South Africa condemns auction of key to Mandela prison cell

 JOHANNESBURG, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The South African government condemned the planned auction of the key to the prison cell that once held ex-president and national hero Nelson Mandela.   The key to the cell on Robben Island, where Mandela was jailed for 27 years, is the headline item of a…

6 troops, 22 jihadists die in Lake Chad sweep: joint force

NIAMEY, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Six soldiers and at least 22 jihadists have died in fighting in the Lake Chad region, a joint force deployed to the area said on Friday.    The force described the operation, conducted by air-supported troops from Niger and Nigeria, as a “success” and said it…

Covid-19: France sets new daily infections record

  PARIS, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France set a new daily coronavirus infections record on Friday, registering 94,124 cases over 24 hours, the highest figure since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.    It marked the second day in a row that infections climbed to record highs.    The numbers are likely…

Covid-19: South Africa scraps isolation for those without symptoms

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — : South Africans without symptoms of COVID-19 will no longer need to isolate or test if they have been in contact with a positive case, the government announced, saying developments around the virus justified a shift from containment measures towards mitigation. The country has led…

Covid-19: Thousands of flights cancelled globally as Omicron mars Christmas weekend

NEW YORK, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Commercial airlines around the world cancelled more than 4,300 flights over the Christmas weekend, as a mounting wave of COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant created greater uncertainty and misery for holiday travellers. Airline carriers globally scrapped at least 2,366 flights on Friday,…

Two dead, many missing as refugee vessel sinks off Greek island, 3rd incident within a week

ATHENS, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two bodies have been retrieved as a rescue operation was underway Friday night near the Aegean Sea island of Paros, after the sinking of a vessel carrying refugees and migrants, according to Greek media reports. So far, 57 passengers have been rescued, with survivors stating…

UN chief welcomes de-escalation in northern Ethiopia

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the de-escalation gestures of the Ethiopian government and the Tigrayan forces in northern Ethiopia. The secretary-general welcomed the Ethiopian government’s announcement on Thursday that its forces will pause at its current positions, as well as the Tigrayan forces’ message…

Tourist bus crashes into a ravine and leaves 5 dead and 50 injured in Goiás

BRASILIA, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A tourist bus leaving the Sao Paulo State for Brasilia crashed early Friday, killing five and injuring 50, according to the fire department of the Goias State in east-central Brazil. The accident occurred in Aparecida de Goiania, about 220 km southwest of Brasilia, at about…

Covid-19: UK reports more than 120,000 daily cases for first time

LONDON, Dec 25 (NNN-Xinhua) — Britain has reported another 122,186 coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, exceeding 120,000 daily cases for the first time since of the start of the pandemic, according to official figures. It brought the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 11,891,292. The…

Nigeria: Police foil kidnap, rescue 48 persons in Kaduna

The police saved the 48 kidnapped persons ABUJA, Dec 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigeria’s Kaduna State Police Command has foiled a kidnap attempt, rescuing 48 persons at Udawa village in Chikun local government area of the state.The command’s spokesman, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said this in a statement he issued on the…