Tunisians trickle in to vote in elections as opposition boycotts

A view of a banner hanged in a street for the parliamentary elections to take place on Dec 17 in Tunis TUNIS, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Polls have opened in Tunisia for parliamentary elections marked by a general sense of apathy among much of the population.Some 9.3 million registered voters…

Argentina reaffirms sovereign right over Malvinas Islands

BUENOS AIRES, Dec 17 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Argentina on Friday reaffirmed its legitimate and imprescriptible sovereign rights over the Malvinas (Falkland) Islands, South Georgias, and the corresponding maritime and insular territories.     On its Twitter account, Argentina’s Foreign Ministry recalled that Friday marks the 57th anniversary of Resolution 2065 of the…

World Bank approves US$246 mln for marine protection in 3 West African countries

ACCRA, Dec 17 (NNN-Xinhua) — The World Bank Group approved a US$246 million financing package to protect the coastline in Ghana, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, the group told media Friday. In a release, the group said the grant was for the second West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project,…

Qatargate: Four in EU-Qatar bribery inquiry to stay in custody

Greek MEP Eva Kaili  BRUSSELS, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four people detained by police investigating an alleged bribery scandal involving World Cup host Qatar are to remain in custody. They were detained last Friday as Belgian investigators found bags containing €1.5m in a flat, a house and a suitcase at…

Flooding kills more than 160 people in DR Congo capital: UN

KINSHASA, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 160 people have died in the worst floods to batter DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa in years, UN officials estimated Friday, citing authorities. After an all-night downpour on Tuesday, major roads in the centre of Kinshasa, a city of about 15 million people, were…

Update: Thousands of tourists stranded but Peru rejects bringing forward vote

LIMA, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peru’s Congress on Friday rejected a move to bring forward elections as deadly protests left thousands of tourists stranded in the gateway city to Machu Picchu. Protesters are demanding the release of ousted president Pedro Castillo, the resignation of his successor Dina Boluarte and fresh…

Colombia: Almost 10,000 trapped amid ELN rebel “armed strike”

BOGOTA, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rebels in Colombia who have launched an armed strike have essentially trapped thousands of people in the northwest, authorities said Friday. Around 9,800 people have been forced to confine themselves due to the “indefinite armed strike” imposed in Choco department by the ELN guerrillas amid…

2 peacekeepers killed, 4 wounded in attack in Mali, UN says

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two UN peacekeepers from Nigeria were killed and four others wounded in an attack Friday on a peace patrol in the town of Timbuktu in northern Mali, the United Nations said. The UN Security Council said a member of Mali’s security forces was also killed in the…

France, Morocco resume normal consular activity after visa dispute

RABAT, Dec 17 (NNN-Xinhua) — France has restored “normal consular activity” with Morocco following a year-long visa dispute, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna announced Friday. Speaking at a press conference with her Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita in Rabat, Colonna said that the resumption of “a full…

South Africa’s ruling party ANC starts conference to elect new leader

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 17 (NNN-Xinhua) — South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), started its 55th national conference in Johannesburg on Friday. More than 4,000 delegates from across the country are attending the conference, which is scheduled to end on Tuesday and expected to elect the party’s top leadership…