Nigeria lifts ban on Twitter after seven months – Official

Nigeria banned Twitter on June 4 after it deleted a tweet of President Buhari ABUJA, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s federal government has lifted a ban on global social media giants Twitter.The decision was announced by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Chairman Technical Committee Nigeria – Twitter Engagement and Director-General of the…

Seychelles: The Island Nation hunting for a lost $50m foreign aid, missing since 20 years ago

Seychelles an island paradise but many people live in poverty VICTORIA, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Six of Seychelles’ most prominent citizens including the former First Lady are facing charges in a corruption scandal involving $50m of missing foreign aid. The money was a gift to the tiny republic 20 years…

Covid-19: Quebec to impose health tax on unvaccinated Canadians

QUEBEC CITY, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Canadian province of Quebec will charge a health tax to residents who are not vaccinated against Covid-19. Quebec, which has seen the highest number of Covid-related deaths in Canada, is currently struggling with a surge in cases. On Tuesday, the premier announced that…

US sanctions five North Koreans after missile launch

WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States imposed sanctions on five North Koreans linked to the country’s ballistic missile program, a day after Pyongyang carried out what it said was the launch of a hypersonic missile.   The Treasury Department said the five individuals being sanctioned were “responsible for…

Ukrainian soldier killed on eve of Russia-NATO talks

  KYIV, Jan 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ukraine said Wednesday one of its soldiers had been killed in fighting with pro-Moscow separatists on the eve of talks between NATO and Russia in Brussels over the conflict.    Tensions around Ukraine have escalated in recent months, as Washington and Kyiv’s European allies accuse Russia of…

Covid-19: Omicron quickly overtaking Delta globally in terms of circulation – WHO

   UNITED NATIONS/GENEVA, Jan 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Omicron is quickly overtaking the Delta variant of COVID-19 and becoming dominant around the world, a senior WHO official has warned, with the global health agency cautioning that there is “increasing evidence” Omicron is able to evade immunity but has less disease severity as compared to other…

US Coast Guard rescues 176 Haitians from sailboat near Florida

Haitian migration towards the United States has been on the rise as the island nation battles poverty, violence and political instability MIAMI (Florida, US), Jan 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States Coast Guard pulled 176 Haitians from an overloaded, unseaworthy boat as it approached the coast of Florida, officials said,…

Sudan protest organizers reject UN mediation offer

Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan KHARTOUM, Jan 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One of the major organizers of Sudan’s anti-coup protests, the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, refused an offer from the UN to mediate talks with the military. The UN has hoped to help broker a deal following a military…

South Africa charges Parliament fire suspect with terrorism

Zandile Christmas Mafe in court in Cape Town on 11 January. Photograph: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images CAPE TOWN, Jan 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prosecutors in South Africa charged the man accused of starting the fire that gutted parts of South Africa’s parliament building with terrorism on Tuesday. Zandile M. was already facing five charges,…

Covid-19: No more isolation for asymptomatic people with booster doses in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Jan 12 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Argentine Health Authorities have decided that from now on, people who have taken three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and remain asymptomatic following close contact with a positive case of the disease shall no longer be required to isolate themselves. The officials gathered under…