Evacuations, fear as Hurricane Ida nears US Gulf Coast

 NEW ORLEANS, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Owners were boarding up their shops and evacuations were underway as Hurricane Ida was on a path to hit New Orleans 16 years to the day the southern US city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. A handful of people were still on New Orleans…

Covid-19: African leaders renew calls for vaccine equity at Berlin summit

Angela Merkel, German Chancellor BERLIN, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — African leaders attending a summit in Germany renewed calls for Covid-19 vaccine patent waivers, saying the decision would allow countries access to affordable jabs.Africa has administered the least vaccines of any continent while some richer countries have inoculated nearly their entire…

DR Congo: Goma rallies to demand end to killing of journalists

Some of the journalists at a vigil in Goma GOMA (DR Congo), Aug 29 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Dressed in black, dozens of journalists gathered in Goma to pay tribute to fellow pressmen murdered in the last four months in Congo’s North Kivu and Ituri provinces.Two journalists have been murdered in eastern…

Burkina Faso vows major security changes after deadly attack

Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Burkina Faso OUAGADOUGOU, Aug 29 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Burkina Faso said that it would overhaul its security forces to cope with a six-year militant insurgency that has claimed more than 1,400 lives and forced 1.3 million people from their homes.The government will “review the structural and…

DR Congo arrests former health minister over missing COVID funds

KINSHASA, Aug 29 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — The former Minister of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo Eteni Longondo was placed Friday under provisional arrest for alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, prison and government sources said.“The former Minister of Public Health, Dr. Eteni Longondo,…

Hundreds of migrants blocked from crossing into Spain

The over 350 migrants were unsuccessful in trying to cross the fence MADRID, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — About 350 migrants tried unsuccessfully early Saturday morning to cross the fence separating Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Melilla, a Spanish government spokesman said.The Spanish border guards were alerted around 5:30 am…

Covid-19: ICU nears capacity, more mandates imposed as US sees new high cases

Healthcare workers hand out Covid-19 tests at Long Beach, Los Angeles NEW YORK, Aug 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — Intensive care units (ICU) at hospitals are reaching their capacity in more states, and more mandates of vaccine and mask are being placed across the United States, as the COVID-19 pandemic claimed new…

UK, Finland ends civilian evacuation mission in Afghanistan

LONDON, Aug 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — The final evacuation flight purely for civilians under Britain’s Operation Pitting has left the Kabul airport, the British Ministry of Defense said. Any further flights leaving Kabul under Britain’s evacuation operation “will have UK diplomatic and military personnel on board,” the ministry added. General Nick…

Tanzania expresses disappointment over Denmark’s decision to shut down its embassy

Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Liberata Mulamula DAR ES SALAAM, Aug 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — Tanzania expressed disappointment over a decision by Denmark to close its embassy in the east African nation by 2024. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Liberata Mulamula, said in a…

Senegal navy searches for dozens lost after migrant boat capsizes

DAKAR, Aug 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Senegalese navy was carrying out a search and rescue mission on Saturday after a boat carrying about 60 migrants capsized earlier in the week, according to a military statement. The boat flipped over about 15 kilometres off the northern city of Saint-Louis. The accident…