Fire destroys most voting machines in Venezuela’s main elections warehouse

National Electoral Council (CNE) President Tibisay Lucena CARACAS, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s elections council said that a fire over the weekend destroyed most of the voting machines stored in its main warehouse in the capital, Caracas, potentially complicating parliamentary elections scheduled for this year. Nearly 50,000 voting machines and…

Ethiopians mourn Boeing Max crash victims a year on from disaster

The ceremony took place nearly a year after the March 10 crash that led to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX worldwide  TULU FARA (Ethiopia), March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds gathered on Sunday at the site where Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed last March, killing all 157 on board,…

Bulgaria confirms first four cases of COVID-19: Health officials

Deaths and new cases of the novel coronavirus continued to rise across Europe SOFIA, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Bulgaria on Sunday reported its first four confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Two men from the northern city of Pleven and two women from the city of Gabrovo in central Bulgaria tested…

Trial of men accused in downing of MH17 to begin in Amsterdam

A cross near the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 plane outside Hrabove AMSTERDAM, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The first hearing in the trial of four fugitive suspects in the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 is set to start here today, more than five years after the plane…

Covid-19: One dead as four Italian prisons revolt over virus outbreak measures

ROME, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Inmates in four Italian prisons haverevolted over new rules introduced to contain the coronavirus outbreak,leaving one prisoner dead and others injured. Prisoners at jails in Naples Poggioreale in the south, Modena in the north,Frosinone in central Italy and at Alexandria in the northwest had allrevolted…

Covid-19: US coronavirus cases pass 500 as defiant Pres Trump praises response

WASHINGTON, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of confirmed UScoronavirus cases soared past 500 Sunday, including two further deaths, asPresident Donald Trump defended his administration’s “perfectly coordinated” response to the epidemic. The surge came as medics headed to a cruise ship off the California coastto prepare passengers for landfall, and…

EU considers taking in 1,500 child refugees in Greece: German government

BERLIN, March 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The European Union is considering taking in up to 1,500 migrant children who are currently housed in Greek camps, Germany said Monday. “A humanitarian solution is being negotiated at the European level for a‘coalition of the willing’ to take in these children,” said the government…

Covid-19: Danish high school closed after two students test positive

COPENHAGEN, March 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — A Danish high school has told all students not to attend lessons from Monday after two students tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, Danish broadcaster TV 2 reported. The closure affects over 900 students aged from 16 to 19 who attend Rysensteen high school in…

Covid-19: Cases in US state of New York top 100 after state of emergency declared

A notice of limiting sales of face masks at a pharmacy in New York City NEW YORK, March 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the US state of New York surged to 105 on Sunday, or 16 more than the day before, according to New York…

Death toll in Brazil mudslides reaches 42

SAO PAULO, March 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — Rescue workers found the body of a 37-year-old man under piles of earth and debris on Sunday, bringing the death toll from the mudslides in southeast Brazil’s Sao Paulo state to 42. Another 36 people remain missing since unusually heavy rains hit coastal towns…