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…

Covid-19: Algeria to start vaccinations in January

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ALGIERS, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Algeria will launch COVID-19 vaccinations in January, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said, although the North African nation has not yet selected which vaccine it will deploy.Tebboune, who is recovering from COVID-19 in Germany, where he was hospitalised on Oct 28, made the announcement on Twitter.He said he…

Cattle rustling in South Sudan: 4 rustlers among 5 died in Tonj North raid

JUBA, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A cattle raid in Tonj North County of South Sudan’s Warrap State left five people dead and three others wounded, a local official said, amid fears of renewed clashes.While political violence has largely subsided in South Sudan since the signing of a peace agreement in…

Covid-19: Morocco announces three-week curfew

RABAT, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Moroccan government announced a nationwide curfew and other restrictive measures Monday, as it seeks to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The curfew will be in place between the hours of 9:00 pm (2000 GMT) and 6:00 am and the new measures —…

Canada announces aid for Palestinian refugee agency

MONTREAL, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Canada announced it will provide some US$70 million in financing to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which has been reeling from US funding cuts. The aid amounting to CAN$90 million will be distributed over three years and comes after the agency’s chief warned last…