Egypt to use Chinese institution’s satellite launching stations

CAIRO, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Egyptian government has approved the request of the county’s space agency to contract with a Chinese institution for using its satellite launching stations.The Egyptian Space Agency was approved to sign a contact with the China Great Wall Industry Corporation to use its stations to…

Cameroon: Five hostages killed in restive Anglophone region while 5 abducted girls rescued in West region

YAOUNDE, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least five civilians held hostage by armed separatists in Cameroon’s restive English-speaking region of Northwest have been killed, Quetong Anderson Kongueh, senior officer of Ngoketunjia division has said. Four hostages including the deputy mayor of Babessi council, Chefor Oscar were killed by armed separatists…

Covid-19: Libya closes schools over coronavirus fears

TRIPOLI, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Libya’s rival governments both announced a two-week closure of schools and universities over fears of the novel coronavirus arriving in the country.The education ministries of the Tripoli-based unity government and its eastern-based rival announced in separate statements that all the country’s schools, both public and…

Attacks, ethnic massacres leave ghost villages in central Mali

Central Mali is now prey to tit-for-tat killings and routine jihadist attacks BAMAKO, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — After years of ethnic massacres and unrelenting jihadist attacks, central Mali has been left a harrowed area of deserted villages and displaced people. An Islamist insurgency erupted in the north of the vast…

Africa is one-step away from wild polio eradication verdict

ABUJA, March 15 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — The African region completes a critical step towards wild polio eradication. No wild poliovirus has been detected anywhere in Africa since 2016. The independent commission to decide on the African Region’s wild poliovirus-free status has concluded its final field visit to Nigeria Saturday, after conducting…

Covid-19: Sub-Saharan Africa braces for full-fledged outbreak

The number of coronavirus cases in Africa is creeping up FREETOWN (Sierra Leone), March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — After escaping mostly unscathed by the coronavirus pandemic, sub-Saharan Africa is bracing for the worst after its first outbreaks of the illness that has already engulfed China and Italy and spread to other…

Covid-19: Argentina, Ecuador deaths take LatAm virus toll to five

MONTEVIDEO, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Argentina announced its second coronavirus-related death as Ecuador reported its first, taking thetotal death toll in Latin America to five as the virus shows signs ofspreading rapidly. Venezuela, Uruguay, Guatemala and Suriname reported their first cases ofthe COVID-19 pandemic. Overall cases in the region have…

Road accident claims 11 lives in western India

NEW DELHI, March 15 (NNN-XINHUA) — As many as 11 people died andthree injured in a road accident in India’s western state of Rajasthan onSaturday. The dead were six women, four men and one child, said a police official, adding that the mishap occurred in the state’s Jodhpur district. According…

Covid-19: Russia shuts land borders to Poland, Norway to foreigners – PM

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin MOSCOW, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia will close its land borders with Poland and Norway to foreigners in a bid to limit the spread of the new coronavirus, the country’s prime minister said. The ban will come into force at midnight on Sunday and apply to…

Covid-19: Iran reports 97 new deaths, taking total to 611

TEHRAN, March 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Iran said that the novelcoronavirus has claimed 97 more lives, raising the country’s total to 611, asthe number of confirmed cases jumped again. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said that “1,365 fresh cases have been added to the number of confirmed infections in the past…