Covid-19: Masks to return in England’s secondary school classrooms amid Omicron wave

LONDON, Jan 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — Secondary school students in England are once again being asked to wear masks in classrooms as Omicron continues to spread in Britain ahead of children’s return to school next week. The recommendation came as the government pledges to keep face-to-face education going despite surging COVID-19…

Ecuadorian president names former presidential adviser as new foreign minister

QUITO, Jan 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso announced that he has appointed former presidential adviser Juan Carlos Holguin as the new minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, replacing Mauricio Montalvo, who has been serving in the position since May 24, 2021. Lasso wrote on Twitter that Holguin…

Nigerian police rescued 21 kidnapped students – Official

Children rescued by the police ABUJA, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigerian police rescued 21 children abducted on Friday night by bandits while being taken to an Almajiri school in Zamfara State.The bandits were said to have blocked the Gusau-Funtua federal highway in Tsafe Local Government Area in the state and…

Covid-19: England and Wales report 137,583 cases on Sunday as Italy records 61,000 cases

LONDON, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain reported 137,583 new cases of COVID-19 in England and Wales on Sunday, compared with 162,572 cases in England on Saturday, according to government data. There were 73 deaths within 28 days of a positive test in England and Wales, a drop on the 154…

Covid-19: Brazil to probe cruise companies over outbreaks

The luxury cruise ship MSC Preziosa, seen at anchor in Rio de Janeiro RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazilian health authorities said they would investigate reports of cruise liners violating COVID-19 protocols, after outbreaks hit three ships plying the coast. “Failure to follow health protocols and disobeying restrictive…

Panama seized record amount of drugs in 2021: President

PANAMA CITY, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Panama seized a record haul of 128 tons of drugs in 2021, President Laurentino Cortizo said. The figure represented a 43 percent increase on the previous record of 90 tons from 2019. “In 2021, as a result of 565 operations against organised crime and…

New Law Allowing Assisted Suicide Takes Effect In Austria

VIENNA, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A law allowing assisted suicide has taken effect in Austria. From Saturday, adults who are terminally ill or have a permanent, debilitating condition, can opt to make provisions for an assisted death. Parliament approved the new law in December, following a constitutional court ruling on…

US air travel still messy, with another 2,600 flights scrapped

   WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Americans returning home from holiday travel had to battle another day of airport chaos Sunday, with more than 2,600 flights cancelled due to bad weather or airline staffing woes sparkedby a surge in Covid cases.    Further disruptions are predicted for Monday, as a…

Pres Biden tells Ukraine leader US will ‘respond decisively’ if Russia invades

  WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden reassured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Washington “will respond decisively” if Russia moves to invade its pro-Western neighbor, theWhite House said in a statement.   With a Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s borders, Biden “made clear” to Zelensky during…

US wildfire: One found, two feared dead as towns smolder from Colorado wildfire

 LOS ANGELES, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One person has been found and two are still feared dead following a devastating Colorado wildfire that wiped out swaths of several towns and forced thousands of people to flee with littlenotice, officials said.    Of three reported missing “one of those persons has…