Quake-hit Haiti’s PM vows elections ‘soon as possible’

   WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry pledged to organize elections as soon as possible despite the devastation of last week’s earthquake, in a nation still reeling from its president’s assassination.   Henry acknowledged that the international community views with concern the Caribbean country’s “chronic” political…

Covid-19: Cuba approves two more locally made Covid vaccines

  HAVANA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cuba approved two more domestic Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use, the island nation’s medication regulatory body said.    The authorization came after a “rigorous evaluation process of the Soberana 02 and Soberana Plus vaccines,” the body, CECMED, said in a statement.    The two…

Powerful storm Henri threatens US east coast

  NEW YORK, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A swath of the US east coast, including New York City, was under alert due to approaching storm Henri, which is expected to become the first hurricane to hit the New England area indecades.   Forecasters warned of violent winds, the risk of…

Mexico braces for second hit from Hurricane Grace

  VERACRUZ (Mexico0, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Grace strengthened to a Category Two hurricane as it barreled towards Mexico for a second time, triggering warnings of flooding and mudslides in mountains on the easternmainland.    The hurricane first struck Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday near the town of Tulum, famed…

UNHCR wants to keep working in Afghanistan

UNHCR says Afghanistan urgently needs support and humanitarian aid GENEVA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR wants to continue working in Afghanistan following the takeover by the Taliban militants.“We want to stay in the country because the people there need help now more than ever,” the…

Brazil to send multidisciplinary humanitarian mission to Haiti

People gather outside the Petit Pas Hotel, destroyed by the earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti BRASILIA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Brazilian government said that it would send a multidisciplinary humanitarian mission to Haiti in an emergency response to the tragedy caused by an earthquake on Saturday, which has killed…

Uganda closes 54 NGOs operating in the country

President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni KAMPALA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Uganda ordered Friday the suspension with immediate effect of the activities of 54 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the political, religious, and environmental fields, including the main civil rights organization, accusing them of not complying with the law.According to the Ministry…

Ebola: Guinea, Ivory Coast scramble to vaccinate, isolate contacts

ADDIS ABABA, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Forty-nine cases of people having been in contact with a young Guinean woman who tested positive for the Ebola virus in Abidjan have been identified so far, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.The young Guinean woman had left the town of Labé in Guinea…

EU chiefs to visit Afghan evacuation centre in Spain

MADRID, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The EU’s two top officials will visit a reception centre in Spain on Saturday for Afghan refugees who worked for the bloc, Spain’s foreign minister said. Spain set up the centre at a military base at Torrejon de Ardoz to care for refugees who have…

Covid-19: North America surges as pandemic eases elsewhere

 PARIS, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Covid-19 pandemic continued to surge in North America this week even as it eased elsewhere. The average number of new daily cases stabilised globally at 643,100 although the pandemic has been gaining ground since mid-June largely due to the highly contagious Delta variant. The…