Update: French Pres Macron plays down slapping incident as ‘isolated’

PARIS, June 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — French President Emmanuel Macron played down an incident that saw him slapped by a man while meeting a crowd in the southeast of the country, blaming “ultra-violent” individuals. “I am doing fine. We must put this incident, which I think is an isolated event, into…

Covid-19: Texas health workers suing hospital that required vaccinations

HOUSTON (Texas, US), June 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 100 employees of one of the largest hospitals in Texas are suing their employer after it said it would fire them for failing to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Houston Methodist Hospital had given its workers until Monday to prove they had…

Covid-19: Brazil reports 2,378 more deaths

BRASILIA, June 9 (NNN-XINHUA) — Brazil registered 2,378 more deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 476,792, the health ministry said. A total of 52,911 new infections were detected, raising the national caseload to 17,037,129, the ministry said. Brazil has the world’s second highest…

US shooting: Murder charges against suspects in killing of 6-year-old boy on California freeway

Aiden Leos died after being shot in a suspected road rage incident as his mom drove him to kindergarten. LOS ANGELES, June 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Southern California couple was charged Tuesday in connection with the road-rage death of 6-year-old Aiden Leos last month, with the man being accused of murder. Prosecutors in…

US says “hundreds of sanctions” against Iran to remain in place

WASHINGTON, June 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “hundreds of sanctions” against Iran will remain in place even if Washington and Tehran return to compliance with the nuclear deal. “I would anticipate that even in the events of a return to compliance with the JCPOA,…

UN Security Council endorses Secretary-General Guterres for second term

UNITED NATIONS, June 9 (NNN-Xinhua) — The UN Security Council endorsed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a second five-year term. Estonia’s UN Ambassador Sven Jurgenson, as Security Council president for the month of June, announced the endorsement after a private meeting of the council on Tuesday. The Security Council, in its…

Second man convicted in murder of Mexican journalist Javier Valdez

MEXICO CITY, June 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A second man accused in the 2017 murder of Mexican journalist Javier Valdez was found guilty on Tuesday. The judge “issued a conviction against Juan Francisco ‘P’ for his criminal responsibility as a material co-perpetrator in the murder,” the prosecution said in a statement.…

Peru on edge as presidential vote count drags

LIMA, June 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peru was on edge Tuesday as right-wing populist Keiko Fujimori cried foul after far-left rival Pedro Castillo took a narrow lead in the final stretch of vote-counting to decide who will be the country’s next president. Peruvians voted on Sunday for their fifth president in…

Ukraine’s Euro 2020 football kit provokes outrage in Russia

Ukraine’s shirt is emblazoned with its borders including Russian-annexed Crimea  KIEV/MOSCOW, June 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A new kit for Ukraine’s football team, showing a map including Russian-annexed Crimea, has provoked anger in Moscow. Ukraine unveiled its shirt for Euro 2020, emblazoned with its borders including Crimea and the slogan “Glory to Ukraine!” Russia…

UN Security Council condemns Burkina Faso attack

UNITED NATIONS, June 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Nations Security Council “condemned in the strongest terms” Tuesday the attack in northern Burkina Faso on Friday and Saturday that left more than 100 people dead. After the attack — considered one of the deadliest since jihadist violence began growing in the…