At least 15 feared dead in PNG landslide

PORT MORESBY, Jan 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Up to 15 people were feared dead after a landslide struck a mining camp in central Papua New Guinea following heavy rain, officials said. Local MP William Samb said the camp in Goilala was buried as miners slept early Monday. “Unfortunately there are no…

Yemen airport blasts kill 26 as government plane arrives

ADEN, Jan 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 26 people were killed when explosions rocked Yemen’s Aden airport moments after a new unity government flew in, in what some officials charged was a “cowardly” attack by the Houthi rebels. Although all government ministers were reported to be unharmed in Wednesday’s attack,…

Covid-19: China’s first vaccine hustled to market as race to inoculate 1.3bn speeds up

BEIJING, Jan 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China has granted “conditional” market approval to a Sinopharm vaccine with a reported 79 percent efficacy rate against Covid-19, health authorities said, a major stride towards inoculating the world’s largest population. The Sinopharm jab, which has surged ahead of a raft of Chinese competitors during…

Brexit takes full effect as UK leaves EU single market

LONDON, Jan 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brexit becomes a reality on Thursday as Britain leaves Europe’s customs union and single market, ending nearly half a century of often turbulent ties with its closest neighbours. The UK’s tortuous departure from the European Union took full effect when Big Ben struck 11 pm…

Syria: 25 killed in ambush in eastern desert region

DAMASCUS, Jan 1 (NNN-XINHUA) — At least 25 people were killed when armed men attacked a passenger bus in the desert area in eastern Syria, state news agency SANA reported. The “terrorist” attack targeted the bus on the Palmyra-Deir al-Zour road in the area of Kabajebon Wednesday, said SANA, adding…

US imposes new tariffs on French, German products in Airbus-Boeing spat

WASHINGTON, Jan 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States announced that it will impose additional tariffs on French and German products as part of a long-running dispute over subsidies for aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. The tariffs are on “aircraft manufacturing parts from France and Germany, certain non-sparkling wine from France…

Brexit sparks fears of disrupted food, drug supplies in UK

LONDON, Jan 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Despite the free trade deal signed by London and Brussels, suppliers of food and medicine fear the rapidly introduced changes will disrupt supplies and increase costs, undercutting government claims of a post-Brexit dividend. While Boris Johnson had promised an “oven-ready” deal a year ago, the…

World begins ushering in locked-down New Year

SYDNEY, Jan 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The world began ushering in the New Year Thursday, with pandemic controls muting celebrations for billions of people eager to bid farewell to a virus-ridden 2020. After a grinding year that has seen at least 1.7 million people die from Covid-19, fresh waves of infection…

Covid-19: Algerian President Tebboune returns after treatment in Germany

ALGIERS, Dec 30 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune returned Tuesday after a two-month stay in Germany, where he was treated with Covid-19, ending a long period of uncertainty in a country facing a health, political and economic crisis. Tebboune landed 6 pm local time in Algiers and was met…

Cuban migrants protest at Mexico border, seeking entry to US

CIUDAD JUAREZ (Mexico), Dec 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Dozens of Cubans protested at the US border in the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez on Tuesday night, demanding they be allowed to cross and claim asylum in the United States. US authorities, including police in anti-riot gear, closed off the bridge…