Azerbaijan, Armenia begin swapping Karabakh prisoners

BAKU, Dec 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Azerbaijan and Armenia announced the start of a prisoner exchange, more than a month after a peace deal was signed ending weeks of fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Returns had already begun on Monday, Baku’s State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing…

Covid-19: Germany pressuring EU to speed up vaccine approval

BERLIN, Dec 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Germany is pressuring EU authorities to speed up the approval of a coronavirus vaccine as it battles a surge in infections and Britain and the US begin mass inoculations, reports said. Angela Merkel’s office and Germany’s health ministry want the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to…

Moscow condemns US sanctions on Turkey over Russian missile purchases

MOSCOW, Dec 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov condemned US sanctions against Turkey over the purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defence missiles as “illegitimate”. “This is, of course, another manifestation of an arrogant attitude towards international law, a manifestation of illegitimate, unilateral coercive measures that the United States…

Mexico calls for cooperation between LatAm, EU in response to COVID-19

MEXICO CITY, Dec 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Mexico, the president pro tempore of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), called for cooperation between the region and the European Union (EU) to mitigate economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard, speaking on…

Almost 2 bln people depend on health care facilities without basic water services: WHO, UNICEF

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Around 1.8 billion people are at heightened risk of COVID-19 and other diseases because they use or work in health care facilities without basic water services, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said. The report – Global progress…

Technical meeting on critical Libyan economic reforms held in Geneva

Technical meeting on critical reforms of the Libyan economy kicks off in Geneva TRIPOLI, Dec 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Acting Special Representatives of the UN Secretary-General for Libya, Stephanie Williams, held a technical meeting on critical reforms of the Libyan economy in Geneva, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)…

Update: Biden says Trump ‘refused to respect the will of the people’

WILMINGTON (Delaware, US), Dec 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President-elect Joe Biden tore into Donald Trump with his strongest criticism since the election, saying the Republican had defied the constitution and the “will of the people” in not accepting the results. “It’s a position so extreme we’ve never seen it before. A…

South African Airways prepares to relaunch in 2021

PRETORIA, Dec 15 (NNN-SANEWS) — The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) has announced an interim six-member South African Airways (SAA) board as the airline prepares to relaunch in 2021.In a statement, the department said Geoff Qhena will chair the board. The six are expected to restore proper governance and oversight…

US removes Sudan from ‘state sponsors of terrorism’ list

Sudan’s removal is effective Dec 14, 2020 KHARTOUM, Dec 15 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum said that Sudan had been removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that could help the African country get international loans to revive its battered economy and end…

Ivory Coast’s Ouattara sworn in for third term

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara ABIDJAN, Dec 15 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara took the oath of office for a third term on Monday, urging the opposition to help “defuse tensions” ahead of general elections early next year.The solemn ceremony was attended by 13 African counterparts as well as former…