French President holds off retaliation in fishing row amid talks with UK

Discussions will “continue tomorrow” between France, the UK and the European Commission. GLASGOW, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French President Emmanuel Macron said that retaliatory measures threatened against Britain over a row about post-Brexit fishing rights would not be implemented at midnight Monday, with fresh talks planned this week. Discussions will…

Hope for path out of Sudan’s crisis in days, UN envoy says

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok ousted by the military UNITED NATIONS, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Mediators hope the “contours” of a way out of the crisis in Sudan could emerge in the coming days, the UN special envoy said. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan toppled Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s cabinet a week ago…

COP26: US Pres Biden apologises for predecessor Trump exit from climate accord

Journalists take notes as they listen to US President Joe Biden present his national statement at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland GLASGOW, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden apologised to world leaders for his predecessor Donald Trump’s withdrawal from a global climate accord and…

COP26: More than 100 global leaders pledge to end deforestation by 2030

Deforestation has accelerated in the Amazon in recent years GLASGOW, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 100 global leaders pledged to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by the end of the decade, underpinned by US$19 billion in public and private funds to invest in protecting and restoring forests.…

Covid-19: US gives 1.5 million more vaccine doses to Taiwan

WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States is delivering an additional 1.5 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan, a senior US administration official said, increasing to 4 million the total number of shots donated by Washington to the self-ruled island, which is under increasing pressure from China.…

China, Russia revive push to lift UN sanctions on North Korea

UNITED NATIONS,Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China and Russia are pushing the UN Security Council to ease sanctions on North Korea by reviving a 2019 attempt to remove a ban on Pyongyang’s exports of statues, seafood and textiles and expanding it to include lifting a refined petroleum imports cap. In a reworked…

In Chile’s Atacama Desert, astronomers search for alien life and “dark energy”

The black box set to revolutionize the search for life beyond Earth ATACAMA DESERT (Chile), Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — In Chile’s dry Atacama Desert, astronomers scan the clear night sky for the existence of life on other planets and study the so-called “dark energy,” a mysterious cosmic force which would…

Nigeria: Up to 100 construction workers missing after 22-storey tower block collapses in Lagos

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency says life detection equipment has been dispatched in an effort to find survivors LAGOS, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Up to 100 people are missing after a luxury residential high-rise under construction in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, collapsed on Monday, trapping construction workers under a pile…

French Pres Macron says Australian PM lied to him over subs spat; Morrison says not true

  ROME, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French President Emmanuel Macron said Australia’s prime minister outright lied to him over a cancelled submarine deal, deepening an already fraught diplomatic crisis.    “I don’t think. I know,” Macron said when asked by Australian media if Scott Morrison was untruthful in their private dealings.   …

Covid-19: White House press secretary tests positive; self-quarantine for 10 days

 WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said she has tested positive for Covid-19, after deciding not to travel to Europe with US President Joe Biden when members of her family contracted the virus.   Psaki said in a statement that though she had tested negative several times…