Libya: East-based warlord Haftar seeks to rouse forces against Turkey as UN-recognised forces gain successes

BENGHAZI (Libya), May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar called on his forces to rally against Turkey, which has helped his Tripoli-based rivals turn the tide of a military conflict around the capital. Recent advances by forces aligned with the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), including the…

Joint military operation by Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso kills 8 suspected terrorists

ABIDJAN, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Soldiers from Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso conducted their first joint operation against militants active near their shared border, killing eight suspected militants and arresting 14 others, Ivory Coast’s army said. Burkina Faso and its neighbours Mali and Niger in West Africa’s semi-arid Sahel zone…

Covid-19: Kenya looks for 400 vaccine volunteers

 NAIROBI, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) —Researchers in Kenya are calling for 400 volunteers to take part in a trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine pioneered by the University of Oxford. The Kemri-Wellcome Trust says all participants must be health workers living in the coastal city of Mombasa and nearby town of Kilifi,…

Covid-19: Spain to stop quarantining arrivals from July 1

MADRID, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Foreign visitors to Spain will no longer have to undergo a two-week quarantine from July 1, the government has announced. It said the measure had been finalised in a cabinet meeting on Monday. Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya had previously said the requirement would be lifted in July, without…

Covid-19: Russian Pres Putin makes appearance as restrictions ease

MOSCOW, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Vladimir Putin made a rare appearance in the Kremlin as Russia prepares to ease lockdownrestrictions imposed over the coronavirus pandemic. The 67-year-old has worked remotely over the past few weeks from his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, chairing meetings with officials by video conference. But…

Venezuela attorney general seeks to declare Guaido party ‘terrorist organization’

CARACAS, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s attorney generalasked the Supreme Court to declare opposition leader Juan Guaido’s party a“terrorist organization,” blaming it for a failed sea invasion. Tarek William Saab accused the Voluntad Popular (“Popular Will”) party and its leader Guaido — who is supported by the US and around…

Russia: Four dead as helicopter crashes at airport

MOSCOW, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A military helicopter crashed Tuesday at an airport in Russia’s remote eastern Chukotka region, killing all four people on board, the governor said. The helicopter of the Russian defence ministry went down in the mainairport in Chukotka near Anadyr, which has mixed military and civilian…

Covid-19: France toll steadies, 83 new deaths

PARIS, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France on Tuesday reported 83 new deaths in hospital from the coronavirus over the last 24 hours as key indicators remained steady two weeks into the relaxation of a lockdown. A total of 28,530 deaths have now been recorded in France since the epidemic began,…

Covid-19: Germany extends distancing rules to end of June

BERLIN, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Germany has extended social distancing rules aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus epidemic to June 29, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government said. Up to 10 people will be allowed to gather in public places but Germans should be in contact with as few people…

Covid-19: Virus spread ‘still accelerating’ in Brazil, Peru, Chile, says WHO

WASHINGTON, May 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — International health authorities expressed concern over signs the spread of the new coronavirus is still accelerating in Brazil, Peru and Chile. “In South America, we are particularly concerned that the number of new cases reported last week in Brazil was the highest for a seven-day…