World

Ron WrightA Republican congressman from Texas who was being treated for Covid-19 has died, his office said Monday, the first sitting member to lose his life after battling the coronavirus. House of Representatives lawmaker Ron Wright, 67, who had also suffered from cancer in recent years, died Sunday in a Dallas hospital, where he and his wife were taken after catching the virus. His death comes after House member-elect Luke Letlow lost his life on December 29 to the disease, just days before the 41-year-old Republican was to be sworn in. Wright announced on January 21 that he had tested…

Chairman of African Union Moussa Faki Mahamat PHOTO: African Union CommissionMoussa Faki Mahamat has won a second term as the head of the African Union’s (AU) executive body at the opening of a two-day virtual summit expected to focus on the continent’s pandemic response. The former Chadian prime minister, who ran unopposed, received support from 51 of 55 member states, officials said. “Deeply humbled by the overwhelming and historic vote of confidence,” Faki tweeted. He also congratulated Monique Nsanzabaganwa, deputy governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, on her election as his deputy. Under new rules, a chairperson and deputy…

Indian army and rescue teams stand outside the entrance of a tunnel blocked with mud and debris during rescue operations in Tapovan of Chamoli district on February 8, 2021 following a flash flood thought to have been caused when a glacier burst on February 7. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)Emergency workers in India on Monday raced against time to dig through mud and rocks choking a Himalayan tunnel after a devastating flash flood — thought to have been caused by a chunk of glacier breaking off — killed at least 26 people. More than 170 others were listed as…