Covid-19: South Africa’s Pres Ramaphosa announces new restrictions as cases soar

Ramaphosa said the country had let its guard down  PRETORIA, Dec 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced new tougher coronavirus restrictions, after South Africa recorded more than one million Covid-19 cases. Indoor and outdoor gatherings will be banned, a curfew introduced from 21:00 to 06:00, and alcohol sales…

Covid-19: Spain to keep registry of those who refuse vaccine

The elderly are among those receiving the first wave of vaccinations in Spain  MADRID, Dec 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Spain is to set up a registry of people who refuse to be vaccinated against coronavirus and share it with other European Union nations, the health minister said. Salvador Illa said the list would not…

Covid-19: More England patients in hospital than at April peak

LONDON, Dec 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — England is “back in the eye” of the coronavirus storm, health chiefs warned, with as many patients in hospital as during the initial peak in April. A new strain of the virus appears to be behind the recent upsurge in cases, heaping further pressure on…

23 killed in road accident in central Nigeria

LAGOS, Dec 30 (NNN-XINHUA) — Twenty-three people died in a road accident in central Nigeria with 22 others injured, according to local police. The accident, which involved a truck, occurred along the Bokani-Makera road in the Mokwa local government area of Niger state in the middle belt region of the…

Powerful quake tears down buildings in central Croatia

ZAGREB, Dec 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake tore down buildings in central Croatia on Tuesday, striking near the town of Petrinja where rescue teams raced to comb through the rubble. The tremor, one of the strongest to rock Croatia in recent years, collapsed rooftops in Petrinja, home…

Oil market may recover to pre-crisis levels in 2021: Russia

MOSCOW, Dec 30 (NNN-TASS) — The emergence of coronavirus vaccines on the global market is helping to restore oil demand, and the market may return to pre-crisis parameters during 2021, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said. “Before the end of 2020, we have already seen a recovery in demand,…

Zimbabwe lists evacuation centers as storm approaches

HARARE, Dec 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — Zimbabwean government spokesperson Nick Mangwana announced several evacuation centers in Manicaland Province in eastern Zimbabwe as the threat of tropical depression Chalane looms. With the memories of the devastation caused by cyclone Idai in 2019 still fresh in their minds, some residents in the province…

Security Council condemns attacks on UN mission in CAR

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — United Nations Security Council condemned Friday’s attacks against the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). In a statement, the members of the Security Council condemned “in the strongest terms” the attacks against the UN mission in the Central African Republic…

Powerful quakes hit central Croatia, no casualties: official

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic (R, Front) and local officials inspect buildings damaged by earthquakes in Sisak ZAGREB, Dec. 29 (NNN-Xinhua) — No casualties have been reported hours after a series of earthquakes hit central Croatia near the capital Zagreb on Monday, local officials said. According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre…

Colombia: 249 peace signatories killed since 2016

BOGOTA, Dec 29 (NNN-TELESUR) — The number of former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) combatants who have been killed in Colombia climbed to 249, following the assassination of two of its members over the weekend. The Revolutionary Alternative Force of the Common (FARC) party on Sunday denounced the deaths of Manuel Alonso, who was…