Cuba rejects the expulsion of its diplomat from Colombia

HAVANA, May 8 (NNN-TELESUR) — Cuba’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (MINREX) rejected Colombia’s decision to declare the Cuban First Secretary in Bogota Omar Garcia a persona non grata in this Latin American country. “We have summoned the Colombian ambassador in Havana to convey our energetic rejection of the decision taken by his country…

Covid-19: Unemployment in Uruguay falls below 10% in March

MONTEVIDEO, May 8 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Uruguay’s labour market showed some recovery as unemployment in March fell to 9.7% from February’s 11.1%, according to a report released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Data for March this year is even better than the pre-pandemic figures of March 2020 when unemployment…

Warlike tensions between UK, France over Jersey fisheries subside, for now

LONDON, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Royal Navy withdrew two vessels off Jersey Island, thus easing tensions with France over fishing rights and a demonstration by trawlers in demand of access to waters under a different legal status since Brexit. HMS Severn and HMS Tamar had been sent to “monitor…

Turkey supports Libya militarily through bilateral agreement

Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu BERLIN, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkey’s Foreign Minister said that Ankara’s military training support for Libya’s legitimate government cannot be compared with foreign fighters and mercenaries, whom he said should leave Libya.Mevlut Cavusoglu told a joint news conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in…

Covid-19: WHO backs Olympics to make right calls on virus

GENEVA, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The WHO backed the International Olympic Committee, Japan and host city Tokyo to make the right choices in managing the Covid-19 risks surrounding the pandemic-postponed 2020 Games. The World Health Organization said certain safety decisions regarding athletes, spectators and the Olympic village and venues could…

US government announces clampdown on ‘ghost guns’

WASHINGTON, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US Justice Department moved Friday to tighten firearms regulations and close loopholes that have allowed the rapid proliferation of untraceable, home-assembled “ghost guns.” The department said that from 2016 to 2020 it had recovered more than 23,000 firearms that did not display serial numbers,…

Covid-19: WHO hopes to complete inspections of Sputnik V production in Russia by early June

GENEVA, May 8 (NNN-TASS) – The World Health Organization (WHO) plans to complete inspections of manufacturing processes used in Russia for the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus infection in the first week of June, Mariangela Simao, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Health Products, told a briefing in Geneva.…

Covid-19: Key EU countries rebuff US on sharing vaccine patents

BRUSSELS, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — European countries distanced themselves from a proposal backed by US President Joe Biden to waive patent rights on coronavirus vaccines, arguing that key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic was making and sharing vaccines more quickly. French President Emmanuel Macron said the question of sharing patents was…

Indigenous Colombians topple conquistador statue in capital

A Misak indigenous man stands atop the statue of Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada after knocked it down in Bogota BOGOTA, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Indigenous people in Colombia on Friday knocked down a statue of Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada, who founded the capital Bogota, as protests…

Covid-19: Brazilian firm to produce Russian vaccine without regulatory approval

BRASILIA, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Brazilian pharmaceutical company that plans to produce Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine will start making it next week even before health regulator Anvisa gives approval for use in Brazil, the company’s chief executive said. União Quimica’s facility in São Paulo has been certified by…