Russian Pres Putin, Turkey’s Erdogan advocate peaceful solutions to Armenia-Azerbaijan tensions

MOSCOW, July 28 (NNN-Xinhua) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke in favor of resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions through peaceful means during a phone conversation. During the Monday call at the initiative of the Turkish side, Putin stressed the importance of preventing any…

US unrest: Police and anti-racism demonstrators clash at marches in several cities

Police used pepper spray against protesters in Seattle  SEATTLE, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Police in the US city of Seattle clashed with crowds marching in support of anti-racism protests, in one of the most tense of several rallies held across the country on Saturday. Officers used stun grenades and pepper…

South Africa jailbreak: Malmesbury Prison inmates rearrested

PRETORIA, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) —All 68 inmates who escaped from a jail in South Africa’s Western Cape on Friday have been rearrested, the government says. Prison officials were praised for “restoring stability” following a two-day manhunt. The break-out happened after inmates at Malmesbury Prison “overpowered” staff during an exercise session. They then locked…

Covid-19: Pres Trump bets on vaccine for political shot in arm; promises to unlease “American scientific genius” to defeat virus

WASHINGTON, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump vowed to defeat the coronavirus by “unleashing American scientific genius” as he toured a COVID-19 vaccine facility in the swing state of North Carolina on Monday. Trump appears to have pinned his hopes on the swift emergence of a successful vaccine…

Covid-19: US adds 57,000 cases in 24 hours – Johns Hopkins

WASHINGTON, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States on Monday recorded 57,039 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, Johns Hopkins University reported in its real-time tally. The US is the hardest-hit country in terms of both death toll and total caseload, which stood at 4,286,663 as of 8:30 pm (0030…

Covid-19: IMF approves $4.3 bn to help South Africa

WASHINGTON, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Monetary Fund said it had approved $4.3 billion in aid to South Africa to help it fight the coronavirus pandemic. “The IMF approved $4.3 billion in emergency financial assistance under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to support the authorities’ efforts in addressing the…

Update: Mali tasks new ministers with forming unity government

BAMAKO, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mali’s presidency tasked a stripped-down cabinet with working to form a unity government in the crisis-stricken nation, after pressure from other West African leaders. The statement from the president’s office said the president, in keeping with the wishes of regional bloc ECOWAS, had decided to…

Covid-19: Global virus deaths pass 650,000 as new surges prompt fresh curbs

PARIS, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Officials around the world reintroduced a raft of restrictions Monday — from beach closures to quarantine measures — to try to tamp down coronavirus hotspots as the official global death toll passed 650,000. European countries trying to repair the economic damage caused by the earlier…

Covid-19: Republicans introduce $1tn pandemic recovery plan; Democrats said ‘too little, too late’ proposes $3tn plan

WASHINGTON, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Republicans have proposed spending an additional $1tn to address the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The plan includes $100bn for schools and issuing stimulus payments of up to $1,200 to most Americans. Under the plan, the payment would replace a $600 boost to…

Covid-19: Spain races to save tourism as cases surge

Spain races to save tourism MADRID/LONDON, July 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spain is fighting to save its embattled tourism industry after the UK government imposed a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from the country. Government officials insist the virus is under control and want certain areas to be exempt from the…