South Africa’s National Assembly elects former defense minister as Speaker

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula PRETORIA, Aug 20 (NNN-Xinhua) — Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who was recently replaced in the position of South Africa’s defense minister, was elected Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), where country leaders including President and Deputy President are elected or selected. The election, which was presided over by a high…

Mosquito-borne West Nile Fever case detected in southern Spain

Fumigation by the local council in a bid to stop the spread of the West Nile virus MADRID, Aug 20 (NNN-Xinhua) — An unidentified person from southern Spain has been admitted to hospital with a brain disease caused by the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, said local health authorities. The person,…

Taliban kill relative of DW journalist in Afghanistan: German broadcaster

  BERLIN, Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have shot and killed a relative of a Deutsche Welle journalist while hunting for him, the German public broadcaster said.   The militants were conducting a house-to-house search for the journalist, who now works in Germany, DW said.   A…

Guinea monitoring 172 contact cases of Marburg virus victim

CONAKRY, Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Guinean health officials are monitoring 172 contact cases of a man who died of Marburg virus, Health Minister Remy Lamah said. West Africa’s first recorded case of the virus – which belongs to the same filovirus family as Ebola but is somewhat less deadly –…

Covid-19: Mississippi quarantines 20,000 pupils at start of new school year

 JACKSON (Mississippi, US), Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Just days after the start of their academic year, over 20,000 pupils from 800 Mississippi schools have been told to quarantine due to Covid exposure. Some 4,500 children became sick with Covid during this first week of school. Across the US, states like…

Irish Government to evacuate 36 citizens from Afghanistan

DUBLIN, Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Irish government is working to evacuate 36 of its citizens from Afghanistan, the country’s foreign affairs minister said. That includes a “small number” waiting at Kabul airport, RTÉ reports. Simon Coveney said three Irish citizens had already been evacuated. He said sending Irish military…

Thirty-seven migrants feared dead at sea off coast of Spain’s Canary Islands

A migrant is transferred on a stretcher after being rescued by a maritime rescue helicopter, in Telde, on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain MADRID, Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thirty-seven migrants are feared dead after a dinghy carrying dozens of people capsized off the coast of Spain’s Canary Islands, the…

Afghan debacle set to cloud Merkel’s final Putin visit

  BERLIN, Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Moscow in the twilight of her reign on Friday, with Afghanistan set to be the final twist in their long and thorny relationship.   From alleged cyberattacks to the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria,…

Radio journalist murdered in eastern Mexico

  COATZACOALCOS (Mexico), Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A radio journalist was shot dead on Thursday in a violence-ridden area of eastern Mexico, authorities said — the latest such murder in one of the world’s deadliest countries forreporters.    Jacinto Romero Flores, 60, was killed in Ixtaczoquitlan in Veracruz state where…

US: GoFundMe campaign raises $6mn for Afghan evacuation

  WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the evacuation of 300 vulnerable Afghans fleeing the Taliban has raised over $6 million.   The creator of the fundraising page, New York-based Tommy Marcus, asked for funds to organize flights out of the country for Afghans…