Paraguay insists civil servants must wear clothes made of traditional fabric

ASUNCION, Dec 19 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — The Government of Paraguay has issued a decree whereby civil servants are encouraged to wear clothing made of the ancestral ao po’i fabric on Fridays to promote and protect the country’s heritage. The typical clothing dates back to the 19th century and is emblematic of…

Peru’s president under investigation for corruption

LIMA, Dec 19 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Peru’s President Pedro Castillo is once again under the spotlight after the Attorney General said his Office was already investigating press allegations that businesswoman Karelim López had paid the head of state offered to help the Puente Tarata III consortium win the tender for a…

Roundup: Dutch lockdown as Europe intensifies Omicron response

 THE HAGUE, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Netherlands announced a Christmas lockdown and London declared a “major incident” as Europe tries to rein in rising Covid-19 case numbers and the highly mutated Omicron strain takes hold.   EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the Omicron variant could be…

Texas building its own ‘wall’ on US-Mexico border: governor

  RIO GRANDE CITY (Texas, US), Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Texas has begun building its own “wall” of huge steel bars on the border with Mexico, its Republican governor Greg Abbott said Saturday, accusing President Joe Biden of not doing enough to stop illegal immigration.    “Texas is taking what is…

At least 13 killed in Guatemala Indigenous land dispute

  GUATEMALA CITY, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 13 people were killed in western Guatemala, including women, children and a policeman, in a long-running land dispute between Indigenous villages, police said Saturday.   Police said the confrontation began on Friday and lasted until Saturday in an area located about…

Covid-19: Omicron cases doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with local spread – WHO

GENEVA, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in one-and-a-half to three days in areas with community transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity,…

Covid-19: Paris cancels New Year fireworks over Omicron fears

PARIS, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France said it was cancelling its traditional New Year fireworks as Europe braced for tighter curbs to rein in the spread of the new strain of the coronavirus fuelling a resurgence in COVID-19 cases worldwide. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned the Omicron…

Spanish ex-king Juan Carlos makes rare public appearance in UAE

ABU DHABI, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spain’s former king Juan Carlos I was spotted at a tennis tournament in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, days after Swiss prosecutors closed a US$100 million corruption case against him for lack of evidence. Juan Carlos was seen at a match featuring Spain’s Rafael Nadal…

Covid-19: London declares ‘major incident’ to help hospitals cope with pandemic

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan visits a COVID-19 pop-up vaccination centre at Chelsea football ground, Stamford Bridge in London LONDON, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “major incident” to help the capital’s hospitals cope with a surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the fast-spreading Omicron coronavirus…

South African court to hear ex-president Zuma’s plea to appeal parole ruling on Tuesday

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa’s high court will on Tuesday hear former president Jacob Zuma’s request to appeal against a ruling that set aside his medical parole and said he should return to jail, his foundation said on Saturday. The court said on Wednesday Zuma should go back…