Covid-19: Nigeria foreign minister recovers from coronavirus

Geoffrey Onyeama had tested positive for Covid-19 on July 18 ABUJA, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister, Geofrey Onyeama, has recovered from COVID-19 after three weeks in isolation. Onyeama, a member of the presidential task force on COVID-19, contracted the virus last month. In a tweet, he thanked Nigerians for their prayers…

Covid-19: Pre-orders of vaccine top five billion

PARIS, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Although none of the coronavirus vaccines under development has proved its efficacy yet in clinical trials, at least 5.7 billion doses have been pre-ordered around the world. First shipments of a COVID-19 vaccine created by Western laboratories have often been snapped up by the United…

Civilians, soldiers clash leaving 127 dead in South Sudan: army

JUBA, Aug 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Clashes between soldiers andcivilians during a disarmament exercise in the central South Sudanesetown of Tonj have left 127 dead, the army spokesman said. Major General Lul Ruai Koang said that the fighting erupted onSaturday as security forces carried out an operation to disarmcivilians in the…

Venezuelan court sentenced two former US soldiers to 20 years in prison over a failed coup to oust Maduro

CARACAS, Aug 12 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — A Venezuelan court sentenced two former US soldiers to 20 years in prison for their role in a failed incursion aimed at ousting President Nicolas Maduro in early May, chief prosecutor Tarek Saab said. Former Green Berets Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, admitted…

Covid-19: US announces sixth vaccine contract, for 100 mn doses

WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Donald Trump announced a $1.5 billion contract with US biotech company Moderna for 100 million doses of an eventual coronavirus vaccine, the sixth such deal reached since May. “I’m pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with Moderna to manufacture and deliver…

Brazil: Pres Bolsonaro calls surging Amazon fires a ‘lie’

Smoke rises from an illegal fire in Amazon rainforest reserve, north of Sinop in Mato Grosso state BRASILIA, Aug 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro angrily denied the existence of fires in the Amazon rainforest, calling it a “lie”, despite data produced by his own government showing that thousands…

Germany, Russia reject US sanctions threat against Nord Stream 2 pipeline

Heiko Maas is Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs. MOSCOW, Aug 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — German and Russian foreign ministers rejected US sanctions threat against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. “No state has the right to dictate Europe’s energy policy with threats, and this will not succeed,” German Foreign Minister Heiko…

Italy plans to build tunnel linking Sicily with mainland

The tunnel would replace a stalled plan for a suspension bridge over the Strait of Messina ROME, Aug 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — Ambitious Italian plans to build a tunnel to connect the southern island region of Sicily to the Italian mainland began to take shape, with a 5-billion-euro project to be…

Covid-19: Colombia surpasses 400,000 cases as neighbour Ecuador registers 862 more cases, 19 new deaths

BOGOTA/QUITO, Aug 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Colombia has reached 410,453, with 13,475 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection said. The ministry reported that over the last 24 hours, 12,830 new cases were registered, the highest daily addition since the first…

23 illegal immigrants rescued off Libyan coast: IOM

 Empty roads in Tripoli, where the government has imposed lockdown measures TRIPOLI, Aug 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that 23 illegal immigrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast. “Today, 23 migrants, among them two women and one child were returned to Libya by the…