New prison riot in Ecuador leaves 68 dead

   GUAYAQUIL (Ecuador), Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prison inmates from rival gangs in Ecuador fought each other with guns, explosives and blades in a bloodbath that left at least 68 dead in the same prison where a riot inSeptember claimed 119 lives, officials said.   Hours after the government said…

Covid-19: Russia’s cases exceed 9 mln

  MOSCOW, Nov 16 (NNN-XINHUA) — Russia confirmed 39,256 COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 9,031,851, the official monitoring and response center said.   It took less than a month for Russia’s caseload to jump from eight million to nine million as the country…

Covid-19: Austria lockdown for unvaccinated starts on Monday as daily infections hit an all-time high

The lockdowns across the Alpine country are to be enforced with random spot checks for the next 10 days VIENNA, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said that a nationwide lockdown begins Monday for those not vaccinated against Covid-19 or recently recovered, as the EU member fights a…

US, France discuss Russian military activity in Ukraine

Ukraine has been fighting pro-Russia separatists in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of eastern Ukraine WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian about Russian military activity taking place “in and near Ukraine,” a US official said.   The…

Death toll in Texas concert tragedy rises to 10

 HOUSTON, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The death toll from a lethal crowd surge at a rap concert in Texas has risen to 10, a lawyer for the victims said, after a nine-year-old boy trampled during the event died of his injuries.   Scores were injured attending a performance by hip-hop…

Argentine gov’t loses congress majority, seeks opposition dialogue

 BUENOS AIRES, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez called for dialogue with the opposition after Sunday’s midterm parliamentary elections, with projections showing his governing coalition has lost control of Congress.   Having already held a minority in the lower house Chamber of Deputies, Fernandez’s Frente de Todos (Everyone’s…

Suspected jihadists kill at least 20 in Burkina Faso

  OUAGADOUGOU, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Suspected jihadists killed at least 19 gendarmes and a civilian in an attack in northern Burkina Faso, officials said.   The pre-dawn attack, one of the deadliest to hit Burkinabe defence and security forces since jihadist violence erupted six years ago, targeted a “detachment…

DR Congo’s Constitutional Court drops trial of ex-PM

 KINSHASA, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ruled that it had no jurisdiction to try former prime minister Augustin Matata, accused of massive embezzlement.    The trial opened last month, but had been swiftly adjourned when one of the defendants in the…

Police officer attacked by man with knife in southern France

The knifeman reportedly struck while unsuspecting officers were sitting in a car outside a police station PARIS, Nov 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A police officer was attacked by a man with a knife in Cannes, southern France, and his assailant has been “neutralised”, said French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. The attack in…

Palma De Mallorca: Fleeing passengers shut down busy Spanish airport

 LA PALMA (Spain), Nov 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One of Spain’s busiest airports shut down for nearly four hours on Friday after an apparent attempt by migrants to enter the country illegally. A plane flying from Casablanca in Morocco to Istanbul, Turkey, was diverted to Palma de Mallorca after a medical…