Argentina debt restructure ‘progressing’ as deadline extended

BUENOS AIRES, June 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Argentina’s tug-of-war negotiations with creditors over a $66 billion debt restructure plan was progressing, President Alberto Fernandez said, as the deadline to find a deal was extended once again. “The negotiations are progressing in fits and starts. In 2005, when we renegotiated the debt,…

Nigeria and Cameroon declared polio free: WHO

‘Health experts in the country welcomed the development but urged caution’ ABUJA, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Nigeria and Cameroon to be free of polio, a crippling disease that usually affects children under five. Afghanistan and Pakistan are now the only countries with cases…

China officially charged Canadians with spying, described as retribution over Huawei’s executive case

BEIJING, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China has formally charged two Canadians with spying, officials said Friday, more than 18 months after they were arrested in a spat between Beijing and Ottawa. The pair were detained shortly after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on a US warrant, in…

US unrest: Ex-cop in custody after shooting black man in Atlanta

WASHINGTON, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A white former police officer was taken into custody in the United States on Thursday after being charged with the murder of a black man outside a fast-food restaurant, in the latest case to spark fury. Garrett Rolfe, who was fired after the killing, is…

Unarmed New Zealand cop dies in ‘devastating’ shooting, first death after a decade

WELLINGTON, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An unarmed New Zealand police officer was fatally shot on an Auckland street Friday, the force’s first death in the line of duty for more than a decade, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing the attack as “devastating”. Police said the officer and a colleague…

Covid-19: Californians ordered to wear face masks in public

LOS ANGELES, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — California’s Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all Californians to wear face masks in public in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus. “Science shows that face coverings and masks work,” Newsom said in a statement. “They are critical to keeping those who are…

Ten killed in attacks in DR Congo’s volatile east

BENI (DR Congo), June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ten people were killed by militia fighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s volatile east where the army is battling armed groups, officials said. In the troubled Beni region of North Kivu, “four people were killed”, the region’s top official Donat Kibwana said,…

South Korean President accepts resignation of unification minister over North Korea tensions

SEOUL, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Korea’s Unification Minister, its point man for relations with the North, resigned on Friday over heightened tensions on the peninsula, days after Pyongyang blew up its liaison office with the South. President Moon Jae-in “accepted Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul’s offer to resign”, the presidential…

Covid-19: Layoffs top 45.7 mn as US economic distress persists

WASHINGTON, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Layoffs caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the United States have passed 45.7 million, raising fears that despite some positive signs, the economy faces a halting recovery from the downturn. Another 1.5 million US workers filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor…

Covid-19: Global death toll passes 450,000

PARIS, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The novel coronavirus has killed at least 450,386 people since the outbreak began in China last December. At least 8,410,400 cases of coronavirus have been registered in 196 countries and territories. Of these, at least 3,866,200 are considered recovered. The tallies probably reflect only a…