Security Council renews mandate of UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — The UN Security Council renewed the mandate for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until July 31, 2022, but expressed serious concern about several issues, including the continued violations of the military status quo along the ceasefire lines. Unanimously adopting resolution 2618,…

UN releases 20 mln USD in relief for Yemen victims following recent airstrikes

Yemen has been devasted by five years of conflict UNITED NATIONS, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — The United Nations on Friday released 20 million US dollars in emergency funds for 270,000 people in Yemen, including those newly displaced by airstrikes, a UN spokesman said. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths allocated…

Tunisia arrests woman on suspicion of plotting terrorist attack

TUNIS, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Tunisian Interior Ministry announced that a 22-year-old woman was arrested at Tunis-Carthage International Airport on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack. “On Jan 10, the anti-terrorist unit under the National Guard arrested a 22-year-old woman at Tunis-Carthage Airport who arrived from Turkey,” the ministry…

Iran nuke talks in Vienna paused, “political decisions” needed: EU

BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — Talks on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), were paused temporarily, the European Union (EU) said. The European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a Friday statement that the 8th round of negotiations in Vienna will…

Covid-19: Canada truckers head for Ottawa to protest vaccine mandate

MONTREAL, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of Canadian truckers converged on Ottawa for a major demonstration against vaccine mandates to cross the Canada-US border.   Coming from as far as British Columbia on the Pacific coast, the “Freedom Convoy”, as the truckers have named it, has been growing and drawing…

Peru government says oil spill twice as big as previously thought

 LIMA, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The oil spill off the coast of Peru sparked by a volcanic eruption thousands of miles away is twice as big as previously reported, the government said.   The announcement came hours after a court banned four directors from the Spanish oil company Repsol, which…

Covid-19: Denmark to lift almost all restrictions from February

  Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen COPENHAGEN, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Denmark plans to lift almost all coronavirus restrictions next week despite record infection levels, the country’s prime minister announced.From Feb 1, Danes will no longer have to wear masks or show proof of vaccination in most places.The government of…

Nigeria to impose Twitter operational conditions on all social media platforms

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed CAIRO, Jan 29 (NNN-NAN) –Nigeria’s Information Minister Lai Mohammed has hinted that the federal government is planning to impose the same conditions given to Twitter on all social media platforms in the country.He made this known at a meeting with Egypt Minister of…

ECOWAS suspends Burkina Faso after coup, bloc down to 12 nations

President Akufo-Addo is current Chairman of ECOWAS ABUJA (Nigeria), Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS, is a 15-nation bloc under normal circumstances but as of today, there are only a dozen nations involved in its affairs.Three countries have been suspended in the last few…

Burkina Faso: New leader gives first speech since ousting president

Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba led a mutiny that ousted President Roch Marc Kaboré  OUAGADOUGOU, Jan 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The new military leader of Burkina Faso has promised a return to the normal constitutional order “when the conditions are right”. Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba led a mutiny that ousted President Roch…