Covid-19: Italy coronavirus toll passes 200, cases near 6,000

ROME, March 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italy’s death toll from the novelcoronavirus rose by 36 to 233 on Saturday while the number of infections shot up by a single-day record of 1,247 to hit 5,883. Italy has recorded the most deaths of any country outside China and thethird-most infections after China…

France to close schools in areas worst hit by coronavirus for 15 days

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe (right) and Health Minister Olivier Veran give a press conference on Covid-19 PARIS, March 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France will close nurseries and schools for 15 days from Monday in the two areas most hit by coronavirus infections, one north of Paris and the other in…

Guatemala seeks to limit migrants returned under U.S. asylum agreement

GUATEMALA CITY, March 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Guatemala’s new government is trying to limit the number of foreign migrants the United States sends its way under an agreement that makes the Central American nation a buffer zone to reduce U.S. asylum claims. The United States has sent hundreds of Honduran and El Salvadoran…

Guatemala court overturns government’s civil society restrictions

GUATEMALA CITY, March 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Guatemala’s government on Friday said it will respect a ruling by the nation’s Constitutional Court that overturns a law allowing the government to pry into the affairs of and even dissolve non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Congress passed the law on Feb. 12 with the support…

Covid-19: US excludes Chinese face masks, medical gear from tariffs as coronavirus spreads

Many of the tariff exclusion requests for medical products appear to have been expedited amid the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak WASHINGTON, March 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States Trade Representative’s office in recent days granted exclusions from import tariffs for dozens of medical products imported from China, including face masks,…

Update: Florida reports two Covid-19 deaths, the first in eastern US

Florida health authorities confirmed Friday two deaths from the new coronavirus WASHINGTON, March 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Florida health authorities confirmed Friday two deaths from the new coronavirus, the first US fatalities outside the west coast states of Washington and California. Both had travelled abroad, Florida Department of Health said in…

ICC starts investigating Venezuelan lawsuit against the US

CARACAS, March 7 (NNN-Prensa Latina) — The International Criminal Court (ICC) initiated a preliminary investigation of Venezuela’s lawsuit against the United States for crimes against humanity, executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced on Friday. ‘The International Criminal Court on Feb 19 opened a preliminary examination on this serious complaint that…

Honduras: Women demand emergency for femicide

TEGUCIGALPA, March 7 (NNN-Prensa Latina) — Women’s advocacy organizations protested on Friday demanding the State to declare a national emergency state due to the high rate of femicides. Merly Eguigure, president of the Visitacion Padilla Women’s Movement for Peace, said that they are demanding a national emergency because femicide is…

Covid-19: Ghana to prevent trips from China, Iran and Italy – Pres Akufo-Addo

President Akufo-Addo ACCRA, March 7 (NNN-GNA) — President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that non-essential trips into Ghana from countries hard-hit by Covid-19 popularly known as Coronavirus is strongly being discouraged. Delivering the 63rd Independence Day speech at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, the President advised Ghanaians…

Ethiopian draft report blames Boeing for 737 MAX plane crash: sources

In a photo taken on March 11, 2019, people stand near collected debris at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines near Bishoftu, Ethiopia WASHINGTON, March 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ethiopian crash investigators circulated to U.S. government agencies concludes the March 2019 crash of a Boeing Co 737 MAX was caused by…