Covid-19: Delta variant, first identified in India, becoming globally dominant, WHO official says

GENEVA, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Delta variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, is becoming the globally dominant variant, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) chief scientist said. Soumya Swaminathan also voiced disappointment in the failure of CureVac’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate in a trial to meet the WHO’s efficacy…

US: Two executions halted over lack of firing squad

Freddie Owens (L) and Brad Sigmon (R) were due to be executed this month COLUMBIA (South Carolina, US), June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A high court in the US state of South Carolina has blocked two executions until the inmates are given the choice of death by electrocution or firing squad.…

Peru presidential run-off: Interim Pres Sagasti hits out at ex-military vote interference

LIMA, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peru’s interim President Francisco Sagastihit out on Friday against retired members of the armed forces who called forthe military to prevent leftwing candidate Pedro Castillo from assuming thepresidency. Unionist Castillo is expected to be declared the winner of the June 6second-round presidential run-off when final…

Migrant arrivals in Malta drop by one-third in 2020: stats

VALLETTA, June 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — The number of migrants arriving in Malta by boat dropped by one-third in 2020, the country’s statistics office said on Friday. The National Statistics Office said that the number of migrants arriving in Malta dropped by 33 percent to 2,281 from the previous year’s number…

Bus with miners plunges into ravine in Peru: 27 dead

LIMA, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 27 people were killed and several injured on Friday after an interprovincial bus overturned in the southern Peruvian region of Ayacucho, according to preliminary information provided by the police to local media. The bus fell into a 250-meter ravine at about 3:00 a.m.…

Venezuela forced into “war economy” to confront U.S. sanctions: president

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro CARACAS, June 18 (NNN-Xinhua) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday that his country has been forced to implement a “war economy” to confront U.S. sanctions and promote the development of productivity. The president said in an interview that the nation has had to “allow…

Covid-19: Canada-U.S. border agreement on travel restrictions extended to late July

Canada extends the border closure with the United States until July 21 OTTAWA, June 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — Canada announced that the Canada-U.S. border agreement on travel restrictions will be extended for another month to July 21. “In coordination with the U.S., we are extending restrictions on non-essential international travel and…

Brexit: EU official warns UK partnership “at a crossroads” amid Northern Ireland row

BRUSSELS, June 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — The relationship between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) is at a crossroads, warned Maros Sefcovic, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of inter-institutional relations and foresight, on Friday. “We are at a crossroads, now we have a choice of which…

Guterres re-appointed as UN secretary-general for second term

Antonio Guterres addresses the United Nations General Assembly after his appointment for a second term as the UN secretary-general at the UN headquarters in New York UNITED NATIONS, June 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday appointed Antonio Guterres as the UN secretary-general for a second…

Africa’s 10 least peaceful countries: South Sudan, Libya, Nigeria listed

SYDNEY, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Sudan is Africa’s least peaceful country according to the 2021 Global Peace Index, GPI, report released earlier this week.South Sudan, the continent’s youngest nation, ranked 160th most peaceful country in the world according to a ranking of 163 nations.Juba’s position means the country maintained…