Update: Peru president ousted and arrested after bid to dissolve Congress

LIMA, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Peru’s president Pedro Castillo was ousted by lawmakers and arrested Wednesday in a dizzying series of events in a country long prone to political upheaval. Dina Boluarte, a 60-year-old lawyer who had been vice president, was sworn in as Peru’s first female president just hours…

Ex-Guatemalan president gets 16 years for corruption

GUATEMALA CITY, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Guatemala’s former president Otto Perez was convicted of corruption Wednesday and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Perez, who was forced to resign in 2015, was found guilty of racketeering and fraud targeting the customs system, Judge Irma Jeannette Valdes said as she read…

Pres Biden leads vigil for US mass shooting victims

WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Joe Biden led a moment of silence at a vigil for victims of gun violence and urged a ban on military style weapons commonly used in mass shootings. Biden addressed the Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence at a Washington,…

Jamaica declares state of emergency to fight violent crime

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness KINGSTON, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A state of emergency has been declared across Jamaica to fight violent crime, the island nation’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a public address Wednesday.“All Jamaicans should be able to enjoy the Christmas season free from the threat of…

Tanzania nears milestone in COVID-19 vaccination target

A health worker administers a COVID-19 jab in Tanzania DAR ES SALAAM, Dec 8 (NNN-GNA) — Over 94 percent of Tanzanians targeted by the government for COVID-19 vaccination have been vaccinated against the global pandemic, the Health Ministry has revealed.The ministry revealed that by Dec 2, 2022, out of the targeted 30.7…

South Africa to host summit on economic empowerment of persons with disabilities

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 8 (NNN-SANEWS) — President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver a keynote address at the Summit on Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities which will take place in Johannesburg on Thursday. The two-day summit, to be held on Dec 7-8, forms part of the Disability Rights Awareness Month…

South Africa: Partnerships key to Africa’s economic growth, says minister Patel

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 8 (NNN-SANEWS) — South Africa’s Trade, Industry and Competition Minister, Ebrahim Patel, says partnerships with international countries are key to boosting African economies’ upward trajectory. The Minister was addressing the German-Africa Business Summit, held at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday. The bi-annual summit brings together…

Germany arrests members of far-right group accused of plotting coup

BERLIN, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — German police staged nationwide raids on Wednesday and arrested 25 people suspected of belonging to a far-right “terror cell” plotting to overthrow the government and attack parliament. Around 3,000 officers including elite anti-terror units took part in the early morning raids and searched more than…

UK Border Force workers announce Christmas strike

LONDON, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One of Britain’s biggest trade unions warned that travellers face severe disruption after its members working in passport control at airports voted to strike over Christmas. The general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, Mark Serwotka, said Border Force guards would walk out…

Peru’s Ollantaytambo among 23 best places to go in 2023

CUSCO (Peru), Dec 8 (NNN-ANDINA) — Ollantaytambo —an Incan city located in the heart of Cusco’s Sacred Valley of the Incas— has been chosen as one of the 23 best places to go in 2023 by the prestigious international magazine Condé Nast Traveler, Peru’s Exports and Tourism Promotion Board (PromPeru) reported. The thousand-year-old…