Covid-19: 64-year-old man dies in Argentina, first death in Latin America

BUENOS AIRES, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A 64-year-old man died in Argentina as a result of the new coronavirus, the first such death in Latin America, health authorities announced. The Ministry of Health said the patient lived in Buenos Aires and had been confirmed with COVID-19 after coming down with a cough, fever…

Libya’s UN-backed government targets east-based army in southern Tripoli

A destroyed house in the abandoned suburb of Al-Sedra near the Salah Al-Din frontline in southern Tripoli TRIPOLI, March 8 (NNN-Xinhua) — A spokesman of Libya’s UN-backed government’s forces said its forces targeted units of the east-based army in south of the capital Tripoli. “Our forces destroyed an ammunition store…

Covid-19: Italy plans to quarantine Milan, Venice and other regions

ROME, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Italian government is planning to quarantine the entire Lombardy region around Milan to limit the spread of the coronavirus as well as areas around and including Venice and the northern cities of Parma and Rimini, Italian media reported. A draft of the government resolution…

Burkina Faso: Thousands of civil servants protest bonus tax

OUAGADOUGOU, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of Burkina Faso civil servants took to the streets of Ouagadougou on Saturday to protest against a new tax on bonus payments. Between 10,000-20,000 took part in the demonstrations, some singing the national anthem and chanting “bread and freedom for the people”. The government…

Four soldiers, at least 13 rebels killed in DRCongo: army

BENI (DR Congo), March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four soldiers and at least 13 militia members were killed during clashes in eastern DR Congo, the army said. The two sides clashed in the Beni province of North Kivu bordering Uganda on Friday, said Lieutenant Anthony Mualushayi, spokesman for the army in…

Covid-19: Anxiety aboard US cruise ship as New York declares emergency

LOS ANGELES, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Passengers trapped aboard a US cruise ship, stranded by a coronavirus outbreak, spoke of their growing anxiety as New York state announced a state of emergency over a spike in new cases. One of the holidaymakers onboard the Grand Princess said the captain announced…

Oil price dives as OPEC, Russia fail to agree on output cut

 An oil pump works at sunset in the desert oil fields of Sakhir, Bahrain VIENNA, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — OPEC and key ally Russia failed to agree on a cut to oil production that would have contained the plunge in the price of crude caused by the new coronavirus outbreak’s…

Covid-19 fraud: UK victims lose 800,000 pounds in scams

LONDON, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Victims in the United Kingdom have lost more than 800,000 pounds to coronavirus-linked scams since last month, with criminals tricking fearful people who wanted to buy protective masks, police said. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) said there had been 21 reports of fraud since…

Covid-19: Senegal orders cabinet to stay in country over virus risks

Dakar, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Senegal’s president Macky Sall ordered his cabinet ministers not to leave the country in a measure to control risks from coronavirus, the presidency said. Senegal has registered four cases of COVID-19 since the virus first emerged in China in December and has since infected more…

Covid-19: Funeral named as major source of outbreak in Spain

MADRID, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A funeral held in northern Spain about two weeks ago has been named as the biggest source of coronavirus in the country, local media have reported. More than 60 people at the ceremony in the Basque capital of Vitoria-Gasteiz, and their close contacts have been…