China’s Tianjin restricts entry, exit to homes to prevent coronavirus spread

BEIJING, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China’s northern city of Tianjin began on Thursday restricting the entry and exit of people from residential compounds and villages to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the official People’s Daily reported. Tianjin is following the example of several other major cities including Beijing…

Russia to coordinate efforts with Turkey, Iran on Syria’s Idlib

MOSCOW, Feb 7 (NNN-XINHUA) — Russia will continue close coordination with Turkey and Iran to achieve lasting stability and security in Syria’s Idlib, where violence has surged dangerously, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “We reaffirm our commitment to the agreements and mutual understandings reached within the Astana format, providing for…

South Sudan: National campaign helps over 700,000 children enroll back in school

JUBA, Feb 7 (NNN-XINHUA) — South Sudanese government and multilateral partners on Thursday launched a national campaign that will see more than 700,000 children enroll back in school. A statement from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued in Juba, said the campaign will help 709,002 children enroll for early…

Algerian leader pardons more than 6,000 prisoners in conciliatory gesture

ALGIERS, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday pardoned more than 6,000 prisoners, extending a process of clemency that has outdone in scale similar conciliatory gestures by his predecessors. Tebboune, elected in December in a vote rejected by a mass protest movement seeking the total replacement of…

South African national parks declare war on poachers

Hunter Mitchell, South African conservationist taking a rhino for a walk, in Cape Town JOHANNESBURG, Feb 7 (NNN-XINHUA) — South Africa is escalating the fight against poaching using different means and collaborating with other countries in the midst of increased activity by illegal hunters, said South African National Parks (SANParks).…

Lesotho: First Lady Maesaiah Thabane formally charged with murdering rival

First Lady Maesaiah Thabane  MASERU, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) —The wife of the prime minister of Lesotho has been formally charged in court with murdering his previous wife. First Lady Maesaiah Thabane has not yet been asked to plead. She surrendered to police on Tuesday for questioning. Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has also…

Iran sentences man to death for spying for the CIA

TEHRAN, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Iran’s top court has confirmed a death sentence for a man convicted of spying for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Amir Rahimpour “earned a lot of money” to pass on information about Iran’s nuclear programme to the US, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said. He added that “two…

Brazilian meat industry confident the situation in China will boost demand for Mercosur poultry and beef

BRASILIA, Feb 5 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazil’s meat industry association ABPA said a “perfect storm” of health and food security concerns in China promises to drive up demand for Mercosur meat, giving Brazilian meatpacker shares a boost. China reported a new outbreak of bird flu on Saturday while millions of chickens…

Migrants, refugees on Greece’s Lesbos chant freedom in second day of protest

Riot police stand guard as refugees and migrants demonstrate outside the municipal theatre of the city of Mytilene, on the island of Lesbos ATHENS, Feb 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of migrants rallied for a second day on the Greek island of Lesbos on Tuesday to demand the faster processing of asylum…

Shootout at Mexican slot machine arcade kills nine, including children

MEXICO CITY, Feb 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Shooters killed nine people, including a 12-year-old boy and four teens, in a blaze of gunfire at a slot-machine arcade in the central Mexican state of Michoacan, part of a wave of violence sweeping the country’s avocado heartland. Michoacan’s attorney general said in a…