Turkish Pres Erdogan in Azerbaijan to hail ‘glorious’ Karabakh victory

BAKU, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Azerbaijan Thursday to join nationwide celebrations marking his close ally’s decisive military victory against Armenia in their conflict for control of disputed territory. Azerbaijan’s army paraded military hardware and weapons seized from Armenia during the six-week war through…

Lebanon judge indicts PM, 3 ex-ministers over port blast: judicial source

BEIRUT, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The lead investigator of the catastrophic Aug 4 blast at the Lebanese capital’s port indicted outgoing premier Hassan Diab and three ex-ministers on charges of negligence, a judicial source said. The decision by judge Fadi Sawan to indict Diab and the other ministers came after…

Saudi pushes to end Gulf feud, but full resolution elusive

RIYADH, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Saudi Arabia is pushing for a compromise to end a damaging three-year Gulf dispute, but a full resolution remains out of reach despite its offer of concessions, sources close to the negotiations say. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said last week that thekingdom and…

UK signs Singapore trade deal as EU talks falter

Britain’s International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and her Singaporean counterpart Chan Chun Sing signing a free-trade deal in Singapore SINGAPORE, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain on Thursday signed a free-trade deal with Singapore, giving it a key foothold in Asia as it seeks to forge its own path after leaving…

Covid-19: Four lions test positive at Barcelona zoo, infected from keepers

MADRID, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four lions at Barcelona Zoo, three of them older females, caught Covid-19 last month but suffered only mild symptoms and have since recovered, the Catalan animal park said. Their keepers were tipped off when they noticed “mild respiratory symptoms” among three 16-year-old females and a…

Nobel-winning UN food agency warns of ‘hunger pandemic’ worse than Covid

OSLO, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in aceremony held online because of the coronavirus, the World FoodProgramme (WFP) warned of a “hunger pandemic” it said couldbe worse than Covid-19. “Because of so many wars, climate change, the widespread use ofhunger as a political and military weapon,…

Covid-19: EU, Germany provide Taka 1145cr for workers affected by the pandemic

Dhaka, Dec 11 (NNN-BSS) – The European Union (EU) and Germany have provided Bangladesh with around Taka 1,145 crore to help COVID-19-hit workers in the export-oriented industries. At this effects, the EU and Germany signed an agreement to provide EUR 113 million (nearly 1,145 crore Taka) in support to Bangladesh…

Covid-19: Latinos in Los Angeles twice as likely to contract coronavirus

LOS ANGELES, Dec 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Latinos living in Los Angeles aretwice as likely to contract Covid-19 as the county’s white population, with“essential” in-person jobs and densely populated residences leaving the group highly exposed to the virus, the latest official data shows. By mid-November, the daily infection rate per 100,000…

Over 80 mn people displaced, a ‘bleak milestone’: UN

GENEVA, Dec 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Despite calls for ceasefires and compassion amid the Covid-19 pandemic, violence and persecution have continued to force people from their homes, with record numbers now displaced, the UN said Wednesday. By the end of 2019, 79.5 million people were living uprooted and displaced,including nearly 30…

United Nations warns over forced displacement in Central America

GENEVA, Dec 9 (NNN-TELESUR) — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned that the number of Central American people who have been forced to migrate will reach one million by the end of 2020 due to the increasing violence in the region. UNHCR officials noted that 470,000 refugees…