Covid-19: Germany fallen victim in mask fraud scheme

BERLIN, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Authorities in Germany have fallen victim to a multi-million-euro fraud involving masks much needed in the coronavirus pandemic, prosecutors said. North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state and one of the hardest hit, paid 14.7 million euros for some 10 million masks in March only to…

Covid-19: Deprived of customers, British farmers throw away milk

LONDON, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Deprived of customers such as supermarkets, restaurants and schools due to the coronavirus outbreak and resulting lockdown, British farmers are throwing away thousands of litres of milk. Coffee shops and office blocks, also shut because of COVID-19, are no longer receiving their early morning deliveries, although…

Covid-19: US denies hijacking Chinese medical supplies meant for Brazil

Minister of Health Luiz Henrique Mandetta BRASILIA, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US ambassador to Brazil denied reports that the US government took over Chinese supplies of medical equipment that were ordered by Brazil to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Brazilian Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said last week China had ditched some…

Covid-19: Athletes step up to help fight virus in Brazil

World Cup winning captain in 1994 and former Brazil’s head soccer coach Dunga helps with food distribution to poor people in Porto Alegre, RIO DE JANEIRO, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — As COVID-19 infections rise steadily in Brazil and threaten to cause chaos in its densely populated favelas, some of the…

Covid-19: Uruguay approves flight to evacuate Australian, New Zealand passengers from cruise ship Greg Mortimer

MONTEVIDEO, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Uruguay has authorised a humanitarian flight to evacuate Australian and New Zealand passengers stranded on a coronavirus infected cruise ship. About 128 of the 217 people on board the Australian-owned Greg Mortimer, including passengers and crew, have tested positive for the deadly virus. Six of those have been…

Chad president joins frontline combat against Boko Haram

Chadian President, Idriss Deby Itno DAKAR, April 8 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Chadian President, Idriss Deby Itno joined the country’s soldiers in the frontline of the fight against Boko Haram terrorists in the country. Deby appeared in military fatigue last week as he led an operation to decimate the terrorists from Chadian…

Update Covid-19: Global death toll tops 80,000

PARIS, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The worldwide number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus rose to 80,142 on late Tuesday, according to a tally compiled from official sources. More than 1,397,180 declared cases have been registered in 192 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December.…

Covid-19: Russia ready to start testing coronavirus vaccines on humans in June

MOSCOW, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The head of a top Russian research centre told President Vladimir Putin that his lab was ready to start human trials of experimental coronavirus vaccines in June. Rinat Maksyutov, head of the Vektor State Virology and Biotechnology Centre, said his facility proposed first-phase clinical trials…

Ecuador ex-president, exiled in Belgium, sentenced to eight years for corruption

QUITO, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Former Ecuador president Rafael Correa was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for corruption during his 10-year term in office, the attorney general’s office said Tuesday. Correa — who was president from 2007-17 but now lives in exile in Belgium, where his wife…

Update Covid-19: Nearly 2,000 US deaths in last 24 hours – Johns Hopkins tally

WASHINGTON, April 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nearly 2,000 people infected with the new coronavirus have died in the United States in the last 24 hours, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University as of 8:30 pm Tuesday. The record daily figure of 1,939 brings the total number of deaths in…