Covid-19: Five countries ban flights from South Africa over new variant

At least five countries and airlines, including Germany and Turkey, are reported to have banned flights from South Africa over the discovery of a new variant of the coronavirus JOHANNESBURG, Dec 22 (NNN-Xinhua) — At least five countries have suspended flights from South Africa after a coronavirus variant was recently…

Brexit: Britain wants ‘substantial’ EU shift as Sunday trade deadline looms

LONDON, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The wrangling over a post-Brexit trade pact between the EU and Britain continued on Sunday, the day the European Parliament set as the last opportunity for the agreement to be reached.Fears are growing that the sides will be unable to break the impasse, potentially resulting…

Mexican president and US Pres-elect Biden pledge cooperation in first phone call

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador MEXICO CITY, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — After congratulating Joe Biden on his election win earlier this week, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had his first phone call with the incoming US leader.“We affirmed our duty to work together for the wellbeing of our…

Sudan, Ethiopia to resume joint border committee meetings

Sudan and Ethiopia have agreed to resume talks KHARTOUM, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sudan and Ethiopia agreed to resume meetings of the joint border committee on Dec 22 at a time when the border area has been witnessing security tensions.“The joint border committee between Sudan and Ethiopia will resume work…

Vietnamese truck deaths: Two men found guilty of manslaughter of 39 people

Police move the lorry container where bodies were discovered, in Grays, Essex, Britain October 23, 2019 LONDON, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Two people smugglers were found guilty of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children who suffocated to death in the back of a refrigerated truck as they…

Tunisia cracks down with arrests, including a minister, in Italy hazardous waste scandal

SOUSSE (Tunisia), Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tunisia arrested a dozen people including its environment minister in a scandal over hundreds of containers of household waste shipped from Italy to the North African country. The 282 containers were seized this summer by Tunisian customs officials in the Mediterranean port city of…

Update: UK isolated over new virus strain as EU approves vaccine

LONDON, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Travellers were facing a nightmare holiday season with governments banning flights from Britain to contain a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus, as the European Union approves its first vaccine and readies a mass rollout. More than two dozen countries from India to Argentina suspended flights…

Covid-19: Chile extends curfew amid rise in cases

SANTIAGO, Dec 22 (NNN-Xinhua) — Chile will extend an existing curfew by two hours each day starting Saturday to contain the increasing COVID-19 infections, said health authorities. Chile will then be under a daily nationwide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., the Ministry of Health said. Santiago Metropolitan Region,…

UN Security Council recognizes role of International Court of Justice

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 22 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Security Council on Monday recognized the role of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in promoting international peace and security. In a presidential statement, the Security Council recognizes the positive contribution of the ICJ to the rule of law at the international level…

Over 11,000 illegal migrants rescued off Libyan coast so far in 2020 – UN

African migrants on Mediterranean TRIPOLI, Dec 22 (NNN-Xinhua) — The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations migration agency, said that 11,891 illegal migrants have been rescued and returned to Libya so far in 2020, compared with 9,225 in 2019. The migrants rescued this year include 811 women and…