South Sudan to commence talks with breakaway opposition faction

JUBA, Oct 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The government of South Sudan has met with Simon Gatwech Dual, leader of a breakaway faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in opposition (SPLM/A-IO) to start negotiations aimed at ending hostilities. The rebel delegation also included the group’s deputy chairman, General Johnson Olony.The meeting was…

Libya’s warring sides may be guilty of war crimes – UN probe

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — All sides in Libya’s conflict have committed violations that may include war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2016, a United Nations investigation has found.The Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya, commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, said in a report published on Monday…

Covid-19: Lowest global coronavirus death toll for 11 months

   PARIS, Oct 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The weekly number of coronavirus deaths worldwide has fallen to levels unseen for almost a year, according to official national figures.   The 53,245 deaths recorded worldwide between September 27 and October 3, an average of 7,606 each day, showed that the global pandemic…

Abiy Ahmed sworn in as Ethiopian Prime Minister for a new 5-year-term

ADDIS ABABA, Oct 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ahmed Ali has been sworn in in front of Parliament as Prime Minister of Africa’s second-most populous nation, Ethiopia.The PM who had been in office since 2018 begins a new five-year mandate after his party won majority seats in the Parliament.“After a landslide victory…

Russia test fires hypersonic missile from submarine

  MOSCOW, Oct 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia said it had launched a new hypersonic cruise missile from a submarine, the latest test of emerging weapons President Vladimir Putin has dubbed “invincible”.   Moscow has in recent years touted the development of weapons that it hopes will give it the edge…

Covid-19: Nicaragua to immunize the child population with Cuban vaccines

MANAGUA, Oct 4 (NNN-TELESUR) — Nicaragua’s Vice President Rosario Murillo announced the approval of the emergency use of Cuban-developed vaccines Abdala, Soberana, and Soberana 02 on the child population. She said that the vaccination day against COVID-19 in children and adolescents from 2 to 17 years old would begin on…

Brazil out to elect new Mayors, 13 of them in the state of São Paulo

BRASILIA, Oct 4 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Brazilian voters are to go out Sunday to choose 19 new Mayors in six states after the Electoral Court has banned those chosen in 2020 to take office, citing legal grounds.  Sunday’s outcome is believed to yield some concrete evidence on the country’s current political…

Controversial Swedish cartoonist dies in crash

The scene after an accident killing controversial Swedish artist Lars Vilks and two police officers STOCKHOLM, Oct 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who lived under police protection after his 2007 depiction of the Prophet Mohammed prompted death threats, died Sunday in a car accident. The 75-year-old and two…

Libya detains 4,000 people in major anti-migrant crackdown

Rescued migrants rest near the city of Khoms, around 120 kilometres east of Tripoli TRIPOLI, Oct 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A major crackdown in western Libya has resulted in the detention of 4,000 migrants, including hundreds of women and children, according to officials. The raids took place in the western town…

Post-BREXIT crisis: UK rejects ‘uncontrolled immigration’ despite labour shortages

The absence of foreign workers has sown disarray in some sectors of the British economy, including fuel deliveries LONDON, Oct 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United Kingdom will not return to “uncontrolled immigration” to solve fuel, gas and food crises, officials have said, suggesting such strains were part of a period…