US: Pres Biden signs short-term funding bill to avert gov’t shutdown

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (NNN-Xinhua) — US President Joe Biden on Friday signed a short-term funding bill that will keep the federal government running through Feb 18, 2022, avoiding a looming partial shutdown. “Funding the government isn’t a great achievement. It’s a bare minimum of what we need to get done,”…

Covid-19: Oil producers to increase output in January despite Omicron jitters

   LONDON, Dec 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Major oil producers decided to keep raising output levels in January, despite the Omicron coronavirus variant raising fresh questions over demand.   The OPEC+ alliance led by Saudi Arabia and Russia had so far resisted US-led pressure to significantly boost output to rein in surging…

Covid-19: WHO has no reports yet of Omicron deaths

  GENEVA, Dec 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Health Organization said it had not seen any reports of deaths relating to the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.    The WHO said it was collecting evidence about the variant of concern, as countries around the world scramble to stop it spreading.…

Libyan court reinstates Saif Gaddafi as presidential candidate

Saif al-Islam, who is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes, had registered to run in the next month’s elections TRIPOLI, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The son of Libya’s longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi has been given the go-ahead to run in the country’s upcoming presidential election, his lawyer said,…

Covid-19: Germany cracks down on unvaccinated as US eyes winter battle

People line up in front of an information desk at the main railway station in Munich BERLIN, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Germany unveiled strict curbs on the unvaccinated Thursday as alarm fanned worldwide over the Omicron variant, and Joe Biden announced America’s winter battle plans against Covid-19 as signs of…

Mexican gov’t accepts temporary restart of US “Stay in Mexico” scheme

MEXICO CITY, Dec 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — Mexico’s government said that it accepted the temporary reinstatement of an immigration program that forces asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while their cases are being heard in the United States. Better known as “Stay in Mexico,” the Migrant Protection Protocols was accepted by…

Zimbabwean government to build 32 new hospitals

HARARE, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Zimbabwean government plans to construct 32 hospitals and refurbish existing health infrastructure to improve access to healthcare for the majority of Zimbabweans.This was said by Health deputy minister John Mangwiro in a speech that he read on behalf of Vice-President and Health minister Constantino…

Covid-19: DR Congo struggles with vaccine push

  KINSHASA, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A year ago, the world kicked off one of the greatest initiatives in medical history: the rush to vaccinate Earth’s human population against Covid-19.    Since the launch of mass vaccination in Britain on Nov 8 2020, billions of jabs have since poured off…

Covid-19: South Africa new cases surge as Omicron spreads

South Africa’s president has urged everyone to get vaccinated  PRETORIA, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The new coronavirus variant Omicron has now become dominant in South Africa and is driving a sharp increase in new infections, health officials say. Some 11,500 new Covid infections were registered in the latest daily figures.…

Ukraine: Russia’s Lavrov warns of return to military confrontation nightmare

Antony Blinken and Sergei Lavrov met at a European security conference in Sweden  STOCKHOLM, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that Europe could be returning to what he called the “nightmare of military confrontation”. At a European security conference in Sweden, Lavrov floated the idea…