has received regulatory approval to conduct part of a Phase III trial of its potential COVID-19 vaccine in Russia, a filing in the Russian registry of clinical trials showed. The trial of the AZD1222 vaccine will involve 150 participants and will be handled…

Covid-19: Brazil’s squalid jails get even worse as pandemic spreads

More than 17,300 inmates have been infected and nearly 100 have died, according to the National Penitentiary Department BRASILIA, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Squalid, overcrowded and prone to deadly riots, Brazil’s prisons now face a new problem as COVID-19 spreads inside them, pushing already precarious health services to the brink…

Update: California fires double in size, flames approach university campus; 6 dead, 43 injured

LOS ANGELES (California, US). Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — California’s lightning-sparked wildfires more than doubled in size into some of the largest in state history, forcing over 175,000 people to flee their homes. At least six people have died, 43 fire fighters and civilians have been injured, and over 500 homes…

Covid-19: Russia to send 2,000 doses of vaccine to Mexico for testing

MEXICO, Aug 22 (NNN-TASS) — Mexico will receive 2,000 doses of theSputnik V coronavirus vaccine from Russia for the third stage of clinicaltrials, according to Foreign Secretary of Mexico Marcelo Ebrard. According to Ebrard, Moscow offered at least 2,000 doses of the vaccine toMexico to start testing it, El Universal…

Covid-19: EU, CureVac in advanced talks for 225 million vaccine doses

GETTY IMAGES BRUSSELS, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Commission and German biotech firm CureVac said they had concluded a first round of talks for the supply of at least 225 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine to EU states. The European Union’s executive arm is also in talks…

Belarus launches criminal case against new opposition body

Minsk has been gripped by huge anti-Lukashenko rallies MINSK, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Belarus launched a criminal case against a new opposition body, accusing it of an illegal attempt to seize power, a day after President Alexander Lukashenko threatened to sweep the streets of protesters who reject his re-election. Belarus…

Libya crisis: Rival authorities announce ceasefire

Libya has been riven by violence since Col Muammar Gaddafi was deposed in 2011 TRIPOLI, Aug 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Libya’s rival authorities have announced an immediate ceasefire. The Tripoli-based and internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) published a statement that also calls for elections in March next year. The truce was…

Covid-19: Brazil sees new job creation jump in July

BRASILIA, Aug 22 (NNN-XINHUA) — Brazil saw 131,010 formal jobs added in July, the first uptick in job creation since March, the Ministry of Economy said in a statement. With 1,043,650 new hires and 912,640 dismissals, the job additions interrupted the negative sequence that has been observed since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit…