42 abducted from Nigerian school freed

Lagos: An official says 42 people including 27 students who were abducted two weeks ago from a school in northern Nigeria have been freed. The chief press secretary for the Niger state governor, Mary Noel-Berje, told The Associated Press on Saturday that those released have arrived in the State capital, Minna.

Covid cases continue to rise in Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistan’s aviation authority on Saturday extended the existing restriction regarding the standard operating procedures for all inbound travellers for another two weeks as the nation continues to witness a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.

Iran expects 2,50,000 jabs from China

Tehran: Iran’s Health Ministry says the country expects to receive 250,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China on Saturday.

Alireza Raisi, deputy Health Minister, says the country will receive doses of other vaccines, including from India, in the “near future” as the country struggles to fight the worst outbreak of the pandemic.

Germany’s Left picks 2 women to lead party

Berlin: Germany’s Left has picked two women to lead the anti-capitalist party into this fall’s national election.

A party conference on Saturday elected Janine Wissler und Susanne Hennig-Wellsow as co-leaders.

Ukraine sees second fatal oxygen blast

Kyiv: An explosion in a Ukrainian hospital where Covid-19 patients are being treated has killed one person and injured another, authorities said on Saturday. The emergencies service said that the explosion occurred in an oxygen pipe.