Ireland: Fianna Fail edge out Sinn Fein on election seat count

Micheál Martin (Fianna Fáil), Leo Varadkar (Fine Gael) and Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Féin) will now have to begin negotiations over who forms a government DUBLIN, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ireland’s main opposition party Fianna Fail edged out surging nationalists Sinn Fein by 38 seats to 37 to emerge as…

Israel attacks Hamas ‘terror targets’ after projectile: army

JERUSALEM, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Israeli forces attacked Hamas positions from the air early Monday, the army said, after militants in the Palestinian enclave fired a projectile at the Jewish state. The “aircraft and fighter jets targeted a number of Hamas terror targetsin the southern Gaza Strip,” a statement from…

Palestinians withdraw request for Security Council vote on US Mideast plan: diplomats

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Palestinians have abandoned their request for a vote at the UN Security Council Tuesday on rejecting the US Mideast peace plan, over a lack of international support, diplomats said Monday. Introduced by Indonesia and Tunisia, the resolution risked not having nine out of…

Transport disrupted across Europe as Storm Ciara sweeps in

LONDON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of flights and train serviceswere cancelled across northwest Europe as Storm Ciara swept inpacking powerful winds after lashing Britain and Ireland, where tens ofthousands of homes were left without power. Swathes of northern France were placed on orange alert with people advised to avoid…

Pro-government Arab militant leader killed in Mali

BAMAKO, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A senior officer in a pro-government Arab armed group was gunned down in northern Mali, officials said,casting a shadow over efforts to reassert state control over the strife-tornnorth. The killing comes as Mali’s army is due to redeploy to several cities inthe north of the…

China president makes rare visit to meet virus patients, medics

BEIJING, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Chinese President Xi Jinping donned aface mask and had his temperature checked Monday while visiting medicalworkers and patients affected by the deadly coronavirus that has killed more than 900 people. The Chinese president, who has called the virus a “demon”, made a rarevisit Monday to…

Japan cruise ship now has 135 coronavirus infections: government

TOKYO, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Another 65 people aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship moored off Japan have been diagnosed with novel coronavirus, the health ministry said, bringing the total number of known infections to 135. The Diamond Princess has been in quarantine since arriving off theJapanese coast early…

UK calls coronavirus ‘serious’ threat, reports new cases

LONDON, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The British government warnedthe outbreak of novel coronavirus was a “serious and imminent threat” andreported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country toeight. Anyone with the virus can now be forcibly quarantined and sent intoisolation if they are deemed to pose…

China virus deaths jump to 902: official

BEIJING, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of deaths from China’s newcoronavirus epidemic jumped to 902 on Monday after the hardest-hit province of Hubei reported 91 new fatalities. In its daily update, Hubei’s health commission also confirmed another 2,618new cases in the central province, where the outbreak emerged in December.…

More than 1,000 immigrants rescued by Libyan Coast Guard this year: UNHCR

TRIPOLI, Feb 8 (NNN-Xinhua) — The United Nations Higher Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) said that more than 1,000 illegal immigrants have been rescued by the Libyan Coast Guard so far this year. As of Feb. 6, some 1,040 refugees and migrants have been registered as rescued or intercepted at sea…