Mali president’s ally elected to lead parliament

BAMAKO, May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mali’s parliament picked a close ally of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita as its head, despite tensions in the West African state surrounding his recent election to the assembly. Moussa Timbine, the new president of the parliament, contested legislative elections in March but lost his seat…

US official tells Iran to send plane for prisoner exchange

WASHINGTON, May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and Iran clashed Monday on the prospect of a prisoner swap, with a US official mockingly urging the adversary to send a plane to repatriate its citizens. An Iranian government spokesman said Sunday that Tehran had offered “some time ago” to exchange…

China exempts more US goods from tariffs as virus hits economy

BEIJING, May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China on Tuesday released a list of 79 items from the United States that will be exempted from trade war tariffs, a day after the US ruled out renegotiating their earlier trade deal. The list of goods, posted online by the Customs Tariff Commission of…

At least five dead in fire at Saint Petersburg hospital

ST PETERSBURG (Russia), May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least five COVID-19 patients in the Russian city of St. Petersburg died on Tuesday after a ventilator caught fire in the intensive-care ward they were being treated in, according to Russian news agencies. News agency Interfax quoted a source as saying that…

At least seven dead, 22 injured from Indonesia oil tanker fire

MEDAN (Indonesia), May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rescuers have discoveredthe charred remains of at least seven people a day after a series ofexplosions aboard an Indonesian oil tanker, and police said Tuesday the toll could rise. The dead were among dozens trapped on the 250-metre JagLeela when it burst into flames…

Covid-19: New cases threaten world’s moves back to work

MOSCOW, May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — World powers including Russia andIndia pushed on with easing coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday,despite upsurges in infections in parts of the world and warnings of asecond wave epidemic. Chinese authorities, meanwhile, moved to test the entire 11-millionstrong population of the city of Wuhan, cradle of the…

Covid-19: Russia has world’s second highest number of cases

MOSCOW, May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia has the world’s second-highestnumber of coronavirus infections after reporting another 10,899 new cases on Tuesday. The new cases brought Russia’s total to 232,243, surpassing the number ofinfections in Britain and Spain and now behind only the United States which has reported more than 1.3…

Covid-19: India PM announces US$270 bln virus economic package

NEW DELHI, May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a US$270 billion stimulus package for labourers and small businesses to boost flagging growth as the country grapples with the impact of the coronavirus and weeks-long lockdown. The package — worth about 10 percent of India’s GDP —…

Covid-19: Bangladesh reports 11 more deaths, 969 fresh positive cases

DHAKA, May 13 (NNN-BSS) — Bangladesh reported 11 more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 969 fresh positive cases overnight. “Eleven more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 250,” DGHS Additional Director General (administration) Prof Nasima Sultana told a…

16 killed in Kabul hospital attack, including two infants: govt

A baby is taken away by ambulance after gunmen attacked a maternity hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan KABUL, May 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Gunmen stormed a maternity hospital in the western part of the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, setting off an hours-long shoot-out with the police and killing 16 people, including…