Covid-19: Another 4.4 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week

WASHINGTON, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — For the fifth week in a row, millions of American workers applied for unemployment benefits, seeking financial relief as businesses remained closed during the coronavirus pandemic. First-time claims for unemployment benefits totaled 4.4 million in the week ending April 18, after factoring in seasonal adjustments,…

Covid-19: UK economy crumbles under coronavirus strain

UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson LONDON, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Kingdom’s economy is crumbling under the strain of the coronavirus lockdown and government borrowing is soaring to the highest levels in peacetime history, increasing pressure on the government to set out an exit strategy.Prime Minister Boris Johnson, recuperating…

Covid-19: Mozambican man killed for threatening to film policemen playing football during lockdown

MAPUTO, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) —  Two police officers are to be charged for beating to death a man who had threatened to film them playing football in contravention of coronavirus restrictions in MozambiqueAbdul Razak, 44, confronted officers on Sunday in the Munhava area of Beira city, saying they were not…

Covid-19: Botswana’s quarantined president, MPs released after testing negative

Botswana’s President, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi GABORONE, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Botswana’s president and vice president have been released from home quarantine after testing negative for COVID-19. The presidency in a statement said: “Director of Health Services has released His Excellency, Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, President of the Republic…

Tullow exits Uganda oil project, sells stake to Total for $575m

KAMPALA, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tullow Oil has agreed to sell its assets in Uganda to the French energy giant Total for $575m.The sale of Tullow’s stake in a development project in the Lake Albert region ends the Irish company’s long-running investment in Uganda, a period that has seen the…

WHO warns of yellow fever outbreak in Ethiopia

Flavivirus which cause yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes ADDIS ABABA, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a yellow fever outbreak in Ethiopia.The number of suspected cases has increased from three reported on March 3 to 85 on April 6.Eight of the suspected cases…

Covid-19: ECOWAS appoints Nigeria’s President Buhari to lead battle against coronavirus

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari ABUJA, April 24 (NNN-NAN) — Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) appointed President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria to lead the battle against the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the sub-region. Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed…

WHO warns malaria deaths could double during virus pandemic

GENEVA, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The new coronavirus pandemiccould severely disrupt access to anti-malaria nets and drugs insub-Saharan Africa, the World Health Organization said,warning that malaria deaths risked doubling if efforts are noturgently scaled up. The UN health agency called on countries in sub-Saharan Africa,where nearly 95 percent of all…

Covid-19: Italy launches antibody tests for virus immunity in hard-hit Lombardy

ROME, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italy began conducting antibodytests in one northern region seeking information aboutcoronavirus immunity to help guide authorities as they reopen the longlocked-down country. Lombardy, the region hardest-hit by the coronavirus crisis inEurope’s worst-affected country, is betting that the science about“herd immunity” derived from the blood tests…

Covid-19: WHO warns ‘long way to go’ in coronavirus crisis

GENEVA, April 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization warned that the coronavirus crisis will not end any time soon, with many countries only in the early stages of the fight, as the global death toll surpassed 180,000. The pandemic has sparked not only a health emergency, but a global…